Search the Community

I know fasting is the hot new trend in weight loss but is it safe for folks that have been sleeved? I want to try it out but I can find any clear answers.

Not really. I'm cold when I'm getting tired in the evening and sometimes in winter during the fasting window.

There’s no hard & fast rule except generally the more you have to lose the faster you’ll lose at the beginning. We’re all different. Gender, genetics, activity levels, calorie intake, lifestyle, personal weight loss history, etc. affect our weight loss rates. My advice is don’t compare your rate with anyone else - it can mess with your head. After battling to lose weight for years, any weight loss was a win so this process has been amazing for me. Stick to the program & you will lose weight & reach your goal. Enjoy the journey. Good luck.

those normally wouldn't cause dumping. Maybe lactose intolerance? That's not uncommon after WLS. Or maybe you just drank it too fast ...or your stomach is just weirding out...or ????

Glad to read that I'm not alone in this. I had my GB in 2017 and got down to 150lbs and was maintaining. These last 6 months the hotflashes started/intensified and the weight gain spiraled so fast I thought my scale was broken. I'm up to 185lbs and am SO unhappy. I'm beating myself up mentally every day. That old "overweight" feeling in clothes, in the mirror and even the thighs rubbing just brings me down. I hate this. Gotta figure out how to turn this around.

Even without the extreme carb limiting, the caloric restriction (less than 900 calories) will eventually put you in some degree of ketosis. The telling factor here is that it happens when waking (after an extended period of fasting overnight)... if getting fluids is an issue at the moment, start thinking less about water and more about other ways of getting fluids. Bone broth/soups/almond milk etc..

Very interesting! I haven’t been extreme carb-limiting, but totally possible. I just worry about fluid intake because the usual additives aren’t making the Ayer more palatable. But it’s good to hear that even if it’s intermittent, at least it’s temporary.

I have my official surgery date, all is now a go to travel from Coastal NC to Las Vegas! Has anyone else made the cross country trip as part of Blossoms Fast track program? How did your trip go, procedure, and return flight/trip home? Any suggestions, ideas, after thoughts that would be worth sharing to help those of us (and loved ones) making this life changing cross country trip? Any one else scheduled for surgery at Blossom during week of Sept. 7th? would love to connect with others that are in same stage of the journey and process to a "healthier me"

Just did mine at Oasis of Hope in Tijuana, Mexico on the 21 of June. I started the whole pre-op diet a month before my surgery to make sure I was sugar free and soda free. Dr. Gonzales was amazing. I haven't had any pain, just a little discomfort with I drink to fast. As for getting over the border and back. It was easy. I didn't have to show anything to get to Mexico and coming back I used my driver's license only. Mine had the gold star on it and had the TSA endorsement. Sent from my SM-N975U using BariatricPal mobile app

I had my revision done on 6/29. There were a few little hiccups--after surgery I couldn't pee, so I needed a catheter, and I lost quite a lot of blood and needed 2 units of packed red blood cells transfused, which upped my hemoglobin level enough to where I'm anemic now but not fainting when I stand up. It was a long surgery, as I had three procedures done--a myotomy to fix the esophageal stricture I got from GERD, a hernia repair, and the RNY. I was originally supposed to come home on July 1, but my drain was still bloody and filling quickly, so I stayed until this afternoon, 7/3. I still have the drain, it's supposed to come out Monday. I have had two episodes of "heartburn" but neither were in my new stomach, but in the intestine, because the burning is above my bellybutton but below my rib cage. My stomach is much higher up and has not hurt at all. I cannot tell you how happy I am that I am not regurgitating everything I swallow and that I can sleep through the night without acid crawling up into my mouth. My nurse was quite concerned when I finished an 11 oz. protein shake in fifteen minutes, but the surgeon told her it was fine as long as I could tolerate swallowing things that fast. Because I'm at goal and don't want to lose any more weight, he also said for the next two weeks I could eat anything I could pour, but to be careful of sugar and fat content in case I dump. This brought back memories of a Saturday Night Live sketch called "Bass-O-Matic" (it's on YouTube, it's a hoot) but blending a whole fish is not on the menu. I have not had much pain, mostly gas because he had to operate so high up in the chest he put a lot of gas in. I came out of surgery with both eyes swollen shut because the gas seeped into my face, but it is mostly gone now. Now it looks like I have bags under my eyes. I loved my sleeve and tried everything to keep it but the GERD was just too bad. Hoping I come to love the bypass too.

