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I think the main reason for the "no drinking while eating rule" is manyfold. 1. Drinking during meals that are solid food will help "wash" some of the solids out of your stomach and into the intestine. This has a twofold effect. a) it moves the food out of your stomach and creates more space for new food to come in (bypassing some of the "restrictive" effect of the sleeve). b ) it dilutes the acids in the stomach that will help digest your food and reduce the work of the colon 2. As well, drinking during eating helps you swallow larger bites more easily and makes you less conscious of carefully chewing your food. 3. Drinking also washes tastes out of your mouth, reducing the sensory enjoyment of the food you've eaten and encouraging more food in your mouth to reintroduce the taste. Now when it comes to spicy foods, sometimes you WANT to wash that taste out of your mouth, because it's too spicy! For myself, I am reducing the spicy foods to prevent stomach upset and reflux (I already take Omeprazole 20 mg 2x per day, that's enough, thanks!) and also to prevent the need for drinking during meals. If it's an "emergency", I do take a sip or two, but I never drink more than 1-2 oz per meal.

Fantastic! I see a BIG difference! But the biggest change I see is the HUGE smile on your face now. You look like you're having a great time and happy. Isn't that why we're doing this? We want to enjoy our lives; be empowered to do whatever we want to do, and not be held back. We want access to our dreams.....and now you do, because you took control of your life and future! Keep up the great work!

It's amazing how surprised you will be once you start trying all your favourite old foods and cravings........there's a good chance you won't even like them anymore! I've tried a number of "old favourites" (usually just one or two bites), and I didn't even enjoy or like most of them! Your tastes change, your tolerance changes (I still can't do breads/pasta, etc. and probably have eliminated them for the most part for the rest of my life!) When you're more stable (8-10 weeks post op), you can consider trying a bite of the McMuffin (if that falls within your Dr.'s post-op eating guidelines, of course)....just don't be surprised or upset if it just doesn't have the same effect on you as it had before!

I had mixed reactions when I told two people very close to me (my Dad and my sister). My Dad was VERY VERY supportive. He has been prodding me to lose weight (both with positive and negative reinforcement) since I was a teenager. I've been obese since I was 10 yrs old, and I am now 42 yrs old! He said he was proud of me for taking control of a situation that obviously had control over me my whole life. He said that he understood why surgery was necessary and that clearly, diet and exercise weren't working long-term, even though I have had several successful "episodes" of substantial weight loss. I just couldn't keep it off, and I needed help with that. My sister on the other hand, was EXTREMELY worried that I was making a permanent life-altering change that I might regret in the end. She thought I should give the "diet and exercise" route another try. She's about 20 lbs overweight and has never been obese (even after having 3 kids!). She knows how hard it is to lose those 20 lbs and keep it off, but for some reason, she thinks I should be able to lose my excess 180 lbs and keep that off! Crazy huh? Now that I'm 3 months post-op and I'm down 62 lbs, she's very supportive and relieved that I made it through so far without complications. I think her reaction was more about concern for my physical and emotional health than about judgement. But at the time, I needed her support, and not getting it really hurt! I don't know if there's a good way to proceed pre-op with the ones you love, who may not support you decision at the time (hopefully they'll come around!). If you HAVE to tell them (to explain a change in diet, or if they see you every day, etc.), then go ahead, lay out the facts and try to keep emotion out of it. And if they don't support you at the time, try not to resent them for it. Their reasons for their reactions are complex (just like your reasons for your decision!). In the end, they love you and want you in their lives (overweight or not!), and that is probably what is motivating their responses. Let any negative comments roll of your back as best you can, and remember why you've made this decision and why you want to change your life for the better. You'll have plenty to deal with around the time of surgery.....there won't be any physical or emotional strength left in you to be managing their angst and negativity! Good luck, and keep us in the loop. We want to hear how things go and answer questions you might have down the road!

