helenpgh

I also had those feelings before my surgery. I went back and read something I wrote when I started down this path that spoke of all the reasons I wanted this surgery and that got me through those minutes of doubt.

That first stall is the worst. At least it was for me because I had failed in so many previous weight loss attempts that my confidence that the surgery would work for me was low. But after 2-3 weeks the scale started to move again. After the first 2 weeks after my surgery when I was on Clear Liquids only and lost 20 lbs. I am now losing an average of 1-2 lb per week. After 8 weeks I am down 28 lbs and weigh less than I have in 26 years!

That first stall is the worst. At least it was for me because I had failed in so many previous weight loss attempts that my confidence that the surgery would work for me was low. But after 2-3 weeks the scale started to move again. After the first 2 weeks after my surgery when I was on Clear Liquids only and lost 20 lbs. I am now losing an average of 1-2 lb per week. After 8 weeks I am down 28 lbs and weigh less than I have in 26 years!

That first stall is the worst. At least it was for me because I had failed in so many previous weight loss attempts that my confidence that the surgery would work for me was low. But after 2-3 weeks the scale started to move again. After the first 2 weeks after my surgery when I was on Clear Liquids only and lost 20 lbs. I am now losing an average of 1-2 lb per week. After 8 weeks I am down 28 lbs and weigh less than I have in 26 years!

Some other Breakfast ideas. Cottage cheese mixed with some sugar free jam. Or cottage cheese or ricotta cheese with fresh diced cucumber and / or Tomato. Morningstar farm sausage patties are good and have 10 G Protein. (They also make sausages but haven't tried them yet). I recently made some cottage cheese oatmeal pancakes that were a nice treat. I have also made omelets with one egg and 1-2 egg whites with some shredded reduced fat cheddar and some sautéed veggies (I like mushrooms, onions, and / or zucchini). Saw a recipe for a tofu scramble that I might try (tofu instead of eggs). eggs scrambled with smoked salmon or smokes trout is good.
I am 12 weeks out and trying to minimize the carbs too.

@@GeeMarieThe full feeling after the sleeve is different than the feeling of fullness I used to get before the operation.
Puréed foods and liquids don't always give me any kind of full feeling but once I moved on to mushy and solids I get this pressure in my chest if I have eaten too fast or too much. Also if I eat to much I get a runny nose!
I mostly measure and weigh my food so I eat the right amount to make me satisfied but not full. At 3.5 months out I eat about 6 ounces or 3/4 cup of food for a meal. I eat between 800-900 calories per day. My challenge is eating slowly.
If you are still hungry after your 4 ounces it might be because of acid in your stomach. Check with your doctor as you may need a different or stronger dose of whatever you take.
Also I found that sometimes I think I'm hungry when I am actually needing fluids.

@@GeeMarieThe full feeling after the sleeve is different than the feeling of fullness I used to get before the operation.
Puréed foods and liquids don't always give me any kind of full feeling but once I moved on to mushy and solids I get this pressure in my chest if I have eaten too fast or too much. Also if I eat to much I get a runny nose!
I mostly measure and weigh my food so I eat the right amount to make me satisfied but not full. At 3.5 months out I eat about 6 ounces or 3/4 cup of food for a meal. I eat between 800-900 calories per day. My challenge is eating slowly.
If you are still hungry after your 4 ounces it might be because of acid in your stomach. Check with your doctor as you may need a different or stronger dose of whatever you take.
Also I found that sometimes I think I'm hungry when I am actually needing fluids.

@justhere4theshow.
Hang in there. Just keep following your doctors plan and the stall will end. Maybe put away your scale for a few weeks and focus on NSVs. Measure yourself and see if you are losing inches. Congrats on getting to 200! Think what you would weigh now if you hadn't had the surgery.
When I start to question if I did the right thing I go back and read a diary entry that I wrote before my surgery about why I wanted to have it. That helps me.

