gmacy

one thing I am proud of is that I had to order new scrubs for work ... went from XXL being very baggy to XL fitting well ... perhaps they are baggy, but, I miss how loose the old XXL felt b/c they helped me appreciate how much weight I had lost ... I suppose in another couple of months these scrubs will be loose and I will be happy about that again

what are your workouts looking like these days?

well, officially through week 8 today ... my stomach is getting a little more cooperative, but, I am still hesitant to add new foods .... for a few reasons I suppose ... 1. right now my diet keeps me pretty much on an Adkins diet .. which is great for losing weight - so why rock the boat? 2. I am scared to add new foods for fear of upsetting my stomach 3. a small part of me fears that if I start to eat new foods I will mess up and start to gain weight ... as predicted though, the weight loss has continued to slow ... only lost 2 lbs last week, but, I have lost quite a bit in 2 months and I am working hard on being happy with that I continue to workout 6 days a week ... cardio 6 days and then lift weights 3 days a week ... so, I am definitely adding muscle which may explain the slowed weight loss - who knows - maybe it is just normal?

this is a great point and one my NUT had to remind me about ... muscle does weigh more than fat, so, if you are developing muscle, you will in theory lose less weight at first but in the long run will be much better!

put the scale away ... you are going to drive yourself nuts ... you are probably seeing the difference in water overnight as you dehydrate ... be patient, you will get there ... what are your workouts like?

well, if we are shooting for 100 grams of Protein a day that would be a lot of sipping ... aah the humanity ... I will have to try the alpine punch ... I usually order it from Vitamin shoppe in a 12 pack so I may need to go to a store and try the alpine punch ... I have a mango that I am scared to try

Thanks - I agree on the RTD ... they cost more to drink, but, they take care of the lactose issue ... my favorite flavors are apple melon and orange ... how about you? although, I get conflicting reports ... my doc says it is great to get the 40 grams, there is a place that sells a Protein powder you can mix in 4 ounces and get 40 grams ... but, my NUT says the body will only absorb 20 grams in an hour .. just not sure

come on now, that isn't what I wanted to hear I suppose I need to start weighing every 2 weeks as opposed to weekly ....

my doc cleared me at 4 weeks to do light weights ... he said my guide should be if I experience any pain in my abdomen then I am doing too much ... I probably went to fast and too much, but, this now close to 3 weeks that I have been lifting weights and it is definitely helping ... 6 weeks is probably a good timeline, but, I guess each doc is different ... like diet restrictions ...

everyone is right ... for me, in the first week, I concentrated on the following ... - getting the liquids (hard for me as it is hard to swallow at first ... I couldn't drink easily until 6 days out and then it was slowly - taking the Vitamins as suggested (this was really hard for me) - getting as close to the Protein as I could (this usually meant fighting down and Isopure zero carb drink) - then walking at least every hour or two and going for an extended walk once ... initially on day three my extended walk was 15 minutes, but, the next day it was closer to 30 minutes and went from there - you will find you have more energy and feel better when you are hydrated and get your protein in >> I liken it to those survival shows where they say how much better they feel after killing a rat and getting the protein in ... you really do feel better I went to work the next week and worked 2 days (dentist) and then a conference the next 3 days .. the fatigue lasted until week 4-5 for me and there are still times where I just get worn out ... naps help ...

Thanks - I am far from awesome, but, you guys give me daily inspiration that makes things so much easier ... I truly believe everyone that goes through this is an incredibly strong person ... it is far from the easy way out. I thought for sure I would be able to beat the lactose intolerance too by using the soy milk or almond milk, but, my NUT reminded me that many of the Protein shakes are full of lactose Proteins and many pressing bathroom visits later I can attest to that ... now I carry two meds in my pocket to work ...a couple of lactaids to take before my Protein Shakes and a couple of gas-x strips ... makes my day so much more pleasant. although, today for some reason, I am just kind of nauseous or feel like I have something stuck part way down ... I think this will be a Phenergan night ... anyone else have days like that where your stomach just feels queasy?

the good news is this surgery will force you to be creative - I wasn't a big fan of fish before, but, after 6 weeks of Soup, I now love salmon ... you will find something, and in the end, it will be so worth it - I promise ... you will love it afterwards

not a huge fan of the taste and consistency of the yolks of boiled eggs ... it was easier to roll with the egg whites ... I think I will stay with those for a couple of weeks and then look into trying scrambled eggs ... just can't do a whole boiled egg (I have never liked those )

okay, you will be proud, I had 4 egg whites last night and did pretty well ... no issues afterwards and was glad to get the 13 grams of protein

I was 336 pre-op ... had the sleeve on 11/24 ... I have followed the rules to the T for the most part ... trying to get lots of Protein in ... I have lost 62 lbs so far ... I have found the thing that has helped me the most is working out ... I do cardio 6 days a week and lift weights 3 days a week ... that has made it fun for me b/c I can go to the gym and see results much faster ... results in general clothes are falling off of me ... I don't snore anymore ... sleep much better, generally have more energy (as long as I get the protein in), can do way more stuff now and my confidence is getting better everyday ... I am 7.5 weeks post surgery and there are still parts that kick my ass, but, they are slowly getting fewer each day

lol - yes ma'am ... I will try the egg tonight and maybe even some spinach later in the week

