UXgrrl

I'm glad that we're talking about this subject. I was thinking there was something the matter with my head. Today was my first day back at work after a 6 week leave and 35 lbs gone. People kept commenting about how much I've lost and how great I looked (even people who didn't know I was gone for medical reasons) which was nice, but for a few weeks now I've been studying myself and my body in the bathroom mirror, searching to evidence that I am actually getting smaller. I just don't see it. I mean, yeah, my clothes are a little looser, and my rolls are softer, and I can bend in half to reach my feet easier because my midsection isn't so thick when it folds up, but that's all... I guess it will be noticable when I lose more weight. 35 isn't really that much in the grand scheme of things.

I was wondering the same thing so I googled it and I think I came up with the same website you're quoting, because those are the same numbers I remember reading. I'm not convinced starvation mode exists, at least until things get really dangerous (eg. the % bodyfat Dorrie mentions above). I think the idea of "starvation mode" is another myth that people use to explain the inevitable stalls. I am fairly sure that my overall metabolism has gone down in response to the drop in caloric intake... otherwise why am I so cold all the time? Someone said to me that it's because I have "less padding" but I wasn't this cold when I was 30 lbs lighter the first time around... If that logic is true, then probably one of the best things we can do to speed up fat burning is to increase muscle mass (would would ironically show up as a "stall" or even a "gain" on the scale).

Don't gross out, but those Gerber Graduates Lil Crunchies (we call them "baby cheetos") come in a bunch of different flavors (tomato basil, cheese, veggie dip, etc) are not too bad. You get 19 of them for 35 calories. They melt in your mouth so you could probably have them on purees even, and are great for scooping up hummus, greek yogurt with ranch dressing mix, and so forth. I would not have guessed this myself but I was crusing around the cupboard half-crazed one night because I needed something with a crunch.

My NUT told me last week that I could be eating the steel-cut oatmeal that I used to eat before surgery. (This was right after laying into me about how I shouldn't have advanced my diet so fast... hello, don't these professionals talk to each other???) I actually really like my oatmeal but I don't like the idea of so many carbs. She told me to eat more white potatoes too. I just looked at her and said, "oh really?" And she went on about how much Fiber and potassium there is in potatoes. "Yeah, in the peel, which according to you I can't eat right now anyway..." That shut her up, and she got that look like she just sucked on a lemon. I got out of there as fast as I could. She was about 80 years old, and probably still had the original USDA food pyramid (the one based on carbs) stuck on her wall. Sorry, the only time in my life that I felt like I was eating right for my body was when I was doing Atkins. High carbs gives me GI trouble and makes me want to sleep. I'll pass, thanks.

Yes, there is much less total volume going into your digestive tract so you're gonna poop less. Although (TMI) I know that the day after I had a BM I'm going to see a loss on the scale

I agree with dramagirl28. I was talking about this to my partner tonight; she was asking me what my goals are. I think at this stage in the game, there's really not much more I can do to lose weight any faster... plus I'm not sure it's healthy to do so. Maybe when I approach the fourth and final lap of my weight loss journey and things slow down again, or I stall for a period of time... maybe then there will be something I'll need to do to stay on target. But right now, it's enough to just make sure I get in my Protein and liquids on a daily basis.

Linda, thanks for responding! You're right, we sound to be in similar situations. Good point about how pre-mixed liquid lunches seem to work better than solid food, considering the limited amount of time that can be spent on eating... I have a Magic Bullet blender with shake cup attachments that look pretty similar to your Oster, so that will probably work out fine. I think this next week I'm going to start experimenting and collecting recipes for shakes and temperature-stable Snacks. Did you know that cheese actually actually helps protect your teeth by coating them in Calcium? So you don't need to brush your teeth after a cheese snack (unless of course you can't stand the fuzzy feeling.)

OMG you all are just too funny... thanks for the LOL since I've been feeling a little blue after my NUT appointment yesterday. Congrats to all you guys and your improved equipment... I think that's totally awesome!

Oh yes, the first two weeks I felt terribly dizzy, nauseous, tired, weak, and fatigued. I couldn't go up the stairs to my 2nd floor without feeling like I wanted to throw up and pass out. I had to stand up veeeerrrrry slowly because the postural hypotension (getting dizzy when standing up) was a killer. This kept happening however much liquid I drank, and it's something I'm prone to anyway. Things started getting a lot better when I hit three weeks and could start soft foods instead of mushies (they advanced me to purees while still in the hospital). I think the extremely low calories, combined with the shock of the surgery and the anesthetic (as others have said) were what did it to me.

I don't have lab work scheduled until 3 months out.

