NightPilgrim

I'm so excited to find this thread! Started IF 1st January 2019... Doing 18/6 and 1200 calorie restriction preferably high protein low ish carb for endomorph macros. Feeling great. Pouch resetting Weight starting to come off! Just got to stay away from the 🌲🌲🌲 during or near my fasting times or it all goes to 'pot' 😆 Tho has anyone else experienced stomach pains doing this?

So crazy to look back on that message I wrote 6 months ago.. in that time I haven't yet managed to get the 5lb off and back to my lowest weight. I started thinking maybe this was the new normal point...but then I put on another 3 lbs and realised that NO it is my bad habits, not helped by my husband. So since Jan 1st I have taken more drastic measures and started Intermittent Fasting. First 16/8 and now 18/6. It has majorly helped with pouch resetting and I can even feel the restriction of my sleeve more strongly again since I have been been fasting 18 hours a day and only eating in the short window. Its actually been working and ive lost 3.5 out of the 8 lbs I want to lose to get back to my lowest weight. This restricted way of eating is also helping me deal with my night snacking because it's outside my eating window. I'm going to stick with it and just consider it a new sleeve lifestyle. 5 lbs to go but I'm feeling empowered and optimistic. Keep your fingers fingers crossed for me Sent from my CLT-L29 using BariatricPal mobile app

I realise this is an old thread but I had my sleeve done 3 years ago and am now happily maintaining a low weight of 115lbs...I was using IF strategies to deal with an 8lb regain which is more than I am ok with, and since then I have been experiencing pains in my left side, my stomach pouch area I think. Doing IF had definitely had a pouch reset effect. I noticed my restriction had somewhat dwindled lately but after doing IF it's back with a vengeance and a few times I have broken a fast with "eyes bigger than belly", literally, and been sent running to worship at the porcelain alter. Now I am careful to break fast gently eg with a boiled egg, but still I have mild stomach pains on and off all day, been going on for a few weeks. Pains are only mild so I haven't been to a doctor. But just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience! Sent from my CLT-L29 using BariatricPal mobile app

Before my VSG (April 2017) I read everything that there was to read about the process. My surgery changed my life and my body! I lost more weight than I ever thought I would. I looked and felt beyond incredible! I've been maintaining at a BMI of around 20 - 21 for about 1.5 years But now, the slippage has started and I am NOT happy about it. People said it would and they were right. When I was in maintenance mode and I slowly started reintroducing more foods back into my diet, I absolutely loved that I could consume small portions of pretty much anything without gaining. But now the restriction has massively lessened. I can see that my portion sizes are growing again. My hunger is back. I can't kick my nightly "sweet treat" that's slowly turning from a square of dark chocolate back to a bar. I've gained 5lbs from my goal weight. I can feel my clothes getting tighter. I need to nip this in the bud right now!!! I don't want to ever ever ever go back to how things were before. And I don't want this whole process to be wasted. 5lb may not sound like a lot but I have a small frame so it shows. Plus, its a slippery, slippery slope. So I'm posting here to get some support and to stay accountable. I've got to lose this 5lbs. I'm going back to tracking my calories and my macros every day. Portion control through weighing. Low carb high protein. Fibre. Water intake. I can do this.

Yes, I am 5 months out but as you say, at a lower BMI so perhaps this is more appropriate for those closer to goal than those just starting out? I don't know. Initially, I was eating 800 calories a day (and even that was hard) but as per the recommendation of my dietician I aimed for 1000 by 1 month out. It was hard! I needed protein shakes.I am 5 foot 3 so according to the above calculator I need to eat only 1037 calories to lose weight. I found I barely lost weight when I was even eating 1200 calories. What I am saying is everyone has different calorie needs so one size does not fit all! And this calculator scientifically shows that. My calorie needs are not the same as someone taller, younger, with a higher BMI, or someone who is a teacher and on their feet all day...We can calculate our individual needs. I have been trying to hit 1037 daily - not under or over. I was surprised that my optimal calorie level was so low, which is why I thought this would be interesting to share. As you rightly say, it has been HARD to get this level of calories in - I still have at least 1 protein shake a day to accomplish this. Many days I don't quite reach it but I try to reach the desired level and find I honestly lose more weight when I eat at this level rather than undereat!! If I see on MFP I've only eaten 800 calories at the end of the day, I eat some yogurt with a teaspoon of peanut butter for example or some chicken chunks etc. I try to make it to my recommended level and I have been having pretty good results with it. I have currently lost 48lbs which is 80% of my excess weight. I'm losing an average of 10lbs a month (some months less, some months more). I absolutely take my hat off to those starting at a higher BMI and with a longer journey. I know it is super hard and those people have my absolute respect !! This is a tool to inform, that's all. Science can help us. Calculate your PERSONAL needs, try to meet them, see how it goes! ADD: But yes if your doctor has given you a specific plan which goes against what the calculator says, absolutely follow the doctors plan first!! I was not given a specific plan; maybe there are others in the same boat

