McButterpants

I still struggle with plain Water - pre-surgery I was all about water. Loved it - plain water from the tap. Since surgery, I cannot stomach plain water. I try, but I just can't do it. It's like sandpaper going down. I drink Propel Zero and recently started putting in Real Orange or Real Lemon packets in it. It's better.

I think the granola bars are an issue - they are high in carbs and fat. Have you tried Quest bars? They are high in Protein. There are other bars as well - I have 2 I like from Health Wise (www.mybariatricpantry.com) that are 15 grams of protein and while they have carbs, they have Fiber which counteracts the impact on insulin release. Fruit has sugars - that could be bothersome as well. What kind of fruit and how much? Also, look at the salads you're having? Your salads should have plenty of protein - in fact, the lettuce and veg portion of the the salad should be minimal - not like a salad you had pre-surgery. Adding eggs and/or chicken would be good.

sounds like you're doing great! Congrats!

Congrats to you! You look great. That dress is awesome on you. Keep up the good work.

I use unjury - you can buy single serving packs before you purchase a whole canister. Are you allowed to add any fruit to your shake? The shakes are somewhat of a misnomer - they aren't like a thick milkshake. I found adding some low glycemic fruit (frozen strawberries or frozen berry mix) along with some ice will thicken them a little. For my 2 week liquid pre-op diet I was only allowed about 1/4 cup of fruit per shake - I laughed when the NUT said that. Now, post op with now restrictions, I use 1/4 cup or less in a shake. I also found that adding 1/2 Water 1/2 1% milk helped with the texture. Good luck to you!

Congrats to you! You look great.

Nice!

First, there are good carbs and there are bad carbs. For me, bad carbs are like a gateway drug - the more bad carbs I have, the more I want them. These bad carbs include refined sugars, flour, etc. Things like pastas, potatoes, breads, etc. are bad for me. Low glycemic veggies and fruits are good carbs and they are full of Fiber - that helps keep you regular and feel full. They also don't affect your blood sugar like the bad carbs do, so you won't release as much insulin as you would with the refined foods. Since giving up the refined foods and "bad" carbs, I feel so much better. I don't feel bloated. I have more energy. Hope this helps!

Walking is the best medicine immediately after surgery. I was walking right after they moved me from recovery. At 6 weeks I was cleared for the elliptical and at 8 weeks I was cleared for all exercise, including light weights. At 10 weeks, I am currently doing 60-75 minutes of cardio most days of the week, but haven't started on the weights yet. I don't know what my aversion is...I'm making a concerted effort to do so this week! Best of luck to you

Wow - great success!!!!! Congratulations.

Hi there! My recovery was fairly uneventful...I work a desk job, so very different from yours! I admire anyone that can teach pre-school. You are a saint. I had surgery on a Thursday. I went back to work 1/2 days the following Monday, but I telecommuted, so I worked from home. I tired easily, even just sitting at my desk that first week. Week 2 I was back full time, again telecommuting, but still felt the need for rests during the day. I was able to walk immediately after surgery and by week 2 was walking a mile each day, but again, I got tired very easily. I wasn't in pain and had no issues with my incisions - I just got tired. Best of luck to you! Your date is fast-approaching. What an exciting time!

Thanks, guys! This has been a good week for me - probably the best one since surgery... The mom of one of my son's friends whispered to me the day after my original post, "You look so good! How much weight have you lost." She was floored when I told her. I thanked her for saying something. She is a skinny as a rail and has been since high school. She said, "I never know if I should say something." I told her, "I am totally fine with you saying something. It means a lot. I've worked hard for this and having someone notice is important."

Best of luck tomorrow! You'll do great. Update when you're able.

I would track/log everything for a few days to see if there's room for improvement. Make sure you're getting your Protein in and Water. You might want to try upping a each a little once you get your baseline. Also, how about exercising? You you doing anything?

I stalled for 10 days between weeks 3 and 4. Even though I knew stalls happen, it's a tough pill to swallow for sure. Just keep following your plan - get your Water in and you're Protein. Walk, walk, and walk some more - it's good for your body and your mind. Also, I suggest ditching the scale for a while - certainly don't weigh every day. My husband saw what weighing every day was doing to me (and I blogged about it). It's bad for your mind. He brings out the scale once per week. That really saved me. Just keep your chin up - you're doing fine. Be kind to yourself.

