McButterpants

I followed the pre-op diet as well - it wasn't easy and it sucked. I suggest following the doctor's orders...always.

You may need to increase your calories if you're lifting. Make sure you're getting your Protein in. Also, your body may be holding on to Water - your muscles need water to recover.

I did - I was scared not to. I made a commitment to be "all in" and that meant following the plan. You could hurt your sleeve if you don't. There are reasons why your doctor give it to you - allow your stomach to heal. You just wen thru major surgery.

Agree with the above - get with your nutritionist. Track every morsel that goes in your mouth BEFORE it goes in. Be honest, if you aren't you're only cheating yourself. Take your results to the nutritionist and review what you're doing. Counseling may be in order. Also...it's hard to not compare yourself to others. I do it, I think a lot of us do it. It will certainly lead to disappointment. It's not productive. This is your journey, no one else's. You are responsible for your behavior, no one else is.

Hi there. Congrats on getting your date! You have a little less than a month...how exciting. Here are my suggestions... 1. Look for a Protein drink you like or can tolerate - don't over purchase, you may not like that same shake post-op. 2. Start experimenting w/ shakes - incorporate one per day now. Experiment w/ different textures (add low glycemic fruits like berries) and flavors (Torani sugar free syrups are a great place to start) 3. Practice mindful eating techniques. Don't eat in front of the TV or reading a book. Focus on eating your food in a calm quiet environment. 4. Practice chewing your food 20-25 times per bite and take 30-60 seconds between bites. Really taste and savor your food. 5. Practice taking smaller bites - I used appetizer spoons and forks. 6. Start walking - be in the best shape you can. This will help you recover quicker and you can begin walking immediately after surgery. You'll feel better. I wouldn't suggest going crazy on the food funerals between now and then. It's not worth it. Have a couple - mine were Italian at my favorite place and pizza. I really don't miss that food now - it doesn't feel good on my tummy. Best of luck to you!

You will get lots of responses to this one - every one has a very personal reason to do what they do...to tell or not to tell. I told 5 people - my husband, my son, parents and best friend. No one else knows. I don't feel compelled to tell anyone. If someone asks me what I'm doing to lose weight my response is, "I got some things straightened out with my doctor and I'm really focused on diet and exercise." That's about it - I haven't felt the need to expand on the answer. The reason I'm not comfortable telling anyone else is I'm a very private person - I don't like a lot of people knowing my business and I have small group of people that are close to me. I live in a small community and once one person, even my brother, is told, many people will know. I'm not embarrassed that I did what I did, I just know there's a stigma attached to what I did.

Yep - that happened to me. It went away after the first week. It was particularly bad those first few days.

I suggest you stick to your doctor's plan - he has prescribed that for a reason. You just had major surgery and you are still healing. Eating food can hurt you and damage your sleeve. It's not worth it. You need to be kind to your body and take care of your new tiny tummy.

I use Bariatric Advantage chewables - I get them at the surgeon's office.

I was self-pay, too, so I traveled for my surgery. I found a local doctor to support me for my post-op visits. She treats me as if she performed the surgery for me - I pay for these visits out of my pocket. Are you able to get access to a local surgeon or follow ups with your doctor in Mexico? Eating off plan (your surgeon should have provided guidelines even if there isn't any follow up), is dangerous. You could hurt yourself. Your stomach is still healing - please treat it with care. You paid a lot of money for that tummy - don't waste this opportunity and risk your help for a few bites of food.

Decision day (08/21/13) and last week, about 7 months post-op. Down a total of 72 pounds from high weight. I was diagnosed with PCOS and metabolic syndrome late in life...43 years old. I lost a lot of time. I finally found a doctor that would listen to me and help me. My medical problems were eliminated almost immediately - I stopped my Metformin two weeks before surgery (doctor approved). My periods, which I used to have 3-4 times a year, are like clockwork and not as bad as before. My aches and pains are gone. My acne (ugh, acne at 43 years old sucks) is gone.

Carbs are a gateway drug for me. I try to stay away from bread, Pasta, sugars, etc. Logging your intake is a great start - get back to basics. When I find myself slipping, I incorporate a Protein shake mid-afternoon - this curbs my want/need for quick energy from sugars. Make good solid choices on your foods - low glycemic veggies are a good choice. Go back to measuring your food. No snacking - get all the snack foods out of the house. Personally, if I have tortilla chips in the house, I'm going to eat them...and a lot of them. Most importantly, be kind to yourself. That doesn't mean give yourself a pass...just don't beat yourself up. Come here and check in - accountability is important.

