PdxMan

Well, you came to the right place. Read, search and surf around. The first 10 days or so, your stomach is so swollen, it will be difficult to get the "required" liquids and Protein down. Just do the best you can, sipping Water, gatoraid or whatever and protein throughout the day. It was probably a good month before I was able to hit those goals. Some days, I still have issues hitting the water. Try changing the temperature of the water. Also try different drinks like gatoraid, Vitamin water or whatever. I can drink those better than I can drink water. I don't know why that is, but ... Good luck and welcome.

Lifting weights is going to be your best route to add muscle, which will help take the place vacated by the loss of fat. This is because you have a measurable metric to gage by. Resistance bands are great, but the amount of resistance can change by adjusting a few factors. How much stretch are you starting with? How far are you stretching them. It is easy to cheat with bands. Weights won't lie to you. The extra skin will be there, though, so we can only offset it by a small amount. I will probably start looking at plastic surgery once I have my sleeve paid off, which will be sometime late next year. As far as the nutrition goes, everyone is going to have an opinion on this. Here is mine. Eating carbs before a workout is not going to help you at all during that workout. Those carbs need to be processed by your body and stored. Your body will use what has already been processed and stored. Yes, those need to be replaced, so your best bet is to maintain a carb intake level that is right for you. As long as you maintain your workout routine, you maintain that carb intake. Slack off on working out, cut back the carbs, increase workouts or intensity, increase carbs to maintain your energy stores. Protein should be taken within 30 minutes of completing your lifting routine so the muscles can be repaired and built. I try to finish my shake within 15 minutes, before I shower. What I have suggested to many is to pay for a session with a personal trainer. Let's look at what we have done here and the amount of $$ we have paid. Let's look at how much $$ we are saving on food each month. If we're making an effort for fitness, don't we want to do it efficiently? I think $50 would be worth it. If you belong to a club, talk to whoever the head trainer is and tell them your story and what your goals are. They should be able to set you up with the trainer and program that is right for you.

Ohhhh ... Sleeve 4 Me, you're brutal! I used to cut my hair very close, a #1 setting, the closest you can get without shaving it. I ended haircuts when I started losing weight as I think buzzcuts on large guys looks better than thinner guys. I think I am just going to shave it all off again and let it grow in together, but I have to wait until after Christmas as my mother HATES buzzcuts ...

No, I directly asked my surgeon if it was possible to stretch the sleeve. He said it will stretch a tiny bit, but nothing THAT noticable. He said I would really have to work VERY hard to stretch it and there is no way to stretch anywhere near the size it was. Only 15% of our stomach is left and it is not the stretchy part that distends when overeating. I read an analogy to a wallet. You can stuff it full of money and cards and it will stretch a bit, but not all that much in the grand scheme of things.

So, I have posted a few times how I have avoided hair loss. Well, now at 5 months post-op, it would seem I am not immune. Let me tell you, I am pretty diligent about my Protein, too, usually exceeding 80 grams as I have been working out and running almost daily. I found this to be interesting: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hair-loss/DS00278/DSECTION=causes I think it is probably a roll of the die whether or not you will be affected (albiet a 50 sided die and only one side says, "No hair loss"). I thought I would be good to go as I have (had) a very thick head of hair, but now when I put gel in my hair, I see that about 25 hairs are stuck to my hand. This happened recently and rapidly. I think you can see in my profile picture that I am not a thick haired dude anymore. I'm not worried about it. It will grow back.

Put me down as a ditto on this one, too. (except no bandaids, just the steri-strips)

My sleeve loves salads, my sleeve hates breads My sleeve loves soups, my sleeve hates eggs My sleeve loves cheese, my sleeve hates cold Water My sleeve loves me, I love my sleeve What happens when you come across something your sleeve doesn't like? For me, it is difficult to swallow fully. Feels like something stuck in my chest. Breads, especially. It's like, "Oye!, What is that!" I haven't vommited, it's not like that. It just doesn't "feel" right.

I eat prunes on a daily basis to keep things moving naturally. If you like raisins, you'll love prunes. Of course, water is a big thing and my biggest struggle. But, occasionally, I do have problems and that is when I reach out to MOM. (Milk of Magnesia)

I was thinking the same thing. If it was a metabolic issue due to thyroid or something, she wouldn't have been able to lose the 30 lbs now or on previous diets. There is something else going on here and since it is your mother, it may be more difficult to see.

