KevinS62

Hey Peeps. I haven't been on in a while. Life gets in the way I suppose. I hope everyone was good during the holidays. I have to say, as careful as I was, I ate too much on Thanksgiving and got home with some pretty painful cramps. I hope that lesson is learned, LOL. My weight loss progress was going great until about the end of October, when I plateaued a bit. Weight is still coming off, but not at the same rate it was in the first three months. In the past 10 weeks, I've lost 7-8 lbs. I guess the honeymoon is over. In the middle of this, I had an accident. In early November, two of my dogs got into a fight. While trying to break it up, my knee buckled and I went down. The result of this was a torn ACL, torn cartilage and an impact fracture to the tibial plateau. Surgery was Dec 12. I'm off the crutches now and rehabbing. My goal right now is to get back to 6,000 daily steps again without my knee filling up with fluid. I'll get brave one day and post pictures. Maybe once I get to 216, when I have lost 100. Yeah, that's it. As a goal, I think I'll shoot for 216 by the end of March which would be one year after I had my Oh-Hell-no moment and decided to start this journey. 😄

Looking good Scooter. I think you and I had surgery on the same day. I am doing similar. When I went in, I weighed 289 and I'm right around 229 now. *Oops surgery day was Jul 14, 2022.

I created my account by signing onto the site using my Google/Gmail account. Since then I have downloaded the app and when I try to sign on using the app it wants my name and password. But I have never used a password and cannot find a way to add one. What do I need to do so I can sign on from the App (specifically the Android App).

Looking good @MsGina Hope you get some help with the bruising.

I am 3+ months out. I lost around 25 the first month, about 15 lbs the second month and close to10 more in the third month. I think I'm holding steady now, losing about 2 lbs per week. When I first got the surgery, I was weighing daily. I couldn't stop myself. Well, I think I could have, but I was determined that it was a data science thing and I wanted to have the daily numbers for the first month. I was driving myself mad. LOL.

I'm glad you both busted through your stalls. I don't know if I ever had a stall, but weeks 2-3 were definitely slow for me. Finally, after week 4, I had to stop weighing daily or I would have gone nuts. LOL. I have definitely lost some inches. I had some 3XL shirts that are piled up and ready to be given to charity. Even some of my 2XLs are getting baggy on me and will be added to the stack. I'll be unpacking some XL shirts soon that I haven't seen in years. I haven't run a tape around my waist since early September, but at the time I had lost 9 inches since I had measured in mid-May.

Hey July peeps. How is everyone doing? I hope all is well. I haven't been on in a while, but I was taking a break from work and decided to check in. I continue to make decent progress. It's been a little more than 3 months since surgery. I think I lost 25 in the first month, 15 in the second month and 10 in the third. That's 50 lbs post op on top of the 28 pre-op. I seem to be losing 2 lbs per week at this point, and I'm real happy with that. I don't remember when I looked at the menu I got from the dietician. But I think I am doing most everything on it, avoiding carbs, doughy bread, sugars, etc. I take my vitamins. I'm tracking my food in the MFP app and trying to get my protein. Some food/drinks I've found working well for me: Old Wisconsin Turkey Sausage sticks (Walmart and Amazon) Low-fat/Light String Cheese Quest Protein chips (Loaded Taco is my fave but others are good) Body Tech Whey Isolate Protein Powder (Rich Chocolate) Fairlife Protein Shakes (Chocolate and Vanilla) - Delicious! Ole Xtreme Spinach and Herbs tortilla/wraps Occasionally, when I'm out of the house, I have no choice but to eat what is available. If I can't get something low calorie/low carb, I try to modify the item, like removing the bun, not eating the pizza crust, etc. I haven't had heartburn in over a month, but I am still on a prescription (Esomeprazole?) for now. Probably my biggest issue is knowing when to stop eating. At times, I just forget how small my stomach is and keep spooning food in until I fill it to the top. Oh, that's so uncomfortable. LOL.

