DropWt4Life

Congratulations!

I would ask your surgeon or nutritionist. Phase 1 is different for everybody. My phase 1 lasted an entire week, and was a purely liquid diet. No cream based soups. I couldn't even have protein shakes. I could use a strained soup as long as there were absolutely no chunks. I stuck to broths, sugar free jello, and sugar free liquids. I have read other guidelines where Phase 1 only lasts 48 hours. The patient then moves to Phase 2, which allows cream based soups and protein shakes. It is all determined by your surgeon/nutritionist.

At 2 weeks out, I was only eating 4oz of puree. I could have probably eaten a bit more, but stopped there as that was the amount that was advised in my guidelines. I would keep it at 4oz, which is approximately 1/2 cup of puree per sitting. If you aren't full, it is okay. I doubt you will still feel hunger, but if you do, wait an hour or two and have another 4oz. You just need to get through this phase. Once you start consuming denser foods, you will fill the restriction. Please don't down water until you throw up. It might just land you in the hospital. Good luck!

That is crazy! Sure, anyone can lose weight that way. It just is not realistic. What are they thinking? Where are the fruits, and vegetables? By the time your surgery date hits, you are going to be malnourished, and probably super constipated. You may still be overweight, but your vitamin levels are definitely going to take a hit. Also, you are getting very little fiber in that diet. You are not getting any phytonutrients, antioxidants, etc. in a diet like that either. I wonder if they even have a registered dietitian on staff. If they do, he/she should be fired for recommending that you lose weight on processed bars, soups and shakes. I would find another doctor as it seems as though they aren't really concerned about you. They just seem to want to make money off of you.

FluffyChix, I don't know what the answer is. Insurance companies should be mandated to accept the initial doctor's appointment as your weigh in for consideration or at the very least the date that they put you on a diet. You shouldn't be able to lose too much weight. I really believe that this is the reason for making you be on a supervised diet for 6 months. You drop below the threshold and they are off the hook. So dumb. I think that 1-2 months on a supervised diet is more than enough. You should be advised on the correct way to eat, and given a chance to apply it. If they feel that this time is not enough for you, then don't penalize you for success. I would just continue eating as you are, but just up the calorie count a bit since you said that you are starving yourself. Maybe eat larger portions of the same foods. You appear to be losing really fast. This would slow that down. I would never try to get someone to try to slow their weight loss, but you might not have a choice. I would then down a few large glasses of water and eat something before each scheduled weigh-in until my last! Man, I'm such a cheater!

I agree with K_anne and NewShauna. Could be a host of different things from thyroid issues to vitamin deficiency. I would follow up with my doctor about it. I don't know how your blood work is, but 3 months is plenty of time to develop issues.

Congratulations! You've met your goal! Time for a new chapter in your journey. You never know though. Your body might just have a good surprise in mind for you in the future. Sometimes, people meet their goal, and stop losing only to resume losing months later. It can happen. Anyway, Good luck to you!

Priscilla, Don't be hard on yourself. Your feelings are completely normal. We all have doubts before we tackle this life changing event in our lives. You can do this. You just have to decide that you are going to change your life. It is not enough to want to change it. You have to be determined to make that happen. Obviously, we all must make permanent adjustments in what we were doing if we want long-term results. I think that is the difference between those that meet their goals and maintain vs. those that regain most of their weight back. Most that regain their weight back never let go of the bad habits and way of eating that caused them to gain weight in the first place. If they did, they re-introduced that way of eating later. Exercise is important. Some people can lose all of their excess weight and maintain without it. That is some people. Being that I am a strong believer in the fact that being thin doesn't mean that you are healthy, I think that getting the heart rate elevated is very important. After all, we are doing this for our health aren't we? If walking isn't your thing, try something else. If nothing else, it will allow you to consume a few more calories than you could without it. As far as diet goes, diet is the MOST important thing. You can't out-train a bad diet. You can burn 1,000 calories per day with exercise, but that burger, fries and soft drink you eat for dinner might be 1,800 to 2,500 calories. That can be 2 days worth of your 1,200 calorie goal. If you must go out to eat, have a salad and dip into your dressing. Don't pour it all over your salad. Many salads can contain less than 200 calories, but the dressing will add another 5-700 calories. I find that I eat less than half of the dressing if I dip. If salads aren't an option, have a protein shake before you leave, and share a plate with someone. Have water instead of a sweet tea or soft drink. At home, try to adopt something rather boring. You tend to not overeat boring foods. Also, try to make healthier choices. You can eat 2 eggs with 2 slices of bacon for breakfast, but 4 egg whites with 2 slices of Canadian bacon is a better option. Totals: 242 calories, 17g fat, 390mg cholesterol, 18g protein vs. 108 calories, 1g fat, 20mg cholesterol, 14g protein If you had a big appetite, you could actually eat 8 egg whites and 4 slices of Canadian bacon and still have less than half the fat and calories, a 10th the cholesterol and 50% more protein than eating the regular food. To those egg whites, I will normally add about a cup of fresh spinach and maybe some hot sauce. It stretches the amount of food, adds some good nutrients and fiber, and has a negligible amount of calories. If you start to replace all of your go-to foods with healthier options, you can save a lot of calories and not feel as deprived. Anyway, I know this is rather lengthy. The surgery will help you to eat less, but that is only 1 tool. Learning how to eat will prepare you for the future when you will be able to consume more than a 1/2 cup of food at a time. Good luck and keep trucking. You will get where you want to be.

