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The divorce rate for bariatric patients is higher than the norm and there is a distinct possibility that one partner losing a very significant amount of weight can have a devastating effect on a relationship! Evaluating the strength of our personal relationships is one of the reasons we have to undergo a psych eval.

What is there to complain about? 1-2 pounds per week, consistently, will ultimately get you to goal. And. like deekaspor said, you can be losing body fat content even though your weight loss is not exactly ideal. Statistically, people who lose slowly and consistently have a higher degree of success with the sleeve than those who lose rapidly. A while back I thought I had stalled, too, but then learned that I had lost 15 pounds of body fat when the scale only showed a 6 pound loss. As long as you haven't developed any bad food habits you will be just fine. Good luck!

I pretty much tested a lot of different foods when I was at your stage and found I could tolerate more than just pureed foods. Don't stray too far from very soft, mushy stuff and don't sample anything in quantities of more than a tbsp or so in case your sleeve rebels. Your sleeve will tell you what it can and can't tolerate. Eating real food is one thing, but you'll never be able to eat "real quantity" like you used to enjoy. I've developed a sort of "what the heck" attitude about food because I eat such small portions. Food is just not a big priority anymore and a big, juicy steak is not in the foreseeable future for me, ever. Sigh...... BUT meeting my weight goal is finally just around the corner. 6 more pounds and I will no longer be considered obese!

I know exactly how you feel because I felt the same way. At least part of your depression and doubt is the result of having gone through major surgery. I'm a little over 3 months out and I'm feeling much better as my ability to eat increases. I can now eat more now as my stomach heals and it's much more like a meal than right after surgery. I went through a serious self-doubt period, too, but I realized I had no options other than to either make the best of it or let it defeat me emotionally. I chose the former and I felt much better since I came to grips with my decision. The bottom line is that I am now only about 25 pounds from my goal and I couldn't be happier about my decision to do whatever it took to be "normal." You WILL get though this and what you are experiencing is so common among so many sleevers. Best of luck on your journey!

I actually avoided pureeing foods. I chose soft foods and chewed them very thoroughly... never had a problem. Somehow, pureeing foods, to me, is just not a natural act.

I just went to my surgeon's office for a follow-up and was very pleasantly surprised! That neat little scale gizmo that he has that also calculates your BMI, water, fat and muscle ratio provided me with some great information. According to my scale I had only lost about 9 pounds since my last visit 2 months ago. The scale at the doctor's office agreed with my weight loss numbers but the doctor told me that I had actually lost 15 pounds of FAT, while gaining 6 additional pounds of muscle, even though my weight loss was 9 pounds. My point is this... while I thought I had hit a stall, my body just fooled me into thinking I had stalled while it kept whittling away at the bad stuff (you know, the "F" word...FAT!) So, take heart, you losers, we're going to make it yet!

Rapid weight loss is characteristic of the period immediately following surgery. It will then level off. I think what you are reporting is great and .5 lbs per day average is - I think - a tad above the norm. I am 28 days post op and I've lost about 27 pounds. Way to go!

Everyone is different, so it's hard to say. I was 5 weeks out on Monday & got a surge of energy that hasn't gone away yet. I'm finally feeling better than my old self especially since it's easier to do things without the added weight (I've lost 33 lbs since pre-op).
I guess it depends on how much energy you want. I was okay to do things by week 2 or 3, but still did things slowly and still took one or two naps and went to bed early until just this week.

Fried pork rinds! NO carbs (none!), 80 calories per serving and 7 grams of protein, too.

Fried pork rinds! NO carbs (none!), 80 calories per serving and 7 grams of protein, too.

You're in the very worst part of the post op pain. Insist on enough pain meds... you don;t need to be a hero, just comfortable. Better living through chemistry, right? I'm not trying to be funny at your expense. You will be dramatically better by tomorrow and even better the day after that. Hang in there, you'll be fine.

EVERYBODY goes through the "OMG what am I doing" stage! After surgery, hunger won't be a problem and binges will be out of the question. With those tools to work with, it will be easier to make the lifestyle changes that otherwise are so difficult to make. You'll make it!

My immediate family and very close friends only. Any others can just think I have great discipline and lost the weight myself.

