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Thanks @NickelChip @RonHall908 I know the stall is normal and expected but it’s not making it easier for me to deal with … ( scales still hadn’t budged this morning making it 10 days …). Im sorry to hear you guys are suffering sleep wize and hope you get things sorted soon, are your bedrooms cool enough ? - I’ve never been one for much sleep and suffer terribly from insomnia but still try to avoid sleeping pills like the devil. My usual Paris setting is up at 6.45 - coffee coffee coffee shower - out the door at 7.45 to get to the office until 19.30 - then out and about ( drinks and food or theatre or whatever) and then home round 10/11pm and then 1.30-2am I head to bed. So I’m usually on under 5 hours a night. I struggled against it for a while and finally just accepted it. If I get 4 hours I can function. If I try to go to bed earlier I just get really annoyed at the fact I’m not sleeping and end up all wound up and exhausted. But… since surgery I’m in bed at 11pm sometimes earlier and asleep by midnight so that’s a good in for me! @NickelChip maybe if your job/life allows it just try and go with the rhythm for a few days - just follow when your body says it’s tired and nap if you can? I’m on the train to London actually under the channel right now as I type! Always so amazed by it!

Hey! I hope you are doing well. Sounds like this time around was a bit more painful for you. I don't blame you staying an extra day for the relief - I wasn't even told there was toradol in my chart until the day of my discharge, they had only offered me 5mg oxycodone. It did the truck, but I also noticed that they totally dropped my Chantix while I was in the hospital. I had a different nurse on day 3 in the hospital and he was the first one who asked me which pain med I wanted. It was so nice to get that relief for the two hour ride home. I'm getting pretty tired of this sip-sip every 15 minutes but I'm determined to get my protein and water in. I have had a bit of heartburn but mainly it's just trying to get the fluids to hit bottom. I gently stretch while standing, jiggle my belly from underneath as long as it doesn't cause pain, roll my shoulders back, walk, etc. Each burp is a relief but at least it's getting a little easier. I'm taking the Pepcid, nausea med, etc but it just seems like I can't do anything but focus on what to try to put in my belly next. I know this shall pass, but oof! Anyone else feeling it? I don't get to go to purees for another week and two weeks of that before mechanical soft. I'm still on room temperature everything as well.

Hi ESG Pals. I had my procedure on March 22nd...close to a month ago and I have already lost 18lbs in less than a month. How are you all doing with the protein and calorie requirements? Any advice on how to get it all in as I can't seem to go over 500 calls and about 50-60gs in protein? Any recommendations will be welcomed. SW 289 CW 271 My total cholesterol was 321 on the day of the procedure. I just got my results back today from my PCP, and my cholesterol is down to 266. It's still high, but I'm praying that in the next three months, I will no longer have high cholesterol. And for everyone who has posted picks of progress...I was smiling like I knew you all. Congratulations on your dedication to your body first and to those who love you.

Chicken wings!! My whole family eats it this way, then we all add the sauces we want or keep sauce-less. I dip mine in Bolthouse Ranch Dressing. So good! Also found this site that I might try next week! https://wow.bariatriceating.com/air-frying-recipes-for-bariatric-eating/#lp-pom-box-229

I remember doing my first surgery, it was for 2 weeks. For my revision 5-7 days. Obviously, I chose 5 days lol I'm not sure why revisions seem to need less of a pre-op diet. But I remember seeing other people only need 48 or 72 hours of fasting before the surgery. I think it just depends on the surgeon and surgery.

So today I hit a milestone I didn't expect so soon---I've officially lost 50% towards my goal weight!!! 😭 I've lost 76 lbs since my highest weight (320) and 63 lbs since surgery (307). I'm stunned honestly. I've had some stalls and my weight loss has been slower than some others but my doctors kept telling me to stay the course, that my weight loss was right on track. Well, now it seems I've caught up and am ahead of the game! It feels so unreal... Here's a pic of me pre-op and two from today!

I am on my 2 week liquid diet, 12 days to go before surgery. I’ve been doing good so far! I’ve been smoking weed for years, as it helps me sleep and calms my anxiety. I prefer it over any pharmaceutical. I quit blunt wraps for the surgery because I am not addicted to tobacco thankfully. Because I’ve been smoking for years, I no longer have munchies. That was one of the effects as a newbie smoker, but now I don’t have them or I alternate to healthy snacks. Smoking has been helping me get through the pre op diet. As long as I have the “munchies” under control, should I be safe to smoke after the surgery? Any other bariatric stoners out there?

