lmmore

My stomach acted strange for months. It still gurgles every now and then.

Yes, check with you doctor. You should have regular bowelmovements, shortly after surgery. I think with me, was that I was stopped up for two day, and they went normal. Andthen some diarrhea, and then back to normal. best of luck. I use benefiber to keep me regular

Try tracking your calories, Protein, and carbs? Since your loss has slowed to nothing, try going back to basics. Try something like the 5 day pouch test to get you back on track. The 5 Day Pouch Test is a 5-day eating plan that can help if you feel like your stomach isn't processing things right. It's basically like your post-op diet but crammed into 5 days. The link to the site that explains it is Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test

Basically it's 2 days of liquids (protein drinks, Soup, etc.), then a day of mushies (tuna salad, chicken salad, eggs, fish), then a day of firm Protein (seafood, ground meat) then a day of solid protein (chicken, steak, pork, lamb.) The guidelines are pretty simple and laid out on the site. Changing things up by getting back to basics may give you results.

I cobbled this together from Tiff and lotusflwr80 recommentdations. Best of luck, Les

Before surgery I craved bread. I don't anymore. I have maybe one piece a week. Or two pieces, if I have toast w/breakfast. I do not crave sweets, or baked goods the way I used to. The only odd thing that has changed with my eating, is that I cannot tolerate peanuts, or Peanut Butter anymore. And I used to love peanut butter. I consider it a very small price to pay.

I was prescribed Prilosec twice a day a the beginning. At three months my doctor said I should wean myself off of them. I did that, and now I only need to take it once or twice a week. This drug is really not recommended for long term daily use.

They make to big a deal about the straws. If you don't have a problem sucking in alot of air, then you should be fine. They got me paranoid over it, and finally I tested it, and I was fine. If you get air bubble problems, don't use, otherwise you should be fine. Best, L

At 6 months, I am at a point where I can eat pretty much anything. Which is something you have to look forward to. At the beginning, you are so limited in what you can eat..... by any gastric procedure. It is wonderful when you have all the choices again. I am finding now that I have a harder time eating at home, than eating out. When eating out I can order what I want with a variety of selections. I eat small amounts slowly. Then I switch plates with my partner/husband, and he finishes the rest. So no waste. I really enjoy variety, and at home, I am not going to cook all that stuff for a few bites of this, and few bites of that. At six months, I have to say I am beginning to hate chicken. I eat so much of it.

Globe, here's my experience with nuts. Simply, they have become my sleeve crack! Almonds are not my favorites but I would about crawl around on the floor searching for cashew crumbs! It's ridiculous and it stalled my weightloss for about a month until I finally admitted to myself that eating a can of "healthy" nut Snacks per day just might be a problem... So, i haven't quit cashews entirely but I only buy single 1.5 oz packs and don't keep them in my home. I have to physically leave my home and go hunt them down on the base somewhere - either in my truck, at the laundry area, in my office, in my hub's office, etc. Pretty pathetic, huh?? I'm laughing at myself reading this... Anyway, 22 nuts goes FAST as time progresses and the carbs do add up, trust me. As you know, I could give a flip about the fat. Brazil nuts are very low in carbs too and yummy. And large. Stupid cashews... Oh yeah, I also started buying deluxe mixed nuts (no peanuts) so I would be tempted by fewer cashews and more influenced by the better nuts in the bunch. Good luck. Be aware, be very, very aware... :thumbup:

C

I'm with you. Cashews are most of my lunch. I fill up a small ramekins with them. I try to only do that once a day. But, sometimes it' twice a day. And, i have to admit that I have put the whole jar there and went threw half of it. I am sure they are what contributed to my stall. But, they are my go to snack. The best are the Walgreens Colossal. I go through 1 1/2 cans a week. Bad boy.

Hi all,

I just had the six month follow-up, with Kaiser in So. San Francisco. I was a little non-plussed. There was lab work for everything imaginable under the sun, but they didn't really cover it very well, IMHO. This was a group meeting with the dietician, and an MD. There is supposedly a three month meeting, but many of us did not get the invite. Although I did have a 3 month followup with my surgeon Dr. Le. I was surprised that almost half the group had the bypass. I am so happy I did not take that route. I had a stall for almost two months, but I finally started losing again. 5 lbs, this last week. So for any of you who get stalls, don't worry, you will get through them. This was my second stall in six months. I am glad I did not worry and had faith in the process. It was this forum that helped me not to worry. Our bodies change alot after this procedure. Alot of us at six months out have been feeling fatigued. It's normal. Our bodies, like I said, have been going through alot. We were giving the warnings about snacking. Snackings fine if you make sure your not adding back those calories, and grazing. My snack is popcorn, and I was given hell for it being a waste. But, screw them. I have given up everything. I am going to eat my popcorn Snacks. They are low in calories and they count as my bad carbs for that day. I only have them a couple times a week.

Anyway, the best luck to you all on your journey.

