bikrchk

I've had a similar experience. For a while there, with my exercise, I was actually left of zero as far as calories in vs calories out! And there were still stalls! Your body needs to adjust. One thing that's helped me is to weigh no more than once per week. It gives me the feedback I need without obsessing over that number. The good news is, things will even out in the end if you're following the prescription of small portions, hydration, Protein and exercise. I have purposely tried to keep my calories around 1200 now that I'm a few pounds from goal, (yes, it's still coming off, just slower now), so I stabilize in a very manageable place calorie wise.

I got whatever I could in chewable or liquid form and crushed the rest for maybe the first 2 or 3 weeks, but as you say, it's awful, (even using applesauce). It wasn't long before I started swallowing. For larger tablets, I'd cut them first and take in several pieces. Smallish capsules (Omeprazole) went down okay whole after a few weeks or weren't that bad in applesauce.

I stuck with light walking until about 3 months out, then added elliptical trainer. My hip dysplasia flared up and I had to switch to a stationary bike. Still doing the bike to nowhere 5 days per week. If it's a work day, I'm up an hour early to work out. I do it with a heart rate strap and Vivo Fit so I don't have to guess about my burn, (and it can be 100 calories different from day to day). Don't trust the one in the grips on your machine. They typically overestimate. Added a bit of strength training, (push ups, free weights, crunches, etc., 2 days per week. Plan to continue this as I enter maintenance.

There are places that charge to attend support groups? Wow. The one run by my hospital is free, meets monthly and accepts ANYONE whether they had surgery here or not. In addition, I know there are several listed in the local Meetups.Com available to anyone. I hope others cities have the same because it is essential to our success in this!

It may take a few weeks post op to meet your Protein goals. My surgeon recommends 74g per day for women. I think it took me about 2 weeks before I was hitting that. For the first 2 weeks, hydration is key. Not getting enough protein for a few days won't kill you, but dehydration can and can land you in the hospital if you're not careful. One thing that helped was switching from a milk based shake to a Water based one. I found Syntrax Nectar Iced Lemon Tea and would sip it literally all day. Doubles as water too! For the first few weeks I was also setting an alarm to get some Fluid overnight as I'd wake really light headed from low BP due to dehydration. Some folks set an alarm on their phone to remind them to sip every 15 min while recovering at home. Whatever works for you!

It's different for everyone. I couldn't even say with out looking, so I looked at my MFP chart. 23 pounds in the first 30 days.

I wish I didn't have to wait 6 months to jump through bcbs hoops before they agreed to approve me.

I'm 4 pounds from goal and have some of the same concerns as I try to start slowing this train down, I don't want to go back the other way! I find exercise 5x per week has helped me take off the weight while eating what I like in small amounts, focusing on protein first always. I have to believe that religious recording, weighing once per week and maintaining a high activity level has worked so far, and it will work as I add a few more calories to begin maintenance.

Couple rolls of quarters in your pockets!

I had a BMI of 35 the day of surgery, with high BP, high cholesterol, borderline diabetic and uncontrolled asthma. I also got told by everyone but my doctors that I wasn't "big enough" to need surgery. I'd been overweight to obese for 40 years and headed towards morbid obesity if I didn't do something to stop it. My surgeon at my consult told me I should lose 100 pounds. I was 235 at the time so I was shooting for 135. When I went for my 6 month check up at 165 pounds he told me I could stop if I wanted. I was wearing a size 6-8, had normal blood work, blood pressure, no asthma and was off all pre-op meds. Today I'm in the top of my new goal range, (below 150) and will, with his blessing continue down no lower then 135 pounds. I guess my point is "miserable" hits at different places for different people. I carried the extra weight fairly well until I hit 40, then it started affecting my health in a major way. I didn't have that much to lose compared to many here before I got healthy, but that does not diminish my journey, experience or effort. You need to do what you and your doctors deem is best for your health!

I'm nearing maintenance and still losing. Kind of worried about this in the back of my mind myself. I'm at 149 pounds, (top of the healthy BMI zone for my 5'6") and already wear a size 4. At some point it comes down to calories consumed vs calories burned. Try adding in some healthy Snacks, anything with avocadoes, (high calorie, good fat), bananas added to your Protein shake, 2% milk vs skim, etc. If you're really worried about it, schedule with a NUT who can help you come up with a plan for maintenance. I'll be headed there if I go below 135 pounds.

By a few days on each stage, but not more than that. You need to give yourself time to heal, and everyone is different in their recovery. You should work with your team to verify what's safe for you.

I used to avoid cameras like the plague. So much so that as I started losing and I wanted a "before" picture I had a really hard time finding one! This too, shall pass. You WILL feel differently next year!

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/ has a million recipes for protein ice cream and other foods for all stages. Time to get creative!

I'm 10 months out and went into my first consultation with the same question... R\Y vs Sleeve. For me, my surgeon did not have strong feelings one way or the other. For other patients, he's flat out told them, "I won't do a sleeve on you because... You are only a R\Y candidate". But with me, he led me through a series of questions until I came to my own decision. It boiled down to the amount of weight I had to lose - about 100 pounds, maybe a bit less Comorbidities - mine were BP, cholesterol, asthma, joint pain, and pre-diabetic sugars. I was not bad enough for insulin yet I was okay with slower weight loss I was concerned with malabsorbtion issues and the long term consequences of re-routing The sleeve just seemed... Simpler. So far it's been the best gift I've ever given myself. I'm active, in my goal range, off all pre-op meds and all stats are perfect. Life is GOOD!

