6 months post OP and I'm kinda stuck in the process

[volsfan82 40]

Hey there fellow sleevers,

My name is Will. I had the sleeve surgery on October 13,2015. I weighed 429 I believe day of surgery. I weight 376 now presently. I did fine with the purée stage and all of that. I try my best to work out and Eat right. I don't know if I'm just gonna have to loose the weight slowly according to my body. But I'm really upset I haven't lost more. I know it's no quick fix but I am trying hard. I don't know if I need to start Vitamins and Protein Shake back or what. I eat the stuff I want but it much smaller portions. Anyone pls pls help me. I don't wanna gain it all back. I'm just depressed and gotta find a way to make this help me and not hurt me.

Thank you

Will

[FrankyG 1,450]

53 pounds in 5 months is a very decent loss, so don't panic too much about the time its taking... after all, I'm sure it took you years to put on the weight (just like most of us on here) so taking a year or so to get it off isn't terrible!

Without knowing what exactly you're eating and whether you're hitting all of your daily requirements, we can't help you much tho.

Are you eating healthy foods - Protein first, veggies next and complex carbs in moderation after that? Are you tracking your calories, carbs and fat - every bite of food that goes into your mouth - to really know how much you are eating? Are you getting your recommended levels of Protein and Water daily? Are you doing moderate exercise?

Can you clarify what you mean by eating all "the stuff I want" - meaning stuff that is bad for you (sugars, simple carbs, high fat, or heaven forbid junk food or fast food restaurants and crap in a box type prepackaged meals from the grocery)? (goodness I do hope not!!)

You will lose some weight in the beginning even if you are eating absolute crap due to the restriction and the loss of appetite. But if you haven't thrown out all the crap food habits and taught yourself how to eat healthy, whole foods during the year or so you have before your body adjusts to the sleeve... then you will regain the weight.

The sleeve is not a magical fix that means you don't have hard work ahead of you. It is a tool. It won't do all the work for you, you have to use it correctly and work HARD at it if you want to succeed.

That being said, you are losing weight, and sometimes it just goes slowly. If you are tracking your food, eating healthy, and getting all of your daily requirements in, then you just get to be one of the "lucky" ones that will take longer to get the weight off - and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But yeah, it sucks just the same to not be one of those types that gets to drop 100 pounds in 3 months and be at goal weight in a year.

So do give us more details to work with and I'm sure there are many others here that can give you more ideas on things to look at and try.

Edited March 26, 2016 by FrankiesGirl

[Dub 9,922]

Howdy Will.

Man, we share some stats.

October 13, 2015 was also my surgery date. So grateful for it, too, because there was a fear that I'd have to wait until later in the year....or beyond for insurance approval. I was able to cut through all the delays and so happy for this.

Anyway....you've lost a solid chunk and will surely lose more. I think that we are put in the drivers seat with WLS and can steer the vehicle wherever we choose to go.

On the date of surgery I weighed 422.

A couple of things that have really been key for me:

I never stopped taking Vitamins.

I routinely use Protein shakes as Meal Replacements.

I do not eat "stuff I want in smaller portions". I stick to Proteins.....and mainly those with low carbohydrate content (not breaded or slathered with sugary sauces). I've found that I now have more "cravings" for salmon, chicken, fish, steak and etc than I ever had for Snickers bars and ice cream.

The thing that I seem to be struggling with is getting consistent on formal exercise. Back pain issues reoccur and I have to be careful when and how I push it. In the process of getting another round of PT & spine injections to address this now. I do walk way more on my job and in general life than before wls.

My sleeve tolerates my daily coffee really well thus far. It also tolerates a few adult drinks on weekends.

Anytime I've had slower periods of loss.....or even a gain of a couple pounds.....I have been able to pinpoint my exact behaviors that led to it. This has given me great confidence for controlling my weight for the rest of my life. I have adopted the behaviors of dietary intake monitoring....calories, types of calories, ensuring I get the macros I'm targeting.....frequent weigh ins......corrective dietary actions from doing so.......portion control......parking very far from any entrance and hoofing it, etc.

You are in the driver's seat, my friend. Your sleeve can offer restriction to slow your roll on your prior eating amounts.....surely it does this. It can, however, do so much more. Hopefully you are free of hunger now and can take full advantage of this to simply feed your body what it needs......not what your old cravings conjure up.

You got this, Will.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

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