Yeah, it's kind of hard to tell since most people never get the chance to compare how the different surgeries feel. For people who get revisions, the fact that they had a 2nd surgery may make how they feel different than someone who just had 1 bypass surgery originally. More scar tissue, less elasticity, lots of things could depend on how many surgeries you've had. Physically, though, sleevers still have their pyloric sphincter working to control when the stomach empties into the intestines, while for bypassers the rate of stomach emptying depends mainly on the size of the bypass outlet. So it at least makes sense that you'd feel full longer with a sleeve. Google found this surgeon who offers a version of DS that preserves the pyloric sphincter. They say they do it to prevent long term regain in bypass patients whose stomach can empty too fast if the outlet gets bigger over time. https://nwhsurgicalweightloss.org/learn-about-your-condition-and-treatment/pyloric-preservation

At 30 days post surgery I was 9kg down from my surgical weight. At 3 months I was 16kg down. At 6 months I was at my goal of 60kg. At 10 months I’d lost another 9kg and have maintained between 50 & 51kg for the last 3.5months. That was my journey. Yours will be different because of all the factors @catwoman7 mentioned. Best advice is don’t compare your rate of loss with others. For every fast loser there’s a slow loser. If you’re determined, focussed & willing to make long term changes you will be successful. I’m very glad I had the sleeve surgery & I hope you will be too. Good luck.

That's so funny. I am pre op. My surgery date is july 14th. Ive started my pre op diet and everything. Its going by fast. It will for you too!

How much weight you lose is incredibly variable. As catwoman7 says, people who start heavier lose faster. Men usually lose faster than women. People also tend to lose slower if they lost a lot of weight pre-op because a lot of the initial weight loss in any diet is water and sugar and fat stored in your liver. This will be at least 2 lbs, but up to 10 lbs of the initial weight you lose, and happens pretty quickly in a week or two. If you did a pre-op diet, you already lost that 'easy' weight, so it doesn't come off so quickly post-op. Still - 20 lbs in 3.5 weeks is a resounding success for just about anyone. If it's all fat, that corresponds to about a 3,000 calorie deficit a day. If you're hardly eating anything now - that's actually a little faster than you'd expect from doing the math, unless you're a super muscly weight lifter with a fast metabolism. For comparison, I lost 15 lbs in the same time period. I started out at 210 lbs, 5'5'', 40 year old woman. Now 4 months out I am losing about 1.5-2 lbs a week. WLS isn't about losing weight super fast - it's about losing it permanently! Also, I can really sympathize with your feeling that it is hard to swallow anything - like it kind of gets stuck. It felt like that for me for about 1-2 months. It slowly got better over time, and I was able to take bigger and bigger swallows until it finally went away completely. I think it has to do with the swelling around the incisions on your stomach. That will get better soon.

I'm having RNY on July 15th! Somehow the date seems so much closer on this side of July 1st 😮 Glad to hear I'm not the only one freaking a bit out due to gaining 5-7 Corona pounds. I decided to start my liquid fast early as well and dropped about 11 lbs in a week. The past few days no change on the scale though. Hopefully it will pick up again so that I'll be sure to have a nice and shrunken liver 😅

I am 36years old and after almost 7 years post-op from my sleeve surgery, I've gained ALL the weight back over the course of these years. I know..how? Well, I had two jobs and school and no time for "myself." Managing all three of these commitments, I also started by old eating habits in eating junk food and fast food since there was no time for cooking and meal-prepping. So after my first visit, I asked my doctor if it was possible to get a re-sleeve. He discouraged me and said he strongly recommends a revision to the gastric bypass. I am a little nervous since I've heard so many things from my friends about malnutrition, having to randomly use the bathroom any type you eat, and possible depression. Not sure if anyone here can help me in making this decision. I have a meeting with my doctor on July 7th and I want to be ready to tell him with confidence that I am ready to have a revision to the Gastric Bypass. Please tell me what should I be expecting, any concerns, any questions that I should raise?

