meggiep

I do net carbs- carbs minus fiber- but I look at both! Fatsecret.com lets you select the things you want to show in your food log and I show carbs, fier, net carbs, fat, and calories.

I don;t think you need to worry about calories right now! Popsicles should go down easily and you might even want to get the full sugar ones to get some calories and energies in there! Also pudding, cream Soups, anything that slides. I also found Propel easier to drink than Water and it has electrolytes in it. Good luck to you!

Kelly- I do kinda snack- or more I try to have at least four meals a day, plus my two Protein drinks (one chocolate, one unjry chicken) but I can fit only 1/4 cup- no more- believe me I have tried! There just is so much I can do calorie wise with that. I do have a snack sometimes in between- most usually a couple of the ripe apricots from our tree as I love them so- but two is all I can fit! (No peels) Also- I am usually full for at least 2-3 hours so there is just so much eating time! I know I could get more calories in with slider foods but the carbs just aren't right for me. That said, when I do slow down a bit I tend to add some carbs for a day or two and then go way down again and that seemed to do the trick as after doing thst I lost 4-5 pounds each time the week after. I am very pleased though- I can't complain about my progress!

Wowza! That is amazing! You are just roaing forward! That is just awesome- I am so happy to hear that! Connie read the article and linked above about stalls- it will help! Just keep on task and don't worry about the numbers. Up your Water too. I have one pound to go to 50 lost so of course I seem stuck at 231! ;-P I also have a hope of being 225 by 7/27 as we are going to Kauai to shoot a wedding and a luau birthday. We shall see! My biggest issue is still getting in enough calories. I know that is supposed to help but I don't think I have EVER been to 800, and mostly I am around 500-600. If my sleeve was just a little bigger! ALl in all though I love my sleeve, and I am so happy I did it.

Bryn I was not attacking you but I took exception to you saying that the OP's post was the first to bring out the difficulties encountered post-op. I think Irene hit the nail on the head when she said we tend not to see that in our pre-surgery excitement. Post after post after post with the same lament about troubles drinking, nausea pain, vomiting, weakness etc. - you will see it here over and over. You will also see the same people almost universally comeback and change their tune as they start eating real food and start realizing the benefits of their sleeves. I also have found a wealth of information on You Tube- and in fact the rich gift I received from others is what inspired me to do my own You Tubes. I love this place- and to me the more ability you have to be you and express your opinion the better the forum- and unlike the above poster I find that here in spades.

My doctor's plan mandates 600-800 calories a day though six months, longer if you continue losing well and have a ways to go to goal- as well as <40 carbs. Then you go to 1000-1200. I rarely am above 700 and often am challenged to get to 600 with my 1/4 cup capacity. I have two Protein drinks a day, one of them30 grams and an

Seriously? You need to read more here! I knew exactly what to expect the first month! Have you been reading the posts of people during their first weeks? Gnarly! This question certainly did not bring these things to light, not by a long shot! This post surgery area is always full of fresh post-op detailing their struggles- you will see how miserable I was in my posts the week of May 9th and on by Vlogs. You will see this misery over and over, and also the kind experienced folks who chime in and tell you that it will pass and will get better.

I hope you are right. I think you mean everyone committed to getting there though. There is a significant incidence of regain, tiny tummy or not. And my surgeon does have a lot of experience following patients for ten years- so I trust is advice.If he is motivated by wanting the best results for me- then he and I are alligned on that! Here"s the thing....For ME- I want to use this time to work on my food issues. Carbs are obviously a huge trigger for me , and I want to try to deal with my danger areas while I get to goal. Already I find I am not attracted to those foods anymore and as I said- I am not feeling deprived. This is just MY way- I would never think it was what anyone else should do.

For the first two weeks I did not regret it so much as be shocked at how much more difficult it was than I thought it would be. I got all my Water and Protein in since day five and I know that helped me get my energy level back- and now, eight weeks out, I love my sleeve. I have firbormyalgia and everything I have read supports excess weight being a huge trigger for fibro. That was a big part of why I got the surgery, and my fibro is indeed much better. I had become a near recluse with pain issues and right now I am walking an hour a day with my husband and dog and then powering through a level III water aerobics class every night. I have so much energy and I am coming alive again! I wish I had the surgery years ago. I still love my food, all 1/4 cup of it!

You look slammin'! And very English ;-P Congrats on your loss and on your attitude!

I didn't mean me- I am in Redwood City and I would happily do Vacaville- my limits are only due to pain when driving in a car. I know that some are in SJ so Vacaville may be far and Hayward would be better for them.

That surgeon seems abusive to me! I would love him to have 85% of his stomach removed so he can walk in your shoes. For you to be afraid before you appointments is wrong, plain wrong. You have done really well! Crosswind my surgeon's experience is from 10 years of sleeves, including working with the surgeon who created the sleeve , and he says that our ability to eat expands in 6-9 months. I got honeymoon period from him, not from VST, though he calls it period of optimized weightloss. I laugh imagining him saying "honeymoon period". If you knew him you would know why! I actually envy those who are not as carb sensitive as me. But having figured that out rocking my sleeve isn't hard- it's easy- and rewarding. I am never hungry and never have cravings so I feel like a giant monkey is off my back!

Mine is Thumbelina. I was calling her Thumby for thumb size tummy. Any name you use- she runs things around here!

