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?

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.

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

I currently have a BMI of 30 and am scheduled for sleeving on April 21st. Would love to know what kind of results I can expect when starting with a lower BMI. I've heard stuff about slower weight loss but would love to hear about experiences straight from the horses mouth, as it were.... I'm self funding in Mexico. Yes, I'm having thoughts about whether I am crazy to be doing this to myself but I have struggled with weight my whole life, been on every diet under the sun and am so excited at the prospect of actually being able to lose weight and maybe... stopping the future gain so I don't end up in a worse situation than I'm currently in... I know it's maybe a slightly unusual case but I hope to hear from some people! Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

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.

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

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!

I'm curious as to what people think... Background: 10 days post op. Want to lose 50 pounds to be at my (personal) goal. I was planning on getting a scale to weigh myself, browsing Amazon for the best one... And then I thought...maybe the scale will actually be counter productive? Ive seen so many people on here freak out when the scale doesn't move for a day or a week that the mere process of weighing ones self seems to become an obsession upon which they hang all of their self esteem and motivation. I don't want to get like this. I've been REALLY hung up on the scale in the past and have become beyond discouraged if it hasn't moved etc. Obviously, I want to keep track of my progress so I know if I need to adjust my diet or lifestyle, but I don't want to become a slave to the scale. I'm measuring inches and seeing changes in my clothes fit. Is this enough? As a side note, I have bought a KITCHEN scale to weigh my food. I am totally down with that. I just want to live a new, healthy life, keep ploughing onwards and upwards... Would love to know peoples thoughts and experiences!

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'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!!

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!

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!

Definitely!! It was recommended to me by my surgeon whilst I was in hospital, and it was a lifesaver. Firstly, my abdominal muscles - which had just been cut open - were less painful when i was wearing the binder. It was easier to stand and walk when everything was being held in by the binder. It pulls the muscles in, allowing them to knit together more easily - so you heal faster. If you have a big belly, the weight of it can put pressure on the stitches, which is painful. The binder takes all that away. I was able to do much much more standing and walking when wearing my binder, than without it. I genuinely really noticed the difference. Secondly, the pressure from the binder prevents fluid from pooling around your incisions, which can be problematic and require draining (according to my surgeon) Literally I wore my binders every day for at least a month. I slept in a regular velcro one over a clean t-shirt, and I had more of a "body girdle" for daytime which I wore under my clothes.

Sure - there are loads of different types but just to share an example of a decent one with you: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0101RZR7M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (Please don't be put off by the fact that it says its for post-pregnancy!! It still really does the job for anyone and is a good example of what to look for - you can get ones specifically for men by typing "abdominal binder for men" into Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_5_16?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=abdominal+binder+for+men&sprefix=abdominal+binder%2Caps%2C1000&crid=2IX1H9G3OKQLF

An abdominal binder - absolutely essential!!! Would buy two - one for day and one for night. They really help in keeping your abdominal muscles together after they've been cut from the surgery. They also help to reduce the swelling around the incisions. This means less pain, more mobility and faster recovery. Mine were literally lifesavers and I wore them every day for at least the first month. Everyone getting surgery should get at least one. Good luck!!

Potatoes are not a vegetable, sorry. They are high carb and no amount of protein powder is going to change that. Spinach is a really good one, zucchini/courgette is also good, as are green beans. Sweetcorn and broccoli caused problems for me

Please forgive if this is a rude question but what is your goal BMI? I was also BMI 29 at surgery, sleeved April 21. I am not at my personal goal yet so not thinking about maintanance. I am about half way there..hoping to reach a BMI of 22-23. But I did just hit a healthy BMI (24.9) for the first time in many many years so yay for that.

