Rogofulm

I couldn't agree more – this is the key to staying on track for the whole ride!!!

First of all, is your head in the right place to kick-start a program and stick with it? Without that, it's much harder. But since you're posting here, hopefully you've reached that place we all got to before our surgeries where we were ready to do anything and everything to get healthy. If so, here are a few sites you may find useful: First off, here's a site that describes the top 10 bariatric mistakes. You may find your own situation in several of the categories. This will show you that you're not alone in making these mistakes, and suggest changes you need to make to overcome them. http://www.bariatriceating.com/2015/03/02/top-10-bariatric-post-op-mistakes/ Next, here's a site that many people have used to "reset" their pouches and sleeves in order to feel the restriction again. There's a book you can buy on the website, but from what I can tell, all the info is there for free if you look around. This could be a powerful tool to help you start over! http://www.5daypouchtest.com/index.html And finally, if you need a refresher course on the rules of Bariatric Eating, here's a site that provides a ton of answers. You'll probably be most interested in Steps 9 and 10, but reading through the rest can remind you where you came from. Maybe by doing the 5-day pouch test and pretending that you just had a new surgery, you can feel like you're getting a fresh start. http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/ Hope you find these sites to be helpful, and I wish you great success in the next leg of your journey to good health!!!

Yup, what everyone said. If you drink before, it fills you up so you can't eat enough Protein. If you drink afterward, it creates a "slurry" in your stomach that goes through quickly, leaving you hungry sooner. Best bet is to get used to not having a glass with you at the table. It's weird for the first few weeks, but then it becomes habit. All that being said, if you need a "1/2 sip" as you say, that shouldn't be a problem. Just don't let it slip to 1, then 2, then 3... And what the heck is a "diet cordial" anyway?

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!)

There's a lot of weird swelling still happening during the first few weeks. Give yourself a break and just keep following your program.

My doctor's rule for carbs is "as few as possible" and only from legumes, green veggies, dairy, and a tiny bit of fruit. I'm a little over a year out and have just started introducing quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and a little more fruit as a way of tip-toeing into maintenance. And remember, measure out your Protein, and eat all your meals in this order: 1. Protein (meat, legumes, Greek yogurt) 2. Green veggies 3. Fruit 4. Starches (including green peas and corn) If you plan it right, you should be full, or at least satisfied, long before you get to Step 4. I'm always stuffed by Step 2. And when hunger strikes between meals, ask yourself if it's really thirst in disguise? If you're behind on your Fluid intake, catch up on that first, then wait 15-30 minutes before eating. And finally, when you want a snack, make it protein-based (meat, cheese, nuts, yogurt, jerky). Good luck!

You may have reached The Dreaded Week-3 Stall a little early. 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!)

coffee is the one "vice" I have left! One year out and I'm still taking my tummy pills (Protonix or OTC omnaprazole), so the acid doesn't bother my stomach. My personal rule is to not count caffeine drinks as Fluid, so every day I drink 64+ ounces of non-caffeinated beverages - mostly watered-down Crystal Light decaf iced tea. I will say that after a cup of coffee I feel a bit hungry, so I time my Snacks in order to have them 15-30 minutes after coffee. My other source of added energy is a B-12 supplement. I find that the sub-lingual type makes me jittery, so I take a time-released version, and that helps all day long.

Write down an eating, drinking, sleeping, and exercise plan as if you were working 7am-7pm... then flip it upside down.

... the very same people who've been nagging you to lose weight your whole life, start nagging you to GAIN weight. WTF?!!!

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!)

I collect music in my iPod and the exercise forces me to make the time to listen to it. New or old, every time I exercise is a different musical journey.

I was told by my surgical team to avoid it forever. Besides, sodas are one of the things that got many of us to the place where we needed surgery. Why go back there? Fruit juices and ice cream too!

You're kidding, right? What does the material provided by your doctor/nutritionist say about bread, Pasta, rice, and potatoes? If they didn't give you an eating plan, shame on them. And here's a site that can answer most, if not all, your questions: http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/ As for this specific question, when my family has spaghetti, I just eat the meat sauce or meatballs and sauce and I'm satisfied. I think you will be too. Remember... Protein first, green veggies next, if you're still not full, maybe a tiny bit of fruit, and last and definitely least (as in, pretty much never)... starches. (Spaghetti squash and zucchini spaghetti count as green veggies.) And please call your doctor's office to ask why they didn't tell you what you should and should not eat after bariatric surgery. Good luck!

