Katcloudshepherd

So for 18 days you lost 1.8 pounds A DAY! Then your body probably said : "WHOA--wait a minute here!" Take it one day at a time and do what you are supposed to do and your body will likely begin loosing again. You didn't gain all your weight in 18 days did you? It still takes time to lose it even with weight loss surgery. Blessings, Kathleen

Here is the web link: http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/weight-loss/bmi4.htm The History of BMI Using a formula to calculate obesity is not a new concept. In the nineteenth century, a Belgian statistician named Adolphe Quetelet came up with the Quetelet Index of Obesity, which measured obesity by dividing a person's weight (in kilograms) by the square of his or her height (in inches). So the BMI came out of the 1800's!!!!!!! That tells me much about how well it can tell me, a 6' tall female in 2014, how much to rely on it. I do believe science has advanced since the 1800s to provide a better measure of how obese I am. So why in God's name do we use something that was developed in the 1800s? Blessings, Kathleen

Good morning y'all--if it's still morning where you're at, I was called "skinny" yesterday! I don't have any idea what my goal weight should be. I'm 6' tall so I thought 200 would be good. I was just going to let my body decide what weight I would be at and concentrate on what I need to do everyday to stick with doing what I need to do--Water, Protein first, Vitamins, exercise etc. Wishing you all a good day, Kathleen

Bravo, Bravo, Bravo BaileyBariatrics !!!!!! You are so very correct. My tastes have changed greatly since surgery. What I used to crave to the point of "I would go to war to get my hands on" is now of little interest to me. One of the blessings of the surgery . Going slowly with eating and finding out what your new sleeve can tolerate is something many people can forget. Kathleen

bigsoutherngal, I'm glad you are getting better So sorry you had such a rough time getting there The further out from surgery you get the more effort you have to expend to keep losing the weight. Enjoy your "honeymoon" while you drop weight at an increased rate. Your body will eventually start to adjust to less food and you have to work at it harder to loose the same amount as you loose in your "honeymoon". Blessings, Kathleen

Congratulations on the surgery that changes your life. As McButterpants said, everyone is different and you just had MAJOR surgery and are still recovering. Did you ever lose 4 pounds a week before and KEEP it off? Most of us who have undergone WLS lost a whole lot of weight but we never KEPT it off---that is the ultimate goal of having WLS--keeping the weight off. As McButterpants also said, do not frequently weight yourself--you are setting yourself up to play mind games with the scale. Hang in there. Take One Day At A Time, (ODAAT) because that is all anyone can do. Blessings, Kathleen

I registered with the site and the article IS fascinating. I know at the height of my food addiction to carbohydrates, I felt more depressed. Cutting them out of my diet seemed to lessen my depression. I experienced that pre-WLS when I attempted the Atkins Diet. I sent the article to several friends who know of my WLS and are in the medical field or collegues. Blessings, Kathleen

Good luck on your surgery. I hope it is routine and with no complications. Hoping you have an easy recovery as well. I didn't sleep before surgery but I made up for it after. Blessings, Kathleen

Thank you for posting. It is good to know that with discipline and hard work, the surgery works as a tool to keep the weight off. I was at the point of scheduling my lap band surgery several years ago and I am glad I didn't. The lap band doesn't remove the part of the stomach that the hunger hormone, Grehlin is made in. Lap band surgery requires an incredible amount of discipline to abstain from trigger foods and sliders, consistently maintain a way of eating and to exercise religiously to keep the weight off. Despite spending seven years in the US Army, I do not have that amount of discipline. I admire those that have been successful with the lap band WLS for I know now the incredible amounts of work they have to do to lose the weight and maintain that loss. The further I get out, the slower the weight loss. The more I have to exercise and watch myself to not fall into bad habits. I think the sleeve is just a tool but it gives you months of practice in eating small amounts of food, eating Protein first, drinking enough Water and exercising so you can change your life for the better. Blessings, Kathleen

I use it. I mix it with my coffee. I love the fact it dissolves easily and has very little taste. I'm going to get some celery, carrots and apples and use my Vitamix high speed blender to start juicing. I can add the GENEPRO and get Protein in the mix. I find it too hard to get my vegetables and fruit in since I eat protein first. I use the Genepro to get to my daily requirement of protein. I order it on Amazon. Blessings, Kathleen

Are you asking which ones people take or the dosage and type?

