AliveAgain

I had my surgery in late Jan 2012. Hit goal about a year later, losing 135 pounds. Due to stress/illness, I dropped 10 pounds past goal. But now I'm maintaining just below goal (between 127-129) most days. I noticed a HUGE increase in what I could eat a few months ago. I still can't touch nearly the portions I used to eat prior to surgery, but my volume has easily doubled or tripled. I have to be very vigilant to avoid the treats and slider foods, grazing during the day. Those will easily bump up my carbs beyond 100-150g per day and calories into the 1500 range! I don't drink soda, happy to give it up. But I do enjoy coffee a couple of times a week, have to watch the sugar content. I only have a glass of wine every month or so for social occasions, never a big alcohol drinker. I'm resetting myself these past few weeks because I just FELT better when I ate a clean diet. I sleep better, think better and just want to get back to that. So I started back up with my trainer at the gym, she is kicking my butt. Drinking Water like crazy, Protein first, watching the carbs and cutting out sugar! You can do it, just remember what you went through to get this far, the pain, the recovery, the cost!

Are you asking if the fried rice will hurt or damage your stomach, or if it's OK to eat it to lose weight? Is shrimp fried rice on your doctors post-op diet? The shrimp is fine, but the rice is solely carb and not a lot of nutrition. At this phase, you should be focused on Protein to the max and adding very little complex carb through veggie form into your diet - not simple carbs like rice. Plus, most restaurants add a LOT of butter/oil/MSG to make it taste really good. Are you doomed? Is this the worst thing? Heck no. But I'd advise talking to your doctor/nutritionist about it and make sure it's allowed, if so how often and how much is OK. Only speaking from my personal experience and the diet my doctor had me doing - he would have told me, "NO, absolutely not." Rice was not allowed back in to my diet until many months out and is always advised only AFTER having my protein and veggie/fruit first. But don't kick yourself about it. I know I didn't eat "perfectly" all this time and it was good to treat myself sometimes to keep myself sane. So long as you know how to stop and when enough is enough. If you're losing weight and your labs are good, keep going!

There is a big difference between Protein shakes made with whey protein isolate and concentrate in that the isolate version removes a majority of the lactose found in whey. That's why nectar and unjury brands tend to be the "least offensive" of the whey form of protein. Most off-the-shelf brands of protein or those found in GNC type stores are made with concentrate. It's a cheaper more widely used form. If you Google a few sources you can find more scientific descriptions. There's one form ever higher and more filtered than isolate called hydrolysate that is just expensive for removing a fraction more lactose. I have been using only Nectar shakes since about one month out with no problems. My sister is very lactose sensitive and she used a shake with concentrate for a cleanse program and it made her extremely sick. As soon as she came off those shakes, she got better. Yes, there are pea, hemp, and other vegetable protein powders out there - but I have not tried any to recommend them.

It happens to everyone eventually. I was never a sweets person so all the chocolate, vanilla and occasional strawberry just didn't do it for me. I loved the more "savory" ones from Healthwise and Unjury for chicken soup, beef broth, and tomato in my first two months. I still use the Syntrax Nectar shakes today, mainly the Lemon Tea because it's very mild and tastes like tea to me, not too sweet.

Yes, this is very common among sleevers. It's mostly gases from the surgery working through your system, plus some digestive-related gases being expelled. Walking, drinking plenty of clear fluids, and time will help the most. It can take 2-5 days before the anesthia and carbon dioxide they fill your abdomen with during surgery to work out of your system.

Yes, Janice5/23. I've had body image issues post op, probably not exactly the same as yours - but issues nonetheless. I've lost 145 pounds, have been maintaining for months now. I'm very proud of my weight loss, and I feel absolutely wonderful. I did this mostly for my health, also, and am grateful to have gained a healthy perspective of food again. However, I look at pictures of myself and do miss some of my soft curves - especially some of the softness that I used to have in my face. I see much more of my bones now, and my skin is saggy in areas that will always remind me of my weight loss. This doesn't mean I wish I was obese again by any means, but yes - I get it. All I can say is that my health, happiness and ability to to do so many things like running, swimming, cycling and go for long days on hikes, museums, etc. absolutely outweigh the issues I have with how I look on the outside. Best of luck to you either way, the right motivation will lead you through any doubts.

