LumpySpacePrincess

I agree that for the first few months you should be tracking everything you eat. The added fiber might be making you bloated as well. I also found in the first few months that my losses were smaller when I exercised harder and more frequently, so I stopped working out and my losses went up to 3lbs per week. Not saying you should stop completely, but slow down for awhile. Your body is still healing and the exercises you're doing are probably putting too much stress on it and its conserving energy, aka fat.

Yes, Splenda and other artificial sweetners are totally OK! I'd recommend using the liquid kind, if you can, since it doesn't have maltodextrin in it. Look for a brand called EZ-Sweetz.

Most people lose an average of 2lbs per week, sometimes less. I lose about 3 per week, so I'd say you're doing well. But remember...your body will only do what it is capable of, factoring in how you are with your nutrition post-op. The "average" doesn't mean anything to you, really, because the average is calculating everyone else's losses...not yours! Your body will have ups and downs, but if you take care of it and feed it right, you will lose at the rate that is healthy for you!

Nah, no need to do that! I promise you'll have all your favorite foods again, just in much smaller portions! I'm 5 months out and the only "favorite" foods I haven't had again are Pasta, rice, and a fully loaded cheeseburger. I go to Red Lobster and have steamed crab legs on a regular basis (with butter!!), have modified versions of pizza which are just as good as regular, and generally find ways to have my treats and keep losing. Everyone says this is a lifestyle change so make sure the changes you are making fit your lifestyle. There is no one around, not even very thin people and people who have lots tons of weight, who don't have some version of their favorites one in awhile. Black and white thinking about "good and bad foods" will lead to a sense of deprivation, loss, and resentment which will ultimately lead to overeating on the things you love, instead of allowing yourself to have them in reasonable amounts. Good luck with your surgery! You'll do great!!

If you don't eat beforehand, you might experience extra acid churning around in your stomach. I only get heartburn when I don't eat anymore.

I wait 15-20 minutes after I consume anything that has calories before I drink Water. Your stomach still has to digest the Protein in the shake and if it doesn't get broken down properly in your stomach, your system can't absorb as much of it. Its really a personal preference, though. I tend to be hyper-vigilant.

I was told no heavy lifting for 6 weeks, but most activities you can resume when you are feeling up to it. If it doesn't hurt, its probably OK.

You can ask your own nutritionist about this, but mine told me that any liquid that did not contain caffeine can count toward your daily requirement. So broth, Protein shakes, etc do count! You are probably fine.

I'm 5 months out and my stomach still makes Chewbacca noises.

I bought two varieties: EAS Carb AdvantEDGE and Chocolite. The advantage of having the Chocolite post-op is it has a natural probiotic in it that will help keep you regular. They taste pretty good, though overall for taste and ease I usually buy the bottled EAS shakes at Target.

What does your pre-op diet look like? To be honest, though, this is just the beginning. You need to take this time on the pre-op diet to see if this is really something you can stick with for a long time, because your food choices are going to change dramatically and you won't always have the options you want or need and sometimes we just have to suck it up and not rely on our old comfort devices.

I would call your surgeon's office. I won't say its unusual, but you aren't very far along so its best to check with them first.

It wasn't so bad for me, but my nutritionist included things like sugar free pudding, fat free yogurts and cream Soups with chunks strained out in our full liquid plan. They advanced me after one week, but I was so terrified to eat anything I even put off eating yogurt for two whole weeks and ate mostly broth!

I will opt for reduced fat versions of some things I would normally add to a food, such as mayo or cheese, though I do buy regular butter and use it occasionally. Red meat I will buy with a moderate amount of fat, and I do leave the skin on my chicken and eat that. The one exception is sour cream. For some reason, the fat-free sour cream tastes better than reduced fat!

I didn't feel full until I started on solids. Believe me, when you start on chicken you will feel very full very quick! I'm 5 months out and I get stuffed on a single chicken wing! Also, your tummy is probably still a little numb from the surgery. Just stick to your prescribed food volume and you'll be fine!

