Recidivist

No weighted blanket. However, I did stock up on books on the assumption that I'd have plenty of time to catch up on my reading. As it turned out, I was too tired to focus on reading for very long. I mostly watched TV and napped constantly, which meant I couldn't really follow what was happening!

Agree. Everyone is struggling, and it's not just limited to those of us who have had bariatric surgery. Do the best you can and don't beat yourself up. These are extraordinary times, and better days are ahead. It's important to make sure you have friends and family who can act as a support network, even if it's only virtual.

I remember it was weeks, but I can't say exactly how long. Fortunately, I had read about it here before my surgery and was prepared for gas pains.

You probably can tolerate it at this point (melted or otherwise), but it should definitely be as low-fat as possible. I'd be more concerned about the shrimp--I was still on pureed foods at one month.

Everyone's weight loss journey is different, and you shouldn't compare yourself to anyone else. Just stick to the program your doctor gave you and you'll get there. Just think how thrilled any of us would have been before surgery to lose "only" nine pounds in 23 days!

For me it's pizza--one of my absolute favorites before surgery but not really an option since. I have had a few bites here and there, but never again will I eat even a full slice. As Catwoman said, you can have a little bit of just about anything from time to time once you are in maintenance, as long as you exercise restraint. I swore I would never eat processed sugar nor drink alcohol again after surgery, but I've done both on a couple of occasions over the last few months, with no ill effects.

I was drinking pickle juice at one month. It was incredibly satisfying!

You are right not to rely completely on the surgery for your weight loss. It is a tool and not a magic bullet--and you can definitely find ways to cheat after surgery and sabotage your weight loss. As Matty said, however, you will feel completely different after surgery. I was never hungry for the first several months and had to force myself to eat just to get enough protein every day. Now that I'm in maintenance I can eat "normally" (in smaller quantities), but the good habits I learned during the first eight months or so have made it relatively easy to stay on track. Don't beat yourself up about this one slip-up. It's not going to matter at all in the long run.

To be honest, I never went back to "exercise." All I've really done since surgery is walk, and I didn't even do much of that for about a month after surgery due to extreme fatigue. I now try to walk every day, but that's it--no cardio or weight training--and I've done very well in terms of weight loss. Diet is by far the most important component of weight loss, not exercise.

Same for me. I used to be hot all the time and wanted the aircon high, and after surgery I was always cold. It has gotten better now that I'm 16 months out, but I still tend to run cold. I actually prefer it to being hot and sweaty all the time!

I was in a support group that had clothing exchanges. People brought the clothing that no longer fit them and gave it to those who were not as far along. You don't really want to buy new clothes until you are at or near your goal weight, because they will only fit you for a couple of months at most!

I went out on several occasions in the first couple of months after surgery. I let people know that I had an upset stomach and would only be eating soup (or whatever it was I ordered).

When I saw people for the first time in years after I lost all the weight, they generally said nothing about my new size. A couple of people asked if I was feeling okay, and I finally realized that quite a few people thought I might be seriously ill. I started taking the initiative to tell people how great I was feeling after working hard to lose so much weight, and it seemed to make people feel much more comfortable talking about it.

So well said, Krestel! I read things on this site before surgery and thought, "I won't be like that" (such as being tempted by sugar and carbs). Almost all of it turned out to be true. The process is difficult and you will wonder at times why you did this to yourself. And it's still a challenge even at the maintenance phase. AND it's totally worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

I love Quest bars and ate them for breakfast once I got to maintenance. I found them quite filling and satisfying, and they are a reasonable amount of breakfast calories during maintenance. However, your idea is also great--certainly better than choosing less healthy snacks!

After surgery, I was actually self-conscious at how little I was eating in restaurants and would tell servers I wasn't feeling very well. The bottom line is that you are doing this for YOU. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks and just be proud that you are doing the right thing for your body and your health. \

It was about three months, which I think was overly cautious.

I'm not able to keep to 20 grams of carbs with 1,600+ calories--that was during the weight loss phase when I was at about 600-800 calories.

I'm 16 months out. I started maintenance at about eight months and experimented with different levels of calories and carbs to stop losing weight but avoid gaining. I noticed a direct correlation between more carbs and weight gain, more than calories. When I got about seven pounds above my goal, I started limiting carbs to the extent possible. Since then, I've stayed at my goal weight for about six months. The bottom line: 20g of carbs is great during weight loss but very unrealistic during maintenance. I avoid carbs where possible, but I probably get about 40g per day, which has enabled me to stay at my goal weight. It would be difficult to go much lower than that while trying to eat "normally." (I'm at about 1,600-1,800 calories per day as well.)

All of the above was true for me. I was vigilant about carbs for about the first 7-8 months until I reached goal weight, and I also tried to watch fat as well. (And I had no sugar at all.) I got to goal weight easily, then kept losing and became rather gaunt. I started adding carbs like bread, rice, etc. and got back "up" to my goal weight--plus about eight pounds. I cut down on the carbs again and went back to goal weight fairly quickly, which is where I've stayed for the the past eight months or so. I still limit carbs, fat and I consume zero sugar. It's not for everyone, but it works for me.

It sounds like you are doing everything right and just need to say the course. I will say that your diet is far more important than exercise for your weight loss, and I don't think you need to be terribly concerned about exercising daily if you are doing the food right. My weight off came of very quickly, which was wonderful at the time. I reached goal weight in about six months and found it difficult to stop losing weight, which was truly bizarre. As a result, I had a very tough time transitioning to maintenance. Slow and steady wins the race!

This is not an issue that can be resolved from comments on this board. The two of you need to get couples counseling to understand and work through the root cause(s) of the intimacy issues in your relationship. I wish you luck!

I think you should walk as much as you feel comfortable with. I wouldn't have been able to do it after six days, but the more walking the better!

Shoulder pain is extremely common and is related to gas that remains in your system following surgery. It doesn't sound like you need to worry about a leak. However, if the pain is particularly intense you might want to check in with your doctor.

Hi, Ruth. Yes, I did. It was detected on the day after my surgery while I was still in the hospital. They were reviewing my stats and found that I had a very rapid heartbeat and elevated white blood cell count, which were apparently indicators of a leak. They confirmed it by doing an x-ray while I swallowed barium. To be honest, I didn't "feel" anything except pain from the surgery. Perhaps it was more painful than it would have been without a leak, but I didn't have any basis for comparison. Before surgery, I was very worried about getting a leak, but it turned out not to be a big deal. They were able to repair it quite easily as soon as it was detected, and it was a relatively short procedure. I had to stay in the hospital a couple of extra days, but I it had no long-term impact. My recovery and weight loss were quite successful.