ouroborous

Here's how to break your stall: 1. Do the right things: keep your calories in the 600-800/day range. Keep carbs moderate. Make sure you're getting at least 60 g of protein/day. Make sure you're drinking enough Water. Get lots of exercise. Get lots of sleep. 2. Put the scale away. Others have said this, but nothing will drive you crazier than weighing yourself every day. Weigh yourself weekly TOPS.

Interesting, I haven't heard of anyone who was taking regular B12 supplements needing the shot. Great that it's helping you!

Thanks for the reality check, Daisy! I think that the people who will struggle are the folks who thought that the VSG was a magic cure -- they just get the surgery and then they don't ever have to think about it again, they'll be skinny! It just doesn't work that way. What I expected all along was that VSG would be my ally -- it would make it much, much easier to lose the weight and keep it off, but the responsibility would still be mine to "meet it half way."

But here's the thing. First, as we all know, you can diet and exercise and work your booty off, and STILL not lose much -- if any -- weight. And the instant you slack off, the weight comes back... with friends. Many normal-weight people simply don't understand this; they can often eat and eat and not gain an ounce, or if they DO gain a pound or two, they just "cut back" for a couple of weeks, and they're back at their goal weight. So, they often assume everyone's body works this way, and they assume that the reason we're fat is because we're simply too "undisciplined" to "cut back a little" (or, my favorite, "put down the Twinkie" -- I don't think I've ever eaten a Twinkie!) I'm not claiming victim status, and I'm not abdicating responsibility, but to claim that these two cases are equivalent is simply wrong. It's like telling someone in a wheelchair who's having a problem navigating a not-handicap-friendly workplace that "hey, everyone has the responsibility to go to work." Technically it's true, but the devil is, as they say, in the details. People with a genetic predisposition to obesity, people who are middle-aged or older, people who work sedentary jobs (which means that most of your day is sedentary, compared to people who work in, say, construction) -- we are all at a rather severe disadvantage in fighting the Battle of the Bulge. And many folks like to believe that the only factor in weight loss/gain is "calories in/calories out." It's simply not that simple. Looking at my family -- every single one of whom is obese -- and looking at my friend's family -- every single one of whom is normal weight or skinny, and you just can't escape the conclusion that consumption/exercise is DRAMATICALLY oversimplifying. This other family does, on average, less physical activity than we do, and they eat about what we eat, or even worse. Clearly, genetics play as large of a roll in weight loss and obesity as "personal responsibility" do, and yet "personal responsibility" (which is just a code-word for a moral judgement; IE, you're "irresponsible" if you're fat) is still the only factor considered in society at large. Compounding this is the fact that, of course, most obese people CAN lose significant amounts of weight -- if they essentially dedicate their lives to that pursuit. Who has that much time, and energy? Who wants to live their entire life for fitness? Fitness should be a means to an end -- an enjoyable life -- not an end in itself (in my opinion). I think a lot of us (myself included, at times) have internalized this message that "fat people are bad" (lazy, stupid, slovenly). Just like many double standards, we enjoy it when it works for us -- when WLS leads us to drop 100 pounds, we're happy to soak in the praise and respect from those around us. But that is exactly the same thing as the disparagement of those who are still heavy, just the flip side of the coin. Shaming doesn't make us lose weight, and praise doesn't keep us thin. Unfortunately, for most of us, even diet and exercise don't, on their own, slim us down or keep us thin for significant lengths of time. Ultimately, as my lead-in post said, whether we couch it as "personal responsibility" or "the deadly sin of gluttony," the result is the same: shaming and judging people (including ourselves) for being overweight or obese achieves nothing of value, for society, or for ourselves. If we're willing to let go of that mentality and treat weight as a medical issue, like we treat, say, diabetes (another illness that has a "personal responsibility" component, but one which we don't routinely shame people for suffering from), we'd all be better off. Fat people would be more willing to discuss and work on their weight, and we'd all be healthier -- physically, and emotionally.

Yes, definitely. The height loss is an important clue, and it's good that you picked up on that. I think ALL sleevers should take a Calcium citrate supplement (osteoporosis or not), but I would definitely get the bone density scan as soon as you can. Only two things can happen -- either you'll find out you're not at risk (hooray!) or you'll find out you are, in which case you can work to correct it. Both are positive outcomes compared to not knowing and getting a fracture, or with going off the PPI's "just because" and developing Barrett's esophagus/esophageal cancer. (Note to the medical geeks out there: how prevalent are Barrett's and e. cancer in WLS patients? Anyone know the numbers? I'd like to know if this is a real risk or a "hit by a meteorite" risk.)

Even carbs? But carbs are EEEEVILLLL! Actually I'm hoping to get back into this groove again too. At 40 I may be a tad too old, but I'm going to give it the old college try.