Fantastic job! The road ahead may seem long, but look how far you've come already! And it gets easier as you go, since you've now developed the good habits of your new lifestyle! Soon you'll be rounding the corner on the 300's........ Keep up the great work! We're all cheering for you!

You're probably going to be as thirsty or more! Your body needs Water to run, and especially when it's doing the extra work of breaking down fat! Not to mention that you will be taking smaller sips and smaller quantities of food (including liquid foods at first). So you will need to drink more often than before, because your intake will be smaller than it is now. You will definitely get thirsty......and it's really important that you address that right away when it happens. Dehydration is a big problem post-op and you can avoid it if you drink regularly (so much so that you can avoid the thirst by "nipping it in the bud"!). You won't be able to "guzzle" in the beginning. In fact, even small sips may be painful and cause cramping. But that will change over time. It's usually as a result of the swelling of the stomach post-op. It took me about 7-8 to be able to take even a small sip without cramping/pain, but it improved dramatically after that. I am now more than 3 months post-op and I can take several large drinks in a row without pain. Though I do fill up pretty quick!

[quote name=Lisa ' timestamp='1345483003' post='455620] I go through this cycle where I lose 3-5 lbs in a few days and then I stall for 3-4 weeks. This, I guess, is just how it goes for me now...this has been the pattern for about 4 months now. I truly believe my body has to adjust to the losses, especially now that I'm getting closer to goal. Hang in there...I think it would be really really hard to have the sleeve fail us!!! I was sleeve May 14/12 and I seem to go through a similar cycle! I lose quite well for about 3 weeks, then stall for 10-12 days. I've had this cycle repeat every month (right around my surgiversary), and at first it was very frustrating. Now I know it's coming up around the 14th of every month and I "ride it out". Almost like a menstrual cycle (LOL). I guess the only anxiety is in waiting to see if the losing starts again after the 10-12 day time frame is up! And so far, so good.........currently another 4-6 days to go and I expect to be back on that downward trend! I'm about 1/3 of the way to goal now (down 62 lbs and another 122 to go). Quite a bit further than you are.......but it's no race or contest! We'll get there, when our bodies decide it's time. In the meanwhile, I'm trying to reinforce my new good habits and kill off the old bad ones! No regrets at all in my case. And I too desperately wish I could have had this surgery 20 years ago! I've been obese my entire life (since age 10!) and there is alot I gave up so that I could have all that food. Time to get my life back and enjoy all those things I've put aside.

So interesting! I love salty things, but my real weakness has always been sweets! So recently I read that if you have a craving for sweets, you should eat a pickle! Perhaps you need to do the opposite....if you have a craving for something salty, you should have something sweet (just a bite, probably with artificial sweetener, or a natural sugar substitute such as stevia). It will probably change your whole "track" for that particular craving and "reset" you! As well, there is a good chance that you are craving the salty items because your new healthy eating habits have dramatically reduced the amount of sodium intake from your pre-op norm. I know that I was eating WELL in excess of the daily recommended max. of 2500 mg of sodium pre-op. Now I use MyFitnessPal to track ALL of my food intake and I see that I generally am about 1200 mg per day of sodium. And that's without really paying alot of attention to sodium in my foods! I focus on protein, carbs and fat...and finally calories. So perhaps your body is still working on "resetting" it's balance point for sodium levels in your body and is feeling a "gap" compared to what you had pre-surgery! Also, if you're exercising (that includes walking, btw!), you're muscles are using electrolytes (such as sodium, potassium and calcium), and perhaps you need a bit more of these to replenish what you're using up! If you must increase your electrolytes though, it's really much wiser to do it by consuming items specifically targeted for that, such as Gatorade G2, etc. These are just a few of my random thoughts..........take or leave as you please! Good work on identifying possible sources of weakness and bad habits. Being self-aware is the most important step we can take to keep ourselves on track and successful. Both now, during our losing/repatterning phase, and for the long-term!

