Redo2017

I upped my protein a little bit and just stuck to my program. It's tough but at least it only lasted 7 days!

As a fellow July 10th sleever, I am in! Sounds like a fun way to stay on track.

I had VSG July 10th and had a one week stall (actually a small gain of 0.8) this past week. I finally broke the stall yesterday and dropped 3.9 over the past two days! I'm totally thrilled. There is so much excellent advice from experienced sleevers on this site about staying off the scale and expecting stalls, especially in the early weeks. All that good advice really helped me to keep a calm head during my dreaded 3 weeks stall. So, I want to pay it forward and reassure the newly sleeved that stalls are normal and nothing to freak out about! So many of us are emotional eaters and worrying about a stall can really lead to getting off track. Don't let the stall derail you! Stick to your program and you will drop the weight eventually!

Don't let your surgeon shake you up. I had a nurse give me a hard time over not losing weight before my pre-op diet began. It really bothered me, but I just pressed ahead. If your surgeon is hard on you next time it can't hurt to tell him that you it would be helpful for him to give you ideas to get through weight loss stalls rather than berating you.

Cottage cheese is delicious and an amazing source of protein! Some like it sweet, but I like it savory. Try it with salt, pepper, and dill. Or add celery salt. That's my favorite way. Why are you only eating the egg whites? There is healthy fat and protein in the yolk. I also add cheese to my eggs for some added protein. Try getting an unflavored protein powder to add into your foods. I use a brand called Unjury. I threw some of that into all my purees for an added protein boost. Of course, don't take my suggestions if they are not in your program's plan! As for the mental aspect, have you tried thinking about what you're feeling when you're "hungry?" For me, boredom at work can really get me thinking that I need to eat something, even when I have just recently eaten a meal. I usually take a little walk or have some water or crystal lite when I get "hungry" soon after a meal. I find that the sensation always subsides until my body actually needs another meal.

I had a spell of constant hunger around 2 weeks. I upped my protein and focused on getting most of that protein from puréed protein (cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, meats). Once I made that adjustment the hunger subsided. If you are getting most of your protein from shakes it could be that it's passing through your sleeve very quickly and leaving you feeling hungry. If it fits in your plan, try reducing shakes and getting the bulk of your protein from real food. It definitely helped me. Best of luck!

How much protein are you getting in per day? How much water? This may be over-simplified, but what's so bad about feeling hunger? Is it head hunger or actual hunger? Do you have to eat just because you feel hunger?

I had a stall in week three. Gained and lost a handful of ounces over and over for a solid 7 days. I'm in week four now and my weight is moving down again. My stall coincided with starting soft proteins, and I do believe that my body was just adjusting to the change. It is totally normal this early! You will get through it!

Are you still taking pain meds? I was having anxiety in the evenings and during the night when I came home from surgery. I quickly figured out that the Norco I was taking was causing my anxiety. I stopped taking it and the anxiety went away. Just an idea. I hope you are felling better soon!

I was allowed scrambled eggs in the purée stage, which began at 3 days post op. Purees lasted 14 days and I then moved to soft proteins, which included fish.

Pre-op is scary, but in a few days you will feel better. In a few weeks you will feel AMAZING! Focus on the future!

I was sleeved July 10. Feeling great, but I'm in the dreaded 3 week stall. I haven't lost an ounce in a week. I'm trying not to let it get me down because a lot of people experience this. *I will not complain. *I will not complain. *I will not complain.

They had me walk swiftly in loops around their office. They would stop me briefly at every lap and take my blood oxygen level and heart rate. I did not have to do a sleep apnea test because I was already diagnosed and being treated. For me, all the surgical clearance appointments were a breeze. Best of luck to you!

To put your mind at ease on the diet aspect (which I completely understand is not your focus at all right now) my program has its patients on purees beginning at day 3 post op (including scrambled eggs and cottage cheese), moves to soft proteins at 2 weeks, and solid protein by 3 weeks. It seems that every program is different and that difference can be the source of much debate. Regardless, I am so sorry to hear of your complications. I hope that you are on the mend and feeling better very soon.

Hahaha! This is a perfect description of the first two days! I felt much better on day three and tremendously better on day four, but YES, those first two days feel like a post alley-way beating for sure!