Well, since the start of this adventure (pre-sleeve weight), I've dropped 40 lbs. For the most part, I feel great! I'm still struggling to maintain my nutrition levels throughout the day, and I'm really looking forward to starting solid foods this weekend, but all things considered, I'm doing great! My weight loss is total; since the sleeve, I've lost 25 lbs (I dropped 15 lbs on the pre-op diet, but probably 10 lbs of that was Water weight, per the surgeon). Can't wait for the big 5-0 (lbs, that is). Oh, and I just bought this to replace my tired old 2001 Magna. More horsepower, better sound, way more off-the-line, and model good looks: View image in gallery I can't wait until I can change "fat geeky biker" into just "geeky biker." Life is grand!

I know that plenty of people lose enough weight with VSG to kick the CPAP (for the non-apnea folks, that stands for continuous positive airway pressure, it's the blower machine thingy that we have to use at night to breathe properly). The question I have is, when does that happen? Anyone have a ballpark pressure range for when to see the sleep doc and get that (hopefully final) sleep study done? My girlfriend and I both have apnea and are both sleevers. She's gone from a pressure of 13 (I think) down to 9 (and that's still too high). I've gone from BiPAP of 16/12 down to CPAP of 10.5-11 (and again, that may still be too high). Obviously, we know how to set our own pressures, but without a sleep study (which insurance won't pay for more than yearly, and which still costs us about a grand out of pocket due to coinsurance), we're just guessing. Any folks who've had the experience of going through this have any tips on when they went to see the sleep doc again?

Congratulations! Now remember: 1) It really does get better every day, by leaps and bounds. 2) Sip, sip, sip. Your number one goal right now is to stay hydrated! 3) Walk when you can manage it, as much as you can manage without burning out. 4) Don't be afraid to take your pain meds, but if you don't need them, don't take them. 5) Do EVERYTHING the doctor tells you to do, even if it seems weird or stupid. You'll be shedding the pounds like crazy in no time flat! :biggrin0:

Congratulations! This is tremendous progress! :biggrin0:

Just to be pedantic, if you don't have osteoporosis or osteopenia, don't worry about the PPI's. They are not generically dangerous, and many people take them for life without any problems. If you don't know if you have osteoporosis/osteopenia, especially if you're in one of the at-risk groups (particularly low-testosterone men and post-menopausal women), ask your doc for a bone density scan. It's pretty simple and painless and will put your mind at rest.

Great to hear that you're doing better! Just rest, sip Water, and follow the doctor's orders. You'll be up and about and racing around the block in no time!

I had a bit of a realization about my ongoing issues of wobbly feelings and mild nausea (as well as some flushing) today. This weekend, I noticed that whenever I leave home, it flares up. I was assuming I wasn't keeping good enough care of my nutrition and Water needs. And the truth is, I'm still not perfect with eating regularly and drinking regularly, but I'm honestly not malnourished or dehydrated. As far as we can tell, there's no medical reason for the "wobbly" feelings. Also, the feelings go away when I exercise. I did the math today, and realized that I'm most likely dealing with an old "friend": anxiety. I've had a lot of issues with anxiety in the past, and I recognize the pattern: it gets worse when I leave the house (because I'm away from all of my "safe" places and things, and which is the root of true agoraphobia), and exercise makes it go away. See, I think here's what's happened. I'm very nervous about my body just "conking out" some day. I think it stemmed from seeing my otherwise healthy-seeming dad have a massive heart attack when I was about 6, but knowing the cause doesn't make it go away... I've always had this fear that some day, with no warning, I'll just keel over. I've had therapy -- no use. I've taken antidepressants -- some benefit, but the side effects are too onerous. The only thing that seems to help is self-talk and taking care of myself (enough sleep, lots of good exercise, and so on). So, I'm going to work on that and see how things go. I absolutely refuse to allow anxiety to run my life in any form. Figured I'd update anyone who's paid attention to my ongoing saga of wobbly/nauseous feelings. Edit: forgot to add that I sometimes eat to soothe my anxiety. Somehow it feels like giving my body fuel will help it not keel over. I don't eat junk food, but I overeat. So that's a crutch that VSG has taken away. Which is good, I think, but I'll have to watch out for it.

To each his/her own. My girlfriend just bought a brand new, high-tech, large capacity washer/dryer set, and I swear she was as giddy about that as I am about the bike!

Thanks! I'd be mortified to try to get my big fat ass into leather pants... Just good ole Draggin' Jeans for me until then (more comfortable, less ridiculous looking on me, and still have kevlar built in for to keep the roadburn away). Maybe if I hit my end of August goal of 250 lbs, maybe then I'll try something that shows off me bum a bit more...