Looks like we are EXACTLY on the same track! I was also sleeved on May 14 and I'm down about the same amount of weight! I go through a "stall" every month for about 10-12 days, but this is now my 3rd time going through it, so I don't feel upset by it any more. Feeling great.....much more active and able to exercise without getting too short of breath. I've given up all my asthma meds! Also enjoying getting into all the clothes I had kept from my last substantial weight loss (100 lbs!) back in 2006. Soon I'll be too small for those though....then some shopping (cheap!) until I get to goal (135 lbs). Hope everyone is doing well and happy with their progress and new lives!

Many people that are obese or morbidly obese have a tremendous problem with blood sugar control. This is partly due to the fact that our fat cells when they are enlarged as they are when we are overweight, have a larger surface area and more insulin receptors on the surface area. these insulin receptors are activated by the introduction of sugar to our system and the corresponding response is for the body to secrete insulin to manage to sugar level. Since we have so many receptors the body floods the system with an excess amount of insulin which often actually causes hypoglycemia and a blood sugar drop following the consumption of sugars or carbs. As we lose weight and the size of the fat cells that we have are also reduced, the surface area for insulin receptors is reduced. Thus the insulin reaction to sugars is reduced and hypoglycemia becomes much less of an issue. it is also due to the increased insulin response that people who are obese tend to develop type 2 diabetes. The body constantly having to flood the system with insulin tends to cause the islets of langerhans in the pancreas to become exhausted by the excess insulin production to the point where it can no longer perform properly and is unable to provide natural insulin to the body. If the islets of langerhans are not completely destroyed by prolonged diabetes type 2, losing weight can reverse the effects, and patients are often able to reduce or eliminate the need for external blood sugar control of via medication.

As far as I can tell, the Propel Zero (nutrient enhanced) has added Vitamins (B + C) plus anti-oxidents. While those are great, they don't replace the important electrolytes you may be missing, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, etc. Gatorade (G2, has very little sugar, uses artificial sweeteners), has ingredients such as 110 mg sodium, 30 mg potassium and a small amount of carbs (5 g) to help replenish lost vital components that help you muscles work better without cramping and keep your kidneys functioning well. There are other choices as well to help with electrolyte restoration (I'm not a Gatorade stock holder!). - Propel Fitness Water is one of them. It has only small amount of sugar and 35 mg of sodium as well as vitamins B6, B3, C, E and pantothenic acid. - Accelerade - also has protein! But high in sugar (40 g!). 10 g of Protein, 380 mg of sodium and 1300 mg of potassium. I would only recommend this if you are really depleted in all your electrolytes or if you're working out really hard (later, when you're healed up!) - GU2O - is a powder you add to water. Is 100 calories and has 4 g of sugar (fructose). Has 240 mg of sodium, potassium (can't recall how much) and 26 g of carbs Those are just a few ideas you can try to get things straightened out. It won't be so much of a problem once you're into mushies and able to balance your food and liquid intake a bit better. Good luck!

Sounds like your electrolytes might need a boost. The all liquid diet can "wash" out some of your much needed calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc. Try drinking some Gatorade (G2) to rebalance your electrolytes. It should help.

Generally speaking, the recommended daily "amount" of sodium should be below 2500 mg. I try to keep it near half that, if possible. But it is VERY difficult as all processed foods are loaded with sodium and I don't have as much time to cook as I would like! Also, I love deli meats, pickles, etc. and they are also filled to the brim with sodium! I track daily on My Fitness Pal (not only for sodium, but more importantly for Protein and carbs, as well as calories).

