GotProlactinoma

I am Overweight and loving it. But it’s not enough! Heading toward (gasp) normal weight I hope, when this stall ends.

I wouldn’t eat actual cereal. Commercial cereals have nothing good in them that are worth the sugar or empty carbs. If you decide never to eat typical grain foods like breads and rice and stuff, you might, like me, want to eat some form of “homemade granola” to get in some of the nutrients and resistant starches we need. I make a “granola” with oats and three kinds of seeds. (Allergic to nuts). I eat it every day, 2 Oz of it. I am not sure I could stay regular without it! No sugar, a drop of honey, some sea salt.

My answer is no. Eat fattier meat, as long as you choose meat from healthy animals. Grass fed beef, the fat has some omega 3s. Care about the animals you choose to eat, make sure they were fed well and healthy. Then you can enjoy the fattier cuts or whatever. Fat doesn’t make you fat but it tastes better and is easier to cook. I eat well over 50% fat daily and for 6 months no stall in weight loss. I’m glad with all the attention I have to pay to every morsel that goes into my mouth, that fat is one macro I don’t have to care about. I choose full fat dairy and I eat the cuts of meat I want. It provides me with joy too, and doesn’t hurt my weight loss. Fat is yummy and healthy but just don’t mix it with sweet.

I feel sick if I eat any sweets so I plan to not eat ice cream ever. I think it’s crazy to eat sweets. Eating them will make you crave them. I’m glad right now they still make me sick. I can’t eat any baked goods at all. I’m so happy about that. Last night I made a kick ass cornbread for the family and put one bite in my mouth and was sorry. There is a queasy dizzy unpleasant feeling from one bite or a bread type thing. Why the HELL would I want to push past that? I want to enjoy life and I don’t need dessert to do that. Only if I avoid sweets will I not be fat. Maybe that is different for others, but for me, I want to avoid sugary things or sweet tastes. I can be very satisfied by a juicy piece of meat maybe in garlic or covered with sautéed mushrooms or onions.... mmmmmm, and actually good for me.

For my first 6 months (I’m about 8 months now) I lost weight every day, even if a few ounces only. And I always feed my gut bacteria every day. They keep our immune systems thrumming, and they help your moods and stop your bad cravings. The good gut bacteria want you to eat potato, sweet potato, other starchy veg, and at first after surgery I fed them a tsp of inulin powder or potato starch put into my protein drink. Eventually I could add roasted root veg as the bite or two of carb after the protein at my meal. That is how I do it.

Gabbee, so we have lost similarly, same time table too, and are getting fit. I loved your post. Yes, we are getting stronger and strong willed. I’m loving it. Congrats to you. Im in a stall right now with weight loss, though. I wish I knew exactly what to do. I think I do have more appetite now, and my calories have crept up to over 1000, some days even 1300. Going to try to eat less calories but I’d rather play with macros so that I am not actually “going hungry” as that never worked for me before. Any ideas that have worked for you?

I was wondering the same thing, about calories. I’m almost 8 months out and I was steadily losing almost daily, soooooo slowly, just ounces a day but every day. And sometimes a lb in a day. For about 6-7 months that happened. Now my calories have crept up, but my exercise is also up. Hard core 20 mins every other day is all the time I have, but I move all day, don’t sit down much, and add scootering and ice skating a few times a week with the kids. i flaked out on writing every morsel down, and that was my downfall. Once I started agsin, this last week, I saw how my calories have crept up. So I really respect your post where you say you have figured it out that extra calories= stall. I used to eat 900-1000 at my last losing month. Clearly in Feb I was eating 1300. What is the best way to go down? Less intake at a meal, or no snacking between meals (longer time between meals)? Trying to up the protein but the one day I got the protein up to 90 it was way too many cals. I eat low carb but important natural carbs. Any advice for me? My scale is playing footsie with two lbs up and down now.

Congrats! And I’ve never wished this on anyone, but I hope soon you are Overweight! Ha Ha Ha!

Yeah, kind of in one too. I’d gotten lazy about not writing down every morsel of food so I went strong on that, and I did see some cals creeping in where they weren’t needed. I’m hoping that is a quirk that will shake that scale down. I was getting really used to the scale dropping weekly and I’m not likin this.

No need for shame. That’s how we learn. As you get to eating real foods, it will all be that kind of experimentation. I made a mistake tonight (8 mos out) eating out of a normal bowl so I took too much in, stomach ached so much. I enjoy this. It teaches me, when I mess up, not to mess up!

Hear, hear! I only had one “fat foot.” Could make the same dent with a finger press. No tendons visible. Now I can’t tell which foot used to be Fat Foot. So nice. Edema sucks.

I got liquid opiates (don’t remember what, like codeine or something) for post surgery, but I think I only needed it for like 3 days. The pain was manageable, after that, maybe like a 3 when you aren’t moving and a 5 when you were trying to move or do something. Even the walking didn’t cause any sharp pains, and sometimes dull pain or tenderness is preferable to being drugged. I was prepared to take the opiate as much as I needed, but I really didn’t need it much. (Can’t speak to the first 3 days, in the hotel, I really don’t remember much. But the drugs helped.)

