topgun

I, too, am very resistant to laxatives. Any time I have to do any kind of bowel prep - ancluding my recent VSG - I supplement the bowel pre-op with an enema (or 2). I also start everything earlier - like 2 days or so - to ensure I don't have to go thru the procedure again.

Most people are on full liquids, not clears, very shortly after surgery, complications notwithstanding. There is no consistency in the medical field about diets and some surgeons took lessons in nutrition from the Marquis de Sade. I can't give you medical advice but I can tell you I probably wouldn't stay on an extended clear diet unless there was a medical reason for it. My doctor gave me a diet to follow, too, but he's okay if I deviate as long as I do it intelligently and not at the expense of my sleeve. Call your doctor and tell him what YOU want. Good luck!

As I near my goal (4 # from now), I have become fixated on food! I'm not obsessing about the quantity of food I can eat but only the variety, and especially leaning toward the out of the ordinary and even weird stuff . I've started watching all of the food shows on TV, especially those showing the sidewalk food vendors in 3rd world countries selling all kinds of odd stuff, like Zimmern and Bourdain, wishing I was there with them and trying all of the same stuff. My cooking has taken a turn towards preparing appetizers as opposed to meals... small portions of highly seasoned stuff. Although I should be, I'm not concerned in the least about calories or nutritional value because I eat so little as a matter of course. Is anyone else on the same or similar track? I'm really not concerned, I'm just curious.

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.

I'm 3 months out and - while I am positive about the surgery because of the results - I still have my moments. I miss eating a "normal" meal the most, especially after taking a couple of bites of an amazing dish and having to stop eating because I'm already full. Also, I have osteoarthritis and I cannot take any NSAID anti-inflammatories any more, such as aspirin or Ibuprofen, so I'm stuck with pain pills or steroids. Things I don't miss? The 105 pounds of fat I've lost and the huge fat clothes that I've thrown away because I know they'll never be needed again. Is it worth it? All things considered, I think it is and I would probably do it again. Is it easy? No. I have to dig down deep and pull myself out of the doldrums several times a week. You are undergoing major surgery (with a history of minimal complications and a very low mortality rate) and facing a lifetime commitment. Can you be 100% sure you're doing the right thing without hesitation before surgery? Probably not, and I think that is very common and also very normal. Everybody's mileage varies and only you can do what you feel is best for yourself. I think, in the long run, that this is a very positive step towards an exciting, new life as a "normal" person. Best of luck!

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'm 3 months out and - while I am positive about the surgery because of the results - I still have my moments. I miss eating a "normal" meal the most, especially after taking a couple of bites of an amazing dish and having to stop eating because I'm already full. Also, I have osteoarthritis and I cannot take any NSAID anti-inflammatories any more, such as aspirin or Ibuprofen, so I'm stuck with pain pills or steroids. Things I don't miss? The 105 pounds of fat I've lost and the huge fat clothes that I've thrown away because I know they'll never be needed again. Is it worth it? All things considered, I think it is and I would probably do it again. Is it easy? No. I have to dig down deep and pull myself out of the doldrums several times a week. You are undergoing major surgery (with a history of minimal complications and a very low mortality rate) and facing a lifetime commitment. Can you be 100% sure you're doing the right thing without hesitation before surgery? Probably not, and I think that is very common and also very normal. Everybody's mileage varies and only you can do what you feel is best for yourself. I think, in the long run, that this is a very positive step towards an exciting, new life as a "normal" person. Best of luck!

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.

Most people are on full liquids, not clears, very shortly after surgery, complications notwithstanding. There is no consistency in the medical field about diets and some surgeons took lessons in nutrition from the Marquis de Sade. I can't give you medical advice but I can tell you I probably wouldn't stay on an extended clear diet unless there was a medical reason for it. My doctor gave me a diet to follow, too, but he's okay if I deviate as long as I do it intelligently and not at the expense of my sleeve. Call your doctor and tell him what YOU want. Good luck!

Most people are on full liquids, not clears, very shortly after surgery, complications notwithstanding. There is no consistency in the medical field about diets and some surgeons took lessons in nutrition from the Marquis de Sade. I can't give you medical advice but I can tell you I probably wouldn't stay on an extended clear diet unless there was a medical reason for it. My doctor gave me a diet to follow, too, but he's okay if I deviate as long as I do it intelligently and not at the expense of my sleeve. Call your doctor and tell him what YOU want. Good luck!

WTG... I loved your post and I can really relate to it.
My latest NSV is the most memorable of my life. For the first time I can ever recall, I am no longer considered "obese." My BMI just went below 30.0 so I am now (temporarily) just "overweight." The Love-Hate Meter on my sleeve just went a couple of notches upward towards the Love side.

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!