fultont

Sleeved May 28 2013 at 209 Size 16W
Today Jan 31 146 Size 6
Bra ws 42DD today 38D (thank Gawd!)
So wish I would have done this years ago!
Good Job everyone and here is to a GREAT 2014!

Sleeved May 28 2013 at 209 Size 16W
Today Jan 31 146 Size 6
Bra ws 42DD today 38D (thank Gawd!)
So wish I would have done this years ago!
Good Job everyone and here is to a GREAT 2014!

Look, I know you don't want to hear this but there is no magical diet cure. I'm not attacking you. I'm just attacking the idea that somewhere there's a one size fits all approach to losing weight. There isn't, or we'd all do Weight Watchers, fly to goal and be skinny little princesses forever.
Eat the number of carbs that keeps you feeling satisfied, doesn't make you feel deprived, doesn't slow down your Protein intake but also doesn't hinder your loss. I kept it to 50 or under but lost at the same pace when I upped it to 70 and kept on losing at that same pace once I increased it to 100 grams a day.
It's so individual it's crazy.
If you're still doing the fresh out of the gate Protein only, no carbs, very low calories thing - shake it up. Record what you do so you see how your body reacts. But sometimes increasing carbs and calories is the way to go.
And sometimes? We hit a stall or a plateau because our body needs time to adjust. I had two nine weekers on my long trek to goal. It happens. It stinks, but it happens.
~Cheri

I think (and no offense to anyone) that it's easy to be kind of cocky about how easy it all is and how you'd have to be deliberately eating around your sleeve not to achieve goal.
And I say that because I used to think that, too.
The reality is much more complex and it's unfair that we, as people that have struggled with our weight our entire lives, are so quick to criticize or shout diet! exercise! to anyone that's struggling post sleeve. It's as if we're applying that same logic our family, friends and doctors had prior to our surgeries - it's not working because you're failing or it's not working because you have no willpower or it's not working because you're lazy. The end result being the message that of course losing weight is easy and if you really want to do it the weight will just fall off and you'll be on your way to happily ever after.
Not so. The issue is something not even fully understood in the medical world. If weight loss were simple restriction and willpower, the very first time you tried a 1,200 calorie diet you would have lost that weight and made it to goal and you would not be here missing 85% of an organ.
I have friends here that struggle and have struggled for years to either shed weight or stay on track for various reasons. It is not all willpower. I know folks that are the strictest eaters and most diligent exercisers that CANNOT reach goal and are still fifty or sixty pounds overweight.
Naturally, some of these people might feel less than thrilled with their results.
Now, for the original question: I am three years out. Today, I can say I am fully satisfied and love my life post sleeve. Six months out or nine months out you would have heard a different story. I struggled to lose at the pace I felt everyone else was meeting. I had two nine week stalls - one at six months and one between nine and twelve months. Now, I was still happy for my sleeve but I was also frustrated. I think you'll find very few people here (though you will find some, particularly those that had bad complications) that regret their surgeries even when things don't go as planned.
And yes, the biggest hurdle most people that are disappointed have is that their initial expectations were not realistic, usually because they either thought they would avoid complications of any sort or because they simply did not research the sleeve diligently prior to surgery.
Best of luck to you, whatever you decide. The wonderful universal of this surgery is that even those that are disappointed, frustrated or stalled have lost weight. Not as much as they'd like in some cases, but we all lose.
~Cheri

Just sad I didn't do it SOONER!

Just sad I didn't do it SOONER!

Just sad I didn't do it SOONER!

Just sad I didn't do it SOONER!

4 weeks out (May 28th Surgery date) down 30lbs weighed in this morning 177.6. Very pleased so far.

The first few days after surgery, I think most people have a little buyers remorse. I can tell you each day, week, month it gets better and better. I love my sleeve. The only regret I have as of today, is that I didn't have this done 10 years ago!

