heynowkc

This is an interesting topic. I'm lucky that everyone in my life has been supportive of my surgery. But I have read so many stories here of patients who are not so lucky. It's kind of hilarious to me that society pretty much across the board shuns "the easy way out" -- when the irony is that everywhere you look those same people are looking for the easy way out or the short-cut! Just look at all the dangerous drivers out there, speeding and weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds without turn signals, putting everyone around them in danger. And that's only one example. We all want a short cut to something, but nobody will necessarily admit it. It think it comes down to societal taboos. It's desirable to say "I earned this" or "I worked hard for this." Or "I crawled through the rubble and came out on top." We don't want to hear, "I hitched a ride on the express train to the top, cause it seemed easier and I just didn't have a lot of time." Unfortunately, WLS is not seen as 'crawling through the rubble.' It's seen as the 'express train.' And let's be honest, in many ways it is. You lose weight more rapidly, and more steadily than you would with any diet and exercise plan that doesn't require being sequestered by an invasive camera crew and being forced to exercise for 7 hours a day and yelled at by trained professionals and forced to wear revealing workout clothes you'd never in a million years wear on national television, until you get kicked off the show for not being good enough. But really, what is the alternative for most of us? Early death, countless (often deadly) medical problems, aches and pains, having to pay more medical expenses than our skinny counterparts, having to pay more for clothes, having to deal with the fact that you might not get that job that you're qualified for ten times over because someone skinnier than you applied and the hiring committee is unknowingly biased against overweight people, not getting to live your life fully or spend quality time with family because you can't keep up, can't ride the rides, etc. etc. etc. But those "don't take the easy way out" people will say that we deserve all of this. These are our just Desserts, pardon the expression. And really? I think that's what it comes down to. The attitude is: You got yourself this heavy, you should have to suffer the humiliation and the struggle that comes with it and you're never going to "learn your lesson" if you have surgery to "fix" your weight problem. I am not saying if you straight up ask someone who "disapproves" of WLS that they would admit to this attitude or even recognize it in themselves. They would have 400 other (unresearched) reasons why they disapprove. But I think that either way, this is the underlying reason for the disapproval. Despite the fact that after years or decades of struggle, this "easy way out" is the only thing that's gonna save our lives.

My highest weight was 491 at the end of Sept 2014. I lost about 70 lbs in 2.5 months on my own, had surgery on 12/17/2014 at ~422lbs and have lost about 53 lbs in the two months since. (My 2 month anniversary was yesterday.) About 120 total. Very happy and know I have a long way to go but am super optimistic about getting there!

Thanks for this post. I joined Costco just because they are the only place to buy premier protein in anything bigger than an overpriced 4-pack around here and have not really figured out what else to use it for, haha. These suggestions are good!

Hey everyone! So glad I found this post! My username on myfitnesspal is: heynowkc I'd love to have some surgery pals there. Definitely let me know that you're from bariatric pal!

Thanks for your stories everyone. I'll be 2 months out this time next week. This thread is so encouraging!

Surgery date was Dec 17th. I am going to try and do a 5K at the end of April here where I live. Gotta start somewhere!

I bought a Misfit Flash which is the newer/budget version of the Shine. It's made with plastic instead of metal but has all the same features as the Shine except it's "only" waterproof up to 30 meters. (All that deep sea diving I was planning to do!) The price is right at 49.99 from the manufacturer. I really love it and it works for me. I love that you can set it to track an activity automatically with one click instead of just tracking steps, I love that you don't have to charge it, I love that it's waterproof, I love that it tells time, I love that it intuitively tracks your sleep without you having to remember to tell it to, and I love how easy it is to wear and that you can choose between wearing it with the watch band or clipping it on your shoe for more accurate tracking of cycling/walking/using stationary machines. Basically, I just love it. The app and data analysis could be more detailed, but that's more for curiosity's sake than practicality. Plus! I got mine (coca cola red) for super cheap on amazon a little over a week ago. It was on sale for 36 bucks. Right now I think the black one is on sale over there. If anyone has a Misfit Flash or Misfit Shine don't hesitate to add me as a friend on the app. Username: heynowkc

