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I tried to edit my post but it wouldn’t let me….. anyway, I also wanted to add that you should tell your surgeon you think you may have an ulcer that could possibly be bleeding. I think that would account for the very dark stool. (I know, TMI but, hey, we’re all friends here.)

Telly - congrats on the 199! That's a HUGE thing to celebrate! Good job! P'nut - you'll be happy to know I went for that "slight" unfill today. Much needed and I hope it will help. Been yacking all over the place for 3 days now. TMI, I know.

Here are my thoughts, along with a LOT of TMI that maybe someone out there will find useful. There are a lot of misconceptions about how the metabolism process works. You didn't have restriction until 4/20, so about two weeks ago. You're not going to be in starvation mode from not your goal caloric intake (I see "1000 - 1200 calories" stated as the threshold frequently, but I believe the true threshold is 50% of your BMR) in two weeks. It takes a while to get into starvation mode, and it takes a while to get out... it's a process, not an event. Also it isn't really a matter of your body "holding onto everything it gets", it's more a matter of your body using its calories more effeciently, and getting energy from the source that takes less energy to break down, which unfortunately happens to be our lean body mass long term, and glycogen short term, which causes a Water release & is why there's an inital fast weight drop (you aren't losing fat, you're losing water). You'll hear people say, "You can lose a lot of weight by fasting." They're so totally wrong in saying that. That's also why it's more dangerous for lower BMI patients to lose weight through a starvation-type diet... they have even less fat than MO so their lean body mass is gobbled up that much quicker. When you decrease your caloric intake, your metabolism also decreases. However, your metablosim doesn't decrease because your calories decreased. It decreases because your body begins to break down the lean mass (remember -- muscle tissues are easier to break down than fat)... in essence it starts to eat itself. At the same time your body also has the programming to know this shouldn't be happening, so it slows down your metabloic (and other) processes so that its lean masses are broken down slower... kind of a vicious cycle. Anyway, the body's goal in decreasing the metabolism is not to keep up with however many calories you're eating, the goal is to have to feed off itself as little as possible. Then you get into the irony of that fuel that was created by metabolizing your lean mass being converted to sugars by your liver, with the goal of keeping your fat stores in place. Losing weight by metabolizing lean mass is going to produce a really weak, flabby, unhealthy end product. They key is to avoid burning muscle and get the body to burn fat, so ideally you'd target between your BMR and AMR, and not a fixed number like "1,000". That's another misconception. Also when you hear a number like, "1,000" it should raise some alarms because everyone here is different and we're all going to need different numbers of calories. Someone who is starting off at 450 lbs might have a BMR over 3500. Someone at the same height starting off around 230 lbs might be closer to 2150. There's NO WAY both people are going to have the same goals for how many calories they eat per day... absolutely no way. (Which is also a reminder to adjust your goal intake regularly, depending on your current weight, and not think that what you ate 50 lbs ago is what you should still be eating today). Starvation mode also only decreases the BMR by about 20%, so while this can slow weight loss, it's not going to stop weight loss. That's also a misconception. If starvation mode stopped weightloss/etc., no one would ever die of starvation. :eek: (As a side note, I've also seen the claim made that starvation mode will "stop metabolism". If your metabloism is stopped, you're dead...) So what's the magical number? How much should we be eating? My personal suggestion (worth what you're paying for it) for healthy, maintainable weightloss is to target between your BMR and AMR. That's not to say it's the right answer, but it's what I believe. (I know -- if it's that easy, why are we all fat? It's not that easy, but if we make good food choices, it's EXACTLY what our bands are going to help us do). Good guidelines for doing this without all the number-crunching is to eat only enough to where you're no longer hungry (focus on "Am I hungry?" DO NOT focus on, "Am I full?" They're NOT the same thing), eat very small servings - understanding it's easier to come back for more than to deal with the consequences of eating too much, and up your intake if you notice that you're getting tired, having a hard time focusing, etc. Generally speaking, if you follow these guidelines AND make good food choices, you will hit a number between the two rates. And you'll need to keep in mind to adjust as your weight decreases. For me, it works well to decrease the number of calories I eat by about 10 for every pound I lose (again, that's a guideline I use based on calculations I've done in the past). Sorry for the novel, I just thought I'd take the opportunity to try and clear some waters.

