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My stall is also officially broken. I've lost four pounds in the last week, which does wonders for my moods! I'm still not weighing every day, and it really helps me not focus so much on weight. So far I'm down 30 pounds and I'll be eight weeks out tomorrow. That's not as much as I wanted to be down by now, but 30 pounds is the most I ever lost on any "diet" in the past. I did Nutrisystem in 2006 and lost 30 pounds in almost four months. So, to drop that amount in half the time is a definite success, and I can't be too displeased. I hope to lose another 13 pounds over the next month - that will bring me to 199 pounds. We'll see if it's possible. La: I am SO happy to read your stall is broken. I know how relieved I was when the scale moved again! I hope you're doing well. WildIris: It sounds like you're doing awesome! And you seem very happy with your success so far. I'm sure you'll be hitting that goal in no time. Coops: I've only had one cycle but I expect one in the next week. I can tell you that it DID affect my weight. I gained three pounds! It didn't drop off again until a few days after the cycle ended. I also experienced the first (and only) food cravings and "hunger" I've felt since surgery. I wanted to eat everything in sight, especially bread, chips, candy, etc. It was awful. Now that I'm due in a few days, I have the same huge desire to eat, eat, eat. It's GOT to be hormone related. I'm munching on cheese sticks and very ripe fresh fruit when the urge to much hits me. It's not great, but it's not a Snickers, either! Dickson and Kathy: You guys are doing awesome. Why is it the men lose so much more quickly? Unfair! Ellisa: I just did the same thing with my clothes! I have two huge totes of clothing to send to my mom and sister because they're winter clothes and they will never fit me again. Isn't it wonderful? I have a GoWear Fit (like a Body Bugg) and it does the same thing for me as your new shoes - it makes me want to move around and get active. Whatever it takes, right? Lou: You are kickin' butt, buddy! I still get envious when I see how quickly the men lose, though. I'd be happy to have a way to fit a bit more food in - sometimes I still can't meet my calorie goals for the day, so being able to make some extra room with a good belch would help me finish those eggs or fit in a few extra bites of chicken. Keep up the good work, you're doing a great job! Possumtrot: Great job! Huge, HUGE congrats for making it halfway to goal (and in such a short time!) and for losing 50 pounds. Before you know it you won't be shopping in the plus section any longer. That's got to be a great feeling. I bet everyone is noticing, huh? I can't wait until I hit that point. Well, everyone, I'm off. I don't have a tremendous amount of time to post since we're gearing up for a month of visitors and then we're moving in November. I'm busy, busy, busy! ~Cheri

I just wanted to add this, and I hope you don't think it's rude or anything. My husband and I had infertility and wound up doing IVF with ICSI. For four years my doctors wouldn't help me, telling me that if I'd just lose weight we'd conceive. Well, I lost a big chunk of weight and we still couldn't get pregnant. Finally, they tested my husband. They assumed that because he's healthy and had other children with his first wife that the issue must be my weight. They were WRONG. He's infertile - he's actually clinically sterile. Once they finally did the analysis on him they said we had a better chance of winning the lottery than we had of getting pregnant on our own. So, all of this to tell you that just because you have to wait a year to have them help you (and that's after you lose the weight) that doesn't mean he can't get checked out now. If the issue is there, then you'll have an easier time getting approved for fertility treatments once you hit your goal weight. Good luck to you! ~Cheri

I've used several different kinds of pills and Nuva Ring but neither post op. I love the Nuva Ring but some people hate it, so it's really a personal thing. I gain a ton of weight on pills and they affect my moods horribly. I never had any side effects with Nuva Ring. An added bonus was that it made my periods far less painful and made them four days instead of six. Some women find it uncomfortable (I never knew it was there), some women report slippage (never happened to me) and some women say it interferes with sex (never happened to me). It IS slightly less effective than pills are, but I liked that I only had to think about using it once a month. I will admit that I was using birth control primarily to treat endometriosis, so this didn't bother me. I think the stats show it has a 92-99% effectiveness rate, which is a pretty big window, but still better than using condoms. Good luck, whatever you choose. ~Cheri

Me, too. I just had to start to accept that my body is going to lose at it's own pace. I certainly didn't gain weight at a regular pace, so it's not surprising I'm losing it sporadically, too. I was losing one to two pounds a day, then nothing, then half a pound a day, then nothing for a while, then a pound a day for a few days before the scale stalled out again. I just broke a 2 week stall and was down 1.6 pounds since last week. I had to make my husband hide my scale and only bring it out on weigh-in days, because the inconsistent loss was making me a crazy woman. I'd get on the scale first thing and if I didn't see any loss (or heaven forbid, if I went up a few ounces!), I was in a horrible mood all day long. It's not easy when you read about other folks that are losing at a much faster rate, but the fact is, we're still losing. We'll have to settle for that even though it's frustrating. Good luck! ~Cheri