Before and after! Sleeves on April 13,2016! Down 60 pounds and several inches! I feel amazing !!!! Anyone on the fence about this surgery, just do it!! I wish I did it sooner!
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Some other Breakfast ideas. Cottage cheese mixed with some sugar free jam. Or cottage cheese or ricotta cheese with fresh diced cucumber and / or Tomato. Morningstar farm sausage patties are good and have 10 G Protein. (They also make sausages but haven't tried them yet). I recently made some cottage cheese oatmeal pancakes that were a nice treat. I have also made omelets with one egg and 1-2 egg whites with some shredded reduced fat cheddar and some sautéed veggies (I like mushrooms, onions, and / or zucchini). Saw a recipe for a tofu scramble that I might try (tofu instead of eggs). eggs scrambled with smoked salmon or smokes trout is good.
I am 12 weeks out and trying to minimize the carbs too.

Pinterest has heaps of low carb and VSG-related Breakfast recipes, so you might find some there that interest you. I love the blog site The World According to Eggface, which has a lot of delightful and simple recipes designed for people who've had WLS. On the weekends I'll whip up a batch of her little pancake bites for a treat. My staple Breakfast has been a smoothie with a high-protein, low carb plain Greek yogurt like Fage, frozen kale (having it frozen helps with the consistency) and frozen low-GI fruit (that sufficiently mask the taste and color of the kale).
As to the question of whether you can eat a Protein bar and oatmeal for breakfast, I think only you can answer it. Protein bars and oatmeal vary by quality and nutrients, and the way each person responds to them differs. I've mainly designed my own diet but I did consult with a RD who recommended that I eat a modest amount of healthy carbs like oatmeal, vegetables, and fruit. She said that steel cut oats with healthy toppings rather than loaded down with sugar can be a good breakfast. In my experience, the drawback of it is that it's so filling it's difficult to get much protein in. My husband is a physician and urges everyone to have a quality form of protein within an hour of waking up. It doesn't have to be a huge amount, but it should be a serving. I rarely eat oatmeal, but I keep the Trader Joe's frozen oatmeal on hand for the rare days when it's really cold and I'm craving something warm in the morning. I'll add in some unflavored Protein powder, or some almond butter. The dietitian said everyone should avoid instant and flavored oatmeal because most are packed with sugar. I personally dislike most protein bars because they upset my tummy. Other people adore them. I would be sure to look for a protein bar that is lower in carbs.
If you're really feeling deprived, you could simply have a protein bar and oatmeal and see how they impact your progress. If you continue to lose weight, carry on. If you stall out or gain, reevaluate. See whether you can still incorporate them but make other tweaks to your eating and exercising, or have them sparingly rather than daily. I think to have long-term success you need to find a way of creating sustainable habits. One person might be as happy as can be on a low carb diet, and another might find that it makes them obsess about carbs to the point they end up wanting to binge on them. Find your own stride.
And best of luck with everything, including dealing with the awful flooding. My gosh, my heart goes out to all impacted there.

Some other Breakfast ideas. Cottage cheese mixed with some sugar free jam. Or cottage cheese or ricotta cheese with fresh diced cucumber and / or Tomato. Morningstar farm sausage patties are good and have 10 G Protein. (They also make sausages but haven't tried them yet). I recently made some cottage cheese oatmeal pancakes that were a nice treat. I have also made omelets with one egg and 1-2 egg whites with some shredded reduced fat cheddar and some sautéed veggies (I like mushrooms, onions, and / or zucchini). Saw a recipe for a tofu scramble that I might try (tofu instead of eggs). eggs scrambled with smoked salmon or smokes trout is good.
I am 12 weeks out and trying to minimize the carbs too.

Some other Breakfast ideas. Cottage cheese mixed with some sugar free jam. Or cottage cheese or ricotta cheese with fresh diced cucumber and / or Tomato. Morningstar farm sausage patties are good and have 10 G Protein. (They also make sausages but haven't tried them yet). I recently made some cottage cheese oatmeal pancakes that were a nice treat. I have also made omelets with one egg and 1-2 egg whites with some shredded reduced fat cheddar and some sautéed veggies (I like mushrooms, onions, and / or zucchini). Saw a recipe for a tofu scramble that I might try (tofu instead of eggs). eggs scrambled with smoked salmon or smokes trout is good.
I am 12 weeks out and trying to minimize the carbs too.