Yes. I was in rough shape during the first two weeks, until I discovered Miralax. And remember that during the first couple of weeks, fluids are even more important than Protein. Get that going, and so will you!

@@Yrkybarry, if you are following your program every day, then you just need to wait it out. And don't get discouraged – stalls happen, and then they end. While you're in them, look for non-scale victories (NSVs) like clothes getting looser, more energy, better blood sugar or blood pressure numbers, etc. Here are the basics of my program. Your doctor's plan may differ. And if you're still unsure, log your food, Fluid and exercise with MyFitnessPal or another app like that. It's a good idea to do that anyway. Every single day... 60-80+ grams of Protein 64+ ounces of fluids Keep carbs as low as possible, and only from legumes, green veggies and dairy products Get some exercise at least 4 times per week Take meds, Vitamins and supplements as directed Pretty simple, really. Except for all that emotional, psychological, social, and physical junk, right? But if you can manage to separate your weight loss program from all the other stuff, following those 5 rules really works. Good luck!

That was my m.o. too. And it works great... as long as you keep losing. I imagine that if you stop before reaching goal, the question and answer thing might get a little squeamish. On the other hand, it sure is a great motivator!

I've said this before, but my favorite comment was, "You've lost a crap ton of weight!" Makes me wonder, though... How many pounds are in a crap ton?

Sounds like you're doing all the right things, @MarceMonster. Just keep on keepin' on and the weight will come off. Stalls happen, and then they stop. It's a natural part of the process. Once you get past this, try to have fun making good choices and watching the pounds, inches, illnesses, and poor health fall away.

Last week, I spoke to someone in our bariatric support group who said it took her between 6 and 9 months to be happy with her decision to have surgery. I think that's on the long end of the spectrum, but as I said, we're all different. The point is that eventually we get there, and then the 2, 4, or 6 months of doubt start to recede in our memories.

Ding, ding, ding... Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!!! Congratulations, I'm so happy for you!!!!

I wasn't allowed ANY type of potato, rice, Pasta, bread, etc. until maintenance, and even then, only the brown varieties. My doc said that, "Yes, sweet potatoes are a super-food, but they're also a starch, and should be avoided for best results." If you're having mashed potatoes, that could be affecting your weight loss. You might consider focusing on tuna salad and chicken salad as soft foods that go down easily.

You may be surprised at how many people don't drink alcohol these days. It just doesn't matter as much as it may have in the past. And people are usually very supportive of anyone trying to get healthier. As for solid foods, at 6 weeks I went on a Maine vacation and managed to eat lobster every day -- dipped in drawn butter! You'll probably need those sauces I mentioned to get some food down. Watch out for dry chicken or pork, they can get stuck. But come on, it's Paris! No self-respecting chef would dare serve overcooked meat, oui? Have fun and try not to fret. This is a good thing! Bon voyage!!!

We're all different, and it takes everyone's bodies and minds different lengths of time to come to terms with our new reality. But in the vast majority of cases, eventually people become happy with their decision. Sometimes it takes 6 weeks; sometimes it takes 6 months or longer; but eventually almost all of of us get there. But at 4 weeks, you're still adjusting, and that's perfectly normal. Hang in there, and be emotionally prepared for The Dreaded Week-3 Stall when you stop losing weight for a few weeks. Don't let it bring you down, because in a few weeks it will pass. Good luck!

Is that really so different than, "Wow, you look great!" (where the "now" is implied)? Seems to me that Grandma intended it as a compliment, even if it's somewhat clumsy. If we've lost weight, we all know how we used to look, right? And we know, firsthand, society's biases against heavy people, right? So the natural reaction when people lose weight is to think they look "better" than they used to. Try remembering what you thought when a friend or family member lost a lot of weight. Didn't you think they looked "better"? I think that's probably what Grammy had in mind. Of course, I don't have a history with her, so I could be totally wrong. But keep in mind that if we're successful on our journeys, we're going to hear a lot of compliments. That's part of the fun of this and helps keep us motivated. I've found that it's much easier (and nicer) to just accept compliments graciously, and feel proud of my accomplishments. At first I would reply, "Yeah, but I've still got such a long way to go." After a while, it became, "Yeah, but I'm getting so many wrinkles that I look 10 years older." And finally, I realized that the best answer is, "Thanks! I've been working hard at it." And everyone feels good about the exchange. Just a thought....