I would say that if you fear you are not eating ENOUGH, then go ahead and count your calories for a few days. Then if it seems off, maybe adjust? My guess is that if you're eating regular foods by now, I'd say that under 400 calories might be a little low, my Protein supplements alone come to 320 - 360 calories, if that's ALL I ate all day I'd just need to eat a half a cheese stick to get to 400. The best thing you can do is check with your NUT tell them what you've been eating daily (not necessarily a calorie count) and if they seem concerned then maybe you need to add some protein or something? They will give you ideas I am sure. Stalls are supposed to be normal, and I think they're supposed to be frustrating too. I am lucky that I have been losing most weeks (only 1 week with a stall). But I'm not that far out yet, I'm sure my day is coming. However I do know that some of the best advice that I found for breaking a diet plateau (pre-surgery) was to increase your calorie intake for a few days while taking a break from the gym, then go back to your regular schedule! That might work for you. Increasing the volume you eat is practically impossible (from my experience) with my new sleeve, but you can always just consume more high-calorie items for few days,... marathon that TV show on Netflix you've been putting off instead of hitting the gym so hard, take off your fitness tracker,... then go back to normal and see if it gives you a little jump start?

From what I've read though it doesn't really "stop" working or ever go back to your normal size. So I'm not sure. It's probably not that it would "stop" working for me but because of my starting weight I could have more difficulties than others getting to a reasonable goal weight? Idk! I am not worried about it. I just have to keep my gym bag packed!

My nutritionist said just keep track of Protein and make sure I'm getting enough in - so I track with myfitnesspal (and also a notebook in my purse for easy reference). She said not to count calories (or worry about calories) until 6 months out or more. Even though I'm not supposed to, with myfitnesspal it keeps track of my calories and I'm usually somewhere in the 500s-700s. I eat three small meals a day and two protein supplements (one shake and one bar). No Snacks. My surgery was Dec. 17th.

Thabk you for all of your insights. @@joatsaint thanks for breaking down what you were able to eat as you went along. While I know it will vary from person to person, that is good info to know. @@Thinkingthinner1109 I too lost a lot of weight prior to surgery. I lost 70 lbs in 2.5 months. I was cutting way back but was probably eating 1200 calories a day. Only occasionally dipping below that. But I was exercising like mad. 6-7 days per week with 5-6 of those days being at the gym swimming or strength training. Almost 2 months post surgery I haven't worked back up to that vigorous of a workout routine.

Honestly I just used a tiny no-spill cup (like toddlers use) that had the ounces measured on the side. The first thing I did in the morning was fill it up with 8 oz of water (or 4 oz of 100% juice mixed with 4 oz of water) and I made sure to drink throughout the day. I think having the measurements right there on the cup was very helpful for me personally. Drinking made me nauseated for a long time after surgery and sometimes still can! It's really hard at first but try and set an alarm on your phone and make sure to drink a few ounces every time it goes off. You'll get it all in eventually. You're only one week out and it's only going to get easier. OH! Editing to add that I find warm beverages easier to drink. If you're allowed herbal non caffeinated tea, try some hot tea! That will help you get your fluids in. Even heating up 4 oz of apple juice (100%) mixed with 4 oz of water is good. Some people boil their water in a tea kettle and drink that to help it go down without nausea.

Honestly, one week post op I was still focusing on getting in all my fluids by the end of the day and since I was still at home recovering I didn't have a particular schedule. Now that I have been back to work for a month and have transitioned to regular foods. I'm still trying to figure out my schedule! I have a long commute and so I have learned that I just can't eat Breakfast before work anymore or I get completely "off schedule" and am very "empty" by the time I get home.

Hey guys! I had gastric sleeve on Dec 17th and am very happy with my decision and my progress so far. But I did get to thinking... I have been tracking everything I eat in order to keep tabs on my Protein intake. An easy way to do this is by using myfitnesspal (although I do have a book I carry in my purse that I write everything down in too - when I remember!) And even though my nutritionist doesn't want me to track calories until 6 months or more out, myfitnesspal does this automatically when I'm logging my food, so it's hard to ignore! My intake can vary anywhere from at or around 500 calories per day, to at or around 700 calories per day depending on what I'm eating. The weight/measurement of the foods is basically the same, but sometimes the calories are higher depending on ingredients. My nutritionist recently encouraged eating full fat foods, yogurts, cheeses etc. because she says I need the fat to help me absorb as many vitamins/nutrients as possible, so for the past week my intake has been closer to the high end for that reason. (I was using all the low fat stuff before she told me this.) But EVEN on the high end of things, if I walked into a nutritionist's office and showed them my food log, especially given my weight, they would probably not be pleased with me, would tell me I have an eating disorder, and try and convince me that eating this amount of food at my (or any) weight is completely unhealthy. I was just wondering if I was the only one who ever had this thought? The phrase "surgically assisted anorexia" crossed my mind but is not something I agree with. I feel like it's a wonderful procedure that is going to (and has already) changed my life for the better. What I'm wondering, however, is why extreme portion control is demonized UNLESS It's done in conjunction with and after surgery? And if it's considered unhealthy by most, if not all, healthcare professionals, then why is it okay post-surgery? I presume the answer is because it's under the supervision of a physician, nutritionist, and in my case, an exercise specialist too. And if you're a compliant patient you're taking an armful of Vitamins every day on top of it. I wonder why is it ok for me but not for someone who hasn't had surgery? This is more of a philosophical question than a scientific one. I think I know the answer logically, but I do feel like there's a bit of a paradox in the fact that the same diet is either embraced or vilified by the medical community depending on the circumstances.

