BKLYNgal87

Wow. Sounds like you've had a rough couple of months, and if I had to guess, the stress is the biggest contributor to your continued weight loss. It may be time to meet with your doctor for a physical to make sure you are okay health wise. If he or she thinks you need to gain some weight back, there's always Ensure shakes and strength training at the gym.

I understand what you are going through. Even at my heaviest I was always working out. Exercise is my stress reliever and my anti-depressant. It's very hard to go even a few days without needing cardio or weigh lifting (I have back problems - only thing that helps is strengthening my back muscles). But injuries happen sometimes and priority #1 is getting better so that you can get back to the activities you love faster. If you don't follow doctors orders on this, you could be off your feet a lot longer or do more permanent damage. I concur with the others that doing upper body conditioning could be good, as long as your doctor signs off on it. If your back starts to hurt, try crunches, they are my go-to. As far as eating, it may take a couple weeks before you figure out what you can eat every day and maintain what you've lost. Probably cutting down on any simple carbs (bread, pasta, rice) will help. You can and will move past this!!

Yes, surgery is your surgeon's business. They are in the business of making money - and they make a lot of money. Intervening to make their patients healthier is an obvious bonus of course. Since it sounds like you are pre-op, I recommend you looking through the clinical research that has been done on bariatric surgery outcomes if you want balanced information. This is the very first thing I did when I looked into WLS because I have a health sciences background. This link will show you published articles on Pubmed. Quite a few of these articles you should be able to read in full for free.The consensus, in a nutshell, is that WLS patients generally lose more weight and keep it off in greater numbers than the general dieting population. It doesn't work for everyone and it is only a tool, but a very powerful one if you use it wisely.

I'm a little under 15 lbs from my ultimate goal, but after buying new clothes for spring I decided I had to show them off! HW: 260 CW: 164 GW: 150 ^ Before ^ After - last weekend I'm rockin' the sleeve! Best decision I ever made for myself!

Wow!! Way to go! Congratulations and keep up the great work though honestly you look great already.

Honestly Quest bars made me crave sugar more. I think their nutrition labels are a bit suspect. There has to be more sugar and carbohydrates in the bars than they claim. Actually at about 6 months post op I also struggled with serious sugar cravings. I find that once you have a taste, it makes it harder to stop, so I simply try my best to abstain. The longer I go without it the less I crave it. Stress plays a role as well. You've done an amazing job on the weight loss front so far. You can and definitely will move past this!

It's really tempting to glean through the experiences of others, but everyone has a different outcome. I never had reflux pre-op, now I do and don't expect it to subside any time soon. Others had it previously and it diminished, or never had it and still don't. I take a daily PPI and it's not a perfect solution, but I live with it because getting the surgery was still the right choice for me in the long run, despite a few minor side effects. If you have severe acid reflux or GERD, it's probably worth looking into gastric bypass. Of course that procedure has it's own pro's and con's. Ultimately it's about weighing the potential positives and negatives. No longer being obese is just about the most positive and important outcome there is, and no doubt it will improve the quality of your life.

Nothing short of AMAZING!!!! Congratulations on your immense success!

I know I had a very hard time tolerating any Pasta or bread until I was 3-4 months post op. My nutritionist said I could eat toasted bread if I wanted something earlier on but I didn't miss it. I used this to my advantage, because the truth of the matter is, the most effective diet for significant weight loss is a low carb diet. You want your body to be in a state of ketosis (look it up), that's how pound upon pound gets shed. Loading up on simple carbs (bread, rice, pasta) won't do you any favors with the scale. I'd say your focus should be on meeting Protein goals and eating some veggies and fruit if the protein alone doesn't fill you up. There will always be time for grains later. But for the sake of throwing ideas out there, my go-to lower carb side dishes are: cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, and zoodles (julienne zucchini). I hope this helps!

I'm not Bronx but I'm close - Washington Heights/Inwood! It's a tough, lifelong battle we're waging and we all can use support. It's never too late to get back on track.

Being out, pounding the pavement, is very hard. I know, I've been there myself. But you've come too far to turn back to where you came from now. You've hit a big bump in the road, that's true, but the bump can be overcome through patience and perseverance. What helped me was waking up every day and setting goals for myself - send out x many applications/resumes, exercise for 1 hour, make meals for myself for the week, meditate, etc. I volunteered, interned, and temped as well to keep busy, something that hiring employers seem to like. It may take some time and effort to get back on your feet in this regard, but you will find a new job. You can't have the attitude that you won't - it's not true or healthy. As for the junk food, my advice is now that you need to really prioritize financially - pitch the junk off the grocery list. It's a waste of money and calories. Save your money for better quality food that will keep you sustained.

Honestly most people regain some semblance of hunger and cravings a few months to several months after surgery. It may not be nearly as bad as it used to be, but VSG is by no means a permanent solution to "hunger". The only tried and true permanent solution to weight loss is maintaining self control. Here's the thing about hormones, particularly hormones that play a role in the brain - we don't really understand, scientifically, how they work yet. Ghrelin is part of the puzzle, but only part. There's a lot more involved in hunger [and obesity] than just ghrelin in particular or hormones in general. For me, hunger came back at about 6 months post op, but thanks to the sleeve I manage it better. Stress and slider foods or cr*p foods tend to make it much worse. So I avoid certain foods entirely and I work out my frustrations at the gym, rather than at the kitchen table.

Coffee and caffeine are most likely totally fine for you now as long as you didn't have issues with them pre-op. I waited about a week to drink it again and have been drinking 2 cups a day ever since.

