bigloser2014

I got sleeved on May 9th. So far, I have lost 7 pounds post op. Can't say it's not been stressful. But, more on that later. First an update on how I am doing:

Incisions healed! Pain is minimal!
Able to get in most of my fluids and more than 80 gm of Protein most days.
Some fatigue and weakness is still there but getting better each day.
Nerve damage to left arm due to a bad IV is healed almost 80%.
Starting to move more and feel positive most days.
NO REGRETS!
Now onto my slow weight loss:

I visited my doctor 2 days ago and asked his PA about losing only 7 pounds so far. Her words? "WOW, you lost 7 pounds!". That does put things in perspective.

I feel that reading all the posts about quick wt. loss set some unrealistic expectations for me earlier.

I forgot that all bodies are different! I have always been a slow loser. But I have never been able to lose 7 pounds in 2 weeks. THAT MAKES IT 28 POUNDS LOSS SINCE I STARTED MY PRE-OP DIET! What more can I ask for?

I also remember feeling proud if I ever lost 2 pounds in a week in my previous life before the surgery, so, why be negative about it now? 7 pounds is 7 pounds! It's 28 sticks of butter! It's one whole infant!

And what else was I ignoring in all of this? My clothes are getting loser. This past weekend, I had to sit on floor for an event and was able to squat for 40 minutes before I had to change my position. In the past, I could not squat for more than 5 mins! Oh, and one more thing. I can cross my legs now!

I had about 100 lbs to lose when I started this journey. I am more that 1/4th of the way there!

I am sure I will still be complaining about slow weight loss sometime in the future again but right now, it feels good to put things in a positive light.

I will continue to follow the plan. As long as weight is headed in the right direction, I am going to try not to worry about it too much!

Hope everyone is doing well! Try to look at the positive! Think good thoughts!

I got sleeved on May 9th. So far, I have lost 7 pounds post op. Can't say it's not been stressful. But, more on that later. First an update on how I am doing:

Incisions healed! Pain is minimal!
Able to get in most of my fluids and more than 80 gm of Protein most days.
Some fatigue and weakness is still there but getting better each day.
Nerve damage to left arm due to a bad IV is healed almost 80%.
Starting to move more and feel positive most days.
NO REGRETS!
Now onto my slow weight loss:

I visited my doctor 2 days ago and asked his PA about losing only 7 pounds so far. Her words? "WOW, you lost 7 pounds!". That does put things in perspective.

I feel that reading all the posts about quick wt. loss set some unrealistic expectations for me earlier.

I forgot that all bodies are different! I have always been a slow loser. But I have never been able to lose 7 pounds in 2 weeks. THAT MAKES IT 28 POUNDS LOSS SINCE I STARTED MY PRE-OP DIET! What more can I ask for?

I also remember feeling proud if I ever lost 2 pounds in a week in my previous life before the surgery, so, why be negative about it now? 7 pounds is 7 pounds! It's 28 sticks of butter! It's one whole infant!

And what else was I ignoring in all of this? My clothes are getting loser. This past weekend, I had to sit on floor for an event and was able to squat for 40 minutes before I had to change my position. In the past, I could not squat for more than 5 mins! Oh, and one more thing. I can cross my legs now!

I had about 100 lbs to lose when I started this journey. I am more that 1/4th of the way there!

I am sure I will still be complaining about slow weight loss sometime in the future again but right now, it feels good to put things in a positive light.

I will continue to follow the plan. As long as weight is headed in the right direction, I am going to try not to worry about it too much!

Hope everyone is doing well! Try to look at the positive! Think good thoughts!

I got sleeved on May 9th. So far, I have lost 7 pounds post op. Can't say it's not been stressful. But, more on that later. First an update on how I am doing:

Incisions healed! Pain is minimal!
Able to get in most of my fluids and more than 80 gm of Protein most days.
Some fatigue and weakness is still there but getting better each day.
Nerve damage to left arm due to a bad IV is healed almost 80%.
Starting to move more and feel positive most days.
NO REGRETS!
Now onto my slow weight loss:

I visited my doctor 2 days ago and asked his PA about losing only 7 pounds so far. Her words? "WOW, you lost 7 pounds!". That does put things in perspective.

I feel that reading all the posts about quick wt. loss set some unrealistic expectations for me earlier.

I forgot that all bodies are different! I have always been a slow loser. But I have never been able to lose 7 pounds in 2 weeks. THAT MAKES IT 28 POUNDS LOSS SINCE I STARTED MY PRE-OP DIET! What more can I ask for?

I also remember feeling proud if I ever lost 2 pounds in a week in my previous life before the surgery, so, why be negative about it now? 7 pounds is 7 pounds! It's 28 sticks of butter! It's one whole infant!

And what else was I ignoring in all of this? My clothes are getting loser. This past weekend, I had to sit on floor for an event and was able to squat for 40 minutes before I had to change my position. In the past, I could not squat for more than 5 mins! Oh, and one more thing. I can cross my legs now!

