Rev Me Up!

Thanks for the thoughtful replies. I had bloodwork at 5 months and everything was fine. I don't take Vitamins - it slipped off the radar around month 4. I'll try adding them back into the routine. Early on I had a Vitamin D deficiency that corrected itself. It's nice to know other people are feeling a bit different. I have to work harder to change up what I am eating I guess. I still can't tolerate Protein drinks - never could - and I know that has limited me quite a bit. I may count my cals / carbs / fat for a few days and see if there are any obvious deficiencies there. THanks again!

Hi All, I wanted to share some of what I am going through and see if anyone else has had a similar experience. I am over 7 months out from surgery and my weight loss has ben fantastic. Let me start by saying my sleeve REALLY WORKS for me. I don't watch my carbs or cals or fat. I can eat about 5 bites of anything and then that's it. I always eat Protein first because I am afraid I will have bad nutritional repercussions if I don't. The following foods upset my stomach, so I don't eat them: bread, ice cream, alcohol. I rarely have room for any type of vegetable or fruit, but I do eat granola with my yogurt in the morning. I still eat 5 or 6 times a day. I have to or else I don't get enough calories in and I feel weird. I have never been on a workout regimen. Major problem because now I feel quite weak. I can walk at a normal pace for hours (much more than before). But, if I increase my heart rate, I can't do it for more than a couple of minutes. I know I need to work on it and I am slowly getting better. Feel like I am starting from zero... Here's my problem: I don't feel normal at all. If I exert myself, I get shaky. I have a lot of emotional weirdness about food - especially if I am out and about on my own and need to eat something. I can quickly stress out because nothing sounds good or I don't want to spend the money on something I will eat 1/4 of and then throw away. My hormone swings have been crazy too - last 2 months my libido disappeared AND my period changed again. Seems like every 2 months has a hormonal surprise in the form of sex drive or period or hair loss or bad temper. The overall affect is getting me down. Of course, life doesn't stop just because I am going through this. Work is laying people off next month, I am getting married in 3 weeks, the in-laws are already starting drama over Thanksgiving - you know, regular life stuff. I started lifting weights around the house. I figured I will work on one body part at a time and right now it is my arms. Easy to do in the living room. Anyone else feel a little "off"?

sorry to hear about your marriage troubles. these surgeries can't really fix what is going on around us, unfortunately. i wish you luck in working that out. i am in the 7th month and i have lost 57 pounds. still losing about 1/2 a pound a week. i am close to my made up goal, but could probably lose another 10-15 pounds down to the 120's. my body looks pretty natural at a very slim weight. at 138 pounds, i am a size 10 pants and a size small shirt (i carry all my weight in my stomach and boobs). my butt is literally indented :-) good luck---

i still get a bit frustrated. it is awesome when nothing at the drive through is appetizing, but it is also very frustrating when you are in a hurry and really need to eat something. i also get a little emotional sometimes when i see how little i eat. very weird. the plus side is that this really works and if i could eat the same old stuff i ate before i would still be that fat girl. last night we went to red robin. i was less than thrilled because i don't think there is a lot on the menu for me. i asked for the kids portion of chicken on a stick (grilled chicken) without a side dish. they charged me less than the kids meal - amazing! the chicken was good and my family had their burgers and we were all very happy. i am resigned to it now, but i have to admit my reflections on food can be a bit emotional. i am also shocked at how much other people eat. as far as fast food goes: i will eat a taco bell taco (most of it), and you can get a single piece of chicken at el pollo loco asa side dish (i think its $1). i have gotten the small portion of chicken fries at burger king. the smell of mcdonalds and jack in the box make me sick - and i used to love jack in th box. my aversion to bread pretty much kills those options anyway. it is an intresting journey for sure!

i had green poo for a while in the first few months. i was only going every other day - but then again, i was not eating / drinking anything with artificial sweetener. that stuff can really change the poo habits. i would rather eat a little bit of real sugar than consume the fake stuff - just don't like the taste. as long as you aren't having bad diahrea that can dehydrate you, i wouldn't worry about it. i eat much more normal food now and the poo situation is also more normal.

way to get your power back!!!!!!

oh yes! in the beginning, it is very common and very loud. after several months, i find mine really gets loud if i eat Soup or Cereal - something that has a liquid component to it. its like the liquid and solid are fighting each other to see which will be digested first. totally normal.

