Ysettle4less

Yay! Congratulations! I can't wait to join you in Onderland....I'm close...I can SEE it, & it's beautiful!! Just...can't...quiet...reach...it!! :-/

Today, after almost a full month stall, I reached onederland! I'm -63 lbs since surgery and couldn't be happier. I have gone from a size 24 to a 14/16 - and that changes almost weekly it seems. A couple of things I learned along the way:
1. Don't stress in the early days - just trust that the weight will come off
2. I stopped comparing myself to others in terms of how fast or slow I was losing - this helped me to just focus on myself (note - lots of people put their highest weight as their starting weight so not all of the weight loss was following the surgery - just be aware of this if you are comparing yourself which we all do in the early days)
3. Save all that money you are not spending on food for all the clothes that you are going to buy and then grow out of really quickly
4. Find a buddy who is going to inspire you to exercise or eat better or whatever you struggle with - I found one and it makes a big difference
5. Enjoy the journey - I know that I certainly am!

I detest tracking too, so I try to make a game of it. I reward myself when I record my meal. I try to record my foods before I eat them. Now that I'm post-op, I find my OCD kicking in because I want to make sure I hit my Protein for the day, and Fluid levels, and etc. I don't have much advice for you except to say I feel your pain. Sometimes there's nothing to it but to just force yourself to do it. Good luck!

IMO - You need to get that Protein up to around 65 daily and calories no less than 500. Try clear Isopure 40 gm from GNC, not cheap but I met my Protein goals. Or you can try PremierProtein 30gm from Costco/Sams Club in chocolate or vanilla.
I drank a Protein shake every day until I could "eat" my protein goals. This will up your calories too. You don't want to go into starvation mode, this will cause a stall. Eat day you will fight to eat/drink enough. So odd for us former fatties.
Good luck. I love my sleeve and have no regrets.

My sleeve was 12/28, I had a surgeon who does a single incision approach and my BMI and body type allowed it.
A weird complication I did not expect was Migraine triggers . Which for me is lying around too much, post stress headache, low sugar, low fluids. Soooo perfect storm, I got imitrex injection in hospital, but it returned and I suffered through one night until I could get melt in your mouth med called in. Just something I had not planned on.
The other thing is severe aversion to sweetness, so here the clear Liquid Protein supplement has been impossible. Isopure, and a couple others all resulted in terrible nausea, and after vomiting day 2 I said forget it.
My weight was 265 when I decided to proceed with surgical option . BMI 42, morbid obesity, which surprised people I know, guess being tall helped to hide some of it. The funny thing is that on a day when I felt good , thought I looked good, I would see a photo and say " wow, awful" . Course that's when I allowed a picture to be taken.
After a liver diet for 2-3 weeks, minus Christmas dinner ( mostly meat), I lost 17lb.
I weighed to day and I am 242 on Clear liquids.
Today is the first day I don't feel like a sick person. No pain meds, drinking more liquids, learning about my stomach. I am looking forward to full liquids, and today I actually felt some hunger. I will enjoy scrambled eggs and cottage cheese in 2 weeks, that's what I thought today.
I have read some blogs where people have had no nausea, are getting in all,the fluids , and Proteins in that first week. I am happy for them for sure, but oddly these minor issues I am having is teaching me more about me new stomach, and i appreciate that it's not all roses.
As an NP I counsel pt on lifestyle changes all the time, I eat whole foods, am active, and have some advanced knowledge of nutrition. What I can't control well is the metabolic dysfunction associated with my obesity, and the losing battle over my 45 yrs. I am excited now to put into practice my knowledge and have this tool as leverage to beat obesity metabolic dysfunction .

This has been a very hot topic over the last few weeks. And I've got to say that things can get pretty heated and very preachy. Now, I know the "preachy" posters mean well and many have survived very harrowing life threatening complications (Iggy is one of them ...she nearly died). BUT, when chastising one person for "cheating" based on his/her particular doctor's conservative guidelines you are completely discrediting the other 50% of the docs who have more liberal guidelines.
It is obvious from the wildly varied physicians post surgery instructions and "absolutes" that there is NO standardized guidelines. One surgeon allows mushy foods in the hospital, one says Clear liquids for 7 days, another one says Clear Liquids for 2 days then full liquids for 7 days then mushy, the next one says full liquids immediately after a leak test..... and on and on. One of the recent threads has a poster who was allowed STEAK 3 weeks!!!!!
Obviously there is no consensus....and I'd find it hard to believe that the docs who are more liberal with post-op diets are incompetent or negligent. And in order to be so arrogant about one surgeons individual directives over another, that is the approach you would have to take. So, at this point I believe that the more conservative docs may be in CYA mode because people can be given and inch and take a mile. And I can say with almost certainty that the more liberal docs have never run into a complication that they believe was caused by patient compliance or their liberal guidelines. If they would have they would have immediately turned to the conservative route because malpractice sucks....

Now, to my individual experience. My doc's instructions fall into the conservative category... (clear liquids for 7 days then full liquids for 7 days then mushy).... I am 11 days out and for me to believe it poses a danger to eat some mushy oatmeal or thinned mash pototoes would mean I would have to believe that half the bariatric surgeons in the US are incompetent and negligent. Now, that does not mean I'm going to go hog wild and order a pizza and eat a steak tomorrow. I have no intention of eating solids until I've progressed along the actual phases. I am using common sense, my own research and my brain to make choices.