That is incredible! 100 lbs gone! Woohoo! I wasn't sure where you were in your post-op, but if you're exercising, you can probably benefit from some carbs. As to the slow down, with the amount of weight you've lost, you are bound to slow down now. I see from your profile that you're less than 30 lbs from your goal weight. Now comes the hard part.......making those last pounds disappear! In the beginning, the calorie deficit between your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and your daily calorie intake was quite large. And you were losing fast. Now, the deficit is probably much smaller and the loss is slowing down dramatically. The best way to combat this is to increase your calorie deficit. Since you're already eating such a small amount, the only place left for you to make an adjustment is in your exercise. Each minute spent working out will pay off in the end and get you to goal. It may not be fast and it sure as heck won't be easy. But it will be satisfying.........and make you fabulously fit! Stick with it girl..........you're in sight of the goal line......keep up the fantastic work!

The first few weeks post-op you're battling water-gain from the surgery, massive inflammation in your stomach and the shock to your system from the general anaesthetic, surgery, etc. Once you've started recovering from all of that, your body suddenly says "hey.....where did all the food go? Are we starving here? Is there a famine? Might be....so I better hold on to everything I get until things look more plentiful!". It also depends on what your pre-op BMI is. The higher the number, the faster people tend to lose in the beginning. And then it tapers off as you get closer to your goal. The primary reason is the calorie difference between what your body needs to survive each day (basal metabolic rate or BMR) and what you're eating. BMR is based on the number of calories you would burn if you stayed in bed all day and did nothing at all. For example. 240 lb woman (age 40) 5'6" tall BMI = 38.7 BMR = 1821 calories Daily calorie intake = 600 calories Difference = 1221 calories = 0.35 lbs weight loss per day (under ideal conditions) Approx. monthly loss = 10.5 lbs 340 lb woman (age 40) 5'6" tall BMI = 54.9 BMR = 2256 calories Daily calorie intake = 600 calories Difference = 1656 calories = 0.48 lbs weight loss per day (under ideal conditions) Approx. monthly loss = 14.4 lbs As we lose weight, our BMR drops and our calorie deficit decreases, making it harder and harder to lose weight strictly with our eating. As you get closer to your goal, it gets harder and harder to lose those last few pounds! That is why exercise is a critical component of any weight loss program. It not only helps maintain muscle mass, but it also increases our daily calorie deficit and increases or maintain our loss over the course of our journey.

That sounds about right. I'm about 3 months post-op and I've noticed that I've gone from 3 oz per meal to 4 and sometimes 5 oz (depending on the density of the food). While corn isn't too heavy, it is remarkably high is carbs (though they are naturally occurring....). If you are trying to keep control of your carbs, take that into account, especially if you're not getting the results you are hoping for or expecting at your new portion size. Also, corn is quite difficult to digest due to the outer "skin" being composed of cellulose that can't be broken down by the acid in our stomach. The inner portion does get digested though, so we do get the nutritional value when we eat corn. But that includes the carbs as well (LOL). To give you an idea of the numbers: 3/4 cup (100 g or 3.5 oz) Calories - 88 Fat - 1 g Carbs - 21 g Fiber - 2 g Sugars - 3 Protein - 3 If eating corn is working for you, please don't let me discourage you or suggest you change anything! But if you're finding you've stalled or your loss has slowed down, perhaps try eliminating the corn for a bit and switch it to another veg that's lower in carbs for a while and assess how things are going.

Fantastic! I love your attitude about keeping it intact and adjusting it's place in your life as your size shrinks! You're totally right.....it can still have a precious place in your heart, whether it is on your finger (pick a size!) or on a chain around your neck. Enjoy this sweet NSV.

