Inner Surfer Girl

I think it's time to bump this thread again. For all the new folks: Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. Boone loses at a constant or steady rate. Everyone stalls periodically, and most of us stall about three weeks after surgery.

@@Dub, I thought of you today. I went to a local BBQ joint today and got pulled pork sandwich (no bun) and a side of coleslaw. It was delicious and I brought home most of it as leftovers. That is all!

I agree. The only things I don't eat anymore that used to be staples was Cereal, bread, Pasta, and similar starches. I still have rice in my pantry but it's mostly in case other people want to eat it. I gave my mom some boxed pasta dinners. I think I gave her a box of cookie mix that I accidentally bought a while ago before surgery or at least intended to (I need to look and see if it is still in the cabinet). I still eat Peanut Butter, mayo, etc., just not in large quantities.

Hi Kip, Welcome! Congratulations on taking such a big step. It sounds like you are doing great. First, if you were sleeved you don't have a pouch, so if you follow your food phases and guidelines you don't need to worry about stretching a pouch. The stretchy part of your stomach was removed. Second, have you tried making your unjury with Water instead of milk? liquids (and semi liquids like yogurt and cottage cheese) are easier to consume early out. You won't really feel"full". I look to feel satisfied. If you slow down a little, you will give your brain a chance to catch up and you should feel more satisfied. Keep up the great work and make sure you get in your Protein and fluids and you will melt away! (Just a heads up, you will probably stall pretty soon. Almost everyone stalls about three weeks post-op for the first time. It is a completely normal part of the process.

I am a year post-op, and getting the Diet Coke monkey off of my back was one of the many blessings of this process. I did have trouble drinking plain Water for a while like many people, but now it is much easier. Today, I drink: plain water, infused water (cucumber, ginger, mint, other herbs/fruit, etc.), water with crystal light, sugar-free kool aid, Mio drops, etc., decaf tea, Herb "tea", an occasional unsweetened regular (black, oolong, or green) tea (caffeinated). I have no desire for carbonated soda of any kind.

I agree. I was positively allergic to tracking food pre-op, but now I don't think I would make it without tracking. 1) It is easy since I have the MyFitnessPal app. 2) My short term memory is terrible. 3) It helps me easily reach my Protein goal. 4) it makes me stop and think before I put something in my mouth and it helps me make good decisions. I can decide right away whether something fits into my daily plan, if it's something I can hold off and have another time, if it's not worth eating, or even if there is a healthier version/option.

My throat was a bit sore post-op. Probably from the tube they stick down your throat when you are under. Plain water was the hardest thing for me to drink for a while. Try Mio drops, crystal light, or something similar. Also herb or decaf tea. Try different temperatures: from hot tea, room temp, to ice cold. Crushed ice (I like sonic ice) and sugar-free Popsicles will also help you stay hydrated. Whatever you try, just keep sipping.

Welcome! Best of luck with your surgery. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

The reason you need to be careful with lifting doesn't have anything to do with your stomach as far as I know. It is because of the incisions through your abdominal wall.

I just did a bit of walking until I was cleared to get in the pool. Once I was able to get in the pool, I really started exercising.

I love the shape and the pattern. Very chic! I have no idea why the pictures load sideways.

It is a Non Scale Victory. Something positive that is not a number on the scale.

I don't really know. I had NO DESIRE for birthday cake the first time I was confronted with one post-op. It was my nephews birthday and I sat right next to the cake and it didn't appeal to me. If you really, really want to try it I would try a small bite first. I think you will be able to tell pretty soon whether you can tolerate a hit of sugar and starch that concentrated. I guess you would also get to figure out pretty quickly what dumping feels like if you were going to dump (which is more common with bypass than with the sleeve).

Dehydration is one possibility. So is blood pressure. Did you have high blood pressure pre-op? Are you taking blood pressure meds? You might want to talk to your PCP to see if you need to adjust your meds.

That is why you are thirsty. One of the challenges immediately post-op is staying ahead of dehydration. If you are thirsty you are dehydrated. Keep aggressively sipping. You need to be getting more Water.

Awesome!

I started at a higher weight than you and was dealing with being immobile, too. Once I started the process for surgery I experienced some delays because of some financing issues. In the end, it took longer than I had hoped but everything worked out well. The first thing I would recommend is that you let go of the day expectation of losing a certain amount of weight on your timeline. Try to focus on the next step in front of you. That doesn't mean you can't make a list or journal about what you envision your life to be like in the future. Dream big! A few things that helped me prepare for surgery: Find some exercise you can do and work up to at least an hour a day. I got an exercise peddler and peddled it with my hands. I started at small five or ten minute increments while watching tv and worked up to over an hour a day. There are YouTube videos for chair exercises and walking exercises (like Leslie Sansone). My favorite exercise is water exercise. If you have access to a pool, it is a great way to get in exercise and is easier on your joints. Start tracking your food. Pre-op, I was using the Weight Watchers app so my NUT encouraged me to continue with that. Post-op, I switched to MyFitnessPal because 1) it's free and 2) it is better for tracking my Protein. Does your surgeon or NUT have you on a pre-op food plan? I also weaned myself off of carbonation and caffeine pre-op which I found to be really helpful. You can also learn as much as you can about yourself, the disease of obesity, weight loss surgery, your relationship with food, etc., by reading, journaling, participating in support groups, and this website. You may find that time will fly by. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

This is awesome. I am still self conscious but it isn't as bad. I got a new drivers license picture yesterday and it wasn't half bad.

I was able to shower right away. I probably could have taken one in the hospital. I was told just not to rub my incisions. I was't allowed to submerge in water (bathe, swim) until after my incisions had healed. About four weeks.

This is great to know. And, yes, unfortunately, you can find Walmart just about everywhere.

I love my Misfit Shine. My sister gave me one for Christmas and I love that I can swim with it and it counts laps.

None of us lose at a constant or steady rate. We all experience periodic stalls and almost everyone experiences a stall about three weeks after surgery. Just follow your program. Focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids, and stay off the scale. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

My surgeon said that if he went in and the liver was too large he would just close me up and not do the surgery. That was plenty of incentive to follow directions for me.

Here is an article with some great ways to use journaling every day. http://www.wellandgood.com/good-advice/journaling-benefits-food-clutter-productivity/

I don't have his specific diet and would love to see it, too. Just from watching random shoes it sounds like he focuses on calories but requires a high Protein, no starches, very low calorie diet. I haven't looked online to see if there is any more info. Also, keep in mind that the first people on the show had surgery 10 years ago, so his program has hopefully changed over time. He still seems sort of old school.