McButterpants

As of yesterday I am down 45 pounds total (28 since surgery) and have not gotten one comment about my weight - not even my brothers or sisters-in-law at Christmas time!!!! One acquaintance made a comment about me doing my hair different - I've had the same cut for a couple of years now - she may have noticed something different, but can't pinpoint it.

What an awesome transformation! Congrats to you and your success.

I started with fat free refried Beans with some cheese, that set well on my stomach. Here are some other foods I started introducing when allowed: scrambled egg topped w/ cheese canned chicken whizzed w/ low fat mayo and mustard turkey sausage patty ground turkey w/ taco seasoning deli turkey and cheese

Here's a great article on stalls from Butterthebean's signature line - it's worth a read: http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html#.UtAIchaTNdg I stalled for 13 days between Weeks 3 and 4. It sucked, but I got thru it. Stalls are going to happen, you need to keep working to your plan - follow your doctor's instructions with regard to diet and exercise (again, according to doc's approved exercises). Those are the things you can control. I weigh once per week - my husband hides the scale the rest of the week - this helped my sanity. Best of luck.

I ran the gamut of emotions before surgery - you are perfectly normal. I had second thoughts the day before surgery. I had to go to a mandatory pre-op meeting (I was self pay so this was the first time I met everyone). I felt better after the meeting, but was still a little nervous. In admitting the day of surgery I handed over my paperwork and thought to myself, "I could walk out of here right now and only be out $500." I had some intense internal debate within myself. I then looked at my husband. I thought about all the reasons why I wanted to do this in the first place. I thought about my mom who has been morbidly obese her entire adult life - I don't want to be like her when I'm 75 years old. I decided to go thru with it. That was 2 months ago today. It hasn't been all sunshine and lollipops, but I can tell you, I don't regret it. I've struggled, but it's OK - I have more good days than bad days. I no longer have pain in my feet or knees. I don't need a nap every day. I'm happy - really happy and content. I don't call myself disgusting any more. I don't look at myself with disdain. I have much more weight to lose, but what I've gained in happiness and self-confidence is so worth it. Know that you'll go thru the range of emotions the next couple of weeks. It's OK to be scared and nervous - we've all been there. YOU GOT THIS!!!!!!

Great job! Keep up the good work.

I weigh once per week. In the beginning when the weight was coming off really fast, I weighed every day, sometimes more than once per day. Then when I hit the dreaded stall between weeks 3 and 4, I became obsessed with the scale and it not moving. My husband hid the scale from me and it was a welcome relief that I couldn't weigh myself any more than that. For me, weighing once per week works - I can see the progress in my clothes - even though the scale wasn't moving during my stall, I was losing inches. I wish you great success!

Yep, it's been 8 years where the hubs and I have been the same weight. It was embarrassing! He didn't realize how much weight I had gained since we met - I always kept my weight hidden from him. Right before surgery I told him my actual weight - he was floored. I cried. I can't wait till I weigh less than my son!!!!!

I lost about a pound a day early on - don't expect that to continue, it will level off. I hit a stall between weeks 3 and 4 where I didn't lose anything for 13 days. It sucked, but I lived to tell the story. Keep on walking! I believe that helped me recover from surgery more than anything. Best of luck to you!

Don't you wish you could join her "Perfect Club"? Not!!!!!! Fell off her roof - karma????? Maybe next time Mrs. Buttinsky has an opinion she'll fall down a well. (Just kidding of course) Hope you're doing well, sweetie!

According to my doc, walking is the best medicine early on. I was doing about what you're doing at the same stage. Walking helps you recover from the surgery and it also burns fat. And it's great for your mental health. I wasn't cleared to do anything else other than walking until 6 weeks (last week). Since then I've added the elliptical to kick up the cardio and I'm still walking. My goal is to do a total of 3-5 miles per day using both. I am also starting some strength training to try to firm up the muscles. I say, if you're doctor OK's it, keep on walking!!!! And, congrats on that weight loss! You're doing great.

You get a lot of bang for your Protein buck from lean meat if you're cleared. You can puree it - canned chicken was a staple for me early on (puree with chicken broth). I could eat eggs early on as well. Fat free refried Beans with a little cheese on top set well on my new tummy. Greek yogurt or regular yogurt will give you some protein as well (my doc didn't want the fruit on the bottom when I was at your stage). I hope things get better for you soon!

You could experience many stalls during the journey - long and short. You just need to work on the things you can control: Your Water intake Your Protein intake Exercise Your protein is important so you don't lose lean muscle mass. Your lean muscle mass is what burns calories - so many folks that have WLS lose this. My last doc's appt showed I had lost some lean muscle mass and she doesn't want me to lose more. I have lost 5% of my body fat at 6 weeks. In order to not lose the LMM, you need to eat protein and once cleared, exercise and start lifting light weights (I'm not suggesting turning into a weight lifter - light weights with 20-25 reps per set). Walking and cardio are good for burning off the fat. You should do both once cleared. I don't know if it's going to be a long-term thing or not, but right now I log everything that I put in my mouth, including water. I have to or I'll snag a bite of something here and there and that grazing is what got me to 256 pounds. I set exercise goals for the month and track to that goal. There's a thread on this site January Fitness Challenge - you put in your goal, then update as you want to on that thread. And finally, I again suggest hiding the scale. Bring it out once a week or so - some will suggest weighing every month, some only weigh at the doc appointments. I read where someone even put their scale in the car trunk and brought it out once per week. My husband hides our scale and brings it out on Thursday, my weigh-in day.