Everyone talks about reducing or increasing calories for weight loss - this is a SCIENCE, not guesswork. And it is really easy to calculate your individual needs. The first step is to calculate your BMR - or Basal Metabolic Rate. This is based on your age and height and is the lowest level of calories your body needs to survive, breath etc. Do NOT eat lower than this level for any significant period of time as you will massively mess with your metabolism, which will assume you are starving and slow right down, making it near impossible to lose. Then once you know your BMR, calculate your TDEE or Total Daily Energy Expenditure calories - this is based on how active you are. Unless you are a genuine athlete most of us are classed as "sedentary", especially if you have a desk job. Don't make the mistake of over (or under) estimating your activity levels. I work out gently a few times a week and am still classed as sedentary. The number of calories you have here are your MAINTAINANCE level calorie needs. THEN once you have this calorie number, you take off 15%-20% for weight loss, or about 500 calories below maintenance. Here is a handy calculator that does it all for you!!! https://tdeecalculator.net/ It also gives you suggestions on MACROS to eat at, and what percentage of protein/carbs/fat you should eat for your individual weight loss or maintenance needs. ALSO important to note that the number of calories you will need to eat for weight loss will decrease as you lose weight! So you will need to reevaluate the level of calories you need to eat regularly depending on your current weight. This calculator has been truly invaluable to me!! I hope it helps others.

Yup I was BMI 29 on day of surgery. After 4.5 months I am 42 lbs down from surgery day and loving life. No regrets at all here. Happy to answer any q's you may have.

I had exactly the same issue - 2 months, out all over the place, totally unable to tolerate the work stress and totally overwhelmed. I wrote a post about it [emoji23] I ended up quitting kinda suddenly. Part of me wished I had hung on til I was in a better place emotionally. I hated the place and the quitting was not totally out of the blue but the emotional upheaval brought on by the sleeve definitely contributed to everything being totally overwhelming. Hold on, if you can - it does get easier. Take a mental health day off for your sanity and to recharge so you are better equipped to cope. I wish I had done that when I needed to! Good luck!

By the way, this continues to be some of the best advice I had ever been given! I think of it practically every morning when I hop on the scale and see a 0.2 increase or even an upwards trend for a few days. It has prevented many many meltdowns Thank you!!

Oh god, if I go near Triscuits, popchips, breakfast cereal, anything like that...it's all over. Good to identify your personal Trigger Foods and keep them out

I'm eating about 100g per day of carbs ("good" carbs - plain oatmeal, sweet potatoes, beans, some brown bread occasionally) at the moment and still seem to be losing weight. I'm not massively active, but am fairly active and do lots of walking. I used to aim for below 30g a day and was just protein protein protein. I found that I'd go all day eating perfectly and then at the end of the day, crave carbs like mad and end up just eating whatever was around. I did this before the sleeve when dieting, and started to do it again after sleeve when I was on solid foods. I noticed the pattern and thought...ok, maybe my body is telling me something? But clearly I need to do eat in a more structured way. So I started seeing if having a little carbs with breakfast and lunch, and a low carb dinner would have an impact on the cycle. Low and behold, it did. I figured that it was better to eat carbs earlier when I could burn it off, than refusing to eat them all day and then falling off the wagon at night and then feeling guilty. So far, seems to be working ok. I figure if my calories are low (1200) it should be ok to eat a few carbs. I'm so used to trying to eat no carbs at all that it feels quite luxurious to actually "be allowed" to eat them!

