Sadlers1999

I know I should not compare my loss to anyone else' date=' but you guys are doing great and I am barely doing okay.

HW 12/10/13 237

SW 01/7/13 230

CW 2/04/13 203

I'm down only 27 pounds in 2 months. I think maybe I need to up may calories since most days I fall short of the 800 my nut said i should consume. I always get my Protein in mostly through shakes and usually get in my 60 of Water. The slow pace is allowing my skin to kind of rebound, but I was hoping for a bigger loss at the two month mark. Also, outside of a little walking I have not begun to exercise (having some issues with arthritis in my knees) but I begin physical therapy for my knees this week, hopefully that will ease some of the discomfort and allow me to exercise on a regular basis.[/quote']

You know...I compare with other people, too, and it can be frustrating. I have been exercising faithfully since the first weekend following surgery (5 days post op). I don't have any knee issues, etc, but I have only lost 30 lbs in about the same time as you and you indicate that you haven't been exercising (much). So, I guess we have to focus on the fact that 27 lbs in about 3 months = 10 lbs/month. Before surgery, I couldn't lose 10/lbs a month. It took me 6 months to lose the 20 lbs pre-op. I think the only thing I worry about is that the weight loss will slow down again to a true snail's pace, but people like us just have to focus on staying on the plan of eating right and getting what exercise we can.

Speaking of exercise...my 4 year old has had a stomach bug and I have been house-bound for two days....no gym...no abilitity to walk outside. Today, I decided I just needed to be more motivated and I walked around my house for 10,000 steps and did 75 trips up the stairs between my first and second floors. Admittedly, it was boring but at least I feel less defeated.

I have hashimoto's hypothyroidism and have had a total throidectomy' date=' and yes it is possible to lose 117 lbs:)[/quote']

How long did it take to get the 117 off? A year?

Has anyone drank pop? I'm not really a pop person but man am I craving a good ok dr pepper! But scared to drink it because of gas!

I absentmindedly had a few swigs of my son's soda when we were eating out in January. I didn't have enough to make me feel sick, but as soon as I had done it, I felt a difference in my sleeve. I talked about it with my NUT and what she said is that even if the gas doesn't make you uncomfortable, it is stretching out your stomach. So, proceed with caution.

I an staying in ketosis by eating 10 or less grams of carb a day. I am finally able to get all my Protein from food instead of shakes :-). It is really hard sometimes' date=' but I find that I lose more in ketosis than any other time. My body will tolerate just about anything, but I primarily eat egg whites, shrimp, lunch meat, and beef Jerky. It is pretty boring, but I am glad the scale is moving. :-)[/quote']

I was talking to another sleever and I said that it is too bad that this web site doesn't allow us to share our statistics...everything from pre op diets/weights/co-morbidities, etc to post op recovery/diets/exercise to maintenance. Seems to me that we would be a good source of data for surgeons trying to figure out the "best" type of protocol overall and possibly different protocols for people with different backgrounds.

Currently, I know you are not the only one forcing ketosis, but not all of us are (not all of us were told to do this by docs). I think it would be so interesting to compare long-term results of different diet progressions. The NUTs keep telling us that there isn't enough data to know what works best, but it seems like a waste of data when we share so much stuff on this site.

The nurse who did my pre-op EKG had the sleeve done and was talking about her experience with me. She was 18 months out and still NOT at goal, but she was working at it....eating right and exercising. She didn't regret anything even though she was still not at goal. At the time, I was hoping that her experience was ATYPICAL and that I would be at goal by 18 months. Of course, now I am 2 1/2 months out and I am only down 30 lbs since the surgery (50 overall). So, maybe that will be my fate, too. I just hope that I can stay positive and stay "on the wagon" (not overeating and continuing to exercise). Currently, I am grateful for the weight that I have lost because I really was at a place where I was feeling like I would NEVER lose weight again....so sick of "diets" and exercising without seeing any significant results. Compared to before surgery, the 30 lbs off in less than 3 months seems like a gift.

What's everyone's thought on straws were a few months out! Do you think it's ok to use? I so miss my straws!

I started using them within the past three weeks and I don't notice any problem (from introducing more air into my stomach). I wouldn't drink from a straw all the time, though. But once a day or less than once a day hasn't been a problem.

