meggiep

I am limited to 1/4 cup at every "meal" and can usually but not always, eat it all. I make sure to wait at least two hours in between every 1/4 cup and also definitely wait 1/2 an hour to drink after. I have never seen this be anything but an absolute rule as it pushes your food through to fast . I also set my phone timer for every 10 minutes and drink so that I don't fall behind.
It is important to work on getting that Protein so that your body does not turn to your muscle to burn instead of your fat. That is another reason low carbs is important. Finding a protein drink you can drink once a day is pretty key and I myself find I can manage one if I mix two scoops of chocolate with a cup of decaf and ice and blend. The Unjuy chicken Soup has also been a lifesaver - savory and really just lie broth to me- I do add 12 ounces of Water instead of 8 or it is just too salty.
Certainly you will lose when you are eating so little but eventually your body will go ointo starvatio mode and stop losing and this is the time to get theprinciples like protein and water in place. For the first couple of weeks it is not so important but certainly once you are a month out those goals should be met for the best results in the longterm.
The acid inhibitor can really help!
Good luck- I feel for you who are having problems. I kind of grouse about my 32f bougie because my capacity is SO small but I get my protein and water every day without fail.

She actually does NOT have cancer- that was the rumor that went around . She never confirmed it and if you really look on Google you will see she denied it totally and just says she had surgery that will add years to her life. The cancer thing took wings when she started losing so much weight after being in the hospital! I think it is pretty lame that she wont say what the truth is- she admits surgery that helped her health , denies the bypass, and wont say more. I am guessing lap band as well. She could do so much for people with morbid obesity. To deny it implies shame. Bummer.

You are totally right- all of these procedures have complications! I think I am resopnding to a few posts I saw saying the plication was reversible.
I just wanted to state what my doctor said- feeling tender about my WLS brothers and sisters here and not wanting to imply anything about the choices that have been made, yet wanting to have it be known what the response was to my question. I was actually very surprised by his answer- from what I had read plication seemed like an ideal thing, perhaps the next new best choice. He made it very clear he was concerned about many issues.
Best of luck and light and love to you! I look forward to seeing your great results on your journey.

I asked my doctor about the pication. He is one of the best WLS surgeons in our area, and has been doing the sleeve for a long time- worked with the surgeon who developed it. He will NOT be doing the plication- he believes the problem with lack of blood flow will be common and these complications are the tip of the iceberg.
I am not wanting to be a Debbie Downer, I am just relating what my doctor said. I had been very interested in the plication, as of course it seemed attractive to keep the rest of your stomach and reverse it when you reach your goal. Once he told me his feelings, along with some of the complications I have seen, I decided full heartedly on the sleeve.
I also wonder, considering the fact for many of us surgery is the last resort after trying everything, if reversible surgery will mean lots of weight gain ultimately.

From my post in the thread a ways down below this one:
" Ok everyone here is what I came up with for the wonderful RIcotta Bake, so delish on purees or anytime I think! I could see adding a layer ofr ground turkey when I am on a fuller diet.
Anyway, this nutritional info based on using full fat ricotta cheese, regular parmesan (I used shredded from Costco) a large egg, and low fat mozzarella cheese, as well as my particular fave vodka/marinara sauce for the topping . It is also based on dividing the complete dish into six servings, which is about perfect for my 1/4 cup ability here at three weeks. So if you want to eat more, multiply my totals x 6 and divide it into the number of servings you want it to be.
Obviously if you use low fat cheese all the way around it will change. Like Eggface I prefer full fat for the most part though I don't mind low fat mozzarella I am all about the flavor!
I use Spark People to feed the ingredients in and create the recipe and then got the nutritional data- easy! Hope this helps anyone obsessed with having the right thing to log every day like me!
Serving = 1/6th pan
Amount per serving
Calories 160.7
Total fat 10.9 g
Cholesterol 74.0 mg
Sodium 335.8 mg
Potassium 74.0 mg
Total carbs 3.1 grams
dietary Fiber 0.3 grams
sugars 0.9 grams
Protein 11.5 gram "
Since them -I actually changed the recipe for me- half the parmesan, a 1/4 cup more mozzarella, and 4 ounces of ground beef under the tomato sauce now that I eat meat. It is still my favorite go to protein tasty meal.

I have a total crush on Zumba! Before my sleeve I could only do water classes- and then in November, six months out, I ventured to try Zumba. I loved it! I have to be careful as I have nerve damage in my back and knees. I don't jump, for example. I now do TWELVE classes a week!

