Lisa :)

If you haven't already taken your measurements, do so NOW!!!! There is only one tip.....keep to your plan and wait!!! I know, probably not what you wanna hear, but it's not likely related to anything you're doing. Your body just needs to adjust to the fact that you've lost 25 POUNDS IN THREE WEEKS!!!! Celebrate that!!!!!....and hang in there

I'd say avoiding the Cheetos (and all other slider foods) should be at the top of the list!!!! LOL!!! I'd also like to add: Don't compare your results to anyone else....you'll drive yourself nuts!!!

Scoop for scoop they are about the same though!!!

I had the same feeling and it turned out that my uvula was a little traumatized during surgery. In order for it to heal, it had to shed a layer of mucous that seemed to take forever!!! I think it was finally gone after about 10 days.

Marisa rose....it will get easier for you too....I promise!!! I can remember, at about two weeks out, mourning food so badly!! I just wanted to chew and the thought of not being able to eat the way I wanted to just pissed me off. Fast forward almost 5 months and I am so happy with my decision. My relationship with food has changed dramatically....it's just not an important part of my life anymore and I find myself eating to live rather than living to eat. I still have moments where I find myself snacking mindlessly....but that's something I'm working really hard to change, or at least, minimize!! And as far as regrets go....it's the same regret as the others....wish I could have done it sooner!!!

I understand your frustration....I have been at a stall for 4 weeks now. I just posted this evening, however, that I started LilMissDiva's Boot Camp and I seem to have broken the stall (and I'm only on day 2). Here is the link if you're interested in giving it try. I recommend it....it's not really all that difficult....not torturous like going back to liquids would be. The hardest part for me is the amount of Water. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/28139-the-basics-boot-camp/page__hl__bootcamp__fromsearch__1

Sorry, I meant to post the link at the end. It used to be pinned but isn't anymore.... http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/28139-the-basics-boot-camp/page__hl__bootcamp__fromsearch__1

So, I'm 5 months out as of tomorrow and I absolutely LOVE my sleeve....it's the best thing I've ever done for ME!!! That said, as of this past Friday I hadn't lost even a 1/2 pound since I hit the 4 month mark. I've been exercising EVERYDAY as I'm training for my first triathlon at the end of June. I'm really happy with my progress and I try really hard not to allow the scale to be my only measure of success. That being said, I've still been frustrated for the past couple of weeks because this stall has been longer than the others and I have not had a change in my measurements. So, on Friday, I decided to break out LilMissDiva's Boot Camp. I started it on Saturday morning and have followed it to the letter....even drinking the one gallon of Water which is hard for me as I typically drink Powerade Zero. So, low and behold, I got on the scale this afternoon and I'm down 4 lbs!! The great thing about this is that it's not torturous!!! Anyway, just wanted to put it out there for anyone trying to figure out how to break a stall....give it a try, it works!!! I'm only at the end of day two and I've already broken my craving for carbs and salt (I had been cheating a bit on salty carbs, like chips). Thanks LilMissDiva!!!! Lisa

It used to bother me....but anyone that knows me, knows that I haven't taken the "easy" way out. My sleeve is simply a wonderful tool that has helped me in ways that diet alone has never done. I manage a group of about 20 people at work and some of my staff have asked their supervisor (who knows about my surgery) how I've lost my weight. I guess she says to them "She's eating right, is training for a triathlon and works her butt off for it everyday!" I loved hearing that!!!

Here it is: http://www.verticals...__fromsearch__1 I'm starting it today myself. I'm about to hit the 5 month mark and I've lost not one pound this past month and I exercise like crazy......frustrated!!!

WOW!!! What a transformation!! You look, at least, 10-15 years younger!!!

It's normal. My surgeon told me it could last a couple of weeks....and it did. Things will get back to normal in time!'

The scale should NEVER be the main measurement of our success. And excersize is NOT going to prevent weight loss!! When you exercise, you build muscle and burn fat. Peole always say "mucsle weighs more than fat". NOT TRUE!!! A pound of mucsle weighs EXCACTLY the same as a pound of fat. The difference is that a pound of muscle takes up 1/3 the space as a pound of fat. If all you did was exchange 20 pounds of fat for mucsle, the scale wouldn't move, but you WOULD see a dramatic difference in how your clothes fit, your energy levels and how you feel!!! If you really want to use a scale to measure your success, get one that measures body fat as well.

