Day 95: Possibly fat forever?

[crosswind 134]

Oh, Megs, I forgot you're almost two months behind me. When I was at seven weeks I was probably exactly where you are now -- five to six hundred calories. Within a month of that, they'd doubled. Back at seven weeks I didn't think I could ever eat more than what I was eating and when my intake went up I sort of freaked out. But then I realized it was probably better to eat as much as I could as long as I was still losing.

Your tummy is still healing and eventually, probably by the end of the month, your cals will probably go up. In the meantime -- don't try to eat more! The rise in capacity seems to happen naturally. But when you're still in recovery there actually really is not that much room in there and if you don't want the food there's no point in eating it. When thumbelina heals up a little more there will probably be room for a carb or two if you want them.

[meggiep 57]

I just thought of another question- do you get hungry? I do not- so I never "feel like lunch" or think crackers sound good...I have to make time to eat and make a point of it or I would go hours without eating. I will say cheese and crackers are a favorite so as soon as I am cleared for cheese (Monday) that will be on the menu- but this lack of hunger also keeps me on the low side with calories and carbs.

I guess what I really mean is that in a way I am doing the same as you but my tiny sleeve Thumbelina and my lack of hunger have me eating very little. It worries me that this will bite me in the butt later.

I know one time I will truly be testing what it means to eat by restriction only- I will be in Hawaii at the end of the month for 2 weeks and I do not plan to have any rules because I will be eating with my family. It will be interesting to see what happens!

[meggiep 57]

Oh, Megs, I forgot you're almost two months behind me. When I was at seven weeks I was probably exactly where you are now -- five to six hundred calories. Within a month of that, they'd doubled. Back at seven weeks I didn't think I could ever eat more than what I was eating and when my intake went up I sort of freaked out. But then I realized it was probably better to eat as much as I could as long as I was still losing.

Your tummy is still healing and eventually, probably by the end of the month, your cals will probably go up. In the meantime -- don't try to eat more! The rise in capacity seems to happen naturally. But when you're still in recovery there actually really is not that much room in there and if you don't want the food there's no point in eating it. When thumbelina heals up a little more there will probably be room for a carb or two if you want them.

Aha! This makes sense! And I am actually happy to know I will eat more as I feel I am eating an unhealthily low amount.

We have ripe apricots now on our tree- I would so love to eat more than 1 and 1/2!

[Disney 20]

I've lived by this philosophy since March 9th, the day of my surgery. I am trying to eat the way I will eat the rest of my life, not just for the "losing phase". Like eggface says, I can eat VERY little, so what I eat is gonna be GOOD. No low-fat toxic waste, etc. I eat full fat, full sugar, full TASTE in everything I eat. Since I can't enjoy the AMOUNT of food I used to, I want what little I do eat to be gooood. I've said it before, I don't want to be scared to go to a party or wedding, etc and be terrified to take a couple bites of the cake or Snacks there. If you avoid sugar for so long, when you do finally eat a bite of it, you better look out!! I don't want that happening when I go out.

For Megs...I never feel hungry. I'm like you, I could go all day without wanting a THING to eat. I have to make myself eat.

As for not being able to get enough or more calories in, sometimes that is the problem when everything is sugar free. The world is obsessed with sugar free things. Low carb things. You can't even go to the grocery store and buy a Protein shake unless it is filled with nutra sweet or splenda. I guess they think everyone enjoys that stuff. I don't. I used to enjoy a slim fast every now and then when I didn't have time to eat. They don't even make them without artificial sweeteners now. You used to have the option to choose. Not anymore.

You are so right, Crosswind. I have a friend that had this surgery 8 days before me (and actually weighed about 50 pounds more than me) and she is a 'by the book, low carb, exercise freak' all wrapped into one and we have lost the exact same amount. I'm not knocking her method by ANY means, that is working for HER. I'm just confirming what you said, different strokes for different folks. The weight is still coming off for both of us. Hallelujah!!

[coops 1,790]

Hey Crosswind,

I am loving your words of wisdom...I have spent the last 6mths beating myself up about not being a 'good', 'fast', 'successful' loser, and completely lost sight of all the positive factors that the sleeve has given me.

