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Thank you so much for the post. I'm female and a different age group but height/weight wise our stats match pretty well and I've felt very discouraged with my progress so far (over 2 weeks out, following the regiment but only lost 11lbs). I definitely understand your hunger vs food memories feeling. I'm still trying to figure out which is which since my food memories are still like heavy cravings which I thought was going to go away.

I really hope I'm able to show more progress like you did. You're doing awesome!

2 hours ago, Kay07 said:

Yup definitely same boat! I was thankful my doctor wasn’t concerned because I definitely felt like the oddball. I have had such an easy recovery intake wise that I was worried the surgery wouldn’t work.

Are there any foods that you feel restriction with? My doctors office doesn’t have a puréed stage, just soft foods after full liquid and so I am trying to introduce foods but am concerned about over eating.

That's exactly my same fear. Because honestly I did mess up my lapband and it didn't work so I've definitely had experience with the fact that you can eat around a surgery. Which also adds to my frustrations since this time around I am following the regimen.

To be honest not really. At least nothing that makes me feel that "stuck in my chest" feeling a lot of people have (or that I had when I had the lapband). The main issue I had was during my liquid phase I had a laughing cow cheese around week 2. I also had a slightly more spicy Soup. So I got dumping but at the same time it wasn't like most people described. I didn't feel weak or get the sweats. My stomach gurgled and I had to use the bathroom. Did my business and everything was fine. I'm not even sure if the symptoms were cause of the surgery versus I've always had these sort of stomach "dumping" issues so it was basically just another day for me. What about you?

First 2-3 days were definitely awful. I literally dreamt about food. I don't hate my Protein Shakes but I don't like how much I had to drink. I ended up making a lot of Soup and just adding GENEPRO flavorless Protein Powder in (60 calories w/ 30g of protein). That helped a ton. Though admittedly I was on a 2 wk pre-op liquid and 2 wk post-op liquid and I still can't stomach the idea of Soups anymore.

1 hour ago, Kay07 said:

I am in the SAME exact situation. I can drink a Premier Protein shake in about 15 minutes with 0 discomfort, and have to stop myself from doing just that. My nutritionist actually advised me to try really soft foods (such as oatmeal or scrambled eggs) and I was too chicken to try it until last night when I just could NOT sip another meal. I ended up eating turkey chili, had 3oz thinking I'll never finish this, and I did. Devoured the whole thing and had to force myself to do it over a 45 minute period. I could have gone for more! I am a little over 1 week post op, have not felt the restriction much, and am getting in 100oz of Water and at LEAST 75g of Protein, usually closer to 90 each day.

The difference is my doctor is not concerned at all. Though it is not the norm, she says that she attributes my success to being super well hydrated and having a nicely shrunken liver day of surgery.

Meanwhile, I am bummed a bit by my success because the scale is like meh... don't feel like moving.

Thank you! I think you're one of the first people that seems to get the same feeling. You're doing amazing on your water and Protein btw! I'm glad your surgeon sounds supportive.

I am on the same boat because my scale movement has been close to nothing. I lost basically the same amount of weight on my pre-op liquid diet. I'm not great at non-scale victories too since I can't tell what's actually changing post-surgery versus changes that happened before surgery that I just didn't catch until now.

1 hour ago, Frustr8 said:

Slow down maybe on the speed of drinking your shake, science says it does take a good 15 minutes for your appetite to acknowledge you've eaten or drank something. Slow down things, I promise I'm not coming over to swipe food from you. I'm an only child but I've always ate like I had 7 brothers and sisters reaching for my turkey drumstick. it's been HARD for me to reform and chew instead of bolting my meals down.

Yeah I will definitely try to slow down. I'm trying to figure out why I eat so quickly cause I'm the same way. I definitely eat much slower than I used to but with my shakes I tend to down them unless I'm being super conscious. I think possibly because it goes down easier as I drink it faster versus when I sip, the taste lingers and I end up feeling gaggier not from fullness but just from the taste (I've tried over a dozen brands and so so so many different mixtures, they all do this to me). Though that's also not an excuse. I've been pretty good about it recently so just gotta make sure I do this permanently.

3 hours ago, Greensleevie said:

Here comes the science:

A "stall" a few weeks after surgery is not uncommon, and here's why.

Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs. of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when a patient is not getting in enough food, the body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. Then when 2 lbs. of glycogen is used a patient will also lose 8 lbs. of Water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs. that most people lose in the first week of a diet.

However, when the body stays in a caloric deficit state the body starts to realize that this is not a short-term problem. Then the body starts mobilizing fat from adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But the body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. As it puts back the 2 lbs. of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs. of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though the patient might still be losing energy content to their body, the weight will not go down or it might even gain for a while as the retention of water dissolves the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

Thank you so much. I'm in the healthcare field and this was the first explanation I found that really seems to match what I'm actually feeling.

My surgeon does seem to know about the 3 week stall and she is very sweet but she is still relatively new to the field (though a lot of her colleagues seem to really like her and I love her too) so maybe as far as her patients go, most don't have issues until the 3rd week? I've been exploring the forums and online too and I have started to see a few 2 week stallers tho definitely more 3+ wks but the science does make me feel better so all I can do is keep pushing forward. Thank you!

