Roseib

I use a topical prescription cream called voltaren gel. You might tslk to your doctor about thst. I have severe osteoarthritis in knees and it helps me a lot.

You are two weeks out from major surgery. Sounds like you have nice friends who are genuinely concerned about you overdoing it. People who haven't had the surgery don't understand the importance of getting up and going. Doesn't mean they are trying to discourage you. Amanda131 gave a good suggestion I think for how to respond. If people make friendly but misguided suggestions to me I just say, "I understand your concern, but it's on my doctor's plan" and leave it at that. Btw, you are doing great!

It is not the calories but the volume your stomach can hold. Protein first then veggies. I'm not allowed Snacks so have to work in with 3 meals of protein.

First congratulations on your big loss. I'm feeling the same way lately. Just had lab work - fine. Taking all Vitamins Calcium and B12. Working out. Maybe our bodies are catching up from rapid weight loss. I can't explain it.

I know what you mean. I still can't eat thin sliced

deli turkey and chicken for that reason.

It was a long time before I could eat an egg too.

My experience has been to be careful using Protein powder in hot liquids. Follow the instructions for sure. If the liquid is too hot, then the protein powder gets gummy/thick.

Re sleeve stretching, just to emphasize that the muscle part of the stomach is left. They remove the stretchy part. I've heard several doctors say either it won't stretch or it won't stretch much as a result. Stretching would not be a worry of mine.

Yes, everyone is different. A lot of food I could eat before surgery made me nauseated the first two or three months after surgery, but then later I could add them back in with no problem There are a couple of things I still can't eat (like deli meat) but I think that's a mental block, not physical. I can also eat spicy like lots of other people. In fact I never had a problem with spicy. I avoid whole grain bread because it sits like a lump in my stomach, but that doesn't happen to everyone. I don't eat some of the food Tiffykins can because I'm still losing and she's on maintenance and I haven't added them back in. Follow Tiffykins advice about food progression.

Well, I was WAY overoptimistic for July 4th, so will be more realistic now.

SN.................Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal

Roseib.............240...................240...............230...........10

Wow. I was really overoptimistic. Stalled for a month after dropping 10 pounds. About due for another loss, though.

Did not reach goal, but at least the scale moved. Will be more realistic for Labor Day.

SN.................Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal

Roseib.............250...................240...............225...........15

HI, Layloo, I wish you even better success than I have had! The change already is life transforming.

No that's when I had my first stall (3 weeks). Think it's body adjusting to rapid weight loss. Adding calories jogged my weight loss again. Try shaking it up. Change what you eat, change workout routine, etc.

Hi, Coops, I've said it before but here it is again. My doctor said that people don't necessarily end up at a weight that was their goal weight because their body "stops" (not his word) at a higher weight. Being overweight for some time makes a lot of us get stronger bones, etc., and we carry the extra weight naturally. He said your body will tell you when to stop or rather it will let you know when by not losing. Don't know about your bone structure -- maybe that doesn't apply to you, but maybe this is your size. Or, like Mini-me said, maybe your body just needs to rest a while before losing again. You look terrific!!

Wow. Definitely can see the difference! You look great!

Thanks for the encouragement everyone! Greatly appreciated.

Morphine on request every 30 minutes at hospital and liquid lortab for home. Pain very well controlled and didn't need Morphine that frequently.

I live alone and was told to have someone stay a couple of days with me. I ended up needing it, mostly because of the bad diarrhea I was having. She went home the third day. I was fine by then.

I weighed 385.5 at 5'4" so about the same as you. I'm one year out and am very pleased with my results. Still a fair amount to lose, but miles from where I was this time last year. See my post in this subforum today "One Year Out!" if you want to read more about how I've improved.

This time today a year ago I was in my hospital room, having had surgery that morning. That first day was rough for me, too, although I rapidly improved. What a difference a year makes!

I weighed 385.5 on May 21, 2010 when I had my initial consult. Weighed 266 at surgery and have lost 145 pounds. Have been in a stall for several weeks, but I'm still losing albeit more slowly. Have some advice that hopefully will trigger some loss again plus trainer is going to try to change up my workout routine to jog some loss as well.

At age 62 (now 63 and soon to be 64 in the fall) and even though I have a large amount of weight still to lose, the difference in a year is amazing. I have severe osteoarthritis and could hardly get around prior to surgery. I still have the arthritis, but it is so much improved. I can stand longer, walk longer, and go more places. I had gotten so limited before with respect to going out and doing things--I felt like I never had fun anymore. I also take less heavy duty pain medication. I have a lot more energy and can actually buy clothes in the plus size section of department stores. I'm not in regular size clothes yet, (still 1X/2X) but to be able to buy in a department store and not just from Roamans/ LaneBryant, etc. is soooo great.

I posted on the over 200 lbs to lose subforum when I began a year ago and if I posted now, it would be on the over 50 pounds to lose forum. Sometimes I feel like I should have lost faster, but when I think of it that way (how much I had to lose and how much is left to lose), it's really amazing for one year.

Of course I wish I had been able to afford wl surgery years ago (self-pay), but I'm so grateful to have had a small inheritance and finally be able to afford it . No regrets at all, even though I'll look like a walrus with loose skin at my age and probably won't be able to afford plastic surgery. Just to have my life back is worth all the cost and hard work.

If you're a senior and thinking about it, my experience is don't wait any longer than you have to. It's life transforming.

I had surgery a year ago tomorrow at age 62. No problems here. My doctor told me I did better than many of his younger patients. The day of surgery was tough. Not pain as they kept that well controlled. The 2d day huge improvement; the third day even better, etc

I had no complications. I continued to use liquid lortab as pain killer for a while upon release but that was for severe arthritis not the surgery. The more one walks the faster one recovery.

Some doctors, like mine, allow food for dinner during preop. Eg, I could have a palm size amount of food, one half Protein and one half veggies. Think you will be fine.

Protein Shakes aren't very filling. That is one reason why as soon as folks can eat food, most surgeons say to get off the Protein Drinks. Also some have very high carb content. We were required to use a Protein Drink that had no more than 5 carbs. I have one after working out and find the Labrada Lean Body on the go RTD pretty filling, but they are expensive.

Hi, I did mostly liquids for a two week pre-op diet (64 oz Water and two Protein Drinks a day plus a palm size dinner, half Protein, half veggies). Had no problem moving to full liquid stage, but only had to be on it 10 days. I personally didn't have a problem staying on it at all. Everyone differs. Mushies is what killed me. I'd say you don't need to go on liquids this early. Do you have a one or two week pre-op diet? That should be enough to prepare you. I agree with GreginMI. What I did was make sure I stayed off refined carbs, rice, potatoes, caffeine and carbonated water before the pre-op. That made the transition to pre-op and after surgery a lot easier as I already was weaned from them and didn't miss them. Good luck!

Yes. Its mostly Water for me. I could drink a cold Protein Drink when allowed it after 10 days but now a year out still drink water at room temperature. I did well with hot herb tea and broth early out. It will get better. It's hard for me now to remember how hard it was just after surgery - boring more than anything

Some people retain fluids badly after surgery from the IVs, meandlittledog. I only lost 11 pounds in first 10 days and weighed 366. Very disappointed but I was retaining Water badly and took a while to get rid of it no matter what I drank or ate. Don't feel bad. It will come off.

That's great Tamz! Such an incentive isn't it?