meggiep

I have done the same thing will all my liquids since the first few days- set my alarm and drink 2 ounces, then set my phone alarm again (15 minutes at first). Now I can drink a lot more and I set it to 8 minutes but can get all my water and all my protein in this way! Good luck and full speed ahead! I love the strawberry chike with banana and strawberries added. (after you are allowed those).

WOW! Like a different person! I have loved watching this transformation!

While I was on full liquids, I could easily drink a cup of Soup. Now that I am on solid foods- my sleeve, Thumbelina, can hold 1/4 cup max. It will be very different so don't stress about taking more in right now. I have not been hungry since my surgery- and as a reply above mentioned- you should probably consider an acid reducer to see if it really is hunger you are feeling. As for liquids- drink drink drink- as much as you can! 2 Liters is the minimum and the more the better with all the waste products the fat burning will generate.

I think it is a mistake to set goals based on things you have seen others do , or things you hope for. You will find out what your particular body will do with this brand new tummy of yours. Meanwhile, 20 pounds in three weeks is amazing! Around this time in the process you may have your first slowdown as your body processes what has happened and gets into the losing chemistry rhythm . It is important to get the Protein in or your body will burn muscle instead of your fat cells. You may fall into the misconception that you should use this opportunity to just starve yourself without working to get your protein, your Water, etc. I think that would be a mistake. My research and the stories here have told me the things you can do to maximize your results 60-80 grams protein- EVERY day. In the absence of carbs, with lots of protein, the body turns to fat cells to burn- that is what we want! Hence the protein. 64 ounce plus water it is important to flush out the waste from all that burning < or = 30-40 grams carbs per day This makes your body turn to the fat cells Not everyone counts carbs but many people have great results in doing so. at least 30 minutes exercise per day Vitamins supplements So that is my advice to you- follow the rules, you will lose to your maximum. Don't compare yourself to anyone else- you are YOU! Good luck on this wonderful journey!

Your body relies on carbs for energy. In the absence of carbs it will usually burn muscle- but if you follow the high protein/low carb plan then it will have to turn to fat cells- yay! The by product of burning the fat is a substance called ketones- many ketones are used for energy but those that are not are excreted and create that weird fruity breath. Gross as it may make you feel- just know it means you are burning fat- yay!

This is probably the one area where still being hungry can serve you well! Without hunger you do not have the "satisfied hunger" feeling so you really have to figure it out another way! I am not hungry when I start eating so I had to really tune in to what is going on. 1\I always start with 1/4 cup- can often eat it all but sometimes cannot- and really need to identify those times or else....

I usually burp ;-P I found I need to pay attention to that or I will regret it. I ignored it once and everything came back up. Other report hiccuping, one person even sneezes! Not to be TMI nut it is not like a regular burp, it is a burp with a little of the flavor of what I am eating. It is so hard at frst1 you really have to listen to your body!

I am not sure if that is the same- I just know she said if I am eating 600-800 calories I WILL lose because my weight requires more than that to stay the same. She said the you will also by the same token gain and keep gaining until the weight you are is supported fully by the calories you eat. This means that if you are 200 pounds overweight you are eating a lot- enough to support that.

Thanks for the b'day wishes! Popcorn report- YUMMMM!!! I ate a few handfuls and stopped- now awaiting a half hour to drink some Water. I haven't actually eaten that much today at all- what with waiting in between for drinking and what was palatable I have probably eaten less than I usually do.

Good idea for you! FYI- most butchers and meat departments sell a meatloaf mix that you can just bake and eat- all you would need is probably some gravy for moistening. Maybe you can find a hofbrau that sells gravy (I have one near me).

I feel terrible for you Kelly! And anyone else with hunger- I have not had hunger since the surgery. Sometimes I feel a pang when I smell something delish but it is almost nostalgia because it disappears. I feel for you if you do have hunger as it seems it would make this journey more difficult! HUGS!

I wont be eating it normally- b'day only!

I missed this one but am thinking of attending one- is it across the street from Palo Alto Medical Foundation? I think I have seen it when I have gone there. The thing I am wondering is what is the format of the group? The one I attended here in PA was really disappointing as they had a speaker. I would much rather actually share, and support each other!

I am planning on the Hayward meet up for sure! I am excited! I want to meet as many of you as possible!