Hugs,

Les

It's just like with John Goodman. His claiming to lose 150 lbs. by diet and exercise. Yeah, let's see......isn't he about 60?

I wish you a good and healthy recovery. You;re luck they found the leak so quickly, befoe it did more damage. I know you may not feel so luck right now. As everyone has said, lower your expectations for now. Do what the doctors say, and keep yourself hydrated. You shouldn't be losing weight right now. When I left the hospital, I had gained 5 lbs. And I only had one surgery. You will retain Water for about a week, and then the weight will shockingly fly off. You'll lose all this water, and then all the fat. It will get better. I promise. Just hang in there. Best wishes. Les

I feel very lucky. I still love food, but in small amounts of course. The hard part with me, is getting variety. I must have variety, which is hard to do with 4 to 6 oz. When going out, I have found that getting a multiple selection appetizer plate is great with a salad. Or, my other half and I work together on splitting different courses. We seldom order the same plates any more, so that I can get some variety in. Buffets work well for me. At home, it's harder. I have become extremely aware of carbs now....and I seldom eat them anymore (except for veggies). My one carb hang up is popcorn. I have always loved popcorn, and that hasn't changed. I still have one Protein Drink a day, to make sure I am getting enough. Because I have been going away for a few weekend trips, I haven't lost any weight for a month. Just wrestling with the same two lbs. I am not worried though. I know that all I have to do is lower my calorie intake, and go back to basics. I am doing that now, so I should break into Onderland very soon. You will hear from me when that happen, for sure. Best of luck to you all, on this incredible journey. Les

That's great Labrys...who is your dr? I am switching to SSF on the 18th and have an appt with Dr. Le

I had my VSG by Dr. Le as well. Not much personality, but he is very good. I would recommed him. As far as losing weight I have lost just as I have been expecting. I will next be breaking into Onederland, and that will be a little after 4 months. The good news is I got off blood pressure meds, the week of the operation, and a couple of months later I am off my sleep apnea. So this surgery helps in so many ways. I am whering shirts now, that I haven't worn since 1998. It's almost like the 2Ks never happened. I can now fit into restaurant booths, get off the car easily, etc, etc. This is the best thing I have done for myself in years. Good luck, success, and health to you all. Les

Benefiber works great for me.

Congrats on a wonderful surgical experience! Good for you. Keep following the directions and you will be thin in no time! Good for you! I have heard great things about Dr. Aceves, I have been trying to talk a friend of mine into going there, but she is afraid of going out of country. I think I will send her your post for encouragement.

Gurgling is normal. You just had major surgery, you're going to feel like crap for a while. I didnt' feel good for two weeks, although i felt fine after one week. I am four months out, and I still get gurgling on an empty stomach. I would rather be thin and gurgly than fat an silent. )

At least you women have ways to cover it. You can do extensions, attachments, and wigs, but us men have it right out there. My hair is now so thin, soft and feathery on top, and it's driving me nuts. Wigs looks so bad on men, so I won't go that route. I have been doing everything else to promote growth, but I know it won't be until the new year before it starts growing back. Hopefully. If not, I am not above getting hair rejuvenation. sigh

I dont' know why people even want to test it. The idea is to lose weight. Just follow the directions, and you'll be fine. The amount your smaller stomach will hold, depends on the density of the food you eat. The only hard part is figuring out when your full. I try and stop when I know I have had enough. It takes a while for the brain to get the connection that your full, and if you eat to much, you may be sorry. It's happened to me a couple of times. Not fun. Also, you may not be able to eat everything you ate before. I just found out I cannot eat peanuts. I NEVER had an issue with peanuts before, but now I do. Cashews are fine, thank god. Best of luck.

I think either my co-workers are thick, or I was so huge that 50 lbs was a drop in the bucket!

Hardly anyone noticed when I lost 50 lbs. When I lost 70 lbs. Everyone went bat shit crazy. Enjoy them not noticing while you can. Because before long people will be staring at you, at that is just as bad as them not noticing. Best of luck. Les

Don't worry. It works for everyone if you follow directions. As for hunger, I doubt it is the same hunger you had before surgery. It's different right? The hunger hormone (Ghrelin), that tells the brain your hungry comes mainly from the stomach that you had removed. But, Ghrelin is also made in small amounts in the Pancreas. Usually, if you eat too many carbs, your pancreas can make you somewhat hungry. If you eat slider foods, you will continue that process. You're still at the beginning of your journey. Try eating 70% Protein, and the rest veggie carbs. Let it stay in your tummy for a half hour before drinking liquids again, and I bet you'll stay on track. I still drink a 1/2 bottle of Isopure a day, to ensure that I get enough protein. Also, I make sure I drink 64 oz of liquids a day. That doesn't mean to say i haven't had times when I stop losing weight. It happens. I have been at the same weight for two weeks, but I am not worried at all. I know that i haven't followed my own rules, due to having company and a weekend trip, etc. I had bad habits for a few weeks. But, i didn't gain any weight, and I am following the rules again. Good luck.