I had about 100 lbs to lose when I started this journey. I am more that 1/4th of the way there!

I am sure I will still be complaining about slow weight loss sometime in the future again but right now, it feels good to put things in a positive light.

I will continue to follow the plan. As long as weight is headed in the right direction, I am going to try not to worry about it too much!

Hope everyone is doing well! Try to look at the positive! Think good thoughts!

I got sleeved on May 9th. So far, I have lost 7 pounds post op. Can't say it's not been stressful. But, more on that later. First an update on how I am doing:

Incisions healed! Pain is minimal!
Able to get in most of my fluids and more than 80 gm of Protein most days.
Some fatigue and weakness is still there but getting better each day.
Nerve damage to left arm due to a bad IV is healed almost 80%.
Starting to move more and feel positive most days.
NO REGRETS!
Now onto my slow weight loss:

I visited my doctor 2 days ago and asked his PA about losing only 7 pounds so far. Her words? "WOW, you lost 7 pounds!". That does put things in perspective.

I feel that reading all the posts about quick wt. loss set some unrealistic expectations for me earlier.

I forgot that all bodies are different! I have always been a slow loser. But I have never been able to lose 7 pounds in 2 weeks. THAT MAKES IT 28 POUNDS LOSS SINCE I STARTED MY PRE-OP DIET! What more can I ask for?

I also remember feeling proud if I ever lost 2 pounds in a week in my previous life before the surgery, so, why be negative about it now? 7 pounds is 7 pounds! It's 28 sticks of butter! It's one whole infant!

And what else was I ignoring in all of this? My clothes are getting loser. This past weekend, I had to sit on floor for an event and was able to squat for 40 minutes before I had to change my position. In the past, I could not squat for more than 5 mins! Oh, and one more thing. I can cross my legs now!

I had about 100 lbs to lose when I started this journey. I am more that 1/4th of the way there!

I am sure I will still be complaining about slow weight loss sometime in the future again but right now, it feels good to put things in a positive light.

I will continue to follow the plan. As long as weight is headed in the right direction, I am going to try not to worry about it too much!

Hope everyone is doing well! Try to look at the positive! Think good thoughts!

Thank you for all the rsponses and advice. I had my surgery on May 9th, 14 pounds lighter than where i started. Doctor was very happy with my progress. I did find out why they insist on BA. As some people mentioned here, they are a BCBS center of excellence and have to deliver consistent results to maintain that status.

In my previous life (4 1/2) months ago, I was eating anything I wanted, when I wanted. I can guarantee you that drive through sandwiches, french fries, donuts, heaps of buttery mashed potatoes, pies, cakes, etc....were not giving me the nutrition I needed either. However, since being in a proper bariatric program and getting a sleeve (12/23/2013) I have become what is called a "nutritarian". That just means that everything I eat must have nutritional value or it is not worth the extra chewing.
So, even though I eat much less, everything I eat provides nutritional goodness. Sure, it all takes planning, measuring, and careful timing, but at this point I can feel and see my body and health changing in many positive ways. When I was eating more crap than whole foods from farms instead of factories, I had to take Vitamins and a few supplements anyway.
When you are making an effort to comply with a bariatric program, your body can't help but respond significantly to overall better nutrition. You have to make decisions, like when you are at a Thanksgiving table. Will I eat 2 ounces of turkey and some green Beans, or will I eat a heap of mashed potatoes and a large slice of apple pie? Any improvements that you get post-op will be based on deliberate decisions that you make every day.
Our Protein requirements are high and or need for unlimited carbs is low. This program will no doubt turn your food pyramid and your life up-side down. There is a ton of supportive information you can get from your bariatric team and even more from those of us who hang out here on the forum. We have "been there, done that, got the shirt", but there is nothing like jumping in and going for it.

My surgery is on May 9th. My doctor allows me Bariatic Advantage shakes 4-5 times a day with fruits blended in, sugarfree Popsicles & Jello.
I had to pick up 2 big packets of Bariatic Advantage from the office for my pre-op diet which I did.
I was able to follow the diet for 4-5 days but then started hating the taste of vanilla & chocolate BA. Since then, I have still followed all the rules but changed a couple of things:
- Changed BA to GNC unflavored. The nutrition is the same. If anything, GNC is lower on calories and carb.
- Also have one powders? utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury chicken Flavored Soup a day.
Other than that I have followed all the rules and lost 13 lbs.
This morning, I got a call from my doc's office to confirm that I was following my BA diet. I told them I was. But now I feel like I lied.
The thing is that if I had continued the BA, I would not have been able to continue just because I hated the taste and felt like throwing up!
Now the questions: Why is my doc office insisting that I use Bariatic Advantage? Did anyone else have that experience? Did I make a mistake by substituting? Should I be concerned?
Thanks!

CubsWinCubsWin I think we may have the same surgery center. My surgeon is from Kane Surgery Center in Hoffman Estates!