My doctor worked for several years with the man who developed the sleeve. He has done them for 9 years. We are to consume 600-800 calories a day throughout the losing phase to maximize weight loss-especially because we only have a 6-9 month weight loss "honeymoon". I can't imagine eating 1400 calories (of course I can only eat 1/4 cup at a meal and I am stuffed ) I actually would be hard pressed to eat 800. My doctor's gospel- and the one I will follow (and which has had such good results for Tiifykins, Little Miss Diva, Juliarh and the other mentors I want to emulate) 600-800 calories a day > or = 30 carbs a day at least 64 ounces of Water 60-80 grams of Protein a day 30 minute MINIMUM exercise a day supplements I have followed this to the letter since day 5 (couldn't get anything much down before then!) and so far am at 43 pounds lost at 6 weeks out. I am thrilled! I know it is not as much as some but I know better than to compare myself to others and I know my body will do what it does and as long as I follow the rules I will lose to MY maximum. I notice you still have quite a bit to lose-I am surprised your nutritionist would have you up your calories with that being the case! Do you count carbs? Do you have a good exercise habit in place? Good luck!

"The fact that my weight has stabilized clearly demonstrates that I'm not eating the way I once did. Otherwise, I'd have continued to gain weight rapidly. I didn't." My nutritioinist and I were talking about this the other day. You are not gaining weight because you are eating the amount that sustains your weight. She mentioned that that is what happens- you will gain gain gain until the amount you are eating is the amount that sustains that weight. She actually mentioned it when I was asking her about the theory that when you are in starvation mode you should eat more for a day or two to shock your system. She said that the amount I am eating (600-800 calories) will cause me to lose weight and if I was to continue- Ii would lose until the weight that THAT amount sustains- though of course I would not do that as I would be too thin. The reason I mention this, is that you are eating a great deal if you are maintaining 200 extra pounds, even taking in to account your medical issues. The tool you would have with the sleeve would change that a lot- and without hunger. I love my sleeve- it is everything I hoped for and more. However, I will never go years without weighing again because ultimately it cost me more emotionally than dieting and weighing had.

Eleven years ago I stopped weighing, with the help of my therapist. I had been delaying health care because of my fear of weighing and it was amazing when my therapist told me "you don't have to weigh- you are the client and you can decline". It was so wonderful! It set me free- I stopped the cycle of dieting, the fear, the pain. However, I was also able to exercise at the time and activity has always been the key to fitness for me. When I ended up with back surgery followed by three falls, fobromyalgia and became a near invalid I started to gain weight, though I did not really know how much. I met and married my soul mate during this time and he would love me no matter what- he adores me and found me sexy at my highest weight. My pain management doctor kept referring to my weight as being an issue with my fibro and my pain but I didn't let that penetrate or deter me. I honestly did not realize how heavy I had gotten, and I did not let the large sizes I was wearing affect my reality.But my life was becoming a smaller and smaller circle due to pain and I started thinking that I needed to lose some weight- not because I cared what the world thought of me- but for my health. I am too young to already live like an old person and I wanted my life back. When my doctor suggested WLS I thought she was on crack- because I was still in denial about my weight. ON a crazy impulse one day while she was out of the room I jumped on her scale. I think all the blood drained from my face- since my surgery, since the last time I weighed ten years before, I had gained 120 pounds. I was shocked to my senses because accepting as my darling husband is, as much peace as I may have made with it- that was simply not going to guarantee me a long life. And in my case- not weighing had not served me in the way I had hoped because of the loss of activity. I did the research and figured out the sleeve was ideal for me- the reasons have been discussed here a lot . I did the pre-op hurdles as quickly as I could manage and was sleeved on May 9th. From my 2 week pre-op on I have lost 43 pounds- and more importantly I am starting to feel good in my body again- alive, energetic- like the old Meggie with a sparkle and with my prana back. I have had ONE triggered fibro attack since my surgery. My whole body aches so much less I am amazed. My knees are much much better. The one area of great pain is still my nerve pain in my back- that is something I may have my whole life but I can move again- I am walking an hour a day and doing Water aerobics too. One thing you may have to confront is that you will ultimately suffer health wise at your weight- I have had to face that reality as fibro is musculoskeletal and it is really exacerbated by weight. That alone should motivate you to help yourself! Only you know what is right for you. I encourage you to consider doing this, for your health. Meanwhile- have you tried water aerobics? I have been doing it for two years and it is wonderful! NO PAIN IN THE WATER! No pressure on your aching body- and a kick butt workout to boot. Good luck to you.

I saw an ad for a new treatment called ScarAway and decided to give it a try on my five little boo-boos . It is apparently similar to what they use in burn centers. There are scar sheets made of silicone, and also a serum. They were out of the serum at Walgreens (and it costs $30!) so I bought the sheets, which were on sale at $18 for two months supply. The sheets are large- I cut one into four pieces for my small scars. You apply them and keep them on for 12 hours, then actually wash and dry the little pieces with soap and water- it does not affect the adhesive- in fact helps it stay sticky- you can use each sheet five times. Since I had to use a second sheet for my fifth piece it wont be two months worth- but I can report after one night my scars are softer and actually a lighter color! I ws really surprised- even one that is angrier looking and quite red is completely changed. I have high hopes!

