WanderingHeart

Wow. Been awhile since I posted. I hit one-derland on my birthday a few weeks ago, which felt awesome. I've been having gall bladder issues for a few months but trying some alternative healing methods before taking drastic action. Ive gone from a size 20 to a size 12. Its amazing being able to wear regular sizes - and white! Picking out clothes I like vs. clothes that fit. Body dysmorphia is real - I can tell I'm losing weight but I still feel like I look the same. Just today, I noticed my skin on my stomach and thighs is getting very thin and loose in certain spots. It was sort of a strange sight but I didn't love it or hate it. Mostly curious about it. My partner has been super supportive of the surgery and lifestyle changes but while we were hanging out, I surprised him and showed him my loose granny skin. The look on his face hit me hard. It was like surprise and disgust. That was tough. No regrets. One day at a time.

I’ve actually noticed that it’s really hard to get the portion just right and if I’m down to a few more bites and I’m feeling full, I end up trying to finish. But if I have more than a few bites to finish, it’s easier for me to say “I’ll finish this for my next meal.”

So I actually was also worried about water consumption. In the beginning, I did have to sip water slowly throughout the day. I work from home and parked my water next to my desk and it was fine. I had to remember to keep sipping but I managed. About 3 weeks in, I noticed I was able to do 2.5 sips at a time. At 4.5 months out now, I can take down 3.5 sips/gulps at once. I can actually easily drink 30 ounces in just over an hour. However, I was traveling a few weeks ago and fresh fruit and vegetables were less accessible on the road trip and I was being less attentive to water and didn’t want to stop every hour to use the bathroom. When I got home, the lack of fiber and hydration landed me in the hospital with incredibly painful stomach pain. Lesson learned. still no regrets - down almost 70 pounds.

My surgeon said the average was 60% of excess weight and did a calculation to tell me what that was - but never set a goal weight. I had an idea of where I want to be but I also acknowledge that I’m not sure what my happiest weight will be. I just kind of picked 150 pounds but if I’m happy and comfortable and active at a higher weight, I’m good with that too. I also heard that wherever you are around three months is likely half of what you’ll lose altogether.

There is in the nutrition section but it’s not updated frequently

Most surgeons give you a plan that starts with a liquid phase. That is for allowing your stomach to heal, but it may end up being less than 500 calories per day. Depending on the plan they give you and how your body adjusts, you may be eating 500-700 during those transitional weeks after surgery. i never track calories, personally. I listen to my body’s signs of fullness and prioritize protein and fresh vegs and fruit. It is possible that consuming too few calories will actually result in your body stalling because it will think you are starving and go into survival mode.

Lunch: strawberries, slice of prosciutto, Marcona almonds, firehook garlic thyme crackers, Beechers cheddar, and a soft cheese called Diva. Yummy

Some people say you can’t break a stall. I know my first stall (almost three weeks) broke after I started resistance band workouts but it may be a coincidence. I read that we lose muscle mass when losing weight so keeping up the protein and building muscle helps your body ultimately burn more calories. good luck!

Growing food is so empowering!

While there are meat shortages, Wallace prices haven’t gone up. A few things are out of stock but no price gouging

In the beginning, I felt hunger and fullness at the same time but that was on the liquid and purée diets. At three months, I can tell the difference. Hunger feels similar to before surgery but less urgent. Fullness started as tightness in my chest but now feels similar to before surgery - like belly sticking out. I will say that certain foods will make my belly full but I’ll be hungry shortly after - carbs and protein shakes. Maybe that’s what you’re experiencing?

Hey as a fellow organic foodie, have you tried Wallace Farms? Their meat is clean and so yummy! They ship to your door!

I didn’t try anything for a few weeks but found my orgasms were actually more intense! Something to do with circulation being improved with losing weight, maybe?

He’s an idiot! I didn’t have a 4 week appt but they did tell me at two weeks that everyone was all over the map in the first few weeks, they don’t even have benchmarks until 8 weeks in. At 8 weeks in, I’d lost 30 since surgery and they were very happy.

Amazing!

I drank celery juice every day when I was on full liquid. The first few days I sipped diluted Apple (No added sugar) when I was nauseous but that was it.

I am so sorry for the loss of your son. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I am! Hartford area but looking for a house potentially northeast corner.

Santa Cruz is our fave.

I finally remembered to take pics before and after! This is a green chef meal - kale salad, balsamic mushrooms, and steak. I added a Gorgonzola sauce on to the steak! Soo “yummy delicious” as my kids say.

I used to hate exercising! It felt too hard and boring. Still, I started walking right away after surgery and it got easier to walk further and uphill. By 8 weeks, I was in the tail end of a stall and wanted to build some muscle mass to boost my metabolism. So I ordered a resistance bands set from amazon and I love it. Every day, I either walk or do a 15-30 min video from YouTube. Since I can do it in my living room and it’s short, it doesn’t feel like as much of a commitment. I sweat a little and feel like I accomplished something. The other day after doing a 20 min video, I put on a yin yoga video and stretched and felt sooooo good. I feel strong and have more energy these days.

You’re so newly sleeved so give yourself some time. You probably have a lot of fluids and gas still in you from your surgery. A lot of those foods might have high sodium which contributes to bloat. Lots of water helps and later, potassium rich food.

Do you give yourself “cheat meals”? You may want to go to restaurants in those circumstances if possible. Prob a lot less stressful for you. When we are stressed and anxious, it can impact someone else’s behavior too. Also, I know I’ve accidentally drank water when out to eat bc it’s right in front of me but I know the waitress is going to bring it so I usually try to move it away from me as a reminder not to drink. They don’t get it and it’s not worth the headache to explain.

Ugh yeah it sucks to be in a stall but you just had your surgery 3 months ago? I wouldn’t think you’re done losing. Maybe if you hit week 3 with no movement, call your nutritionist? I just had a 2 week stall and then dropped 12 in 8 days. My body was clearly holding onto it and finally just let it go. We can only control our behavior, not the outcome on the scale.

As of last Tuesday, I was in a 2 week stall. Even knowing it was normal and inevitable, it felt terrible. I let myself feel down for a day and then I increased my protein intake and started resistance band training (I was exactly 8 weeks out). I also incorporated more potassium rich food to combat sodium bloat. Today I went in for my 2 month follow up and I’m down 12 pounds from last Tuesday, 32 since surgery, and 45 from my starting weight. I’m sure the stall would’ve broken on it’s own but I feel good about the adjustments and I’m enjoying short resistance workouts. Hoping anyone else in a stall right now feels hopeful after reading this!