I am pleased to say that, a day from my years aniiversary, that has changed and I now realise that what will be will be! I will now, focus on the stuff I can control and enjoy it!

Thank you for reminding me to stay sane!!

[samantha209 19]

great post...i'm trying not to rush things. I am about 80 lbs down....35 since surgery and feel the best i have in yrs. Cant complain. Gonna keep working my sleeve. i will get there!

[SuperMom 33]

Dear Crosswind,

Thank you for that! I am a worrier and keep thinking to myself what if I do this and not that etc......you are right. Each day I am doing the best I can do and the weight is coming off. I am trying to also start a positive thinking campaign in my own head!

I went for my second post off doctor visit and got a high five and two thumbs up!!! After years of being fussed at for gaining weight, high bp, elevated glucose.....this was great. BP was 20 points down, glucose was normal, and labs looked better than before sleeve!!!! Amen, AMEN!!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

At 6 months, I can eat around 3/4 cups of food, less in the AM, more if its Soup or something slidey. I went from 1/4-1/2 cup to that in about a weeks time. I can eat anything and must have a little cast Iron pipe for a stomach. I just read a couple of studios that talk about weight regain stats....

here ya go:

Sleeve Gastrectomy Abstracts.pdf

Check out the study on page two and ten

The one on two talks about weight regain between years 3-6.

The study on page 10 finds that the size of the remaining fundus does not affect weight loss!

[MegInNOLA 531]

At 6 months, I can eat around 3/4 cups of food, less in the AM, more if its Soup or something slidey. I went from 1/4-1/2 cup to that in about a weeks time. I can eat anything and must have a little cast Iron pipe for a stomach. I just read a couple of studios that talk about weight regain stats....

here ya go:

Sleeve Gastrectomy Abstracts.pdf

Check out the study on page two and ten

The one on two talks about weight regain between years 3-6.

The study on page 10 finds that the size of the remaining fundus does not affect weight loss!

Hey, Feedyoureye, the link doesn't work--takes us to the forum but not to any abstracts that I could see....

I'm another one who, from the beginning, has tried to eat the way I want to eat for the rest of my life--regular food, good quality everything (including carbs), just smaller portions. And Meggie!! I have a small, picky sleeve, too, and I think you're doing GREAT to get in so much Protein every day. I confess that I didn't, don't, and may never get to my Protein goal--I'm 6'2", and my nutritionist said I should aim for 110 g of protein a day--110 g!!!!! And, like you, I can eat maybe 1/4 cup of food at a time, which is an improvement from my original 2 TBS at a time, but still really challenging to get in enough protein. Like others, I have come to the realization that it's a process, and each person has to learn what's best for their body through the journey--it really is about the journey, not the destination, although we definitely all have "goals."

So I eat what sounds good at the time--I do experience hunger, although I didn't at first, but it's not the same sort of hunger as before being sleeved. Now when I get that empty, growly feeling, I find something like cheese and a couple of crackers or a slice of apple with some Peanut Butter. I'm hoping the restrictive phase lasts a LONG time, since all I ever wanted from this surgery was the ability to eat regular food, just in much smaller amounts, and that's what I've got.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

<br>Hey, Feedyoureye, the link doesn't work--takes us to the forum but not to any abstracts that I could see....<br><br>

<br><br>Sorry MeginNOLA, perhaps try again? I revised the link after I had problems with it, you might have used it before I got it changed... When I click the link I get the abstract downloaded to my download folder.... I am also signed in to the Thinner times site, perhaps that is it....anyway, interesting info...

[janinemaire 7]

Great posts, This month I realized I have been losing 6 pounds a month for the last 4 months. I know that seems really slow but it adds up. I've tried changing things; increase my calories, started walking, lowered my carbs, it didn't change the speed of my weight loss. So as long as it keeps going down I'm happy.

[crosswind 134]

Great posts, This month I realized I have been losing 6 pounds a month for the last 4 months. I know that seems really slow but it adds up. I've tried changing things; increase my calories, started walking, lowered my carbs, it didn't change the speed of my weight loss. So as long as it keeps going down I'm happy.

Aside from urging people to calm down about how fast they lose, that's something I more than suspect. The studies say that in one years' time, sleevers are expected to lose something close to all of their excess weight, and I've seen higher numbers over eighteen months.

