Schmincke

Thank u for the tips. Getting the liquids in is a challenge. But I hired a personal trainer and start this weekend. Looking forward to this journey!

My nutritional team, who were really helpful, say that animal-source is better than plant source Protein with the exception of tofu, which is really high quality. Animal-source does include dairy products, especially Greek yogurt.
In a Protein powder for mixing drinks, I'm instructed to look for whey as the #1 product, no more than 5 gm of fat or sugar, and at least 20 gm of Protein per scoop. I am aiming for a total of 80 gm of protein a day, but 60 minimum. Not only does it help prevent hair loss, but it helps maintain lean muscle mass, and it really does help with hunger. We're not supposed to go more than 4 hours without eating or drinking some protein. I cannot get that much protein without at least one Protein Drink a day, at this stage (3 ½ weeks post-op).
There are some high-quality resources online from major bariatric centers. They do not agree on everything, but are helpful. Here is an example:
http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/dietary_guidelines_after_gastric_bypass/

You might find it easier if you stick to the basic rules as outlined by my surgeon and nutritionist. I have posted these before:
Count grams of Protein and ounces of liquid. Make sure to get 60-80 grams of Protein a day. Drink 60+ ounces of Fluid (preferably more). No drinking for 30 minutes before or after a meal. At every meal: Eat protein first, then veggies, then if there is any room left, eat fruit, then carbs (but probably will only have room for protein). Take Vitamins every day. Exercise every day, at least a half hour. No junk. Nothing with more than 5 grams of sugars. If I start to slide on the carbohydrates, especially the simple ones like sugar, then the head hunger gets worse.
If I keep up my fluids and protein, it gets better. So, if I have really bad head hunger, I drink a Protein shake.
Also if I exercise, the head hunger gets better. It is a balancing act - if I keep the bad carbs away, then I can balance much better. I know lots of other people on this forum say similar things.

But don't be discouraged if you follow the rules and still get a stall. Everybody has a "ladder-shaped" weight loss and there are some excellent postings on this topic too. Still - 6 or 7 pounds weight loss in a month is GOOD! It's more than a pound a week, so don't beat yourself up. You are in this to change yourself over the long term.

I hope this helps - you really WILL do it!

You might find it easier if you stick to the basic rules as outlined by my surgeon and nutritionist. I have posted these before:
Count grams of Protein and ounces of liquid. Make sure to get 60-80 grams of Protein a day. Drink 60+ ounces of Fluid (preferably more). No drinking for 30 minutes before or after a meal. At every meal: Eat protein first, then veggies, then if there is any room left, eat fruit, then carbs (but probably will only have room for protein). Take Vitamins every day. Exercise every day, at least a half hour. No junk. Nothing with more than 5 grams of sugars. If I start to slide on the carbohydrates, especially the simple ones like sugar, then the head hunger gets worse.
If I keep up my fluids and protein, it gets better. So, if I have really bad head hunger, I drink a Protein shake.
Also if I exercise, the head hunger gets better. It is a balancing act - if I keep the bad carbs away, then I can balance much better. I know lots of other people on this forum say similar things.

But don't be discouraged if you follow the rules and still get a stall. Everybody has a "ladder-shaped" weight loss and there are some excellent postings on this topic too. Still - 6 or 7 pounds weight loss in a month is GOOD! It's more than a pound a week, so don't beat yourself up. You are in this to change yourself over the long term.

I hope this helps - you really WILL do it!

I am changing my name (not officially but...) to LilMissDiva 2.0
Since I have been back in the community I have been really rocking. I've still struggled a bit here and there but for the most part I am on my way back and it's showing. Here are some photos I took yesterday. My tummy is getting flat (again) and I can see my face is thinning out (again). I'm enjoying watching my personal transformation (again).
That said, I never want to go through this again. I won't allow myself to feel sorry for me anymore. I am STRONGER than anything negative put in my path. I just pick up the dust and clay, and make Pyramids out of it. It's how I roll.
And THANK YOU to all my long time friends for coming by to check in with me!! I really have missed you, and I sincerely hope we can all check in often. There are many who can answer all of the same questions that many newer folks are asking, but believe it or not, they are watching us too. They are blessed that they can see what it can be like for them 3.. 4.. and 5 years and beyond. I or we never had that!
We are the trailblazers my friends! :-) That's a very special and honorable thing to be.

My nutritional team, who were really helpful, say that animal-source is better than plant source Protein with the exception of tofu, which is really high quality. Animal-source does include dairy products, especially Greek yogurt.
In a Protein powder for mixing drinks, I'm instructed to look for whey as the #1 product, no more than 5 gm of fat or sugar, and at least 20 gm of Protein per scoop. I am aiming for a total of 80 gm of protein a day, but 60 minimum. Not only does it help prevent hair loss, but it helps maintain lean muscle mass, and it really does help with hunger. We're not supposed to go more than 4 hours without eating or drinking some protein. I cannot get that much protein without at least one Protein Drink a day, at this stage (3 ½ weeks post-op).
There are some high-quality resources online from major bariatric centers. They do not agree on everything, but are helpful. Here is an example:
http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/dietary_guidelines_after_gastric_bypass/

