beachgurl84

I know nothing about bench pressing or weight lifting in general (just starting to learn). But I can tell you this, as a woman, I didn't have a ton of muscle but I had a decent amount. Because of the liquid phase and healing phase of the surgery, and exercise restrictions, I lost every bit of muscle mass I had. I'm serious, I'm a weakling now. I don't know if people lose all their mass or if it's proportional to how much you had to start with. But I would bet you can count on losing at least some of your muscle mass. You're also restricted from any exercise besides walking or lifting anything over 10 pounds (not sure if it's different for men) for about 6 weeks after surgery. Once you start your exercise program, you'll build all your muscle back up. Unless you have absolutely no muscle to start with, it's almost impossible to not lose muscle during the weeks right after surgery. Hope that helps. Good luck on your journey.

@@fit4life123 It looks like we have similar stats and apparently similar stalls . I just broke a month long stall that bounced up and down between 247-250. Finally hit 245 this morning!!! My stalls down stay at a certain number, I usually bounce up and down between 3 pounds before going lower.

Non scale victory. Like fitting into an old pair of jeans, or having a roomier seat. A victory that doesn't involve the number on a scale.

Looking Great! Congrats!

There are different reasons depending on each person and what they've "heard" or what their doctors told them. The main reasons are: 1) When it's time to eat, you want to have enough room in your stomach to get your Protein 2) You don't want to flush the protein out of your stomach before it has time to digest 3) I've heard some claim it can stretch your stomach, but I personally doubt that. I've heard other really weird ones but I'm not going to list those. I usually take a small sip right after eating just to kind of wash the food out of my mouth. It is recommended to stick with moist foods so your mouth doesn't get dry while eating.

I'm on board with the pizza toppings. I've had pizza 3-4 times since surgery and I usually stick to the toppings. May be a little greasy but at least there is some Protein to be had in the cheese & meat. Of course, I get my real protein before indulging. I agree that there is no harm in enjoying your favorite food as long as you don't let it become a slider food that leads you to old bad habits. Just remember, everything balanced and in moderation.

Good Luck! See you on the flip side

Ok, so in hindsight I realize this might not actually be considered and NSV since I'm talking about weight. But It's my BMI that really made me think of this.

So I know a lot of people Celebrate every little NSV and to an extent, I do too. BUT! Today I think I have my biggest NSV yet. As of this morning, I have lost enough weight that I would no longer qualify for VSG since I had no co-morbities. To me, that is huge! Would love to hear some of the NSVs you considered major. Keep up the good work everybody!

I got sick of regular broth on my liquid diet so I'd stop by the hibachi restaurant and order a quart of their clear Soup. It was my little treat on Clear liquids. Other than that the isopure Protein drinks, chicken broth with a beef boullion cube, and the Oh Yeah! shakes if I needed something sweet.

The only time I take my fitbit flex off is in the shower! They say you can shower with it but I'd rather not. It totally helps motivate me throughout the day to get up and move. And being able to challenge friends keeps us in touch and encourages each of us to move more, walk faster, walk longer, and try to win! Definitely worth having!

My 3 week stall started at 2.5 weeks post op

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/213908-acronyms-lets-make-a-list/ Here's a forum dedicated to collecting them.

@@joatsaint I got the same thing as @@Vabeachlady

Every doc is different. You'll have a hard time finding anyone that is on the same program as you. Best thing is to follow you doc's orders. We'll offer what support we can along the way but nothing competes with your doctor's plan for you or what you feel about your body.

Exactly what @@Bufflehead said. Don't rely on feeling "full" yet. Only eat what you were told you can eat. You'll actually learn what your new "full" feeling feels like doing this. And make sure your eating as slow as time cause if you're not, it'll catch up and you'll regret it. Good Luck!

@@amyecpa To answer your question, I had my first post-op appointment one week after surgery and on that day I was cleared to start pureed foods. The first thing I ate was about a quarter of a scrambled egg. You say you're not worried about getting your Protein once you start real foods but I don't think you quite realize how "real" foods are going to feel. You will be able to eat more of some things than others. For example, at almost 3 months out, I can eat a whole cup of yogurt, but barely 3/4 of a scrambled egg. I still drink Protein drinks daily to reach my goals. And of course, everyone's stomach will react differently so you'll need to take it easy every time you try something new. I highly recommend the Isopure ready to drink protein drinks. They are lactose & gluten free. Also, if you try the powder form, say Alpine Punch flavor (it's gross by itself), mix it with a Powerade zero and it becomes drinkable. As @@LipstickLady said, we're not going to tell you it's ok to go against doctor's orders. I would advise you call your doctor's office and discuss your difficulties. They're not an evil gang out to make you starve or building some capitalist conspiracy to sell Protein shakes therefor forcing you to drink them. They will offer you the best suggestions and advice to help you. They want you to succeed as much as you do.

I eat mostly yogurt, protein drinks, lean meats, cheese, chili, raw veggies

I'm following this cause I'd like to know too

HAHAHAHAHA I'm seriously laughing out loud at this. @@amponder We truly don't believe you're an evil mastermind bent on turning the dogs of the world obese @joatsaint...Frankenshepard.......OMG that's funny I know my dogs will eat anything they can fit in their mouths. As a matter of fact, I just purchased a new cpap mask because one of the dogs snuck into the bedroom yesterday and just had to try it out

Congrats and Good Luck!

lmsao (s=smaller)

I think you have the same mind set that a lot of us have. That is, don't waste food! I've had a huge struggle with throwing away leftovers because I know they won't get eaten. I give some of the healthier stuff to my dogs. I had a dog put down before because of diabetes from being overweight so I try to keep my dogs healthy and not let them have junk. To do that, sometimes I just have to throw stuff away and fight with my brain to acknowledge that it's OK. You could have thrown the pastries away. I'm not disagreeing with you or saying you did wrong, just pointing out another option. And I realize you weren't even asking for advice or opinions but I think it's an important topic that we all have to address at some point. It's ok to throw it away. It doesn't have to be eaten by someone. My husband is pushing this as well because he doesn't want to be stuck in the position of gaining weight because he eats my leftovers. He has never been over weight and doesn't want to start now. Otherwise, I got a good chuckle out of your story. Good Luck!

I definitely have carbs throughout the day, but I try to limit them. If I had the choice between an extra bite of chicken and a bite of mashed potatoes, I'm going for the chicken. You can't avoid carbs entirely. I do notice my weight drops faster and I stay less hungry when I manage to eat less than 50 a day. But I'm also still doing Protein shakes (I really should stop soon) so it's easier for me to get the protein without the carbs.

@@LitlBird Something brought you far enough to consider surgery so it's absolutely justified. I didn't have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or anything else. I do have sleep apnea that's cause more from ENT issues than being overweight. Yet, I knew if I didn't make a change, I was bound to end up with one of those issues. I wanted to act instead of react to anything that might happen because I was over weight. So, think about what brought you this far, and consider what will happen if you don't make a change. That doesn't mean you need surgery, but it does mean the 120 pounds that may not be affecting you now, will eventually impact your life.