SleeveToBypass2023

Stick to the plan. Not everyone loses their hunger. I know I never did. That can't be what you rely on to not over eat. This is where doing the work really comes in. Train yourself to follow the plan, eat what you're supposed to, when you're supposed to, and don't cheat. Do things to keep yourself busy so you're not so focused on eating.

Pic 1 - 388 pounds Pic 2 - 330 pounds Pic 3 - 290 pounds Pic 4 - 255 pounds Pic 5 - 230 pounds Pic 6 - 222 pounds (this week at work)

My first appt with the surgeon was on Feb 28th 2022 and my surgery day was May 3rd 2022. So about 2 months and a week or so.

Definitely sounds like a stall. Some people don't gain during the stall, they just sit at their current weight during it. Me? I gain. And by gain, I mean anywhere from 3-5 pounds. It's infuriating. Then I lose and gain the same 2-3 pounds over and over until one day I get on the scale and see that I lost 5-6 pounds. That's when I know the stall broke. It's going to happen, a lot. So start focusing on your NSVs (Non Scale Victories). Those tell the story of what your body is actually doing better than the scale can.

If you like how you look, feel good, have good mobility, and have no health issues then there's no reason to get this kind of surgery. Doing it because you know you'll gain weight i the future isn't the right reason to do it. Maybe see a nutritionist about getting on a healthy eating plan, and move your body more. Walk, workout, go hiking, swim, do things that move your body. That will help. Pay attention to what you're eating and drinking. Consume 1800 - 2000 calories per day, prioritize protein first, then veggies, then carbs. Reduce sugar and salt. Limit alcoholic drinks. These are all things that will help you to be healthier, drop a little weight, and ensure health as the years go on. Surgery is a last resort for those who have serious weight and health issues and have failed at everything else.

Why are you scared of the bypass? The recovery time was really easy and short, there's a hard stop when it comes to eating, not everyone gets dumping syndrome but if you do it teaches you REALLY FAST what not to eat, and you lose more weight faster with it.

I honestly have no idea. Google it or reach out to a nutritionist. There really isn't anyone on here looking to gain weight, so this might not be the best place to get the information you're looking for.

You seem to be on track for that 10 pound regain, which I'm told is normal. You know you ate too much sugar and carbs, so I would start there. Start reducing those until you're back in compliance with your diet. Majorly limit the high calorie cocktails. Move your body more. I would start there. Those are "easy" fixes. Once you're comfortable with that, start getting what, where, and how much you eat back on track. Little by little, you'll get those 10 pounds off and be back where you want to be

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, "To increase muscle mass in combination with physical activity, it is recommended that a person that lifts weights regularly or is training for a running or cycling event eat a range of 1.2-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight." According to the University of Minnesota, "Recommended Carbohydrate Intake: Research suggests that bodybuilders who are trying to gain substantial muscle growth or increased body mass should consume about 5-6 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day." According to Maxinutrition.com, "Most people require around 20 calories per pound (or 44 kcal / kg) of bodyweight to gain muscle mass. Using a 180-pound (82kg) male as an example, the required daily calorie intake is 3600 calories (20 kcal x 180 lb = 3600 kcal)." Hope that helps (found in a 5 minute Google search). Good luck!!

My stuff went really fast, too. It's awesome when it works out that way because there's no time to sit and freak yourself out lol I'm excited and happy for you. Congrats, and I'll be watching to see how everything goes for you

You should definitely have access to a dietician through the surgeon's office. The problem with any of us giving you that info is that our surgeons all have different requirements. Some allow more carbs and fats, some restrict the heck out of them. Some allow higher calories, some don't. Some universal rules, though, are these: water intake: at least 64oz per day food: PROTEIN first, then veggies, then carbs. Protein, protein, protein!!! sugar: majorly reduce sugar intake (I went to sugar free and use monk fruit sweetener when I need something to taste sweet) salt: reduce the amount of salt (especially if you have high bp) and what I did was switch from normal table salt to Himalayan salt (it's healthier and has a saltier taste so you need less) I don't really want to tell you specifically how many calories, carbs, protein, and fats you can have, because as I said, that varies between surgeons. I can tell you what MY office said and what I do, but that's about it. Here's what my surgeon's office wants: Protein: 60-80g per day Carbs: 50g or less per day Fat: 50g or less per day Calories: first 6 mo - 1000 per day - after 6 mo - 1200 - 1300 per day What I personally do: Calories: non work out days - 1000 per day - workout days - 1200 - 1300 per day Protein: non workout days - 60 - 70g per day - workout days - 80 - 90g per day Carbs: non workout days - 20-25g per day - workout days - 35 - 50g per day Fat: non workout days - 20-25g per day - workout days - 35-50g per day Water: non workout days - 64oz per day - workout days - 64oz of water and 20oz of gatorade zero or Propel per day

I came to this group before my surgery because I wanted to talk to people in all stages of the process. I was excited and overwhelmed and had absolutely no clue what to expect at all. My area offers online support groups, but nothing in person. I do have access to a nutritionist through my surgeon's office, and I've used her on occasion, but not as much as I thought I would. For a coach, well, I don't have one. I kind of had to become my own coach. I have a personal trainer through my gym (and my cousin, who does that for a living, so the coach at the gym helps with the equipment and my cousin helps with the exercises and whatnot). I decided that if I was going to have an online support group, it might as well be here on this site, where I've established relationships for the last year and a half. People on here actually GET IT, you know?