3 hours ago, Ernie D said:

two week post op I lost nothing, the third week here it was 30 lb loss. I had a lot of Fluid in my from the surgery , the Surgeon recommended no weighing yourself at least into the 3rd week, I see why. i agree with the other replies, stay hydrated and I dont know if this will help but my surgeon said, 6 weeks post op you are at risk of bursting/rupturing that new pouch. Dont eat until you feel full, just have 1/2 cup of food at a time and see how you do. He recommended more smaller amount of food during the entire day rather than getting too full at one time and stressing the pouch. Best of Luck ...keep us posted how you are doing

Thank you so much. I'm glad a 1/2 cup is someone else's guide too. I feel like I see a ton of online vids where people struggle to get down 1/4 cup and I'm here with my 1/2 cup portion which makes me feel content but I had no issues getting it down. I really hope I get a 3rd week loss cause it's definitely discouraging.

I COMPLETELY agree. Seriously, I have no idea how my body isn't losing. Like I see all these theories but in the end I'm eating so little, where is the weight coming from? And of course there's my fried's who can eat a ton and gain nothing

I would absolutely do the same! I know it's bad to weigh yourself so much but I'm more scared that I wake up after not weighing myself for a while and find out I gained 5 lbs or something...

I'm totally on the same boat. Had the Lap Band back in 2013. Never lost more than 20 lbs on it. Had a bunch of fills/unfills and a slight increased filled gave me the worst acid reflux I've had in my life. Like it burned to breathe. Eventually had it filled just a little less but I felt no restriction. Literally could eat more than most of my friends. Regained all the weight and then some. Finally lost about 45lbs just slowly over 2 yrs and got changed to a VSG about 2 weeks ago and really hoping it'll work this time around. So far I'm 50/50 on this though. I'm scared my issues with the lap band did something that's not letting my VSG work as well as it should...

Wow that's a ton! Honestly I'm really jealous. I can't say what's normal or not for you. Personally I lost about 10lbs over a 2 week period of liquids. I was doing about 1000 calories the first week and then 600-700 the second.

I'm in the middle of a stall (hoping it's a stall at least...) that started about 1.5 wks post op and now I'm about 2.5 wks out and still stalled. Lost about 11 lbs that first 1.5 wks and just nothing. Getting my Protein and increasing my exercise and really hoping the scale will move soon because I'm really scared and frustrated.

That's a relief. Do you guys know around how many oz you were eating before the soft/solids phase? I'm still a bit worried since 6oz still seems like quite a bit. I'm really hoping I just hit my stall early. Most people say 3 weeks so I'm wondering why mine seemed to come in week 2 (like week 1.5 to be honest...)

She was very bubbly and encouraging but very bluntly told me the stall at this stage is not right. I'm definitely a bit concerned since I've been following. Not sure if I messed up somehow but yeah I don't know... She said most people meet with her for a 3 month visit but wanted to give me extra support so I have another visit in 1 month.

I really hope that's the case and that I'll feel the restriction when I move on. I'm sure I did some damage cause I started off as a Lap Band patient about 5 years ago and learned to eat around the band to a point where I felt no restriction. I definitely really went for mushy food early on in the Lap Band experience and had awful choking reaction but still forced myself to eat cause I was that addicted to food. I'm far from well-off but I'm also not that person anymore and I really hope I'll learn from this restriction (if it hopefully comes) versus trying to force it away like last time.

I haven't heard too many people stalling in the 2nd week but I'm glad there's some. Like I mentioned, it scares me how much my doctor said that getting a stall at 2 weeks was flat out abnormal.

Haha I will try to weigh myself less though honestly that's the main advice I haven't been able to follow. I'm so paranoid I literally bring scales with me on vacation so I can monitor myself.

Thank you so much. I'm happy to hear at least one other person didn't feel the restriction as much as everyone else (I definitely feel it but I still have some appetite and I don't get any of the discomfort/pain other people get).

I will definitely up my Water. I don't have too hard a time getting it down versus because I eat 3-4 small meals a day and there's the buffer time between meals. Then I don't drink immediately after cause I'm full still and I'm scared I'm going to stretch out my stomach. Then the next meal is almost around the corner. The last reason is dumb and I know it but I weigh myself at night too (cause usually I have a pretty good idea of what I'll be in the morning) and I see that once again I won't be losing anything so I'm scared of even putting on water weight that'll cling on.

But yeah my Doctor was mostly supportive but the way she said "that's not normal" when I told her about the lack of restriction scares me so much.