Don't step on the scale!! You technically need to go without any weight loss for three weeks in order to be in a true stall. I've found that my body needs time to adjust before I start losing again. I am four months out and I will typically lose a pound a day for 5 days and then nothing for 7 to 10 days. I have a rule I've established for myself. If I step on the scale and my weight has not changed then I put my scale away for 7 days!!! I also take my measurements every month....Something I started doing at week 3 due to the dreaded week 3 stall. The other thing I do when I'm frustrated with lack of weight loss is I pull clothes out of my closet and drawers that are too small (or that I THINK are too small) and try them on.....it always makes me feel good!!!

I'm also an avid swimmer.....I was cleared to swim at 3 weeks. My dr just wanted to make sure my incisions were all closed up and not prone to infection.

My dr wouldn't even allow me to leave the hospital until I drank 3 bottles of Isopure....once I got home I don't think I was able to finish even one in a day because I just couldn't stand them anymore. There is a reason some people refer to them as Isopuke!!

I was not able to tolerate anything cold during the first week....only room temp or warm liquids. I was also able to tolerate popsicles as long as I did bite them. I would also suggest you walk around a lot if you've got gas pain....it really helps to move the gas out. The more you walk, the quicker your recovery will go. Hang in there!!!....you should feel a little better each and every day. And if you don't, call your dr.

I am absolutely IN LOVE with the Syntrax Nectar Cappuccino flavor!! I mix it up with a 1/2 cup of milk and a 1/2 cup of water in a blender bottle and then I pour it over ice. I drink one every morning....it has kept me from going back to coffee!!! You can order sample packets and try several flavors. I buy the big tub of it from Vitamin Shoppe for less than $35.

I absolutely LOVE salad. Pre-op I could have had salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now 4 months post-op, I stay away from it because I can only eat a few bites and that just annoys me. So, you're lucky you don't like it

Sorry, I meant my lower right side I must have read a lot of those same articles! Yesterday i worked on adjusting my breathing during my stride as well as piercing my lips when breathing out and it really did help!! I still ended up with a mild side cramp but it wasn't so bad that I had to stop. As far as hydration goes, I don't think it's that....I drink several ounces of Water in the hour before I leave for my run and I drink small amounts during as well.

Slider foods are foods that go down easily and generally take longer to fill you up (or don't fill you up at all). For me, chips go down very easy so I have to be really careful with them....I LOVE chips and salsa!!...so, I try to just stay away from them.

It's normal to have a lot of head hunger early out, while you're still on liquids. I noticed, for me, that once I got to regular foods, I no longer wanted all the foods I mourned in the beginning. At four months out now, food just isn't all that appealing to me anymore. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I will partake in snacking on slider foods or sweets but I feel like when I do, it's the way anyone who has a "normal" relationship with food would do. Also, once you have moved to solids you will absolutely KNOW when you are full or have eaten too much. As for the growling in your tummy...it could be acid. Are you taking a PPI like Prilosec? My dr prescribed a PPI for the first 3 months and my tummy never growled or anything....and still doesn't.

You look amazing!!!!....like you've been this size your whole life!!! You should feel super proud of yourself!!!!!

So, for all you VSG runners out there, have any of you experienced cramps while running right at an incision site? I have been hiking/jogging for several weeks. I'm four months post op and just recently I started getting cramps right around the lower left incision site where my stomach was removed. My first thought was "I hope that's not a hernia" but then I did a little reading on what causes cramps or side stiches during running and it seems as though this cramp is right below the liver which, I guess, is the most common area. I'm going to pay close attention to my breathing during my run tomorrow and see if the techniques I read about help.

Dr. Aileen Takahashi (Association of South Bay Surgeons, Torrance, CA) did my surgery at Torrance Memorial 4 months ago. She is an amazing surgeon....she is an absolute perfectionist and takes her job VERY seriously. There are a ton of hoops to jump through but I think that is actually a good thing....she wants to make sure you're serious and ready for surgery. Oh, and Torrance Memorial is a Bariatric Center of Excellence....and the care I got there was phenomenal!!! Good Luck