I'm impressed that you're writing here only a day out. I didn't feel terrible, but definitely didn't feel like I could put together a sentence. I think the anesthesia really made me tired. The IV fluid, I think, is the reason for the "weight gain" and it will come off fast. I don't know if this will make it even more unpalatable, but could you mix the pain med into your protein shake? I didn't need it after the first night at home. Hopefully that will be the same for you and you won't have to worry about how bad it tastes soon.

Hello. I had my gbs on May 27th! I have lost a total of 40# since 2 weeks presurgery. I have had no complications, other than eating too fast! Overall I am happy of this life changing decision!

I signed up to this forum solely to pass along our story in hopes others can learn from our experience. Please read (It IS a long read) As soon as I picked up the phone & heard her crying, I knew it was bad news. Her Specialist had diagnosed her with advanced Liver Fibrosis. Between her tears & what she said, I felt like I had the wind sucked out of me. So what now? Almost as quickly as I took in the news, a sense of defiance started to spring up within me. I had waited 45 YEARS to meet my soulmate & I was damned if I was gonna lose her now. "We have to tell Dr. Kantner" I insisted to her. Her Obesity Specialist. Yes, my wife is Overweight & has type 2 diabetes. And to be hit with this news on top of everything else... Through fate or fortune, she had stumbled into our specialist's care through me, as I was already seeing the specialist for my own weight issues & shortly, after we met, I told her about my Doctor & thankfully, Dr. Kantner took her on as well. Through her own program, Nancy was scheduled for Bariatric surgery. Specifically, Gastric Bypass. We prepared to wait up to possibly 2 years for her surgery, but now the situation had changed. Would she even be able to make it that long? She did tell Dr. Kantner & somehow, through her influence, was able to fast track Nancy to having her surgery within six months. Still a bit of a wait, but a lot better than having to wait two years! So now the waiting. And being the anxious personalities that we are, it seemed to take forever. But as the days drew closer to the date, it began to get more & more real, until finally that morning, when we were up at 4am, we knew this was happening. Finally! I had spent that last few months emotionally supporting her, reassuring her how everything was going to be just fine, while at the same time trying to convince myself of the same. It had finally reached zero hour & we were on our way to the hospital. Her surgery was scheduled for 7:45am, so we had to be there at least two hours prior to prepare. I gave her as much encouragement as I could until she was told to change into her hospital gown & I followed alongside her on the stretcher till the last possible second when our tightly clasping hands reluctantly separated and she disappeared into the Operating Room. For the first time, I felt helpless as her fate was now in the hands of the Surgeon. Perhaps I was being a tad overdramatic as the procedure usually takes anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes. Counting on this, I went over to the McDonalds across the street, where I figured I'd pass the time by having a long, leisurely breakfast. So, as I enjoyed my Sausage & Egg McMuffins & Hashbrowns, I watched the time go slowly by. 8:00, 8:45, 9:10... Still no word. I couldn't sit still any longer, so I went into the Mall & wandered around. 9:30, 9:50... still no word. Now, I was getting worried. Maybe she was already done & they didn't have my phone number to let me know to come & pick her up? 10:00. I stopped by the Pizzeria & had a slice & tried to make it last as long as I could. 10:20, I had another slice. Finally, at 10:40 I felt my phone vibrate. It was the hospital. "Well," The Doctor said. "It wasn't easy, but we got it done." Apparently, her previous surgery from 20 years ago for Acid Reflux had caused some "challenges" for them. But, even though it had taken longer than anticipated, it was finally done. I could pick up my wife & we could go home. But when I got back to the hospital, she still hadn't been moved to the Recovery Ward. What's going on? About an hour later, I'm let up to see her in a room that felt entirely too small & too hot. I looked into her exhausted face & when she opened her eyes, we both felt it. That mutual spark of joy we bring to each other. "Hi Honey," she said in a weakened tone. She HAD been through something. But it was finally done. Her Surgeon soon arrived & filled me in on the particulars. Because it had been a "complicated surgery" They would have her stay overnight for observation. Great. I have to go