I wonder that too, Kathy. When I see people on here posting about how they slipped by eating a bite of solid food two days too early, and getting really upset and worried about the effects, I get a little mad because I feel like we're not being given accurate, results-based information. WLS is not new; it's been around for decades. Human nutrition, while constantly evolving like anything else in medicine and science, isn't a new field either. So why are they acting like they just started figuring everything out within the last 10 years or so? I guess this is an example of a time when you have to be your own healthcare advocate. Educate yourself, talk to other people (this forum is a great place to do that), and above all, listen to how YOU feel.

I'm just about 30 lbs down and I'm having a hard time seeing it too. I mean, yeah, my pants are fitting a little looser, but every night after my shower I stand in the bathroom and study my face looking for change. Maybe it's so subtle that I don't notice it day to day? The real test will be when I go back to work... these people haven't seen me since Thanksgiving so the change should be pretty obvious to them.

Not that this is the most pleasant form of administration, but they make anti-nausea drugs in suppository form, if you can't keep anything down. When I was pregnant with both kids, I was nauseous and sucked on sugar-free lemon candies. I also ate candied ginger. Both helped, a little.

I gained a few pounds when I hit my first TOM after surgery (which coincided with the 3 week stall) and again when I ate too much salty ham over Christmas. Both times the weight came off after a couple of days, but if I hadn't been weighing myself obsessively every day (sometimes more than once -- I can't help it!) I wouldn't have noticed and stressed over it. It can be very depressing when you're watching the scale so closely and the pounds don't drop off as fast as expected. I'm trying to "forget" to weigh myself in the mornings because, if the scale didn't have good news, it tends to wreck my whole day. I know this journey isn't just about the weight but I'd be lying if I said that's not a huge part of it, and I haven't been at this long enough to see a significant improvement in my other weight-related co-morbidities. I keep reminding myself that, at my current level of calorie intake, there is no possible way I can't lose weight, however slowly. If I track my food and keep the calorie level down, then the weight will have to come off eventually.

I made this today and figured out the nutrition facts, for those who are interested. I made the following adjustments: 1/2 c. Lactaid FF milk 1 c. fresh-brewed coffee 1 scoop EAS whey isolate powder - chocolate 1 rounded tbs Hersey's cocoa powder 1 tbs Torani SF caramel syrup (a "pump" is 1/4 oz) 4 packets Splenda 1/4 tsp sea salt (I will use slightly less next time) I put everything in my shaker bottle and shook the bejeezus out of it. Calories: 187; Carbs: 18g; Fat: 3g; Protein: 27g; Fiber: 3g (according to myfitnesspal.com)

It does get better. I had the most bizarre food dreams for the first 2-3 weeks... one morning I woke up convinced I could email doughnuts, and it was so real that it took a couple of minutes to figure out that it wasn't possible. I don't even really LIKE doughnuts...

Mm! I know what I'm drinking tomorrow morning! Thanks!

I have been FREEZING since surgery. I used to get all hot and sweaty all the time, and I slept in cotton capris and tank tops with the fan on (in winter, in Minnesota), and I swear I can not get warm now. I always have a hoodie on around the house, socks, and I wear my long yoga pants to bed now. My partner huddles on the far side of the because because she fears my cold feet. Even my kids have commented on how cold my hands are. I don't know if i buy the "less insulation" theory because I haven't lost all that much, really... just 30 lbs, and I wasn't this cold when I was 30 lbs lighter. I think our metabolisms have taken a major nosedive to coordinate with the drastically reduced calories we are eating. Hmm, by my own logic, I should be exercising more, if I'm sick of being cold. Dang it, I hate when I lose arguments with myself.

Last couple of months was artificially inflated because of the holidays, and because of buying supplements for the early post-op period, but I bet it will be a lot less. More money to spend on new clothes!

Eew, I hate those! I used to get them a lot but blessedly I have not for awhile. What I do is take ibuprofen and/or tylenol (you can take them together if necessary but ibu lasts longer). That should help with the pain. Then start drinking. LOTS AND LOTS. As much as you can possibly hold. The more you pee, the better you will feel, and for some reason peeing a volume of liquid is more comfortable than little drops and dribbles. You can also try cranberry juice (make sure it's real juice, not cranberry DRINK, and get something with as little sugar in it as possible, because sugar irritates the uro tract). Guzzle that like there's no tomorrow. Alternately you can get cranberry juice extract in pill form from the drugstore. A heating pad works well too, at a time like this. If you start feeling like you have a lower back ache or pain around your bellybutton or lower right side, or start running a fever, go to the ER, because it's something very serious. I recently learned that appendicitis can appear like a UTI for some people. Good luck!

