Rogofulm

It gets easier. I find that anything in a sauce goes down easily. And I don't really worry about calories from the sauces. At 700-900 calories a day, we have room to spare so I don't think they'll hurt me too much.

There's a huge difference between "can never eat" and "should never eat". The two items my doc warns about are fruit juices and ice cream. They are high-sugar, high-calorie foods that go down easily, pass through your "stomach" quickly, and you can consume them without getting or staying full. He says they are the quickest and easiest way to "cheat your tool" and nothing good can come of that.

This was warning, not a tip!

Not sure how long ago you went off the tracks, but I'd do exactly what you posted. Try to do a couple of weeks of the pre/post-op liquid diet. Hopefully that will detox you from the sugar/starch cravings. If you just have to have something more substantial, I'd eat lean Protein only. And make sure you get at least 64+ oz of fluids in every day! That can help stave off the hunger. Then start fresh making the choices that you already know you should make. By the way, my understanding is that the sleeve procedure removes the stretchy part of our stomachs and leaves us with the muscle portion. As a result, it's less likely to stretch very much. Some, perhaps, but nothing like it used to. Don't let poor choices be an option. You can do this!!! Good luck!

If anyone asks how I lost all that weight, I tell them, "Clean living, diet, exercise.... and bariatric surgery." Usually gets a laugh – and most people are fascinated by it.

What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man! Congratulations and continued happiness in your life together!!!

Don't know why, but since my surgery I'm drinking more coffee than I ever have before. Doesn't seem to be slowing my weight loss, but maybe that's because I drink at least 72 oz of other fluids every day as well. (Glub, Glub!)

From all my lifelong roller-coaster dieting, I've discovered that whenever I get down around 180, people start telling me I'm getting too thin and need to slow down or stop losing weight. Really? According to the BMI charts, for my height 180 is still 25 pounds overweight! So this time around, for the first time, I'm not listening to them. If anyone tries to press harder, I say something like, "Thanks for the compliment, but I have a goal weight that has been approved by my doctor, and that's what I'm working towards." It seems to do the trick. They don't mean any harm, they're just not used to seeing us at the lower weight. Also, at some point we stop filling-out our wrinkles, so we may look a little gaunt. Just take it as a compliment and change the subject.

Hiccups are my sign that something got stuck - usually a hunk of chicken that didn't get chewed enough or was a little too dry. Sometimes it goes on down, and sometimes it comes back up (perhaps even aided by a finger). And then the hiccups go away.

Moo goo gai pan (chicken with vegetables in a white sauce) works for me too. And no rice, noodles, dumplings, spring/egg rolls, or fortune Cookies. (They're usually stale, anyway, right?)

Bottom line? Always have a plan for what you will eat. My family and I eat out all the time! Chinese? chicken and vegetables (no rice or spring rolls). Mexican? Steak fajitas or carne asada (no chips, tortillas or rice). Italian? chicken Picatta (no bread or pasta). Family restaurant? Chicken breasts or a small steak (swap the starch for a second veggie). Seafood? Salmon or even lobster. Car trip munchies? Beef or turkey Jerky, baby! Last week we traveled to New Orleans and Mississippi for a wedding, a 50th birthday party, an anniversary party, and Thanksgiving. We also went to at least 7 restaurants. Guess what? I ate great, never felt deprived, and still lost 3 pounds on the trip! I brought Protein shakes and beef Jerky for breakfasts and Snacks, and made good choices at all other meals. Just focus on Protein (and a few veggies), completely avoid all starches and Desserts, keep getting your fluids in, and walk as much as possible. If you always have a plan and follow it, you'll do fine.

My doc told me that post-op hunger is usually thirst. Work on getting your fluids in. And ditto for the exercise. Good luck!

Thank you for your honesty! Posts like yours are the reason I started coming to BP in the first place. And they're the reason I keep coming back. My greatest fear is exactly what you are going through right now. The reality is that the beast is still out there for all of us. Statistics show that there is a high likelihood of a "bounce" from our low weight. But from what I've read, if you can get it back under control, you stand an excellent chance of making it permanent. You've taken the first step. Keep your sleeve full of liquid between meals to stave off the hunger. I wish you total success in your new journey. You know how to do this, now do it!!!