Preop eating was an intensely satisfying experience. I loved the stuffed to the gills feeling and that guilty feeling that I shouldn't be eating something but I was doing it anyway. I ate when I was bored, I ate when I was angry, I ate when I was happy...I would eat all day long sometimes, especially when stressed out. Food made me incredibly happy. Guilty, afterward, but for a brief time I was very happy. Food was definitely like a drug for me. I'm only seven weeks out, and now I've done a complete 180 turn. I don't like eating. It's not enjoyable. I enjoy the taste of two or three bites, and then I'm tired of eating. I have to remind myself to eat, because more than once I've gotten to the end of the day on a yogurt and a cheese stick. I don't want to eat when I'm happy, or sad and I absolutely cannot eat if I'm angry or stressed. It is physically impossible for me to overeat. If I eat one bite too many, or even if I drink too much water too fast, up it comes (more like a productive burp than vomiting) and I have to stop. While these are good steps to ridding myself of food addiction, I'd have to say that it's also depressing. I'm moodier and slightly depressed lately, mostly because my main coping strategy was cut out with my stomach. So I'd say that yes, the surgery could probably help with this (though not everyone experiences a lack of hunger or cravings post op) but that therapy is probably still needed for some people (like myself) to help cope with the major upheavals WLS can cause. The surgery can fix your tummy and possibly cause the cravings and the emotional eating to stop, but it doesn't fix whatever made you overeat in the first place. ~Cheri

Both suggestions are good ones. Start by changing what you munch on, and then work on stopping the munch entirely. I chew gum and had to break out my dusty crafting bag. Now I sit and knit while chewing gum. Don't get bored! Go for a walk, read a book or do something with your hands to keep yourself occupied. It's head hunger - it's an old habit and it's one that probably helped you gain weight. You need to replace the habit with a healthy one. And do yourself a favor and ensure that all of the food in your house is healthy food. It's one thing to snack on greek yogurt or a few almonds but another thing entirely if you're downing handfuls of chips or bowls of ice cream. Good luck! ~Cheri

There is no dumping with the VSG as it's a purely restrictive procedure. That said, some people use that term when they eat something that their body rejects. Usually the food in question is pure junk - something high in carbs, very sugary or really fatty, and after you've been on a low-carb, mostly Protein diet for a few months your body isn't used to foods like that anymore. I've had the same thing happen after a long restrictive diet, too. It's not because of the surgery. That doesn't mean you CAN'T eat those foods ever again. It just means your body might not like you the first few times you do it. Now, people who've had their gallbladders removed CAN experience dumping syndrome, but it's related to having no gallbladder. Once the gallbladder is removed, they're supposed to follow a diet similar to the post VSG diet - small, frequent meals and restricted carbs and sugar. But no, there is no dumping with this surgery. If you want dumping or malabsorption you should research the RNY and DS. ~Cheri

Bebs: Just a few weeks out, it's just as likely the Pasta that bothered you as the meat. Oh, and tomatoes did me in for a while, too, because they had too much acid for my recently sliced and diced tummy. Some people have issues tolerating beef until a few months out, and some don't. I can only eat a bite or two of ground beef, but for whatever reason, ground turkey goes down fine. But I can still only get 1.5-2 ounces of ground meat in, which means I make other choices most of the time. I'm 7 weeks out and pasta is still a no-no. Not because of carbs (though that's reason enough for my blood sugar) but because I can only eat one or two bites before I start to feel sick. I think it swells up in my sleeve and it makes me feel sick every time. I hope the pain subsided for you by bedtime. When I overeat, it's uncomfortable the entire time it takes the food to move through my sleeve. You should be feeling better by now. ~Cheri

I'm sorry to say I can't help, either, but I'm glad I'm not the only one that had a very rough time. The very first time I actually felt an urge to eat was right before my cycle and I wanted to eat everything in the entire world for two whole days. It was horrible - knowing that I wasn't physically hungry at all, but having an insane urge to devour every nasty carb crazy food in sight. Luckily, I can't eat much of anything, but it's definitely a scary thought that this could be the new monthly ordeal. I was also a raving lunatic for a few days; my poor husband didn't have any idea what to say or do, so he mostly just tiptoed around me until I starting smiling again. I've NEVER experienced PMS that way before. It was a nightmare. I was a nightmare! I hope it does get better, but I suppose I better find some way to cope just in case this is the going to be the norm for the long haul. Thanks for asking this question; I didn't think to do it myself. ~Cheri

Pumpkin: How funny that you mentioned that you can't eat when you're upset. I can't either! If my toddlers are screaming and stressing me out or if I'm in a bad mood for whatever reason I absolutely cannot eat. I have the same issue if I'm really hot. This is a complete 180 from before because it was food I turned to when I was feeling stressed or upset and now that simply isn't possible.

