Lisa821

I havent but you should call your doctor immediately! We need to pose all questions to our doctors right away. That is part of their job. It is ok to post what they said but please call your doctor now. I'm a registered nurse and that is my advice.

It's the stall, sad but true. Just have to wait it out. It sucks but I promise it WILL break and the scale will drop. Probably drop like more than if it kept falling at the rate u were going prior to the stall. It did for me. 6lb drop in the week following my 3rd week stall. It's hard, but try to get ur mind off it. I was completely fixated on it so yeah.....I'm just saying I wish I had been able to get my mind off of it. If you can, ur a much stronger person than I.

I did it!! I actually worked out today! I stretched, road the recumbant bike for 15 min, then swam 12 laps in the pool. I swam continuous but there were some laps that were very slow paced. I picked up the pace when I could. The weight room was packed so I skipped it. It felt great to actually exercise. Mentally, emotionally, physically.....all good!! My next tiny goal is to do it again tomorrow. Baby steps for me....baby steps.

I really need to vent.I have had intense fatigue since about my 2nd wk postop. I'm about at week 7 and I am still totally tired ALL OF THE TIME!! Has anyone else lived through this? If so, do you eventually come out of it? If so, how long before you start feeling normal? I eat/drink right, sleep 8 continuous hrs/night, I work a full time job and have 4 very busy kids. I'm sure I get plenty of activity in a day. Now I am about to add in an exercise routine. Bahhhh! I just can't imagine how I am going to do it. I have zero energy. For instance, right now, it's 2:50pm where I am, I'm at work and if I closed my eyes for even 2 minutes I would be asleep. What is even scarier...is that I have to drive about 30 min to get home and I have to fight falling asleep all the way home. I just wish I knew what is wrong with me! My doctor checked my labs and everything was fine, I take my Vitamins every day and I'm just totally frustrated cuz I get kinda crabby when I'm tired (I guess most people do). Well thanks for letting me vent and if anyone has any ideas or words of hope let me know. Big hugs. Lisa

I would say "this too shall pass". I had the same problems when I was in your shoes. I am now about 7 wks postop and things do taste better etc. I have been able to get back to drinking one kind of protein shake (EAS Advantedge Chocolate Fudge). However, I have been able to pass up the goodies people bring in to the office, evening snacking, coffee and pop. Which are things I should skip anyways. That period, that you are experiencing right now, gave me a break from junk and helped me try other things and discovered I like savory and healthier food more. So although it was unpleasant to go through, it was very good for me in the long run. BTW, I do agree it's from Ketosis.

Thanks for responding to my questions. I have heard of Zumba but haven't tried it yet. I have a membership at my local YMCA and will have to call to see if they have Zumba. It sounds like I would like it. Wow that's great that you have 11 kids! I have four of my own and two stepsons. I know what a busy mom's life is like and many times I forget to schedule in time to take care of myself. Any tips on how to change my thinking in order to make my exercise a priority? I do the usual...tell myself "you are better able to be a mom if you are healthy and fit", "you a better example for your kids".....well I'm sure you know. You ARE an inspiration to me so I'm not surprised that others tell you that as well. I should have started my exercise a week ago when I was give the "ok" to go for it. I have been busy AND procrastinating....I have lots of excuses. Some are legit though. I do work 40 hours/wk and have a 30 min(one way) commute. Plus I do a second online consulting job and work 10-20hrs/wk on that. Also, I'm about 7 wks postop and have had intense fatigue since week 2. That's a huge battle cuz the last thing I want to do is work out. A friend on here suggested I work out in the morning, just get up a half hour earlier. I have tried by the fatigue keeps winning. I snooze my alarm three times in the morning. Prior to my vsg, I NEVER hit snooze. I figure things should start to balance out soon. I'm taking my vitamins and eating/drinking the way I'm supposed to. So if I don't exercise yet am I failing to work the plan? Or is this just an adjustment period? I wonder if there are people who never exercise since being sleeved. Anyways, that's for posting your story! You are awesome!

Oh my goodness!!! You look fabulous!! I hope I look as great as you do! We started at the same weight and I hope to be at the same goal weight as you too! I have a couple questions, if you don't mind. How tall are you? What kind of pattern, if any, did your weight loss follow? Like, did you steadily lose or did you run into stalls? What kind of exercise routine did you follow? I am just so happy for you! You are one hot lady! Big hugs! Lisa

I had my sleeve done in MX by Dr Almanza and they provided bottled water. If the place you are going to doesnt, then I would say you should bring your own. Good Luck with your surgery and happy holidays!

