Spinoza

Your photos are amazing - thank you so much for sharing. I'm too shy still but I hope one day I'll post a photo from every month of my journey and marvel at how far I have come 😊

I also notice this, and it was also last week when I was away from home. I think it's because I wasn't doing protein first. I ate half a tuna melt sandwich all but two bites and panicked that my restriction had disappeared overnight. Of course it hadn't - turns out carbs first is not the right way. Now I'm back at home I'm feeling the restriction again - just the same as before. I will need to plan better next time I'm away from home. I'm almost 5 stones down on my highest weight. I feel amazing. I have always yo-yo'd so I have ALL the sizes of clothing to go back through on the way down. Once I reach a steady weight I'll invest in some new stuff, especially for work. Turns out 10 year old work clothes look like they were in fashion 10 years ago. 🤣

What an achievement. Can't wait to join you!

I find it absolutely fascinating reading these responses. As I do reading everyone's experiences here. For transition foods - for my main meal I ate whatever I cooked for my family, just as I did for the puree phase. That was - really soft meat based stews, hearty soups (OMG endless variations on soup), chicken/bacon/mayo salad or tuna mayo salad, omelettes, etc. Instead of me cooking and eating what they liked, they ate what I needed - and we all survived! They had potatoes or pasta or rice with theirs often, whereas I gave that part a miss. Loved thin oatmeal with stewed fruit and still have that for supper most nights. Interesting to read your comment about chewing - at 3.5 months post-op I am getting bad at this and I always pay a price with stomach discomfort and rumbling. I really do need to slow my eating right down again.

I totally get that fear - I was self pay too and I think we just put extra pressure on ourselves not to 'waste' money on something that doesn't have a decent chance of success. I'm only 3.5 months post op but I am certain that this surgery was a good investment in my future health. It's up to me whether that investment pays dividends in the long run. I wish you all the best on your journey - stay here and you'll get so much good advice and wisdom. And FWIW - I know I'm not long enough post op to answer your original question, but my partner lost about 50lbs some years back on keto and maintains on keto - we eat meat at most meals every single day - all the meats! I just eat about 1/4 of what he does at a sitting these days. 😎

What sorts of food are causing you problems gmast?

It's unbelievable how many of us have had the same experience. Glad your stall has ended. Your stats are so similar to mine - identical weight loss actually. Race you!

Hi everyone, just checking in. I hope you're all doing well. I am loving my new life, loving my sleeve, and not really experiencing any downsides. Am losing pretty much 2-3lbs a week over the last couple of months after a period of big losses at the start. As long as that keeps up I will be super happy. And it's amazing how it all adds up. Seems no time at all since we were all here with our knees knocking worrying about what life would be on the other side of a sleeve. Turns out it's pretty sweet. I hope you're all feeling good.

Over the last maybe 6 weeks, though, I’ve lost nothing. OK - are you panicking and thinking - oh well, if I'm not losing weight whilst sticking to my plan, I might as well buy crisps and chocolate and SCREW THE PLAN - IT ISN'T WORKING ANY MORE!? That's happened during pretty much every diet I've ever done - all fab while the weight is coming off, but total catastrophe and throwing my toys out of the pram, when it stops. If there's a bit of this going on inside your head then maybe you need to work on that. How rationally you can talk yourself through it I don't know - there may well be a place for a discussion with a therapist if you can find someone suitable. It may be that you are approaching your new set weight - not all of us make it below a BMI of 25 after WLS. If so, you might be entering your maintenance phase. And it's perfectly OK to experiment with different foods - even chocolate and crisps - as long as you make allowance for that. I don't know whether you track food or calorie count, but it might be worth having a think about it if you don't. I’m worried about my portion sizes going back to normal and gaining all the weight back You will absolutely not do that if you're sticking to the plan you were given by your surgeon. If you start with protein and then have your veg you shouldn't gain significant amounts of weight. If you start with crisps and chocolate then you very well might. So don't start with crisps and chocolate if at all possible - use that tool you went to so much trouble to get. You have done so very well with this surgery, this tool - you've clearly made the most of it over the last 9 months. I think from reading here lots of people experience significant stalls, I can see that it's really worrying when you do, but lots of people come through those too and lose more weight, so you might be about to do that. You'll have read advice here about switching things up - increase protein, increase exercise or try building muscle as opposed to pure cardio, etc. I think your loss is amazing and an inspiration. If you can embrace that and be kind to yourself then you'll be absolutely fine.