Hi y'all, I'm seven weeks out on this rollercoaster. Its had its highs and its lows! I wanted to share some of my personal experiences so far, in case it is of help to anyone. To start off: I'm around 50% of the way to goal after 7 weeks and numerous inches lost. Which is amazing! But please bear in mind that I was a low BMI patient so I expect to lose slowly as I'm starting off nearer goal than many. I hope that I can make goal, but I know it will be hard work! It has been hard work so far! Sometimes I kinda miss eating whatever I want all the time, but my overarching emotion is RELIEF that I am freed from the tyranny of overeating and feeling like I need huge portions to be satisfied. The first month out was tough. While in the hospital, I did experience some pain from the surgical gas, and nausea. But it passed. I walked as much as possible. Best advice anyone gave me in the hospital? In those very early days, "don't trust a fart!". Lol, but she was right. Just putting it out there Once out of the hospital, my incisions (internal an external) did hurt for almost a month - an abdominal binder was a lifesaver. I had a wrap around one for sleeping and a corset like one for under clothes. It hurt to cough, sneeze or laugh. But now they do not hurt any more! Many others (those who have had c-sections for example) didn't find the incision pain that bad, clearly they are more hardcore than me 😉 Days 5-10 after surgery were the worst. I was 'hungry' and sick of broth, jealous of others food. I was still a little in pain and liquid tylenol made me sick. I was mad grouchy and tired from lack of calories. I didn't do much expect sleep and walk a little. I was back at work but working from home. Don't think I was at my most productive 😉 I worked from home for about 2 weeks after surgery, and felt like I needed it. I also experienced some back pain which I think is muscles shifting from weight loss. It feels better now my body is catching up with my weight loss. I didn't feel any restriction really until I was on solid foods. I was worried about it! And now I feel that restriction with a vengeance! I still get hungry. I feel like I am hungry every 2.5 hours! So I eat pretty regularly. Until recently I was eating a lot of 'protein products' like the protein pudding and Veg Chili from bariatric pal but felt I should move on to more dense solids to help me be more satisfied. As per the instructions of my surgeon, I moved onto solids around day 30. Initially, I had to struggle to eat 800 calories. The NUT said she wanted me on 1000 calories by 5 weeks. Now more appetite has kicked in - I could probably eat this relatively easily depending on what food I choose!! And thats a bit scary. So I am being extremely diligent in weighing all my portions and counting calories on MFP. This surgery does not release you from that! Well, for me anyway. I am scared about being on 1000 calories as it has slowed my weight loss down, but I want to be healthy and not screw up my metabolism, so I do what I can to eat a balanced diet at 900- 1000 calories and drink plenty of water. I havent been exercising more than walking to date, but now that I feel healed and am on higher calories, I will kick it into gear with strength training to tone. Stalls are a thing. Also I've seen the scale go up. It has gone back down again afterwards, so I try not to be too shocked by that and do not let that discourage me. I don't know the solution for stalls, but Im trying tweaking calories, water and exercise to see about kicking myself out the stall. I have experienced some acid reflux, which I never had before. Which is a bit of a bummer. I get it to varying degrees after I eat and sometimes when I drink. Should I go to the doctor for this? Tums and Gaviscon don't seem to do much. I have read that acid can make you think you are hungry, and I wonder if thats whats causing my 'hollow' feelings at the moment...? I got to around 1350 calories the other day thanks to some cheese and a cupcake. Most calories I have eaten in a LONG while. First sugar I have had since pre-surgery. I was annoyed with myself, but it isn't the end of the world. It could be that, time of the month, or I am just a damn hungry person!! Given these hungry feelings I do have to employ my willpower not to graze constantly. One method of doing this is drinking water. So you aren't allowed to drink and eat at the same time. I've found that hard!! Its like a Pavlovian response for me...I am preparing a meal, and I get thirsty. I am super thirsty after I finish the meal, but know I have to wait an hour to drink. (Sometimes I cheat and have a sugar free ice pop after eating as it staves off the thirst). But I make a conscious effort to drink between meals. So when that 'hungry' feeling comes, I go first to drinking water before I snack. That then prohibits me from snacking for an hour!! My eyes are bigger than my belly. Literally. I have recently been invited over to friends houses for dinner and didnt weigh my portion like I usually do. I also introduced some new foods which I hadnt tried yet - sweetcorn and broccoli. I must have eaten too quickly because DAMN i felt soooo uncomfortable for at least 2 hours afterwards, like I had swallowed a bowling ball. I got the crazy hiccups and was bringing up tons of foam and saliva. It was not pleasant. This has happened a few times since I've been on solids. Obviously I need to work harder at slowing down my eating which was always a problem for me pre-surgery too. Mentally I'm feeling pretty good. I am happy with the weight I have lost so far and already feel soooo much more confident. I don't hide from pictures or shy away from meeting new people. I havent been drinking alcohol yet so probably get a bit more bored when socializing, but the results make it worthwhile. So this is my experience so far. Wish me luck for getting the next 50% of my weight off! I have a feeling its going to be slow going. But as long as its going, its good! Critique my meal plan! (this is mostly what I eat, with variations...sometimes I'll have 1oz ezekiel cereal and milk for breakfast, sometimes a bit of fruit...dependent on whats around. Some days I can eat all of this and some days, bits will be left from each meal) Breakfast at home 7am 1/2 premier protein shake At work 9am 1 whole egg 2oz low fat cottage cheese Snack 11am 2oz deli turkey wafer 1x 2% cheese stick Lunch 1pm 2.5 - 3 oz Salmon/fish fillet (have been eating bariatric pal veg chilli entree for the last few weeks but trying to move off that) 1oz Green beans Snack 4pm 2.7oz tuna 1oz avocado / 1oz light cottage cheese / 1oz light cream cheese After work 6pm 1/2 premier protein shake Dinner 8pm 2.5-3oz chicken 1oz Spinach MAYBE 1oz beans sometimes or 1oz roasted sweet potato Snack 9/ 10pm 1x 4oz greek yogurt maybe 1x sugar free popsicle Drinking: 64oz calorie free liquids: water, herbal (caffine free) tea eg mint, arnica, chamomile, crystal light Exercise: 40 mins walking a day

Amazing congrats!! Could you post your meal plan and exercise regime? I'm feeling stuck and need inspiration...

You're right! Will get the crazy back in the can. Onwards and upwards...