I also don't enjoy salads like I used to. Find that cooked veg are easier for me to eat and enjoy. Steamed or sauteed zucchini, summer squash , asparagus are my go to veg right now.

Some other Breakfast ideas. Cottage cheese mixed with some sugar free jam. Or cottage cheese or ricotta cheese with fresh diced cucumber and / or Tomato. Morningstar farm sausage patties are good and have 10 G Protein. (They also make sausages but haven't tried them yet). I recently made some cottage cheese oatmeal pancakes that were a nice treat. I have also made omelets with one egg and 1-2 egg whites with some shredded reduced fat cheddar and some sautéed veggies (I like mushrooms, onions, and / or zucchini). Saw a recipe for a tofu scramble that I might try (tofu instead of eggs). eggs scrambled with smoked salmon or smokes trout is good.
I am 12 weeks out and trying to minimize the carbs too.

Some other Breakfast ideas. Cottage cheese mixed with some sugar free jam. Or cottage cheese or ricotta cheese with fresh diced cucumber and / or Tomato. Morningstar farm sausage patties are good and have 10 G Protein. (They also make sausages but haven't tried them yet). I recently made some cottage cheese oatmeal pancakes that were a nice treat. I have also made omelets with one egg and 1-2 egg whites with some shredded reduced fat cheddar and some sautéed veggies (I like mushrooms, onions, and / or zucchini). Saw a recipe for a tofu scramble that I might try (tofu instead of eggs). eggs scrambled with smoked salmon or smokes trout is good.
I am 12 weeks out and trying to minimize the carbs too.

Hang in there. Maybe you are getting hungry because of your high level of activity? I kind of got that you were not excited about having to do such a high level of activity every day like you previously had to do on diets past. If that is true (maybe I misread that) see what happens if you just do an hour a day of fun activity? Think of this as a lifestyle change maybe and try to develop something that you want to live doing the rest of your life. Weight will come off. Different people lose at different rates for various reasons. Your body has just gone through quite a shock and needs time to recover. Be patient with yourself and think about the long game. I know that my first stall lasted a couple of weeks and I was convinced that I was going to be the 'exceptional' case where the surgery didn't work. I am now 12 weeks out and down 40 lbs. and I am 61 yrs old with hypothyroid. I walk around 1 hour per day and do strength training 2 x per week for half hour each. Hang in there!

Gina, go back & remember what you were experiencing before the surgery. It had to have been bad enuff for u to consider having it done. Like most of us, u had to have been at the point where u didn't know what else to do, having tried so many ways to lose weight & get healthy & none of them working over the long haul.
This wls was the last hope for many of us. Yes we gave up certain things to get healthier. It's all in how u look at things. We forget how bad things used to be...time softens things...like people in abusive relationships that go back to their spouses because "maybe it wasn't that bad". We humans forget what has gotten us to do certain things out of what we deemed necessary at the time. We coat it with the haze of forgetfulness & suddenly it wasn't that bad back then. Be true to yourself & don't knock the past & the decisions you made. You made that decision to help yourself. You made it with all the information available to you at that time.
Ok....so maybe it was the wrong decision for you but you would never have known that unless you lived it. Everyone has said they wished they hadn't done something & if only someone had told them not to do it or had told them the real truth....really? Well geez, if we listen to other people, our world would never advance....how many tries did it get to get the wheel right, or that plane off the ground, or man to the moon,, or medications to figure out what worked for your depression but not for your friends? So many things in life work for some & not for others. Fortunately or unfortunately we all have to experience something for ourselves in order to get the lesson. That's how we learn. How many children listen to their parents who say don't do that or this terrible thing will happen. Or how many adults hear things from others but think, hey, that's their experience? We think we know better, so I don't think someone telling you what you had wished u had heard would have stopped you because at THAT point in time, YOU needed to do something this drastic.
I am sorry your wls made it worse for u, but it has made it better for others. You did what u did out of hope & as I said earlier the past gets foggy when we look back....so quit beating yourself up about what u did & figure out how to go on NOW. Nothing is 100%,...it's up to the person going thru whatever it is they are going thru, to get the help they can & try to make things better for themselves. I have problems, we all do...but you know what??? Having lost 70 lbs I can move more, have more energy, do more, enjoy life more. I have issues with dumping, some foods not agreeing with me. I have issues with not being able to eat a meal as I once did or enjoy it...but that's all transitory to me....because the truth is, the past me made the best decision it could for the me now & no one or no thing would have changed my mind back then because I was at the end of my rope with knee pain, high blood pressure, tiredness, & so many things including shame at going out & doing things I now can do, that I couldn't before because of my weight. It won't work for everyone...just like certain medications will work for one but not another...just like one (wo)mans bottom for an addiction will not be another (wo)mans bottom....so although I feel for you & what u r going thru, You need to stop beating on what happened....there are no guarantees in life with ANYTHING......just do the best you can....like the rest of us.
There HAS to be something the doctor can do to help u so that u don't have to wear a diaper to go out...just keep fighting for the answers. Only when u give up hope, is when u won't find those answers.
I pray you forgive yourself & that these feelings will change & u get better soon. You deserve the best in life, like everyone else in this world & I hope you get there quickly so that your suffering ends.