I'm so sorry to hear about the leak and the post op pain. I am thankful they found your leak so quickly and were able to repair it for you. I just wanted to say I hope you have a speedy recovery and that you start to feel better soon. It's normal to experience pain and discomfort post op and you'll have that twice over. Just focus on healing. You'll definitely lose the weight later. ~Cheri

I cook dinner for my family every night and started as soon as I got home from surgery. Since I was on clears at that point, I got out of the habit of sampling as I cook. Now I make my husband do it - I'll call him in and have him tell me what, if anything, the food needs. I'm not eating most of what I cook these days anyway, so the seasoning should be to his taste. If he's not home, I make it the way I think it should taste, but I don't taste the foods myself. I agree with Tiffy that it's a bad habit that you should try to break. It's very hard to hit your calorie/protein goals by grazing. Everyone manages their new diet differently, but for me weighing and measuring everything I put in my mouth is a must. If I don't do that I tend to seriously under or over estimate my calories for the day. If I do that for a few days the scale stops moving and I have to start all over again. Now that I can eat pretty much anything, I have to really focus on the Protein part of my meals. I can't waste space tasting sauces or nibbling green Beans if I want to have room for that protein. Good luck. ~Cheri

I was sleeved about six weeks ago. I came home from my surgery up a bit, from IV fluids and long flights. I'm down 26 pounds so far, and I wouldn't say it's terribly noticeable. My face is thinner and my double chin is going away. My waist is very noticeable, and I'm getting back my old hourglass figure. I can only tell that my waist is smaller when my clothes are off, so no luck with other people noticing that one yet. My biggest indicator so far is that my clothes are all either loose or more comfortable. I never realized just how tight those pants were until I lost enough weight that they fit the way they're supposed to fit! It seems that most people don't see a dramatic difference in themselves until about 50 pounds or so (depending on how much you have to lose, of course). At 50 pounds you will be down maybe two sizes, you'll be thinner all over your body and other folks should be noticing. For now, enjoy the small changes. With 26 pounds off, I can climb the stairs in my house more easily, my joints don't ache as much and my clothes aren't so tight that I wear lounging pants all day to avoid the torture. Soon, you'll be experiencing your own benefits, but you do have to be a little patient. I hate that part! We all want the weight off NOW, don't we? ~Cheri

From everything I've seen and read both during my research period and post op, what you're going through happens to other people, too. Depression after WLS isn't uncommon and I know that if you search just this board you'll find some threads discussing it. I completely agree with BlackBerryJuice - while you overdid it yesterday, your sleeve kept you from going as overboard as you might have gone in the past. Today is a new day, with new chances to get the eating thing right. It's a learning process, and you're not that far out from surgery. It takes a long time to break those habits, especially using food as a comfort when you're feeling down. If you need someone to talk to, maybe you should find someone in your area, or get involved with a weight loss support group. If you're not sure that's something you're comfortable with, vent here, because I know there are other folks here that understand. I hope today is better for you. ~Cheri

Nope, but everyone is different! I get the hiccups when I'm full, and I've gotten a runny nose a few times as my "you've gone too far" signal. I have my own little sneeze thing, though: If I cough I always sneeze afterwards, two or three times. It makes those summer colds and bouts of bronchitis so much fun! ~Cheri

I didn't eat any meat until 30 days out. For a while it was really hard to eat more than a bite or two of even soft things like tuna or chicken salad. I'm almost six weeks out , and now I can eat just about any meat. But like Tiffy said, it's better for me to stick to soft chicken, tuna and salmon right now. I can only eat 1.5-2 oz. of something like steak or ground meat, but I can get in 3-4 oz. of tuna or soft fish. Right now I need the Protein enough that I find myself steering clear of beef entirely (other than a bite or two) because I just can't eat as much of it as I need to eat. My doc also said the same thing about fruits and veggies - and definitely avoid celery for a while. I was told that fibrous veggies and fruit peels can get lodged in the staple line and cause problems. I'd say if you really want to eat some burger, skip the bun and try a few bites of the patty with some sauce or cheese to help it go down a little better. Eat it and get it off your mind, if that will help. But I bet you won't be able to eat nearly as much of that ground beef as you'd eat of some tuna or chicken, which is the trade off. Good luck. ~Cheri

Hey, not too bad, right? You got back on track and dropped them in just a few days. I feel your pain - I put on 3 pounds right before my period and it took six days to lose them! I hope this doesn't become a monthly routine. Great job getting back on track. It's nice to hear that it was fairly easy. ~Cheri