Several of my first posts in My Story received no answers-sure I noticed- but I am not going to throw a fit over it.
About your problem- there are so many posts about this- I haven't even had my sleeve and I can answer you because I have read so much. Have you looked around the forum and found all the posts about stalls?
Here is what I have learned
Are you drinking your Water? 64 ounces plus EVERY day?
Are you getting your Protein? 60-80 grams
Are you working out? This is very important as you move forward...
Are you limiting your carbs? VERY IMPORTANT- the way my doctor puts it- if you give your body carbs to burn it wont burn fat even if the calories are low.
If you are limiting your calories and thinking that is all it will take, that is a mistake- and in fact you may have to add some calories to kick start your losing.
All these things are written over and over again and readily available to all of us.
I have also found the best thing to do when you ask about a situation like that the best thing to do is tell in your original post what you are currently doing so as to give the responders enough information to help you. Otherwise they could just see it as another post just like the other posts and without knowing your details they have nothing to work with.
Good luck to you!

A year ago yesterday my life changed forever! I made the best decision I ever made besides marrying my darling third husband lol. I had a VSG with Dr. JOhn Feng of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation- my hero.
I started this journey at 280 pounds, depressed, reclusive, hibernating and in constant pain.
Last week I hit my surgeons goal of a normal BMI and 118 pounds lost....WOW! Still losing and am not sure where I will end up.
I went from that reclusive existance to doing nine Zumba classes a week, 8 Water classes, walking three miles a day with my husband and dog. I am toned, energetic, ALIVE!!!! Alas the pain is stil there but the lightness of being helps so much.
VST was such a wonderful support for me, and though I have gone on the many Facebook pages that give challenges and daily support, I will always come home to this Forum!

A year ago yesterday my life changed forever! I made the best decision I ever made besides marrying my darling third husband lol. I had a VSG with Dr. JOhn Feng of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation- my hero.
I started this journey at 280 pounds, depressed, reclusive, hibernating and in constant pain.
Last week I hit my surgeons goal of a normal BMI and 118 pounds lost....WOW! Still losing and am not sure where I will end up.
I went from that reclusive existance to doing nine Zumba classes a week, 8 Water classes, walking three miles a day with my husband and dog. I am toned, energetic, ALIVE!!!! Alas the pain is stil there but the lightness of being helps so much.
VST was such a wonderful support for me, and though I have gone on the many Facebook pages that give challenges and daily support, I will always come home to this Forum!

A year ago yesterday my life changed forever! I made the best decision I ever made besides marrying my darling third husband lol. I had a VSG with Dr. JOhn Feng of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation- my hero.
I started this journey at 280 pounds, depressed, reclusive, hibernating and in constant pain.
Last week I hit my surgeons goal of a normal BMI and 118 pounds lost....WOW! Still losing and am not sure where I will end up.
I went from that reclusive existance to doing nine Zumba classes a week, 8 Water classes, walking three miles a day with my husband and dog. I am toned, energetic, ALIVE!!!! Alas the pain is stil there but the lightness of being helps so much.
VST was such a wonderful support for me, and though I have gone on the many Facebook pages that give challenges and daily support, I will always come home to this Forum!

I did it! It is in my post about the recipes.

FORGIVE YOURSELF! You have a lifelong wonderful tool and you need to recognize you will have times when you will indulge. Let go of the guilt, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back on program. Don't waste the energy beating yourself up. I came to this realization a couple of months ago after beating myself up every time I went off program. I finally realized I have no trouble going right back on program after a day or two of carb romping (;-P) and that this is a lifetime tool for a long time- and I wont beat myself up ever again.

Two Megs doing well! I love it!

My husband took screen caps from the video I did as I started my pre-op on April 25th at 280 pounds. Then he did one from today with me head tilted almost the same way. I think I suddenly really saw how dramatic this change has been!
28 weeks out tomorrow, 96 pounds down, 24 to go. What a journey! I love my sleeve.

My husband took screen caps from the video I did as I started my pre-op on April 25th at 280 pounds. Then he did one from today with me head tilted almost the same way. I think I suddenly really saw how dramatic this change has been!
28 weeks out tomorrow, 96 pounds down, 24 to go. What a journey! I love my sleeve.

I am so jealous, now that I think about it! ;-P I am a size 14/16 so I can't imagine I will ever be an 8 much less a 6! I have 25 or so to go...
YOu look like a completely different person in the after pics- I am so happy for you! MWAH MWAH!!!

