August Surgery buddies

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

Hey everyone, it’s me again. I woke up early this morning feeling pretty good and refreshed. I think I’m still proud of myself for doing my walk last night. I told my husband that I was proud and I know that it’s not really that big of a deal but it feels huge to me and he reminded me that after my sleeve I never exercised so it is a big deal. When he would mention it I would just tell him what my surgeon said that it’s really a pretty small part of weight loss. I left out the part where he said that it is still important for physical and mental health though. So I guess the fact that I am less that a month out this time and trying a different approach already is a pretty good thing.

I went to do my grocery pickup this morning and got my supplies for my first week of soft foods which I get to start tomorrow 🎉 I ordered a lot more that I need for sure. The guy just kept adding bags to the trunk and my fridge has never been so full. I got out my book that my Dr gave me and it doesn’t mention a portion size for soft foods. The handout the hospital gave me says 1/2 to 3/4 cup though so I guess I will stick to 1/2 cup to start and make sure that’s okay.

I just took a little nap since I woke up early and plan to walk again tonight. I have been scouring the Internet for a solution to my shorts riding up. The best thing I can find is to put a boning in the seam so I think I may order some and give that a try. I guess I have to drag out my sewing machine and relearn how to thread it and all that so I’m not sure how long I will procrastinate before I do it. I did order a pair of inexpensive yoga shorts to wear in the mean time and good news is when I measured my waist and hips to get the right size I realized that I have lost two inches in both.

My only concern I have now is that one incision that’s dented in still. Everyone says that they think It will be fine but i just don’t know I think it’s going to stay like that honestly and worry that when I lost and it’s extra skin it’s going to look even worse. I guess no one but my husband will ever see it but I really wish it would just flatten out

I hope everyone else is having a wonderful holiday weekend and feeling better and better each day. I know that I am.

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

Okay so I feel like I’m the only one posting this weekend but I have to update that I am so proud of myself again. I started my walk for the second night and got like two minutes down the road and it started sprinkling but the rain was picking up and the sky was really dark so I turned around and asked my husband who is the weatherman amongst us and he said yep it’s going to pour. Well my friend who was walking “with me” is in another city so it’s nice where she is and she decided to walk anyways. I said I will talk to you while you walk and see what the weather does here. Well it rained for like 30 minutes then slowed to a sprinkle and I went back out and did my other 25 minutes. I had the perfect excuse to not do it and I waited and did it anyways because I know that it’s not going to become a habit if I’m missing days this soon. I did want to do a little more than 30 minutes tonight but my friend was already home from her one hour and it was muggy after the rain so I didn’t increase the time but still. I did my 30 minutes which I said was going to be my minimum. In the past that rain probably would’ve totally derailed me because I was looking for any excuse to not do it.

Anyways, I also wanted to say for people a little behind me that it’ doesn’t make a lot of sense to buy new clothes right away. At least not ones that are real fitted. I bought some new track pants and tried them on and they fit great but they don’t have a very elastic waist so when I wore them and tried sitting down to play cards they were pressing in on my abdomen quite a bit which I assume is not a very good thing right now even above or below the incisions. And I threw the tags out so I can’t return it I would because by the time all that is healed I probably will need a smaller size again. My husband said you know I forgot but I’m pretty sure you did the exact same time with the sleeve. Just something to keep in mind for the first size drop.

And one last thing, I know a few people have mentioned the Baritastic app but I just realized that it has a place to send you reminders for your Vitamins too. It’s sent via notification. Just thought that may help someone.

Edited September 2 by ShoppGirl

[Mommac777 7]

How did everyone’s surgery go, and any words of wisdom? I’m having the sleeve done in two days and am nervous as hell but equally excited!

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

1 hour ago, Mommac777 said:

How did everyone’s surgery go, and any words of wisdom? I’m having the sleeve done in two days and am nervous as hell but equally excited!

My best advice is to be prepared to put yourself first for around a month. It didn’t take that long for the pain to get better but it does take a little while to get your stamina back and get into a groove with all the Vitamins, Protein and Water and then each of the stages are a little adjustment. Take your time and allow your body the rest that it needs and prioritize yourself and your recovery for the time you need. The good news is that you should also see a pretty big drop on the scale as in your measurements.