Interesting! Are these US sizes? (UK sizing is different)

I was BMI 30-31 when I signed up for surgery, and 29 on Day of Surgery. 3 months later I'm down 35 lbs and feeling great. 20lbs or so to goal. From my perspective your doc is right - high protein, low carb, no sugar, small portions of quality diverse nutritious food (weigh and track all your meals) and some exercise and the weight should fall off. I feel that this was the right decision for me and so far..would not discourage other Low BMIers... though to be honest, the proof will lie in my ability to get to goal and to stay there. I'm optimistic because this has really changed my relationship with food. I used to be all about the huge portions, now I am satisfied with much less. That was my main motivation to do this - I needed help with portion control. That is much harder to do without the surgery without being hungry all the time. Definitely experienced some judgment from those with higher BMIs in the hospital and on forums (i didn't tell anyone else except mother and partner) - but we must each walk our own paths. In fact, at the hospital, the doctor who performed the surgery on me said to me afterward that my stomach was surprisingly large - the same size as someone much bigger than I actually was at the time - and so he was not surprised that I had extreme trouble keeping my weight down. I did feel a little vindicated at that. The first month was rough, I cannot lie. Really hard. Be prepared. Now though, I feel great. The only physical side effects have been an increase in GERD symptoms like acid reflux and heartburn, which is a little annoying as I did not have these problems before. Mentally I was very emotional for the first few months. All in all its been worth it for me so far, but check in again a few years out to see if I am still saying that Maintainance is probably more challenging than losing!

I'm 3 months out from my sleeve. Lost near 35lbs and loving it. BUT something did happen recently which I attribute *in part* to the hormone dump of WLS, which made me a little crazy. People said it would happen in the first few months, so I should have been more aware. Please note this is just my story and I know everyone is totally different. I was in a 'good' job - by which I mean it paid pretty well and got me a visa to live and work in the USA (I'm British). From the outside, it looks like I am living the dream. But right from the beginning things were not working out the way I hoped with the job and I was not happy. Nevertheless, I persisted and worked hard each day. So to put it in context, there was lingering unhappiness at the back of my mind but I resolved to not do anything about it until at least December of this year. My mum said to me - just one major life change at a time is OK!! Deal with recovery from surgery first, and then deal with the other issues. I did not tell my work I was having WLS, instead I took 3 days "medical leave" to have the surgery (told them I was having abdominal surgery, but not WLS) and worked from home for around 10 days afterwards. After my surgery, the weight started dropping off. But things went even further south with my job. I was probably somewhat distracted, tired and emotional. In my mind, everything was going wrong. The job, my relationship, my life living abroad....In the middle of the fog, its very difficult to see clearly and think - hey, maybe this is hormones, and things aren't that bad...? At nearly 2 months since surgery, I ended up getting a formal warning at work. Pre-WLS me would probably have brushed my ego off, and worked through it to the best of my abilities. WLS me did not. WLS me became enraged and emotional. WLS me quit. As soon as I quit, I realized that it was a rash decision that was going to result in major, major life upheaval. I was inconsolable at 'what I had done' and sank into depression. Now I have to pack up my life in America and go back to the UK. I have to leave my boyfriend, my dog, and go back to England with no plans, move back in with my parents. I thought long and hard about asking for my job back. In the end, I did not, as I was already unhappy with the job, and knew that sooner or later I would be moving forward. I just in no way expected that it would be this fast. I'm still trying to navigate the repercussions of this event!! I do look back and think that I could or should have dealt with the whole thing really really differently. Perhaps I was not quite in my right mind from the hormones. It took me a long time to accept that this was the new reality that I have to deal with!! But I have finally accepted it. On the upside, at least since my sleeving, my confidence is through the roof. I'm thankful that, whilst I have to navigate new waters, at least I'm going to do it looking and feeling great!!

Wow that is awesome! I am 12 weeks out and around 35lbs/15.8 Kilos down. Already feel great tho I have around 15 more lbs to get to goal of 120. In a little stall now so trying to kick this into gear. Hope I can make it to goal...I know I will have to work for it!