Rogofulm

Hi, @@kndoster – First of all, I've rarely, if ever, read about bariatric surgeons who don't emphasize low carbs. So that's kind of a surprise. I know they all have slightly different philosophies, but that seems very different than most. For example, my surgeon instructs us to keep our carbs as low as possible, and only get them from non-starchy vegetables. I lost 115 lbs and made it to my goal in 7.5 months by eliminating all starches and sugar, and not worrying about calories and fat. My cholesterol has gone way down too! So you might want to consider talking the the nutritionists associated with your hospital to see what they say. Secondly, if you're 4.5 weeks out, it's past time for you to read the message below. And check out the article in the link, too. I hope they make you feel better! Good luck on this wonderful journey to better health!!! 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 pounds 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! (Apologies to BP regulars who have seen this repeatedly, but it's a big deal to those who are going through it!)

You look terrific! and I'll bet you feel even better!!!

So, in the context of this thread.... exactly what picture are you posting? [Yikes!]

Um... That's 3.3" please. ROTFL!!!!!

Back to the original topic.... Wow, thanks for the subject, @@luv2plumb, and thanks for the link, @@VPenn! I've lost 116 pounds, so according to Dr. Oz, I've gained 3.3 inches. And THAT explains my wife's reaction!!!

YESSSS – congratulations!!!! That's a grea accomplishment!!! Now about those chips..... Try replacing them with nuts, Jerky, cheese, meats, or yogurt. As long as you're not consuming any "bad" carbs or sweets, I find that you don't have to worry about fat and calories. So a handful of nuts is a great snack! Keep it up!!!

I use music as my motivator. We're all so busy these days, that there's rarely time to just stop and enjoy our favorite tunes. So every day I take 45 minutes to walk 2.5 miles and listen to my music nice and loud on headphones, then I work through lunch to make up the time. I look forward to it (most days) and it really helps me get off my butt. And it charges me up for the rest of the day. Once you do it for three days in a row, it gets much easier to keep it going. Good luck!

Guy alert! This wasn't posted in the ladies forum, so I guess it's okay to chime in..... I recently got to my original goal weight of 154... then decided that a 5-lb buffer would be good... but then it seemed that under 150 would be really great because it's such a nice round number... and of course, I wanted a 5-lb buffer for that too... so then my goal became 145... but then I found two "ideal weight" calculations, one at 148 and another at 142... and guess what's in the middle of those two numbers.... 145! So that's my final goal and I'm really good with that. As long as I can live under 150, I'm happy. BUT..... When I look in the mirror I don't see a fat guy anymore, but I do see the loose skin and the sharpei belly. I can't claim childbirth as a contributing factor, so it's all on me. And this morning, I was doing a plank exercise without a shirt on. When I looked down, my loose skin looked like drapery fabric, from my chest to my belly. Yikes!! But I decided, WTF... I can do freakin' planks now! I look pretty decent in clothes and I just bought a new bathing suit. Now again, I'll admit that guys have it easier in so many ways. I'm never going to want to look good in a 2-piece, and I can hide my sharpei and my thigh wrinkles under my suit. But I've decided that this is the right weight for me. For the first time (perhaps EVER) I don't desire to get any thinner. And I identify with the slimmer guy in the mirror, not the heavier guy I used to be. He's dead to me! I guess what I'm getting at is that after such a wonderful journey to good health, we should feel great about where we are. If you decide to get plastics, that's fine, but don't ever deny your accomplishments. Embrace and Celebrate them, because you've earned them!!!

When the weight loss stops for no apparent reason, it may be a normal stall, or it may be time for a reality check. Are you getting 64+ ounces of Fluid in every single day? Try bumping it up. More fluids helps. Are you getting your 80+ grams of Protein in every single day? Are you avoiding all starches and sugars every single day? And finally, are you exercising regularly? If the answer to all those question is "yes", then it's probably a stall. As others have said, during a stall the inches continue to come off. Hang in there. It will break soon, if it hasn't already. (You said you lost yesterday.) Good luck!!!

Yay!! I remember what a great feeling it was to be "overweight" for the first time in many years! Congratulations!!!!

That's terrific -- congratulations!!!!!

At my 2-week appointment I asked the doc about this and he told me that hunger is usually thirst in disguise. Are you getting enough fluids? Once all the internal swelling has all gone down, you'll get a better feel for what to expect.

I agree with others that the best way to manage carbs is to avoid them completely. The good news is that, if you're not consuming any (non green veggie or dairy) carbs, you don't have to worry about fat and calories. At least that's how it works for me. I can eat all the cheese, salami, jerky, nuts, yogurt I want, and still maintain or lose. Get the carbs out of sight, detox your body, and treat this like you just had the surgery. You might even try 2 days of liquid, 2 days of soft, and 2 days of semi-hard foods to "reset" your sleeve/pouch/band. Good luck!!

When you're doing "plank" exercises without a shirt on and the skin hanging down looks like drapery fabric... but you don't even care because, guess what? YOU CAN DO FREAKIN' "PLANKS" NOW!!!