I thought I would mention that real life is nothing like high school. I was bullied terribly in jr high and high school - not because I was fat, there are lots of reasons people are bullied. The day I left high school was the last day anyone bullied me. Period. In the real world, you just don't run into that problem very much. Take some self defense classes. Or maybe think about relocating if you really live in a place where people can't treat you with respect. I think everything will be OK. You may be a bit awkward getting used to your new body and people's reaction to it - that's OK. good luck--

You are less than 2 weeks out from MAJOR SURGERY. Some people have the surgery and are up and running in no time,but not everyone. I experienced extreme exhaustion for 8 weeks with diziness, etc. You have a major organ healing and you are barely giving your body enough food to survive. Please slow down. Talk to the doc about your concerns, but also get up slower, try to get in a few more Protein calories, and take care of yourself. Good luck---

I could never get through one Protein drink after surgery. Not one. I am not saying this is the best course of action, but as soon as I was able, I was drinking liquid yogurt, kefir, milk - whatever I could get down that had some protein in it. I never really came close to proper protein intake until I was able to eat some meat. I ate cottage cheese, yogurt, cheddar cheese, brie cheese, deli meat, soft cooked white fish, etc. Follow docs orders on what you can eat and try to get all the protein items in up-front. To this day, the smell of any protein drink makes me ill. Weird. Good luck---

The dreaded 3-5 week stall strikes again! There are tons of posts about it if you look back through the threads. Best thing to do is focus on hydration, Protein, and healing. Put the scale away for at least 10 days and you should have a little bit of a loss in a couple of weeks. Don't drive yourself crazy by weighing everyday. Good luck!!

Good luck!!!

My experience with the sleeve was COMPLETELY different than the band. Lost very little weight with the band and then gained most of it back. Had the band for almost 4 years. With the sleeve I have come within 5 pounds of goal within 7 months. No comparison - the sleeve works the way the band promised, but never actually fulfilled. Do lots of reseach - Dr Aceves is the best. I was very happy with my experience and results with him. Good luck-

Yay!!!!! Congrats and here's wishing you a speedy recovery!

I couldn't do the shakes or the Isopure - at all. I couldn't get them down. If you are eating eggs and cottage cheese, you should be fine. Add some yogurt if you can handle it, greek ogurt has the most protein, but is strong in flavor. Make some homemade chicken broth (boil a real chicken, don't use powder) that will have lots of good collagen in it. You can also try to stir a little bit of protein powder into your cottage cheese to give it a boost. Try drinking milk too. Stay hydrated and do the best you can--- Good luck!

What a wonderful feeling!!!!!

Yes, they can alter from a 10 to an 8 and that is likely what I will do. They have been really great and I know I am going to spend a fortune on alterations anyway. It's form fitting on top and then has a slim A line skirt. Not too big on the bottom, just enough to flow off of my stomach. It's also a halter - lots of alterations!! I was talking to my boyfriend about this right after I left the shop. I was stressed and frantic and he starts laughing and says that is the most awesome problem ever. I started laughing too. He really had a way of putting it in perspective. This time last year I was about to walk off a cliff because I gained weight after buying a dress for my brother-in-law's wedding. I ended up throwing the dress away and wearing something less than awesome out of my closet. I was so depressed. So, I am thankful for all I have and grateful for what the sleeve has given me!!

I think after the the first 4 weeks, I didn't weight myself for an entire month. After reading the boards I knew the stall would come in that time and I didn't want to know about it. I lived my life without the scale for teh entire 2nd month. At the end I had only lost a couple of pounds, but I was happy I had some progress through the slump. It is normal to stall in this time. Also, a stall isn't really a stall unless it goes on for more than 2 weeks. There are lots of fluctuations in the meantime. I weigh once a week at the most. Sometimes I wait longer. Don't be a slave to the scale, believe me. you can't help but lose weight with the calorie restriction you will have for the next several months. Good luck!