YES, go directly to the ER. The fact that you have an infection in an incision that had a drain is serious -- the infection can travel along the tubing deep into your body. You do need antibiotics but you need the RIGHT ones, prescribed specifically for this situation, and you need a full course... not antibiotics left over from a previous treatment. Incorrect usage of antibiotics is one of the reasons why we have super-resistant bacteria like the kind that cause MRSA now... this is not a lecture aimed at you personally, but please do not fool around with infected surgical incisions. Go now!

I hear you. I think this is one of those cases where every woman is different and it depends on how much fat has been stored in your breasts. I'm down about 30 lbs and I've noticed a small difference in my cup size but nothing significant yet. My mother and grandmother both were very.. ahem... buxom, so I don't expect to lose a ton of weight in that area. I wear a 42H and I've had a lot of luck with the Magic Lift line by Glamorise. Supposedly they were designed specifically for women with large breasts so they have a unique structure. I'm dreading the day that I have to shop for a new bra, because my size simply isn't stocked anywhere, so I have to guess and spend a fortune shipping them back and forth for exchanges...

Well, some surgeons require some kind of pre-op diet during the period immediately before surgery. Generally it's between 1 and 2 weeks of nothing but liquids and Protein shakes, but this varies widely. Mine didn't require one, for example. The pre-op diet is required for many different reasons, one common one being to "shrink your liver". Something like 80% of people who are morbidly obese have some level of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or steatohepatitis. Since the part of the stomach that is operated on is partially covered by the liver, the surgeon must lift your liver out of the way. An enlarged liver increases the changes of complications occurring. Another reason, which might be unspoken, is to test your resolve and compliance with the program, and see if you really want to go through with this. A liquid diet is what you'll be on post-surgery, and the logic is doing it before surgery will help you get used to living this way. Most people lose a chunk of weight during this time, so it jump-starts your overall weight loss. The pre-op diet, if it is required, is different from the healthy eating changes you'll need to be working on during your 12 week nutritional class. This is the time that you need to work on your food demons, figure out ways to deal with stress without eating, get the important people in your life on board with your lifestyle changes... that kind of thing. You might be asked to record what you eat, and you might be given a low-calorie diet to follow during this time. Generally you are expected to maintain your current weight or lose a little. Your weight will probably be recorded weekly or so. For some programs, gaining any additional weight disqualifies you from insurance coverage. Some people find themselves being very successful on the prescribed diet, and decide not to do the surgery after all. Hope this helps. I know sometimes the information given at the beginning of the WLS journey can be confusing.

The manufacturers of the Magic Bullet have started selling a version designed specifically for making baby food, called the Baby Bullet. As far as I can tell it's the same thing with a cute little smiley face painted on it, and the inclusion of a set of baby-portion-sized resealable containers. So it would follow that you could just use the adult-sized Magic Bullet for baby and sleever food. I've tried baby food. When my kiddos were small I made a point to taste everything I fed them, and baby food is kind of gross. Baby food is purely a convenience item, but it's useful when traveling, staying over at a relative's house, or if the family eats a diet of food unsuitable for a baby (ie. no vegetables, fruits or unfried meats). We made all our kids' baby foods and it's not hard. In fact, I was just looking through my collection of cookbooks for babies and toddlers and discovered that a lot of the food in there is perfect for sleevers. My favorite is "Love in Spoonfuls" by Parenting Magazine; we've done a lot recipes out of that one, and the kids love them, and they taste great to adults too. These kinds of cookbooks are fantastic because they make small portions, are easily doubled, and are usually designed to freeze well. If you want to try commercial baby food yourself, look at the labels. Babies have very different dietary requirements than adult sleevers do, and it is hard to find anything with low enough carbs and high enough Protein that is palatable. That being said, the crunchy Gerber's Graduates "baby cheetoes" aren't half bad, and you can have 19 of them for 35 calories. I'm partial to the Mild Cheddar ones myself. They are good with a high-protein dip when you HAVE to have something crunchy. They dissolve in your mouth so they work for the pureed diet.

@DebiC: Yes, some of the commenters from Allrecipes.com said they had luck using this rub on chicken breasts. You'd have to adjust the cooking time, of course. Yes, much of the spice rub is distributed on the skin, which we don't eat, so I lift up the skin where I can (like on the breasts) and put the rub underneath it. @Escape_pod: We never do both chickens at once either... we just make one, and save the spice blend for next time. Yum yum! I think I'm going to make this tonight again. Leftover meat & bones are great for making broth too!