Introversion

Yep, I never weighed myself daily either. I only weighed in once per month, about a week after my menstrual period to avoid seeing water weight fluctuations. Some people need the accountability and comfort of a daily weigh-in. On the other hand, I cannot weigh myself daily because the day to day fluctuations would incite disappointment and anxiety in me.

Look up the '3 week stall.' It's so common it has a name. And stay off the scale for a few weeks. When's the last time you lost 21 pounds in less than 3 weeks? I'm guessing the answer is 'never.' You're truly doing great and the scale will start moving again. Realistic expectations are important during your weight loss phase. Due to your starting weight, you most likely aren't going to be one of those people who loses 30+ pounds monthly. The sooner you face this reality, the merrier. I lost at an average rate of about 6 pounds monthly. Yes, I was a horribly slow loser and it took me 17 months to lose 100 pounds. You lost 21 pounds in your first couple of weeks, yet I never had a single month where I lost that much. What matters is that I eventually reached my goal weight and have managed to maintain my losses. Good luck to you.

I resumed my coffee habit two months post-surgery. I drink a minimum of 3 cups a day. I drink anything except decaf. I need the caffeine; it's the entire point of me drinking coffee. At home I brew flavored coffees such as blueberry muffin, chocolate caramel, kona blend, donut store blend, etc. I'll drink my brew with half & half and a few packets of Equal.

Being obese is, by default, sick and unhealthy. Obesity is a chronic disease. Heavyset bodies typically don't look like bastions of healthiness. It's amazing how peoples' perceptions are distorted by the obesity epidemic. A generation ago, a person who was 100+ pounds overweight would have been the subject of morbid curiosity. Nowadays, normal-weight people with loose skin are the subject of stares. Loose skin is a hard-earned badge of honor and a sign you're fighting the good fight. Forget about what people think.

I know of someone who lost successfully with the sleeve while having PCOS. Although she lost slowly (average of 6 pounds monthly), she started at 205 pounds and got down to 122 pounds. While I don't have PCOS, I was insulin-resistant, prediabetic, and hypothyroid. I was 34 years old with a height of 5'1 and a surgery day weight of 218. I slowly lost 100 pounds over 17 months and have managed to maintain the weight loss so far.

In most cases, the obese body habitus looks sick and unhealthy. However, with so many badly overweight people in the general public, our perceptions regarding what looks 'healthy' is skewed. Loose skin is a badge of honor and a sign you're fighting the good fight.

Yep. During my one-month post-op appointment, the nutritionist suggested I reintroduce crackers into my diet. I told her that wouldn't be a good idea because crackers are a trigger food for me. Prior to bariatric surgery, I would literally graze my way to the bottom of a box of flavored Triscuits, Cheez-Its, or Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers. Since I'm not the type of person who can stop at 5 crackers, it's best that I not eat them on a regular basis. Besides, crackers don't have enough protein to be worthy of my time.

Nope. The last time I saw the nutritionist was in early 2015. I am 2+ years out and have seen the nutritionist twice with no plans to return. I saw my nutritionist for the first time at one week post-op. I saw her for the second (and final) time at one month post-op. Her generic information seemed more tailored for a general population who hasn't undergone weight loss surgery. Since I'm an RN, I already came to the table with sufficient nutritional information that I didn't always put to good use when my compulsive eating patterns flared up. However, I haven't ate compulsively since being sleeved.

I've also got hypothyroidism. I've had it for 12 years. I was sleeved two years ago and managed to lose all my excess weight. However, the pounds dropped at a painfully slow rate. It took me 17 months to lose 100 pounds. My point is that we all lose at different, individual rates. You won't know how rapidly or slowly you'll lose until you actually undergo weight loss surgery.