I'm 5'6", so I set my original goal at 154, which is exactly 1 lb into the "normal" BMI range. When I got there, I decided that I never wanted to be "overweight" again, so I gave myself a 5-pound buffer goal of 149. Then, when I got to 150, I decided that I never wanted to go over 150 again, so I set my final stretch goal at 145. Which was cool, because I had seen a chart that calculated the "ideal weight" for a man of my height in his 50's, to be 148 lbs. But THEN I heard about another "ideal-weight-rule-of-thumb" calculation used by doctors, that gives you 106 lbs for your first 5 feet, plus 6 lbs for each additional inch. So at 5'6", THAT number would be 142 lbs. And you know what? Exactly mid-way between 142 and 148 is 145 lbs. So I'm going for that! (Can you tell I'm a data analyst?) My wife thinks I'm obsessed. Yep, she's right. But what's wrong with obsessing a little over such a positive thing? Cheers all, and good luck getting to your goals, whatever they may be!!!

It doesn't happen often, but when it does it's a hoot!!!

This is the one area where I'm bad. I drink tons of fluids, don't eat carbs or sweets, no sodas, no booze, no juices, and I exercise 5-6 times a week..... but I'm drinking more coffee than ever. Like 3 cups of regular and 2 cups of decaf. My stomach seems to tolerate it just fine, although I sometimes wonder if it's contributing to my hunger pangs. I still take a Protonix pill every day, and that probably helps.

I'm at nine months out, and for the past couple of months my hunger has started coming back. I deal with it by: 1) drinking 120+ ounces of Fluid every day to keep my sleeve full; and 2) eating only protein-based Snacks like nuts, meats, Jerky, cheese, and yogurt. Some days I take in ridiculous amounts of fat and calories, but for the most part it seems to be working. My weight is still going down very s-l-o-w-l-y. I just don't want to get on the carb ride for fear of the slippery slope. But today I've been grazing on almonds. I really need to cut out that grazing thing before it becomes a habit!

Hi Susan, I'm at 150 again this week. (I touched 149 on Sunday, but didn't hold on to it.) Thanks! Rog

@@susanamartin59, here are a few links that might help. Haven't tried any of them myself, but I saved them in case I got into exactly your situation. Sounds like with some serious re-dedication you can get this thing back on track, but you'll definitely have to work at it. Good luck, we're pulling for you!!! http://www.5daypouchtest.com/index.html http://forum.fastday.com/5-2_diet.php

@@kimmeesue, Get off the carbs ASAP and keep your Snacks in the Protein family (meat, cheese, jerky, nuts, Greek yogurt). They're satisfying, and won't set you back too badly, no matter how much you eat. And drink tons of fluid! Hunger is often thirst in disguise. Good luck!

Thank you to everyone who posted about avoiding the carbs because whenever you try them, they lead to cravings for more. That's exactly what I needed to hear! I haven't tried them yet for fear of the slippery carb slope, and your posts inspire me to keep avoiding them. Thus far in maintenance, nuts, cheeses, and decadent meats have been my treats; and so far they have not led to weight gain. Thanks again for your really helpful advice!

Hi @@Grateful_Love, If you're one month out and thinking of eating normally for a non-bariatric person, I'm worried that you still need to change your mind set. As you said, you have a new "normal". And it only includes Protein, veggies, lots of fluids, sugar-free and low-carb drinks/treats, and exercise. Once you reach your weight loss goal, you can expand that a bit, but you'll always have to focus on those foods and drinks. That's what we signed up for! The good news is that, if you manage these carefully, you won't have to worry about fat and calories; they'll take care of themselves. And the better news is that if you follow all the rules, you'll drop lots of weight, feel great, look great, and get healthier. Sound like a good deal? It is – so go for it!!!

Good luck! We're all pulling for you!!!!!

I echo what @@JamieLogical said. Educate him about it today! Tell him all about the three main types of surgery. (I have found that people are fascinated by the subject.) Invite him to come with you to a seminar or surgeon's appointment. Believe me, the doctors are used to answering tough questions from family members. And if he still says that he wishes you wouldn't take the easy way out, print this out and read it to him.... A message from someone who had gastric surgery, lost 115 pounds, and is living below goal weight..... Is this the easy way out? Well, yes and no. Yes, because the smaller stomach helps me control my appetite and the amount of food I can take in. Initially, calories are restricted because of the lesser volume consumed, but good choices still have to be made every single time I put something in my mouth. And no, it's not easy. Because in the 9 months since my sleeve surgery, I have: Taken nutritional counseling classes Been evaluated by a psychologist Been evaluated by a cardiologist Been evaluated by a pulmonologist Had an upper GI evaluation Had a complete physical by my primary care physician Gone through a two-week pre-operative liquid diet Gone through and recovered from a major surgical procedure that removed 80% of my stomach Gone through a two-week post operative liquid diet Gone through a two-week soft food diet Eaten zero starches (bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes, pizza, etc.) Eaten zero sugary Desserts (cake, pie, pudding, ice cream, candy, etc.) Eaten very few fruits Always eaten Protein first Always eaten non-starchy vegetables second (and there's never room for anything else) Had zero fruit juices Had zero sodas Had zero alcoholic beverages Eaten 80-100 grams of protein every single day Drunk 64-120 ounces of fluids every single day Exercised 5-6 times a week Logged everything I ate or drank for several months, and again whenever my weight loss slowed And through it all, I get to watch my friends and family eat and drink whatever they want at restaurants, parties, holidays, sporting events, and so on.... Now, does that sound "the easy way"? Not by a long shot! (Just compare the yes and no sections above.) But it is a tool that makes the likelihood of long-term success much higher than it would be without it.