mspal

a stall after losing 93 pounds is just totally not the same as losing 9 pounds the first 3 weeks after surgery.
laguerr13, what exactly are the positives of this? i'm a perfectly mentally healthy rational person and not a patient (i noted that you work "in a psych setting"). i assure you i do not belong in a mental ward. the scale tells me i'm still 100+ pounds overweight. there's nothing wrong in focusing on the fact that i'm not losing weight when i should be and that i have 100 pounds of fat that doesn't seem to be budging despite eating 500 calories a day. i'm not sure what's healthier about having surgery to remain on a liquid diet if the results are the same.
again, regarding recovery, i have not been in pain, tired, or nauseated. i don't care about eating. i have a FT job and a business and 3 children. i don't have time to worry about food. i drink my shake and move on with my day (it has the added bonus of giving me much more time!). yes, i walk on my treadmill. yes, i'm doing everything. yes, i'm on a timetable - the first six months are crucial and it appears that nothing is happening. i've blown through almost an entire month, and this is the "fast" weight loss portion. my body fat percentage hasn't changed either.
i'd be delighted to hear supportive comments from people that experienced the same issue - extremely slow loss during their first few weeks after surgery. did you end up losing weight? did you end up needing a DS? did you need to cut/increase carbs? i am looking for actionable advice (my doctor has none) that will actually help me tweak what i'm doing so i can lose weight. i am also interested to hear from others that had very little post-op weight loss how well they stuck to their pre-op diets. it seems the rest of my surgical crew is losing tons of weight - and NONE of them stuck to their diets (me, I stuck to it perfectly).

my surgery was only a week ago and my doctor stressed the body fat percentage, to ignore BMI entirely. the number you end up at should depend on your lean body mass. right now my LBM is 123.4 (higher than the highest end of the BMI range). nearly all people lose LBM when you lose weight. it isn't something i'm going to worry about until i get near the end. i could be higher than my BMI range or i could be in it - although i doubt it. mine is 94-119! the weight in my ticker is totally arbitrary. they did a calculation of 160, and then switched it to 120. so... yeah.
FYI for 5'0" it is 97-123. I don't know where you got the other numbers! here is a link to the NIH chart: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmi_tbl.pdf

I was just at OCC last week, so this is the latest info. I traveled alone and left all my possessions in my room with no worries at all. The access to the area where patients' rooms are is secured by a keypad and the office manager assured me they have security cameras throughout the facility. I had over $100 cash, my wallet, my tablet, a laptop, a cell phone, etc. in my bags and nothing was touched. No worries at all.
Also, I got all of my medication handed to me in a plastic bag, along with all the instructions about what each medication was for, how much to take, and when to take it. There was an antibiotic, a pain killer, an anti-nausea pill, and antacid. I didn't have a need for any other over-the-counter medication while I was there, aside for some Gas-X strips (not sure if they actually helped at all).
As for packing, bring the hard copy of your pre-op survey, your passport, some cash (not much), your cashier's check (if you didn't pay with credit card), all your electronics and chargers, any medication you've been instructed to continue taking, Gas-X strips, your spirometer, toothpaste/toothbrush, deodorant, any other toiletries (hotel has soap, Shampoo, conditioner, and lotion), comb/brush, hair ties, comfortable underwear, socks, and clothes. I just brought a couple pairs of yoga pants and some t-shirts, plus the jeans I was wearing to travel. Pack as lightly as possible. It will make going through various security checkpoints easier and it will make it easier to get through the airport and loaded onto the plane.

Like you I love my liquids, I'm not going to lie @ six weeks out its a bit of a struggle to get 64oz of liquid a day. It is an adjustment no more guzzling its a slow and steady sip. Do I miss soda yes, do I miss gulping an ice cold Water yes, do I miss the 50lbs I've lost so far, No!

It took a good while but at this point I can drink certain things very well. Sweet tea, snapple, juice etc. I'm an oddball in that Water just doesn't sit well. Something about changing it to tea or something like that makes it easier to swallow. Don't worry about it too much. As with every other major adjustment, the ability to drink will get easier and level off eventually. Your new way of eating and drinking will become your new normal.

It'll be harder to take it down quick, but you have a one up on is non liquid people - you won't get dehydrated! Continue loving your liquids... I wish i did

I have also always been a big Water drinker. I always have my insulated glass full on my desk at work, and have one that I keep full at home, a great habit that is serving me well now post-op! I am only 3 weeks post-op, but I am able drink pretty normal. It seems like Water and liquids go through pretty fast.
I drink a Protein drink (mixed with water 12oz) while getting ready for work. A glass of water or 20oz Vitamin Water Zero between 8:00 and 11:00, another glass or two after lunch, and I pretty much already have my 64 oz fluids in before I even get home from work. I don't even bother tracking my Fluid intake, I know it is 80oz or more daily.

I won't lie - I miss the guzzle ability...but buying a size 6 off the rack and my bones not hurting, and being able to keep up in daily activities, staying active without really trying far outweighs the guzzle....

I was always a big "gulper." I'd not drink regularly, but would down a whole glass at a time periodically throughout the day. Had a hard time wrapping my head around not doing that at first.
I'm not quite 4 weeks out but pretty quickly after surgery, liquids weren't a problem for me. By the 4th day or so, I didn't have to sip anymore. I can't down an entire glass at once, but I can take several large "gulps" or mouthfuls with no problem. I can get down 8oz fairly quickly. Once I even got down 16oz in about 30 min without paying attention and had no issues.
Without a doubt, I'm better hydrated now than I've ever been and I don't even feel like I have to try to do it.
Bottom line is I would definitely not let the fear of losing you ability to enjoy liquids sway your decision.
Good luck to you!

I am a drink junkie and I am finding I'm not as needy for drinks in post op. And I can tak pretty good sips.