Inner Surfer Girl

Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Your subject line -- is it a question or a statement? ARE you getting in all of your Protein and fluids? Are you drinking Water throughout your workout? Please remember, you did just have major surgery and your body has gone through a shock and is still healing. It may be unrealistic that you can pick up right where you left off before surgery.

I am not familiar enough with Herbalife so don't know for sure, but you need to read labels very carefully. What is the carb to protein ratio? Doesn't Herbalife have a lot of carbs? At three weeks out you should be adding more food sources of protein. What does your NUT say? Are you following your program? Are you getting in all of your protein and fluids every day? Are you taking your Vitamins and supplements as directed? Are you avoiding starches and sugar? Are you exercising? Almost everyone experiences a stall about three weeks after surgery. If you are doing everything you are supposed to then you just may be experiencing your first stall. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

What can you do? Eat and drink more. You need at least 64 oz of Fluid every day. You need to meet or exceed your protein target every day. What is your target? Mine is 100 grams a day. Some people have 80 grams as a target. I rarely see one under 80 grams. You need to take your Vitamins and supplements as instructed, every day. Focus on reaching those goals and stay off the scale for a while. You will lose weight, but probably not much until you start getting enough nutrition.

I agree with @Babbs. Also, maybe your doctor is right and you just happen to be an exceptionally healthy slow loser. Just curious, what is your Protein target? Are you reaching or exceeding your protein and Fluid target every day? Do you weigh, measure and track your food or do you just guestimate? That could lead to a situation where you THINK you are getting enough protein, or aren't eating too many calories but really are.

Great article. I agree that the underlying assumption is wrong. But, I am still not convinced you can accurately predict weight loss. It is all still an approximation. This. "The biggest flaw with the 500-calorie-rule is that it assumes weight loss will continue in a linear fashion over time,” says Hall. “That’s not the way the body responds. The body is a very dynamic system, and a change in one part of the system always produces changes in other parts.”

I agree with @JamieLogical. Since the sleeve doesn't use malabsorption, getting in all of your Protein and fluids, taking your Vitamins, and exercising are really the best ways to stay healthy. Getting enough quality sleep is also important but that is another whole thread! You can use MFP to track your vitamins as a "food" but it won't give you a separate graph or number. Best of luck with your surgery and keep us posted on how you are doing.

I am in my early 50's and have been on disability after losing my last job due to state-mandated layoffs. Being obese is probably the number one career killer -- whether it is because of your real or perceived physical limitations and/or general prejudice against the obese. If I had the opportunity to do this in my mid-to early twenties I couldn't even begin to imagine how many more opportunities would have been available to me. What better time than now to have the surgery? If you put it off and wind up with a job that interferes with surgery then you won't be any better off than you are now and may be worse off. Unless you have major complications, I can't imagine that you would be out of commission for more than a few weeks. You have family support. For me, this would be a no-brainer. Best of luck with your decision.

You can always ask them to give you a sandwich without bread. Some places are better prepared/trained to do this than others. I have been to Burger King exactly one time since surgery and when I ordered a sandwich without bread it rang up as "low carb". Some places are getting the message.

This is great! Congratulations on your stall!

I am rooting for both of you. It has got to be exhausting. Even though she won't accept in-home help, it sounds like you are the one who needs that help the most. I hope you can find a solution before you collapse from exhaustion. Keep us updated on how we can help.

I quit ordering from Papa John's even when I was still eating pizza because the owner's politics made me mad. So I get you. We have a new Hobby Lobby opening up in our town today and I have the same dilemma. It was really easy to boycott them when I would have had to drive quite a ways to get there. Same with Walmart... I try really hard to shop local and non-chain whenever possible -- between Amazon and drugstore.com orders that is. A side bonus about regaining my mobility is that I can be more choosy about where I shop. My problem with just throwing the bread out myself (which I do when I have to) is: 1) it's wasteful and 2) it takes the burden of serving healthy food away from the vendor.

I am not but am following so I can learn something new.