So to me I still look as fat as ever in the mirror but last night I had an almost scary NSV! Almost 1am as I was getting ready for bed I remembered it was garbage night. I was already stripped down and I'm pretty sure in my sedate neighborhood I'm the only one still up and about so I took the garbage to the curb in my boxers. As I was hurrying to get back in out of the cold before a car drove past I saw the shadow of a man against my house' date=' cast by the streetlight directly across. For a split moment I was freaked out until I realized it was in fact my own shadow and I didn't recognize it immediately. The shadow had love handles but was no where near round like it used to be. I actually stopped to gawk at it in disbelief for a while.

So I guess much of my weight is still hanging off the front and is still offensive to me in 3D, but my 2 dimensional profile isn't looking half bad! If you are struggling to notice your progress, take a page from a groundhog and see if your bare shadow scares you. What's the worst than can happen? Six more weeks of winter?[/quote']

This is just a great story. And, to your point, we can't see all our angles, so where we lose weight may not always be in the most obvious places. I've lost a lot in my FACE. Okay that isn't a bad thing, but I can't wait till I lose more of my big ol' butt!

I am hoping to have my surgery done soon. Completed the last 6 month office visit 2/18. My coordinator will hopefully submit for insurance review by the end of the week.

Congrats! Where are you in our fair state?

Been between 206 & 207 for about a month now....don't know how to break this stall....starting to get frustrated....walk 20 to 30 minutes a day....eating on most days 600 calorie or more....

Well, you look great in your photo (side by side comparison). I have been working out for 90 minutes 5x a week and it doesn't seem to move the needle on the scale any faster. We just have to hang in there. YOu do look really great in your most recent profile picture, though.

I have lost 19.5 inches since 1/30/13' date=' and was pretty happy about that, but now I'm just stressed and frustrated. :-([/quote']

RSMONT77- Look...I would never say don't do what your doctor says. If he thinks you should go with fewer calories in the form of Isopure for the time being, I would do it. That being said, you have done a fabulous job of getting fit thus far. If we were little kids in a math class learning how to round numbers, 19.5 inches would be closer to 2 feet than one. Can you believe it? Take a measuring stick and hold it up against the wall for a visual. If you were to lose another 12 or so inches, it would be the whole yard stick. Amazing. So, we love you and support you here. Try and do what the doctor wants, but regardless of what happens at the next doctor's visit, we think you are doing a great job.

re: doctor's goals or lack of...It's just another thing to drive us crazy. Those of us getting goals are made crazy by trying to figure out how to achieve. Those of us without goals feel "left behind." I don't think I could go on less than 600 calories at this point, so I guess I am thankful (for the moment) not to have a doctor telling me to do that.

So, sleeved on 12/17 and I think I am thirty down post surgery (fifty overall). As has been stated by so many others, it seems like there is a group who loses weight more quickly and I am not part of it. And, as my PCP was telling me, maybe we shouldn't stress about other's big losses because she thinks more of us lose at my rate, we just don't post about it, because the loss seems so "moderate." What I have to remember is that it took me SIX months to lose the first 20 pounds before surgery and I have lost 30 pounds in about 2 1/2 months post surgery. So, even if my rate of loss is "modest" for VSG, it still beats the hell out of no surgery and trying to lose weight.

First time I've seen someone who started out with the same BMI as I did' date=' about the same weight pre-surgery. I've been wondering if I'm losing the way I should because it's coming off very very slowing (in fact, I think I'm stalled - no weight loss in over a week). I've read that individuals with higher BMI tend to lose more faster, than those who started out with a lower BMI. I don't have enough experience to know one way or the other, but you are the first person I've seen here that had similiar stats as myself and, based on your weight loss I'm not doing all that bad.

Surgery Date: 12/26

Day of Surgery: 222

Today's Weight: 195

Total Weight Loss: 27lb[/quote']

I was sleeved more than a week before you (12/17) and I started the same as you and weigh the same as you now, but a week or so more out. I know one poster started out with a lower BMI than me and she has lost more weight than me, so I just think for some of us, the process is slower. Still to be 195 after 6 years above 200 feels good. I'm not sure what my BMI is right now, but I know that I am still in the obese category because I am short (5'3.5")...

I am in downtown Denver. There are a lot of lean people in Colorado.

You made me smile...Yes, there are a lot of lean people in Colorado! We are still the "leanest" of the 50 states, but what is scary is that even Colorado has gotten fatter over the years. I had a few people tell me that they couldn't understand WHY I would need bariatric surgery (that I was too small) and I was 100 lbs overweight!