I like MyFitnessPal as well. It has a huge database of different restaurant foods. It also has entire menus. I type in Chili's or dare I say, Olive Garden, and can find nutrition info for pretty much their entire menu. It even has different portion sizes available in case you got a small plate at Pei Wei instead of a large plate. Nifty little app.

Macaleigh, Although you appear to have an adequate amount of protein and fiber there, you don't appear to be really eating anything. I think at 2 months out, you should start getting more of your calories from real food. I think this will help you. I would not drop down to 3-400 calories though. That just is not sustainable in the long run. Maybe you can replace those Quest bars with an adequate amount of protein and vegetables. I didn't see vegetables in your example. At 6 weeks out, I eat 5 small meals daily totaling 800-1000 calories. 2 of those meals are Premier Protein Shakes. One is either an ancient grain with a leafy green or all leafy greens. The other 2 are a combination of some lean protein and vegetables. Possibly 2 oz. meat, and 2 oz. vegetables per sitting. If I don't meet my calorie goals, I might even have a few strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc. for an early evening snack. Seems like a lot, I know. I weigh and measure all of my food, so I know I am eating no more than 14 ounces per day along with 2 shakes. When and if I am able to eat a bit more, I will replace one of those protein shakes with a meal instead. Anyway, try to get as much real food in as possible. I think it really helps. Not only that, but you will be starting a new habit of eating things the way you were meant to. As little processed junk as possible. More lean meats, leafy greens and even a small amount of fruit and ancient grains. Remember, this is a marathon and not a sprint. We will all get there at our own pace. Keep taking one step at a time until you reach that finish line. Good luck!

Arthur, I think your body just has to catch up to the enormous amount of changes that your body has gone through in a relatively short amount of time. At 3 weeks out, I hit a stall for a week. I lost no weight. I lost inches though, because my clothes were getting bigger. I could tell the difference, even within 1 week. Anyway, the first day of the next week, I lost 4 pounds overnight. I then continued to lose at least 4-5 pounds per week up til this week. At week 6, I am noticing that I am the same weight that I was 4 days ago. I am possibly entering another stall, but it is okay. No need to worry. You will not....I repeat not stop losing weight long term on 600-700 calories per day. Not at this point in your journey. Keep doing what you are doing, and your body will respond. Good Luck!

Wow! 300 lbs! Now that is impressive! Good Job. You lost a whole person or TWO. Keep up the good work!

It is important to know where the pain is emanating from. Is it the left side of your stomach or the right? Upper stomach or lower. There is a lot of research out there about stomach pains. I was starting to suffer with bouts of constipation, and was getting pains on the right side by my belly button. I knew it was either that or the gall bladder, but once I started consuming more veggies, it went away and never returned. Anyway, google 'stomach pain by location'. You can possibly narrow it down, but none of that can take the place of having your doctor run tests to find out the exact cause of the problem. I see that you have an appointment tomorrow, so I'm sure that you will get the answer that you seek shortly. Good Luck!

I had surgery the same day as you! As I am now 6 weeks post-op, I am starting a weight lifting program today. Light weights only with lots of reps. I will do this 4 days per week, and add this to my 3X weekly walking program. I will not do any ab work for at least another 3-4 weeks, however. This is because I got a sharp pain in my main incision when doing a sit-up (trying to get up from the floor) last week. I don't think I am 100% healed in the stomach, so I am going to give it a bit more time. I would advise you to take it slow, because a rowing machine tends to engage the abdominals as well. If you feel pulling or discomfort from standing for long periods of time, your body might be telling you it is not ready for this type of exercise as it is a lot more demanding than standing. Anyway, good luck on your journey. I know you are going to be successful.

I love my Nutri-Ninja. Only about a $100 bucks, and blends great smoothies. I use frozen veggies in my smoothies as well, and it emulsifies them to a smooth drink. No chunks. It has different size cups. No problems with ice either.