Wow! Amazing! So inspiring!

I am two weeks post op and just transitioned to "soft proteins." I work in a small office and we always go out to get lunch and eat together as a group at the office. I told everyone that I was out for hiatal hernia repair and have explained to them that I have some diet restrictions as a result. All last week at work I ate my purees/liquids at my desk. This week I decided to join back up with the group and I am getting so many inquiries about my small portion sizes and diet plan. Its getting difficult to keep up the charade. I want to eat with everyone else like normal. I don't want to be rude, but I do want all the questions to stop. Any advice?

Thanks for clarifying. I appreciate the support.

Ok. This debate has now become a criticism of my personal choices. The reason behind this thread was not to inquire as to whether I should tell coworkers about my surgery: I carefully made the decision long ago not to divulge that information, as I made the decision not to tell them about other medical issues that I have. They have absolutely no right to that information. As a matter of fact, the laws in our country are set up to protect individuals from sharing their private medical information with their employers. To suggest that I have "risked my reputation and integrity" by exercising this legally protected right is contrary to the law, ungrounded in fact, and frankly, quite insulting. My initial inquiry sought advice on how to handle questions about my eating habits. I appreciate all of the advice I have gotten on THAT topic, but if disagreements between posters is going to make me a target for personal criticism, I'd prefer not to have the advice that comes along with it.

I agree with the "looking crazy" part, but even more than that everyone would know I deceived them, which just doesn't need to happen. This is especially true because I work for a small company with no guaranteed paid medical or vacation time. My boss gave me paid time off because he is a nice guy. I would look like a total jerk if I suddenly revealed to him that I had a different surgical procedure than I initially described. Truth be told, my colleagues are all really nice people and we are close in a co-worker sense. I think it is just a huge change for them to see me going from devouring everything on my plate to eating tiny portions. I think their inquiries do not come from a bad place, it is just annoying to me! Thanks for chiming in!

Awesome advice all around! Sounds like you are crushing your new lifestyle! Thank you so much for the encouragement.

Thank you for your advice. That is exactly what I've been doing so far. I can't wait for them to get the hint and stop commenting!

I agree with you. I committed long ago to not telling because I do not want my medical and weight issues to be topic of conversation in my place of work. To me, that is inappropriate and intrusive.

Congrats on reaching purees! My puree stage ended yesterday. I ate a lot of cottage cheese and scrambled eggs during purees because my program does not requires those foods to be pureed. I also made chicken salad with chicken that had been through the food processor. That was very tasty and sat well. I start soft solids today. Every food transition makes me a little nervous.

Just got my date: July 10, 2017. I have what seems like a fairly typical lead-up to WLS: losing between 20-50 pounds repeatedly since reaching adulthood and always managing to put the pounds back on plus some. I have tried many diets, including Weight Watchers, Atkins, Paleo, Nutri-System, Slim Fast, Isagenix, and various other meal replacement shakes. It is only recently that I have really recognized that I have a very unhealthy relationship with food. I don't know that I necessarily am an emotional eater, I just really like to eat and I really like the feeling of being full. I have started to work on the mental aspect of my food issues and I anticipate that this will be the biggest struggle for me after WLS. Basically, food is my vice. I also have been in denial about my size for some time. I have always carried my weight in a way that kind of masks my size. I have always figured that I am doing OK as long as I can still find cute clothes that fit me. I also have a healthy sense of self-confidence and have never let my weight hold me back. However, I finally realized that it was time to take control of my obesity through weight loss surgery when I was diagnosed with sleep apnea earlier this year. I cannot allow my weight and my obsession with food compromise my health or lead me to an early death. I am also totally nervous! I am not necessarily afraid of the surgery itself (I have had three C-sections and NOTHING can be worse than that!) but I still need to get to the place where I am as close to 100% sure as possible that I will be able to commit long term to a massive life style change. I know myself, and it will be difficult, if not impossible, for me to moderate around certain foods. Thus, surgery may mark the end of my relationship with some of my favorite things. I have learned a great deal from lurking on this site for the better part of 2017. I am hoping to find some fellow July 2017 sleevers to commiserate with and I would love support and advice from any experienced WLS veterans, especially when it comes to post WLS surgery veterans who feel like they may have/had a dependence or addiction to food.