First, I'm wondering, why are you having the surgery? It doesn't sound like you're unhappy with how you look, you didn't mention if you have any comorbidities like joint pain, decreased mobility, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc, and you don't have stats (bmi) that would cause a lot of concern. Second, I've only seen 2 or 3 people on this entire site that have trouble with losing too much weight. Increase your calorie intake, maybe cut the workouts to half, and that shouldn't be an issue. But it's exceedingly rare. Third, you will likely have some regain. It's just par for the course. Not everyone does, but most people do to an extent. If you stick to the plan and move your body, it should be minimal, but it's unfortunately a reality. Lastly, you will shed hair. A lot of it. Most people do. There are a lucky few that don't, but it's a reality the majority of us can't escape. It happened with my first surgery and with my revision. I used volumizing and thickening shampoos and conditioners, cut my hair shorter (it was down to my butt when I had my surgery and I cut it to just touching my shoulders), and styled it a bit differently. And it was fine. Not one person could tell (except me) and once the shedding stopped, it started to regrow fairly quickly. It didn't come out in clumps, it was basically excessive shedding that I mostly saw when I was washing my hair in the shower. It's not like I was losing hair throughout the day and it was all over my clothes or anything.

My first (of MANY stalls) was at 2 1/2 weeks. Every time I have a stall, I gain 3-4 pounds. Then I gain and lose the same 2-3 pounds throughout the stall. Once it finally breaks, I lose like 5 pounds in 1shot, then go back to losing my normal 2-4 pounds a week until another stall hits. That's why paying close attention to Non Scale Victories (NSVs) is so so important.

That's a thing??? You can get so backed up that vomit tastes like poo? So was it poo making you vomit? I'm really confused. Are you able to go regularly now?

I use a combination stool softener and laxative because just softening the stool doesn't help me go any more frequently. I can go normally for 2 or 3 days, then have a few days of not going at all. Once I hit day 3 of not going, I take the stool softener and laxative and by the next day I'm GOING. And then I'm good for another 3 days, then it starts all over again.

Any new updates? The fact that you got to 302 after sitting at the other weight for a while means something is working. Update your info on here. Maybe make a ticker. I like to come on here and look at my signature when I get frustrated because it's a visual reminder that I need to keep on keepin' on and trust the process. As long as you track what you eat, when you eat it and move your body every day, you'll get there.

I take berberine and I have PCOS and I don't know if it's really doing anything, but it's definitely not hurting me, so I'll keep using it. Since I don't take Metformin, I think it's gotta be better than nothing, you know?

Can you elaborate? How much did you gain back? What is your diet and workout routine like? I would suggest getting back to basics with your diet and start moving your body again.

I eat full fat cheese. My favorites are colby jack, pepper jack, and havarti. I can only eat a little bit of it, so I either have a couple of cheese cubes with some meat as a snack (I like hard salami or some roast beef) or I add a little shredded cheese to my eggs when I make them (I can only eat 2 now instead of the 5-6 I used to eat at a time).

Mine met me at a heavier weight than I am now (I was 270 when I met him) and he absolutely LOVED it. He's a "chubby chaser" and likes girls between sizes 14 - 30 lol Fortunately I like my body curvy, just not like I was (or even am now) so he's lucky that I'm ok with getting to a size 14 or 16. Otherwise he'd be outta luck.

I have people that do that to me, too. My highest weight was 421. I've lost nearly 200 pounds from that weight, and believe me, people don't hesitate to point it out. I know they mean well, but I think - to steal a phrase from Jennifer Aniston when she was talking about her ex Brad Pitt - there's a sensitivity chip missing. I don't think it occurs to people that we are aware of how big we were, we are aware of how much weight we lost, and we're aware of how different we look. We don't need to be reminded that we used to be as big as a whale, we know. I usually just give them a dead pan stare and weight for them to realize their faux pa and then they try to backtrack, which I find amusing. I let them squirm for a bit before letting them off the hook.

I'm actually 388 down to 228 lol And thank you for your kind words

Anyone else??

Here's my Instagram, if anyone wants to find me on there. If you're comfortable, put yours here so I can find you, too!!! https://www.instagram.com/natalie_m_anderson/