I walked...a lot...immediately after surgery. I worked my way up to 60-75 minutes on the treadmill. At my 6 week follow up I was cleared for all exercise including starting to do light weights.

My stall lasted 13 days and it sucked. My husband hides the scale from me and brings it out once per week - that has saved my sanity. I was driving myself crazy weighing every day and sometimes more than once a day. More importantly, you need to figure out a way to get in more Protein and Water - those are the two most important things for you now. More important than the scale. 60 grams of protein is not a lot when you consider a shake should have 20 grams. Have you tried unflavored and putting in pudding? What's approved on your diet? If you're having trouble with sweet shakes, try the

I'm at 7 weeks post op... There have been times I get so bored with whatever I'm eating, I just stop. Those times eating is a chore. I've been frustrated at the fact that it takes me 20 minutes to eat 1/2 an egg. I've also had times where I'm completely satisfied when I finish eating and don't have that feeling of "I'd like more." The range of emotions has been surprising to me - I wasn't prepared for it. I also realized AFTER surgery, that I had emotional issues and attachments to food that I didn't realize I had. Hang in there! It will get better - this is becoming my new normal.

Yes, Sassy Pants is correct - HYDRATE the day before.

I chuckled at your post - my son had to go to the ER a couple of weeks ago and they put in an IV. He freaked out. He was quizzing the nurse - "Can you tell me what you're going to do before you do it?", "Why are you doing that?" "What does that do?" He even wanted to hold my hand while they were inserting the needle. (He's 14, it was sweet that he still wanted Mom.) I can say, I don't like needles either. I look away when they get close. It helps. I told the nurse that it was a little uncomfortable about 20 minutes after she put it in and she said, "It's OK, we'll adjust it if it isn't comfortable." I was scared to tell her. You'll do just fine - it's one more step you have to endure. You got this - Feb 18th will be here before you know it!

I should add - I log everything I eat (including the couple of fries I had and the corn muffin bits). I watch my carbs very closely - I limited mine to 30 per day and realized my low energy because of it. I am around 50 carbs per day (OK'd by doc) and min of 80 grams of Protein and feel better than I have in years. Carbs aren't necessarily bad - bad carbs are bad. Carbs of the complex variety are OK and a great source of Fiber for those of us that have constipation issues - low glycemic fruits and vegetables and whole grains are great in moderation. Bad carbs like refined sugars and flours should be limited. I don't say "never" because that's unrealistic.

I'm with Jdub above. It took me a few days before I felt OK on the pre-op diet. Your pre-op diet sounds like the one I had. I drank lots of decaf green tea to help me get thru. I also tried to walk about 45 minutes per day. Don't worry about the scale - you're putting your body thru a lot with this diet. A few weeks ago you were taking in a lot of food and now you're down to probably 500 calories. It's just trying to figure things out. Best of luck to you!

I actually went out for BBQ this weekend - I'm 7 weeks out and approved for all foods now, no restrictions. I looked at the menu trying to decide what I wanted - everything looked and smelled so good. When it came time to order, I said, "I'll just split my husband's meal." He was totally OK with this because I literally ate what shredded pork fell out of his sandwich. I had a couple of fries. I had about 1/4 of the top of corn muffin. I left totally satisfied and happy that I could enjoy food that my family ate! You will be able to enjoy most of the foods you had in the past...just in much smaller quantities. Let them eat BBQ!

Fluff is right on...You may not feel restriction right away. I didn't. I'm still trying to figure out what full feels like and I'm almost 2 months out. I measure and weigh religiously. Another thing is wet food vs. dense food. I was surprised to find out a couple of weeks ago that I ate 1/2 cup of chili (I was allowed to eat as much as a 1/2 cup, but had not done so to that point). I panicked - did I eat too much? How could my sleeve allow me to eat that much? Then I realized, the chili is wet and some of it probably slid thru the sleeve. The next day I experimented with chicken - I ate only chicken and could only get 1/4 cup down before feeling the restriction. The chicken was much more dense. You're probably seeing the same thing with yogurt - you'll probably be able to eat more yogurt than say scrambled eggs. My doc made of point of saying, "Eat what's on the plan in the portions you're allowed. Remember, you don't have to eat it all. Stop if you feel feel or restriction." I have found that there are times I will do a hiccup and burp at the same time, that's a clue that I'm getting full. Other times I my nose will run. Sometimes I feel a "poke" not a pain, but a feeling in my stomach. Once I feel any of these things I stop eating. You guys are doing great - it's all a learning process. Just listen to your body and stick to your portions.

I think it's a normal fear and I also think it's an irrational fear. I have the same thoughts myself. I think it's our natural reaction to dieting, failing, beating ourselves up, then dieting, failing, beating ourselves up. Wash, rinse, repeat. Follow your plan, exercise and let your body do the rest. Best of luck to you!

How exciting for you! You'll do great. Send us an update when you're able!

At the three to four week mark, I became so moody - I'd bark at my husband or son at the drop of the hat. I was angry - pissed off, really and I couldn't identify why. It lasted for about a week and now it's gone. Right now, I feel at peace. I'm sure there's another round of rage hidden inside of me, we just need to take it one day at a time. Hang in there...