HalloweenBaby24, Good luck on your surgery. I hope it is uneventful and routine. I also wish you an easy recovery. Walk as much as you can to get rid of the CO2 gas and prevent blood clots. I heard a joke on TV that comediene Joan Rivers said. I'm paraphrasing: I'm so old now I can now get a mammogram and a pedicure at the same time . I can SO RELATE. At the age of 49 and having weight loss surgery, I've gone from a 48C to a 42Long. I need a border collie bra--one that can "round them up and point them in the right direction" . Blessings, Kathleen

I'm getting the "Venus freeze" on my arms. It actually uses heat, so I don't know where the "freeze" comes in. It's $200.00 per treatment. It uses radio waves and some type of magnetic energy to get the cells to release the fat. I had it done on my neck so I wouldn't have "turkey neck". No cutting. I'm hoping my skin will tighten with the fat loss. I had decent results with my neck so I'm hoping I can get similar results on my arms. Then I'm going to do my legs and then my stomach. It spreads out the financial pain over several months. By then I'll be over a year out and then and only then will I consider the more considerable expense and recovery time of plastic surgery. Blessings, Kathleen

Congratulations!!!! I'm so happy for you I can completely relate to what you're saying about it being tougher. It's not as easy as when I was a few months out. I have to work harder now and stick to what I should be eating. Blessings, Kathleen

iamblessed1225, Congratulations!!!! I am so happy for your success Kathleen

greeneyes#1, Congratulations on taking control of your health by having WLS and welcome to the web site. As has been stated on many posts on this site, I wouldn't buy a large quantity of Protein powders or liquids BEFORE surgery. My tastes changed radically after surgery and many others have said their tastes changed too. I bought a lot of protein powders in the ultra sweet chocolate variety and I regret it now because I DON'T like that taste any more. Find a low sugar Gateraide or Propel or other electrolyte enhancer that you like. After surgery, you need to concentrate on getting your Water in. I had PLENTY of fat reserves to live off of for weeks after surgery so I didn't need so much food. Depending upon your doctor or NUTs recommendations, you may need broth for the first week or weeks. Then AGAIN depending upon their recommendations, you'll graduate to either creamy Soups, soft foods or mushies. The soft foods and mushies stages include things such as very moist scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese. They should provide a list of items and a time frame where you can consume them. I was provided with that. Take a piece of paper and write down questions you want to ask at your pre-op appointment. You might forget the questions in the excitement. If you take a pen and paper to the pre-op appointment, you can write down suggestions on what to eat and when to eat it. The exercise of writing things down also helps you to remember them. I found that I had to purchase some Isopure low sugar clear protein to drink when I was at the broth stage. I felt weak and it seemed to help. Keep in mind that your sleeve will be swollen after surgery and it won't be able to hold much at one time, so what ever you purchase--you won't need the massive quantities a person with a normal stomach would need. This means you also have to sip, sip, sip to get that all important water or other no sugar/no caffeine liquid in. I hope your surgery goes well and you have an easy recovery, Kathleen

You JUST had your surgery on August 26th. That was only LAST week. I was told your new sleeve takes at least a month to heal. Please be kind to yourself and give your body time to heal. Rest when you need to. I know turning off your mind is difficult at times. Close your eyes and picture yourself in a place where you feel totally relaxed and comfortable. Concentrate and keep your mind on being in that place, where ever that may be. Take a deep breath through your nose to completely fill your lungs, hold it for a few seconds and then blow it out through only your mouth. Do this several times. I find the concentrating on something else and breathing helps me to relax and help to put my brain in a "shut-down" mode, like a computer. I was told to take ANY Vitamin D in the morning as it could also interfere with your sleep. I take an herbal supplement to help me sleep. It has melatonin, chamomile and Valerian root. Hope your recovery progresses quickly and you feel better soon, Kathleen

I don't think I qualify as a veteran as I'm not even a year out from surgery. I couldn't agree more with what the previous posts said. I can eat anything I want--just in small amounts. Fried food seems to make me feel like poo-poo so I just try not to ever eat it. I fail sometimes and then when I feel crappy, the light bulb lights up . If I stick to my high Protein, low sugar and little to NO simple carbs, I'm fine and HAPPY . I no longer LIVE to eat but I eat what I need to to live a happy productive life. Blessings, Kathleen

When I clicked the link it asked for a password. I've been drinking Kombacha--tastes a little like vinegar but I don't mind the flavor. Since I started drinking 1/2 a bottle a day my constipation has been gone and I feel like my mood is better. Maybe that's psychosomatic--I don't know. Blessings, Kathleen

