Madelyne Bonthron

Hi y'all. I wanted to update my progress. On Monday I became Overweight. I am no longer considered obese. I started at obese class III. I'm down 63 lbs. since pre-op; surgery 11/08. How is everyone doing??

I had same problem i was in size 22 pants with starting weight 330lbs. My pants size didnt change i think until i lost almost 60lbs and i went to size 20 and now 81lb loss i am in 18 losely. I hope this helps. I think our hips are last to get the message we lost weight but the first to put it on:)

I missed this one!! I didn't think there was another one and I haven't been on for a little while so I want to make sure I do the next one!! So mad at myself!! On the good size of it all I have now lost 100 pounds!!

See i told my doctor how much i was taking in and he said that was good keep it under a 1000 and i do exercise usual 3 times a wk. But i better talk to a nutritionist that deals with what we had. I dont want to shut down. I try do everything possible lose weight but dont want to hurt myself either. Thank you for all your help. Okay so to sum it up then basical that lil burger was not a bad thing me eating the whole thing at my stage? It just was weird cause it was the first time ever i finish that amt usual i take 3 bites and done. But i did take my time and i didnt hurt, or feel sick in anyway. So i feel better abt it. But now i real need to look into this whole calorie thing. Big thank you guys

I figured it had to be a little burger. You would have thrown up otherwise for sure or at least gagged on it. If you are only taking in 600-700 calories. Your body is going to go to shut you down to protect itself. You really need around 900-1000 unless you are exercising then you need more.

I'm worried also I'm only on my 6th day post op and I can take in a whole cup of chicken broth slowly if course because it is still uncomfortable to swallow but when I'm done I don't feel full. I don't feel hungry either but shouldn't I feel some type of fullness or tightness. I also have not thrown up or even gotten nauseous after eating so I'm wondering if my sleeve is doing anything?

Bun and everything...wow...17 months out and I can only take down a half of a hamburger. Ask yourself! Are you reading your sleeve? Anytime, are you sneezing or runny nose while eating. Some people get hick-cups. Are you taking the time to eat tiny bites and then swallowing when the bite is really mushy?... Do you stop half way through and take a break to listen to your sleeve? To see where you are in the full area.
Congratulations on your success so far.....

I am a nurse and even with all the things i have seen i new i needed the sleeve in the worst way. So i got to know my doctor well and also talked with patients i would see walk in to get a feel for my doctor. I have 5 kids from 14-2 yrs old. I weight 330 lbs and my health was getting very bad. I wanted to be around for my husband and my kids. I had lost all energy to want to play with them or do anything for that matter. I have lost 91 lbs in 21 wks and i feel amazing. This was the best decision i made for my family and I. I hope this help

Start: 254
Now: 248
Goal:245
I really hope i can lose those 3lbs finger crossed.

fairly normal.. lets put it this way.. it would have come back up if it didnt want to be down there.. i wouldnt make a abit of it so you dont lose restriction.

I am a nurse and even with all the things i have seen i new i needed the sleeve in the worst way. So i got to know my doctor well and also talked with patients i would see walk in to get a feel for my doctor. I have 5 kids from 14-2 yrs old. I weight 330 lbs and my health was getting very bad. I wanted to be around for my husband and my kids. I had lost all energy to want to play with them or do anything for that matter. I have lost 91 lbs in 21 wks and i feel amazing. This was the best decision i made for my family and I. I hope this help

Well basical i am like an open book i have told tons of ppl and even strangers in begining. Like if we went out to eat and i only take 2 bites they say do u not like and i say i had weight loss surgery. Too me its not a secret: ). Esp when ppl at my work are very over weight and seen my progress i have no problem telling them everything

I had same problem i was in size 22 pants with starting weight 330lbs. My pants size didnt change i think until i lost almost 60lbs and i went to size 20 and now 81lb loss i am in 18 losely. I hope this helps. I think our hips are last to get the message we lost weight but the first to put it on:)

Well basical i am like an open book i have told tons of ppl and even strangers in begining. Like if we went out to eat and i only take 2 bites they say do u not like and i say i had weight loss surgery. Too me its not a secret: ). Esp when ppl at my work are very over weight and seen my progress i have no problem telling them everything

You can file an appeal if hey still refuse to cover it .... however you may have to go through with the initial appointment and have the authorization denied first .... the only problem there is that if the surgeons office knowingly submits a authorization just to get a denial they may not be able to help you with the appeal .... I would call the authorization specialist at your surgeons office and ask what your next move might be ....

Those who have had weight loss surgery often ask how much they should be eating. Whilst is seems a simple question, there is no simple answer.


