2 Weeks Post Off Stall And An Alcohol Question

[utopianaurora 1]

Hello! I had my surgery done December 14th, and i lost 12 pounds pre-op, and 8 pounds the first week post op and now i have stalled. I have read that it happens but it is really annoying. My surgeon required me on a liquid diet for 1 month. I feel like i should have lost more than 20 pounds. This is going to sound really lame but so far i have regretted this surgery. I just feel like i should have gotten the RNY but i could not because i take coumadin (blood thinner) and the malabsorption would not have processed it correctly. I started at 238 and now i am down to 218. Who gets stalled the second week? I guess i keep wondering if my pouch expanded or what.. I can eat less then i did before but more then i imagined. People talk about *not being hungry* doesn't happen to me, i get hungry all the time. I just fear that since i started the puree phase that the scale won't move.

My question for you longer sleevers- when is it okay to drink a bit of alcohol? I am not much of a drinker but with new years coming up i was just wondering.

[Afro_Cyster 74]

Nooooooooooooooo.......no alcohol. It is wayyyyyyy too soon.

Sorry to hear about your stall. Have you contacted your doctor?

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

Don't give up on yourself. If your hungry all the time, it may be that you have alot of acid in your stomach. Check with you surgeon to see if you can take a PPI (prilosec). I was always hungry and I started taking prilosec and I'm not hungry anymore. How many calories are you consuming on your liquid diet? Are you getting enough Protein? Are you exercising at all, like walking? Have you lost inches? Hang in there, it will happen..... Kaiser educated on the dangers of drinking of alcohol. Some weight loss patients have died from drinking alcohol. How manydrinks they had, I don't really know. Also, alcohol can contribute to weight gain.

[ATeam 38]

Whoa! Hold up. Think of what your body has just went through! You had 85% of your stomach chopped out, 5 holes poked in you, our tummy pulled out through one of those holes, anesthesia and IVs! PLUS your body has also dropped 20 lbs! That is a lot for a body to go through! It needs it's swollen insides to heal, and catch up with all the trauma it's been through. 20 lbs is a lot! Think of how long that would have taken you on Weight Watchers or any other plan!

I am in the same bot as you, my surgery was on the 13th and I am down 19, and haven moved on the scale for 6 days. It'll happen! Let your body adjust. You are taking in too little cals not to lose!

[utopianaurora 1]

True. I am comparing myself to people who had the RNY. I have not been able to see my surgeon yet, he was not in this week so i am seeing them on the 3rd week out. Thanks for the support.

[sasicas 194]

Like the others have mentioned, your body needs time to heal. You cannot compare yourself to ANYONE. And I mean anyone. No one who has had the sleeve, no one who had the DS, no lapbanders, no RNYers, no one. That is something you need to get in check now or you will drive yourself insane.

We are all different people and will all lose at different rates. Genetics, age, weight, height, activity, food choices, etc all come into play with these surgeries.

I was told initially by my surgeons assistant to consider the RNY because I would lose more. Then my surgeon came in and said the sleeve losses are just about in line with the RNY losses. There is no way I wanted to deal with the complications that can come with the RNY just to possibly lose a few extra lbs if that. Now that I am 10 months post op and 25 lbs below goal I am even more thankful that the sleeve worked for me even through the complications I had, the sleeve was the best choice for me.

But seriously you need to get the desire to compare to others out of your head, really it is just self sabotage.

[wantobeskinny 10]

I was sleeved on 12/12, and I have also hit a stall for about 5 days. I know it is frustrating, but our bodies are still adjusting. I am trying to stay positive, and try to keep kind of busy even though it is hard because I am still weak. I think we will start losing again once everything with our bodies balances out. Good Luck and keep your head up!!

[goldenraisin214 142]

I haven't been sleeved yet, but my surgeon's paperwork says no alcohol for at least 6 months. An apple juice toast for the new year would work though!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Don't be discouraged. I wonder if you aren't also comparing yourself with people who are higher BMI? Higher weight/BMI means more weight loss in terms of # of pounds. Have you also measured so you can track your losses by the tape measure even when the scale isn't cooperating?

I have been tracking my food using myfitnesspal.com and I feel like that is helping me ensure that i am getting enough Protein, Water and keeping the carbs and calories low. It is just a suggestion to see if it helps.

You have lost 8.4% of your body weight. I have lost 9.4% of my starting bodyweight, which isn't much more then you, and I think I am doing AWESOME. I have lost 28 pounds, counting the 8 pounds preop and the 21# since my surgery on 12/12 but I started my preop diet at 308. I met with the NUT today and she said I am right on track, I suspect you are too you just can't compare yourself to heavier people (and definately NOT to men who lose so fast). This is an individual journey.

[Lissa 2,631]

I agree with everyone else. It's WAY too soon for alcohol. Have some sparkling grape juice or apple juice instead, but just a sip or two. I have a tiny bottle of white wine given to me by a friend, but it will wait until I hit six months out.

As for the hunger, please make sure you are taking an acid reducer. It really does help.

And, since I'm on coumadin as well, may I suggest that you have your PCP keep close track of your levels? Mine were pretty steady before surgery but I'm having to get mine checked at least twice a month now. The small volume of food I can eat makes my levels fluctuate a lot. I'm finally allowed veggies again, but, for a while there, I was on no veggies because my levels were varying so much. Also, talk to your doctor about what kind of acid reducer you can take. My pulmonologist has me on two tums twice a day rather than using either Calcium or prilosec. The others were, in his opinion, causing my fluctuating coumadin level.

Good luck! Your stall will break soon and you'll be amazed at how fast the weight drops off of you!!!

[To Be Thin 2011 80]

Alcohol --- ppwk said to wait 6 months... I waited 5 months because I turned 50 in May and I wanted a cocktail for my bday! Had 2 drinks and that is it... Your body does need time to heal.. love the idea of sparkeling grape juice, I know its not the same but you can deal with it "temporarily" until you fully heal.

Weight loss/gain and them darn dreaded stalls are killer.... my only advise would be to try not to weigh yourself so often that it bums you out if the scale does not move as much as you want. For me, I weighed in once a week, every Wed and that was enough for me.... when it all adds up monthly, I was happy.

Good Luck, work through the stall...."sparkle" on New Years Eve and you will be much happier in 2012!!

[utopianaurora 1]

You all are amazing!! I will hold off on the alcohol and push through this stall. You are right about not comparing myself to others something i have to work on. (obviously!)

[Yukon Kara 34]

The first five days out of surgery I lost 10lbs and then the scale didn't move for 10 days! It drove me nuts and then it started to fall off again. Patience!

[Indymom 132]

My doc recommended 3-6 months for alcohol but prefers me to wait until goal (empty calories, loss of inhibitions which can lead to snacking and poor food choices, etc.). I am a social drinker and it's not something I will give up, so I have been drinking since about 3 months out (in moderation) and so far it hasn't impacted my weight loss.

I think you're making a good decision to wait just a bit on the alcohol since you're only a few weeks out. It's definitely too early to put that kind of stress on your healing tummy. It might make this New Year's Eve tough but think about all the celebrations you'll get to enjoy in the future!