I'm just in the beginning phases of my post-op experience, so I can't give you my outcome yet, as it relates to my marriage. But I can give you some information about how things worked for us in the past, and how they are now. My husband and I are both obese, though I was much more so than him. My BMI was in the mid-50s, and his was in the high low 40s! He has been off and on an Atkins-like diet for the past 3 years, with mixed results (as long as he stays on the diet!). But he has a bad right knee (waiting on a knee replacement) and uses that and a number of other "excuses" to not be active. I myself used to be VERY active as a teen, but when I started university, I had to work a full time job to put myself through full time studies. No time for anything, especially exercise! I has always been obese, but gained over 150 lbs from age 19-42. Since I had the surgery (and even before), my husband was very supportive, but always made it clear that he wanted to manage his situation his own way (ie. don't tell me what to do, just because you're doing it.....). I have respected that, and tried to approach it by giving him gentle "feedback" on his portion sizes, letting him know why drinking with meals is not good even for those who have not had the VSG, etc. I also bought us TWO Fitbits to see if I could get him off the couch, and on his feet more often. So far, everything's worked very well and he's seeing benefits already. He has reduced his portion sizes (he now eats just one full plate of food at each meal, rather than 2 and sometimes 3 plates. He and I "friended" each other on our Fitbit profiles, and we have a little competition (purely for bragging rights!) about who's walked more each day or each week. He's probably walking 10x more than he did before the Fitbit! Remember, this is a guy who's favourite activity used to be spending 12+ hrs playing a single player video game, and watching TV for 6-8 hours at a stretch. He practically had to have the couch surgically removed from his butt! He's lot some weight (about 25 lbs) and is feeling more fit. I think he's starting to feel the benefits of having a higher activity level, without me nagging him. Nothing works as well as positive self-reinforcement! I really don't know how things will stand between us when I lose another 125 lbs. I have never been below 177 lbs in my life (not even as a teen), so I don't know how I will be feeling/behaving, etc. I never did the "flirting" thing.....didn't get hit on by men.....didn't want to dress sexy or show off my body at all. Who knows how I will feel when I'm at goal (135 lbs)? I've never been there (at least not since I was about 11 years old, and at that time, I was already obese!) I love my husband and he loves me. We are only 2 years married (on Sept. 12 this year!) and he's only ever known me at my 300 lb+ size (+/- 40 lbs). He is a wonderful man who loves me for who I am, inside and out! And of course, I feel the same way about him. But only the next year will show us how things will unfold. I believe (and this is a good general approach to marriage, I think) that the best way to avoid problems is to talk things out, as early as they start to appear and make waves. That way we're both on the same page and facing the issues rather than avoiding them and letting them build up into mountains. Mole hills are easier to break down and conquer! Good luck and try not to let any fear of "what will happen in the future" impact your decision now to get healthier. Above all, I'm sure your husband wants to have you in his life as long as possible and that is obviously going to improve with your weight loss. Similarly, he probably wants to be with you and in your life as long as possible and perhaps he will come to realize that somehow joining you in your new lifestyle will give you additional years together that are happy, healthy and a new direction you can share. Good luck!

That's good news.........you got lucky! So I guess from now on, the important thing is to slow down and give more thought to your actions before you do something and double check it's okay for you pre-op and even more important post-op! This is a MAJOR change in your life, on almost all fronts, so it will be difficult to remember everything you're supposed to do and what you're not supposed to eat, or do. Try to keep your most important information close-by so you can refer to things when you need direction, and come visit VST when you're not sure. Someone here will help, no doubt! Good luck with your surgery and welcome to the Loser's Bench! You will be happy with Dr. Kelly and his team, I'm sure. He's a great surgeon with a fantastic bedside manner and Omar and Cecey (Dr. Kelly's wife) are the best.

I have the big "caboose" and a large "front end". What a picture! I'm MORE than curvy, in all directions! But I'm down close to 55 lbs about 11 weeks post-op and I actually do see it shrinking! I take measurements on my "surgiversary" and I do pictures (front, side and back) every 2 months. You will get there...........the incredible shrinking butt is going to be YOU.........believe it! As to not felling that big, it's amazing! I obviously think I'm smaller than I am (and was). I used to sport a large variety of bruises all over my body from trying to get through spaces I can't fit through, walking past walls and thinking I had room to spare, etc. If that's not a strong indication of a messed-up body image, I don't know what is! I'm hoping my size will shrink down to what my brain thinks it really is.........so that I stop running into things! LOL

Wow.....really fantastic! Everything is smaller except your glasses and your smile! And you've got lots to smile about! Keep up the great work and savour the NSVs like this. They are the little things we never even thought about pre-op and now we get them on a daily basis. You've taken back your life and living it to the fullest..........yeah!