Absolutely inspirational Tony - well done you! 🏆 I'm 3.5 months post op now and 6-8lbs a month for the next few months would do me very nicely!

Oh they really do. 😍 Hungry now. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for checking in - it's great to hear your update! Are you feeling relief from the GERD or is it too soon for that? Hope the pain goes away soon and that you get a good loss as well.

I took 3 weeks off after my sleeve and that was exactly right for me. I'd say I was working at 90% efficiency when I went back. I was tired but the working helped distract me. It's really variable. I hope you make a nice speedy recovery OP!

Absolutely amazing achievement and an inspiration to those of us a bit behind you that we too will get there!

I think about 3 weeks post op for me too - it was pretty painful to lie on my side (preferred position) before that. And sore to change position. I just slept on my back in bed before that. Good luck Shriner - bet you're feeling a little better every day now.

Good luck on your journey Lisa. I didn't find this forum until after my surgery but I have learned so much from everyone here. I hope the run down to your surgery goes smoothly.

I haven't done anything yet, and in fact am still wearing my old clothes, which s getting a bit ridiculous now. You have inspired me - firstly I will rummage out my smaller clothing from the loft (very dusty I suspect!!) and if there's nothing suitable there, buy at least one pair of jeans and one top I can wear outside the house without embarrassment. I have a short vacation in a few weeks that I would have done anyway, but I cannot WAIT to see how much spare there is in the seat belt on the plane. Woop!

I did pureed and I think it depends on your taste and whether the texture suits you. My faves were honestly just my family's dinner pureed. Best thing I ever tasted in my life was roast lamb with veg and gravy but blended to a babyfood consistency. Soup is good because you can just use a blender for any lumps - if you make your own add lentils or potatoes to thicken them up. Thin porridge with apple sauce. Well done on getting to two weeks - that's the hardest part done for most of us. 😍

Agree with everyone else. As long as you're tracking your intake and it isn't a bigger portion every time you shouldn't feel remotely guilty. I have one square of 90% chocolate most days - it's about 50 calories and OMG I enjoy every one of them.

Thanks for the catchup summerseeker! Sounds like you've hit your stride after a bit of a rocky period - here's to big losses for everyone over the next few months.

Hi Crinkles, I'm in Ireland and 3 months post sleeve. The information on this site has been a godsend for me - there are lots of very knowledgeable folks about who are generous with their time and knowledge so whatever question you ask someone will have the answer. I hope the time to your surgery flies in. The first couple of weeks post op is hard but once you get past that you'll never look back!

I was just going to suggest the very same thing! I've taken a photo every month in the same clothes and will keep doing it until I stop losing. Even this early it's easy to see the changes.

I was never asked to stop caffeine and I would have had a major problem doing that! Caffeine withdrawal headache is the worst.

Would you be willing to share your stats Esi? What was your starting weight and how much have you lost? I have no idea whether there's any definite line between the weight loss phase and maintenance phase OTHER than one ends and the other starts when you stop losing weight. Sounds like you see it looking backwards after a couple of months and sounds like you might be there. I am sure that if you change things about a bit you COULD lose more weight, but as you say, if this is your new set weight then you'd just have picked a battle you could never win - one most of us have been fighting all our lives. On the other hand this could be a final very gradual loss where you really do only lose like a pound a month or less, and again you may only recognise that looking backwards in another six months! Anyway, you have done brilliantly to get within 10-15lbs of a BMI of 25. Lots of folks would be super pleased with that. I think you sound as if you have a totally sensible approach to it.

You look fab - what an inspiration!