I got the sleeve a little over 2 weeks ago and I'm so worried. I just met with my doctor and even she seems a bit concerned. I had a 2 week post-op liquid diet and I handled everything way too well. I consciously slow down but have slipped up once or twice and chugged Water or a Protein Shake (like 15-20 mins to finish a premier protein). Literally no problem. At most a few burps. On top of that I had my stall at just 2 weeks out. I know you shouldn't weigh everyday but I literally haven't lost anything (even gained/lost .5-1lb somedays) for the last week. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I have been on a 2 week pre-op & 2 week post-op diet and my last week of the pre-op liquid was just 600-700 calories which was about the same as my 2 week post-op diet so I'm trying to justify it as I've been eating the same thing for 3 weeks but my doctor still told me that's not normal but to also stop weighing myself everyday.

That's not even the worst part...

Now I'm on pureed and I'm tolerating food way too well. My doctor's guide is that I can have up to 600-800 calories (previously been doing ~700) and each sitting shouldn't be more than my fist (bit more than a 1/2 cup). I did that for dinner today with a variety of pureed items (1 Laughing cow, 2 tbsp pureed eggplant, 1 tbsp pureed walnut, 1 tbsp avocado, 1 tbsp ikura, 3 tbsp pureed crab salad). In total it was about 200 calories (my meals are 150-200 cals each) + it was within her "fist" guideline but out of curiosity I weighed the food and it was 6oz. I downed the whole thing with no problem in about 25 mins (could've been even shorter but I tried to slow myself down). Everyone else I'm seeing online seems to struggle to get down the food in those tiny 2oz sample cups and here I am without an issue.

I am getting my Protein in, not drinking before/after meals, taking my Vitamins, and (mostly) getting my water (probably the only thing I should work on a bit more). Has anyone else had these issues? I'm so scared I'm going to fail. My doctor straight up told me how I'm doing is not normal and I'm terrified. I had the lapband before and didn't put in the work and gained weight on it. I'm finally trying so hard this time but only lost 10lbs since surgery. I don't know what to do.

It's been a while since I've posted. I wish I didn't come here to post whenever I'm feeling discouraged. But if anyone out there is still reading I'm in a bit of trouble again.

My weight started going down. I dropped a few more pounds down to 342 and I was ecstatic! Then my birthday weekend came and since I'm a college girl that meant celebrating it multiple times with multiple groups of people which meant a LOT of good food. I gained a few pounds after that and went back to 344 but what's awful is that now it's been 3-4 days since then and my eating habits are 100% back to normal. I drink less Water with a meal now but other than that I'm eating 4-5 meals a day and I don't feel full at all. I'm eating half healthier foods half awful foods but more than anything I'm eating a LOT of everything.

I have my first fill on Monday but I'm terrified about going in and showing her that I gained weight. Any tips to lower my appetite?

It's been tough Especially because I have a friend visiting from my hometown and taking classes with me so we eat lunch together and I want to take her to all the best places in town. And I have to stop it because I am 100% off my diet and it is awful. My breakfasts + dinners have been healthy and on track. I could do a bit better in snacking but its not too bad but my lunches are just going crazy

@msapp77: I'm from Northern California but pretty inland. I'm not very used to the weather here cause I used to be much closer to the beach. I can't imagine the heat in AZ! Thank you for the advice

@bambam31: Thank you very much for this info. Knowing that really does make me feel better.

@lisamase: I completely understand. The first week was heaven because I just didn't have an appetite period. I want to be successful to. I think joining this forum and hearing people's stories will definitely help me stay motivated

Thank you very much! I know my hunger was very low when I felt any swelling. I know I healed fairly fast and without thinking I swallow more solid foods than I should because I don't chew enough and I don't feel any pain. The last 3-4 days have been so bad and I need to get back on track ASAP. I'm just afraid of feeling hungry again

Hi This is my first time posting in this forum so I'm a bit nervous but I really need help.

I am 2.5 weeks post op. In the first week I lost weight fast (357->350). During the first half of week 2 my weight loss slowed a lot (350->347). Now I'm stuck and even gaining back a little and I'm terrified because it feels way too early for me to be feeling like this.

I am currently on the soft food stage which I have done for the most part minus boiled chicken which I try to chew more. However in the last 3 days I've hit a big obstacle. I'm falling back into my old habits. It's summer and for a college student like me that means hanging out with friends which means eating all the time. I still eat much less than I used to but still more than I should be able to handle after surgery.

The last 3 days have been extremely hectic socially and I ended up forgetting to measure my food and count my calories and I did NOT chew properly. I'm eating much faster than normal and more than the 8oz I should be holding. I'm scared because I'm not feeling anything other than being full earlier. Otherwise: no choking, clogging, coughing, vomiting feelings, etc. I'm scared I may have stretched out my stomach or the band. The other REALLY bad thing I have been doing is chugging Water. It's over 110 degrees where I live and every chance I get I'm chugging Water. Including right before meals. I've just been too thirsty to sip the water and during the meals the food just makes me thirsty and I eventually gave into eating and drinking. In terms of actual food I'm eating probably 10-16 oz per meal + 1-2 glasses of water. And like I said, no extreme fullness at all. I don't think I've even been chewing them properly enough.

My doctor is out of town and I need help. Any tips on surviving heat and social activities without ruining my diet? And if I go back to the instructions will I be ok or is my band/stomach permanently stretched