BrighterSide

I wasn’t suggesting the struggle isn’t real. Me too! [emoji1303][emoji23] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Something for all those bemoaning their loss of inbuilt seat cushions [emoji846] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I empathise. While I’m valuing the restriction with every fibre of my higher thought processes (the ones that made this huge commitment to lose) my lizard brain is struggling to stop grieving the satiety I used to feel. There’s also the drive to have just one more bite to hit protein goals backed up by an entire lifetime of emotional social pressure to clear a plate. I’m doing great, but I’ve had to make numerous adjustments to tackle my head along the way, like having cheap (lower fat, low carb) sources of protein always to hand so I remind myself that putting 3rd of my carefully prepared last protein rich meal of the day in the trash is ok. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi there. Surgery twins :-) except I’m down a bit under half the amount you are, but on track for 60% excess weight gone by half year, so perhaps we started in different places. 5’4”, Highest 263 (BMI 44), sleeved 258, now 218. Huge congrats for that loss. It’s a massive mental shift to make to take best advantage of it all. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I cheated with purées as I am driven by texture as someone with food phobias caused by being physically forced to eat as a child. Wasn’t REALLY bad [emoji57]. Had very soft fish and very very lean meat with gravy and chopped up very small then chewed the heck out of it. All went down fine so nut was fine. Proper cheat was week 4 on solids. Family got pizza take out. I paused eating my salad and had a teeny slice of pizza very slowly and all the while feeling like some alarm should be going off and worried I was going to turn into some pizza crazed monster from that point on. Kinda like Dominoes night of the living dead thing. Actually had the best run after without feeling bad and next take out night I didn’t succumb, probably because I knew I could. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I smoked 20-30 per day from age 17. Quit for pregnancy, quit for 48 hours once later. Quit in forever attempt for 2 years after doing the Alan Carr course before my Mum got pancreatic cancer and life personally and professionally exploded. Then finally quit cold turkey in Jan last year. Built up to it for 6 months after first bariatric consultation. Slipped once after. Got drunk with a good friend and had two ciggies. I liked smoking, but at this stage, having gone the whole 12+ month cycle of ‘first withouts’ (birthday, holiday, Christmas, pub, meal, flaming row, house move) I can look back and see how my brain chemistry controlled me and the habits I formed. Huge force of will for the time it takes for initially chemical detox, then repeated small efforts of resistance while your head tries to tell you you are hungry for nicotine. Patch/pill/other help probably makes sense. I deserve no creds for cold turkey, it was probably irresponsible. However you manage to catch your wave I wish you huge luck. Xx Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I had my sleeve in January after initially choosing the band, thinking less invasive. Then I decided I wanted better average chance of loss and less intervention later (ports, refills, possible slippage, possible revision) and I also wanted the impact on hunger hormones from sleeve over and above the band restriction. Honestly never considered the RNY. Seems crazy with my tendency to research to nth degree, but really felt bypass was a step too far. Double nuts when you consider it’s reversible in a pinch vs binning 90% of your stomach. Aaaanyways, happy with sleeve right now. Was ready to change my relationship with food and the hunger pause and hard stop on quantity gives my higher thought processes long enough to win. Ref age 21 and 32 BMI: would prob see me leaning away from band in terms of lasting a lifetime and away from bypass as I would have so many super active and reproductive years ahead where malabsorption might not help. Wish I’d done it years ago so my skin was still springy enough to bounce back and I could have turned the weight and health clock back to enjoy all the extra decades of fun while lighter. Don’t get me wrong, loved my life and love my kids, but so much would have been easier. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I didn’t expect to grow hard lumps. Felt my upper arm, really sizeable nasty lump...that turned out to be my bicep [emoji854] Did the same with a hip bone about a week later. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

THAT TITLE WAS MEANT TO READ "Interigo - Red itchy Patches in skin folds" Wouldn't let me edit it!!! Yeah, I know, fun discussion, but rather be comfy and plain spoken, than shy and sore. Sure as I can be I have this and possibly secondary fungal or other infection under boobs and belly overhang. Very careful with hygiene, drying, and finish with talc, but ironically worse since surgery. Maybe a less nutrition / more movement thing? Going to docs (never did before sleeve as couldn't face real or imagined "hard luck you're just fat" subtext and didn't want to slather already torn skin with oomphy steroids), but would really value experience of others. As a physical back stop bought a soft long maternity belly band to create a physical barrier under bra band and down over belly under clothes (lateral thinking). Silly idea? Any other thoughts?