Thank you all for such a quick response. I do have a chart to keep measurements but I have to admit I have missed a week or 2 . Not staying consistent is one of my struggles that lead me here. the clothes are fitting better and when I do measure inches are definitely dropping. I have recently added flaxseed to my yogurt daily . But the lack of bm's got pretty bad 2 weeks ago and it was literally impacted.(sorry tmi).. The few times I jumped on the scale at the gym I was still at 195ish... been that weight since week 3. I get about 32-40 oz of Water a day eat plenty of Protein but have little to no Fiber in my diet.

Well i finally got my xrays scheduled for next tuesday..so ill find out hopefully what is going on. Ive been taking mira lax for a week now and it seems to be helping. I mean it gives me the gurgly feeling and gas and kinda feels like diahrea. Almost feel like just liquid is coming out. These past days my stools have also been black..sorry if this TMI. The chest pain has been less but when i start eating something it comes up right between my breasts. So I dont know im just frustrated. Im scared something is wrong and that I caused it and that it may result in me going under the knife again. Well ill know tuesday and ill let you guys know. Thanks everyone

I have a question for the women (sorry HFFM). During your....happy ending, does your stomach not hurt from the convulsing? I've had days where I wake up the morning after and had sore abs from it. I'm 6 days post op but worried I'll hurt my tummy. Sorry, there was no way I could word that without it being TMI for some people. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hey Sleeved! Glad to see your post! I'm a 2/28 sleever and I'm still on clear liquids but have slowly incorporated sf pudding and thin cream soups. I can keep everything down okay, but it takes a loooong time to finish an ounce or two. Probably not hitting my water goal but it's tough! (Especially when we sleep 8 hours a day.) I was wondering when my first BM would be too. Okay, no one read further as this may be TMI for you. I have been sitting here at the computer and all of a sudden I felt like I had to pass gas. YAAAAY! So I just let go! Wooohoooowwaaaaait a minute. Uh oh. Oh boy. That wasn't just air. I ran to the bathroom and yes, I sh*t my pants. So NOW, lesson learned, I have to sit on a toilet to fart. I'm just glad my body finally moved some semi-solids out of my system. Surely you won't have to wait too much longer for a BM, but if you need to fart, it could be what you're looking for! LOL

Oh god do I feel your pain. There are some answers here: http://verticalsleevetalk.com/vsg-complications-support-group/1650-fluids-fiber-tmi-story-but-important.html I take a stool softener now. I am trying every 4th day. I get the ones that is only a stool softener, no laxitive or stimulant. Also I take fiber now. Things are better but not great. Feel free to pm me if needed.

Not TMI, good I... Accessibility, essential to any good maintenance man...or woman!

I am 3 weeks post op today and while I was in the shower this morning I had no problem washing my back side as I once did 3 weeks ago. I have never shared this with any other soul and I must say I feel wonderful. Even though I dnt see any loss I feel a little different. Sorry if this was to much info I needed to share

True for some, just a warning. I was a little "confused" the first time it happened to me because I thought it was just sugar free chocolate that had that effect. Now I always put that warning out there... (sorry TMI)

I'm down a little over 15 pounds in 10 days. It makes me question whether I should just stick to the liquid diet until I lose all the weight, but I know as soon as I started eating again, it would all come back plus some. Today was the first time I've ever tested my blood sugar and gotten under 200! It's still high at 178, but it's lower than I've ever seen it since I've been testing in the last 2 years. Yesterday was a lot easier for me in terms of making it through the liquid diet without feeling starving. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that I was SUPER busy at work and didn't have time to think about it. I love my wife so much for cooking fresh chicken stock for me and I really like having a hot cup of green tea before bed. Last night I felt like I had enough energy to go to the gym and exercise, but I got home at 7:30, had to do homework with my daughter and feed her, and work from 9 to midnight remotely doing IT maintenance stuff so there was no time. No work tonight so I'll see how I feel. My surgery is only 4 days away and the closer it gets the more real it feels. Unlike many of the people here who planned and worked for it for a six months to a year, from start to finish for me it's 2 months so I've had less time for it to sink in. In the area of TMI.... I had to poo last night for the first time in about 4-5 days and it felt like I was passing rocks followed by Water but I felt a lot better afterwards.

