Soon2BMiniMommy

Hello, Ken. Many, many of us have wondered why? Can you shed light as to why the emoticons are limited now? Will more be coming later, or is this it?? Thanks for any insight you have on this issue.

I really don't want to scare you, honey, but it will probably slow down. I hit 50 pounds in three months, also, but now have been stalled for six weeks! Now, THIS WILL PROBABLY NOT HAPPEN TO YOU!! I am only saying this because you should be mentally prepared for when it does slow down so you're not overly disappointed and discouraged. I thought I was prepared and I thought if I did hit a stall, no biggie, everyone does and I'll move on. But i was not prepared for a six week stall (and counting!) I hear in your 'voice' real concern that your weight loss will slow down, but it will and it has to. Your poor little body simply cannot maintain that kind of drastic weight loss for an extended period of time. You will most not likely NOT have the stall from hell, like me, but your body will stop, or slow, and readjust itself. It will most likely happen a couple of times until you hit your goal. Just look at what everyone has gone through on here. I just don't want you to lose hope, and I want you to never stop looking forward to all those reasons you want to lose your extra weight. It WILL happen eventually, when and how YOUR body wants to, not how we necessarily want to. I've learned through this, and through many weeks of despair (which I'm getting over without the scale moving) is that this time it's not something we can control. There is no guilt or fear in this, this time. Of course, we can totally sabotage our weight loss, but, girl, that is HARD to do, lol! Just let go, quit worrying, and let your body do what it needs to do in this time of huge adjustment. It knows what it needs, and how to do it. Just follow the basics, and you can't 'lose', if you know what i mean! You have done amazing! And you will continue to do so, at whatever pace your body wants to

Very well said, Mrs! :wub:

I have tried leaving the scale alone for a week, but it just devastates me worse!! I have been stalled for six weeks, and the first couple of weeks I was getting frustrated, so I left the scale alone and only weighed on Mondays for a couple of weeks. Every morning, I FOUGHT the urge to get on the scale, telling myself, just wait a week, it'll happen, you'll be so happy on Monday. Well, needless to say, the number was the SAME on Monday, AND the Monday after, AND the Monday after!!! I was even more disappointed because I was sure I would lose something in a whole week! Now I'm back to weighing daily and it's a smaller bummer each day without the whole build up of a week behind it. But, my stall is extreme. Most don't last six weeks, I'm afraid. So, technically, it probably could have saved my sanity if my stall wasn't so long. Just my thoughts on the matter!!

Vitamin D deficiency is VERY common in obese individuals. It's because it's a fat soluble vitamin and stored in fat cells. It has been in the news much recently as it's true many people are deficient, not just overweight people. It has recently been discovered that we need a lot more Vitamin D than previously thought and it's much more important to more body systems and functions than previously thought. Most of us don't even know we're vitamin D deficient until we get tested either before or after the weight loss surgery, but that is now changing too, as most doctors are starting to routinely test their patients, especially their 'larger' ones Interestingly enough, it would be almost impossible for us to get as much vitamin D as we need from just the sun. I was reading an article (have to find it) that stated we would basically need to sit out in the full sun for 6 hours a day almost nude for our skin to soak up/convert as much vitamin D as we need. I have been Vitamin D deficient for years and have to take two 2,000 IU capsules a day (or one 5,000 IU cap) to maintain a normal level. At first, you may need to double that to get UP to normal, then cut back to maintain. There used to be concern, that since it is a fat soluble vitamin like Vitamin A and E, that if you take too much, it could be toxic (as excess is stored, not released through waste). But they have also released research that states up to 10,000 IU a day is safe (note I am NOT a doctor, so please ask yours or do your own research!) There is a wealth of info out there on this topic now since there have been so many new studies done. I would listen to what your doctor told you to take for your deficiency and then have them monitor it every so often so you know how much to take for a maintenance dose. Good luck!!