I am 7wks postop and can eat about 1/2 cup of food at a time. Per my diet instructions, I eat 5 meals a day and drink liquids in between. In the beginning it didn't bother me that I ate something frequently because I just don't get much for calories. I still don't get much for calories and I always start my meals with proteins first. However, I feel like I'm getting paranoid about how often I am eating and the fact that people ask me questions about my eating habits. I have read about other people being told to eat three meals a day and wonder if that's the way to go. At the same time, I barely get in 750 calories a day with my 5 meals and liquids. If I cut out two meals I would have to add higher calorie foods to the three meals and start drinking some calories. I choose low cal or no cal liquids. Personally I have always been the type that prefers to chew her calories. Maybe I should change that thinking. Also, sometimes I wonder if I'm drinking liquids the whole time between meals, am I just "poofing out" my sleeve? And, if so, is that good or bad or what. Ok, so I admit I can completely over think things. So if I'm being neurotic please just talk me down. LOL. Thanks everyone.....Big hugs! LIsa

Thanks you two. I do hope to tone up....well maintain my muscles and only build a little more. My membership may have a perk where I get "X" number of sessions with a personal trainer. I should check on that. I will swap that stretching with the initial treadmill warm up. I used to be up on all this work out stuff but its been a long time and a lot has changed. You two are great! Congrats on ur success and I wish u even more success to come!! Lisa

I also did not know what to choose as a goal weight. I have been overweight for long, all I remember is my lowest weight while dieting. That was 182#. I remember feeling really good about the way I looked then and that was only 53# from my preop weight and only 22# from my weight right now. Wow! That thought just blew my mind! On my surgery day my surgeon asked me how much I would like to lose. I told him at least 55#. His eyes nearly popped out of his head and said I will likely lose 80-90#. So I decided to set my goal at a 90# loss. However, if I don't get there I know I will be happy because I've only lost 31# so far and I already feel great relief of my back and joints. Overall, this proves to me that my goal should be based on how I feel at the time. I will know it when I get there. Big hugs! Lisa

I was thinking for a typical gym workout: 1. Stretch for about 5 min 2. 10 min full body warm up on a treadmill, eliptical or recumbant bike. 3. Go through the circuit training stations on my gym's weight machines. 4. Moderate-slow paced 5-10 min cool down on a treadmill. 5. 5 min stretching My best guess is that the whole work out would take about an hour. Of course that depends on how busy the machines are. If it's too busy I can always do laps in the pool, shoot hoops in the gym or do free weights. When I was a high school gymnast we would do weight lifting by using free weights. We would find out the heaviest weight we could lift three reps. Then calculate something like 75% of that weight to use as our workout weight. Then do three sets and still be able to do 8 reps. Does anyone know of this process? Is it still used? If so, what was the percentage? It's been so long but I can tell you, I dropped fat really fast. Of course I was a young athlete with a speedy metabolism AND I probably only had like 15 pounds of fat to lose. I miss those days of having a sleek, lean, tight little body. I know I probably won't get back to that but I sure can get healthy this way. That's my goal...to get healthy and stay healthy. So far I quit smoking the day before surgery, had VSG, lost 31 pounds and now I'm designing my workout. Next I have to start that workout and stick to it. Thank you all for being here! Lisa

Diva, thanks for the suggestion! I didn't think about a home workout. My mind was thinking about the gym. LOL. I could get up early for Yoga cuz I have it on DVD. If I wanted to do weights at home in the mornings, I would have to buy some. How many pounds should I start with? I think I would need like a kit where I could get a set of weights plus a beginners workout DVD. How much time should I spend on a morning workout since I'm just beginning? Any other tips? When the weather is nice here in Minnesota, which is only like June and July (just kidding), I can go for an outdoor workout too.

Establish a work out routine and stick to it! Two days ago I was cleared to start an exercise program. So far I just feel overwhelmed. I already play semi-competetive volleyball on Fridays and I think I'm gonna do the weight machines at my gym and/or swimming on Saturdays. Then Yoga/Pilates on Sunday. Because of my work schedule I really only have those three days for a work out. If anyone has any pointers let me know. I really don't know where to begin, I'm just spit ballin here. lol

THAT IS AWESOME!! Last Friday I was able to get my favorite old pair of jeans on and they were a little loose. Yesterday I was able to pull them on without unbuttoning them!! AND get this, the scale says I haven't lost a pound over this last week. There is absolute proof that I can lose inches even when the scale stays the same. Whew! I love the idea that my body is shrinking!

I went to MX 11/2/11 and had my VSG with Dr Almanza. I would suggested that you bring GasX strips, be prepared to eat/sip MANY freezies and sip water, make sure you walk frequently afterwards, wear a loose fitting sports bra and follow all postop directions from your surgeon. OH and by the way....after you drink the blue/purple stuff so they can check for a leak, DO NOT trust your farts. It is a great possibility that it will be a shart! It happened to me and many others. Unfortunately, no one told me ahead of time. Luckily, I had brought a lot of comfy clothes. They were nice enough to wash those clothes for me too. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

I want to figure that out too. Should,I eat more calories on days I work out? It will be hard cuz I feel like I have to work at getting in 800 calories as it is. plus when you work out you need more fluids which is just gonna take up space in my belly. I guess I'm just gonna have to dive in and try it. I play volleyball on fridays for an hour and saturdays and sundays I'll be swimming and lifting weights. I'll post about it and let you know how its working for me. you let me know what works for you, k?