"Hunger" pangs are usually acid in disguise. If you are not taking daily Omeprazole, start taking it. If you are taking one a day, you might want to take 2 (one in the AM, one in the PM) Make sure you take it on a completely empty stomach and don't eat for an hour after. A lot of us took the acid reducer from day one and continued to take them for months. You can do it!!!!!!!

That is absolutely fantastic!!! Congrats to you on your weight and continued success!!!

I think my sense of style has always been the same, but I was also concerned about what looks good on me. At this stage of my life, I have more of an hourglass shape than I ever had before and I have started to get into the retro clothes - dresses that are tight on top with full circle skirts. Also shirts that have built in darts at the bust to accomodate a small waist with a larger bosom. They are forgiving for the body shape I have today. Also, I am bearing down on 40 and I am trying to evolve my style in a way that is age appropriate while still being cool. I will say today that I am willing to spend more money on clothes because they look fantastic. I also am moving into wearing much more color rather than just colorful accessories. Good luck to you in realizing your full style potential!!!!

OK, so I have a problem that is stressing me out like crazy!!! I put it in the success forum because my problem comes from my weight loss, which is a great thing. However, there is still a problem. I am getting married. The bridal salon said I had to order my dress over a month ago. I did. Luckily it came in early and it was huge so they sent it back and ordered another size down. It is a size 12 and is coming in this week. I stopped by the bridal shop to get my measurements again and my measurements are a solid size 10. So the dress that will be here this week is too big. There are still 2 months before my big day. I know I am going to exchange the 12 for a 10, but now I am freaking out wondering if I should order an 8?!?! I will be more than upset if it is too tight around my hips (that's the largest area on me). I will fit the 10 perfectly today, but I will likely lose another 10 pounds before my wedding day. I am seriously worried, but I know they can alter the size 10. I know this seems trivial in light of the weight loss - I am so happy about it!! But, I want to look good on my wedding day. Not to mention I feel bad for the shop even though I told them when I started that I physically can't stop losing weight and I don't know what size I will be in 2 weeks much less 12 weeks. I must say, though, Davids Bridal has been really fantastic about this. They allow exchanges and I am really testing that policy right now. STRESS!!!!!

Hi- had surgery on 3/7/2011 - just over 6 months ago. I have lost 90% of my excess weight and I am still loding about a pound a week. I should get to my goal in a month at this rate. However, I will probably shoot right past it because I don't know how I would stop losing weight at this point - I can't possibly eat more!! I was a lapband revision and I am THRILLED with my experience with Dr Aceves and my results. The first month is brutal, but it is very effective. Good luck!

I have to be honest, I didn't eat with my family for about 4 weeks after surgery. The smells would make me ill or they would give me terrible cravings and I would feel sorry for myself because I couldn't partake. I would either watch TV or go in my bedroom and read a book. This is temporary. You will be able to join them soon enough without feeling so awkward. If you can't take it emotionally, there is nothing wrong with admitting it. I couldn't take it and I had to remove myself from the situation. Not forever, just for a few weeks until I was healed enough to handle it. No shame in that!!!

Hi- Different doctors give different diets. Those of us that went to Mexico are on an aggressive liquids only for 3 weeks. I got a different set of instructions from my US bariatric support center. They have you trying mushy food by the end of the first week. I ended up somewhere in between. I wasn't tolerating any Protein drinks so I started to eat yogurt and WELL CHEWED cottage cheese after 2 weeks. Even then, I could only eat about 3 bites and it took 20 minutes to get it down. There is no difference between revision patients and virgin tummy patients. If you are confused, call your doctor to clarify. Also, there are a few spots here on the board where people have posted their post op diet instructions. Is there something specific you are concerned about with your current diet?