Which leads to my second suggestion which is to take photos and measurements as well as recording your weight beginning preop. They will help keep you motivated later down The road when the scale stalls.

The third thing I would suggest is to check out an App that allows you to record your progress. The Baritastic App lets you record everything from food and water to vitamins, exercise, measurements, weight, and even your bowel movements which will become something that you think about more than ever post surgery haha 😆 and it is fairly easy to figure out. I wish I had started before my preop or my surgery.

Also, make sure that you have whatever stool softeners, laxatives or soluble fiber your team suggests on hand and begin whatever preventative measures they set for you immediately post op.

When you are in the hospital don’t hesitate to tell them if you are in pain. And Walk ALOT. Especially if you are in pain. It doesn’t matter how fast you go, it’s just the movement. I promise you that passing gas is your biggest goal in terms of relieving pain and the walking helps with that.

Edited September 2 by ShoppGirl

[Justarwaxx 181]

15 hours ago, ShoppGirl said:

Okay so I feel like I’m the only one posting this weekend but I have to update that I am so proud of myself again. I started my walk for the second night and got like two minutes down the road and it started sprinkling but the rain was picking up and the sky was really dark so I turned around and asked my husband who is the weatherman amongst us and he said yep it’s going to pour. Well my friend who was walking “with me” is in another city so it’s nice where she is and she decided to walk anyways. I said I will talk to you while you walk and see what the weather does here. Well it rained for like 30 minutes then slowed to a sprinkle and I went back out and did my other 25 minutes. I had the perfect excuse to not do it and I waited and did it anyways because I know that it’s not going to become a habit if I’m missing days this soon. I did want to do a little more than 30 minutes tonight but my friend was already home from her one hour and it was muggy after the rain so I didn’t increase the time but still. I did my 30 minutes which I said was going to be my minimum. In the past that rain probably would’ve totally derailed me because I was looking for any excuse to not do it.

Anyways, I also wanted to say for people a little behind me that it’ doesn’t make a lot of sense to buy new clothes right away. At least not ones that are real fitted. I bought some new track pants and tried them on and they fit great but they don’t have a very elastic waist so when I wore them and tried sitting down to play cards they were pressing in on my abdomen quite a bit which I assume is not a very good thing right now even above or below the incisions. And I threw the tags out so I can’t return it I would because by the time all that is healed I probably will need a smaller size again. My husband said you know I forgot but I’m pretty sure you did the exact same time with the sleeve. Just something to keep in mind for the first size drop.

And one last thing, I know a few people have mentioned the Baritastic app but I just realized that it has a place to send you reminders for your Vitamins too. It’s sent via notification. Just thought that may help someone.

Proud of u!!! U going back after the rain stopped shows the new you! I know u can do it and if u miss one, doesn't mean it's game over.. u just go the next day!! U go girl! I think buying one pair or leggings is okay just for comfort but yes make sure it doesn't irritate your incisions!

I haven't walked for a few days but I've had a few bad nights of spending them in the toilet ahh. I can't wait to understand my stomach again but I was super energetic and cleaned 2 bathrooms so yay me!

[Justarwaxx 181]

19 hours ago, ShoppGirl said:

Hey everyone, it’s me again. I woke up early this morning feeling pretty good and refreshed. I think I’m still proud of myself for doing my walk last night. I told my husband that I was proud and I know that it’s not really that big of a deal but it feels huge to me and he reminded me that after my sleeve I never exercised so it is a big deal. When he would mention it I would just tell him what my surgeon said that it’s really a pretty small part of weight loss. I left out the part where he said that it is still important for physical and mental health though. So I guess the fact that I am less that a month out this time and trying a different approach already is a pretty good thing.

I went to do my grocery pickup this morning and got my supplies for my first week of soft foods which I get to start tomorrow 🎉 I ordered a lot more that I need for sure. The guy just kept adding bags to the trunk and my fridge has never been so full. I got out my book that my Dr gave me and it doesn’t mention a portion size for soft foods. The handout the hospital gave me says 1/2 to 3/4 cup though so I guess I will stick to 1/2 cup to start and make sure that’s okay.

