FancyChristine15

My surgeon's office never gave me a goal weight. I am going with 190 though. I'm 5'10", and I've lost 250 pounds at this point, so I have excess skin all over, which adds weight to me.

Of course there is the risk of side effects with either procedure. From what I've read and what I know though, dumping, which is having to run to the bathroom after you eat, is more common with the bypass. I had the sleeve, and it's happened to me once or twice in 14 months. You will eventually be able to physically eat whatever you want; now, the issue is: will those foods help you reach your weight loss goals? I usually eat really well; for instance, an egg and a couple of bacon for breakfast, fruit for a snack, grilled chicken for lunch, etc.... but every now and then I allow myself to have something I really want...maybe a donut even, but it's not all the time and it's not regularly. You can have the foods you love, but you may not be able to have them everyday if you want to lose weight.

Your caloric intake is definitely NOT too high. I think that's a great amount for someone who does as much activity as you do. Are your clothes looser? I've noticed that I haven't lost a lot of pounds lately, but my clothes feel looser.

In the beginning I would weigh and measure, but now, I stop when I'm full. I can usually eyeball how much I can eat, so I'll just get that amount. If I'm hungry, I can get more, but that's usually not the case. Learning to listen to your body is a great way to use your tool. Just be sure you do what your body says and stop eating when you start getting full.

Honestly, that's why I quit going to group meetings once I had gone to the required amount. In every meeting there was someone who dominated the conversation, and it was never in a way that benefited the entire group. It was always just about them. I get my support on this site now.

First thing is don't beat yourself up. You're going to slip up every now and then. As long as it's not all the time, that's what counts. You're human, and you're going to make mistakes. How long have you been in this stall? How many calories are you eating? How much water are you drinking?

I drink coffee daily and have no problems. I did wait until about 3 months post op to drink it. Cold brew coffee is less acidic, so I drink that. Regular coffee tends to give me heartburn.

I'm also similar. I was 463 at my largest. Now, I knew that I was big, but I don't think I realized quite how big I was. Now that I've lost a lot of weight, I know that I look much better than I did, but sometimes I don't see much of a difference, even though I know that I look like a totally different person. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I'm excited about what I see and other days I don't like what I see so much. It's such a mind game.

Awesome! Congrats!

As of today's weigh in, I weigh exactly half of what I weighed when I began this journey! I've lost exactly 50% of my starting weight, and I've lost almost 85% of my excess weight! So glad I did this!

Sounds like you're doing well! Good to hear!

Oh my, @Frustr8! I didn't know you were having so many issues. I hate that for you. I'm so sorry. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers that things start working out.

Same here. All of my liquids count towards my water. I only do sugar free, so it all counts.

I did have to drink 2 shakes a day for a while, but I was never told to eat protein bars, as they are usually higher in sugar/carbs. I was always encouraged to eat normal food, once I got to that point in my program.

I'm 13 months post op. My acid reflux hasn't gotten better or worse. I would choose the VSG again.

You listed the reasons you may not be losing weight, so focus on those. Get more activity. Drink more water. Eat more protein. I eat 1200 calories a day, so I don't necessarily agree with Grady on the 600-800 calories a day, but I also don't remember how much I ate at 6 months post op, so maybe that's about right. But, regardless, focus on getting your protein, water, and activity up. At over 1 year post-op, I still supplement with a protein shake or Quest protein chips every day; if I didn't, I wouldn't get enough.

I went for a little while. It wasn't for me. I'm not very religious either, and I found it to be too faith-based. They pray and read teachings. I did like hearing other people's stories of their eating disorders; in my group it wasn't just overweight people, it was all kinds of people who had issues with food.

I take both. I take my Prevacid first thing in the morning. I take my probiotic after dinner.

Welcome! You've made a good decision in joining this group. There are a lot of people here who are willing to help and encourage. My best advice is just do what your doctor tells you to. Get your protein in, get your water in, exercise, etc. Just do what your doctor says. Seems easy, but there are so many who don't follow their advice. Best of luck to you. Let us know if you have any specific question or concerns.

Just make sure you have the right things for you to eat/drink right after surgery. I think the best thing that they can do for you is to let you take care of yourself. I did, and I think it was the best thing for me. I had to get my own water, jello, let my dog out, etc. I think that got me up and healed faster than laying around would have.

Maybe have them come to this site and read up. The surgery isn't a quick fix. I know that people who haven't had it/don't need it think that it is, but it isn't. Yes, it helps me not eat as much, but I still have to eat the right foods, drink my water, exercise, etc.. People don't get that. I've told everyone about my surgery. I'm not trying to hide it from anyone, and I'm not ashamed of the fact that I had it. I just saw someone this weekend that I hadn't seen in a while, and she complimented me on my weight loss then asked how I did it. I explained that I had the sleeve, but I also have to watch what I eat and exercise. All she said back was "maybe, I should do that". I haven't had one negative comment/reaction about my sleeve, but, again, I don't try to hide it. I'm proud that I made this decision, and I let people know that I'm proud.

Honestly, I was more afraid of not doing the surgery than I was to go through with it. I was 463 pounds, and I knew that if I didn't do something, I wasn't going to live as long as I want to. My weight was hindering me from doing the things that I loved to do. All I did was go to work, eat, and go home. My weight stopped me from doing more. So, I wasn't scared. I was ready to get my new life started. If you just follow your doctor's plan, you don't have to worry about malnutrition or other poor side effects. It's been the best thing I've ever done. I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had to.

Welcome! Glad to have you!

Yeah, unfortunately, cravings don't go away. I wish they did though! lol! I still get them regularly, but you just have to push past them. Hunger will eventually come back too. Mine did anyways.

This may be a TMI question, but I'll ask it anyways, but feel free not to answer, of course. Are you using pads, tampons, a diva cup, etc? If you tried tampons, it would probably be less messy. I have period issues too, girl, so I feel you. Mine aren't heavy, but I've been bleeding for a month straight, which is no fun. My Gyno and I are working on a solution though.