Berry78

You should be feeling "normal". Not eating large portions, but otherwise, just how you did preop.

I think she was projecting her own insecurities onto you.. she was embarrassed she had gained, so let's make you uncomfortable! Sheesh! Hate people like that..

I did have a liquid diet, but decided to start it early to "get the hang of it", so I know where you are coming from. Basically you drink 3-5 protein shakes a day, and I recommend adding a pint of low sodium v8 each day for potassium. (The shakes left me feeling desperate for *something* and the v8 fixed that feeling for me.)

If you have thrush it'll get better when that clears up. But I bet you are spot on with keto. Increase your carbs above 50g/day, and that will knock you out of ketosis. (I did it by drinking lots of milk when I got to full liquids).

This kinda happened to me. I visited my Aunts this summer, hadn't seen them for years. Last time I did see them, I weighed 40 pounds more than this time. First thing they said was, "You never change". Which is better than "You gained weight", but was still surprising to me. It's like.. no.. since last time I saw you, I gained 15 more pounds, then cut out 75% of my stomach and have lost 55 pounds. Thanks! Of course both of THEM never change. (I'm the only fat one in the family).

I'm confused by what you mean here. I think you are talking about people that guess at portion sizes, but this confuses me because even if they weigh out 4oz, this could still apply.. Personally, I eat mostly single- ingredient foods, so it is easy to know the nutritional content.

Frequently people with PCOS are insulin resistant so cutting carbs drastically can be very helpful. Here are 2 quick websites that talk about insulin resistance. http://youngwomenshealth.org/2014/02/25/metformin/ https://www.womentowomen.com/insulin-resistance/insulin-resistance-what-is-it-and-how-we-can-heal/

Some companies just don't cover bariatrics. It's too bad if yours is that way. Going to Mexico is not as crazy as it sounds. I went myself and had a good experience. Sometimes challenges are put in front of us so we can become stronger through the effort of overcoming them. Examine your work, is there a way to earn more? Overtime? 2nd job? Do you have assets you could sell? Get a credit card? Cut your budget to the bare essentials? Borrow from friends or family?

I lost 17, btw.

Sleever females lose about 15-20 lbs the first month. Bypass peeps usually lose a bit more. The rule of thumb is we lose about a hundred or 120 pounds the first year, which averages out to 10 a month. The first few months are more, then it slows down. There are always exceptions, but it gives you an idea.

It seems to vary. It was a gradual thing for me but by 5 or 6 weeks things were getting much better. I'm almost 5 months out, and still can't drink like before. Can get 8oz down in a couple minutes, but not chugging.

I'd recommend waiting 4-6 months so you can be confident in your ability to eat and drink water before imbibing. Alcohol can hit us like a ton of bricks, so going into it well hydrated and with food in your system, you'll fare best. Keep in mind our livers are under stress from the weight loss, another reason to wait as long as possible, and limit yourself to one drink in a night. Even though things will seem different, going out and having a good time is the main thing.

Lots of peeps have sushi early.. like 6 or 8 weeks. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. Always go slow the first time.

I've lost 75 pounds and I can count the number of people (outside my household) that have noticed... on. one. finger. No fireworks either. Just a, "Have you lost weight? Lookin' good." Wonder what she would have said if I said "no". Lol! Ah well, maybe when I get to onederland...

People like you won't be discouraged by people like me "Too hard", unfortunately only becomes obvious after the fact. Lol.

I'm sorry, I think I have ideas coming from about 4 directions, so it's coming out disjointed. You seem to have your s*** together, so I'm not really talking about you, except to see how much of my theory holds water when reflected against your case. I apologize, I thought you regained 15, must have been someone else. 7 isn't bad at all! What my underlying thinking is... if we deplete our body.. take calcium from bones, protein from muscles, fat from cell membranes, essentially from malnourishment during the weight loss phase, then when we "refeed", the body tends to store body fat along with the calcium, protein and fat that are being replenished. So, not knowing how much fat an individual is likely to store while building back up, I threw out the 50lb number. Maybe it's a tiny bit.. 7 pounds might cover it. (And I have no doubt your 7 pounds isn't body fat, but the calcium, protein, etc). But for other people, they regain 7, and they may freak out. THEN they change their behavior. Anyway, with that hopefully explained more fully, I just wonder if we eat well, don't push TOO hard, whether we can avoid the need to rebuild, and therefore avoid regain. You exercise so much that the minute you regain a pound of body fat, you burn it back off. That's why your 7 pounds is calcium and such. Someone else that isn't exercising so much is going to keep the body fat AND calcium weight. THAT is the regain that is at issue.