I just took a little nap since I woke up early and plan to walk again tonight. I have been scouring the Internet for a solution to my shorts riding up. The best thing I can find is to put a boning in the seam so I think I may order some and give that a try. I guess I have to drag out my sewing machine and relearn how to thread it and all that so I’m not sure how long I will procrastinate before I do it. I did order a pair of inexpensive yoga shorts to wear in the mean time and good news is when I measured my waist and hips to get the right size I realized that I have lost two inches in both.

My only concern I have now is that one incision that’s dented in still. Everyone says that they think It will be fine but i just don’t know I think it’s going to stay like that honestly and worry that when I lost and it’s extra skin it’s going to look even worse. I guess no one but my husband will ever see it but I really wish it would just flatten out

I hope everyone else is having a wonderful holiday weekend and feeling better and better each day. I know that I am.

Happy puree stage! It's so much nicer hahaha. I also over bought stuff but they are still surviving in my fridge. I wish I could advice u on the qty but I also read that 1/2 cup is right for now. If u guys read arabic, I would've shown what mine said and we would have a pretty good laugh as it basically says nothing informative teehee but I am surviving and losing the weight!! I wanna fast forward to 6 months

Edited September 2 by Justarwaxx

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

24 minutes ago, Justarwaxx said:

Proud of u!!! U going back after the rain stopped shows the new you! I know u can do it and if u miss one, doesn't mean it's game over.. u just go the next day!! U go girl! I think buying one pair or leggings is okay just for comfort but yes make sure it doesn't irritate your incisions!

I haven't walked for a few days but I've had a few bad nights of spending them in the toilet ahh. I can't wait to understand my stomach again but I was super energetic and cleaned 2 bathrooms so yay me!

That’s awesome that you got some cleaning done. I said I was going to clean my bathrooms and kitchen yesterday but hubby was home and kept me distracted. I probably should do that today. The energy is kinda crazy for me because I wake up so wide eyed and ready to go but then I get tuckered out just as easily. I guess it’s probably the exercise giving us the endorphins but the low calories still limits it a bit. Either way, I’ll take it if I’m at least getting the exercise in and still dropping weight. Sorry to hear about the bathroom issues. I really think once we get to where we can regularly get In a bit of Fiber In our diets that will balance out. I know that we are not alone though because they even have a tracker for bowel movements in the Baritastic app. I laughed at first but now I’m actually using it.

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

28 minutes ago, Justarwaxx said:

Happy puree stage! It's so much nicer hahaha. I also over bought stuff but they are still surviving in my fridge. I wish I could advice u on the qty but I also read that 1/2 cup is right for now. If u guys read arabic, I would've shown what mine said and we would have a pretty good laugh as it basically says nothing informative teehee but I am surviving and losing the weight!! I wanna fast forward to 6 months

Well my book says one thing, the papers the hospital say something else and then the support group meetings say a third thing so that’s equally as frustrating as too little information I’m guessing. Glad to hear about your losing and I can’t wait to see where we all are in 6 months either. I’m sure it will be here sooner than we think. I can’t believe it’s almost a month for me already. I think we all should commit to checking in at least like once a month after we are all healed and busy just to post an update and see how everyone else is doing. I know that I plan to stay active on here because it really helps to keep me motivated.

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

Okay for anyone who is interested that skinny scampi was amazing. I just made the sauce for my snow crab legs but if you like shrimp I bet it would be good with “zoodles.” According to my book shrimp is not the best choice for super early out and small shrimp is usually better tolorate when you do try it. But bookmark this recipe if you want for future reference. Takes 15 minutes and It’s makes a pretty small batch. If you were putting it over any kind of noodles you may want to add more broth. For what I wanted it was more than enough though. I went ahead and took my crab out of the shells and spooned a few tablespoons of it over my 1/4 cup of snow crab and had it with a 1/4 cup of mashed cauliflower and it is absolutely divine. I’m still working on it. As my first soft meal I’m taking it super slow just to make sure everything goes down okay.