home without my wife. I stay with her till the evening & I go home around 8pm. I call a taxi & indulge in McD's Drive through on the way home. I wake up in the unfamiliar position of not having my Nancy beside me. I don't like it. I get up & get dressed first thing. I can't wait to pick her up & take her home. I call the taxi & return to the hospital & grab a Starbucks, conveniently located in the main lobby. I get upstairs & there she is. Looking much chipper than yesterday. She is understandably weak still, so we wait patiently for the doctors to give her the all-clear to go home. Once again, 11am..., 12noon... she ultimately wouldn't be released till 2:30pm. But, she was finally released. We taxi home & I assist her to our suite & I deposit her on the couch. She is still in some discomfort, despite having taken painkillers that morning. We both figured having a good night's sleep should help. The next morning, having barely slept & taking painkillers all night, she is still in pretty rough shape. Still sore & not even able to swallow even a drop of water without experiencing pain. In her recovery plan, it says to expect some "discomfort" immediately following surgery, but I'm beginning to wonder if discomfort includes burning dry pain whenever she even tries to take a breath. Fortunately, I had booked the whole week off work, so I could be home to help her through her recovery. But after 5 days, things don't seem to be getting any better. If anything, in fact, they were getting worse. The Doctor gave us his private number & encouraged us to update him every day, which we did. Despite our relating her situation to him, he dismissed it as being normal. Now I may not be a doctor myself, but I can tell when something's not right. Especially when it comes to my Nancy. By the time came for me to return to work, I was an anxious ball of nerves, as I checked in with her whenever I could, and whenever she wasn't napping to try & deal with the pain, she would tell me of how bad it was getting. Then... SNOWMAGEDDON 2019. It had dumped nearly 20 cm overnight. NOTHING was moving. Even the busses had been grounded. I figured I would get a pass from work due to the situation, but when I called in & pleaded my case, they were so determined to have me show up for work, the president of the company himself drove out to my place in snow chains to drive me to work. I was not only astounded they would do such a thing but genuinely enraged. That they would put such effort into manning their shift, when the rest of the world had pretty much shut down. On this particular morning, Nancy was in more pain than she had ever been in. I really didn't want to leave her to go to work. I explained this to the President, to which he turned a blind ear. So, after an hour's commute which by taxi would ordinarily take about 20 - 30 mins, I am deposited at my site, to which anyone around was astounded there was someone working the shift. Trying to hold my anger at my company at bay, while dealing with all the problems that the snow was causing, & would continue to cause throughout the day, I soon found out that I would be working a double shift because my relief was unable to make it to work? Strange how the president wouldn't also give that person a ride to work... When I finally was able to check in with Nancy at 5pm. She was NOT doing well. She was in so much pain, she couldn't stand it. We both agreed something was VERY wrong & we called the Ambulance. So. Now I have the prospect of working still another 7 hours in the WORST snowstorm I had ever been in. My wife was home waiting for an Ambulance & I'm stuck here. Helpless. I call my boss pleading how I need to leave because my wife was on her way to emergency. After he practically cut me off in mid-sentence with an abrupt "NO. You have to stay till the end of your shift!" I snapped. I couldn't hold back any longer. I BLASTED him, screaming obscenities in a rage-filled tirade telling them how they were a bunch of heartless fucks who only cared about making money & how they didn't give a flying f**k about their employees. I got home just as the Ambulance had arrived. I have no idea by what miracle she was even able to get one as it was a frozen tundra outside. But an ambulance did show up, festooned in chains & 2 saints who would answer the call of duty on this disastrous night. My Nancy was doubled over in pain sitting on the computer chair. So much pain that we had to move her in the chair, into the elevator & down to the lobby as there was no way to get the stretcher upstairs. Not even a stokes could be used. But with the help of some god-sent residents, we are all able to transfer her into the stretcher outside & finally into the Ambulance. To give you an idea of just how bad the snowstorm