Probably not....I lost only 0.2 that week and I have decided every week in this honeymoon period counts and I have wasted one! I will have a birthday again next year and I fully plan to be in maintainence (sp? I am a terrible speller!) then.Now, I do eat some fruit and veggies- our apricot tree is in full production right now- yumm! I just keep my carbs below 30-40. Most days under 20- it happens naturally with my low intake. Well I have a husband who loves to snack and can eat anything so clearing out the house is not an option. Truthfully though I am happier back on track! It was a relief last Monday to be back on my routine- and that means less than 0 grams because when I eat Protein first that is where it stops! I felt ucky enough to not be tempted now, and I am NEVER hungry. And yes, I lost 5 pounds this past week! Humming along again - yay!

Either Vacaville or Hayward is great for us- I just want my arms around Kelly and Irene and everyone else someday!!! Vacaville is about my limit though because of my nerve pain on driving.... and some of us are in San Jose- right?

I can't answer that as I still have mine- but I was immediately put on anti gallstone medication after my surgery. Sorry you had to go through this!

Stalls are totally normal and are part of the process. Read this! I post it so often it should have a sticky! http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html

I veered off the course I have chosen yesterday too- had about 10 sun chips and then about 1/4 cup of ice cream (bonnaroo buzz and clusterfluff ;-P)- and I Just felt crappy today! I really have figured out I need to stay away from carbs for the most part It just doesn't work for me, emotionally or physically.

Totally normal! I remember starting to was my hair in the shower and then leaning against the shower door unable to finish without my husband's help. Up your carbs a little- it will help with some short term energy. You, all of you who are weak, are recovering from major major surgery! I heard a doctor on the radio saying stomach surgery and open heart surgery are the two worst to recover from. Give yourself time~ It was almost three weeks before I started walking more than a few blocks and I am up to an hour a day now-PLUS Water aerobics as my body rejoices in losing some weight to carry . IT WILL GET BETTER! Meanwhile though I encourage you all to FIND SOME Protein YOU CAN TOLERATE! With your new tiny tummies you are not going to be able to get all your protein from food for quite some time and you really need it to help with your stamina and to keep your body from feeding on muscle instead of fat cells when your calories are so low. This is a proven thing! I too hated most of the first ones I tried but finally found one I can tolerate mixed with decaf coffee and blended with ice. I also rely totally on unjury chicken soup- it tastes like chicken Soup packets- just add at least 12 ounces of water or more, not 8, or it is way too salty. The web site Vitalady.com will sell you a single serving of any of the protein that they sell- that is how I found my favorite. Also get unflavored portein and add it to soup, pudding, etc. GET YOUR PROTEIN! Be good to yourselves- this is early on in a long journey!

OH NO! That is so sad! I think we should reschedule! Is it just you and me Irene? Honestly- I don't mind waiting then- I know you are all planning one for Sacto so maybe we could do Hayward in the middle or end of August instead? NOT that I am not DYING to meet you! I am! But no one else has said they are coming! What do you think?

I try to keep below 30-40 net carbs. Net carbs is carbs minus Fiber, so that fruits and veggies, for example, yield lower net carbs than crackers and bread (sorry!). Right now that is easy- eating Protein first and then a few fruits and vegetables as I can- I can only eat 1/4 cup so I just don't have the room I log everything on Fat Secret - it lets you customize your nitrition stats so I chose carbs, fiber, net carbs, fat, protein, and calories. I am 58 and I am thrilled with my average of almost 5 pounds a week. Before the sleeve I thought for sure I had slowed down to nothing and I worried. Someone who has had great results - reaching goal in less than six months, maintaining successfully, etc. mentioned to me that the weight loss period, low carbs and all, is a great opportunity to deal with your food demons. I am looking at it that way too- with no hunger and with Thumbelina , my tyrant sleeve , I can work on the things that have bedeviled me with food. Then as I move into maintaining I can perhaps have worked some of those things out so that I can finally be normal. I also know Thumbelina will still be on duty then too- a great thing to consider! I feel so blessed to have my sleeve!

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!

Here ya go! http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html Awesome progress!We're all rocking our sleeves!

Oh I so miss Uno's there used to be three within 40 minutes drive in one direction or another from us but they all closed- I think there was a problem with the franchise or something. So I have to get my Uno's fix on the East Coast..... sigh... MIni-Me - did you do this from the start? I ask only ecause I am wrestling with how to approach this journey- right now with extreme restriction I have been totally company line for the entire time since my two week pre-op- low carbs, low calories, max Protein and Water, exercise, etc. Yet I also want that balance you mention and I am uncertain how I will proceed. Were you more strict before you got to goal or have you had this approach the whole time? Thanks!

I was also allowed canned peaches and pears as well as bananas on mushies. I preferred to soak unsulfered organic apricots and puree them in the hopes they would help me keep regular ( not so unfortunately!) I do count carbs but I now drink two Protein drinks a day in order to be able to have a bit more variety in my 1/4 cup that my sleeve will hold. Our apricot tree is in full production right now and I am determined to have some of them while they are ripe and sweet (sans peels). Tonight I had four green eans with my 1 1/2 ounce of pot roast! WIth such a small amount you have to stay mindful of getting some fruits and veggies. I basically never get to the straight carbs. Good luck!