Have fun on the cruise Janet. Are you leaving your husband behind, since he went through rehab? I was just thinking that cruising was a problem for you two in the past....... with his drinking. You deserve to have a good time without him. Good luck. Les

Thanks for your responses. Honestly his feedback has made my week hard and it did cause some worry in my head. Because I do trust him somewhat as a doctor, and I'd like to keep getting my thyroid meds from him. What he said exactly was Vitamin D deficiencies, B12 deficienies, Iron deficiencies - similar to what someone just said a couple threads up. He did totally understand the procedure and drew it out for me - like I didn't know the surgery. But he is totally oversimplifying the lap band in my opinion - calling it a temporary surgery. I don't consider it temporary when it grows to your stomach. He made it sound like a hair barrette.

I think you can't have any alteration from the body and not expect a downside. So since he is my doctor I'll respect his opinion and be more careful on my Vitamins. I really didn't do well with my Vitamins for a long time b/c I kept getting sick on them. But now that I can eat more I seem to be able to tolerate them better.

What I would say, however, is that he seems to not understand what it is like to be overweight your whole life, basically, and not be able to find a solution that is workable. I mean, even weight loss drugs that make you leak grease out of your ass? Pleaseeeeeee......no thank you. I gave up a long time ago on weight loss - after trying every diet I could stomach. This has given me hope again.

Also, if I should find myself in a situation where I can't stop losing, I think I'm at an advantage b/c my mind and my body are really good at working together to gain weight. In fact, I am losing so slowly now. I would say gaining weight is a strength I have, easier for me than losing. lol

Even if it true what he is saying, I don't think those comments alone would have kept me from having the sleeve over the band for many reasons, but certainly because of financial reasons. The band was not workable for me b/c it seemed like a constant expense of maintaining/replacing, etc. No thank you. This was a whopping $14k, but I won't have to keep spending that same money over and over again, or even more for revision surgeries. Also the bypass seemed like something that might have to be operated on again later as well, as I read about people that are having those reversed b/c of nutritional deficiencies.

I also don't really understand why Vitamin absorbtion is an issue since we didn't alter our intestines. So while I'm confused about that, I'll assume there is some reason I don't quite get.

My Iron was low on my bloodwork, and my Vitamin D. They were both barely low, but low. But I'm always a little anemic so I was not surprised. What did surprise me is my cholesterol did not go down and my bad cholesterol went up. Perhaps my next bloodwork will make more sense. My diet is getting more varied with more fruits and veggies worked in, so perhaps that will help. My triglycerides went wayyyyy down. And I'm taking my vitamins more faithfully now.

Your doctor is not as informed on the sleeve as he should be. Tiff is correct, malaborbtion is not an issue with this procedure. With regards to your cholesterol. This surgery does not help that. It helps with pre-diabetes and blood pressure,etc. but not cholesterol. If anything, our need to eat more Protein doesn't help. You may need to take a cholesterol medication. My triglycerides also went way down, but not my LDL. My HDL, the happy kind went up, which is great. But it's the LDL that cause most problems. I take Lopid for cholesterol, and they have also put me on Fenofirate recently. They want my LDL under a 100 (it's a 114 now). My cholesterol is great for most people, but I had 5X bypass, so that want it under a 100. Good luck.

pills were one of the hard things to deal with, in the beginning. Like you, I have to take many pills. Many of the same pills actually. What I did, was try to find as many chewable products as I could. Like Calcium, Multi Vitamins, etc. Also, some liquid vitamins, which work well. With other pills, it was a nightmare for me. I had to take one pill every 15 minutes, which seemed like all I did all day was time myself for my next dose. What I did was ask to see if some of my meds came in smaller pill sizes, which a couple did. That helped. Then I looked at what pills could I do without for a few weeks without causing me any harm. That helped. I had a couple of my prescriptions changed. That helped. The problem only lasts for a few weeks. I can now take all my pills and supplements at once. But I hear ya, it was torture at first. Also, crushing pills didn't work for me....they were awful. I just took my small pills first, and then suffered through with the big ones, like Lipitor and Lopid. You would think with so many people having heart issues, that they would come up with smaller pills. For pain, I am lucky. I have spinal stenosis, and sciatica. I take the extended release oxycontin, and the pills are as small as the enteric 81mg aspirin. I hope this helps. Les

If you want to lose the weight, stay away from carbs now. As much a possible. Eat as much Protein as you can (70) and the rest vegatable (carbs), nuts, etc. Although tiff turned me on to Dreamfields Pasta, which has a very low glycemic rating. When I make it, no one knows it isn't regular pasta. I stay away from bread totally.

Great post. I always add a bit of something to my Water so that it isn't plain water, which I is difficult for me to drink. Now I understand why. Thanks so much. I am going to tag this post for future reference. Now i have to search out you tannic post. Thanks again. Les