Yeah, I was one of those overachievers as well...started losing at 2 months and went thru seven months. Some days it was horrifying. My doc said, "Anything you lose due to surgery will grow back." I'm seeing lots and lots of new growth. It's making styling a challenge, but it's good to see - it gives me hope. Here's what I did...I stared using Nioxin shampoo. It has a drying effect on my scalp, so a couple of days a week, I used a moisturizing shampoo. I took Biotin and Folic Acid - approved by my doc. This is for regrowth more than losing. I also started using a product called Toppik - it works just like the videos on the website show. It seems expensive, but I'm still on my same bottle and have about 40% left. At the end of the day, the hair loss bothered me, but I would do it all over again!

If you look at it rationally, there is no way you gained 3 pounds. A pound of fat is approx 3500 calories - you aren't getting that in a week! Your body will hold on to Water for lots of reasons - if you're going to the gym, it could be that. Your muscles need water to recover. You would be holding on to it because a couple of days ago you had a little more Protein than usual - your body needs assistance from the water to process your protein. My weight fluctuates when I drink milk. My suggestion is to weight once per week at the most - go a couple of weeks if you can. This early out the scale is not your friend. Your body is still healing and trying to figure out what you did to it 7 weeks ago and wondering why the calories have stopped coming in. It's trying to figure things out just as you are. Rather than weigh, take your measurements and pictures of yourself. Those will help you when your stalled.

I was wondering where you've been! Sorry about your power being out. Here's to hoping you can get the drain removed! Sending much love and positive vibes your way!

@@hopeful one, I posted previously about how much hair I've lost...I will tell you, it's worth it. I would do this all over again, even with the hair loss. You may lose some, you may lose a lot, you may not lose any - it was a chance I was willing to take. I'm glad I did. Best of luck to you!

@@HalloweenBaby24, I could have stayed a little longer, but I was totally ready by noon. I had to pee before they would let me go. I was walking the halls because they took my bed and gave me a chair - the chair was uncomfortable and it felt good to walk. They won't let you go if you're not doing well... You're going to do great!

I try to eat something before I work out - maybe 1/2 a Protein bar (I'm 8 months out). This help fuel me during my work out. After a workout I usually have the other 1/2 of my Protein Bar or a shake. Need to make sure you fuel your body!

I had a couple of breakdowns during the pre-op diet. It was hard seeing the family eat "regular" food and there I was with a crummy Protein shake. Just keep your eye on the prize - this is a short term situation. In 6 months you'll look back at this and say, "It wasn't so bad." You are one step closer to changing your life. The next step won't be easy, either. You're going to have good days and bad days. There may be times you think to yourself, "What did I do to my body?!?!" I think that's normal. I'm almost 8 months post-op and have had some bad days. I've had many more good days, though. I'm healthier and happier today than I was a year ago. This is a life changer. Best of luck to you! Stay positive!

I agree with some of the statements above - be in the best physical shape you can before surgery. It will make recovery easier and you'll feel better faster.

I had a McDonalds experience just this weekend...we were at a baseball tournament in a small town on a Sunday afternoon. It was truly a one stoplight town and everything except for McDonalds was closed. I had a Protein bar with me, but I knew with a 2.5 hour trip home, I might need it for later. My husband and son had to eat, so we stopped at McDonalds. I ordered a chicken wrap with grilled chicken. I opened up the wrap and ate the chicken (there was probably 2-3 ounces), one slice of bacon, the tomato and cucumber. I had a bite of the wrap. I was satisfied. I didn't eat a fry, have a shake, or McCafe calorie-laden drink. This is a similar meal that I would have at a restaurant. I had the choice - I could have ordered a burger and fries, but I chose not to. I chose not to have a shake or a McFlurry - I was tempted, but I CHOSE not to. The sleeve does not make the choices for you - the sleeve will stop you from eating copious amounts of food.

@@finediva, Yes, I was on a two week pre-op diet - 2 Protein shakes and a lean and green meal (6 ounces of Protein and a green veggie).

@@hopeful one, They have different colors that you can purchase, no blending.

When the first doctor I talked to said, "You can expect to lose 60% of your excess weight" I asked how he came up with that number. He said, "Averages". My response was, "I am not giving this an average-type of effort." I went into this wanting to lose 106 pounds - 256 high weight down to 150 pounds. I'm at 183 and have only lost 7 pounds in the past 2.5 months. I'm discouraged because I've slowed down so much. I'm just shy of 8 months post op. I can tell you - although I won't be happy with my roughly 70% loss, if I don't lose another pound, my life is better today than it was a year ago. My size is smaller today than at the same weight years ago. I'm more active and a lot of my health problems are gone, my aches and pains are gone. The numbers are not as important to me right now - I'm working out a lot and doing my best to eat on program. Those are the things I can control. I can't control how my body decides it's going to lose the pounds.. The scale doesn't have the same hold on me as it did early on. I feel fantastic and i think I look pretty good, too! :-)

I don't think it's a coincidence that my husband has gained about 10 pounds since my surgery! My dog is heavier, too!