5 years ago, my doctor out me on Prilosec once a day to control my Asthma symptoms. At that time, I did not have any acid reflux. Fast forward 3 years, I was determined to get off some meds and did a detox to make my allergies & Asthma better. Getting off Prilosec was the hardest. Here is what I learnt then:
- There is a condition called Rebound Reflux which is caused when you try to leave PPI inhibtors. I DID NOT have any acid reflux when I was put on Prilosec but got severe reflux when I tried to leave it. I was miserable to a few weeks but detemined. What helped me in those days was reseaching ways to naturally treat reflux, like oatmeal, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, eating small meals and chewing gum after dinner. With all of that I was able to manage my reflux without medication for most part. There were times when I needed tums but only a few times a month. Nothing major.
So think about that when you try to leave PPI drugs post surgery. You will most probably experience rebound reflux.
Fast forward again, to my recent changes in diet and drinking Protein Shakes, I was hit with bad reflux once again. I did some more research and found something very interesting on a blog:
- Making Protein shakes in high speed blenders causes the bubbles to form in the shake. All those bubbles can potentially cause reflux. I was willing to test that theory. I continued to make my shakes in my Vitamix but made the shake at least a hour. I found that a full glass fresh out of the blender was always reduced to 2/3 of a glass. So, 1/3rd was just bubbles. That helped my reflux right away. I also stopped over-blending. Just blended long enough for everything to mix and then put it in a Blender Bottle. That helped too! I have had to take Prilosec again a couple of times in the last 2 weeks but that's okay. I know I may need it after the surgery and I am ready! H
Hope this post helps someone! Have a good day!

So, I called the doctor office to get the details on pre-op testing for my surgery scheduled for April 25th. It was getting close and I had not heard back! I found out that they did not send the request over to the Hospital on time and could not get the 25th confirmed! I was already 4 days into my pre-op diet and almost adjusted to it. Now I have to stop and restart on the 25th. The new surgery date is May 9th! Everything happens for reason but still I think I have the right to be upset! GRRR!!

So, I called the doctor office to get the details on pre-op testing for my surgery scheduled for April 25th. It was getting close and I had not heard back! I found out that they did not send the request over to the Hospital on time and could not get the 25th confirmed! I was already 4 days into my pre-op diet and almost adjusted to it. Now I have to stop and restart on the 25th. The new surgery date is May 9th! Everything happens for reason but still I think I have the right to be upset! GRRR!!

Hello all! I am still going through the pre-op processing. Had my first NUT appt. last weekend and have a psych eval in 2 weeks.
Yesterday in my research I dared to venture on the long term results of WLS. Read much about how after 2 years it becomes really hard for food addicts like myself. I was very discouraged. Started thinking why would anyone put their body through such a major surgery to just go back to the same old weight and problems?
Then I remembered that I am a Project Manager by profession, and pretty darn good at my job! I go into each project with all my research and all the risk awareness and then I create a risk mitigation plan. lol.
So, here are things I cannot change:
I am a food addict. Sleeve is just a tool and will not help me if I am not willing to let it help me. I will still love food and will probably feel miserable to be separated from my first love. I may have emotional issues and challenges along the way But here are the things I can change:
Take control! After all it's my life! Start making changes now instead of waiting for after surgery - Eat slower, Exercise Continue reaching out to all my fellow sleevers for support Start getting psychological help to deal with my food addiction. So, today, I ate a half a sandwich and 6 cubes of tofu in 45 minutes. Magic happened! I was full! I did not gorge the food down.
I also plan to exercise this evening.
I can do this! We all can!
We just have to know the devil and have a plan to defeat it!

I am hoping to get to a point where I can say, "I don't care". My concern is that my extended family will act like I took the easy way out, whereas all of us know that this is no easy way out. If it was, I would have taken it 10 years ago.

I have been criticized my entire life for being fat and there is no way in hell I'm going to criticized once I'm healthy because I had WLS. No fricken way. That's why I'm not telling people.

Actually, when I am out w/friends &/or family, I have just found that if I skip appetizers, Soups, salads, then I can eat 1/2 of a small 7oz steak with some of the veggies.... I constantly say that one of the ways I have reduced my weight is by reducing the portions and eating more often through the day. No one has really questioned it.
Sadly, I have also found the serving sizes of other people's plate to be disgusting and I constantly feel ashamed that I myself had eaten portions of such size. My smaller portions have also made my sister feel embarrassed for her own over-portions.

I am hoping to get to a point where I can say, "I don't care". My concern is that my extended family will act like I took the easy way out, whereas all of us know that this is no easy way out. If it was, I would have taken it 10 years ago.

Thanks for all the suggestions, support & understanding. I am glad to know that I am not alone. I have decided to wait till I get my surgery date and then decide who to tell. I may just tell my brother, who is a Physican. I think he will understand that the choice is between this surgery or facing other major health issues in the very near future. There is no choice!

I am hoping to get to a point where I can say, "I don't care". My concern is that my extended family will act like I took the easy way out, whereas all of us know that this is no easy way out. If it was, I would have taken it 10 years ago.