PdxMan

For starters, I would address this with your doctor ASAP. You should not be throwing up almost everything you eat on a daily basis. I can understand occassionally, which would usually point to not chewing enough, taking too large of bites or eating too quickly. Don't worry about the scale. If you have read threads from other people posting about slow loss or stalls, the #1 advice is to throw away the scale. IMO, for the first 2 months, the scale is meaningless. Your body is going through a major change and trying to make adjustments. It is going to retain fluids and release them, go into starvation mode ... basically, you have thrown it a HUGE curve-ball. It is going to take some time to adjust, so put the scale away and keep believing in yourself and the program. It will happen. Just keep doing what you are doing. Down deep in your head, you have to know that if you consume 800 calories a day yet burn 2,000 calories a day, eventually, you will lose fat. Just know that you will also lose muscle, so you have to keep with your program at the gym and try to get in your Protein. This will work. Don't give up.

Motochic, I highly recommend you use MyFitnessPal. You will be able to track everything you eat and then review the breakdown of calories, fat, carbs, Protein ... There is a thread HERE where many VST members have posted their MFP names so you can also look at what others are eating. For me, the bottom line is to follow the rules of: Eat protein first, then veggies, then carbs Don't drink before during or immediatly after eating Exercise As long as I do this, I don't worry too much about quantity. The sleeve takes care of that for me.

Oye ... dangerous topic ... chocolate. Did fine until Halloween came around. Total slider food. DANGER!!!! STAY AWAY!!!!

Luck had nothing to do with it. My insurance did not pay. I had to pay for it out of my own pocket. As a matter of fact, I would guess that about 33% of the folks here are self-pay. Perhaps more. Everyone going to Mexico is self-pay. There is a sub-forum here solely on that topic. If you really want the surgery, you have to make some sacrifices, for sure, but you can do it.

I quit a few years ago and used those Nicorette Patches. I got the highest strength one, cut it in half and I would put one on as soon as the craving got unbearable. After a couple hours, I took it off. Rinse, repeat. It did the trick for me. At first, I went through 2 patches a day, then I was able to taper down to the point where I could handle the cravings.

What is your endurance pre-op? Is this something you could have done easily or would you have been huffing and puffing? At 4 weeks post op, you will be fine going for a moderate hike, I would think. Your energy levels will be a bit off, but I would suggest having some orange juice handy or some other quick carbs available.

It can be sensitive to the current screen you are on. For instance, if you are under your profile and select it, it will return *your* new content. If you are at the forum front door where all of the sub-forums are listed and select it, it will behave the way you are expecting.

It is generally accepted that 3,500 calories = 1 pound. So, unless that shot was pure butter equal to 10,500 calories, you did not gain a pound of fat. Isn't that what this is about, anyway? When you see the scale go up and down, it is not a measure of fat gained or lossed. There are many things that go into the complex fluctuation of weight. My money is on fluids, not fat. Don't be frustrated. I'm sorry to say, you are absolutely normal.

You're losing more than 2 pounds a week. I would say that is pretty good. What are you trying to eat? Eggs, which worked for me pre-op, weren't my friend, either until about 6 months out. I can't say I eat many raw veggies at all anymore, except for lettuce, onions and carrots, if they are shredded. My veggies are steamed, which I enjoy. So, surely you did not expect to eat ice cream and have great weight loss, so you know you have to cut that out of your mealplan. At 3 months out, I was eating soups(anything and everything), tuna salad, deli turkey, cheese ... things like that. Lean, high proteins. No ... it wasn't a party and I wasn't *loving* my diet, but it was what my body could tolerate at the time and nutritious. It was what my body needed. Of course I had cravings, but at three months out, I was determined not to sabotage my efforts. I knew that I would not have to do this forever and that is true. Just try to be as compliant to the rules as possible for 6 months. Do that and you will be so close to goal the excitement of it all will drive you the rest of the way. It will work, but only if you work it. Cheat, and, well ... you're results may vary.

Yup, same story here. Tried several. Isopuke, Muscle milk, several powders (all too sweet). I like the Premier Vanilla, but you have to either drink them a little quicker or continually *shake* them as there is a bit more grit. If you leave it sitting for awhile, the last drink is unsavory. Love the chocolate. Supposedly there is a strawberry, but our costco doesn't carry it and I have never read a review about it, so ... either it must not be that good or there is something unstable about it where distribution becomes an issue.

I had issues with reflux prior to my sleeve, but I also had a hiatal hernia repair during the sleeve surgery. Was taking PPIs almost daily. Now, post sleeve, I have not had any issues. Haven't taken a PPI since surgery, almost one year ago. As far as swallowing issues, imediately post surgery, there is some issues, but there is also a lot of swelling internally, so ... after a couple weeks, all was well in that department. No long term effects at all.

Good to hear. Just keep him moving and sipping. It will help a TON.

Milk of Magnesia was my best friend for the first 6 weeks or so. Take it daily for a few days. Even if you don't *need* it. Keep yourself regular for a bit to get everything moving and balanced.