Extremely good point Indymom. So obvious that I didn't even see it! I am very happy when I do the math. I have just spent sooooooo much time being attached to the scale that I am having a time letting go of it. I must remind myself that I want to lose a total of 90 lbs and I have already lost one third of that. It has only been six weeks now. This also shows me how fixated I am on instant gratification. That played a part in my obesity. These realizations are interesting and show me how intertwined my food addiction and dysfunctional coping is. This is great!! It's peeling off the layers that have been clouded with food. I feel like I finally get a chance to face these layers instead of skid over them, sort of like they don't exist. Food is/was a drug for me.....its very clear right now.

Thank you fellow "sleevers". Everyday i search the internet hoping for find something that will help me find the magic numbers. LOL! I know they aren't magic...I just like to joke around. I am someone who is crunched for time and I am a total efficiency freak. Therefore I have very little patience for trying different caloric intakes and protein levels. I may have been having a pipe dream but I was hoping that some fitness guru had come up with some sort of formula to help me get to those numbers faster. LOL! No such luck.

I've read about others "not eating enough calories". I would imagine that each person is different based on their size, how fast their metabolism was preop, whether they're exercising or not....etc. So how do I find out if I'm not eating enough calories. I've lot 30 pounds in 5 wks, which is great but not really the steady weight loss I expected. Could it be that I'm not eating enough calories? Also, if I'm not eating enough, where should I get these calories? I am already struggling to get enough protein but then I'm so full of protein that I am literally working at eating so as to get "enough" calories. I am really starting to get confused. I lost like 16 lbs in the first two weeks postop. Then stalled for the 3rd week or so. Then I dropped a pound a day in the 4th week. Then nothing for days. Then one pound, then nothing, then one pound and now nothing for four days. Maybe there is nothing I can do about it but maybe there is?? I get in about 750 cal/day and about 60g protein/day. I just got cleared to start exercising but I'm concerned about burning calories when I already might not be getting "enough". This is starting to get to be ALOT to think about and sort through. In my past, if things got to confusing, I would eat my self into a numb state of food bliss. Thankfully, I can't do that now but I would like some answers. I can't afford to see a nutritionist. Long story but the jist is that my husband is out of work from the economy, I spent my savings on my surgery and wasted a ton of savings a year ago trying to get approved through my insurance company. (They denied me so I had to pay cash for all those appts). Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

I have only burped a couple times but I do **hiccup** when I'm getting full.....weird

I agree that if I wait too long to put food or a liquid in it can get painful. I am truly hoping that over time, as my sleeve stretches a little, it will resolve. My biggest frustration is not knowing if it's gas or acid so I end up popping everything I have in order to figure out what will work this time. It seems to be my luck that it's not the first thing I try that gives me some relief. I'm thinking about going back to clear liquids then progressing through the post op diet again, just to see if that helps. I'm getting pretty desparate. I really don't like feeling this way. Maybe we will get lucky and someone else will be able to help us out. Thank you for your response. Although I am bummed out for you that you're going through this too. It, sort of, nice to know that I'm not alone and I'm not making this up.

Here are a couple NSV's for me. I'm sure others have had these but I just couldn't wait to post an NSV so here they are. 1. I can wrap my bathroom towel completely around me when getting out of the shower! Sure the towel edges only overlap an eigth inch but they used to be almost 2 inches apart. 2. My butt fit into the theater seat at my childrens play! No more squishing my wide hips in there. I fit just right. Maybe in a year I will be able to say that there is room on each side?? As one could imagine from these NSV's, I carry alot of my weight in my butt/hips. So far that is where I am losing most of it too. I am totally good with that. In my pics, I can see wt loss in several other areas too. I'm excited to find out what my next NSV will be.

Last week I had my one month follow up with my primary care provider and everything was great with me physically and with my labs. I have since developed this sensation in my sleeve that I've posted about before. It's almost like a hunger pang. It can't be though because sometimes I feel it immediately after I finish eating. It's so weird. My health provider told me to restart Omeprazole twice a day and/or try TUMS or Rolaids. I have tried those things and sometimes it helps but not always. So then I called my provider again and asked if it was ok if I tried GasX and they said it was fine. I have discovered that sometimes that works too. Pre op I took Omeprazole once a day for acid reflux but never had any problems with gassy stomach. I am wondering if anyone else is, or has been, going through this? Maybe this is something that will resolve after more months on healing? Please chime in if you have any experiences with this. Thank you.

I am so glad that you called your doctor! I am a nurse and I have found that too many people wait too long to ask their doctor. Sometimes, it's just nothing and the person has borrowed a long time of worry for nothing. Anyways, I also had this pain you speak of at about 2.5-3 wks postop.(I'm about 5.5wks postop now) My pain appeared very shortly after my husband and I had...well...relations, if you know what I mean. It felt the same way you describe yours. In about seven hours it was almost gone but then, all of a sudden, it started hurting again. Not sure what triggered it. However, I have found that it's much better now. Over time the frequency of pain flare ups and length of time it was painful has gotten less and less. No matter what, do what your doctor says and don't hesitate to call them again if you have more questions or concerns. That's what they are there for. Take care. Big hugs. Lisa