That's completely normal. There will always be foods that are easier than others. I think some people call mushy foods like refried beans and cottage cheese "slider" foods because it slides right through the sleeve... (at least I THINK that's why they're called that). Just listen to your body, honestly, and you'll be fine. If it tells you to stop, STOP.

Not more than 50 pounds ever? That makes no sense. My doc told me that by 6 weeks post-op my stomach would be at 95%+ of its original strength. I used to lift weights too, and I lifted heavy (when I was in my 20's and at my peak, I could bench press around 350 lbs.), so I asked my doc if there were any restrictions on lifting after the 6 week period, and he said no, basically just the normal restrictions (lift right, use a spotter, blah blah blah). I'd DEFINITELY make sure you talk to the doctor and not just the coordinator. They're not really doctors, you know

Yup, for me it's likely genetic, since 3 or my 4 surviving family members have some kind of issue on the depression/anxiety axis. And exercise truly is the single best cure for anxiety known to man. If you're like me, and your anxiety hinges around your body failing you, nothing will remind you better than getting your blood pumping and sweat flowing, that your body is doing Just Fine, Thank You. Add to that all of the natural endorphins and antidepressants that exercises, and yeah -- everyone with any kind of depression or anxiety should be exercising regularly. It's that important.

Yes, absolutely. In fact, just knowing that it's anxiety, and being able to separate that out from all the post-VSG "what-if's" is already helping. I think that I may be suffering from a mild case of the post-surgery blues. I know it's very, very common, and, as embarrassing as it is to admit it, I'm prone to anxiety and depression. Also, I just bought a new motorcycle (which is a good thing, but also a little stressful, what with all the financial stuff and selling the old one), and I'm turning 40 in a week. So, lots of stuff going on. I don't really have panic attacks anymore (I had them in my 20's, and trust me -- a little bit of anxiety is nothing like a panic attack -- it's like the difference in pain between a hangnail and, say, giving birth). But the anxiety is likely to be a constant companion. It produces all kinds of "weird" symptoms -- feeling wobbly (but not really being wobbly -- I don't have any real dizziness or anything), feeling nauseous (but never to the point of vomiting), and of course the generic feeling of impending doom. It's unpleasant, but manageable. Not denying it (at least to myself) is very important, because it's when you try to pretend that "everything's okay" that things get out of control and you escalate into full blown panic attacks. In short, I'll be okay -- I know how to separate out real feelings of hunger or dehydration from simple anxiety. The main point of me posting was to let any other anxiety-prone sleevers know that anxiety (which always goes hand-in-hand with depression) is probably very common post-sleeve, and to be able to look out for it. Oh, and thank you for your kind words and concern. Again, I'll be okay -- anxiety is an old, old friend (I've been dealing with it, mostly successfully, for almost 20 years), but your kind thoughts definitely help!

Tiffykins idea of posting a picture of herself before the surgery is great. Another thing I've found is that it's very, very hard to just "stop" a bad habit. The only thing that works, for me, is to replace it with a good habit. In other words, if you're used to eating before bedtime, replace that with a little light exercise. If you're used to snacking on Cookies in front of the TV, snack on some raw vegetables. Basically, don't eliminate bad habits, replace them. And yeah, take a little time every day to remind yourself why you're doing this, remind yourself what the payoff is when you do the right thing, and remind yourself what the costs are to slacking off. It's still not 100%, but I find that a few simple mental "judo" techniques like these go a long way towards helping me replace bad habits with healthier ones.

Yeah, that's about what full feels like. For me, there are two feelings: full, and overfull. Full (I think) feels like it used to feel when I needed to burp. Sort of a pressure in my stomach; my instinct is to burp, but if I try to make myself burp, I'll bring up food. Overfull feels like a solid lump in my throat and chest. It's fairly unpleasant, and it's my body's way of saying "stop eating [or drinking] NOW."

How frightening! Hopefully all will go well. My thoughts are with you.

Oh, and, you made perfect sense

I'm sorry, I didn't intend to be mean or rude. That was just a "gut feeling" of mine -- I'm sure a lot of my reaction is colored by the fact that I'm male and we're "expected" to make the first move (if that makes any sense).

Yeah, the sleeve is NOT happy if you overeat, especially soon after surgery! I tended to eat huge portions and eat really fast, and I'm STILL trying to learn to just eat slowly, nibble, chew, chew, chew. It's completely different! And the weird thing is that the cutoff between "full" and "pain" seems very short now. Meaning I can be eating, just feeling fine, delicious food, and then out of the blue -- BAM -- pain and that feeling like you have a lead ball in your throat! I hope I can learn some of the warning signs in between "full" and "pain," because as you say, the "pain" part is very... unpleasant.