My surgeon says no alcoholic beverages for 1 year post op.

I don't believe that her complications had anything to do with her genes! Or yours for that matter. Not to mention that they are two completely different surgeries and 2001 was 14 (!!!!!!) years ago and a lot has changed since then! If this is the right thing for you do not let them talk you out of it or worry you with negative thoughts. If you have already made this decision, the best thing to do is to let them know that the decision has been made so any conversation about it should only be about ways to support you and help you through it!

Good question. My surgeon has suggested I may "need" to convert in a few years since I have so much weight to lose and "could" stall out (in a permanent type way) but I am determined not to need it! *runs to the gym* I'd be curious to know the answer too.

Some regional (or even familial) slang varies. I had a friend who used the word "heaps" a lot. As in "I ate heaps/a heap of chips last night." I think it just means "a lot."

Awesome!

I agree with the poster above me. It's better that you're not doing it at the same time. It's just bad luck that you have to go first! (He'll have the benefit of learning from your experiences!) Typically doctor's notes give no details about why you're out. You should be able to keep your secret at work. I can't see them not allowing you to be off for any medical procedure. I hope it goes well!

I'm doing pretty good as far as learning to eat with my "new" stomach. Tolerating regular foods well now since being given the go-ahead a little over a week ago by my nutritionist. I am taking it very easy though. Still eating mostly soft foods and cutting things up very small. The only cruddite I've even had the courage to try has been a raw cucumber. I'll have to try more later. I definitely haven't eaten nuts yet - and nothing crunchy. I am staying away from ALL oatmeal, granola, rice, potatoes, corn, peas, bread, Beans (except for edamame), Pasta, and crackers until (at least) six months out as recommended by my dietitian for maximum weight loss. Same goes for sweets, but I did make an exception for honey this week because I've been sick and my (other) doctor recommended to drink it in tea to help my sore throat. I was sick of the requisite 2 shakes a day, so I was also given the go-ahead to have one shake and one Quest bar per day so that has been nice. Although I realize that I no longer like the raspberry white chocolate bars because now they just taste too sweet to me. And that is a shame, since I still have almost a whole box that I bought before surgery. Whoops! As far as results go, I have no complaints! My highest weight was 491 (Sept 29th) and on surgery day, Dec 17th, I had dropped down to 422. I am currently at 375 (as of last Wednesday - I only weigh once a week!) So total down since surgery is 47lbs and total overall am down 116!!!! I had one week where I didn't lose anything which I guess you could consider a "short" stall, but otherwise I have been losing every week. I have been sick for the past 7 days so I am a little worried about my weigh-in in two days since I have spent a lot of the time resting and not being active. But I did take a bike ride yesterday (it was almost 70 here in Virginia!) and walked a couple of miles yesterday, and plan to hit the gym tonight and tomorrow. So hopefully I will see some movement on the scale. I have had one or two days in the past week where I have felt that "need to munch" and I think it has to do with being sick. Otherwise I am doing really well with that. Glad to hear that so many of us from December are doing well!

I used to be very iron deficient and I would always have dark rings. Doesn't help that I have deep set eyes to begin with, haha. It could be related to that. I just got my iron numbers up to normal right before surgery for the first time in yearrrs. I will have to make sure to take my iron supplements if it dips back down again.

Hopefully your doctor can give you a better idea of what he or she expects of you. I don't know what is "normal" or "correct" and I have a feeling it all depends on your starting weight more than anything. To be honest, reading these replies here and elsewhere on this board, I feel really sick over all of the "change your attitude" posts that people respond with when a poster is simply concerned they may not be losing what they could/should be. It's one thing to say "don't worry, you're doing great!" but it's another thing to cut someone down and (strongly!) suggest that they're setting themselves up for failure/disappointment for asking a simple question!

Maybe they mean turkey meatballs?

Thank you so much!