I CANT DO ANOTHER shake, IVE BEEN ILL SINCE YESTERDAY. I BOUGHT A NEW SHAKE AND IT ALSO MADE ME ILL. whey PROTIEN DOES NOT AGREE WITH ME AT ALL. FOR THE FIRST TIME I FELT THAT FEELING OF THROWING UP NORMALLY I GET THE RUNS (SORRY TMI). ANYONE ELSE GOING THROUGH THIS. IM GOING TO ASK MY NUT IF I COULD EAT A Protein BAR INSTEAD. ALSO I ATE A HARD BOILED EGG AND IT WAS SO NASTY I USE TO LIKE THEM BUT NOW YUK. AND EVERYTHING SMELLS AND TASTE SPOILED TO ME. GROSSS.

I feel the need to comment on this. And if it is TMI, my apologies. I am really, really tired of liquids in, liquids out. Especially when I seem to get no advanced warning on the out part whatsoever!!!

I am 6 weeks out and had hamburger meat with no problem. I took TINY bites and chewed like crazy. Although I have not vomited, I did have one occasion where I was eating a Lean Cuisine fish this week and I guess I took one bite too many and literally choked the last bite up. It was very weird. Not a vomit (sorry TMI). I felt a little uneasy but then after about 20 minutes I was fine. I won't make that mistake again. Scrambled eggs killed me after surgery (why does the doctor recommend them?) but egg salad does not. I have not tried scrambled eggs lately though.... Good luck

Hi Gabby - I have had four fills, and am pretty restricted. I cannot guzzle Water anymore, and even got slimed yesterday on a swallow of ice water (nice surprise - not! :sick lol) Also, I am very hit and miss with my supplements. However, when I DO take them, I get out my little mortar and pestle and grind them into a powder. Then I either pour that onto the back of my tongue and wash down with water, or I put into a Protein powder mix and blend that up with some water and drink it down. Nothing gets stuck this way, but I have to admit it's not the most pleasant taste. (perhaps that's why I'm hit and miss? lol Actually, I was always hit and miss, so that's not it.) It's over quickly. There are liquid and chewable Vitamins available - I'm cheap, so I buy the bulk tablets and grind them up. Before you have much restriction you may be able to get away with whole tabs, or just cutting them in half. I just prefer not having any surprises. Plus, if they don't go through right away, even if they don't give you a stuck feeling, they're not sitting in liquid, so there's nothing really to help them dissolve. Even before I was banded I ground my vitamins up for that very reason - I heard too many stories about pumped septic tanks and all the pills found there at the bottom. I know, gross, and TMI, but that's why I'm scarred for life on this matter and always grind up my tabs. Now, very, very important - you must NOT crush or break anything that is "time-released", as that counteracts the time-release effect and you will get too much of the med at one time. Always best to check with your doc before crushing or breaking any prescription meds, or anything you're unsure of. Onto fiber... If you're anything like me, you will definitely want something to help in this area. Before I was so tight, I messed around a little bit with psyllium husk type powders (like Metamucil sugar-free). I was SO nervous about that stuff gel-ing up in my pouch, however, that I never felt as though it was a safe thing to do. One time I got distracted for about 15 minutes, and when I went back to drink my fiber it was a solid mass in my cup, and I'd only used a teaspoon. So, if you want to go this route, I would recommend using extreme caution, only a teeny-tiny bit at a time, and flush, flush, flush with water right after to make sure it all gets through before it gels up. Now, I know what you're thinking... hmmm, if I have a pouch full of gel, I'll feel full, but won't have ingested any calories. Okay, well maybe you're too smart to think like that, but that was what I was thinking. Trust me, you don't need that kind of help, and if it goes bad... well, I don't even like to think about it. So, I turned to my good friend prune juice. (I heard all those snickers out there!) Seriously, 6 oz of that in the morning, and I was good to go. Literally.:guess True, prune juice is liquid calories, but in the scheme of things a miniscule factor in my daily intake. Something I've found to work just as well (GASP! ) is 2 cups of salad at lunch and 2 cups of salad at dinner. (Can you tell consuming veggies has never been my strong point? lol) Now, some people have problems with lettuce. I was told by my doc's assistant that I wouldn't be able to eat lettuce - it would make me feel bloated. For me that's just not true. Even at this great restriction, 2 cups of salad slathered in bleu cheese dressing goes down fab. I do chew, chew, chew - and I do make sure it's lubed up with dressing. Salad has never given me problems. Same with veggies, although I've heard cautions about fibrous veggies. Celery, for example, I eat - but I chew very, very well, and the fibers that get matted up I spit out - same with meat gristle. Obstruction is nothing I want to play with! As you will find, however, each person's band is individually finicky, so what does or doesn't work for one person may not have anything to do with what works for you. :cool:

Thank you all so much for your responses. I'm having my surgery on July 2nd (less than two weeks and I'm so scared!) and have this on the list of questions to ask my surgeon on Thursday. I'm hoping he can be slightly flexible with the placement. If this is TMI I apologize, but I'm only 24 and since day 1 I've had VERY large saggy breasts (F cup). I'm so worried about the bra thing because there is NO way I could go without a bra in public. I can honestly say the sag to about 3 inches from my belly button. It's so embarrassing, especially for being so young, but if the good Lord can help me through this surgery, hopefully I'll get approved for a breast reduction! YAY! LOL that's if I can handle this surgery first. :ohmy:

I have been feeling like crap today. I think I may have a virus or something because everything I attempt to eat comes back out! (Tmi) I was wondering I can drink a lil ginger ale to soothe my tummy?!? I'm only 3 months out..

for me and my bf we had sex about a month after surgery due to that i was on bedrest and was told to me really careful what i do, but even now a year after surgery ive notice because ive lost alot of weight the port is more closer to the surface of the skin and can easily be felt so if he has me laying down ( sorry if tmi) i have to have more cushing under me jus so that it doesnt get really sore, but he works with me and always make sure im comfatable and im okay, plus hes always kissing me where my scar is and tell me its a beauitful choice i made

I'm on day two op my preop liquid diet and I think the whey protien (syntax nectar) gives me the major runs. So bad it burns (tmi sorry). Has this happened to anyone else.

TMI....but I just threw up as much as I could. That scared me that it may cause complications in my surgery. I hope everything goes ok

Yeah, good reason not to waste your money on the sticks. So, TMI, but I smell different "down there" when I am in ketosis. Not bad, just different.

Well, I had my post op today and got approval to move in to the purée stage. I haven’t had any issues with eating anything so far (blended creamy soups, thinned mashed potatoes) so I was super excited about having a scrambled egg. I chewed until hardly anything was left in my mouth. Lol About 2 mins after I finished, my mouth started watering and I felt nauseous. I went to the bathroom and did “throw up” but no eggs came out. Lol!! It wasn’t a dry heave though (sorry if this is TMI), it was honestly as if I was throwing up a lot of air that needed to get out? That’s it. And a little saliva. But no egg. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t think I will be having another one anytime soon, but glad it stayed down. lol

Thank you for that insight, my surgery date was 09.27, however maintaining the liquids are very hard as I always feel full after a few sips, I know I’m dehydrated as my urine had changed color ( sorry TMI ) however I’m just unsure is that normal to be dehydrated even though you can barely get any liquids down? And if I force it I feel bloated.

I was drinking the same one ! And got it from Amazon also . Even drinking it the day before surgery I didn’t like the taste . But as of today it has gotten better to intake the protein drink although I haven’t been able to drink the full 2 proteins yet . And I also woke up this morning with really orange urine (sorry for the tmi) but this is worrying me and I’m trying to find ways to get hydrated and stay hydrated.