EweLewz

A special Thanks to all you for your input. I am still gathering results and will post my findings this weekend. For those of you who are discouraged, you have to remember that you are losing at a rate almost three times faster than you could put it on (pre-op). It is a "magical" surgery, but doesn't happen over night. Speaking for myself, I'll be lucky to hit my goal weight this year, but when I do, it's for good. Please do not get discouraged if you are not ready to buy a new wardrobe a couple months after surgery. As far as I'm concerned, the sugery wipes the slate clean. From here, it's up to us to develop better eating habits, while incorporating exercise. Below is a short list of foods to avoid at all costs...if you are eating anything below, stop immeidately! "Death Foods" Any cold drink served at your favorite coffee shop. These drinks are more lethal than cake, as the body doesn't have to metabolize liquid fat. Anything carbonated. Yes, I know it sucks, but the carbonation can stretch your new stomach. Avoid anything with bubbles, including diet sodas. Anything fried Anything with refined sugar "Diet" or "Low Cal" Desserts. Empty foods that contain high levels of salt and "lab rat" sugar Fast food. Expensive, non nuttrional garbage. Suggestions: Swiitch to diet or non-calorie ice tea in lieu of soft drinks. Lipton Diet Ice tea contains no sugar or calories and only has 2% salt. Yougurt is filling and generally contains about 100 calories. A perfect snack. Protein Shakes. I know, they suck....but if you buy a Bullet or a Ninja, you can make tasty drinks at home. I start every day with a home made shake. Nuts. They contain "good fats"...eat a few as a snack. They are crunchy and fulfilling to eat. Make sure to take a Multi Vitamin every day. I also take B12 for energy. It helps!

40lbs in 8 weeks is not a stall! You are doing great. You are losing an average of 5 lbs a week...who cares which week it comes off!

May I ask what kind of food are you eating?

I'm sorry, but losing 44 lbs in 6 weeks leaves no room for a stall. That's incredible weight loss. Thats 6 lbs better than my effort and I'm losing 4 lbs a week!

For those of you that are experiencing stalls, please list your starting weight and when you experienced your stall. I have a sneaky suspicion on what causes these stalls, but need a little input before I spout off. I'll go first - I was sleeved on 2/22 and have not experienced a stall yet (keeping fingers crossed). My starting weight was 335. I am not 298. If you are uncomfortable listing your weight, your BMI will also work.

That's too funny. I was sleeved the day after you (2/22), and have lost 37 lbs so far.

I know I sound like a broken record, but hang in there. You will feel vast improvement every week. The more you walk, the quicker the healing process. I am 6 weeks post-op today and feel zero effects of the surgery. I have to learn to slow down when eating (because it hurts if I eat too fast), but the results speak for themselves. Drink as much as you can, and don't push yourself. The surgery works, and will undoubtedly add years to your life. The discomfort you feel now is temporary.

I believe the bigger you are, the more weight comes off in the beginning. I started out 79 lbs heavier than you. You're doing great!

I'm in the same boat as you. I will be six weeks post-op tomorrow, and have lost 25 lbs,.. 35 lbs total. You may think it's slow, but what diet allows us to lose 4 lbs a week steadily?! Hang in there. Mix in some exercise when you can...which is my plan.

I too have Dr. Feiz, and agree that his office staff is wonderful. He does everything quickly, but he does take the time to answer all questions and concerns. I wish he would find an office that had available parking! Beverly Hills is a nightmare town to drive in. I have zero complaints about him, and would recommend him to anyone.

Cutting down on protein shakes (and protein) will lessen the number of bathroom trips. I too suffered from the same "condition". If you are drinking canned or boxed protein shakes, try replacing them with home made shakes. After buying the "Ninja", I tossed the remainder of boxed shakes and have not had that issue since.

I forgot to mention the 4th change. A craving for spicy food. I suppose all of the soups, protein shakes and yogurt have put my taste buds to sleep! great input everyone, I appreciate it!

I think you covered all the bases.

My doctor told me to drink plenty of water. He said it would prevent me from getting hungry. No, it just prevents me from getting thirsty - Comedian Ron White.

I had my surgery on 2/22/2013. I have no complaints regarding my surgery, but have noticed the following changes. I would like to know if any of you suffer from the same, or? 1. Clumsiness. I have began to notice how often I drop things. Anything small seems to hit the floor. Everything from vitamin tablets to pens. Did the portion of my stomach which was removed throw off my balance? 2. Cotton mouth. Constantly thirsty. Every day around 3-4pm, I feel severe thirst. 3. Hair feels different. For whatever reason, my hair no longer stays brushed. Shortly after brushing my hair, it looks messy.

Re: Those foods on my list...I chew them until there's nothing left, They all hurt to swallow. It gets so severe, I literally have to stand up to allow the food to go down.

None of the above. However, when I try to eat any of the foods I previously mentioned, I get the sensation that the food gets stuck in my throat. I can almost feel it go down, much in the same way a snake looks after eating a mouse! Since these foods are so hard to eat now, I wonder how does our body acclimate to them. I am enjoying my weight loss, but don't want to eat mush foods for the rest of my life.

Ironically, I am able to eat rice, if cooked well. I have been eating yogurt since week 2. I have not attempted re-fried beans. I have heard eggs are difficult to digest. I'm glad you are able to eat them. I would give an eye-tooth for a piece of bread though. Another savior for me has been cottage cheese, which I tolerate very well. Fat free of course.

Which foods are you referring to?

My 1 month surgiversary is tomorrow. Although I have been able to eat a wider variety of foods over the past couple of weeks, the following foods are still impossible for me to eat. Let this be a warning to our recently new sleeved members. 1. eggs. Doesn't matter how they are cooked. Very hard to eat. 2. Potatoes. In any form. 3. meats. Including meats in Soups and stews. 4. Bread. In any form, though I have been able to add crackers to Soup. 5. Raw Veggy's. Not yet. If you are near the same stage as I, what good and bad experiences are you going through?

I was 3 weeks post op last Friday. I accumulate mucous by simply eating Protein shakes and Soup. Typically I can simply expel it, but I go through a coughing spell in the afternoons. I don't know what that's all about. No complaints really, though I experienced heartburn today, for the first time since my surgery...eating absolutely nothing differently. I am still working on getting into a groove regarding eating anything that isn't liquid based.

Actually yes, I am aiming to hit my goal weight (200 lbs) before New Years Day. That's approx 100lbs in nine months. Understanding that 10 lbs a month is realistic, I should be able to accomplish it, now that I am mixing in bike riding. Per my doctor, I should lose approx 50 lbs by 4/1. I'm down 30 lbs now, with two weeks to go. That is a stretch. After the first month of heavy weight loss, "sleevers" typically lose on average of 2.5 lbs a week, or 10 lbs a month. Ironically, I turn 50 in June.

Amazing. We started at the same weight, and were sleeved three days apart. We are 9lbs apart today. The doctor cleared me for bike riding. I hope that accelerates my weight loss.

Sleeved 2/22. Down 35 lbs total. 25 lbs post-op.

Looks like we are on similar schedules. I was cleared for light exercise. Dying to ride my bike, which has been sitting in storage.