Thanks - I didn't get to the store yesterday but I will this afternoon. The two "O" words are hard to tell apart and un-pronouncable (is that even a word?). The surgeon had given me a 30-day prescription for the esomeprazole (Nexium), and I told him at the 5 weeks post-op I didn't think it was bad enough to get another prescription. I probably should have taken him up on it. But, I would get something over the counter if it continued. I think I will try the Prilosec over the Nexium. I think I read that it might not last as long, but it might also work faster.

How are you doing MsGina? Thanks, I'll have a look at the pharmacy. My heart burn isn't horrible, but it recurs often, mostly in the evening. I'm eating right, but there are times I forget and eat a bit too much or a bit too fast, and that's when it hits me. I had chronic acid reflux years ago, but it got better when I quit smoking 13+ years ago. The Alkaseltser chews help, But I'll check out the OTC heartburn stuff and talk to the surgeon about it at my next visit.

Hey all - I guess I'm 8 weeks post-op. I haven't been on in a while, so I thought I'd check in. I have now lost 38 lbs since surgery. When I include the 3-4 months pre-op, I've lost a total of 66 lbs, which puts me at the halfway point to my goal weight of 185. I've thrown the menu out. Okay, I exaggerated. I still have the menu--somewhere, but can't remember when I looked at it last. I am eating right, avoiding breads, carbs, sugars, fat, etc. I still log my food daily. I take my vitamins, watch calories, and make sure to get 90 grams of protein and 64 oz of fluids. The only complaint I have at this time is recurring heartburn, which I have been taking care of with some Alka-seltzer chews. I think I'm going to try some over the counter Nexium next. Hope all of you July Peeps are doing awesome!

Wow, that sounds like me,

Five-week Post-Op update. W1 - 7/22: -12.6 lbs W2 - 7/29: -5.6 lbs W3 - 8/05: -2.6 lbs W4 - 8/12: -3.8 lbs W5 - 8/19: -4.4 lbs That's 29 lbs since surgery to go with the 28 lbs I lost prior to surgery. It's great to see the numbers go down because when I see myself in a picture or in the mirror, all I see is my (still) big belly. I was weighing myself daily for the first 4 weeks, and not seeing big results each morning was driving me crazy. So, I am only recording my weight on Fridays now. After the first week, it looks like I'm losing about 4 pounds a week now. I think that's good, right? NSVs: My face is definitely thinner. My pants fit much looser and I am now fitting into some clothes that I had outgrown. I had to dig out an old belt since the one I have been using no longer had enough holes. I'm about to fully transition from my 3XL shirts to 2XL. Right now, it's a mix in my dresser drawer. Physically, I feel great. I still get hungry, but I fill up fast. I have a bit of a problem knowing when I'm full and it's hard to get out of the habit of eating everything on my plate. If I eat too much, it's a bit uncomfortable, but it doesn't hurt. I guess this concerns me a bit. I want to get better listening to my stomach. The diet plan completely sucks, and I try not to cheat. But it sucks, so what do they expect? I just got back from a family visit and had two 1,000 mile drives. For the trip, I made a low-fat chicken salad and had string cheese and Quest Protein chips for snacks.

The Fairlife protein shakes are good. I bought a case of the chocolate, but once I bought an individual bottle, I think was banana/strawberry which was also good. If I have time though, I mix Bodytech Whey Tech Pro 24 with cold water. Their rich chocolate flavor is awesome and tastes exactly like chocolate milk. The vanilla ice cream flavor is good as well. But I do not care for the strawberry shortcake flavor. 🤮

I've been using Genepro. There's no taste, so it's easy to add to soups. The problem I've had with them is that they don't mix well and can lump up when I microwave the soup if I don't get the powder to fully disolve.

Hi @schla73. I'm not an expert, but I haven't heard of a Gasteric Sleeve Bypass. Is that like the Duodenal Switch (DS)? Many have had to lose weight prior to surgery. In my case, it was my insurance company that required me to have 3 visits to the surgeon, each at least 1 month apart, and I had to show them I was taking this seriously by losing weight before each appointment. Then there's the pre-op diets that many have to do which shrinks the liver and makes the surgery easier for the surgeon. I lost 28 pounds in the 3 1/2 months prior to surgery.

