Sassy Pants1

What Lips said. My doc has no issue with straws. I've been using one since the day I got home.

Very common. And very frustrating. These stalls happen. And they stink.

Sadly, it's just part of the process. You will see small (2-3) pound gains here and there.

I did not get weighed day of surgery. Maybe you won't either....?

My plan never called for puréed went straight from full liquids to a limited list of soft foods.

Dr Hoehn did my surgery last October.

I do not think it's a bad idea. If you get approved for surgery, you can pick a date that is convenient for you. Now, if you end up moving, you might have to start over with another surgeon. That would stink. I'm just not sure postponing because something else might happen is a good idea. But it's a total personal decision. Good luck on both things!

It's the slower than expected weight loss. Stalls happen, I get it. I know the scale is not the only measurement of success. But dammit, that's the one I'm hung up on. Don't get me wrong, I would do it all over again. 52 pounds in 5 months is not to be discounted. In hindsight, I wish I had managed my expectation better. What's your disappointment, if any?

The beauty of the sleeve is that I never feel deprived or have that "I'm starving" feeling. So the urge to binge is greatly reduced. Your sleeve won't permit you to binge on pizza. Other foods like chips, crackers, Cookies, etc., can be eaten quite easily and in too large portions. It's a head game, too. You definitely need to be prepared for some changes. Like the food progression stages. Though you might feel ready to consume foods earlier than recommended, you need to be prepared to fight that off.

In my opinion, no. I went with a Center of Excellence and a surgeon that has done 100's of weight loss surgeries.

Lots of people report having trouble with plain water. I am one of them. Though it is getting better with time. I can stil do warm liquids easier. I'm on my 4th cup of hot tea today. I also do diet hot chocolate at night if I have the 50 calories to spare. Two servings equal 50 calories, which gives me another 16 ounces at the end of the day.

Great question. Mine started about a month ago and hasn't let up yet.

I know you must be terribly disappointed. But it does sound like your body is battling something. Best to be in good health when you have the surgery so you can be complication free. And have the smoothest possible recovery. Hang in there.

At 3 months, I was at about 800 calories a day. Today, in my 5th month, I target 900 calories. Some days I go over. Some days in net less with exercise. I am also stalled....a lot.

The infamous 3-week stall. It happens. Check out the link in Butterthebean's signature line. The article explains why stalls happen. I am in my 5th month. And since month two, I have spent more time stalled than not. It's weeks of no weight loss followed by spurts of loss. It's frustrating as hell. But I'm following the plan, tracking everything and waiting out my scale. It blows.

Oy, emsgma! I am so sorry to hear this. I would be out of my mind. I wish I had some words of wisdom for you. All I have to offer is the good juju I am sending your way. I hope your stall ends, like tomorrow!

I had a sip of red wine at about six weeks out and it did not sit well. I waited another month before trying again. It went okay, but I consume alcohol very cautiously now simply because of the empty calories. They really add up!

You San get back on track by going back to rule #1: protein first. That should fill you up so there won't be room for the junk food. Sadly, even with the sleeve, it's too easy to consume junk food. It does not engage the restriction like dense protein does.

Sounds just about right to me. That loss is very similar to mine at that time. Stalls happen. Repeatedly. And they suck. Keep working the program and the scale will move again.....eventually. P.s. I just went through (another) 17 day stall. It happens.

If you're only a week or two post-op, it's likely you will not meet water goals. I was advised to make a concerted effort to get fluids in. It becomes easier with time. I was already drinking fairly normally within a couple weeks. But I still could not meet goal because I would get too full from the fluids.

I have no personal experience to offer, but you do he my empathy and concern. I will be sending tons of good juju your way.

This is a bad-ass story. I love every bit of it. You must feel (and look!) like a million bucks.

My doc did not give me a goal weight, either. However, at the psych eval, that doc told me I would likely land at 172-ish, provided I have average weight loss. I, too, am 5'6". I am shooting for lower than that, but as I go through this journey, I truly don't know where I will end up....what I will feel comfortable with. Unlike McButterpants, I am finding that I cannot fit into sizes at this current weight like I did when I was previously at this weight. I'm bigger at this weight than before. For example, I cannot get into many 16's and I could before at 190-some pounds. I read on here the other day that someone was slipping into 16's at her new weight of 234 pounds. Just another example of how every body is so different. The longer I am on this journey, I discover I know less than I thought I did. The whole thing is a mystery because there are no norms.

I've heard it's hard to stretch the sleeve, but not impossible. I've heard it takes a long period of chronic over-filling to stretch it. You might want to ask your doc.

That's curious and I don't know the answer. I can't imagine it was the Cream of Wheat? My body does weird things with digestion now. I probably wouldn't worry about it unless you're still having problems tomorrow. I would suggest drinking more Water to keep dehydration at bay.