I'm just like Felicia...I have a Tervis Tumblr (LOVE! :wub: ) and I can easily sip/gulp/swallow using the straw about 8 oz at a time! A few big mouthfuls and it goes down juuuuust fine. But then I have to wait a bit, just a few minutes, before I can do it again. But again, I really don't think that's normal, lol!! So weird how our little sleeves are all SO different! I also have no problems taking big bites, or with any food, either. Don't know if that's lucky or unlucky, depends on how you look at it!

Whoo hoo, Jimmy!! Welcome back! I am so glad you found the internal peace and acceptance you need to do this for YOURSELF! So proud and so happy you will be with me on the loser's bench soon!!

I don't remember who told me this, I think it was feedyoureye?? But she said that to remember that just because our surgery just happened, and they took out the portion of the stomach that makes ghrelin, doesn't mean that the hormone isn't still floating in our bodies. It DOES take a while to adjust. I honestly had a REALLY hard time in the beginning, was one of the ones that felt hungry. It took a couple of weeks for it to go away. Add on top of that the mental anguish, or difficulty, of just KNOWING you can't eat, and it's tough. There is a huge physical and mental adjustment in the first month....just hang in there, honey. It WILL get better, I promise. I thought I would be one of the lucky (?) ones that would have NO hunger and would have to force myself to get in nourishment. Not so But now I am happy I can eat whatever/however, and have never had any problems with anything! I still feel hungry, but it's normal now, not like that gnawing hunger like before. And it's much less than before the surgery. Your body will level out and find it's balance. But it will take a while. Once you are able to eat 'real food', a lot of that hunger, both head and physical, go away. You don't feel deprived anymore, either mentally or physically. Remember, you can eat as much as you can handle now, as long as it's in your guidelines. 9 days out, you on pureeds, yet? Or full liquids? Just keep getting in those blended cream Soups, smoothies, blended bean with bacon Soup, whatever you are allowed to have which will enable you feel as if you are getting food in your body. Like I said, it does get better, Sweets!! The first couple weeks/month are the hardest. It was more of an adjustment that I expected, that's for sure. And I thought I had read everything and prepared for everything! There's light at the end of the tunnel!! I promise! Eat what you can to feel satisfied, progress as your doctor says, it will work out and you will be so happy in three months :wub:

Cludgie......I :wub: you........

Refried beans and cheese (mixed and warmed up in micro, can add salsa or sour cream on top, you'll be surprised how good this is!), Eggface's ricotta bake (nummy - that was my fauxsagna!), and pureed soups (campbells bean with bacon, clam chowder, split pea) and my homemade pureed black bean soup. A bit later, canned chicken breast salad mixed with mayo or avocado, or both!

Oh, Spatters.....thank you. So much. I have been stalled for 6 freakin' weeks and am going absolutely crazy. I try so hard to not get down, but man, is it tough But you know what, you're right! I just need to somehow get back my determination and anticipation and hope. I had SUCH excitement and high hopes at the beginning, but I've lost it...need to get it back. So right about not being able to give up and say F*^$ it like I used to at this point. Oh, don't get me wrong, I've tried , but just can't fit much in there!!! I'm hoping the scale will move soon. My problem is that I haven't lost inches, either, which is horrible for six weeks. Your words did help! :wub: Thank you.....

I completely agree with 5-6. That's what I do. We eat SO little, we need to eat more often, in my opinion. As for tracking, come join www.myfitnesspal.com. There are literally dozens of us on there!!! My screen name is shadowdlady there. Friend me! You can also see our food diaries for tons of examples of what we sleevers eat. I can't even imagine eating only three meals a day. I would only get like 500 or 600 calories!! That's crazy talk. I do believe doctors and NUT's are worried about us 'snacking' continually as that is how many weight loss surgery patients regain our weight, by eating constantly cause we can't eat volume anymore, but they do tend to go overboard sometimes in their instructions. You will find your own routine and schedule. I also think it's important to eat more often, or you can feel very hungry, and then eat too fast, or eat too much, and be really uncomfortable afterwards, or make bad food choices because you're so hungry. We did lose most of our ghrelin, and we don't feel AS hungry as before, but it is still there. Our bodies still need nourishment! And since we eat so little, it does go through our tummies faster, so we do get hungrier more quickly than if we had a huge meal three times a day. Well, not all of us, some NEVER feel hungry, but I wasn't blessed with that side effect I still get hungry, just not that gnawing, gotta-have-some-food-NOW feeling I did before.