Anyways, here is the recipe if anyone is interested. https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/15-minute-skinny-shrimp-scampi-recipe/

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

Found another product that is really awesome. It’s called a running belt by HAWEEL, but I got it for walking. It’s like a Fanny pack but it’s flat and has three pockets. The middle one holds you phone and the one on the left zips opens at the top and the bottom and has a mesh pocket sewn into it that drops out so you can put a bottled Water in there. It has an adjustable band so it I’ll work for many sizes (although I only have maybe 4 or 5 inches to spare with it loose enough to not bug my incisions and my waist is currently 45” so I’m thinking it goes up to 50” but will go down to our goal weights). It has another pocket for like a key and some cash and it’s water resistant plus it has a reflective strip across the front for if you get stuck out when it’s dark (doesn’t go across the back though so if you plan to be out in the dark I would get a sash or vest or whatever that’s reflective). Anyways it’s only $16!! There are others on Amazon that only fit a certain size, won’t fit a water, don’t have the reflective strip and they are like $40 which we would need a new one every couple of months. I am so thrilled with this thing. Ooh and it also has a spot where your headphones can come out if you use corded ones. This is exactly what I needed to walk all around the neighborhood. The mesh bag also has a little strap to better secure the water so it doesn’t shake if you wanted to use it to jog or run. Just thought I’d pass it along.

https://a.co/d/74c2Yps

Edited September 2 by ShoppGirl

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

Well tonight was kind of a bummer. Started off great when my Turkey meatballs were so INCREDIBLE and even my hubby was like you made these? Like not from a bag? And they are healthy?? I was like yes, yes, seriously yes. He was like these are really good. He actually eats relatively healthy but it’s all just chicken or fish and a vegetable. Nothing with more than two ingredients. 🤣

So now for my dissapointment. I have walked two nights now and last night messed up my time but the rain stopped. Tonight it is almost dark and still raining pretty hard. Well my husband moved my little folding treadmill onto the back porch and set it up for me. I did ten minutes before my right side started to hurt (like in my belly) so I stopped.

I am thinking that it is because that thing is so narrow and it uses core muscles to balance on it?? It’s not like the big wide ones at the gym since it’s portable it’s much smaller. Anyways I am Just bummed. I set my alarm for early tomorrow at sunrise. I’m already in my workout clothes and I didn’t sweat so I’m just going to sleep in them and the plan is to get up, put my shoes on and go. I imagine I will come home and nap after I shower but thats okay I guess.

Well, enough from me. I hope everyone else has had a really good holiday weekend and didn’t eat too far off plan if you went to any holiday BBQ’s. I was invited a couple of places but they were just courtesy invites. They know I can’t ever handle the heat. I used to go and leave in 20 minutes but now I don’t even bother. With any luck, next year that will be different. 🤞

Edited September 2 by ShoppGirl

[Greekmom4 38]

Hello everyone,

Saturday was my birthday and I went with my daughter to McAllister’s Deli. I ordered a cup of chili as it seemed to have the best overall nutrition. I ate about 1/4 cup and took the rest home. The family really wanted to do a cake for me so hubby bought sugar free cake mix and frosting and made it. I only had 2 small bites. Just enough to say I participated. Haha

Honestly I really did not miss eating a big piece of cake and ice cream. I much prefer my sugar free fruit popsicles now.

Tuesday makes 4 weeks (28days) post-op for me. My energy level is getting better and I can walk up the stairs one foot per step. Before I had to do both feet per step and then up the next one. I can tell my breasts and a little smaller and my stomach seems a bit smaller also. I am down 20 pounds and very happy about that.

I’m on soft food for another 2 weeks and my dietician did not mention increasing my portions from 1/4cup to 1/2 cup. However when I read the sample menu she gave me it does show going up to 1/2 cup per meal. Personally, I can only eat just over 1/4 cup at a time still. I know that makes it tricky with tracking meals.

Tracking meals: who all is doing this? It keeps me so honest for myself. I do so much better when I track. I bought a food journal on Amazon and log my daily weight and everything I eat or drink, along with anything notable for the day.

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

39 minutes ago, Greekmom4 said:

Hello everyone,

Saturday was my birthday and I went with my daughter to McAllister’s Deli. I ordered a cup of chili as it seemed to have the best overall nutrition. I ate about 1/4 cup and took the rest home. The family really wanted to do a cake for me so hubby bought sugar free cake mix and frosting and made it. I only had 2 small bites. Just enough to say I participated. Haha

Honestly I really did not miss eating a big piece of cake and ice cream. I much prefer my sugar free fruit popsicles now.

Tuesday makes 4 weeks (28days) post-op for me. My energy level is getting better and I can walk up the stairs one foot per step. Before I had to do both feet per step and then up the next one. I can tell my breasts and a little smaller and my stomach seems a bit smaller also. I am down 20 pounds and very happy about that.