WOW!!!! Girl I am so excited for you! You did it! Six months- amazing! Can't wait to see the photos! Hope to join you not too long from now if I can get this last 23 off ;-P WOO HOO for Kelly!!!! My Red Velvet girl!

This article helps explain stalls- and should help a bit! Also, measure yourselves! When the stalls come you will find you are still getting smaller.
http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html

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.

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!

Use a timer to remind you to drink- I do and I am up to three liters a day now!
Read this- it will explain stalls and make you feel much better!
http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html
I post it so often it should be a sticky!

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.

There is a thread asking about what slider foods are....in addition to things that slide down like ice cream, pudding, Cookies, crackers...popcorn is a slider.
I speak from unfortunate experience! On my birthday last Saturday I decided to allow myself for the weekend two of the things I steadfastly avoid- buttered movie popcorn from the theater where my son works, and ice cream We bought the four new flavors I had seen of Ben and Jerry's ice cream (for those who want to know ;-P- Bonnaroo Buzz- coffee and malt ice cream with a whiskey caramel swirl and english toffee, Red Velvet Cake- red velvet batter ice cream with chunks of red velvet and cream cheese icing swirl, Late Night Snack- vanilla bean ice cream with a salty caramel swirl and fudge covered potato chips, and Clusterfluff- Peanut Butter ice cream with a peanut butter swirl and a marshmallow swirl and with actual caramel corn in it... we have always loved trying their wacky new flavors) and I planned to have a few spoonfuls of each spread over two days.
The popcorn was a huge eye opener! Thumbelina, my sleeve, is 1/4 cup in size. No matter how I try to wish her a leeeetle bit bigger- nope- 1/4 cup and sometimes not even that. So I figured I would feel the usual restriction with the popcorn- which I chewed very very well out of fear of the kernels swelling, etc. To my shock I could eat a LOT more than 1/4 cup. I learned what a slider food is in an almost disturbing way. I would eat some until I did feel a little restriction, wait half an hour, drink for a while, and then have some more. I would say I could easily eat 2 cups without feeling restriction. The ice cream was also like that but I knew better than to go to town on it.... I actually kept my calories quite low those two "lost" days...because I didn't eat any "real" food except the morning Protein shake my husband basically insisted I eat!
I felt pretty crappy physically by the night of the second day....and even more than that I felt really unsettled emotionally at how easily those foods went down and how easy it was for me to spend a couple of days off the routine I have been to totally committed to for the six weeks before that. I truly felt I had lost my moorings, which I have discussed a bit on my latest VLOG. Honestly I was tripping on it- thinking my sleeve was totally stretched, my weight loss was over, blah blah blah drama queen drama queen drama queen!
It was actually a relief to return to my clean eating, which I have had zero trouble doing the whole time, but which I worried I would not be able to do now. My concerns about craving carbs were alleviated immediately, and the first protein meal I had Thumbelina told me she is 1/4 cup still, thank you very much.
I also ate 1/4 of a biscotti, something my husband and I used to love snacking on....and when you choose those puppies to powder they too slide right on down.
I feel I learned a valuable lesson about some of the things I face as I move forward to goal and then to maintaining- and for now I am happily back on my plan eating 70 grams of protein a day, less than 40 grams of carbs, more than 2 liters of Water, and exercising every day. (We did go for long family walks on the lost weekend because that was what I love to do- we went out to the bay and walked the dog for an hour both days and so at least that didn't go down the tubes!)
I lost 0.2 pounds last week so I probably had an effect from the sliders even though I kept calories low. Back on track, I have lost 2 pounds this week. WHEW! My sleeve still works :lol:
For inquiring minds? Bonnaroo Buzz was surprisingly good- not too heavy on the whisky flavor, Red Velvet was the traditional cake, sweet but not chocolatey, Late Night Snack was a bit odd- probably perfect for TOM!, and Clusterfluff was quite good- you can't go wrong with peanut butter!

I think you men bypass and band- no sleeve mentioned. I was annoyed about that. In addition, they said she had the band and she had the bypass! There were lots of other inaccuracies about food regimens afterwards, etc. I was happy to see the cover feature and then very disappointed in the article.

This WILL get better! I was kept for an extra day because I could not drink. Set an alarm for every 10 or 15 minutes and drink as much as you can in small sips. The alarm really helps because time passes quickly and you wont always remember to do something that is so hard. Everything turned around for me on day 5- maybe you have some comfort in the offing! Your swelling will go down and drinking will be easier. I wont tell you that your difficulties are over but relax and know in a few months this will be a memory and you will be loving your sleeve!