You guys look fantastic! Keep up the good work! Thanks for documenting your progress - I know that when I was researching the surgery I wanted to see how people were doing. ~Cheri

Congrats! You have lovely hands, too. ~Cheri

Congrats on the milestones and thanks for sharing. It's completely thoughtless but I'd never taken the time to consider how an overweight man is treated by other men and women. Your story made me realize that I know other men that probably feel the same way, and I've always assumed that they didn't have the same issues socially that overweight women have (yeah, I guess I'm really self-centered). Thanks for making me more aware. And again, congrats! ~Cheri

Don't beat yourself up! Everyone goes through stalls. You can either mix it up a bit - get more calories or carbs for a few days and then go back to your usual guidelines - or you can stay the course and wait it out. The weight will eventually come off again, so don't worry. And don't compare yourself to your husband! The men always seem to lose weight faster. Qured: I read something about doing carbs in a cycle being effective for some people. You would up them for a few days and then drop them again, then repeat when you hit another stall. Maybe that will shake things up a bit? I find that I don't lose if I stay in a rut or limit my diet too much - eating the same things every day or limiting my carbs or fat excessively seem to stall me out for a few days. Good luck, both of you. The weight is going to come off, just not at any predictable rate! ~Cheri

Mellifrits: How are you feeling? Did you email your surgeon? I hope all is well. ~Cheri

I'll just say a few things, because I know other folks will chime in. 1. Yep, the preop diet is tough. No lies. But you can do it, because almost everyone here that had a surgery did it, too. Turn here for support if you need it. 2. Post op the diet is NOT hard. It wasn't for me, anyway. I got to the point where I was tired of drinking my meals, but I did it with zero hunger and zero cravings. You'll be sore, a little weak and a little tired. Trust me, a cup of warm Soup (with some Protein added!) is going to be all you can handle. Unlike the band, once you're healed you can eat and expect to be able to eat, with restriction, every day. 3. Don't let any news about the band healing faster make you believe it's a better idea. It's not. It may heal faster, but 25% of those people that get one will need a follow up surgery. I recommend you do a search on this board for revisions, because there are a number of people here that had a hell-on-earth experience with their band before revising (some of them at their own expense) to a sleeve. You're making the right choice to get the sleeve. My insurance didn't cover the sleeve. They cover bands and RNY. I did my research and I'm very glad I didn't buckle and get the band just because it was covered. I paid for my own sleeve, but I'm going to lose this weight without the complications and aggravation of a band. I'm just over a month out, but I can tell you the surgery was worth every single penny. Take care. Do your research until you feel more comfortable and prepared. ~Cheri

I totally forgot to address supplements. I take 3 gummi children's chewables a day (I could NOT tolerate the usual chewables), B12, Calcium citrate (in the evenings, so as to avoid absorption issues), the nexium and Biotin. I take them all every day. I forgot the nexium two days in a row one time and by day three the acid was killing me at night. I think I might also need an Iron supplement as I've always been on the borderline for anemia, but I'm waiting for my three month bloodwork to be sure. ~Cheri

I'm now one month and one day out from surgery. I lost 24 pounds - my goal for the month, and one I thought I wouldn't be able to meet. I've lost just over 22% of my excess weight. The most I've ever lost on a diet was 30 pounds (Nutrisystem, 2006) and I'm confident that I'll exceed the current record next month. Otherwise, all is well. I feel wonderful, though I had my first (and hopefully only) issue due to not chewing something well enough. I was too busy talking to my kids and not paying attention to my food. I won't make that mistake again! I hope everyone is doing great, and I'm excited to see what the second month brings me. La: I'm glad you upped your fat intake. Fat is not our enemy, in moderation. We need it to properly absorb Vitamins and minerals. Keeping your fat so low was probably really limiting your food choices, too. How are you doing on that front? Don't fret too much about a stall. Mix it up, girlie! If anything else, wait it out. You know, deep down (no matter how frustrated you are right now) that you cannot fail at this surgery. That's why you chose it. Keep doing the right thing and the weight is going to come off. I haven't been watching the weight as closely, but when I do check it's either the same as the last time or a little less. The weight isn't flying off, but then again...it is. At least, compared to any diet I've ever done. Some newly sleeved people are losing faster, sure. But how can I complain about what I've accomplished so far? I just figured out that you've lost more than 26% of your excess weight - based upon your goal - so you are doing great! Does your ticker include your pre-op? I really didn't lose much pre-op - somewhere between 3-5 pounds. Qured: Welcome! Losing so much the first week might catch up to you by week three, so your goal of 30 in the first month is a pretty good one. Keep up the good work, and congrats on your loss so far. ~Cheri