I’m on soft food for another 2 weeks and my dietician did not mention increasing my portions from 1/4cup to 1/2 cup. However when I read the sample menu she gave me it does show going up to 1/2 cup per meal. Personally, I can only eat just over 1/4 cup at a time still. I know that makes it tricky with tracking meals.

Tracking meals: who all is doing this? It keeps me so honest for myself. I do so much better when I track. I bought a food journal on Amazon and log my daily weight and everything I eat or drink, along with anything notable for the day.

First of all Happy Birthday. 🎁 and congrats on your 20 pounds loss and your first non scale victory (the stairs) 🎉. The chili was a really good choice and good for you sticking to a couple of bites of the cake. Your husband sounds super sweet and supportive. They actually have a birthday cake yogurt too. I can’t remember what brand it was but went I seen it I was like ooh I’ll have to remember that.

I do log my food. I actually use the Baritastic App and it has worked great so far but i ran into a snag with it tonight. I made Turkey meatballs and it does have Turkey meatballs in the database but I’m pretty sure they are smaller than mine were because one meatball was way less calories than I estimated. I wish it had a way to add a recipe and say how many servings you had. I like the app because my phone is always with me and it also notifies you to take your Vitamins and to drink and all that if you set it up. Plus you can log your measurements and weight. The book certainly is sufficient too if that’s what works for you though.

[AndreaJD 77]

Hi, everyone,

I've just caught up on posts after being away from the site for a bit. I would love to comment on everyone's posts because we're all going through such similar things. I'm really proud of us for the changes we're making. @ShoppGirl, I think you are correct about the treadmill being narrow and having to balance on it. I was shocked to find that walking on a treadmill is very different from walking on the street, but it definitely is. I have a treadmill that I walk on during meetings at work (I work from home) and that's a lot easier for me than walking on the street. But I had to set it under a stand-up desk because trying to balance on the narrow thing would be a full-time job and I couldn't pay attention in my meetings. (Also I'd probably fall off of it a lot.)

My first week back to work was exhausting. I was just fried at the end of each day, even though I work from home. My hubby had his prostate out on Friday. He was able to come home the same day, which we were not expecting but it was a very nice surprise. I'm plenty recovered enough from my surgery to do stuff for him, so we're doing well. But it's obvious to me that I'm still recovering, because I get tired much more easily than pre-op.

I'm proud of myself because I planned and brought Protein Drinks to make sure I got nutrition throughout the day. All day, I had been aware of the hospital cafeteria, which is close to the surgical waiting room, but I knew that I was not going to go in because I had no reason to. Back in the day, I would have had the perfect excuse to go nuts in there while I waited for hubby's surgery to be done! Then, since I got to take my husband home, I ended up being at the hospital later than I expected, so I had to find something to eat and ended up having to go there. So I had my first experience of eating somewhere other than home. I was able to find appropriate Protein in the right amount, and that's all I had.

I had my first post op visit with the PA, who told me not to worry about the fact that I don't have fullness cues. She said by 3 months it may get harder to get things down, because scar tissue hasn't formed yet, and also by 3 months, I'll have developed a much better sense of what's going on in my body. Surprisingly, she said that if I'm doing pureed easily, I could move to soft. So that was a great surprise and I'm enjoying the soft stage. I can eat more of a variety of things. It's going fine, which still bothers me because I wish I had more sense of restriction. I worry that I'm going to return to old bad habits! So I'm being careful to measure, and I tell my Baritastic app everything I'm eating!

The thing I'm currently struggling with is that eating only 1/2 cup at a time, I've been eating only one thing and focusing on protein. I'm finding myself craving things like fruit and vegetables. So I had a couple florets of broccoli tonight which was great. I read a sample diet for the soft stage that had entries like, "2 bites of _______". I am going to focus on eating more fresh things, now that I understand I can just have a bit less of whatever my protein is and "2 bites" of something fresh.

I'm also struggling with getting all the Vitamins in, since I have to separate the Calcium from the Iron from the Multivitamins. There are only so many hours in the day! I know others have mentioned this, so at least we're all in the same boat, and we'll figure it out.