As I understand it, 3,500 calories makes up a pound. So, if you burn 3,500 calories more than you take in, you will lose a pound. Injest 3,500 more than you burn, you will gain a pound. Yes, there are other factors that can make your body burn less calories than another person of the same stature, but over the long haul, I believe what I stated above to be true. So then, how can you not lose weight? By taking in the same amount of calories that you naturally burn. So, to lose weight, you need to create a deficit, whether that be to take in less calories burning the same amount or burn more calories taking in the same amount. I am currently burning an average of 2,500 calories / day according to my BodyBugg. (Google it) I am taking in around 1,700 a day. So, I lose about a pound every 5 days, which, for the most part is right on. As you know, the sleeve restricts the amount of food to the stomach. But it does not alter the quality of the food to the stomach. I could easily eat 4,000 calories a day with my sleeve. How? Drinking Water with my meals would allow me to eat more at a sitting. I could eat chips, Cookies, (more) ice cream and other foods high in calories. How many calories are in some of those Starbuck's drinks? Huge. A sleeve doesn't make you lose weight. It is a tool to help you feel restriction so you stop eating. If you bend the rules, it is not going to work. Congratulations to you and your family members who have worked the sleeve, but I'm guessing your mother needs to track everything she puts in her mouth and, of course, exercise. Do you know what she is doing in that category?

14 days out I was eating pureed soups. Ham & lentil was my fav. I also had chicken veggie, too. I just blended them up and they were great (for what it was ) I did have pudding and jello, too. For everything, though, it was just a few bites. I would be doing it throughout the day, but again, just a few at a time. I stayed on this longer than I probably needed to, though. When I would try single bites of more solid foods, it didn't feel good, so I was scared to try, so I think I progresses relatively slow. But ... that is what I needed to do. I listened to my body and let it guide me. If it didn't feel right, I backed off. Eventually, I pushed myself more and more and now, 5 months out, I think everything has fallen into place. Breads still don't sit right, so I don't eat them, but last night I had pasta for the first time (1/3 cup) and it went down well. Loving my salads, though. Mixed greens with crumbled blue cheese, tuna and honey mustard dressing. It will happen for you, too. Take it slow and your body will show you the route.

Are you chewing 30 times before swallowing? Are you taking one bite after the other? I chew everything to a paste and wait at least a minute between bites ... sometimes two. I start my meal before my family and finish after them. Just take it slow and be sure you are chewing. SassyMoma, at 14 days out, what are you eating? Should still be liquidy kinda stuff. Can't imagine what would give you that feeling on creamies except for eating too much.

Congratulations on making this decision and getting the wheels in motion. It has been a great, life changing event for me. 1) I was sleeved on Friday and back to work on Wednesday. I was tired and worked 3/4 day for the rest of that week, but was full time after. I got to bed early after that and did fine. IMO, your level of fitness will help your recovery. A person who can barely climb a flight of stairs will have a more difficult recovery than someone who can. This is true for any surgery, not just WLS. I drove as soon as I was off the pain meds, Tuesday. 2) Slimes are when your mouth/esophogus over salivates. You can't control them and it results in a vomit like reaction ... kinda sorta, but not really. It happened only once to me a couple weeks after surgery while after having a different procedure and on pain meds, I slipped back to old eating habits eating a peach. I did not chew enough and swallowed too quick. My mouth filled with saliva and a piece of peach in my esophogus came out into the sink. 3 minutes later, I was fine ... finished the peach. 3) My procedure was in Vegas (baby!) so, I was on a plane the Monday after for a 2 hour flight. No problems, the surgeon just told me to get up and walk around the plan every 30 minutes. Early on, you are just going to be drinking Protein shakes and broth, so you can get that and store it anywhere. But ... some people do have a longer recovery. Some 4-6 weeks. Have you had procedures before? Use that to gage your recovery potential. 4) Water aerobics is going to be off until your incissions have completely healed. 6-8 weeks. You would be fine to go back then. Walking two miles? I did the day after. Probably more like 5 miles, to be honest. Walking post-op is very important. 5) Before I even check in, I stop at the store and pick up my shakes and water. When I eat out, I order Soups almost exclusively, but I have not traveled since I started eating salads, so I would probably do a soup/salad now. The first time, though, (about 7 weeks out) I ordered a clam chowder and asked them to blend it, which they did.

I told one friend and basically got the same response. After that, I told noone but my family, and that wasn't until a week before the procedure. And then, it was just to inform them. "By the way, I just wanted to let you know I am having a WLS procedure Friday, so I'll be down for a bit." And that was the end of the conversation. They have been very all throughout, but I didn't want to risk having weeks of questions prior. I just let them know I researched it and this is what I was going to do. Since the procedure, I have only told a few friends and that is mainly because they noticed my weight loss and are quite obese. I don't think you have to tell anyone about it. Even family if you don't want to.

Just to echo what a lot of other posters have said ... How do I resist the temptation? I don't. I don't deprive myself of all those terrible things. As long as I am getting my Protein and liquids in, I partake. But nowhere near on the scale that I used to. I will have one piece of Almond Rocca ... a small sliver of pie ... one piece of peanut brittle ... things like that. The sleeve allows me to do so, because after eating one of these items, I really don't want another. I know it sounds crazy to those pre-op or newly sleeved, but it is true. I am full and sated with that one piece. Cravings are no longer the 1,000 pound gorilla on my shoulder yelling in my ear, "Grab another handful!!" Nope. It is amazing. Now, can you do this a week after being sleeved? No way. Don't even try. You have to be at the stage where you can try anything. Even then, you may be suprised when that piece of divinity you used to love makes you want to hurl.