I am over 4 months out and have absolutely no problems. I wish I did, to a point! I can eat pretty much just like I used to, except not as much. I WISH I had to eat slower and take smaller bites, but I still have to make myself think about it, if that makes sense, like before on a diet. My little sleevie could care less what I throw in there She's extremely tolerant. But, again, everyone is SO different! I just ate steak last night and had to slow myself down so I didn't get full in two minutes! I can eat just as big as bites, just as fast, but I just get full a WHOLE LOT quicker, then just watch everyone else still enjoying their food, lol. It's still a mental thing for me, not physical.

Did you get these, CT? How were they?? What did you think? I think by 'non-fiber carbs' they mean that those are the 'net carbs' left after you subtract the fiber content from the total carbs. There are some high fiber diets that use the term 'net carbs' when trying to figure out how many carbs you are eating and those diets say that you can subtract the total fiber from the total carbs. Just a guess?

Yeah, where are our EMOTICONS!!! Sheesh, for real?? Censorship on a board where we are supposed to be so honest and open??? If someone is unhappy with the 'offensive' ones, then by all means get rid of those ones, but ALL of them?? Admins, bring back our little happies!! They help us so much try to get across our feelings, frustrations, support, etc. Or, at least talk to us and post something about why they're gone....I really, really miss my hugs ....and my crying *sniff*

I think it's totally your body shape. I have noticed that if you are an 'apple' like me, you tend to hang onto your belly fat longer so your pant sizes don't change as fast as someone who is a 'pear' shape (hips). I know my best friends all have their junk the trunk and skinny waists (well, skinny in relation to their hips) and when they lose weight, their the ones whose pants literally fall off, or down! Me, who started with a 58" waist (! yes you read that right!) but absolutely NO hips, I've only went down about 1- 1 1/2 sizes with a 50 lb loss!!!! Damn tummy, anyway. I keep waiting and waiting to be able to really notice a difference in my clothes, but not much yet. I know it will come. My shirts are also only down about a size or two (30/32 to 26/28). It really is discouraging since everyone on here always says "I'm losing inches!" even if they're stalled, but I've been stalled for almost 6 weeks and have NOT LOST ONE INCH off my waist since. Okay, I have to stop, or I'll start crying.... SO, anywhoozle...I totally think it depends on your shape! Anyone else?? Any apple shapes wanna comment? Any 'hipsters', lol!!???

Works in Picasa, too....upload your pics, create a collage. I had to play with it for a long time the other night, but I figured it out! But they're on my homecomputer, so I have to play later

I'm at over four months and have been stalled for FIVE weeks!!! Sheesh. As you can tell, I still haven't found the magic combo to make the scale move again. Don't know if there is one...think everyone is different and my body will lose when it's ready, but man is it frustrating!!!

Thank You, Dorrie.....and wonderful article, Wi3hes!

I don't track fat at all. I do track Protein and carbs. As long as I get my protein in, and under about 50-65 gms of carbs, I'm happy. And so's my body! We NEED fat - our skin needs it, our cells need it, our bodies need it. I try to make sure I only eat 'real' fat, not processed or 'fried' fat. Fat is fat, but I use butter instead of margarine, real mayo versus light or non-fat. I try to avoid fried foods, fries, chips, etc. I eat whatever I want of protein fat (chicken, hamburger, eggs), dairy fat, nut fat, and avocados, olive oil, etc. In my opinion, the benefit of eating natural fat with meat, dairy, nuts, avocados, etc, far outweighs the worry of us eating too much fat. Again, the more processed, the worse it is. And it's very true that when they take out natural fat, they fill it up with other things, sugars, sweeteners, whey/carbs, etc). Of course you can go overboard if you eat nothing but prime rib, Havarti cheese, butter and cheeseburgers all day long, but seriously? With so little volume that we eat, if you stick to natural fats, I think you'll be JUST fine.