When the surgeon and/or hospital administer blood thinners pre and post-op, they are using a controlled dose; they are aware of the pathophysiological activity of the drug they are administering and they know the best way to control the amount to keep it from being too high or too low for that particular patient's medical history, weight, etc. When the patient takes meds themselves, they often are unable to answer important questions about what they took, what strength and dosage and frequency ,etc. That leaves a lot of guesswork for the surgeon and support staff and can introduce unforeseen complications related to excess bleeding, or not enough thinning (should they decide to forgo injected blood thinners due to the patient taking an oral med themselves). There is a good chance you will still be able to proceed with your surgery, as long as you can give Dr. Kelly a complete picture of what you took and any possible medical history-related items that are particular to you. He will know which questions to ask so that he can make that decision and advise you accordingly. Get in touch with him right away (try Omar again, if he hasn't responded in a reasonable period of time. He's usually very fast to reply). And definitely stop taking the Ibuprofen immediately! Good luck!

The smile on your face says it all.........! Congratulations on your success so far. Those NSVs are the greatest, aren't they? By the time you are in the wedding in December, you will have to get a significant refit done! Keep up the great work, and keep smiling. You have a lot to be happy about!

Yup, I agree completely! I only posted my response for anyone else who's read the thread and is calorie and fat-aware such as me so they are tuned into the numbers around pepperoni. They can then decide if it's right for them with a more complete nutritional picture! Exactly as you say, everyone has their own approach, and I'm not suggesting my way is the only or best way! There are more ways "under the sun" than there are people....... Keep up the great work! Cheers.

No question, pepperoni slices are yummy. But for me at this point in my post-op (approx. 3 months), my calorie intake is about 600-650 per day. Just 6 slices of pepperoni have 140 calories and 13 g of fat, but only 5 g of protein! When I eat them, I feel like I've "blown the budget' when it comes to fat and calories (I target about 20-22 g of fat per day and 60+ g of protein). Those 6 pepperoni slices are: - 60% of my fat "budget" for the day - only provide about 8% of my day's protein requirements - at 140 calories, it's about 22% of my day's calories I would have to eat 12 x that amount (a whopping 72 slices!) to get my full 60 g of protein. And it would be 156 g of fat (more than a week's worth!) and 1680 calories (again, close to 3 days worth). Doesn't seem fair, does it? When I feel tempted to eat pepperoni, I eat one or two slices and them supplement with some cottage cheese (1%). A 4 oz serving of 1% cottage cheese provides: - 0 carbs - 90 calories - 1 g of fat (<5% of daily target) - 14 g of protein (23% of daily target) - 270 mg of sodium (12% of daily target) I would only have to eat 17 oz of cottage cheese to get my full 60 g of protein, with only 4 g of fat, and only 386 calories! That being said, not everyone likes cottage cheese (flavour, texture, etc.) and sometimes you just want to bite and chew (hard to do with cottage cheese!). I couldn't eat 17 oz of cottage cheese, believe me! Who would? I'm just using it as a comparative example. And I am certainly not Ms. Perfect when it comes to my eating either! But thinking about my day's food as if it fits into a "budget" seems to work for me. Once I've "spent" my allotment in each area, I'm done for the day (except protein, which I always try to increase, where possible). It's keeps me in check and so far my results have been good and I'm less tempted to cheat. And of course, using tools to monitor your food intake, nutritional information, etc. are vital. We have to know what we're putting into our bodies, how much fat, carbs, protein, sodium, etc. I started out using Sparkpeople.com but I bought a Fitbit, and Iiked the fact that it interfaced with MyFitnessPal (MFP), so I use MFP to track everything. They have a good smartphone app, so I have no excuses for not logging and knowing where I stand at any particular point in time.