I am losing maybe half a pound a day. I know that's a lot, and I had a couple of non-scale victories the other day. I had to go in to the office for a meeting, and I put on a dress that had been too tight to wear. It fit perfectly! And the sandals I wore zip up the back. They'd been hard to zip because of my fat ankles, but now they are even a little bit loose! On paper, I've lost 30 pounds from my heaviest, but it doesn't feel or look that way to me. I'm only 5 feet, so that much weight should be quite obvious, but it isn't. That bugs me some, but I know I'm just beginning and I WILL be able to see the difference when I lose more.

I'm happy that I can move around and get some exercise. I thought I'd be just weak from taking in so few calories, but I'm not. Occasionally, I'll get a little lightheaded, but it's not bad at all. I was able to do my pre-op treadmill routine (3 30-minute walks daily at 2.0 MPH, which means 3 treadmill miles a day) although I did have one day when I got a little lightheaded and had to turn down the speed just a bit.

Today was the first time that I actually felt "hungry" since surgery. But it was mixed in with a desire to eat out of boredom as well as some head hunger, so I'm not quite sure what the deal was, exactly. I am trying to just pay attention to that stuff and ask myself questions about how I'm feeling, without any intention of acting on it. I think I will do better if I start eating more of a "meal" type diet with mostly protein but a little of things like vegetables and fruits, so that I have some variety and am getting in some varied nutrients from food, not just my vitamins.

And yes, I STILL have a little of the sticky stuff from the hospital on my skin! What is that about?

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

5 hours ago, AndreaJD said:

Hi, everyone,

I've just caught up on posts after being away from the site for a bit. I would love to comment on everyone's posts because we're all going through such similar things. I'm really proud of us for the changes we're making. @ShoppGirl, I think you are correct about the treadmill being narrow and having to balance on it. I was shocked to find that walking on a treadmill is very different from walking on the street, but it definitely is. I have a treadmill that I walk on during meetings at work (I work from home) and that's a lot easier for me than walking on the street. But I had to set it under a stand-up desk because trying to balance on the narrow thing would be a full-time job and I couldn't pay attention in my meetings. (Also I'd probably fall off of it a lot.)

My first week back to work was exhausting. I was just fried at the end of each day, even though I work from home. My hubby had his prostate out on Friday. He was able to come home the same day, which we were not expecting but it was a very nice surprise. I'm plenty recovered enough from my surgery to do stuff for him, so we're doing well. But it's obvious to me that I'm still recovering, because I get tired much more easily than pre-op.

I'm proud of myself because I planned and brought Protein Drinks to make sure I got nutrition throughout the day. All day, I had been aware of the hospital cafeteria, which is close to the surgical waiting room, but I knew that I was not going to go in because I had no reason to. Back in the day, I would have had the perfect excuse to go nuts in there while I waited for hubby's surgery to be done! Then, since I got to take my husband home, I ended up being at the hospital later than I expected, so I had to find something to eat and ended up having to go there. So I had my first experience of eating somewhere other than home. I was able to find appropriate Protein in the right amount, and that's all I had.

I had my first post op visit with the PA, who told me not to worry about the fact that I don't have fullness cues. She said by 3 months it may get harder to get things down, because scar tissue hasn't formed yet, and also by 3 months, I'll have developed a much better sense of what's going on in my body. Surprisingly, she said that if I'm doing pureed easily, I could move to soft. So that was a great surprise and I'm enjoying the soft stage. I can eat more of a variety of things. It's going fine, which still bothers me because I wish I had more sense of restriction. I worry that I'm going to return to old bad habits! So I'm being careful to measure, and I tell my Baritastic app everything I'm eating!

The thing I'm currently struggling with is that eating only 1/2 cup at a time, I've been eating only one thing and focusing on Protein. I'm finding myself craving things like fruit and vegetables. So I had a couple florets of broccoli tonight which was great. I read a sample diet for the soft stage that had entries like, "2 bites of _______". I am going to focus on eating more fresh things, now that I understand I can just have a bit less of whatever my protein is and "2 bites" of something fresh.

I'm also struggling with getting all the Vitamins in, since I have to separate the Calcium from the Iron from the Multivitamins. There are only so many hours in the day! I know others have mentioned this, so at least we're all in the same boat, and we'll figure it out.