I am sure this question has been asked before, but I didn't see it. I am looking for how many calories we should be taking in during the early post-op timeframe after being sleeved. From the handouts I got from the dietician, it says I should be shooting for 1,000 calories a day, but it didn't say when I should start. I am in week 3 post-op and was talking to a friend this weekend that had the sleeve a few years ago. He could tell I'm confused and a bit frustrated. He thinks I'm starving myself and should eat more if my stomach is ready for it. Here's some numbers: - Week 1 post-op, I was on clear liquids. I probably took in about 400 calories a day and lost 12 1/2 pounds. - Week 2 post-op I was on full fluids, I took in about 500-600 calories a day and lost another 5 1/2 pounds. - Four days into Week 3 and still mostly full fluids. I am taking in about 600-700 calories a day and have only lost 1 pound in the last 4 days. So. I really am confused at this point. Should I up my calories some and stop starving myself? Or am I just over thinking this?

Welcome to the July Peeps and also to the site. I'm sorry about your stall. That has to be frustrating going that long without the scales moving. After I lost 12.6 in week one, I lost 5.6 in week two and only 2.6 in week three. I need to be happy that I''m 20 lbs down but it feels like my progress has slowed to a crawl. At my 2-week post-op visit my surgeon told me not to worry about it. It's temporary and my body was going through changes. Many on the forum have mentioned a "Week 3 stall", so you are not the only one this happens to. It's temporary and you should break out of it soon.

I planned for a week off, but put in some half-days from home. My surgery was on a Thursday and by Monday I was putting in 5 hours a day from my bedroom office. I felt pretty good physically and probably could have put in full days, but felt I deserved a little relaxation time. I went back to full days at the end of the first week.

I was told to take the calcium at least 2 hours before or after the mutivitamin. So, I take a Bariatric multivitamin when I get up. I have an alarm set for 9 AM to take two Citracal + D3. Then I take two more Citracal + D3 in the evening before bed. It seems like a lot of Calcium + D3 to me, but I'm going by the guidance I was given.

It was the first day of week 4 for me. I ordered some of the Quest chips a few days ago and they came yesterday. The Cheddar and Sour Cream flavored protein chips were pretty good. You can say they are expensive for a 1.1 oz bag, of chips, but good for the reason I got them for. And I wasn't planning to eat them every day.

That and a chicken salad. Might pack a little of both. Thanks.

Hey all, I'm sure this has been asked a bazillion times, but the wife, adult son and I are leaving next week for a vacation/family visit. The road trip is 1,000 miles. I feel great right now and we take turns driving, so that's not the issue. We make this trip annually and will likely have 2-3 fuel stops and will stop another couple times to eat. When we leave, I'll be four weeks post-op, so I'm looking at my week 5 and 6 menu items, and I am asking for your tips and tricks when going on a long trip Drinks: I will bring coffee, water and pre-mixed protein shakes for fluids. Maybe a Gatorade Zero for a change in pace. Snacks: What snacks are suggested? According to my nutrition plan, about the only things I could have thru week 4 are the protein drinks, string cheese and some peeled fruit. I'll be right at the start of Week 5 which mentions up to 3 Multi-grain crackers a day, but I ordered some of the Quest Protein Chips. (I purchase $95 worth, so hope they are good). 😋 Restaurants: This is probably where I'm looking for the most tips and tricks most. What restaurants have good menu items to choose from and food items should I be looking for? For example, a Big Mac, minus the bun, (which does not sound good right now), LOL. *Full disclosure, my nutrition plan really does not mention meat or salads until week 6 when I can have tuna and baked fish and then add baked chicken, lean ground beef, ground turkey and salads. But, I'm not against trying some of this (in moderation of course), if other plans allow these items sooner. I realize my nutrition plan is exageratingly conservative.