OK so tomorrow is my birthday and I plan to do some teensy bad girl things. I am ultra great on my routine- 60-80 grams of Protein and 64ounces plus Water every day since day 5, exercising at least an hour a day and often two times, and now even good on my supplements. And always less than 30 carbs a day. ALWAYS for 8 weeks (two weeks pre-op) However I am planning to have more carbs tomorrow and I feel fine about it. Just a little here and there- nothing too bad. One of thing I want a tiny taste of is the movie theater popcorn that my son used to bring me every day he worked- formerly huge bags of buttered popcorn, and now I want a little bit. (My husband and I watch Turner Movie Classics while we work on our wedding images and that popcorn was awesome!) HOwever I seem to remember popcorn being on a no-no list and want to be sure it wont hurt my sleeve- anyone know?

Early stalls are common ( though a stall is really a much longer time...) I stalled at 2 weeks for 8 days. Your body needs to get it together! This article really helps explain: http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html Meanwhile your other question- how about cream Soups? I pureed them if they had solids like chicken and then strained them. You can add a little unflavored Protein powder to them too. Also sugar free pudding- yumm! Relax- I seem to have a week of really slow or no losing- 02 a day or 0- and then a good week of 4 or 5 pounds. Trust your body, start thinking about adding walking and other exercise as you are allowed, work on your protein and fluids- and relax! (I am talking to me as well as you ;-P)

Cool fact- I was allowed ground beef last week and I put a layer of ground beef under the tomato sauce and it is HEAVEN! I had to make a double batch cause my family loves it too. I have nutritional info if anyone wants it- but I have changed the original recipe as well- I use half the parmesan since I felt it was a bit salty, and then double the mozzarella for extra cheesiness on top. I add 4 ounces of ground beef to a single batch.

Relax and don;t stress this- you are only two days out! My turnaround day was day 5- get what you can in and don't beat yourself up over it. The other people posting here are much further out than you. One tip is to have a very small container- I had little plastic one ounce cups from the hospital- and set your photne time for every 15 minutes and try to drink two ounces. Just two ounces. Don't push for more. If you do that all day you will get more in than you thought you could! I marked my little cups off on a pad of paper for the first week or ten days until I was assured I could start with a liter bottle of water and drink the whole thing. I still use my timer- every 8 minutes now.But now I know I can drink two liters- yesterday I drank 3. It WILL get better!

Try some different kinds of Protein powder for your shakes. The ones I liked pre-surgery made me retch- even vomit- after but I finally found one chocolate one that I mix with decaf coffee and blend with ice in the morning for a solid 30 grams. Get some samples and you may hit one you like that will serve you in the months to come. Many companies will send you samples, and Vitalady.com will let you order a single serving of any of the powders they sell. I used the ratings in the nutrition area to decide which ones to order but you never know- I accidentally ordered one of the drinks rated lowest and it ended up being the one I love! The ready to drink shakes all disgust me- powders work so much better because you can add fruit, flavoring, all kinds of ways to fix them. I say that because I do think that it will be hard to get the protein from food for quite a long time- I can eat 1/4 cup at the most weeks out and I just can't finagle 60- 80 grams from that. If I did then I would be shorting myself on vegetables and fruit and those are important too! With such low caloric input and so little protein your body will consume muscle and that is not good! I know it is tempting to let it go when you are so excited about losing weight and the protein thing is so difficult but you are starting a long journey and getting the important components in place is important! BTW- the unjury chicken soup is one of my two daily drinks but make sure you add more than 8 ounces of water- it is way too salty that way! I add 12- 16 ounces depending on my mood ;-P and it counts towards fluids too. All the Protein Drinks do.

SInce most of us gain weight from the IV fluids that seems excellent to me! I actually did not even pay attention to my weight because I was so involved in trying to get fluids in, etc. Seriosuly- your body will chart its own journey and it is really pointless to compare yourself to anyone else or worry about your numbers. You have a tiny tummy (I call mine Thumbelina ) and you WILL lose the weight. Instead of worrying if you are losing well enough, concentrate on getting Protein and fluids as best you can. Know the pain will get better and you will suddenly find fluids easier to consume. Find Protein drinks you like, and depending on what food phase you are in , figure out things you like that you can get into YOUR little tummy. sugar free popsicles (Edys/Dreyers are great!) will go down better than almost anything. Good luck on this wonderful journey!

It will definitely get better! Also- your diarrhea may not be because of the sweeteners- I had diarrhea for the first two weeks and then it cleared up. I am ot keen on artificial sweeteners at all but I encourage you to keep trying as the Protein drinks are an important way to get the protein I got used to the sucralose.. Another way would be to get unflavored protein -