While I define myself as a slow loser, I'm trying REALLY hard to not compare myself to others - it is so hard not to, it's human nature... My path to 256 pounds is mine alone - as is everyone else's path. We all got here via different methods, but we are here nonetheless. Similarly, in our weight loss, we are all doing it different and our sleeves are individuals as well. I interact with people that were sleeved before me that can't eat as much as me and there are sleevers that were sleeved after me that can eat much more. Some exercise, some don't. Some eat foods that are higher in fat or bad carbs than others. I thought about it yesterday and I realized I'm at a lower weight than I have been in about 13 years. That's a lot of years! I'm wearing clothes today from 13 years ago and they fit better today than they did back then. My body has changed - I've always had a big a$$, now it's more proportionate. I think it's because I'm getting rid of fat, where before I was probably losing lean muscle mass by reducing calories and not working out.

I'm a slow loser...it's my penalty for yo-yo dieting for 25 years and ruining my metabolism. So, I work hard and follow my plan. I work out like a fiend a the gym and claw and scrape for every ounce of weight I have lost. You're going at it with the right attitude - the only thing you can control is what you put in our mouth and your level of effort. You're body is going to lose weight at it's pace. Best of luck to you

Green tea saved me - copious amounts of green tea during the pre-op diet.

It is very hard - I left the cooking up to my husband once we returned from having surgery. It was pizza, fried chicken from the deli, chili, etc. All those things I loved before surgery. My rational brain told me that he was trying to get by the same as I was, but it sucked. It will get easier - once your brain realizes that all your old favorites aren't your new favorites, it will get easier. Once you start introducing food, it will get easier. Please just be patient - not only with your family, but with yourself. It will get better. Stick to your plan - that's important - it will allow you to heal and move to the next stage on time. Take good care.

I love your analogy - this is a war! A battle I have struggled with for so many years! NO MERCY!!!!!!!!!!

McSmootherPants - love it!!!!!!

I am a carboholic - most of my food funerals were carby foods. I used to love sitting down to a fresh, crusty baguette and butter or a big bowl of Pasta with a great sauce. I loved sweets - chocolate was like a drug to me. pizza was a go-to meal for our family - 1-2 times per week. Since surgery, I'm indifferent to bread - some days I will have 1/2 of a piece of rye bread with my Breakfast, but don't finish it. I tried a bite of raspberry croissant the other day and gave the rest to my son because I didn't enjoy it (those words would have never been uttered pre-surgery!!!). I tried pizza the other night and while it tasted good, it made me feel bad. I enjoy making my own pizza with a carb balance tortilla shell and pizza toppings now. Those food funerals I had before surgery hold a different meaning now that I'm 10 weeks post-op. While going thru the food funerals I was really thinking about the perceived deprivation I was going to go thru post-op. Now I look at them thru a different eye - I realize that the carbs had a control over me, the more bad carbs I ate, the more I needed them and more of them. I've detoxed in a way - ridding my dependence on those bad carbs makes me feel better physically, makes my mind sharper and frees up all those calories for good fuel for my body.

50 pounds down from my highest weight – UNBELIEVABLE. 50 pounds since 08/21/13 when I stood on the doctor’s office scale and saw 256.6 and cried. I have never lost 50 pounds before; this feels amazing and somewhat surreal. I have 56 more to go, which seems a little daunting as I write that number. So many things have happened during this journey – I’ve celebrated successes and I have cried at perceived failures. I have consumed more than 200 Protein shakes and logged over 170 miles since my surgery date of 11/14/13. I have learned a lot about my family and me. I have learned that I get cranky and lash out when I feel out of control, specifically when it comes to food. I have also learned that my family is very resilient to my lashing out. I have found that I like going to the gym and getting in a good workout. I feel better after a workout and more clear-headed. I like challenging myself on those days where I don’t feel like going or try to come up with an excuse to not go. I know the next 56 pounds is not going to be easy. I need to continue sticking to my plan, exercising regularly (including the weight training that I haven’t started yet – I don’t know what my aversion is…), and keep my head straight. I have said it before – the mental/emotional part of this journey is the hardest part.

My doc wasn't as concerned about calories as she was Protein. She wanted at least 80 grams and love to see closer to 100 (that hasn't happened) Once I started on foods - weeks 2-3, I was at about 400-500 calories and not getting in my protein. At about week 6 I was able to get up to 600 consistantly. At week 8 I started getting between 800-900 calories and that's where I'm at now at week 10. I'm getting my minimums in every day. On rare occasions, usually the day after a long cardio workout, I can get to 1000. I know someone that gets 1000-1200 calories every day and has since very early post-op days and she's lost more weight than me. We're all different.

Welcome and congrats on your decision. You'll find some really great folks with really great tips and ideas. Good luck!!!!