agirlnamedfrankie, Let me preface this by saying I wasn't cleared to take capsules until I was a month out. I know choking down the chewable Vitamins becomes onerous very quickly. I thought I was going to run out of time as well with taking the Iron 2 hours before calcium etc. You have to keep doing it and after while it becomes a habit and it becomes easier. It takes time and practice to develop a habit. I take two capsules of bariatric Multivitamins when I'm eating Breakfast. I take them right before I eat or with a ridiculously small sip of Water if I'm eating whole food. If I'm drinking a shake it's not a problem, I just swallow with the shake. I take my iron with water in the morning and then take calcium with lunch, dinner and in the evening. For a very short period of time, I was taking my iron with orange juice---BIG mistake. Upset my sleeve and orange juice is full of sugar so I shouldn't be drinking it anyway. Now I take it with only water or anything but acidic drinks. I take my PPI (omeprazole) at night when I go to bed. My stomach is usually empty and I take it with a herbal sleep aid. I take a pro-biotic with my lunch and dinner as well. I do my best to get enough sleep and that is one reason I take the herbal sleep aid. It has melatonin in it, Valerian root, chamomile and I don't remember the other herbs in it. Sleepy time tea has a good mix of herbal sleeping aides. Taking the Tumeric capsule that I take daily is also a little tricky. It is hard on the sleeve so I have to take it with food--again super small sip of water after eating. I take it for anti-inflammatory properties for my many joint problems. I take fish oil tablets for my joints with just liquids--they don't seem to bother my sleeve. I take a Biotin supplement, although I don't think it's doing much good, on an empty sleeve. Getting the 64 ounces minimum is my 1st goal every day. Second is getting Protein in and vitamins. Working in exercise during the week is something I have to think about every day as far as scheduling a minimum of 3 good sessions per week and trying to get 4 in--- 5 times a week is optimal. It will get easier with time and practice of good habits. Blessings, Kathleen

I'm not supposed to be snacking between meals per my doctors. I have used the low or no sugar Protein bars as something sweet if I get that craving--not very often but it does occasionally happen. Many Protein Bars are super sweet and have chocolate and Peanut Butter in them.

BaileyBariatrics, GREAT POST! Sugar is white poison. Your body has NO nutritional requirement for straight sugar. Your body converts simple carbs to sugar and that starts the vicious cycle of high blood sugars leading to more insulin being released by the pancreas to get your blood sugars into a normal range. This can turn into insulin resistance and its myriad of consequences. I avoid sugar because it has no benefit to my body. Thank goodness since the surgery my previous insatiable appetite for it has decreased. I'm so incredibly grateful for that. Blessings, Kathleen

fran2014, If you are only getting 10 ounces of Water a day you are extremely dehydrated. PLEASE increase your intake of water. There are serious health consequences to dehydration. I don't count calories. I count water, minimum 64 ounces. Protein grams, a minimum of 60 grams. I find I have to supplement my daily protein with Protein powder or bars. I use a brand I ordered on Amazon called GENEPRO. It has no flavor and dissolves in hot or cold liquids. I put it in my coffee that I sip throughout the morning. I don't pay attention to fat. Some doctors require that. I eat so few calories a day--fat isn't a big deal to me. I know fat has more calories BUT it keeps me fuller longer. I keep my carbs to an absolute minimum to zero if I can. I don't' digest carbs well, the more I eat--the more I want. I keep sugar to as close to zero as possible. Again, I don't digest sugar well and it wrecks havoc on my blood sugar level and causes that crash if I eat too much. I do my darnedest to get enough sleep at night. I think this is often overlooked as a requirement to be able to loose weight. I don't make good food choices when I'm tired. I take a bariatric Multivitamin, 1/2 of an Iron tablet, calcium supplements and other Vitamins and supplements for my joint problems. I wish you the best but please, please get your water in. Blessings, Kathleen

yummymummy32, It seems to be a human trait to always compare ourselves to others. This is one area where it is not fair to yourself to compare. Every body has different DNA from different parents. No two people are identical. Please do not perceive the following comments in a harsh tone. Would you have lost the 49 pounds in 7 months if you had not had the surgery? More importantly, would you have been able to sustain that 49 pound weight loss? That is the kicker. We all had the surgery to lose the weight and KEEP it off. Heck, I've probably lost a whole person in all the weight loss attempts I made before surgery but I never kept it off. I hope now to not only loose the weight but keep it off. This is a battle I have fought for decades. I'm sure I'll be fighting it a year out, two years out and on and on. However, the fight will be easier with this tool and the enemy will be much less strong. Blessings, Kathleen

jmosher, Everything depends on your insurance coverage. I have Humana federal employee PPO. I was 48 when I had the surgery and had no comorbidities like diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea. However, my mother died from complications from diabetes, father died from congestive heart failure and I have severe joint problems. My upper back has a 60 degree kyphosis, I have a herniated and "slipped" discs in my low spine and my knees have osteoarthritis so bad--they need to be replaced. NOW for the fantastic news! The more weight I lost--the more my back and knees felt better If you told me when I had the surgery I could have this small amount of pain and not even rely on Tylenol everyday--I'd never have believed you. Before surgery, I was taking prescription strength Naproxin twice daily. I had to stop taking that a week before surgery and relied on Voltarin cream after surgery because I COULD NOT TAKE the Naproxin after surgery. Voltarin is a prescription topical cream that does the same thing Naproxin does without going through your stomach. Not inexpensive but worth every penny. I hope your insurance covers weight loss surgery and hope you find the relief I have found through mine. Blessings, Kathleen