NMJG

Try Unjury chicken broth protein powder. Great break from the sweet drinks.

Congratulations, Fran, you are a success! What a difference. All your hard work has paid off.

What a wonderful thread. Laura, I am so happy for you. I see my dr tomorrow for my 4 month checkup, hope he is as happy as yours is. Congratulations, Miss Skinny!

Seela, that's so nice! You've been working hard. Good to get some notice.

Best wishes to you, Jane, and thank you for being here. Would love to see pics.

I've had metabolic issues. It was always hard to lose weight and after menopause it was impossible. I would diet and exercise and nothing happened. I take thyroid meds, but they don't help that much. One of the reasons I chose WLS is because it sort of resets your metabolism, if you will. It confuses your body and can jump start weight loss again, at least that is what my doctor's literature indicated. After 4 months I can say it works, at least for me. I lose slowly for WLS, 2 lbs a week average, but I'm losing, and I believe it will stay off this time because of my new tool. It is hard to believe after a lifetime of diet failure, but it really works if you follow the plan, eat what your nut tells you, and stay on track. Now, if you frequently go off plan and don't use discipline, the weight may not come off and/or you may gain back your losses. It happens a lot, unfortunately. The mantra around here is "the sleeve is a tool, not a cure." We all do a lot of head work here to work through our food issues.

Myfitnesspal for me too. I like being able to scan barcodes with the phone app, and I like the recipe builder that figures out the nutrients. Lots of people here use it, so you can have friends on it and share your food diary if you like. For a pedometer I use the app Accupedo on my phone to track my walking. There are quite a few pedometer apps.

Hey, I really sympathize. Perhaps if you could educate them more on VSG, take them to a seminar at your clinic or show them one of the youtube videos by various bariatric surgeons. Best of luck with a difficult situation. They obviously love you very much and just want what is best for you. You need to show them why this is the best thing for you and how you made your decision.

I lose very slowly compared to others, but I just have to refrain from comparisons. I lose around two lbs a week. I've had two stalls, but lost inches during those times. I stay on program and exercise moderately. I'm happy with my loss after 4 months. Doctor took me off one of my blood pressure meds this week. Butter is right. Lots of people have unreasonable expectations and it is so sad to read their frustrated posts. Some folks lose 100 lbs in 6 months, lots don't. Good luck!

I'm there with y'all. On weekends when I sleep in I freak out because it's 11am and I haven't gotten in any fluids or protein. That is one thing I didn't realize about the sleeve; how much time you spend thinking about what you are going to eat or drink and the planning for it. And if I don't plan for it, I get dehydrated, don't get in my protein, forget to eat, and generally feel crummy. Guess this is the new normal.

It is likely what you are eating. At three months, you should be on solid protein, chicken, beef, etc. if you are eating that first, as you should be, you will fill up after a couple of ounces. Softer foods are much easier to get down. Is that maybe what is going on?

At 4 months I am very happy with it, and I haven't had the easiest time, but you get through, and it is definitely worth it. Remember that the first few months, especially the first month, can be really really difficult. Strange things hurt, weird feelings can come up, etc. you can really start to doubt yourself those first weeks. For constipation: try to limit the hard painkillers in the hospital to a minimum and get off of them as soon as you can. They make it worse starting off. Add Benefiber to your water/liquids or other Fiber supplements, you will need it. Get all your liquids in as soon as you can after surgery.

Pretty normal, kiddo. It gets better over time, and you'll quickly appreciate your limitations, but it is hard the first 6 months. I got to the point where I didn't even want to eat since I could get so little down. The other posters' advice about slowing down, etc. does help. Chin up, you'll get through this period.

Holidays are awful for me, so many parties and receptions in my circle. Just get back to basics, even try a few days a week with just protein shakes to help even it out. December is a baaaaad month for losing weight. Good luck to us all.

Fruit juice, fresh or not, is packed with carbs and sugars. It is likely going to impact your loss, I would stay away from it if it were me.

Mmmmm artichoke dip Sounds like you are doing really well in what you are eating, congrats on that. Holidays are soooo hard for me.

Anyone tried hard cider with a shot of Fireball? It's popular here. I have been wanting to, but I have such a hard time with carbonation. And my hubby is a home brewer

The amount of calories you should take in can be less important than the type of calories. Also, age makes a huge difference, as does activity level and gender. Some people won't lose well at 1000 calories, some find they lose better. Many nuts give nutritional guidelines in terms of daily grams of carbs, fats, and Protein, not calories. If you can't phone your nut, I'd recommend just sticking with your plan, just my two cents. If you are looking for permission here to eat more, there are folks who will give it to you. I'm curious, how can you get in that many calories? Early on, most folks struggle to get in 500 calories, much less twice that amount, unless you eat sliders and high calorie drinks.

Whole foods has PB2. I think Walmart has started carrying it, too.

Yay! That was a big day for me, too. Celebrate!

I second Laura on these answers. Hot sauce OK but try it slowly. Straws ok, but try it slowly, some have trouble, I don't. Alcohol in small amounts ok, but watch the calories and wait a good long time after surgery or ask your dr. Carbonation I personally can't do anymore. Makes me ill after surgery. Search the threads on carbonation for more opinions. It does mess with the sleeve, but to what extent, who knows. It is generally considered a nono. Caffeine is another question you will have before long.

My nut specified protein isolates. There are lots of isolates, whey, pea, etc. She said we absorb much more of the protein in isolate form and more quickly than other kinds, which we need early on. Search the forum on protein and you'll find some good threads. Some people start using caseinates later on because it absorbs slower, good when you are able to exercise more and build muscle. Just my opinion, but isolates have worked well for me as a general protein shake. I also like a glass of warm milk at bedtime.

Oh, not at all. You just have to get used to the quirkiness of this group. Your quote just got everyone enthused. When this group gets enthused, you never know what is going to pop out.

There is no standard postop diet, except for some big points like protein, water, and exercise. You'd think there would be. But then not all diet plans work for everyone, either. My nut gave me daily grams of protein (80), carbs (60) and fat(30). No calorie limit. I have been happy with my nut, the weight is coming off, so I can't disagree with her plan. It is hard when you are second guessing and not comfortable with your plan.

Great article, GG, thanks for posting it. I remember when I was a skinny kid in the 60's, we had full fat milk and I drank a lot of it. I ate fruit and vegs, cheese, and a little meat (I wasn't a big meat eater). I did eat carbs as a kid, but not nearly as much as I did in my later years. My diet changed radically after age 12, however. Very thought provoking.