stargrind77

Wow, look at you! Amazing. Sometimes it's hard to see your own success. Pretend you are a stranger and you're comparing those two pictures. Pat yourself in the back -- you're doing great. I think our bodies need to adjust to the big changes, stabilize a little. Just keep showing up for yourself. What surgery did you have -- can you fill out your profile so there's more info for people to respond to? A stall or plateau at 3-4 weeks is very common. Like clockwork. Keep on keeping on, keep all your appointments, add a little more exercise all the time -- even just a little more, get good sleep and get ready for joy, joy, joy, because you are reclaiming your health. You are going to have so much energy you're going to rock your world. So get ready......

When your sister in law that hasn't seen you in months (lives out of state) walks past and didn't reognize you.
Also, when you actually default to going into the "normal" stall in the public bathroom instead of the handicap stall.

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

You can answer, "Either is fine with me.", when asked, "Would you like a table or a booth?"

Fun thread. You know you lost weight when
You have to get new shoes because they are to wide for the feet.

Taco night! Made with ground chicken spiced with cumin and chili powder and mixed with salsa, wrapped in a romaine lettuce leaf instead of a tortilla, avocado, tomatoes, onions, low fat cheese and a tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt.

I love the morning star "sausage." 10g of protein! I also like the Boca Burger... It has 15g of Protein. Tonight I had baked chicken and a small piece of sweet potato. So far nothing I've tried has agitated my tummy. That's good and a little scary. I almost want my body to reject something's so I stay away from them. I am way too scared and way too gung ho about loosing weight to try sugar or fried foods!

Take your time reintroducing foods, you will know almost immediately what you can tolerate. I loved this phase and really started to learn to read labels and change my cooking habits. Favorite meal I learned on this forum was crab bisque and the family loved it too. I also felt my energy come back once I weaned back on regular and soft foods and started weighing 2 times a week instead of daily and never noticed a stall.

You are not really eating enough calories to sustain an exercise program. Your body has been without solid food for over a month, now. Be aware that it is time for you to anticipate that "dreaded third week stall" that we talk about here on the forum, so don't freak out about it. If you stay with the formula of getting your Proteins first you will do alright.
At the soft food stage you could even have very tender meat that has been broken up a bit in the blender, cheese, cooked veggies mashed up, some of us were even eating refried Beans at that point. Your new stomach is the boss of you now, so you may as well give it a name and listen to what it is trying to tell you. This whole process is about developing a sense of self-preservation through outstanding nutrition and new habits.
Just like when introducing junior foods to a toddler, you don't give the child a lot of new stuff on the same day. Take your time. But you need to eat something. You can't trade overeating for anorexia. Due to your medications, Vitamins, and ketosis, some of your old favorites may no longer taste the same.
My new stomach is Miss Tummy, and yes, at almost a year (12/23/2014) she is still the boss of me.

Mine started around the 2 week mark as well and it lasted for 3 weeks. Very frustrating! But since then I've lost steadily each week. I hope I don't hit another stall for a long time.
Hang in there, it really stinks to go through this. I thought I was going to lose my mind.

I had one at 8 weeks that lasted about a week, and then not again for 12 months. I just kept shrinking.

One thing you must do is get rid of people who sabotage you. I had to do that myself, it wasn't easy. I would definitely do a pouch test. But I can tell you that support is key to success. I went for the first 4 years after my surgery. We all have issues that we need to overcome. When you are ready to face them you will feel better about yourself and be able to focus and concentrate. I had memory issues as well. I suggest that you start looking at yourself in a more positive light. I know it is hard, believe me I have been there. My therapist had me make a list everyday five things in my life that I was grateful for. I know it sounds silly, but it is a good strategy. If you can read the book Codependent No More, that will help too. We all eat for a reason or use food to self sooth. Do you exercise? Sometimes that helps with self esteem.
Steps for you to start:
1. Stop beating yourself up.
2. Make a list of things that are positive in your life.
3. Start with a baby step, add a Protein drink in and remove one thing that derails you.
4. Go to support group.
5. Talk to your primary doctor about your memory. They may have suggestions or medications that can help you focus.
6. Don't give up. You are worth the work.

I admire you, you fell off the wagon and are brave enough to get back on. I truly believe that many of us are addicted to food, it's probably the most important relationship some of us have, and the thought of losing that strong bond and love is scary. I too was scared to lose that best friend, but at some point you look at it and say what is more important..
I wish you nothing but the best of luck, this is something you can do, never give up, you've come so far already. Take it one day at a time, don't look back, look ahead!

Let me just say this first: If I read this two years ago, I would have had second thoughts about having the surgery. Having had the surgery, I don't regret having it- at all. This story is mine, and I'm ok with it.
When I had my surgery I was 336lbs. I am 5'6" and at the time I was 29 years old. That was 2012. Today, I weigh 260lbs. In October of 2013, I got to my lowest weight of 210lbs.
Gaining weight was never a fear, not losing was a fear. Gaining back 50lbs has been a nightmare.
I have a million reasons for how the weight gain happened. That feeling, that nagging hungry/craving feeling returned in August 2013, I got married, moved and started a new high stress job. I felt exposed at 210lbs, I was afraid to get smaller. I was not sure how to handle being "not fat". It's all crap. Here is the truth, I'm a food addict with a super dysfunctional relationship with my weight and my body. The sleeve, it didn't fix my head, and I didn't either.
What this surgery taught me is what behaviors help me to lose weight. I have a powerful tool and I know how to lose. Today, I begin again.
I worked out today, drank Water, ate high Protein & very low carb, and I planned my food and tracked my intake. I told on myself about my addiction (you all) and I held myself accountable. I know if I do this, I will lose.
I'm a food addict. One day down. Tomorrow: Begin. Again.