Awww Mrs. Don’t fret! 23 pounds is still 2 pounds per week. I only lost a half pound this week if that helps. Probably had the lowest cal week ever (that might even be the problem. Calling my nutritionist to sanity check some stuff this week). Best recommendation I can make is to log stuff religiously and have a chat with your nutritionist to get some context. If you started low that’s not necessarily slow and if not and you have stuck to all the advice, they can recommend other things to try if they think weight should be moving faster. We are all different people, but I know comparisons are so hard to resist. Now is the time to switch things up if needs be :-) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Hi all, I only just found you guys despite being on here lots. I’m a 21st Jan sleeve. I’m 218. Down 38 from 256 sleeve weight and 45 from 263 highest. Also mid 40s and hormonally challenged with PCOS, and walking 3 times a week, so not fretting too much about rate of loss. Nice non-sleeve victories with clothes. Bingo wings and apron are keeping me in bigger sizes than I would be otherwise (can take jeans off without undoing them!), but so much more comfy in everything I do wear, especially shoes! Lately tried hard to do more research on nutrition levels as I struggle to eat enough of the right kinds of things without ramping up carbs and fat. Posted this in Food and Nutrition forum: Calories TOO low? https://www.bariatricpal.com/index.php?/topic/424299-Calories-TOO-low%3F Explains more on why. Average 650-750, 60 Protein, 60oz Water, 45-65 carbs, 17- 20 fat. Stunning quite how much lean meat and veg you need to hit 1000! All your experiences are great to hear, especially if you have upped calories with same exercise regime and lost more. Find that concept fascinating :-). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m lucky, I mostly work from home so haven’t had to deal so much. Or, with the few I had told and have spoken to since, they gathered it was a done deal, good choice and (ultimately) none of their motherforking business...in a nice way [emoji846] Most have just been fascinated by what it was all about in practice and throw in the metabolic, hunger hormone, and microbiome headlines that highlight there’s more to this than calories in and out and this particular path out of the weight gain/regain jungle was mine. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for this! That helps so much. Of course anecdotal evidence is no replacement for research, but with most of the ‘normal’ weight and calorie intake recommendations based on 20 year old made up people it’s great to hear about your experience. 500 would have felt insanely low as a level to get out of bed and function on let alone exercise on, but if I swapped my fortified milk for more lean meat protein I’d be there right now. Seen some of your story elsewhere so I know you had lots of back and forth with nut, but essentially no obvious Ill effects. Crazy isn’t it. Also blows my mind a bit the concept of eating up to maintenance. One of the blessings of this process is the very small meal size. I have food phobias that prevent me from swallowing food if I ever feel under pressure to do so. Resulted from dinner ladies at school repeatedly forcing forkfuls of food down my throat until I thew up when I was 5. Specific foods that was done with are out, plus that anxiety response that closes my throat and makes me nauseous. That bedded in over the years as my resulting picky eating lead to being made to sit through ll dinner services until I’d eaten cold food on my plate, or the smallest kids were done. Missed break times, so double whammy with lost exercise and more negative food association. Getting packed lunch as a result of my Mum forcing a school policy change was the best day of my life, but by then the damage was done and I carried on seeking out ‘easy’ and ‘comforting’ food and avoiding social situations that might involve pressure to eat and trigger that anxiety. The hugely limited meal sizes have really started to dent that for the first time in my life. My diet had already become vastly broader or I wouldn’t have been able to attempt this, but knowing I only have to get 8-10 mouthfuls of something new down means I’m going food places I haven’t before. There have been some fails with a rush to the bathroom, but not many. That, in a hugely roundabout way, is why I fear upping calories for maintenance. It may be really tough to get quantities of naturally very low calorie healthy but ‘difficult’ food in. Whoah - war and peace again, sorry! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi all, Been good and checked for answers for a while, but not found anything very decisive. I’m worried about training my body to subsist on 600-750 calories per day. Worried it will never maintain without gain on anything resembling what the nutritionist suggested would be likely - 1600 odd (though maintenance on some calculators says 2,400 - ho ho) I’m 218, down from 256 Jan 21st sleeve and 263 highest in December. Slowed to lose about 2lbs per week now, which is fine, but could be better. Also 5’4”, mid 40s and post menopause with PCOS. For my build (7” wrists that make my baby sized hands look freakish) aiming point is 152 for just out of top end normal. Reckoning I’ll be 60% there in July. I don’t go usually go hungry and usually hit my Protein and liquid targets while keeping my carbs between 45 and 65 (fortified milk to bump Protein up keeps that over 50 as can’t do whey based protein), but rarely hit 700 calories. Do I need to be concerned getting that little in? Will I reset metabolism to make me gain if I eat 1,000 calories? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[emoji1303][emoji846] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good advice thank you. I’ve had no steer on calories, just on the usual 60-70g protein, 2+ litres fluid, not excessive fat, sensible carb limit. That was my Nut. Surgeon just said day before discharge “Eat what you used to just less” Nut was there and eyes nearly rolled out of her head. In absence of guide gravitated to pre-surgery levels which gelled with most of what I researched and read for initial post surgery period. Then as I limited carbs more diligently it crept down a little further. Will take this up with her again next month when I see her though. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Fluffy. Honestly hadn’t forgotten I the whole aim of this game is to melt the fat belt :-). The info on the ‘older post meno’ ladies is good to have seeing as I now apparently am one. Recently got told ovaries gave up ghost age about 40...ahh well (not as sanguine about that as I sound, but getting there). Do struggle somewhat with veggies and grains. Can’t eat beans, nuts and pulses and not getting past protein to much more than a couple of bites of broccoli, but earlyish days. Get fibre with heavily seeded crackers, but costs carbs. Also have that reliance on fortified milk for a shot of protein which again costs carbs hence the 45-65 level. But less if nett of fibre. Never worked out what nett meant. Having said all that I really value all these fab insights. Flying very solo here as 60 miles from nearest support group and have a house full of temptation thx to fella and two growing girls :-) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That’s really good to hear. Am very concerned about jumping out of metabolic frying pan and into a fire. Knowing that nutrition is still so very far from an exact science and same for the collective mechanisms that influence appetite and weight gain, this kind of feedback is fab to have :-) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for this Mrs. Glad it’s not just me and willing to bide time, but that “How on earth am I not losing more?” was the other part of this. My poor tracking app is very concerned about me halving the calorie estimate it gave me for 1kg per week loss, and still not quite making 1kg per week. I’m honestly not fretting about that rate from a reaching goal point of view as 2lbs per week will get me there. I’m also not suffering badly to keep it that way, I’m more baffled by the apparent absence of working laws of physics when I look back at food intake and activity at my worst. Also a little in awe of this body of mine. When that zombie apocalypse hits, with my new found agility, it’ll be the “Never been able to put on weight no matter what I eat” and perpetual gym bunnies with their calorie hungry metabolisms that will go first [emoji16] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A lot depends on where you started from Miguel, higher the weight the more folk are expected to lose. It’s about % loss rather than pure pounds. E.g. at 6 weeks I had lost 25% of my excess weight (weight over ‘normal’ BMI for my build). Here’s a link to a look at https://www.obesitycoverage.com/weight-loss-surgeries/gastric-sleeve/gastric-sleeves-how-much-weight-will-i-lose with a calculator that gives you a view of how people do on average versus the highest losing portion of people and the lower losing portions. Also the gentlemen tend to lose more rapidly because of more muscle mass and other gender related metabolism effects. Also depends on age, especially, for women. Post menopause weight is LOTS tougher to shift. That’s ignoring how well folk are sticking to nutrition guidance, what the guidance is (varies so much more than I thought it would - I was only fluids for a week before surgery and skipped clear fluids to go to full fluids 2 days after). Then there’s exercise. Some folk are at gym 5 days per week, some, like me, walk 30-45mins 3 times a week, some can’t do or choose not to do any). Plus loads of other factors...so, in loads too many words, not simple to answer and always best to not compare if you can resist it, but talk to nutritionist or doc if really concerned. [emoji3526] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

At week 8 I was down 30lbs from 256 sleeve weight and 37lbs from highest weight. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This distance out with pus as opposed to lymph (the completely clear stuff) I would go to my doctor, especially if the area round the incision feels warmer than surrounding skin and/or you have a temperature of 38 degrees or more. Regardless make sure you’re drinking you recommended amount or as close as poss. Can’t but help no matter what and like the lovely lady said there’s still lots of healing going on. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For me it’s a feeling like a tightness in my chest just under my bra strap crossed with that feeling when you have a burp trapped. That burp feeling tips over into thinking I might follow with up by being sick if I don’t stop. Eating really slowly helps. Taking a pause to survey how you feel. Alternatively, when you are just getting liquids, then soft food and then similar stuff stuff later (sliders) instead of drier more solid food you maybe won’t feel as much restriction because it passes through and compacts more gently. Hope that helps! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi and welcome! 22 pounds is fantastic! I hit that later than you. I thought I was immunish to the stall ennui cos I’ve read so many studies, posts, and replies about it, but got stuck then gained in weeks 7 and 8. I religiously track intake so I knew I’d introduced carbier at about the same time work ramped up, so more desk time, less sleep, more tension, more carbs, on top of another step in healing. But (and this cheered me right up) I still lost inches. Probably a miracle my losing wasn’t more erratic. Not really a stall as it resolved in week 9 (a few say it doesn’t qualify unless the scale sticks for 3 weeks), but my six cents is radical honesty and tracking of stuff eaten/drunk especially fluids, taking supplements sleeping the 8 hours of at all possible, measuring inch loss, and not weighing more than once a week at the same time of day (I’m human, so I jump on all the time, but don’t write it down or take it to heart in between times.