If you are in downtown Denver, it must be a lot easier to get "every day" walking in. When I worked and lived in NYC, I walked a lot more just because you don't use a car.

What's sublingual? Does it day something in the bottle?

Sublingual means that you are supposed to put it under your tongue. It gets into your bloodstream faster. They are little, tiny pills. Although my NUT now has me on both a sublingual B-12 and B50, which is definitely NOT sublingual.

FYI: King Soopers has PB2 (in the Peanut Butter aisle) on sale for 60 cents off with your King Sooper's club card. I don't know if it is cheaper to buy it over the Internet (probably in bulk), but I was excited to see it at a grocery store AND on sale. It was $3.99 for the 6.5 oz. size (which is like a small peanut butter jar).

Sorry guys I need to vent!!!! Sometimes I really don't think my partner thinks about how what she does affects me I know "I" am the one thaat got this surgery I am also aware that this was my choice but of all people my partner? i dont get it why would you deliberately bring foods around me you know I am weak for? I Know that the world is not going to stop living to please me and me weaknesses but for God sake in my own home/ car I should not be tortured! IJS! I was in such good spirits until she came around me with beef patties! Who does that? I am frustrated right now because all I want is a beef patty and I know I have come to far to allow a weak moment to get in my way' date=' I am happy to say that it took a month for me to get over all the cravings and so on but for some reason today I am feeling SUPER WEAK and she started it! SMH I wont fall off track guys because I WANT THIS! Not to mention that I also know that once I reach goal I can have those foods in moderation and not feel the guilt behind them although I personally believe that once I get to goal those kinds of foods may be big turn offs for me! I'm sorry I just really needed to vent and get this off my chest I can assure you i will stay strong and on track I'm just so frustrated right now and talking to her is not an option. I think sometimes she needs to think before she act! SMH #BeefPattiesWIthCheeseOnMyMindHard! [/quote']

My husband promised my surgeon that he would stop eating in front of the TV for my sake (as well as his). Do you think that behavior has stopped??? I think overall, my husband is supportive, but sometimes he is just clueless. Fortunately, I do the grocery shopping so I try to keep the most tempting stuff out of the house.

I had my first stall last week. Tuesday was "fat Tuesday" so I had a Paczki (poonchki). For those of you that don't know' date=' this is a jelly or creamed filled donut eaten before Lent. Traditional ones are made with prunes to clean you out I guess. Anyway I had a cream filled one. Didn't feel great that night. I had a little heartburn. It was my highest calorie day since surgery at 1100. But.... I lost 3 lbs this week! So I guess the extra calories jump started things a little. Back to my usual 800 calories.[/quote']

I think moving our calories around and our intensity of exercise around is important. I had myself tested 4 years ago by a gym. They looked at my BMI, age, heart rate and my oxygen intake both working out on a treadmill and resting. They gave me a computerized workout. It went up and down and increased in intensity over the long run...So, there were days when they wanted me to keep my heart rate low (110-120) and other days when they wanted me to push it (150-160). This is actually optimal for the body. It's analogous to lifting weights. You do 3 reps of say 5 lbs. You don't do the same part of the body the next day. You rest and then you do it over again two days later and when you are ready, you move up to 3 reps of 10 lbs, etc. So, I think the same is true for calories. If we mostly keep it low (600-800), going high (1000-1200) every once in a while stirs things up...and not necessarily in a bad way.

I need to get my energy back. I was doing so good and i got to my first personal goal of under 300 lbs. Then i got sick. Sinus infection and broncitis all in 1 causing a Migraine flare up. Doctor gave me 3 injections and sent me home. Doing much better but still lack energy. I am taking all my Vitamins and medicine and B12 but cannot get out of this tired all the time junk. I know im still getting better but i hate being lazy. What can i do???

Blue Eyes - I agree with Megeen. You need to let your body heal first and then get back on the exercise track. It won't do you any good to be worn out now, because you may leave yourself open to another virus.

Read about PB2 on this site first and then heard great things about it at an In person support group. It's powdered peanuts where the oil has been removed. You mix it with Water to create the Peanut Butter. Most people add it to things like shakes. There are two types: straight-up peanut and peanut-chocolate. It was about $1.00 off with the King Soopers club card.

The fear is a hernia' date=' Intenal or external. Too much increase in intraabdominal pressure can stress on the tummy can cause bulging though areas of the stomach that don't close perfectly, leaving some areas weak.