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.

Hi everyone! My stall is in full swing right now at 6-7 weeks post. It is so incredibly frustrating.

I retained water for about a week or two. Felt like i had to pee every 20 minutes. I started drinking plain water between shakes/soup to decrease the sodium. I also found staying hydrated i stopped having to get up so much in the middle of the night now! Hang in there.

@AmberFL In all your exercising have you found that your arms are firming up, if they were flabby before? Just looking for some tips as they remain a problem area for me and doing arm weights at home (mix between 1.5kg and 3kg) a few days a week for some reps doesn't seem to be making any inroads. My legs are always going to be a problem area for me because of lymphedema but that just stops me wearing shorts or a short dress leaving me still with plenty of options but having to keep my arms covered all the time (because I hate my arms) is a pain.

I am using miralax once a day post op and a week after have had only one bowel movement - my dr says bowel habits change and you identify constipation by an ‘urge to go but can’t’ Anything more specific bc post op honestly I am so apprehensive it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s me stressing Also any advise for constipation ? Was warned prevention better than cure and again apprehensive

@Mspretty86 I am satisfied! I want to work on shaping my body and getting strong. Then hoping that the boobs will make me look curvier. I am a small A where Victoria Secret told me I am an A but I still have gaps because I am all skin LOL I am ready to be a full DD. I am doing my breast aug 3 weeks before I hit a year (I know I know its a no no) but my surgeon only wants maintenance. and the date is perfect since my hubs is taking off to be my caregiver and it happens to be the same time as the kids winter break so I could not pass up the timing. but I am so ready to wear a bikini, tank tops and all the shirts because I look like a teenage boy right now LOL

How is everyone? I'm doing well here. My knee feels a lot better, although I'm not sure it's completely healed. I've finished my steroids. I'm praying it won't flare up again! Today was my weigh day and I was down 3 1/2 pounds this week. That's with no exercise and minimal movement, so happy about that. I hope you all are doing well!!!

My skin broke out right after my surgery! Omg. I am on week six postop and it is cleared up, but wow, it did not like the change.

Walking outside is not a very good option right now as the temperatures are over 35-45 degrees (middle east tings) but "winter" is around the corner so I'll be happy to do outside walks then! Tbh I am not idle during the day but like I can do more for sure. I try to not ask for help (nanny or son) and just should it myself to get in some extra steps.. but I really wanna push myself to do the treadmill 3x a week. I love how u sleep in ur workout clothes hahaha! It will work for me to workout in the mornings before I start work on the 16th then it will have to be after work. I totally know what u mean about being more energetic after workouts. It does make u feel great! I will do it!

Here in the UK, the 2 week pre-op diet consists of half your plate veg/salad, a quarter protein and a quarter carbs, and to keep everything around the 800-900kcal per day mark. I've struggled on it tbh, but keep telling myself it's the last diet i'll ever go on. All the best for surgery today, you'll be awesome!

Since it's so early post-op it sounds like the extraordinarily common '3 week stall' which happens 1-6 weeks post-op. The one sure fire fix is to get off the scale for a while. Good luck, Tek

Thanks all for your support, it's seems silly to write to you all as relative strangers, but apart from my partner I haven't disclosed my surgery to anyone so you folks are "my people" right now!. I'm slightly less cold this evening and had a blood test at lunch time ... (I'm not a doctor but I do work in the healthcare field and I'm actually at an EU medical conference here so got a collègue to write me a script for one). the results are through and, I am as I thought very anemic, so much so that I have an iron infusion booked for tomorrow ( Amen to the pan european health insurance system!!) . And @LisaCaryl you also hit the spot - I have low blood pressure too - but thats not that unusual for me - doctor I spoke to said I should try and rest up a bit and take things easy. (Sort of made me laugh because after full days of conf here I have zooms late evening with my US teams because of the time difference and also found out yesterday that I get back to Paris and then after one night have to go straight to the UK for a week for more meetings ... in my 3 months (90 days) since surgery I've had a total of 23 nights at home .... C'est la vie ) I have tomorrow and Friday to get through and then my partner is flying out for the weekend and we'll go to the islands where I hope I'll have more sun! I'll layer up the best I can and will deffo see if when I'm in the US I can get some more thermal wear just in case I'm still feeling chilly , @RonHall908 @Noelle74 I'm sure I'll find a Parisian way to rock a hunting style! Or I could just go for a classic Elisabeth II look The issue I have at the moment is work attire - I have to sort of dress "smart" and because I've lost weight so quickly in the last three months ( My three month "surgerversary" is tomorrow) I've gone from a european size 44 (US size 14 / UK 16 / Aus 18) to a european size 38 ( US size 8/UK 10/ Aus 12) I'm relying on wrap dresses and cardigans with tights that just aren't cutting it warmth wize. I have to upgrade my sheer tights to woollen ones and get some thermal t-shirts to wear under my dresses as per @Briss72 suggestion ( congrats at getting under 100kg @Briss72 and I'll for sure stock up on some handwarmers for my pockets). I have a free morning tomorrow after my infusion and will see what I can buy without spending too much money as I'm still loosing weight pretty in a pretty linear way and hope it will continue for another few months so don't want to spend much on temporary clothes! Here is my weight chart (in Kg) since surgery which I'm very happy with so far... and even with all the being cold and a bit miserable, I know this was the best choice for me and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat and regret not booking surgery earlier! The first drop from 95-91 was my presurgery diet and just after surgery my weight went up ... but it's being going down steady since - I'm just on the brink of having a normal BMI - green zone! Now that was a very long post! Once again, thanks for everyones support, and sorry for being a bit of a negative nancy from time to time!