My answer might not be popular or what anyone would want to hear, but how much you can "expect" to lose isn't a number that exists, in my opinion. We can read as much as we want and see 5-15 pounds per week- and we get all excited, only to find out that we lost 3 pounds that week. Setting expectations at any point during WLS is a slippery slope (once again, in my opinion). I jumped on that bandwagon and quickly realized I was setting myself up for failure by comparing my experience to a bunch of ambiguous numbers. How much you lose depends on so many things- your beginning weight, your metabolism, your age, how much you exercise (you could be losing inches & gaining muscle which is a good thing!) your general state of health.. I could go on and on. If you follow your surgeon's advice and diet plan, the one thing you can expect is to lose weight. How much and how fast is up to your body. It'll lose what it can handle, at the rate it can handle it. Rushing it can just set you up for a whole other set of problems. Congrats on taking an exciting (though confusing at times) step towards a healthier life!

November 21st....(Atlanta GA) officially sleeved! Good luck and good health to all - what a way to bring in 2015!

Just wanted to share a cute little picture that I thought was all too relevant for us WLS patients. Have a great holiday!

Good to know you are getting some fluids and some answers. Will keep you in my prayers for a speedy recovery!!

I was still on full liquids at three weeks post-op. I still had some stuff that I ate on the clear liquid stage (like sugar free popsicles, broth, jello) but also added strained cream Soups. As a treat, I also a sugar free fudgsicle every day. Not much to it nutritionally, but my surgeon's plan allowed it so I indulged.
I was kind of sick of sweet stuff at this point so I like to make a strained cream of mushroom Soup, and I added a scoop of powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury chicken broth Protein powder for extra Protein (as a word of warning, though, this is pretty high in sodium... so if you are sensitive to sodium, it may not be a good recipe!)
I also had ricotta cheese mixed with mariana sauce (chunk free, of course). I nuked that in the microwave and it was pretty good.
Different doctors allow different things at this point in the game. Your surgeon may allow a bit more than mine did. If you haven't already seen the website, check out "The World According to Eggface" and you'll see that she has a ton of recipes for different stages of post weight loss surgery healing. It may help to give you some ideas. If you are allowed pureed foods (which I was not at 3 weeks, but your surgeon might allow it) check out this page: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html
Once you get on regular foods, everything will seem much easier. Just hang in there and make sure you are protein and Water levels are what they should be. You'll be on to the next stage before you know it!

Good to know you are getting some fluids and some answers. Will keep you in my prayers for a speedy recovery!!

My last supper was my absolute favorite! Spaghetti and meatballs. I figured I might never see spaghetti again and I wanted to say goodbye. Pasta is definitely a trigger food for me.
I never even considered "cheating" on the pre op diet. I knew that the purpose was to shrink my liver to make surgery safest for me. I was absolutely going to have the best best possible outcome and recovery.
I also knew once I decided to move forward with something, I have a ton of will power and can do anything. I feel like I fought too hard and it was important to keep my eye on the prize.
I am 7 weeks post op. I have dropped 4 clothing sizes, off all diabetes meds and off many other meds. I am not stopping for anything. I have not felt this good in years!
You can do this! The first couple days are the hardest. Keep your eye on the prize!
Good luck and keep us posted!

Hi, I'm about 3 1/2 mths out and I have never worried about carbs or fat. We eat so little I believe if we stick to Proteins first, veggies second then fruit there is very little room for anything else. If you eat the right kinds of foods you shouldn't be over indulging in fat and carbs anyway.....at least I cant, no room. I get about 60-70 grams of Protein and about 750 - 900 calories a day. I have gone over my diet with my nutritionist and I am spot on nutritionally if I stick with lean meats....chicken, fish, tuna, turkey and lean ground beef and sometimes steak. I eat a variety of veggies and a piece of fruit a day. I honestly just don't have room for too many carbs to worry about over doing it. I eat oatmeal on occasion for Breakfast and a bite or two of brown rice or whole grain Pasta every evening with my dinner. I try to snack on left over veggies from the night before or sliced apple or a small banana. I don't snack on crackers, pretzels or chips....frankly, I'm afraid I wont stop eating them, I heard they go down and through you quite easily. I lose about 2-3lbs a week and I am thrilled with that! I did weight watchers off an on for years. I was very successful a couple times but always put he weight back on. I think I am just sick of "counting" anything. If I just stay mindful of what I have room for and go for Protein first then I don't get that "counting" torture. I really cant wait for this whole process to just become a daily "non-thinking" "non-counting" habit or way of life!

November 21st....(Atlanta GA) officially sleeved! Good luck and good health to all - what a way to bring in 2015!

November 21st....(Atlanta GA) officially sleeved! Good luck and good health to all - what a way to bring in 2015!

November 21st....(Atlanta GA) officially sleeved! Good luck and good health to all - what a way to bring in 2015!