If you do a site search for caffeine, you'll find this issue has come up so often to the point where it's akin to beating a dead horse. Medically speaking, if you tolerated coffee/caffeine okay before surgery, you should have no problem tolerating it afterwards. I waited about a week and every day since then I've had 1-2 cups of coffee a day. Caffeine is not the boogeyman. Just make sure you continue to get enough water in daily as it's a diuretic.

I think you also need to understand that MFP calorie "goals" are meant for normal people, not bariatric patients. They don't take the nutritional needs of WLS patients into account. I use it to keep me accountable by reminding me of what I've eaten during the day and my exercise but I let my nutritionist give me caloric goal advice, not a phone app.

Lou, You are AMAZING!!! I'm training for my very first 5k and you're now my inspiration! Congratulations on your amazing success!

The self love needs to start today, because it will go along way toward keeping you motivated down the road. I admit, I am 20 lbs from goal and have never been more critical of my body in my life. I spend way too much time agonizing over the scale and the mirror. But I realized recently that I need to start loving myself as I am now and appreciating my accomplishments thus far, because if I don't, I still won't be happy when I'm closer to goal or at goal. The mind always looks for things to nitpick at. Something to consider. You are more than just your weight, you know?

Richard - You look amazing dude!! Congratulations on your great success!

I have gone back and forth opinion-wise on weight loss surgery in teenagers. Would I have done it as a teenager? Probably. I wanted so much to be skinny back then. Would I have been ready for it? Definitely not. Even in my early twenties I wasn't ready for it. Most teenagers aren't emotionally ready to make such a drastic change. But that doesn't mean they can't get help and support to better understand and commit to the change. A good psychologist or clinical social worker would be an excellent starting point. WLS is a drastic intervention, one that comes with risks that can't be ignored, but with your daughter's current weight and diabetes diagnosis at only 13, you know she's looking at a life cut short if drastic changes aren't made. The trouble is, as you know, the sleeve is no cure. It's only a tool. How will your daughter commit to eating healthy and small portions months and years down the road as the restriction decreases and the capacity and desire to eat increases? This is a question all of us need to think about and answer for ourselves. To better my odds I attend support groups and practice CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) techniques. Other people have their own coping strategies that work for them. Best to discover successful strategies for yourself before heading down to the hospital. As for Mexico, it seems there are a few very excellent surgeons there who have operated on thousands of patients each. Trouble is, reporting problems with patients in Mexico is murkier. Malpractice suits, when they occur, aren't generally public record. You have to be very careful picking out the surgeon, the hospital, and be sure to do research on the anesthesiologist involved. Look for surgeons who have performed the sleeve on many teenagers without incident. The more, the better. Wishing you and your daughter all the best moving forward.

The last 2 months I have been stalled more than I have been losing. I think it's normal at this stage. We've lost a lot of weight - our bodies are in shock and want to rest. The only thing that seems to work right now is changing it up, the food and the exercise. I cut out all simple carbs (no bread, no pasta, no rice, no goodies, no protein bars even!) and eat a lot more veggies and fruit with my requisite protein. At the gym I've gone from 30 minutes of cardio every day and 30 minutes strength 3x a week to at least an hour of higher intensity cardio, 45 minutes of strength, and cross fit. Not saying you need to go overboard like me, but get that heart rate up for at least 20 minutes a day and you will see the scale move down again. You absolutely can do this!!

Try online? That seems to be how a lot of people meet these days. Or social groups for folks with similar interests (like meetup.com).

I know it's difficult but it would be better for your health in the long run if you quit smoking and didn't go back to it ever. This is of course, easier said than done. The journey to better health is paved with exercising self control, whether it be food, cigarettes, alcohol, etc.

Caffeine is fine for most people and anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't have the scientific evidence to back up their opinions. coffee does not cause ulcers. If you could tolerate coffee pre-op, chances are good you'll tolerate it fine post-op. I started drinking coffee again about 1 week post op. Nowadays I drink 2 cups a day just fine with a little fat free half & half. I compensate by drinking more Water during the day, which everyone should be doing anyway. As for the alcohol, it's about balance. It's empty calories - and the calories really can add up. Your surgical team may be concerned about transfer addiction if you are a food addict. It's a valid concern but as long as you don't overdo it, I don't see the harm. I have had the occasional drink since I've been sleeved and I tolerate it fine. Just don't expect to lose weight if you have a glass of wine every day. I'd stay away from beer and champagne. Carbonation = no bueno.

I'm going to be the resident meanie/devil's advocate, if that's okay. Here's the thing about food funerals... You are focusing a lot of mental energy at the prospect of not being able to eat these foods you love so much anymore and IMO that in and of itself is a waste. You should instead look inward and try to figure out why those foods make you feel the way you do (there is a myriad of physiological and emotional reasons of course) and develop healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with those cravings without giving in to temptation. Because the sleeve can only help you go so far with the avoidance. After a few months post-op the hunger and the cravings come back. For nearly everyone. If you haven't built up a strong mental "toolkit" for keeping yourself accountable every single day you will backslide. It happens. Self control needs to start today, because that is what will get you to goal and keep you there for the future. Food for thought.

Your doctors said no more NSAIDs period post-surgery? There's no real medical rationale for that unless you are prone to ulcers or something. You don't take the NSAIDs 2 weeks prior to and 2 weeks after surgery because it puts you at a greater risk of bleeding. After that, it's okay and anyone who tells you otherwise is an alarmist with no evidence. Though 2400 mg is a lot of motrin, sleeve or no sleeve. Do you have an orthopedist? You should make an appointment and discuss your options for the future.