Congratulations! You have reached The Dreaded Week-3 Stall. It's perfectly normal, and just about all of us have suffered through it. You're not crazy, and your doctor didn't screw up. In fact, you might not lose any weight for two weeks or even longer. But don't worry – after that, the weight will start falling off if you stick to your program. And, the inches will continue to come off even while the scale isn't budging. Here's a good article that explains why it happens and why we all have to go through it. Hang in there. Pretty soon it'll be in the rear-view mirror and you'll be dropping weight again like crazy!

(Apologies to BP regulars who have seen this repeatedly, but it's a big deal to those who are going through it!)

Woo HOO!!! Traveled for Thanksgiving and still lost 2 pounds! New weight - 175.

I shared this thought with someone on another forum who had just posted before and after pics. She looked amazing, but still felt like a large person hiding inside a small person. Here's what came to me.....

Having not known you "then", and only meeting you "now", I find it hard to believe it's you – even though I know full well how profoundly we can change. When you meet someone who has lost a whole bunch of weight, you are meeting a normal-sized person, not a formerly-heavy person. So we need to teach our inner voices how to "be" that new person that others are meeting for the first time, and let go of our former baggage. Maybe that would help us move forward more confidently instead of focusing backwards. Does that make sense?

I recognize the whole, "those who forget the past are destined to repeat it" concept, but perhaps we should remember our past lessons, while living in the present and looking forward to the future. Sounds nice, doesn't it?

177 (same as last week)

You and your 10-year-old kid can BOTH fit in your old sports coat.... and button it!

@@mimisturn That's the best testimonial you could post! Congrats on the weight loss thus far, and don't freak out when you hit The Dreaded Week-3 Stall. Say hi to the Mouse for us!

When there is a fire drill at work and you climb back UP the 4 flights of stairs with your coworkers instead of waiting for the elevator when its over. Without thinking about it. Like it's NORMAL to climb 4 flights of stairs. And your make it with little problem. Dream come true

Corollary... When you're on your way back from the bathroom and decide on the spur of the moment to do a lap around the stairs just to kick-start your metabolism! (My legs still burn every time, though.)

Sleeved June 24th. Down 88 so far. Keep it up fellow June sleevers!

Try to drink TWO bottles! That will help the weight come off AND help you feel satisfied. Good luck!

Not offended but I recognize that the people who call me skinny are only are people who knew me fat. People who I meet now say nothing because I just look normal to them.

Excellent point, @@erp! Actually, I have friends who now say, "Hey Slim!" when they see me. I know they mean it in a relative-to-what-I-was sense, but I love hearing it! And lots of folks say, "You're disappearing before my eyes." To which I respond, "That's the plan!" But today I heard a new one. A guy in my office said, "Holy s**t! If you turn sideways and stick your tongue out, you'll look like a zipper!" Made me laugh so hard I didn't think to respond, "You don't even need to do that to look like a d**k!". I really don't think anyone means to offend us when they say these things. They just want to compliment us in a humorous way. So that's how I take it. I'm relishing these compliments while they keep coming, because one day I know they'll stop. And then I'll miss them!

My secret weapon is beef Jerky – low fat, high Protein, and really chewy. If you have a sodium problem you may need to be careful, but otherwise, it's a great snack – or Meal Replacement when you don't have time for anything else. On long car trips, whenever we stop for gas I buy a small bag of Jerky. It has replaced Wheat Thins as my travel munchie. But you'd better pack a toothpick!

How long ago was your surgery? I was on insulin and metformin pre-surgery. By the second week out, I went off all diabetes meds and my levels have remained in the 80-100 range ever since.

Yes it does! But by day four you may really start to notice improvement. That's when I was able to stop taking the pain pills. Hang in there! And make sure you get your fluids in and take some kind of Fiber to avoid Constipation. That can be a real problem in the first week or two. Good luck!