Thank you everyone - amazing feedback and very uplifting, besides and amazing wife that has made this possible, making it through this has been in large part due to you guys and this forum ... one of the best things I have found to date. I am at times way too critical of myself and I need to remember to enjoy the daily victories that some may consider small but I consider major ... stupid little things that a person that isn't morbidly obese wouldn't otherwise consider. Last night at the gym was a very uplifting time as I was able to do more reps with more weight than I have since surgery ... still nowhere near where I was prior to surgery, but, heading in the right direction. The cool thing is now that I have dropped 60ish lbs of fat, you can actually see muscle developing. It is still weird to look in the mirror and see parts of your body shrinking daily ... I think that has been my favorite part so far ... being able to see changes quickly. A question on eggs, it seems like I have read a lot on the forums that some people really struggle with them after surgery ... would it be "safer" to start with boiled eggs and only eat the egg whites and skip the yolks?

My sister is a huge fan of juicing with vegetables with a touch of fruit added to get the fresh minerals and Vitamins from the fresh produce ... at the same time, my NUT states that it will add unnecessary carbs to my diet and that I would be better off focusing on Proteins and some vegetables and skip the fruits ...

Thank you everyone ... to answer the questions ... I haven't tried veggies yet as my doc just released me on them last week and I have been hesitant ... in all honesty, I am scared to try new foods as most seem to cause diarrhea or I just feel like crud for 5-6 hours ... I am not constipated as I can just eat something dairy and it like a good cleanse Thank you for the encouragement on the loss ... I will continue to work on getting the Protein, drinking more Water and adding vegetables. I know I should eat more ... my diet today will consist of ... Breakfast = 1/4-1/2 cup of cottage cheese for breakfast depending on how my stomach feels following all of the Vitamins in the morning lunch = usually salmon or fajita chicken strips with a small amount of guacamole or ranchero Beans around 4 I will usually drink an EAS myoplex Protein shake ... it is 17 ounces and gives me 42 grams of protein plus all of my daily Calcium ... this is full of milk Proteins so I have to take lactaid prior and it still usually tears me up some, but my NUT says I still get most of the protein tonight I will do cardio and lift weights, so, I will probably have an Isopure RTD for dinner ... that gives me another 40 grams of protein .... after that maybe I will try some green peas or green beans to add some veggies. One thing my NUT and doctor stated is that as long as I am getting the protein and taking the Multivitamins, I am getting what my body needs ... it will pull the calories from the fat tissue ... I have thought about adding a juicer to my routine to get a healthy dose of vegetables ... any thoughts on that?

So I am 7 weeks post op from the gastric sleeve ... I have worked to be diligent, but, I am facing the challenge of lactose intolerance and it is still hard for me to get the Water down that I am supposed to. so far, I have lost 60ish lbs ... which, I know is great, but, I am bummed this morning as I only lost 4 lbs this past week ... I don't cheat, pretty much eat only Protein (get close to 100 to 125 grams of protein daily), lift weights 3 days a weeks and cardio 6 days a week ... I know about the 3 week stall and I experienced that, am I just being too hard on myself, will there be weeks like this where I don't lose as much? I know everyone is different, but, what is a realistic goal to lose each week pound wise .... is 4-5 lbs great or should I expect more? Thanks everyone for your continued support.

oh man I was that part about the lactose intolerance were true for me .... I can't touch anything with lactose beyond cottage cheese without having to visit the bathroom 2-3 hours later ... same goes true for whey Protein shakes ... the milk Proteins in those kill me if I don't take some chewable lactaid prior to the Protein Shakes ... not fun.

I am a dentist and went through the sleeve 6 weeks ago ... a few explanations ... bad breath is likely due to the ketosis .... your body is excreting the acetones and that can cause bad breath ... also, I think part of it is due to dehydration ... at least it was for me ... I noticed when I did better on staying hydrated, my teeth felt much cleaner and the breath was bad ... when you are dehydrated, your salivary flow may decrease thus making the issue even worse. as for the yellowing of the teeth, at this point, we are mostly hammering Protein shakes which for most are chocolate ... this can cause some discoloration of your teeth ... give it some time - worst case you might consider whitening your teeth in 6 months or so after your diet is stabilized. I wouldn't recommend peroxide or baking soda ... good hygiene and toothpaste are your best bet and, there is NO way in heck brushing your teeth immediately following eating is going to brush the food into your teeth ... just saying.

man, this sucks ... I have held off on eggs based on my NUT's suggestion ... but, at the same time, my stomach can be a real bitch now and I am hesitant to give it new things ... think I will wait till maybe month 3 before I play with eggs

Thanks everyone ... just got back from lunch ... had some chicken fajita strips and a few small bites of guacamole ... tasted amazing!!

Awesome - thanks for the reply ... I look forward to cutting back on the Protein shakes and adding more meats