2 pounds? OMG, that could be almost anything, but I can pretty much guarantee you it is NOT 2 pounds of fat. Think about it. 3,500 calories = 1 pound. That means you would have had to consume 7,000 calories more than you burned exercising and well ... just breathing. With the sleeve at 2 months out ... I don't think that is possible. So, what is it? Most likely it is water. At 2 months out, you are able to consume a little more than a month ago. You are also exercising. Calories get converted to glycogen for the body to use later for energy. They first get stored in the liver, then in the muscles. To be stored in the muscles, glycogen must bond with water with a 4-to-1 ratio. Meaning, if your body was able to store 1 pound of glycogen in your muscles, it would also need 4 pounds of water for a net amount of 5 pounds. This is a good thing. You're doing nothing wrong. Just keep doing the right thing. You are not gaining fat. How do your clothes feel?

Who said you have to give up the foods you love? It takes awhile, but now at almost a year out, I eat anything and everything I want. Nothing is off limits. There are two major differences, though. I cannot eat the massive quantity I used to, which is a good thing. Did I really need to eat the entire burrito? No. Now, I get to enjoy the flavor, feel full and enjoy leftovers tomorrow. I conscientiously make better decisions. Where I loved my Snickers before, I really have no desire to eat them now. Yes, there are other chocolate delights that I do enjoy, but the point is, many of the foods I loved before, which were not good choices, have no role in my life now. Sure, I could eat them, but I just don't want to. I've worked too hard to be where I am now and don't want to sabotage myself. It's a good thing. Fear is good. You should be questioning yourself and your motives. If you think you can do it without surgery, then go for it. But if you have exhausted those routes as I and many other have, VSG is a great tool to help you meet your personal goals.

Well, you can take the car seat on the airplane and buckle it in. I'm guessing you already have the medipacks which allow for keeping the meds at temperature, otherwise, you would have the same issue driving. It would be even more so exasperated by the duration of the trip. Nothing a little dry ice couldn't handle. As far as the pump, seems it would be easier to deal with on the plane than in a car, so ... Of course, you have to do what you feel is right. If it is absolutely impossible for your husband to stay home to care for your little one, I don't think traveling by plane is a big deal. Driving, IMO, would be FAR riskier for you AND your daughter. Airlines deal with far more complicated situations, for sure. Contact the airlines and explain your situation and needs. They will work with you, no problem. You will be the first board and allowed time to get everything in your area exactly as you need it before other passengers load.

You need to contact your insurance company. They are the ones who write the rules. You would hate to do something wrong and then end up having to wait ... Contact them. They will tell you what they need you to do. Document who you talked to. Document everything.

Wow ... 36 hours ... the drive back would be brutal. The reason I say this is my surgeon advised me, for the flight back, to walk around the plane cabin 15 minutes every 30 minutes to avoid blood clots. You'd be turning a 36 hour drive into a 54 hour drive ... If you don't mind sharing ... what is the medical condition which would not allow you to fly with your daughter? I have friends whose young child cannot eat and has a tube into his stomach. Also gets shots every few hours. It is more difficult, for sure, but they set themselves up for success. I'm sure your situation is different, but is there any way you could fly? Red-eye flight so your child would sleep, perhaps?

Welcome to VST. It is a great community. I am glad to hear you are starting a cardio class. It will DEFINATELY make a difference. Not only with weight loss, but general attitude, too. I feel soooo good after a good sweat session. I had good sweat sessions when I was morbidly obese, but never felt good about myself. Now, I do. I hear you about moving off of liquids. After not eating anything resembling solids for so long, the thought of challenging your new tummy can be a little daunting. My advice is to just take things slowly. I think it is inevitable to push yourself too far. At some point, I think we all did at least once, just to see where the edge of the envelope is. If something doesn't feel right, stop. Be sure to chew slowly. Put your utensil down between bites. Don't drink while eating ... ya know. You just want your tummy to heal completely. Good luck and let us know how things progress.

Your body needs carbs, even more so if you are exercising. It is a balance, though, for sure. I eat a TON of carbs compared to everyone else here, but I also exercise a lot, too. I found that I cannot maintain a high level of activity without carbs. So, there's the rub. Yes, eat your sandwich as long as you are exercising. If you are not exercising, then the, "wait until 75% excess body fat gone" is a good idea.

You might be surprised that post-op, you don't want the slurpee. I have changed my eating habits dramatically. I question myself as to whether I really want to put something that contains that much sugar into my body. Getting the sleeve has brought about a total change in my relationship with food, which is what I needed. Why get the sleeve if I am just going to do the same old thing. It just didn't make sense to me. Do I always make good food choices ... no. But compared to my choices pre-op, it is night and day.

I haven't been bold enough to try them. Check out this thread: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/11377-shiratake-noodles/page__hl__shiratake__fromsearch__1

When was your surgery? It can be for a few reasons. Any OTC PPI will work. Gas-x with eating for a pre-emptive strike helps some.

Do you have any friends who are runners? Or perhaps a gym that has a trainer? They could take a look and give you an assessment, I would think. Better than nothing. Shoot, you could use a camera and have someone take a video of you walking and then moving to a light job. Only need a few seconds. It should be bare-footed without socks and your pant legs rolled up so your ankles can be seen. Call a running store and tell them you are sending them a video file for analysis. Send it to me and I could tell you ... I think you could even do it yourself, if you look at the information I provided on the link above ...