Our nutritionist was very forward thinking. She rightly called fruit “sugar bombs.” She asked us to avoid fruit for 6 months. I think she was smart. There is SO MUCH SUGAR in fruits. It sets your gut bacteria to expect a certain amount of sugar in your diet, and then they will crave it and beg you for it. So I didn’t touch fruit for 6 months. Once the 50 lbs and 6 months were passed, I’ve started having one bite of fruit in a day. When organic berries from the USA are in season, my plan is to start adding 1/4 c berries to my daily diet. At goal, maybe 1/2 c? Look, fresh veggies, especially roasted, are so damn good and sweet when you don’t eat anything sweet. This was a reset for my gut bacteria and my diet. I don’t crave sweets. I don’t really like them any more. I like 90% dark chocolate. And roasted veggies are so sweet tasting to me. From sliced onions roasted, to carrots, beets, whatever. You’ll see. Try and avoid fruit st first just to get used to no sweets, and you will stop craving sweets.

I agree with the others. You’re a beautiful guy. I hope your surgery goes well and you have a great start in your recovery. While I understand your feelings now about feeling unprepared psychologically, you will have a time now or not needing to analyze anything psychologically for a couple weeks. You can relax and just focus on resting, walking, drinking water, and trying to drink some protein when you can. You will probably take some pain meds, and all this will keep your focus on very matter of fact recovery and survival. Keep your helpers close and any detractors out of your life as you recover. Not that you won’t be working on yourself for months, learning how to eat for your new stomach and all, but you simply won’t be able to look at food in that same way any more. I love food and did emotional eating too. But today (almost 8 mos out) I still can’t do that quantity eating thing. It’s gone! And I am glad. Food gave you pleasure beyond satisfying hunger. It did us all. That changes. I don’t eat anything sweet (starting to add 1/4 c fruit a day soon) so that stuff is out for “comfort”, so glad. And a few special things I love to eat, like my homemade sesame chicken wings, at first I could only eat one (with hot sauce of course), and now I can eat two. So if you want to call that a wild binge... see what I mean? It’s just different. You are going to get very strong soon, in many ways, even if you first have to be weak in recovery of course. And we all will be experiencing pain without being able to stuff it down with food. And you will be able to do it! This is your magic portion control aid. So don’t worry about psych preparation. You’re ready. Gd bless you and hope surgery goes super well for you.

I’m almost 8 months out and I relate to a lot of the wishes. I remember a couple months ago when I was sitting somewhere and went to cross my legs in the “4 position” with one leg perpendicular over the other, like all good fat thighs know how to do, when my top leg slipped over the other one and I was sitting with my legs crossed like a skinny person. What?! So cool. And more exciting somehow than buying clothes because I can’t afford too much, is online shopping in size large. I COULD order all this stuff. You wouldn’t believe how many shops I have with full shopping carts full of stuff that would fit me! Doing that is really almost more fun than actually buying. Agree with the others who say actually out there living and being active is the best part. And the OP mentioned ice skating. I’m teaching myself to ice skate! My little daughter is taking lessons. My balance is horrible. Possibly because I was fat so long, maybe I don’t have a good sense of my body. I love working out now. I prefer standing to sitting so I am on my feet a lot all day (I’m a mom). And we went to Disneyland last month: I was never body tired once. I never “needed to rest.” At the end of the day, I was more mentally worn out than physically, if that makes sense. I could have gone again the next day (my wallet couldn’t have though). There are so many good things I can do now. This was the best thing I ever did just for myself.

One thing that might help you with long term success is to realize the mistake many doctors and even their nutritionists make, encouraging their patients even right after surgery to eat sweet tasting foods. This is a huge moment for you to rid yourself of sugar cravings. Stop eating anything sweet, period. Get your protein powder from grass fed PLAIN whey (or another plain protein powder, no sweetener in it, no flavor). I mixed it into full fat milk, or even water (really tasteless and boring), and then learned to enjoy it with a bit of flax seed in the wonderful full fat plain Greek yogurt. Get used to plain water. Unsweetened tea or coffee (use fats at will, cream, ghee, coconut oils). No fruit. And no fake sugars. None. No sweet tasting anything. Eating is difficult at first, and your gut bug population will change from your pre op diet. What a glorious opportunity you are given, to change the content of your diet. The surgery provides portion control for a long long time. But YOU can grab the opportunity to stop eating sweet things. When your gut population evolves over that first month, it will end up being the good bacteria that crave resistant starches like cooked and cooled potatoes and root veggies. You can even add some inulin (a fiber powder) or potato starch to your protein drinks. These starches will feed your gut bugs and keep them happy and regular, and they will only have you crave those starches. You won’t crave sweet foods if you avoid the sweetened whey powders and drinks and the fake color, sucralose jellos and crap. Broths and cheesy bakes taste way better than fake flavored fake sugared jellos. And keep you losing. Use the pause in your diet to choose nonsweet foods. What a great opportunity not to waste.