Oh goodness, yes, people do cheat. Does that mean it is okay to do so? Absolutely not. Your doctor doesn't put you on the post-op diet to torture you, it is done for good, solid medical reasons. You just had 3/4 of your stomach removed. It is being held together by a staple line and needs time to heal. Basically, the more solid your food, the harder your stomach has to work to digest it. It doesn't have to work very hard to digest liquids, thus it doesn't put excessive pressure, pulling, etc. on your new staple line and that gives it the time that is needed to heal. That is the reason for the post-op diet and the slow progression to the various stages of eating. If you don't follow your doctors guidelines, you are basically playing Russian Roulette with your life. There is no guarantee you will get a leak, but there is no guarantee you won't either. Leaks can be life-threatening.
I understand how difficult the post-op diet can be, and I am not going to lecture or condemn you for what choices you make with your body. It is your body, you own it and nobody can force you to follow your doctors orders or not. However, my advice is to follow your doctors and nutritionists guidelines to a tee, they are only looking out for your best interest. And like them, I also want to see you succeed and live a long, healthy and happy life.
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My dietician told me to stay away from pizza because of the dough, but she said I can eat the toppings (cheese and sauce). However I'm thinking thin crust would be okay once time has elapsed. I was looking for pizza alternatives recently and I came across this recipe that I can't wait to try in a few weeks!
http://www.eat-drink-smile.com/2011/04/cauliflower-crust-pizza.html

Perhaps he is jealous that you are doing something for yourself. Keep your head up! You have to take care of you!

Perhaps he is jealous that you are doing something for yourself. Keep your head up! You have to take care of you!

No but i did have a moment of silence for the part that was removed.... We had many good meals together. Apart of me was taken away when it left. Wait thats y i had the surgery Lol

I have found more support and resources on here than I ever have for my doc/nut.

But you are doing it on your own, the sleeve is only a tool and you can gain weight back later if you're not careful. And who cares what they think or say anyway? You did this for you and for your own reasons, and if they can be supportive, then screw em. You shouldn't be ashamed or embarrassed about doing something to help you live a better life. Keep your head up and flaunt it when you got it

I was sleeved Dec. 16th and I am down 16 lbs since surgery. It has been hard dealing with the "head hunger" but I have been hanging in there. Making time to walk...I have no pain...just the occasional stretch of one of the cuts that seems to be bugging me. No pain meds...still wondering if I made the right choice? I am confident I did!

Read all your post...Im so happy that all are on the right track and feeling good. # Castiel this is for you...be encouraged...I endured those negative comments also. This is my take......this is your life you need to get healthy for you dont worry about the man to the left or to the right. They dont live in your body. I told every one in my office I did it....its a about me and my health...I cant worry about what others think...At the end of the day I will be healthy and enjoying this one life we get.
As for me im a dec 17 'er also down 15lbs felling great going into the puree stage.cant wait to hit the gym full blast. The mid section sawness is disappearing. A little tired of the shakes but I keep pressing on. I have notice my knee pain also slightly disappearing. Well congratulations on every one progresss.....Again best decision I have made for ME!

You don't need to be chewed out or judged, thats the last thing you need! I had two days where I was just in the pits of depression because I really missed the comfort of stuffing my face and it upset me to know that I'll never be able to so that again. And, yes, I knew this before surgery but reality just sets in after surgery. You WILL get through this and you will NOT be a failure. I'll confess too that I am now eating regular food. Of course, very small quantity, chew really well, and no drinking 30 minutes before & after. Right or wrong is for each person to think what they want. If you read all these posts on here, it's amazing how many different programs there are. From Clear Liquids for 2 weeks, full liquids for a month, to eating regular food 3 days post-op. That being said, I feel SO much better, physically and mentally since starting to eat 'real food'. Just try to make healthy choices and remember that you just had major surgery, anesthesia alone can make your emotions run wild, not to mention the major changes your body and mind are going through! It will take some time but breathe through it, pray, go for a walk. You'll be feeling great in no time and you will rock that sleeve!

I was sleeved on the 17th also. I am down 19 lbs. my old scrubs fit again!! No more xxl!!! I have ups and down. I feel much better this week than last week. The incisions on my left side are very tender. I am also struggling with wanting to eat. I know want to smell everyone's food! I am too afraid I would swallow something if I tried to chew something, so I won't attempt the "chew and spit" trick. I am getting my liquids, but the Protein is hard. It all is gross.

Ok, I'm in. Here comes a smoking confession...
I confess that I smoked on the way to the hospital morning of surgery and quit for the next 48 hours.
I also confess that my surgeon requires a pre-op urine nicotine test and my teenage daughter passed!
I love to smoke and have no plans to quit!
BTW, I am fully aware of the risks involved in case anyone feels the need to remind me

I confess I saw a picture of an American burger creation with about 10 patties, 50 slices of bacon, and same again of cheese - and all I could think of was how much I wanted to sink my teeth into it's greasy goodness. A serious case of eyes too big for stomach! Lol And I know better than to even ATTEMPT

Well I made it through the hardest day of the year!!! So proud of myself!!