What I've read here and elsewhere is exactly the same thing, no matter what people are eating and no matter how much they're exercising. Low carb eating is really good for you for a number of reasons, especially if you have a comorbid health condition, and exercise is *great* for you for all kinds of reasons also. But the human body can change shape and size only so fast. What I suspect is that the "fast track" turns into the slow track when you hit a setpoint; too much undereating forces the body into doing little tricks on you to get you to eat more or move less; and overall people who are losing slowly will catch up to the people who are losing quickly so that we all reach the finish line at *about* the same time.

So why beat yourself up? You *got your stomach cut out*. That's enough anxiety already.

[ASBgirl 53]

I had this surgery because I wanted to become a normal, naturally thin person who is not obsessed with food and counting points and carbs and calories. I have been tracking all my nuts religiously for the past 10 days since my surgery. I have decided that once I move to mushies I am not going to do this anymore. I am tired of obsessing and this tracking adds to it. I figure if I eat the Protein first and make myself eat some protein about every 3 hours or so the weight will come off. If I have some room for carbs after the protein I will take a bite. It is good to hear that others are successful without all the tracking!! I have done that my whole adult life and I am over it! I believe now that my sleeve will get me there without obsessing! And.....if this does not work for me or I do not lose I can go back to tracking but I do not believe there is anyway to not lose with the sleeve if you listen to it !

[Raine 170]

I'll admit it I was one of those stressers about the poundage. Heck I gained 3 lbs 2 months post op those 3 were gone a few days later, but what I have to take into consideration is that I lost 1/2 of my excess weight before surgery and I am in the home stretch with the last 40lbs. If it takes me a year to take off the 40 then so be it. I think what you have said makes a lot of sense and if we eat right our sleeves will help us lose weight at the pace that our bodies need to.

[meggiep 57]

Well I spent the weekend in a kind of angst about these issues (exacerbated by an overdose of HLN Casey Anthony coverage ) and had some great talks with my darling husband on our daily hour walks...

Low cal doesn't work for me. I was at <1000 calories for three months earlier this year and I lost 9 pounds. They quickly came back- plus 3. Sorry, but at 277 (at the time) 9 pounds in 3 months is not a good outcome. For some reason (fibro fog?) I never remembered that many years ago I did the first Atkins diet and it worked really well for me....I was in my 20s at the time and tried all the fads- Stillman, Atkins, later my favorite the Beverly Hills Diet.... and I had forgotten that so all my attempts to lose weight in my later life have been calorie counting- with dismal results.

For years I was able to control my weight to a point (SIze 16 and feeling good) with activity- I worked out every day and that has been the key. Having become near disabled I lost that ability and gained 120 pounds.

The surgery, recommended by my PCP due to my disabilities, was a Godsend for me, a chance to get back to the living.

Funnily, my two week pre-op liquid was the first low carb diet I had done in over 30 years! I lost 18 pounds. The lightbulb went on.

I have now lost 47 pounds in 10 weeks total. I am never hungry and with Protein first my low carbs are a natural result of my small capacity. I feel great! I don't feel deprived, and I have more energy than I have had for a long long time. I am walking an hour a day and also doing Water aerobics five times a week. I have energy to spare! My husband says my spark is back- the Meggie before the injuries and falls.

For me, adapting a more relaxed balanced approach, as appealing as that sounded, would have a double edge to it- carbs are a trigger for me, no two ways about it! I have some and I want more. I have only recognized that recently- especially on my birthday weekend. I found that spark only recently regained dulled by the carbs, and I didn't feel too good suddenly. Obviously I am carb sensitive- so it is really clear for me what I will do in this weight loss period!

BTW, my doctor has done sleeves since 2001 and it is his plan I am following. He says that the "honeymoon period" for weightloss is 6-9 months, not two years. Afer that point the capacity of the sleeve increases , sometimes doubling. I will do everything I can to get to goal before then, taking as much advantage of this restriction as I can. And I DON'T think I will get there either way,no matter what I do, nope- in my case I will get there faster counting carbs.

I think mainly I also got from this discourse and my reflection that we are all different and we all need to chart our own courses!

Onward and downward to us all!