There's something just unnatural about pureed foods. I'm sorry, but pureed anything doesn't taste "right." I pretty much stuck with a liquid diet thru this stage because I couldn't find anything pureed that was worth eating. Can I interest you in a very slightly used blender????

As I reduce in size, I'm getting rid of my fat clothes and my closet is emptying out. I've never done that before because I was never sure if I would need them again. I know, now, that they are a thing of the past..

The last time I had anything like "Fuel in a Bottle" it was 80 proof! (Sorry, I couldn;t resist.) I use the protein shots that Wal Mart sells for $9.97 for 6. I think it is by Body Fortress. It's around 26 grams of protein and it's only 2.9 ozs of yucky stuff I have to drink. I figure 2.9 ounces is better than having to choke down an 11 oz protein shake (that I used to love before surgery) with the same amount of protein

I went shopping today to Wally World and while I was there I figured I'd buy a shirt and pair of pants for future use when I lost more weight. I've worn a 3XL shirt for years and I had a 50 waist when I started my journey. Well, I bought an XL shirt and some size 40 Levis, thinking I'd be in them sooner or later. When I got home I thought I'd put them on just to see how much further I had to go and, OMG, they BOTH fit! (The down side is that I've got a closet full of expensive 3XL Tori Richards aloha shirts that I have bought in the islands over the past few years and they're just too big for me. Oh, well, I'll take the trade off!) One NSV is that I don't have to pay the surcharge for "extra size" clothes. The elation I felt when I put these clothes on was immeasurable and it wiped away any thought in my mind whether or not the sleeve was the right decision or not.
For all you newbies and pre-op members, If you haven't felt it yet, you will!

As I reduce in size, I'm getting rid of my fat clothes and my closet is emptying out. I've never done that before because I was never sure if I would need them again. I know, now, that they are a thing of the past..

Call President Obama... it's an election year! Sorry, I don't mean to make light of your dilemma and I wish there was an easy answer for you. I just get frustrated because there are so many Americans out there who really need help - such as you - but can't get it because our government squanders so much money on the undeserving. I think probably the easiest way for you would be to apply for a credit card and use that. Qualifying standards change from one lender to another and, while you may not qualify for one, you may for another. I really wish you the best of luck!

Call President Obama... it's an election year! Sorry, I don't mean to make light of your dilemma and I wish there was an easy answer for you. I just get frustrated because there are so many Americans out there who really need help - such as you - but can't get it because our government squanders so much money on the undeserving. I think probably the easiest way for you would be to apply for a credit card and use that. Qualifying standards change from one lender to another and, while you may not qualify for one, you may for another. I really wish you the best of luck!

Well, of COURSE American doctors think going to Mexico is crazy! They're losing business! They seem to forget that America, too, is FULL of people who graduated from medical school at the bottom of their class and then barely squeaked by their internships. And guess what they are called...DOCTOR! I'm sure there are good - and bad - Mexican surgeons. Do your research well. Be careful of a lot of the so-called "reviews" on the internet, I am sure that a number of them are advertising plants made to look like satisfied customers. Best of luck.

My latest salty crunchy snack is fried pork skins! 80 cal per generous serving, ZERO carbohydrates and they don't fill me up. They're a little high in sodium, but it's worth it to satisfy that craving when it hits. Added plus.... 7g of protein per serving. Who woulda thunk it?

Vance... you're still entitled to a life! I fully intend to have a couple of glasses of sangria (or the equivalent) every now and then, calories be darned! You're losing more than 3# per week... Whaddaya want, guy? Hang in there, you're on track you loser, you!

If you haven;t been sleeved, yet, don't stock up on anything until after surgery. Your tastes WILL change!

You are SO right on track! I really got serious about my pre op nutrition plan and wound up losing almost 60 pounds prior to surgery. Even better than the weight loss was the change I made in my diet that has stuck with me throughout this process. I learned to love my veggies, chicken breast, baked fish and all those things that are good for you. Also, I really lost my craving for junk food carbs. I'll have a little dish of ice cream now every now and then and maybe a cookie or something but when I'm done, I'm done. I do miss eating a normal size meal, but life's just a lot of trade-offs. Great going and best of luck in May!