So holy crap! It's been quite a 3 months for me. My surgery was uneventful. No complications to speak of. I haven't had any issues with any foods not agreeing with me. I'm just over 3 months out and I'm down 75 pounds! I started at 360 and today I'm 285. I can't remember the last time I was below 300. I've been exercising a lot and have more energy than I've had in years. I mow the lawn twice a week and have even started to mow other people's lawns just because I enjoy the exercise. People comment literally every day how great I look. I was in 22" shirts and now I'm in 18.5". Before surgery I was in size 54 jeans and now I'm in size 42. Like I said, its been quite a 3 months for me. Best decision I ever made for myself!
The photo is in the same shirt, just with 75 less pounds packed into it! I hated taking the first photo, I loved taking the second!

Makes you wonder...if someone needed a breast reduction medically, would these same haters tell that woman she's taking the easy route and to suck it up and carry those boulders around?

^^^^ This!

Ft Myers, FL

If that's wrong, I don't want to be right! I've been "having fun" with my Protein Shakes as well and my doctor has no complaints. My doctor could care less how many calories I consume (or not) - he's all about making sure I get 70g of Protein, 64oz fluids and all my Vitamins in per day. I end up with about 1,000 calories, on average, per day. I wouldn't necessarily use this website as a source of nutritional information - we're all different, and all of our surgeons have different "ideals" for our journey.

Most docs want you at 600 - 800 for the whole day. So yeah, 500 calories for breakfast/brunch is a bit much. Cut the recipe in half and it will be perfect.

Though it's a great number for Protein intake for a day it should be spaced out more during the day. You mentioned this in the a.m. and cottage cheese at lunch. You really need Protein through out the day but probably not many more calories. Just my thoughts:)

Waaaaayyyy to many calories for one meal. You are not bulking up for a triathalon. Cut it at least in half. At 4 weeks out you should be eating maybe 500 calories for the entire day.

The first six months after surgery, the only exercise I did was walking. Then I started yoga (bikram and hot mukti). Then I started at the gym. Cardio at first, then strength and now I do a lot of group fitness classes. And I still do the yoga three times a week.
I love it. I have found the trick for me is to do most of what I enjoy and a little of what I don't. I hate the elliptical so I give that about 15 minutes and then move on to the treadmill which I love, for example. I love yoga so that is a given and I am really enjoying the group fitness classes. I wear a heart monitor watch thingy to track the calories I am burning and I find that to be a real motivational tool. A Les Mills Body Combat class can burn 600 calories. Knowing that at the end of the class feels so good on top of the adrenalin high that is normal post a workout.
Edited to add - I enjoy it all a lot more now that I am no longer obese. Size does matter when you're jumping about. It is much, much more enjoyable and things like running on the treadmill are now achievable for me without doing damage and that in itself has increased the enjoyment factor.

I make this when I make his pot of coffee. I sip on it most of the morning. For lunch I try No Fat Cottage cheese and snack I do SF Jello cup. I'm not on solids yet so yeah it is kinda my only meal that and an Ocean of Water (YUK)

Ok here comes the bully! Cheating on a diet???
Oh my yes we've all done that!
BUT the after surgery "eating" plan is there for a reason it's not a typical diet. It is in place to give your stomach time to heal. Lets not forget that someone just went in the and cut and burned that sucker length wise, and then stapled it back together!!!
Your stomach is still swollen and numb. And chances are you won't "feel" much in there right now.
Like I said this is not cheating on a diet this is a dangerous thing to do. If you want to cheat wait until you are in the clear, trust me there will be plenty of time to cheat yourself then!

Here is my before: And here is my after: I'm down 24/25 pounds, and I'm 6 weeks out this wed.

I hate to hear that so many of us are experiencing stalls (including me) but I'm so happy in that I am not alone -- I was so afraid that I was messing something up and was alone in that!
I did not do a pre-op diet and I lost 28 pounds in the week after surgery. Since then I've only lost about 2-3 pounds (depends on the days I've weighed). I know that I'm losing inches though because I can fit in clothes that I could not when I got home from surgery but it's still frustrating to not see those numbers move on the scale.
I'm trying to stay positive by tracking my NSV's -- which I've had a few -- but it's so hard remaining upbeat when I go to weigh every couple of days and I end up yelling "Seriously!" in not a nice way at my scale.< /p>

I'm 6 months out take the Biotin like you and all other Vitamins I have no Hair loss or thinning as of yet!