I am a fan of starting slow and listening to your body. The laparoscopic surgery DOES cut through your muscle but so do many other surgeries. Think all those c-section moms don't do abdominal exercises?! Haha but I agree, much better ways to work out abs than crunches. Good luck![/quote']

I was thinking about c-section moms, too. That alone is a good reason not to believe that you can never exercise your middle area.

Hi!!

Happy to see all the familiar faces!! How are you doing?

My leak presented as a low dull back ache. I was about two weeks out and doing great other than the nagging back ache. I spent weeks in the hospital' date=' all of the holiday season! . Stents for six weeks. Then was going to have a claw in place- thankfully I didn't have to have this.

I have been through a lot.

My leak was on the upper part of my stomach. It caused me to have Fluid on my heart. I have been pretty sick. But starting to get a lot better. Today I start PURÉES.

I am still receiving a lot of care. But I don't have a PICC or midline anymore!! I no longer require daily transfusion care.

I am alive and adjusting. There were several moments and times I asked the dr if I was going to die. I have been to the bottom of the pit!! Things can only get better from this point on!!!

I am trying to figure out how to post photos. So you can see the leak and stents.

I hope your doing well! .

I am typing on my phone. It's hard. I hope all makes sense.

[/quote']

Sannah, Wrote you a long reply and it didn't go through. So, now, here is the shortened version: You are an amazingly positive person. I am so glad the leak hasn't changed that and that you are willing to talk about it...for people who haven't had surgery, yet.God bless! Courtney

I guess if there is a bright side to the last slew of posts, it shows that there are different strategies for different people. Even if the surgery is the same, our bodies are different and respond differently to how we fuel ourselves.

DanaInNewORleans - I find it hard to eat any Protein, too. I mean, I do it, but it is unpleasant. Maybe you saw that I posted about throwing up yesterday (for the first time since surgery - did not throw up at all before this) on edamame. I had eaten it before and in the same quantity, but it just didn't sit right and I was so sick. My stomach wasn't satisfied until all of it was purged. I do find that shrimp and fish are easier to tolerate than even soft eggs. But, Protein Shakes still are a must if I want to hit 60-70 g of protein a day. I can't fathom eating more protein than that with all the timing restrictions re: drinking Water, etc. I have little kids, so I will confess, I sometimes eat some dry cheerios or gold fish. Not a significant amount, but I agree that they go down a lot easier than the protein, which I also agree, is NOT good.

re: Weight Watchers - the overall approach is good for a person who has 30 lbs to lose and/or someone who eats like crap (period). However, I think a lot of the processed foods that they glorify are dangerous (low calorie, high fiber). Also, I think I stretched my stomach out to a bigger size by eating HUGE, HUGE salads all the time. Then, if I didn't eat salad, I still had the same big stomach wanting to be filled. In any case, I am a believer in less-processed food. Do you know that they feed MSG to lab rats to make them artificially fatter??

Sleeved December 5th.

Had a leak' date=' but in track with my weight loss. Down 64 pounds. Still on liquids only and I hope to transition to puréed foods soon!![/quote']

Haven't seen you here in a while. Glad you are doing better post-leak.

Ketosis is when your body is actually burning fat. That is a good thing' date=' at least in my opinion (I totally believe in the Atkins way of life). You're probably thinking of ketoacidosis--- which is extremely dangerous for diabetics. There are some that believe long term ketosis may not be healthy but there are plenty of studies that show that is is perfectly healthy. Just depends on what side you end up on in the debate.[/quote']

I know what ketosis is, but I still did not think it was healthy to be "in it" for a prolonged period of time. Someone else on this forum (maybe not this thread) posted that they were in ketosis and trying to "get out." I think it was a guy and he said that he perpetually smelled bad (was giving off an odor). Atkins may have a following, but honestly, I think his diet was just as much a fad as many of the others. If anything, one of the hardest parts about this surgery (for me) is the dependence on Protein. I was almost a complete vegetarian for 20 years and of course plant-based protein is less efficient than dairy/eggs/meat when your stomach is small. You need to eat a lot more quinoa and the ilk to get the same amount of protein.

I really wish there was a more standard approach to our surgery, because all the variables brought out on this forum get me a little crazy. Obviously, whatever your surgeon/NUT tells you to do is what you should do. I haven't gotten so much specific direction from mine, so I think that adds to my confusion.