was, ordinarily we would be no more than 5 minutes max from the Hospital as we lived not even 2 blocks away. But even with chains, the Ambulance struggled through the impassable road & we got to Emergency in about 15 mins. As we unloaded her, the inevitable throng of Crachkeads, Junkies & other Mentally Ill people that clog up our system was crowding the area. But again, we were fortunate enough to be fast-tracked & she was in the ward within the hour. I never spent a more uncomfortable time than when I sat with her there. I stayed as long as I could, but was exhausted & could no longer stay awake & trudged through the snow back home. I really didn't sleep a wink the rest of the night. How could I? My Wife was in Hospital, & I was alone at home for the first time in 5 years & I hated it. I couldn't think straight, I couldn't even eat. I certainly couldn't sleep. In some ways, I was worse off than she was. For the rest of the night, I sat anxiously, wondering if/when I should phone to find out her status. Finally, around 10am the next morning, I called, only to find out she had been transferred to Richmond Hospital. Holy ****. What now? I called the Taxi immediately & raced out to Richmond Hospital. Like everyone in this life, I too have had my share of sadness & sorrow. Even Heartbreak sometimes. I don't know HOW to label the feeling I felt when I got to see Nancy in her own tiny room in ICU. But seeing her there, with all kinds of tubes & wires running in & out of her looking like something from Star Trek. I felt weak. PHYSICALLY weak. Like I was going to pass out. I had never seen my Nancy this way. My mind couldn't process what I was seeing. Quickly, I stepped out. I couldn't hold back. Tears just exploded out. I never knew a person could feel this depth of sorrow. I told myself, Snap out of it man! You've GOT to be strong! If not for your sake, then for HER sake! I don't know how, but I gathered myself together & re-entered her room. Her eyes were closed. The nurse told me she was heavily sedated & that she might not recognize me. But when Nancy weakly opened her eyes & she saw me standing over her, she knew. WE knew. that look of love we share was there. Again, fighting back the urge to bawl my eyes out, I said: "Hi Honey." My hand around hers, she weakly gripped my hand. I closed my eyes & just sat with her while she came in & out of consciousness. I had never felt such sorrow. Such a feeling of helplessness. I stayed as long as I could until it became clear she needed to rest. Taking the Taxi back into town, I stopped by McDonald's & loaded up on comfort food. I didn't care. I needed something, anything to feel better. To at LEAST, not feel what I had felt in that room. I won't even speculate how much money I was throwing away on Taxi rides to & from Richmond & the West End. I only know that with an average of $30.00 per trip, I was rapidly cutting into our bank account. Needless to say, I returned the next day. Although still upsetting to see her this way, it wasn't as shocking as yesterday. I still felt like crying, but I was able to at least put more of a brave face on. Although I knew she knew what I was feeling. I returned again the next day, only to find she had been moved to the Recovery Ward. THANK GOD! The first positive since this whole thing began. This time she was in a bigger room with 3 other patients. When I saw her sleeping in her spot, I quietly as I could pulled up a seat to her bedside & within a minute, she opened her lovely eyes and when I saw how they lit up, I felt like crying all over again. She still had all her tubes, including Breathing in, but now she was able to speak. She was still heavily sedated & communication was difficult, she looked a whole lot better & at this point, this was all I could ask for. I stayed with her until around 8pm, althewhile the Nurses tended to her as I could never imagine. I'd like to mention here just how special these people are. As I write this, we are in the midst of the COVID 19 Pandemic, and living just 2 blocks away from St. Paul's Hospital, we are privileged to be able to not only see & feel the love for the incredible Medical staff, but we are able to lend our small voices to the raucous applause in appreciation every night at 7pm. As nice a gesture as this is, I still don't think it's enough. These people are heroes in every sense of the word. I was already blown away by how well they took of my wife through the entire ordeal, but seeing these brave souls risking their lives each & every night. There is simply no possible way to ever thank them enough. But back to my story. I won't outline each & every visit I made out to Richmond during Nancy's Recovery. Only by the time she was FINALLY released, it had been nearly TWO MONTHS since her initial