catwoman7

you'll do fine! All I really remember feeling the first day or two was TIRED! I slept most of the time. I really didn't have any pain. I felt a little nauseated the day of surgery, so I let the nurses know - they put Zofran in my IV line, which really helped. Other than that, it really was much better than I'd expected. Good luck to you!

once you hit maintenance, it becomes a really individual thing. It depends on so many things - gender, age, activity level, metabolic rate. I can maintain my weight if I stay in the 1500-1700 range, but I know women who can eat 2000 and others that have to eat 1200 - and some 1000 or less. I'll start losing if I consistently stay at the bottom of my range or drop a little below it. I couldn't sustain eating 800-900 calories for long at this point, but some people can..

surgeons are literally all over the board with this one. Mine let us drink decaf at like three or four weeks out, I think - and regular at six months out.

it's when you've achieved your desired weight and want to just maintain it and not lose anymore. If you're NOT at your desired weight, then you'll need to make some changes in order to keep losing - such as cutting more calories and/or increasing your activity. Otherwise, your body is going to stay where it is...

not getting your protein in is going to make hair loss worse. Do whatever you can to keep on top of your protein requirements. P.S. Not enjoying food is common the first few months post-op. That actually helps A LOT - it's way easier to lose weight when you're rarely (or never) hungry and don't give a flip about food. For the vast majority of us, all that returns sometime during the first year.

that's too long for a stall - sounds like you're in maintenance. I'd go back to tracking food. I still track at almost six years out. I don't trust myself with eyeballing portion sizes.

I'm wondering if it would be cheaper in Canada (although we may not be allowed in there yet - I haven't kept on top of this). Since you're in WA, it wouldn't be too far. My veterinarian had her LASIK surgery done there several years ago and saved quite a bit of money. It might be worth looking into, at least. I know wait times are pretty long for Canadians using their health insurance system, but maybe it's quicker for private pay patients? Not sure.

I didn't have any issues, either...

the first few months I'd say "a lot". Once I got close to maintenance, and even now, I tell them "over 100 lbs". Actually, it was over 200 lbs, but not many "normies" could wrap their head around that number. Plus I don't want them silently calculating my pre-surgery weight. To normal-weight people, 100 lbs sounds like a ton, so they're satisfied with that answer (not that I'm obligated to answer them, of course)

that's crazy. People who are having elective surgery aren't selfish. If the hospitals are full or don't think it's safe for you to have it done at some particular time, they'll postpone it. If they have the space and feel it's safe to do it, they'll go ahead and do it. It has nothing whatsoever to do with a patient being "selfish". Sheesh!

Most insurance companies go by your initial weight when you first start the program - but a few don't. I would contact them to be sure.

soup and popsicles are liquid so they go right through you - I can't imagine anyone would feel restriction with those. You'll feel it once you start eating dense food. also, you had nerves cut during surgery - it takes awhile for those to regenerate - so that's another reason people don't feel it right away. once you move to regular food, you should start feeling restriction. In the mean time, like Kelly said, make sure you're measuring things and eating only what you're supposed to eat.

as others have said, 18 lbs in three weeks is great! I lost 16 lbs the first MONTH, and I started out heavier than you. As BigSue said, most of us seem to lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month. You'll always find a few who lose above or below that, but that seems to be where most of us fall. I think a lot of people come into this with expectations of losing a lot more the first month, and I think that's probably because of shows like "My 600 lb Life". But you have to remember that those people have MUCH higher BMI's than the average WLS patient. And generally speaking, the more you weigh, the faster you tend to lose - at least at first.

you're fine. If you feel nauseated, let a nurse know - they can put something like Zofran in your IV line. I don't remember being any particular time the mini-walks needed to last. I just made sure to get up and walk at least every few hours (well, every couple when I was awake)

I wouldn't set weekly or monthly goals since weight loss rate can vary so widely from person to person. If your overall trend is down, you're good - and if you're sticking to your clinic's food plan, your weight WILL go down. The psychologist at my clinic asked me during my first visit what my long-term goal was, and I said 200 lbs. It seemed to be do-able, and honestly, after weighing almost 400 for several years, 200 sounded like a pipe dream. I would have been happy with that if that's where my body decided to stop. He was fine with that - said it sounded reasonable (I ended up losing quite a bit more than that, but I wanted to set something do-able from the start so I wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't happen). average weight loss with sleeve is about 65% of your excess weight, so maybe have something in that range in mind as your end goal? (you may end up losing more than that if you're really committed, and potentially quite a bit more if you really work at it, but that might be a reasonable, do-able first goal).

most people lose their sense of hunger for several months. And when it comes back (it doesn't always, but it does for the vast majority), it's usually not as intense as it was pre-surgery. As for dealing with cravings, a lot of WLS patients work with therapists on that (I never have, but many people do...)