Those who have had weight loss surgery often ask how much they should be eating. Whilst is seems a simple question, there is no simple answer.
How much you should be eating is a hot topic on many online forums or support pages. If you have read the discussions it becomes clear that weight loss surgery clinics and support teams widely differ in how much they are recommending their patients eat. This is also clear when I chat with other health professionals at our obesity surgery conferences. If the professionals working in the area can’t get their story straight, how are people to know what to do?
Some surgeons recommend you limit meals to half a cup, some may say one cup, and others will say a bread and butter plate of food. Interestingly, one cup of food nicely fits on a bread and butter plate and this is the guide we use in our clinic.
Accredited Practising Dietitians (in Australia, Registered Dietitians in the USA) are university‐qualified experts on food and nutrition. Whilst even their recommendations on what you should eat following surgery will vary, what they will generally agree on is that it is difficult to meet your nutritional requirements eating half a cup of food, three times a day.
To date, there are no scientific studies on the exact amount of food people should include after gastric band and gastric bypass surgeries. Hopefully in time this will evolve. Research from Mercy Bariatrics in Perth, Western Australia, provides some excellent data to help guide serving sizes for those who have had a sleeve gastrectomy. Whilst initially very small amounts are tolerated, at six months after surgery most people will manage about half a cup of food at a time. By 12 to 18 months most people will manage about one cup of solid food. This is a guide only and will vary between people as there are different size sleeves.
A point relevant to all surgeries is that the people studied found they could indeed ‘fit’ more food in than what they felt satisfied with. After all forms of weight loss surgery, eating to the maximum amount you can tolerate is not recommended. I have a favourite quote from Dr. Teresa Girolamo, one of the GPs in our clinic: “It’s not a matter of seeing how much you can eat and get away with, but how little you can eat and be satisfied.” Testing the limits of how much you can eat increases your intake, particularly if it occurs repeatedly, and can compromise your results. Tune in to your feeling of satisfaction after eating and let that guide the amount of food you need to eat. Always stop eating before you feel any discomfort.
Create an environment that makes it easy for you to eat small portions. Ensure family and friends know you use a smaller plate/bowl/cutlery. Take these items with you if you travel. When eating out, order entrée size meals or if there are none available, separate your meal into an appropriate portion before you start eating. Tapas style menus, Asian or Indian eateries are often tailored to meals being shared, allowing you to dish up a small serve to suit your needs. It is fine to leave food on your plate when you have had enough, even if it is a smaller serve. Avoid the temptation to ‘clean the plate’. If ‘wasting’ food concerns you, carry a container with you when you eat out and take a serve home to have for another meal.
After gastric band surgery some people may find it takes some time before they feel satisfied on small amounts of food. Many people need their gastric band adjusted several times to help them feel satisfied on small serves. If small meals of solid food do not satisfy you, keep in regular contact with your support team until they do. Some people will find this will occur early in their journey, for others it may take longer. Be patient.
Whilst it is not necessary for you to measure or weigh everything you eat, it may be helpful to measure the amount you are usually serving. When you eat a meal, take note how much food it takes for you to feel satisfied and how much it takes to feel full. The aim is to feel satisfied after eating, so if you know roughly how much food this is you can avoid dishing up too much in future.
The recipes in my book and on my blog have been designed to provide approximately four, one cup serves. This does not mean a one cup serve is right for everyone, but does allows you to easily adapt the recipes to your requirements.

Honestly this far out I can eat whatever I want. I still stay away from heavy starches and focus on getting in Protein. Normal day would be boiled eggs for Breakfast, Protein Bar or shake for a snack, some sort of grilled meat and veggies for lunch. Meat is what gets me full the fastest I can only do about 6oz and I'm stuffed. I like baby carrots with light ranch for a late afternoon snack and dinner can be anything from Greek yogurt with granola and fruit to more grilled protein or scrambled eggs... I eat lots of different things I just don't do fried foods or sweets like Cookies or anything. The only unhealthy things I ever eat are coffee with cream and Potato chips but that's a rare treat lol

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Here my pics:)

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Here my pics:)

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eggs were one of the toughest things to digest after surgery. I was allowed anything soft/mushy/pureed starting day 8. But something about eggs made my stomach seize up with just the smallest bite. If you are going to try scrambled eggs, don't over cook them or it will be even tougher to digest. I did try some creamy Peanut Butter as well, it was much easier to digest.

I, too, am doing this for my kids and my future. I am so tired all the time. My joints hurts, etc. I have three boys that love to be outside and play. I want to be a fun mom, and be around when they have kids....I don't want them to suffer because of my weight...my surgery date is April 14th, I am scared but I know it will be worth it!

I for sure did this for my kids. I have 5 kids that i could not do any activities with everything i did made me so tired and just wanted to sit around now i get on the floor and have fun with them. Looking forward to amusment parks this yr i final be able to fit on the rides with the kids and have extra room in the seat

Sunday weigh in
Start:254lbs
End:249lbs
4 more lbs til my easter goal is reached:)

Sunday weigh in
Start:254lbs
End:249lbs
4 more lbs til my easter goal is reached:)

Easter Challenge Week 1 Results
Here’s a wrap-up of how this week of the Easter Challenge went:
Number of people reporting in this week: 84 Total weight lost by the group: 173.0 Average pounds lost per person for week: 2.1 This Week’s Border Crossings
300s to 290s (TWODERLAND!): Sleeve Siren 290s to 280s: Sleeveless n Seattle 260s to 250s: Lynnc121, Kiap82, chris1142 250s to 240s: laplebita619 240s to 230s: covatila84, BlondeBanshee 230s to 220s: Danni-doinit4me, Hunter 220s to 210s: nillee 210s to 200s: Stacy_wls 200s to 190s (ONEDERLAND!): VSG AJH 190s to 180s: BellaHugz, snochick2005 180s to 170s: Bombs 170s to 160s: JanetPRN 150s to 140s: Sweet_Mia May the joy and peace of new beginnings be with you during this challenge!
As always, my apologies if I missed anyone!