You might find it easier if you stick to the basic rules as outlined by my surgeon and nutritionist. I have posted these before:
Count grams of Protein and ounces of liquid. Make sure to get 60-80 grams of Protein a day. Drink 60+ ounces of Fluid (preferably more). No drinking for 30 minutes before or after a meal. At every meal: Eat protein first, then veggies, then if there is any room left, eat fruit, then carbs (but probably will only have room for protein). Take Vitamins every day. Exercise every day, at least a half hour. No junk. Nothing with more than 5 grams of sugars. If I start to slide on the carbohydrates, especially the simple ones like sugar, then the head hunger gets worse.
If I keep up my fluids and protein, it gets better. So, if I have really bad head hunger, I drink a Protein shake.
Also if I exercise, the head hunger gets better. It is a balancing act - if I keep the bad carbs away, then I can balance much better. I know lots of other people on this forum say similar things.

But don't be discouraged if you follow the rules and still get a stall. Everybody has a "ladder-shaped" weight loss and there are some excellent postings on this topic too. Still - 6 or 7 pounds weight loss in a month is GOOD! It's more than a pound a week, so don't beat yourself up. You are in this to change yourself over the long term.

I hope this helps - you really WILL do it!

I was told to forget about calories for the first 2 months, just to follow the eating rules:
Count grams of Protein and ounces of liquid. Make sure to get 60-80 grams of Protein a day. Drink 60+ ounces of Fluid (preferably more). No drinking for 30 minutes before or after a meal. At every meal: Eat protein first, then veggies, then if there is any room left, eat fruit, then carbs (but probably will only have room for protein). Take Vitamins every day. Exercise every day. No junk. Nothing with more than 5 grams of sugars. I track on FitnessPal and I do notice that following these rules gives me 550-700 calories a day, but I primarily track protein and Fluid.< /p>

I was told to forget about calories for the first 2 months, just to follow the eating rules:
Count grams of Protein and ounces of liquid. Make sure to get 60-80 grams of Protein a day. Drink 60+ ounces of Fluid (preferably more). No drinking for 30 minutes before or after a meal. At every meal: Eat protein first, then veggies, then if there is any room left, eat fruit, then carbs (but probably will only have room for protein). Take Vitamins every day. Exercise every day. No junk. Nothing with more than 5 grams of sugars. I track on FitnessPal and I do notice that following these rules gives me 550-700 calories a day, but I primarily track protein and Fluid.< /p>

I was told to forget about calories for the first 2 months, just to follow the eating rules:
Count grams of Protein and ounces of liquid. Make sure to get 60-80 grams of Protein a day. Drink 60+ ounces of Fluid (preferably more). No drinking for 30 minutes before or after a meal. At every meal: Eat protein first, then veggies, then if there is any room left, eat fruit, then carbs (but probably will only have room for protein). Take Vitamins every day. Exercise every day. No junk. Nothing with more than 5 grams of sugars. I track on FitnessPal and I do notice that following these rules gives me 550-700 calories a day, but I primarily track protein and Fluid.< /p>

Yes the GB disease is a side effect of weight loss, but there are other factors that predispose you to gall bladder problems. In ultrasound school they taught us the 4 "F"s that are likely to have GB stones - Female, Forty, Fertile (had a baby), Fair skinned.
Large stones are better than small ones because the large ones won't go into the common bile duct and cause a blockage. I found out I had stones in Ultrasound school, but never had a GB attack until 4 years later, and that was 10 years after losing 50 pounds.
The laparoscopic surgery is easier to recover from than the gastric sleeve. I went back to work after only 4 days recovery from GB surgery. I was off for 6 weeks after my sleeve surgery.
I hope you start feeling better very soon!

You've lost 52 pounds. That is a huge drop. It is normal for our bodies to bounce around a little.

You need to look back and reflect on how much weight you gained when you did have all those Snacks.
This year reward yourself with a treat of a new outfit, manicure or a facial. Change your mindset from not loosing to not gaining and count that as a reward. Also take out the measuring tape and see if your body changed and shrunk. Usually the Nsv are just as great to Celebrate as the LBs dropping. Embrace your new lifestyle, your doing great!!

You are seeing the glass half empty. Try looking at is as what you might have gained instead of lost if you did cheat and partake of all those forbidden foods. You are fortifying your resolve to stay with the plan and eventually your habits and desires will change and you won't see passing on those foods as something you missed out on. By staying with it, you have more invested every day and are getting closer and closer to your goal. This is no time to slide back into old habits.

My stall broke over the weekend and I lost 4 pounds!!
I'll try to be more patient next time.
Phew...

I am at week 8, have been stalled for over two weeks and my surgeons advice is - stick to the plan, make sure you're getting your calories, Protein, fluids and excercise and do not weigh yourself more than once a week. Sounds like solid advice

I'm on soft foods too - both tilapia and shrimp are good in my sleeve.

Never thought I'd hear that. He's been very supportive through all of this. I hit goal and lost another 5 lbs. I'm 5'6" and 155 lbs. my size 10 jeans are getting a little baggy. I'm happy where I'm at and am going to try to stop losing. But that was a very unexpected compliment for sure. Think that counts as a NSV.