I suspect you are the poster child for how it is SUPPOSED to happen Food for thought... thanks!

Ok, we posted at about the same time Ok, so you had a ton of exercise on limited calories, but only regained a bit. Not bad!

"Yes! If I wanted to stay in the 120's I would have to eat 1000-1200 per day! If I'm happy with 135-140 I can eat more than 2000! Crazy!" Ok this is a quote from you, Jess, from the other thread. It kinda shows what I mean. You lost to the 120's, but when you started eating, it went up to 135. Now, you seem to have made the right decision to stay put and be happy. But what if you continued striving after that 120? You'd be struggling and miserable. So, yes, your example shows set point and the idea of the body needing to rebuild after hitting goal. My concern is if people spend their entire weight loss phase living on, say, low carb and low fat.. protein shakes and artificial sugar, then exercise on top of it, then they will be so depleted that they may regain 50lbs while their body tries to heal the damage. We should all attempt to eat for a strong, healthy body, not just weight loss, and if we consume enough of the right fuel, then exercise and muscle building can come easily, and the body can stay happy and nourished throughout.

How did you eat while losing?

I love potatoes too. Haven't tried rice. Noodles are GrOSS!

Howdy surgery-twin! It's safe to use honey.. just keep in mind it's basically pure sugar, so use it the same way as you would the white stuff (limited quantity). How have things been going?

16oz of this has 40g protein. It is made with whey protein, but since it's cultured you may have better luck with it (I did). Keep in mind 2oz greek yogurt or cottage cheese = 1 cup of milk or broth. Since you are 3 weeks out, it won't be long before you've moved from liquids to food. Exciting times!

Yeah, stay away from anything that makes you feel that bad. I couldn't hack the taste of protein shakes or powders, so I relied on milk and broth until I could puree tuna. 8 cups of milk and/or broth will get you your protein for the day. (It counts as fluid too, so you don't need much water). It sounds like a lot, but it's only 4 pint jars for all day. Just keep on sipping.

I watched that video too. He really does make some valid points. Personally I don't go to the gym yet. I'm 4.5 months out. My weight loss is pretty steady and the lighter I am when I do start exercising, the less likely I am to injure myself... not to mention the self esteem issues of being the fat lady in the gym I already notice on the days that I'm more active I get hungrier. I have a theory. The body is working so hard disassembling itself during our rapid weight loss phase, that to exercise beyond a normal level (daily activities), that it throws it into a panic mode. "We're starving and having to run around searching for food! Halt all non-essential functions!" So then the body starts using itself up. Mood may destabilize, and ultimately the body becomes a shrivelled up shell... But then... "goal" is reached, the person relaxes, eats a few more calories to halt weight loss, and the body says, "Yes!" Time to get to work putting myself back together!" And suddenly the patient regains 20lbs. And what happens when they regain? ... You got it! They flip out and either give up, diving into the bag of cookies, or they go the other way, stressing and straining to get back down. Edited to add: Sorry, had to jump off before my conclusion! So, what to do? Feed the body so it can function optimally with reduced calories, and exercise lightly to moderately (moderate would be walking 2-3 miles a day and lightweight weights 2xs a week). Save the intense workouts and heavy weightlifting until the scale is only moving by 5 pounds a month or less. And, if my theory is correct, the patient should be able to slide effortlessly into maintenance and a few extra calories (or lazy days) wouldn't budge the scale. Hunger would be manageable, mood stable, skin and hair healthy, etc.