surgery, which was supposed to be a day surgery with an overnight for observation. During this time, she had undergone a total of 4 surgeries & 2 "procedures" SIX bodily invasive procedures in total. Not the least of which included the placing of a Stent on her stomach, due to a rupture caused by the initial surgery, which would end up causing leaking from her stomach to further complicate things. But today, this was it. She was finally coming home. There was no particular time set for her release.. I didn't care. I was there before noon & as soon as I got there, I packed up all her belongings & sat with her anxiously on the bed, just waiting for the word. 1 pm. No word. 2 pm, 3 pm... she ultimately wouldn't be released until 10 pm. The Taxi Driver was most courteous & helpful in assisting us with our many bags, including a Walker. I held the lobby door as she hobbled in, escorted her to the elevator & when I opened that door to our apartment and she crossed the threshold, an indescribable sense of both joy & relief washed over me. My wife, my Nancy was home! BUT... Our story wasn't over. Not yet. Despite the stent being applied to her leaking stomach and having to carry around what can only be described as a miniature Colostomy bag that more looked like a grenade than anything, her suffering was STILL not over. Along with the awkwardness of carrying around the bag, who's smell is something you have to experience to believe, she now had to contend with not only being able to physically FEEL her stent inside her but the resulting gas, nott o mention involuntary heaving due to her body trying to reject this foreign object would make the next several weeks nothing short of challenging. Imagine having to put up with the urge to throw up, several times a day, but never projecting anything, but waking up in the middle of the night because of it. This, accompanied by substantial gas pains, which also added to her struggle. Yet through it all, she bore it. I could tell just how much pain & discomfort she was in & at some points, wondered if maybe she had been released too early. But somehow, this exceptional woman endured for weeks. To their credit, the Hospital didn't leave her high & dry. She was being checked in on & her doctor had even given her his private number, asking her to text him every 2 days with an update to how she was doing. She even had weekly appointments at the Wound Care specialist, to ensure her leakage bag was functioning properly. Weeks later, her drainage bag was not only NOT slowing, but seemed to be getting WORSE. Bad enough so that once AGAIN, she had to go to Richmond Hospital. Although this time, not only was the procedure successful, but they even removed her stent, which only made sense as she was already there. She has been 1000 % better ever since. She is STILL leaking from her stomach, but there is considerably less now & most importantly, she is pain-free for the first time in months so she can enjoy the rest of this Pandemic Lockdown in peace. BUT... Our story isn't even anywhere NEAR done. It's now March and not only do we have to deal with this Pandemic/Lockdown, Nancy's tube had become dislodged. Another trip to the Doctor. One positive that came from this, was that they decided to not only remove her colostomy bag but to ALSO remove the stent, despite it not being scheduled for a few weeks. With the cursed thing FINALLY removed, she instantly felt %1000 percent better. At LAST. The whole ordeal is finally over. Or was it? Of COURSE not. After her stent was removed, Nancy would get the best news yet. She would have to GO THROUGH THE WHOLE DAMN THING AGAIN! Yes. You read that right. Whatever sport god was having with my Nancy, he STILL wasn't done toying with her. In short, the sleeve around her stomach had come loose, in effect, undoing the entire surgical procedure! I couldn't believe it. My sensory perception can only process so much. Are you f**king KIDDING??? At this point, I'm convinced I'm just having a nightmare. Because there's just no way possible this much bad news can happen to anyone. It's just not humanly conceivable. As I resign myself to this, we follow the plot of this terrible dream who's storyline now plays out that she will have to re-book a new surgery date sometime within a year, so with little choice, I submit my will to my apparent dream-state & can only hope I, that WE wake up soon to escape this nightmare. SO, Why do I tell this story? Simply as a warning to all those who are considering undergoing Gastric Bypass, or any other kind of Bariatric surgery. Granted, this is probably an extreme case in the negatives column, but it DID happen & I ask you to please read this before you make your decision whether Bariatric Surgery is an option for you, or not.