I am pleased with my sleeve. I attained my goal weight and have been maintaining the loss. Nonetheless, someone with a BMI of 60 is an appropriate candidate for a more powerful bariatric surgery such as the duodenal switch, gastric bypass, or mini gastric bypass. Weight loss after bariatric surgery is influenced by facets such as age, genetics, gender, ethnicity, pre-existing disease processes, and your starting weight on the day of surgery. Specific groups of people tend to lose weight rapidly such as men, women under age 35, super-obese patients (BMIs greater than 50), and "healthy fat folks" who have no metabolic derangement. Those who often lose slowly include older persons, menopausal women, racial/ethnic minorities, 'lightweights' who weighed in the high 100s/low 200s on surgery day, and individuals with metabolic disease such as diabetes, PCOS, and hypothyroidism. Another pearl of wisdom: in the first year, rate of weight loss after surgery is connected to genetics, at least during the first year (honeymoon period). Markers on chromosome 15 dictate the pace. Lucky people with two copies of the chromosome 15 gene variant lose rapidly. People with one copy lose at an average speed, and unfortunate folks with no copies of the gene variant become non-responders or very slow losers. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/genetics/gene-variant-linked-weight-loss-surgery-success-5-2-13

My surgery was a same-day procedure 2+ years ago. I drove myself to the hospital in the morning, had the surgery, and drove myself home late that night after discharging from the hospital. In essence, I was driving within hours after having undergone weight loss surgery.

Me, neither. I have never seen a pop-up ad on Bariatric Pal.

At two weeks out I was consuming less than 1000 calories per day. I know that's not precise, but my bariatric aftercare program didn't require me to count calories, fat grams, carbs, or anything other than grams of protein and ounces of water. Here was their theory: as long as you get 80+ grams of protein a day, everything else falls into place. Protein has a very high thermic effect. In other words, our bodies expend a remarkable number of calories to process and digest the protein we consume. If your protein intake is more than adequate, you'll continue to lose weight. On the other hand, you might stall and plateau long and hard if you don't eat sufficient protein. Good luck to you.

My bariatric aftercare dietitian didn't require me to count calories, fat grams, carbs, or anything other than protein. Here's their theory: as long as you consume 80+ grams of protein per day, the other macros will fall into place. Protein has a very high thermic effect. Therefore, our bodies burn a considerable number of calories in the process of protein digestion. If you manage to get sufficient protein, you'll lose weight. Likewise, you'll stall and plateau long, hard and often if you don't eat enough protein. Good luck to you.

I resumed my coffee habit at two months post-op. I've never drank the decaf and never will. Caffeine is the entire point of drinking coffee, at least for me. I drink at least three cups per day since it tames my appetite.

Take my advice and use it (or discard) as you wish. The last time I ate in the 900-calorie-a-day range was about 4 months post-op. I increased my caloric intake in a stair-step pattern and stayed off the scale while I did it. Months 1 to 4: up to 800 calories a day Months 5 to 6: up to 1200 calories a day Months 7 to 9: up to 1500 calories a day Months 10 to 12: up to 1700 calories a day Months 13 to 18: up to 1800 calories a day I am 2 years and 2 months post-op and eat in the 2000 to 2300 range per day. I weigh 118 pounds and have maintained that weight for nearly one year. I only weighed myself once a month during my weight loss phase. Your body will stall long and hard if you don't give it what it needs. 900 calories a day is inadequate for someone who's nearly a year out. http://www.eatthis.com/unexpected-reason-youre-not-losing-weight

When's the last time you lost 16 pounds per month via diet and exercise alone? I'm going to guess the answer is "never." You're still doing great. At three months out I'd lost a whopping 33.5 pounds. Not everyone's a fast responder to bariatric surgery. What matters is that I eventually reached my goal weight and have managed to maintain it. Comparing yourself to the super-responders is an exercise in futility. It's actually our genetics that determines how fast we respond to bariatric surgery, at least during the honeymoon period. Those with two favorable markers on chromosome 15 are going to be the rapid losers. Good luck to you.

Sometimes it's not about the weight loss. It's about keeping the weight off. And, without surgery, the original poster has a 95 percent chance of regaining it all plus more. I was able to lose weight just fine without surgery. In fact, I had lost 200+ pounds over the years before surgery (e.g., lose 60, regain 100, lose 50, regain 90, rinse & repeat). I'm sure the original poster could lose 'only' 60 pounds without surgical intervention. Most obese and formerly fat people can drop pounds without weight loss surgery. However, the medication route is not sustainable for the long run. The dieters' mentality is not sustainable for the long term. And anything that isn't sustainable for the long term usually doesn't last. A wise physician who specializes in obesity medicine one stated, "If people disliked what it took to lose the weight, they'll dislike what it takes to maintain the weight, which spells regain." I'm assured the original poster doesn't want a lifetime of maintaining on phentermine and extreme dieting to the point of irritability. Nope. Not sustainable.