You need to look at the statistics from large research studies and not base it on what you see on the boards. Long time vets who are still hanging out here after several years post-op are likely to be patients who were very successful. And it could be that for many if us, staying active in the bariatric community might be one factor in our success. The statistics show that the average RNY patient loses about 70% of their excess weight, and the average VSG patient loses about 65%. Most patients end up somewhere around that peecentage. Of course you will always find people who end up above or below the average, and some WAY above or below that. The percentages get smaller the further you get away from the average. A 100% loss is a couple standard deviations from the mean, so you're not going to find a ton of people who end up there. My surgeon discouraged me from my goal of 100% loss, saying that only about 10% of his patients make it the far. But, i did it. And so did a few others from my clinic. But we're not the norm. I've checked the research. Studies show that about 10-15% make it to a normal BMI. Most end up overweight or class I obese (both of which are infinitely better than weighing 300+ lbs). But some of us do make it. But it takes some serious commitment and hard work. You can do it.. but it'll take a lot of dedication and effort.

yes - DS patients can definitely eat more than the rest of us, due to all the malabsorption

we don't have enough intrinsic factor to metabolize B12 that comes in a regular tablet, so if your level ends up getting too low, you'll most likely have to take it sublingually (a tablet that dissolves under your tongue) or via injection.

I think a lot of people base their expectations on shows like "My 600 lb Life", because we get a lot people who post about being disappointed when they "only" lost 15 or 20 or 25 lbs the first month, when that's actually pretty normal. You have to keep in mind that the people on those shows start out MUCH heavier than the average bariatric patient - and generally speaking, the higher your starting BMI, the faster you'll lose - at least for the first few months, anyway. You're doing just fine!

I run into people on this and other forums every day who've lost 100% of their excess weight. Granted it is NOT easy to do, with either surgery - you really have to be committed and work really hard at it. Statistically, about 10-15% of people make it to a normal BMI - so it's not common - but it's certainly do-able. the first 18 months is what's referred to as the "honeymoon period" when it's relatively easy to lose weight (and really push yourself to lose it then since it'll be the only time in your life when it's not that hard to do!!), but you can continue to lose weight after that. The farther out you get from surgery, the more of a challenge it is to continue losing, but it's definitely possible.

if you're eating 500 calories or even 800 calories, I can guarantee those gains aren't true weight. You're either retaining water or your intestines are full on the days your weight is up. Weight fluctuation is very normal. As long as the overall trend is down, you're good.

I've almost always had it no matter how big or small I am. When I saw pictures of myself when I weighed 350+ lbs, I was shocked. Now in the 150s, I'm often surprised, too. I'll see a photo of myself taken a year or two ago and think "wow - I looked great then - I wish I could lose 10 or 15 lbs and be back there" - but then I'll check my weekly weight log and discover I weighed exactly the same as I do now....or sometimes 3 or 4 lbs less (so....essentially the same). I think the only time my mental image and my brain were aligned was when I was in the 200-250 lb range.

I can do high fat sauces and dressings. When I replied to one of your earlier threads about not being able to tolerate super fatty meals, I was referring to meals like fish fries (which I used to go to at least once a month pre-surgery). Those usually included 2-3 deep-fried breaded fish filets, tartar sauce, a pile of French fries, cole slaw (made with mayo, of course), and usually a roll with butter. I couldn't eat that anymore - all that fat would make me feel nauseated. I could have maybe a half a fish filet (or maybe a whole one if they were small) - everything else I had with that would have to be a lot lower in fat. Another meal that would be tough for me to eat - a reuben sandwich with a side of fries. I could probably do half a reuben and maybe 4 or 5 fries now. but as far as something like a high-fat sauce or dressing on something - yes, I can eat that.

It seems like a lot to me, but check the food/eating plan your surgeon or dietitian should have given you. I know I did not eat bread at 3 months out (although I do occasionally now, at almost six years out), and those sub buns are HUGE, even the 6" ones. If I'd have ordered a sub, I would have just eaten the meat and cheese and ditched the bun.