GotItDoneInHarlem

Dwayne, I'm curious to know if you had bouts of depression before surgery. I've had seasonal affective disorder my whole life and wasn't finally diagnosed and properly medicated for BP II until my 30s. I had heard that depression can be heightened after surgery and read this book before surgery and twice after. I found it very helpful. Find a reputable psychiatrist or psychopharmacologist near you and go talk it out and try to keep your mind open. You may be offered medication which you may or may not want, but from personal experience, I have found that my meds stabilize my mood so there are less ups and downs and the ups and downs become less frequent and less severe. I recommend skipping the psychologist because you can get the same talk from a psychiatrist with the added benefit of not having to go to a new doctor and tell your life story all over again should your psychologist suggest you go on meds or you choose to. Don't forget, meds don't have to be for life and you don't have to feel all over the place. I wish you peace.

I wish I hadn't waited those extra two years after my doctor first suggested it.

4 months in I lost a noticeable amount. Used Nioxin and started taking Propecia and all is well again (with a little extra now too!)

You haven't pooped in 3 days and you're thrilled about it!

Seroquel is just as bad, if not worse in terms of weight loss. It'll come off anyway. Don't fret. It'll come off. I lost 113 in 10 months and a whole array of medications.

10 months. 11 days. 298---->165. 113 pounds total.

These were taken 365 days apart. 298 to 165. 133 in 10 months. Feeling too thin and look better with another 10 pounds on me, but gaining weight is a more enjoyable struggle.

Thanks. I was cubby as a kid and then thinned out in high school and college. Wasn't until 2007 that I started gaining some weight and then when I started taking psychiatric medications for depression and anxiety I put it on like crazy. 170# in 2005. 210# in 2008 245# in 2010 260#in 2012 298#in 2013. I believe part of my "shrinking" well was that I wasn't morbidly obese my whole life. That, Water, and compression shirts. I have some loose skin, but I feel lucky that it's not terrible and should be able to fill some of it back out in the gym.

It's water, or poop, or maybe a menstrual cycle, or your body adjusting. The further out you get the less 1 pound will freak you out. Just hang tight. You'll gain a pound, stall for 8 days, and then lose 6 pounds over night. It's weird like that.

Rules I lived by in the early days: 80 grams of Protein as your goal 64 oz of liquids (sugar free popsicles count!) Keep sugar under 10g per serviing Choose low or non-fat products I tracked all my food and if I saw that the combination of fat and carbs was going above 50% of my total caloric intake I'd slow down on carbs and replace with protein.

Thanks Rovobay. I feel like I need luck. I'd really love to gain and maintain weight with actual foods if possible. Living off Protein shakes pre and post surgery really made me begin to hate them. I've been having some as need-extra-calories Snacks but I've also had some reflux issues and aspirated once. I've attached my weight loss graph that I have and is maintained by a Withings scale. I weight myself every day. Seeing the bobbles up and down and the average curve has helped me learn and feel that swinging a few pounds each way isn't anything to panic about. All of this happened with absolutely minimal working out. I didn't step into a gym for 7 months and did no cardio or anything different from my previously sedentary life, so I'm at my lowest weight and don't have a lot of muscle on me. I'm averaging only 2 maybe 3 workouts a week at best and that hasn't been going on for very long. I'm below my goal weight and the last 5 pounds came off my face and aged the hell out of me (or this is what I would have looked like at 36 without having ever gained the weight). I look better with more weight on, but have been struggling. Eating crap and empty carbs can help but that's REALLY not the direction I want to go after a life changing surgery and completely transforming my relationship with food.

Thanks for the compliments, my boyfriend thinks so too.

Mavsfan... I hit plenty of stalls. Definitely one at three weeks and then maybe once a month after. Stalls happen to everyone and you will lose the weight. I had stalls as long as 2-3 weeks. At a month out and exercising, you may want to increase your calories. Stalls are one way the body protects its reserves. Feed it a little more and it'll start burning again. Check with your surgeon of course for guidance.

I went from 298 to 165 in 10 months. 133 pounds. The first 113 fell off by June and I was sleeved in December I thought I was stabilizing at 185, which was GREAT, but them lost more when work got stressful. Probably 10 pounds under where my body wants to be, but THRILLED. Have to fully stabilize my calories intake and add muscle now.

Had a protein shake earlier (homemade with a magic bullet which causes it to be frothy for a while) and I drank it fairly quickly. Had definite sensation of fullness and needing to burp. Kinda burped but now I have some chest/stomach pain when breathing. What gives? I'm 8 months post-op.

I am six months post-op. I have been vigilant in my new eating habits and have lost 113 pounds in 6 months. Yesterday I started feeling discomfort on the right side of my chest. It hurts when I cough, burp, or swallow (solids or liquids). I can also trigger it by tucking my chin to my chest. The pain is uncomfortable but tolerable, a solid 3-4 out of 10. The pain is best described as something between a cramping sensation and a gnawing discomfort. Additional factors. I rear-ended another car in a MINOR accident yesterday, but was certainly suddenly jostled although not violentlty . I've been on roller coasters that rattled me more since surgery, Also, I had some curry for the first time on Sunday and that REALLY upset my new stomach and system with pain and reflux. I do not have a fever, increased heart rate, and my blood pressure is perfect. I don't take NSAIDs and treat my stomach like a baby. I take 40MG of opeprazole twice a day as per dr. I understand that no one is truly qualified to diagnose me on here and that the appropriate response is see my surgeon; however, I have only truly started to become concerned this evening as the pain went from a 3 to a 4 and I have a job that demands me for 10 hour days for the remainder of the week. I am traveling out of the country on Saturday morning. I intend to call my surgeon's nurse practitioner for an emergency appointment with her or my surgeon and if available I'll MAKE the time. So my questions are: 1) Has anyone else had a similar experience with similar symptoms? What was the end result? 2) Is this an urgent matter that cannot wait until I return to the country July 7th? Specifically, if it was an ulcer is that considered an emergency for sleevers? If my surgeon is not available and they can't squeeze me in what other options should I explore? 3) At what point and with what additional/worsening symptoms would you decide to go to the emergency room and should I try to get to the same hospital where my surgery was done? 4) Is there any value to waiting it out and seeing if some lingering muscle soreness from my fender bender (that I can trigger it by tucking my chin makes me think it could be referred muscular pain) or is or just an angry curry stomach? 5) Worst case scenario for me, do I go to the ER and attempt to insist on a swallow study/CT scan or (even worse) an endoscopy to rule out everything. I am going to the Dutch island of Curacao off the coast of Venezuela and don't think they're probably the best place to go for an expert opinion on chest pain that MIGHT be related to my sleeve. Thanks for reading.

I can't believe it but I made TWO major milestones this morning! I've lost 100 pounds in 4.75 months (add 2 weeks of pre-op diet to be fair) AND I'n in Onederland! This has been the most amazing journey for me. I couldn't be any happier AND it's not even over yet! My only regret was waiting so long and doubting myself.

Do you want surgery? If so, stop eating sweets and anything that's not on plan. Make your decision.

Done! Wish to see results when complete.

I have no restriction with liquids!

Totally normal. You need to slow down and pace yourself. You'll be ok.

I had the sleeve done. I started at 298 and am 198 today! First time in 9 years!