Yesterday I ran my first 5K, something I would have never been able to do pre-sleeve. I've always enjoyed bicycling, elliptical machines and working out in general, but, because of my weight, my knees could not handle the stress of running. So, with the sleeve, I started running 2 months ago and signed up for the Jingle Bell Run in Portland, OR. The race was yesterday and I completed it!!! Having never run a 5K (even during training) I didn't know what goal time to set for myself, so I extrapolated the distances I had run with times and figured if I could do it between 30 and 32 minutes, I would be happy. First goal, though was to actually run the whole thing and not stop and walk at any point. I was able to do that but when I crossed the finish line, my time was 26 minutes, 23 seconds!!! I was like HUH?! Did I just do that? There were over 4,000 runners/walkers. After the results were posted, I finished 400th overall, 228th man and 22nd for M45-49. I think I may have found my next additiction!!

Two weeks out I was probably getting about 400-500 calories. Protein shake x2 = 340 Chx broth = 150 At this point, just try to get your protein in and liquids. Once your stomach swelling goes down, you will be able to get more in. Don't worry. It will be soon.

In a totally 'normal' state of being ... not right after eating or when I think my body is hungry ... my stomach feels the same as it did pre-sleeve, Except for the reflux part, which I don't hacve any more. My surgeon fixed my hiatal hernia, which I didn't even know I had. He said that was most likely the cause of my reflux issues. But now, I have not battled it once. It has been great.

Yeah, wow ... 4-6 weeks ... I don't know what I would have done with myself. Sleeved on Friday, back on Wednesday. I worked about 3/4 day for the rest of that week and full from there forward. I think it best to get back into the groove of life as soon as you are able to. Don't push too much, but at the same time, we all know what idle hands are ... :smile1:

My Dr told me you cannot stretch your stomach back out. Are you drinking with your meals? If you are not eating well and don't exercise, it isn't all that suprising you are not losing weight. Get back to basics. Track everything. Protein first, limit your carbs, don't drink half an hour before or after eating and exercise. Do this and you will lose. As we have all read here, the sleeve is not a magic bullet. You can't just get sleeved and sit back and wait for the weight to fall off. You are going to have to change your habits. If those reading this think I am over critical, perhaps I am, but I am not directing this directly at the OP, but the dozens of others I have seen post the same thing. And to those still pondering the sleeve ... no, you can't get sleeved and kick back with a pint of ice cream and still lost weight. I'm sorry ... it doesn't work that way. You are going to have to make some permanent changes with your relationship with food. The sleeve is a tool to help you do it. It doesn't do it for you. If you are honest with yourself and your program, you will know what you have to do. It is up to you to do it.

When you say staples and stiches, I assume you are talking about on your belly, not inside, 'cause those don't come out ... ever. You can see staples? My wife had staples after her c-section and those were removed about 10 days post-op. My incisions were glued. I could not see any stiches. They glued little paper like pieces on top of them and they fell off after about a week. I put neosporin on them and kept them clean. There was scar tissue covering my incisions about 10 to 14 days post op.

This is independent of WLS ... This is an old weight loss trick. My sister has always sworn by it and she battles the bulge less than anybody else in my family. (Except for me, now :smile1:) I mean, come on ... it makes sense, doesn't it? I know from my own experience if I have taken one bite too many, I can quickly get rid of the overstuffed feeling by having some liquids. But it should not be used so I can stuff more in. That is the point.

Pre-op I could down a 16 oz bottle in a few seconds, no problem. Must have been my college days chugging beer, but it always fascinated people and for the most part, that is how I drank Water at home or at the club. Fill a 12 oz glass and down it. Now, post-op, at almost 5 months, I can 'chug' about 4 oz. If I try more, I am on the doorstep of slimes. This has been a major adjustment for me. I now have to remember to drink smaller drinks more often ... at home or at the club. So, when I was doing a 45 minute spinning class, I would drink my 24 oz bottle in 3 drinks spaced out. Now, I drink it in about 12 drinks spaced out. I just have to have smaller intervals between drinks.

This was posted by Lil Miss ... something or other. I think it explains it pretty well. http://formerfatdudes.com/460/friends-dont-let-friends-drink-and-eat/ I don't do anything 100% ... but I try to do my best ... and keep trying. Yes, sometimes, I do need a drink, but I have to think about why. Is it because I want it to drain through so I can eat more? Is it because what I ate tastes like cat a$$ and I need to rinse?

It wasn't THAT easy ... I was there for 5 days and didn't hit one blackjack! Not ONE! And I played quite a bit. Unbelievable. At least I was lucky in the operating room!