Date: 9/15 CW: 258.8

My whole life, I've been told that losing weight is all about calories in, calories out. If you want to lose weight, you have to utilize more calories as energy than you consume. I whole heartedly agree with that statement. My problem is that I think people tend to take it at face value. When someone is naturally thin, I think there can be a disconnect from what overweight people might go through. I also think the CALORIES OUT part is relative. Some people have genetically been blessed with way better metabolisms than others. For example, I got my best friend to agree to eat what I ate, and exercise with me for 3 weeks. A little background on my friend. He is 6'1', and 182 pounds. He didn't work out, never dieted his entire life, and would always state that he was thin because he ate badly in moderation only. He drank at least 2 sugary sodas or teas every day. He ate out at least every other day. He hated salads, and the only vegetable he could stand were peas and corn. Anyway, he agreed to shadow me for 3 weeks. We ate out 2X weekly, but instead of eating double cheeseburgers and fries, we stuck to grilled chicken or fish with salad or veggies. We pretty much ate the same serving sizes as well. He had a hard time the first week, and admitted he snuck a soda a few times, and ate a donut once. He also exercised with me in the evenings 3X the first week (I also worked out 4X during my lunch break that week.) All in all, he lost 6 pounds that first week. He got excited, and decided to continue. I lost 2 pounds. Skip forward to the end of the 3 week test. I lost 8 pounds, including a 1/2 inch on my waist. I was satisfied because my weight dropped from 319 pounds to 311 pounds. Well, I was Very SATISFIED until I saw my friend's results. He lost 14 pounds. His weight in fact dropped to 168. I knew he had lost a lot, because I could see it in his face. He still maintains that it is calories in, calories out. He has gained back all of his lost weight. He probably eats a little over 1,000 calories more per day as he has resumed his regular diet. He has kept with the exercise routine though, so I guess something good came of it. My question is....If it isn't just plain old genetics, how can a male maintain a 180 pound body over time on more than 3000 calories daily while another male struggles to get under 300 pounds on 2000 calories with a more active lifestyle? When I asked him the same question, he said that obviously I'm not eating 2000 calories, and must be eating a lot more. Go figure.

Sorry about the delay in posting. You don't need to worry about food. They will give you everything that you need. When you leave the hospital, the nutritionist will give you a care package with broth bullion for the airport or hotel. You will also get lots of drinks as well. Don't worry about going it alone. Two of my sleeve buddies all went alone as well. We had a good time actually. I would definitely pack some Gas X strips for the trip. The valets had a stash, but ran out. I am glad that I packed my own. Pack light. You will be wearing your hospital gown for a few days. I only packed 2 outfits, which was fine. I didn't have any pain at or nausea at all, other than gas pains. That gas pain is no joke, but it dissipates within a day or two if you walk a lot. That is my advice....Walk as soon as you are able. I started at 10-15 minutes every 2 hours a few hours after surgery. By the time I was released, I was walking 20-25 minutes every few hours. When we got to the hotel, we went to lunch and did some shopping. We walked for about an hour or so. It was a lot of fun. Anyway, Good luck!

My plan allowed for me to do light elliptical or treadmill starting at 2 weeks out. That is just my plan though. You should follow your doctor's plan as they are all different. You are doing very well for being two weeks out though. Congratulations!

Yeah, I don't think there is a man out there that wouldn't love to have a body like Michael Phelps.

Mashed sweet potatoes! I missed them so much. I couldn't add butter or brown sugar, but I did add cinnamon. They were delicious!....All 4 bites of them!

I think that although football players come in all shapes and sizes, that is where I would possibly fit in the best. I used to aspire to be the size of a running back...Maybe Marshawn Lynchish. Now, I would possibly like to have the shape, size, agility and athleticism of a quarterback. Pick one. Either way, I am glad that I am getting away from having the body type of a guard or tackle. lol.

Good luck with your surgery! I hope this new chapter of your life is amazing!

I just don't know why there is such a stigma around weight loss surgery. A good friend of mine looked at me like I was crazy to do such a thing....Yet she has had a tummy tuck, lipo and breast augmentation. I reminded her about her surgeries, and she said that it was okay though since everybody does it. I told her that what she said was the dumbest thing I've ever heard. However, that is the mindset. If you have wls to improve your health, your happiness, and overall quality of life, people have a hard time with it, but root you on for plastics. I don't have anything against plastics, but it is nice to know that if I ever need any, I will have more support than I had with this surgery. You have to do what you need to do for your health. Don't listen to any of your friends or family. They don't have to live with the outcome of doing the same old things that you have done up to now. Are they going to support you later on if you need a quadruple bypass to save your life? Of course they are....Then why would they not support you trying to put an end to that possibility? Good luck with your decision!

I think that I had a little bit of depression if you will before surgery. I had always been active. I had failed at every diet I had ever tried, so I felt like a failure at controlling my weight. My A1c was at a 6.3. It was a 5.9 a year earlier. I had tried really hard to lower it, but it increased instead. I was anxious about the surgery, and unsure about the future. My family kept telling me that this was my last chance, so the pressure mounted. I had read about people having to give up foods that they loved, so there was a bit of anxiety about that as well. Two weeks before surgery, I decided that I was going to put everything in God's hands. I wasn't going to worry anymore. This was a chance at a reset....a do-over. I was going to take this opportunity and run with it. I stopped caring about failure. I stopped with the What-ifs. This time, I was going to be positive about my future. I had surgery two weeks later, and never looked back. If you are feeling anxious about this surgery, your future, or feeling sorry for yourself as I did....Talking with someone can help. I never spoke with a psychiatrist about it, but my family got an ear full. It felt good to get it off of my chest. Good luck in your journey...You are going to do great things!