I don't know if I have a final moment that kind of pushed me over the edge, but there have been life long moments that led me to this. First let me say, I have been overweight my entire life. Aside from the occasional teasing, or family telling me they just wish I could get it under control, I lived a pretty healthy, happy, active life. I just remember always being hungry, chasing the next meal, even as a young girl. I have been on a diet since I was seven years old, when I wanted a gold bikini for the lake. My mom calmly explained to me that fat girls don't get to wear bikinis and if I could lose weight, I could have it.
So began the constant state of either being in a mode of deprivation (not giving into the hunger and cravings - yay me) or a state of indulgence (I deserve this treat, I've been doing so well). Who knows if I would have gotten as heavy as I had if I hadn't started the yo-yo dieting. I remember in seventh grade, when I made cheerleading, they weighed us. I was 5'3 and 172 pounds. The girl closest to my weight was 129.
I've heard my entire life, "You have such a pretty face!" or "You carry your weight so well!" I had told myself that it was better to accept myself than to keep killing myself for six months to lose 40 pounds only to put back on 50 over the next six months.
Finally, I was going through a lot in my life and went in for my annual physical at the age of 33. Imagine my surprise when the scale said 252 pounds! I weighed 235 when I was two weeks overdue with my son. My doctor asked if I had thought about weightloss surgery. Shocked and dismayed, I said no. I always thought I wasn't too far gone to make a permanent change for the better on my own.
After the appointment, I really started thinking and researching. Stats told me I had a 3% chance of losing the weight and, most importantly, of keeping it off, on my own. I thought about my dad and my aunt, who are kind of my genetic roadmaps, and the ups and downs I've seen them go through -- their entire lives. I tried to think of anyone in my Irish-German family who had successfully lost the weight and kept if off. No one.
I had my first appointment 11.5.13 and got sleeved 1.7.14 -- no insurance, but luckily I was able to pull the money from my life savings. I'm only a week over my post op date, but I already feel so liberated, like I have a chance at the one thing I could never get control of in my life -- my weight and my health.
I never heard anyone in my family, no woman or man, tell me they liked or appreciated their body. I want my son and my nieces to know I'm going to take care of myself and my body because I love my body, not because I hate it. I want to lead them through healthy choices and find physical activity that they love. Just like the cycle of abuse, the cycle of obesity is difficult to break. I'm doing this for me -- but also, I'm doing it for them.
I've been reading all your posts and I just want to thank each of you -- your courage to share, to support, to do what you've done -- you've inspired me and for that I will always be grateful.
-Maggie

Other Protein sources besides meat? How about: Protein shakes, fish, eggs, cheese, Beans, lentils?
FABULOUS results, bravo! 70 pounds in 3 months!!!!

You will feel a new kind of normal eventually. You used to have an automatic digestive system. Your learning to drive the stick shift version. The hunger and gas will subside. Your hormones and mind will regulate and you will lose weight (I promise). Its mathematically impossible not to.

I'm truthfully amazed, thankful to my surgeon and humbled by this experience. Back in April of 2013 I started at 412lbs. Had surgery June 24th. Now here we r almost 200 lbs lighter in 9 months. 52 inch waist to 33. 4xl t shirt to large. Just amazing. I used to love riding motorcycles so I went out and bought a new one for when the weather gets better. I go to the gym 6 days per week and I just always remember my surgeons words. "I've given u the tool. Now take advantage of it!!" I won't forget that advise from Dr Jiser in Chelmsford MA. Thank u

This is NORMAL! Don't get discouraged. You have swelling that you are carrying and this can for some people be for a couple weeks. When I was a week out I was still a few pounds heavier then when I went in. Now I am three and a half months out and down 91 pounds! Don't stress it!! Just relax, get your rest, fluids and Water down and enjoy the journey :-)

My surgery is tomorrow. I have so much nervous energy. I think I have done 6-10 loads of laundry. I stopped counting at 5. I have made lists for both kids for everything under the sun about their daily activities for my husband and mother in law. I still can't wrap my head around surgery being tomorrow morning. Can't wait to get healthy!!!!!
No preop diet, but I am going to take it easy tonight. I have to be at the hospital by 5:45-6am. Omg!!!!! So much nervous energy I don't know what to do with myself. I am going to start cleaning when everyone wakes up. I think
It might be all the snow we got lastnight, as well. Sorry I am rambling.

So many straws.
Watching my cousin go from 400+ pounds, dieting down to 160 pounds, then bouncing back up to 400+ pounds and dying at 50.
Yo-yo dieting for 45 years, gaining a few more pounds every time.
Watching my sister yo-yo diet up to 280 pounds, and start to lose her mobility and her zest for life.
Having more and more trouble controlling my hypertension.
Developing sore shoulders and hips, that don't get better with physical therapy.
Having a fall and breaking 4 ribs ... and still having pain 15 years later.
Having a fall and breaking a bone in my back ... and still having back pain 18 months later.
Hating to see myself in photos.
Not being able to dress with the style I would like.
The last straw? Feeling like food is my master.