I think that unless a doctor practices bariatric medicine, he or she really doesn't know anything about obesity. What most of them are taught is that all you have to do is eat less, period. It probably didn't occur to him that the kind of food you eat matters. I did have a very wise pediatrician decades ago who said that to lose weight I should quit eating sandwiches (I.e., bread). I didn't listen because:1) I was a kid and 2) how does a kid give up eating sandwiches (it never occurred to me I could eat the insides from the sandwiches until lately). He was a very wise man.

Since having the sleeve, I eat at home and prepare my own food much more often, but I haven't completely given up going through drive-thrus. I do know that the stock at most fast food restaurants and the coca-cola company must have really taken a hit when I had surgery. I regularly go through our local Sonic and order a medium cup of ice after I have been swimming and take it home to put my Mio drops in. I know they are trained to upsell, but they seem so confused that that is all I want -- every time I go, which is almost daily. At Sonic, I have been known to just order the toppings from a New York Dog with cheese (grilled onions, sauerkraut, spicy mustard) and or bacon egg and cheese without bread (Which one do I want, they always ask. Do I want the toaster or ciabatta? I usually have to tell them I want the toaster, but don't want the bread. -- Bless their hearts, I know they are victims of an industrial touch screen conspiracy.) Breadless turkey sandwiches at Arby's or just a side of meatballs with cheese at Fazoli's are also meals for me on occasion. An egg mcmuffin with an extra "round egg" and no muffin is also confusing. Apparently you have to specify "round egg" if you want the kind that comes with an egg mcmuffin and you can only get those during Breakfast hours even though they are supposed to serve breakfast all day. Sigh. I usually let them give me the muffin and either eat half or discard it lest they get completely confused. What creative ways have you found to confound and confuse drive-thru employees?

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the weight loss process. Most people experience their first stall about three weeks after surgery but it can vary. Just follow your program. Make sure you are getting in all of your Protein and fluids. Take your Vitamins and supplements as instructed. And exercise. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

No. I was on clear liquids week one and full liquids week two. Be sure and follow your plan. It is critical for healing.

If you are hungry within an hour of eating it might be acid and/or thirst. Are you staying hydrated? Otherwise, if you snack, make sure you plan for high Protein Snacks and record them. I like string cheese, cheese, cottage cheese, protein pudding, Protein Bars, etc.

According to my surgeon there should be no physical reason that anyone can't get in at least 3 premier Protein shakes the day after surgery so it sounds like you are right on track. Since you mentioned you are neurotic, here is a heads up: Just keep focusing on following your program by getting in all of your protein and fluids, taking your Vitamins and supplements when and as instructed, and exercising when cleared and you will lose weight. Just keep in mind that the numbers on the scale may be erratic at first because of IV fluids and swelling. Also, you will stall and most people experience their first stall about three weeks after surgery. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Welcome and congratulations on your success so far!

That's why I always have salsa and pace picante sauce in the refrigerator. It makes everything taste better!

It is a whole new paradigm. Pre-op, the goal was to maximize volume while minimizing calories. Hence the focus on bulk. Post-op, it's about maximizing nutrition (mostly protein) while minimizing volume. Fortunately, most of us have already stored enough fat to get us through for a very long time. There is some nutritional value to carbohydrates but for the most part the volume we would need to eat would crowd out the more critical Protein. There is also nutritional value to salad greens, but again the volume we would need to eat wouldn't give us much room for protein.

You can do this! In a lot of ways it is relearning how to eat like a baby and toddler. We get a fresh start!

You've received some great advice. Related to this and any other other stunts he may pull, be sure and document everything and how it affects you negatively. You may need it in court or as you negotiate your divorce.

Sugar can also cause your blood sugar to spike. Another note. You said you had nonfat sherbet. Just because something is labeled "low fat" or "nonfat" doesn't automatically make it healthy. You have to read labels. Oftentimes, when fat is removed, sugar is added to processed foods. For example, low fat Peanut Butter usually has added high fructose fruit syrup and has the same or more calories than regular peanut butter. I always look at the Protein, carbs/sugar, fat, and calories of any processed or packaged foods.