Once you're off sample packs, Amazon has best price for tubs. They also have flavors outside sampler pack. My favorite combination is true Natural Orange (no artificial sweetener) mixed with Vanilla Bean in almond milk or water - Orange Julius flavor! But main go-to is Lemon Tea. Mix 5-6 cubes of ice, water in Blender Bottle with powder and Metamucil dissolvable fiber. Shake, shake, shake and little whisk does the work. I drink one every morning even 15 months out not b/c I have to but because I LIKE IT! I'm down 140 pounds, past goal from 265 to 125 an maintaining for about 3 months now :-)

Peppermint tea. GasX and Beano never worked for me, but strong peppermint tea does the trick every time.

I am 14 months out and have been able to digest healthy, lean sources of meat and fruits/veggies with no problems. I actually feel worse with junk food, frieds, etc. hope this helps

I would just work in weights and resistance training in with doing cardio rather than seeing it as doing just one OR the other. It's the best way to boost metabolism and they compliment each other. One makes you stronger better at doing the other. Unfortunately, you may have *some* loose skin no matter what you do - lotions, Water, exercise. Do the best you can, and it should prevent some of the worst of it. I was close to your starting weight but I'm shorter and had more weight to lose to goal. I have loose skin for sure, but it's manageable. My thighs/butt are worse than belly, and my arms are the least since I do a fair amount of exercise to tone them up. I've heard time helps the most, that sometimes after 2-3 years the skin bounces back a little so long as you drink lots of water and keep up the work.

The surgery to me was the easy part. Changing eating habits was the real hard stuff, and it's the most important part of weight loss success. I agree with the others, what's done is done and it sounds like you already know it's not working - move on, move forward. Do you have a nutritionist available to you as part of your doctor's program? Because it's not just straight calories you need to watch, but what is making up those calories - the ratio of Protein, Fiber, carbs, sugars, fats, etc. And yes, it's too soon for junk food. I found my stomach to be very funky about high-fat, fried, or otherwise "junk" foods for the first 4-6 months. Even now, I can't do fried very well. Junk food is made from inferior and questionable ingredients anyhow, it's horrible for your body in many ways and should be seen as a TREAT to enjoy from time to time. Try to think of healthy, fresh, organic, REAL FOOD that will not only help you lose weight but will help you sleep, think, and feel so much better every day. Also, are you drinking plenty of Water and fluids? That will slow down weight loss dramatically. At least 64oz per day, up to 80oz if you can do it.

I was still floating from the night before when a perfect, handsome stranger called me "a fit little thing" when I asked him where he got the amazing looking raspberry coulis dripping cheesecake he was holding. He said, "I doubt a fit little thing like you eats this kind of stuff!" Sure, I don't eat the entire piece - but I enjoy a bite here and there!

Oh it's great, makes flying so much easier on the body. I am able to cross my legs, get up/down and squeeze past people, and the bathroom doesn't feel like a coffin anymore!

Ha! He took about three "glances" at me and my picture ID before questioning if I was a relative using the wrong ID. Nope, just 140 pounds less of me...

Syntrax Nectar have been my favorite since day one, and I still use them today. Though it's by choice, not by doctor's orders. I just like them, usually in the morning before work because I always had difficulty making time for breakfast in my rush to get to work. I have an hour commute, so having the shake in the car is great. My favorite flavors are Lemon Tea, Roadside Lemonade, Orange Naturals, and Vanilla Bean. I'm not a fan of chocolate shakes, was good to find a line of different flavors. Healthwise makes good powders for tomato, beef, chicken broths for the first month after surgery.