I wanted to still enjoy my homemade sesame chicken wings one day again after surgery. With killer spicy wing sauce. (Stubbs.). Well, a few months out, I was able to have one wing as a meal, and the spicy sauce was just as good as before. Now, 7 months out, I can eat two wings with sauce as a meal. My tastes didn’t change except post surgery I never ate anything sweet so I lost the cravings for it. But the things I loved, eggs, spicy stuff, have not changed. I used to enjoy salad, probably still would, but since I eat protein first at every meal, I only take in a few bites of any salad or veg. And that is how it’s supposed to be.

7 months out and I just gained 2 lbs too but I am not recording it. I refuse to put it on my ticker! Those lbs need to leave! Lost several ounces yesterday. Also working out, eating is very stable. I don’t know what it going on but I want to keep losing. What is this? I had a stall once at around 3 months. Is this a 6-7 month stall?

Maybe this might help someone else. I’m 7 months out from being sleeved. I enjoy a healthy carb snack at the end of my day. Mine is a homemade granola made of seeds and oats. Eaten with full milk. Well, some days as I calculate what I ate that day, I do see I am lower than I want to be on my protein. So a few times the past few days, I’ve added a scoop of plain grass fed nonflavor no sweetener whey protein powder to my granola (which I always measure in the same little cup thingy). Half a portion of protein powder, so really about 11 g. Guess what? The same exact snack I have almost every night and finish it no trouble, I CANNOT FINISH because I get that terrible fullness about half way through because I added protein powder to it. And I eat less of it. So I might not get to add the whole amount of protein to my day’s nutrients, BUT I GET THAT RESTRICTION. This might help others who sometimes worry they aren’t getting enough restriction. Try it. Add some plain protein powder to something liquid or mushy at the end of your day, or to your tv snack. Hope it helps someone else.

Because typical athletic shoes atrophy much of the feet. The feet are such an important part of the body of the bipedal human. They are essential for so many sports. The one I am most familiar with is gymnastics. They have to be barefoot to make use of our wonderful feet, for strength and balance. Having strong useful feet is wonderful. Having encased weak feet coated with packaging isn’t. Worst: hobbled feet in high heels having to walk like a wounded cow because some designer told you that was pretty. To me 4” heels are like ancient Chinese foot binding. So barefoot style sport shoes give your feet the basic protection they need from bee stings and broken glass and hot or cold surfaces, but allow the foot to be like all the other parts of the lower body, growing stronger and more functional, not splinted and atrophying in those stiff shoes. All problems podiatrists have to solve are from shoes. Foot protection should work for the feet; feet shouldn’t be subservient to shoes.

First of all, your weight loss is not bad. I have lost 51 lbs total, but like 15 of that was before surgery, 7 months ago, on the starvation diet before surgery. So really my weight loss is similar to yours. Probably you aren’t getting enough calories. Do not limit fat. Only eat healthy fats, but don’t limit them. Fat doesn’t make you fat and it is very satisfying and good for your brain, skin, etc. You can probably eat over 1000 cal a day at this point. Your exercise is better than mine. I have zero time and I try so hard to get my workouts in 3x a week. I love it. I literally can’t get me time because I care for too many other people. Sandwich generation. if it takes you 18 months to lose the weight, so much the better. You’re probably doing very well. Not everyone can handle massive speedy weight loss. I’m glad I didn’t have that, but a nice slow decline and loss. And I eat chocolate daily. But 85-91% dark. I trained myself to like super dark, which is no longer a sweet food at all. It is far less sweet than fruit, which I do not touch. It’s a healthy antioxidant with energy properties over 85% dark. hang in there. You’re doing great.

The smartest thing to do post sleeve is to get sweet foods including sweet tasting foods out of your life. It isn’t that hard, when you are right after surgery. Then, in the coming months as you learn to eat again, your intestinal community of bacteria, your gut biome, will be populated by the kinds of bacteria who don’t crave sugary tasting stuff. Which means you won’t crave sweets. If you eat sweet things still, you’ll have a much harder time avoiding them, because your gut population affects your brain and your cravings to get the foods THEY want. They do need starchy carbs. But the right kind. The good kind, they are fine with carrots, potatoes, beets, beans, seeds and nuts. We would do well to use this special post surgery time to change WHAT we eat. Add probiotics, fermented foods, and drop the sweet tasting things. Just a suggestion that I am trying. Cravings are too powerful. I’m happy to have lost them.

You look awesome! I’m 7 months out and 14 lbs til goal weight myself. Isn’t it so hard to believe and get used to? I fold my new pants in the laundry and feel like they couldn’t possibly fit me.

Seriously. I’m eating solids - 7 months after surgery - and it looks so good to me, I want to make it. Always love low carb protein yummies.

That isn’t so bad. Glad for you. It really bothers me so I will get the extensions for the next few months. I was glad to see the baby hairs actually starting to come in but it will be months til they aren’t tiny.