I had this problem for so many years. They had me on Klonopin for a long time, which helped, but the withdrawal symptoms were hell. The best remedy for it, honestly, is to go to target and find Hyland's Leg Cramp Tablets. They contain the ingredient "quinine" which has been proven to reduce or eliminate muscle spasms. I also do some light stretching before bed and drink a Powerade Zero in the evening to help with potassium levels. Good luck!

When I was first sleeved, I was sure I was hungry. Turns out extra stomach acid mimics what we think of as hunger. You can double your prilosec dose if you need to and it will take care of that feeling.

Calorie cycling is how I keep my losses consistent and it keeps me from stalling out. I usually do 500, 600, 700, and 800 calorie days, then repeat. You can also go back to soft or liquid meals for all but one of your daily meals which would be solid. So 3 Protein shakes and one meal of dense protein. Should get things moving again!

Personally, I listen to my body when it comes to Water. If I'm thirsty, I drink. I don't always hit the MDR, in fact most days I don't. My personal minimum that I need to drink is about 32 ounces of water. I don't lose faster or slower when I drink more, but I do notice I'm more sluggish and bloated when I drink the recommended 64 ounces per day. I think water, like anything else, is an individual thing, not a set point that they can say all people need to go by.

That's really fantastic!!! You'll be there in no time!

I lost weight the first week post-op and haven't stopped since! Weight loss should be fairly immediate with the greatest losses in the first month and then slowly tapering off to a somewhat steady, lower rate of loss after that. I lose 3 pounds per week and I'm 4 months out. In terms of "seeing" the weight loss in physical appearance, people didn't really start to notice until I had lost about 75 pounds. I'm down to 219 and I'm just now starting to see it in myself.

(I don't have bipolar, but I am in a PhD program for Psychology so I can share some of my knowledge with you. ) I would definitely call your psychiatrist as soon as you can. Let them know what is going on and see if they want you to come in for an appointment. You will probably need a medication adjustment. DO keep taking the dose you are prescribed until you see your psychiatrist. Don't increase or decrease until they see you. In the meantime, try to see if you can write down any new symptoms or issues that have been occurring or anything that is bothering you. Handing your doctor or therapist a list or outline of what you are experiencing is very helpful to them, and aides you so you don't have to remember everything when you get there. You will be OK. I'm sure its just a slight medication tweak that needs to happen.

You will feel the restriction when you get to chunky foods. I thought I was doing something wrong at first, too, because I wouldn't get full. Now I get full very fast! Just stay within your surgeon's volume guidelines and you'll be fine. When in doubt, undereat your sleeve.

Hello! I'm a little over halfway to my goal, and now is the time I want to start thinking about the possibility of plastics in the future. I am looking for recommendations for plastic surgeons in the Bergen County NJ/NYC/Westchester area that you have had good experience with. I will be looking for a panni (no tummy tuck, just skin/fat removal), maybe a little bit of lipo on my legs, breast lift/reshape (no implants), and possibly a thigh lift. I'd also like to get a lower eyelid lift to get rid of my dark circles, but that's optional. Also, not to be TMI but is lipo on the pubic mound a thing?? If so, I might consider that also. I am starting to look now because I want to be prepared for the price when I'm ready to go into this. I'm hoping I won't need it, but in case I do, I'd like to have all the info I can! Thank you in advance!!

I have to respectfully disagree with #5. sleeping in your exercise gear sounds obsessive and mildly dysfunctional on a psychological level. If you did that, and did not get up to exercise, there is likely to be an increased amount of shame, anxiety, or guilt over not following through right away. Seems like that would push you back into the "What's the point?" mentality a lot of us have had in the past when we "fail." To be honest, the biggest thing anyone can do to help them during this process is to speak to a therapist about their eating issues. As much as we would not like to admit it, none of us got to where we are because we have a healthy, non-dysfunctional relationship with food. Short term changes are relatively easy, but the long-term changes we need to make are extremely difficult without professional support. The second most important thing is to stop putting moral labels on food. No food is "clean" or "good" or "bad." It just is. By putting those labels on different foods, you are giving the food the power to dictate how you will view yourself for the day. If you didn't "eat clean" does that make you a dirty person? You may not say it to yourself outright, but I'll bet anything you'll be thinking that in some form. When food stops being a moral choice, and simply a nutritional choice, we stop giving food control over our lives and start controlling the food.