I am losing maybe half a pound a day. I know that's a lot, and I had a couple of non-scale victories the other day. I had to go in to the office for a meeting, and I put on a dress that had been too tight to wear. It fit perfectly! And the sandals I wore zip up the back. They'd been hard to zip because of my fat ankles, but now they are even a little bit loose! On paper, I've lost 30 pounds from my heaviest, but it doesn't feel or look that way to me. I'm only 5 feet, so that much weight should be quite obvious, but it isn't. That bugs me some, but I know I'm just beginning and I WILL be able to see the difference when I lose more.

I'm happy that I can move around and get some exercise. I thought I'd be just weak from taking in so few calories, but I'm not. Occasionally, I'll get a little lightheaded, but it's not bad at all. I was able to do my pre-op treadmill routine (3 30-minute walks daily at 2.0 MPH, which means 3 treadmill miles a day) although I did have one day when I got a little lightheaded and had to turn down the speed just a bit.

Today was the first time that I actually felt "hungry" since surgery. But it was mixed in with a desire to eat out of boredom as well as some head hunger, so I'm not quite sure what the deal was, exactly. I am trying to just pay attention to that stuff and ask myself questions about how I'm feeling, without any intention of acting on it. I think I will do better if I start eating more of a "meal" type diet with mostly protein but a little of things like vegetables and fruits, so that I have some variety and am getting in some varied nutrients from food, not just my Vitamins.

And yes, I STILL have a little of the sticky stuff from the hospital on my skin! What is that about?

Thank you for validating what I was feeling on the treadmill. I was trying to watch tv which was not directly in front of me too because it’s angled from the corner of the room but the treadmill was too close to it (kinda hard to explain) anyways, it did hurt my stomach worse so I had to quit. Also, mine can’t really go 2.0 mph. Anything less than 3.0 and it sputters…..is that the right word? I thought maybe it was my weight because I remember I was close to the high weight for it last time before I had surgery but that would make it 250 and I’m 228 now and it worked then at 335. In any case it’s really hard to keep my balance when that’s going on so I upped the speed and that didn’t hurt at first but caught up to me. I just don’t understand the bar that you cannot reach, lol, that thing makes no sense to me as I’m wishing I had something to grab and keep my balance.

Awesome job sticking to just your protein and nothing more at the hospital. Especially when bored and worried about him and probably tired and all the things that would make us want to eat before all of this. Congratulations on getting cleared for soft foods. I started mine yesterday and it was so nice to be able to chew something. On that website that was suggested the fitness coach said she told her patients to do two bites of protein and one of veggie and I sorta stuck to that. I still obviously have to supplement with shakes that way but I would anyways so I figured it’s good for me to get into that habit. Hopefully my team will agree that is a good strategy.

I’m not sure how early you get up but my time varies so I set alarms beginning at 9AM for my vitamins. I have been getting up at 8 and that works great I drink my Protein Shake and take my multi Vitamin and stool softener by 9. Then the three calcium’s are 12, 3 and 6. Then at 9 I take my magnesium and stool softener. Basically every 3 hours I take something. I also added reminders in the Baritastic App so I can check it off each time which helps me to not question if I just turned off the alarm or if I actually took it. I’m really hoping they don’t add anything else or I will have to wake up in the middle of the night to take vitamins 😆

Congratulations on your non scale victory. I’m sure that others can see your 30 pound loss. It’s sometimes difficult for us to see in the mirror. It’s called body dysmorphia. People chat about it all the time in here who have lost 100 pounds and don’t see it. Three things that may help are side by side photos, taking measurements and if you look on Amazon they have a replica of one or five pounds of fat. You can visualize SIX of them big five pounders and see that IS ALOT!!

it’s great that you are evaluating your hungry feeling to see if they are from the actual need for nutrition. When the hunger came back for me post sleeve that’s when things started to go wrong for me. I started giving into those feelings and I hadn’t changed my diet enough so the larger portions and more frequent meals and Snacks added up quicker than if it was healthy foods. That’s why this time every healthy meal I make and actually like is a huge win for me as something to put into my Arsenal for when I am feeling hunger again.

it sounds like you are really starting to get back into your groove. I’m so glad to hear it. Keep allowing yourself to take them little naps if you need them. It takes a while to get back to 100%’ from any major surgery. Never mind on the reduced calories we are taking in.