DonRodolfo

Eating like you have been is not going to work and could possibly sabotage your weight loss. All the suggestions, timers, and journals in the world won't make a difference until you make this lifestyle change a priority. Looks like you're about 3 weeks out. Protein Shakes should be large part of your life until you are on solid food. When I was three weeks out I'd have one first thing in the morning and as my snack two more times during the day. Hydration: I don't know what kind of job you have but you need to be drinking a minimum of 64oz of fluids a day. That means you're carrying a bottle with you everywhere and working on it all day long. For me, I found Powerade Zero easier to drink than water so that's where I get a lot of mine.

(Your doctor has the final word on all things related to your surgery) They told me to stop taking all herbals (including melatonin) a week before surgery. I started back up as soon as it was okay to swallow pills again.

What kind of barbaric outfit is this? " There are no smoothie bars or aerobics studios in one's peripheral vision, just the Iron bar you'll hang from, the weights you'll thrust up above your head and the ground you'll drip your perspiration and occasional tears into until you feel as though you've become a part of the place. " No smoothie bar? I suppose there isn't a concierge or onsite masseuse either?!

Heart rate monitor - I use a Polar Wearlink + that talks to an app on my smartphone which displays current heart rate, calories burned, avg calories burned per min, and other stats.

What part of the country are you in?

The article may be sketchy but there's value in posting it because now you have a group of people talking about it and their experiences. I'm pretty sure I'm a skinny fat person - I'm not plump like I was so I have skin hanging off (which will probably get worse). I haven't done any weights and have stuck to 100% cardio. I'm 50 years old and figured hanging skin was the price to be paid for losing weight so quickly.

I ask you forgive my ignorance, but you have/will meet with your surgeon, NUT, psych, etc is that correct? I would expect any of them/all of them to have information on local groups you could join. VST is okay but it does not replace meeting up with local people going through or that have gone through the same struggle. Sometimes useful isn't dropped in your lap and you have to search for it (or demand it) yourself. Looks like you're close to either Tampa, Clearwater, or St. Petersburg - these are cities of significant size that should have support offerings for you.

Congrats to you and Happy Birthday!

You're not even three weeks out! You're beating yourself up for no reason.

STOP IT - STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!! Promise me (but mostly yourself) that you will weigh no more than once a week. I SAID DO IT! (The truth is, you don't have enough data to claim you haven't been successful at losing weight. Your snapshot needs to be a minimum of 6* weeks - between August 20 and now is not 6 weeks. If, in a six-week period, you haven't lost a pound or you are gaining weight, then it's time to talk to be concerned.) (* I learned the 6 week thing at my last visit with one of my surgeons.)

I think BCA is cheating on her and is ashamed to make an appearance in this thread!

The first few weeks were very unpredictable and I learned to never trust a fart at that point. My tummy finally calmed down after a month or so.

I used to have a lot of issues pre surgery that seems to have been replaced by new (more tolerable) problems. I have somewhat frequent upper esophagus gas that causes a little discomfort. This is mostly in the morning. Burping helps a lot and my doctor says this should go away soon. (TMI ALERT) BMs are not the volume they used to be. Since I'm eating less I guess this can be expected. I get nicely formed logs (I'm told this is a good thing). However, I have to make sure to get enough Fiber (Metamucil twice a day) or it feels like I'm pushing out a tree - very difficult to get started and to keep pushing out. I imagine most of you know what happens if you push too hard so I'll spare you that. I wake up with A LOT of gas. I believe this is mostly because I'm still using a CPAP machine. Good thing is that I'm far enough out that I can trust farts.

:lol:

That's obscene! It's < $1 USD here in the states!

Or both!

Being able to sleep flat in a bed after 13 years of sleeping reclined. It'd be nice to never have to use the CPAP again. Never having to walk into a Big and Tall store ever again. Never having to think twice about sitting in a booth at a restaurant. Never setting off another car alarm as I walk by.

Um yeah, sorry, I'm gonna have to agree with the people you say you encountered - you are pretty! A long time ago, many many years ago i starved myself into being skinny. I was in my girlfriend's college dorm room and caught her roommate checking me out while was looking in the mirror. It was uncomfortable but it's a memory I still enjoy today!

While Frank could have picked better words to express himself I think it's important to note that he could have just not posted at all. What he said wasn't pretty but it was correct. Personally, I consider it a blessing to have people in my life that will kick me in my pants when I need it. Many of us, being who we are, sugarcoat things when we shouldn't.

The sleeve is not magic. For some people it takes away hunger, for some it doesn't. As your new tummy is healing itself it will generate stomach acid that you may think is hunger. I assure you the sleeve will restrict you and you will not be able to eat the same quantity in one sitting that you used to. However, that doesn't mean you can't cheat your way around it and end up gaining weight back after awhile. It will take a commitment from you to eat well and properly. Your thoughts aren't silly at all. They're very legitimate. It's your expectations that may need realigning.

Define "plenty of protein" ? I absolutely did not wake up with the ability to just go out and jog a 5k. In January of this year I couldn't stand for more than 10 minutes without breaking into a sweat and needing to sit down. I just got to the point where i could do 45 minutes on the treadmill then decided i wanted to do a 5k. Having a goal motivated me to keep at it and I just kept adding more and more time until I got there. I'm sorry, you were probably looking for a better answer.

Post deleted.

I have a buddy here that is from Humble. I sent her a link to your thread here.

I am really not impressed with any of the vanilla or chocolate RTDs of any sort. Unjury Chocolate is fine with milk, gross with water. I use a product called AMP Wheybolic from GNC (Chocolate flavored) that is a little pricey but tastes great with either water or skimmed milk That is what I have for Breakfast. i eat normal food but supplement with Syntrax Protein drinks (Fuzzy Navel flavor is my favorite).

I love Powerade Zero more than water. Maybe it's just the water here but it seems to take hours to drink 32oz of water but i can finish a 32oz bottle of Powerade Zero in an hour on the treadmill. The electrolytes are the other reason i drink it at the gym. I'm not a fan of grape or orange drinks at all but find that if they're Powerade I like them.