I know that times can vary, but I really wonder how fast I can get the insurance approval and a surgery date, I'm ready to do this. AAMC hospital in Annapolis MD and

Hi future friends! I don’t have my surgery date scheduled yet, but I’ve got most of my ducks in a row, and just waiting to hear back from insurance on when my sleeve date will be! I’ve read so many inspiring stories and seen so many of you share your before and after pictures, that I must say I am blessed to have found such an authentic and supportive group to go through this journey with! My story is pretty common as far as up and down weight gain since childhood, post-baby weight gain, etc. Then, 3 years ago, PLOT TWIST! One day I couldn’t walk or use my legs. We thought it was Lymes Disease, and it took over a year to figure out it was Fibromyalgia. Then, it took another year to get the right medications to bring the pain levels down. I’ve come very far, but still have to use a powered wheelchair for any walking or standing longer than 10-15 minutes and tire extremely easily. Of course being immobile and on MANY weight gaining medications pushed me right into the MO category super fast! My hope after sleeve surgery is to be able to be more mobile and finally feel like myself again. I would love any stories of anyone else’s journey! Remember my friend, Your weight may fluctuate... But your worth never will! <3, Sarah

Alright, in case anyone is interested here's what the dietrist team told me: They do not mind the intermittent fasting as long as I get in three shakes a day. So after discussing it with them, I'm going to do a food window from 1 pm - 7 pm, having one shake at 1 pm, one shake at 4 pm and one shake at 7 pm. That way I can contrate on work before lunch and not be too hungry during work in the afternoon, yay! 😃

Hey! Long time no see. I know I was here a lot right before and after surgery asking lots of questions but work got the better of me and I've switched jobs and just haven't had the time. However, I wanted to check back in and let everyone know how I was doing. Recap of my stats below. HW: 353 (measured but I'm sure I was in the 370's before) SW: 327 - Surgery Date 10/22/19 CW: 204 GW: 190? Yup - 123 pounds down since surgery and I'm still losing. My original goal was 210 so I would be overweight and not obese (by BMI) but after doing research and realizing that most people hit a low number and then settle about 10-15 pounds up from that I'm now shooting for 190 or below by my 1 year anniversary so I can hopefully settle long term around 200. I've gone from a 3XL shirt and size 50 pant to a L or M in shirt and size 34 pant as of last week! The pandemic and quarantine has actually helped me - I've taken up running and I've almost got my 5k time under 30 mins! I used to take 30 mins to walk 2 miles (which was still a fast pace). No complications and it seems there's nothing I can't tolerate food wise. I'm back on coffee without issue and dairy and red meats pose no problem. I've had pizza, pasta, rice and more post-op - just in smaller servings and AFTER I eat my protein. Tips? Do your research! I'm amazed at some of the questions - both on here and on a FB group. I swear some gastric sleeve surgeons and groups just herd people in and teach them nothing! Water and protein from day 1 - focus on getting them in. My water intake is around 128 oz daily, sometimes more. It helps a TON. Simple is best - don't over complicate things trying to get protein in. I'm lucky that I don't mind eating the same thing day after day so that's kinda what I plan out. I'm here for any questions anyone may have! Thanks!

Today is day six of the two week pre op diet and I a have to tell you I don’t think I have ever gone this long with out Peanut Butter! I am craving it so bad. Ice pops are definitely not peanut butter. I think if I see one more tv commercial about Reese’s peanut butter cups I may come unglued. I am waiting 15 minutes for my show to record a little bit so I can fast forward the commercials and then I will be in happy land for a little bit watching YELLOWSTONE. I loooove this show. I am Team Rip all the way! Lol. 8 more days to go. Hopefully they go fast! Hopefully everyone is doing good and managing there diets. Stay safe all! Good night!

I was in soooooo much pain the first few days, but it definitely gets better as the days go by. I am 10 days post-op and can still feel the change in my stomach but am not in pain anymore. I can drink water normally but no chugging obviously. Hang in there! Go slowly with your diet. Anything other than clear liquids takes time to go down and makes me feel sick if I consume it too fast. And by sick, I mean tired, weak, and slightly nauseous, although I have yet to actually throw up. I usually just end up laying down for a loooooong time.