Welcome to your first stall. They usually occur around week three but can start before or after that. They usually last 1-3 weeks. (There are lots of usually, often, averages, common, etc. after surgery.) While this time when the scale doesn’t move, is frustrating & can be depressing, it is an important part of your weight loss. It’s when your body takes stock of the changes that are occurring (weight loss, dietary changes, etc.) & reassess its needs in regards to metabolic rate, digestive hormones, and so on. The stress of your surgery can also impact this first stall. (Yes I said first as you’ll likely experience more of them.) The stall will break when your body is ready to move forward again. You can’t force a stall to stop. Best advice used stick to your plan & don’t stress your body more by making changes to your diet & activity other than those your plan wants. Take some body measurements. While the scale doesn’t move, you may notice changes in a tape measure or in your clothing.

From the usa 2 week liquid diet -very strict 1. 32 oz water/sugar free calorie free liquids 2. Clear broth 1x a day 3. 3 protein shakes 6 ounces total of 340 calories combined That's all I am allowed.

Remember the first week is always the hardest on the liquid diet. I didn’t do it for my surgery but I did it myself a couple of time to try to lose weight before I ever thought about surgery. Maybe be a little more gentle on yourself and give your body time to get used to the reduced calories, low/no carbs, and whatever else has been cut from your usual diet like sugar & caffeine & your body used to rely on. The spring cleaning jobs will still be there & who cares if it takes you longer to get through them. (Mine are still there from last year 😂.)

I used to describe my tummy as a fussy, petulant temper throwing 2 year old. Likes this, not that. Liked this yesterday but not today. Ate this much yesterday barely can eat half today. Your digestive system has gone through a lot in the surgery and it’s going to take some 8 weeks to heal. There’s something up to 12 inches of sutures & staples holding your tummy together. It’s going to be sensitive to certain flavours, textures (& smells for some). Think of that wound being on your arm & how it would be sensitive to different temperatures, different pressures, it may sting, cramp, spasm, etc. as you move about. Same with your tummy you just can’t see the wound. And sometimes your tummy simply isn’t ready to eat some foods yet even if your program says you can. Go slowly. If your tummy doesn’t tolerate something it doesn’t mean you won’t be able to eat it in the future. Your tummy may not like mayo now (too rich or acidic or sweet 🤷🏻‍♀️) but in a couple of weeks it may be fine. It sometimes is challenging to find foods your tummy will tolerate at first. You may find you’re eating the same 2 or 3 things for a couple of weeks at a time. I ate a lot of yoghurt, runny instant rolled oats & runny scrambled eggs in the puree stage. Even had baby food twice to break the monotony. By solid food I was able to eat a lot of things.

Hello @BigDane looks like we Will be pretty much be going through the stages together. How is the preop diet going? I was told by the nurse that since he didn’t mention a preop diet I just needed to do a two day liquid diet but last time he had me do a week long liver shrink diet first. I’m just going to do that to be safe. The smaller the liver is the safer the surgery is with the added bonus it’s less weight to lose after.

I had my consultation and my psych eval. I’m just waiting on my recommendation letter from my pcp and because I already see a therapist, they had to also write a brief note. Assuming they come back positive, I’m cleared to move to the next phase. Which that is getting a letter sent to my insurance for approval of my surgery. Once it’s approved I can move to the pre surgery blood work. I do hope they get their letters in this week!