No complications or problems for me. I had some pain in my left shoulder the first couple weeks until I figured out that it would go away if I sat differently and was tired / weak the first few weeks but that was all. Did not take any pain meds after I left the hospital. Periodically I get some nausea and discomfort with certain foods or if I eat too fast. I will say that I think it is very important to have a good surgeon. Ask your surgeon about the risk and how many vsgs that perform each year or have performed. I went to a center of excellence for Bariatric surgery and am glad I did.

That first stall is the worst. At least it was for me because I had failed in so many previous weight loss attempts that my confidence that the surgery would work for me was low. But after 2-3 weeks the scale started to move again. After the first 2 weeks after my surgery when I was on Clear Liquids only and lost 20 lbs. I am now losing an average of 1-2 lb per week. After 8 weeks I am down 28 lbs and weigh less than I have in 26 years!

No complications or problems for me. I had some pain in my left shoulder the first couple weeks until I figured out that it would go away if I sat differently and was tired / weak the first few weeks but that was all. Did not take any pain meds after I left the hospital. Periodically I get some nausea and discomfort with certain foods or if I eat too fast. I will say that I think it is very important to have a good surgeon. Ask your surgeon about the risk and how many vsgs that perform each year or have performed. I went to a center of excellence for Bariatric surgery and am glad I did.

August 8, 2015, surgery day. 403 pounds.
July 8, 2016, eleven months. 229 pounds.
Wow. Just. WOW. I truly thought I would fail. Never thought I would see size 18 again.
WOW!

I am very sorry for your loss. That is a very emotional thing to go through you have to allow yourself to grieve but also I am sure your friend would want you to put your health first. That support group should never make you feel less about yourself. The one good thing is that you realize that there was a problem and you started to correct it. This is a lifestyle change and it will take time to adjust but you did it before and you're going to do it again. Keep posting here your progress so we can support you. All the best and you will be back on track again soon.

Jeez, with support groups like that, who needs enemies????
You didn't ruin your sleeve. You temporarily lost your way, and now you're back on the right path.
I find it courageous that you came here and admitted what happened. Keep that courage and you will do great!

I am so sorry to hear about the passing away of your friend. I lost one of my best friends years ago, right before I put on 50 pounds.
The good news is, you didn't gain this weight back from doing nothing. So it's a good thing that there is a reason; and that reason is when you stopped doing what made you lose the weight in the first place. It's actually not hard to gain 61 pounds in 7 months. I gained 50 pounds in 3 months because of oral steroids for sinus issues, and from the loss of my good friend.
You turned to food for comfort and you stopped working out because the sadness you felt drained the ambition you needed to keep trying.
You are already doing better, so that's great! Keep doing what you're doing. I also think it's a great idea to see a therapist.
I think what you need is support and friendship. You have a friend in me. So if you need any advice, or just someone to talk to, feel free to message me.