It doesn't matter one bit if she didn't consume anything before bedtime. Those of us who are childbearing-aged females tend to have major fluid shifts that correspond to various phases in our menstrual cycles. It's all due to neurohormonal processes in our bodies. It's normal to gain up to 7 pounds overnight during some times of the month, regardless of what we consumed or whether we consumed anything at all. Moreover, our kidneys exert profound control over how much fluid we retain or expel. The female body is far different than the male body.

In addition to the recommendation provided by Newme17, you cannot go wrong with steel cut oats. They take significantly longer to cook than Quaker oats, but they're more filling.

Here's a pearl of wisdom that's not well-known: not everyone with a sleeve has the same stomach size or identical restriction. Each bariatric surgeon has his/her unique operating technique. Surgeons generally use a bougie to shape the sleeve during the procedure. These bougies range from size 32F (smallest) to 40F (larger), though the difference in size between a 32F and a 40F is only a couple of centimeters. A 32F is about the width of a pencil and a 40F is about the width of a chunky permanent marker. Most American surgeons use a 36F to 40F in surgery, whereas surgeons in Mexico favor the 32F to 36F bougie size. Also, bougie size is not the only factor that determines sleeve size. For instance, my surgeon does either a 'loose' or 'tight' wrap of the remaining stomach around the bougie depending on how surgery is going. A while back, a woman who was sleeved with a 38F blamed her larger sleeve size on her inability to lose weight, yet I was sleeved with a 40F bougie and lost all my excess weight. I have far less restriction than most sleevers, but it's all good. Moreover, your restriction will lessen over time. This is natural and normal. Some people panic because they assumed their sleeves would remain tiny enough get full off only a few bites of food forever. This is not the case. By a year out, you'll be able to consume substantially more food, so good choices are imperative.

This information is not totally correct. Sleeve gastrectomy induces multiple biochemical changes that promote weight loss, including a marked reduction in secretion of the hunger hormone ghrelin. Additionally, the sleeve alters nutrient transit time, gut metabolism, and the way bile acids are utilized. So while the sleeve is a restrictive procedure, it induces favorable neurohormonal changes. http://www.laparoscopic.md/sleeve/hormones https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140326142209.htm

I'm more into fresh vegetables the further I get out from surgery. This summer, my go-to meals have consisted of yellow squash casserole, zucchini ranch meatloaf, and spinach casserole, all made from scratch. Never before have I eaten so many vegetables in my lifetime.

I, too, had hyperthyroidism for a number of years due to Graves disease. I still struggled with my weight while hyperthyroid and weighed 200 pounds at the time I had my thyroid ablated. Soon after the radioiodine ablation, I became hypothyroid. Anyhow, avoid the lap band if you have PCOS. It simply doesn't induce the favorable metabolic changes needed for you to start dropping weight. My former coworker had severe PCOS at the time she was banded. She lost 20 pounds due to the shock of surgery, then regained it all plus more. To be fair, she ate plenty of fast food since she craved starchy junk due to severe insulin resistance from the PCOS. A more powerful bariatic surgery would have helped the insulin resistance and tamed her hunger hormones, at least for the first year (a.k.a. the 'honeymoon period').

The band is usually ineffective with PCOS because it doesn't induce the favorable metabolic and biochemical changes needed for weight loss. You'll still be hungry as a PCOS patient with a lap band. With all of the health issues you have, I'd opt for a sleeve or bypass if I were you. I was sleeved with longstanding hypothyroidism, insulin resistance and prediabetes. I lost 100+ pounds and have maintained my weight nicely. I was ravenously hungry prior to the sleeve, but now my appetite is under control. Still, the struggle is lifelong. Once you've been obese, it's incurable. The body will fight long and hard to get back to its highest weight, so good food choices and exercise are imperative. Good luck to you!