To some extent, yes, but not like I thought. I think it has more to do with the fact that I can't eat and drink at the same time anymore so I'm generally empty if I imbibe now. Additionally, I can't hold as much so I get full. I literally CAN'T drink like I used to. I tend to avoid beer now as we're not supposed to have the carbonation anyway and it makes me full and uncomfortable FAST. But am I under the table with one glass of wine....? No, it's not that much different than before. I just drink less often and less volume than I used to.

I LOVE my ViVo Fit! I love that I never have to take it off, (the battery lasts a full year). And that it works with Garmin's heart rate strap so I can get an accurate indication of burn during my workouts. I had been over estimating my burn, some days by a lot! And it does have that little red stripe that appears across the top to tell me to get off my a$$ and take a walk. I do move more when I'm wearing it. They've finally added support for MFP so I have a single view of my intake and burn for the day. So the not great... It only syncs the calorie deficit created by your exercise to MFP, not that, for example, I did an hour of cardio on a given day. Not a deal breaker, I just wish the interface between Garmin Connect and MFP was a bit more sophisticated. Over all... LOVE the ViVo Fit!

Well, when I started this journey I was 235 and in an 18. I've not really kept track on the way down, but today, I'm at 149 and wear a 4 or a 6 which is much smaller than what I ever expected. I'm 5'6" tall. I still have a few pounds to go. At this rate, I'll end up in a 2!

Quest is good, but go easy until you know how they affect you. They are super high in FIBER as well as protein!

Avocados or bananas added to shakes can help add high quality calories. Once you can do crunchy, power crunch bars taste good and have 200 calories\15g Protein a pop. I also make the protein ice cream from theworldaccordingtoeggface, (with 2% milk) which can be a decent boost without being complete crap. I also ate a lot of cheese sticks\baby bells early on as Snacks. High protein, nutrient dense, portable and small enough not to make me feel stuffed.

I actually lived with pre-op GERD (silent reflux) mis-diagnosed as asthma for 10 years prior to surgery. Mine presents as chronic coughing rather than heartburn and is worse at night. They started me on Omeprazole right after my EGD and it made a big difference. For the first month post-op, it was worse. Bad enough that I had to raise the head of my bed with a couple of 6" lifts and double my Omeprazole to twice per day. However, once my stomach healed and the weight began to come off things got MUCH better. I was able to flatten my bed again and now, at 9 months out, only have a single night time does of Omeprazole. I'm hoping to be off of it all together in time.

I've gone from an 11 to a 10-10 1/2 and lost some width in the process. Most boots and shoes that tie have been okay with the addition of insoles and or thick socks, but flats, sandals, slip ons... I've had to dump some of them as I was literally walking right out of them. Good news for me is, 10 is where most of the cute shoes stop, so I have a lot more choices now!

"Say it loud! Say it proud! OK – I respect anyone’s decision about privacy and what they wish to share or not share about their lives, especially in this age of social media. But I really hope you can honestly, even proudly, talk openly about your decision to have weight loss surgery. I believe many of us keep it secret because we fear it’s not going to work but I think committing to it out loud strengthens our resolve to succeed more than does a mysterious “gallbladder surgery” which wondrously resulted in a loss of 150 lbs. a year later. Besides, keeping it secret is a disservice to others like us who are often desperate to know “how is she doing it and why can’t I?!?…" I can't agree more on this point! I'm honest with others when they ask what I'm doing to look and feel so great. I eat small portions, exercise 5 x per week and I can maintain this lifestyle now because I gave myself the gift of this amazing tool! I don't take it personally if they're not on my side in this but do my best to educate anyway. You never know who needs to see the example you are! This just strengthens my motivation to continue to be a living success story!

Yes. Ketosis plus you are rapidly losing fat stores which tend to hang on to toxins\hormones. Many people find their sweat smells worse for the first several months as well as they release all that crap from their systems. Good news is... It will pass.

Take heart. At least for me, pre-op was the WORST part! Depending on a million others for their recommendations, insurance approval, etc., all while extremely stressed out and trying to change your lifestyle. Made me feel very... out of control. So what can you do? Establish healthy routines. Exercise. Log your intake and burn in an app like MFP. Find a face to face support group in your city. Know that this "hardest part" is temporary and it won't be long until you are on the other side, fighting (at least in the beginning) to get enough Water and nutrition in to recover from surgery. Keep your eye on your goal and you'll be on the other side before you know it! The changes I made pre-op: Established a walking schedule Gave up caffeine and diet soda (this was huge for me) Added 1 Protein supplement per day to my diet in the beginning The month prior to surgery 2 protein supplements per day for Breakfast and lunch, healthy Snacks when I needed them, plus a high protein dinner to shrink my liver pre-op I could not master the not drinking with meals ahead of surgery but found that post op, it just makes me uncomfortable so the transition was easy.