Lauter was my surgeon and he used a 32 on me. I seem to be able to eat a lot, lol!! Easily a half sandwich! I was worried at first, but I definitely have restriction. It was tight at the beginning, of course, but as the swelling went down, I was just fine. Can eat two scrambled eggs, too. Funny how different everyone is!! Dr. Lauter told me that he specifically makes sure to avoid complications by keeping the area where the curvature is a little looser so as to avoid the stricture problem that smaller bougies can SOMETIMES create (the hourglass issue). Although he also stated that those problems were more prevalent in the beginning as the procedure was new. Honestly, I would trust the surgeon. He has much more experience than we do. It's easy to scare ourselves, or convince ourselves of what we think is right from all we read. If you're like me, that is!! I did so much reading about this - stats, outcomes, etc. And I had all these preconceptions and expectations and I had it all planned out. But in the end, I trusted his expertise as he's done it more than me And it's been an absolute cakewalk!! So much easier than I ever could have hoped for! I almost wish I had more restriction!! You can PM me if you have more questions, or concerns, or just whatevers. I had a hard time finding Lauter patients here, too, in the beginning.

Oh. My. God. There is NO way anyone would laugh at that. Good grief, Girl. Is that the same person!!?? You were beautiful before, but oh man!!!! You don't even look the same!!! That is amazing....SO amazing! I am so freakin' proud of you!!!

Ugh. I know how you all feel. I have been stalled for a month now, with a 3 lb gain in the middle of it. I am starting to get so frustrated. I had read and read on here about stalls, knew they would happen, and would feel bad for people who were stalled but wondered why they were upset when they had to know it was temporary. It's TOTALLY different when you're in the same boat....I have been EXTREMELY discouraged, to the point I am eating 'bad' and not coming here as often as I should. The biggest problem? I am NOT losing inches, either So I am really, really down. I logically know it's temporary, know I will lose weight again, but it's so hard emotionally. We have been so abused by diet failure after diet failure....our little fragile minds are all twisted up and we think we're done lsoing weight, when we know we aren't. I just gotta say, I hate this. I really do. And I haven't reached out on here yet cause I know everyone will tell me it's temporary, and I need to exercise and drink my Water, and not eat carbs, or shock my body, or stand on my head and chant three times (just kidding! :wub: :wub: I so love everyone!!) but I know all that myself. I just need the scale to move again. I know it will....just so tired of waiting FOR A MONTH!!!! I think it was Lissa (?) who had a six week stall? That's the longest I've seen...I think I may break her records. I may have to go ask on the board what the longest stall was...without inches lost.

I have dyed, and highlighted my hair three times since surgery and it doesn't make it fall out any faster, or worse. I gotta agree with Wheetsin again (sheesh, Wheetsin, you practically write my ideas for me!!) that our hair loss is systemic and hair dye is topical, so doesn't really matter. It's gonna fall out regardless if that's what your body wants to do. And it is hormonal, not tied to anesthesia (for many hormonal reasons - unfortunately, obesity causes a maelstrom of related hormonal issues and when we have the surgery and suddenly lose weight, our body's panic). That's why some have some hair loss and others not. I had HORRIBLE hair loss after the birth of my son three years ago (another hormonal upset and maelstrom on the body) yet some women don't lose weight after having a baby like that (most do), but my hair loss since the surgery hasn't been as bad. But it has not been pretty, either. It is definitely thinning...was worse right at the three month mark, which is very common, and has slowed down a bit, but it is still falling out, just not as bad.