miiasan

I had about a 3 month stall also - my weight would fluctuate back and forth about 2 lbs. oh - I am 7 1/2 months out and close to my goal. When I went to my NUT - she told me I was not eating enough calories and raised it to 1200 ( I was eating between 800 - 900. She also told me to make sure I ate 5 - 6 times a day and that Protein was a part of each of those. We also discussed my exercise routine and she suggested that my body had become to used to my routine and to shake things up a bit. I have done all that and have started losing again. Although I have set my personal goal at 150 - my surgeon told me not to lose below 159. We came up with a compromise of 155 (so I could get into a healthy BMI. As I get closer to my goal, I can see what the surgeon was talking about - for my age, etc. I don't want to become a bag of bones with a lot of flappy skin lol. Although I have been walking and swimming regularly, I have added cycling, weights and resistance training to my routine three days a week. I hope this helps.

Good Luck! My insurance company only took a few days to approve - hope the same for you.

this is a great place to ask and to find answers to your questions. I would suggest that you look around the website a bit - there is a whole lot of information here - and then if you don't see an answer to a question - ask away! lots of folks here with a lot of wisdom. Also, I would suggest that you look for a group of folks who are having surgery the same month you are - I believe I saw a June group out there. I did that when I had my surgery and it was great to have a group of folks all going through the same stuff at the same time for support. Good luck on your surgery!!

A minimum of 60 grams Protein and 60 fl oz. Water per day was 'drilled' in by everyone from the surgeon on down. It was hard for me to get that down right after surgery - especially because I had a hard time with whey protein - - but I can still remember those little 1 oz. cups filled with protein shake and making myself drink so many per hour so I would reach my goal. Was it easy? no - but it was necessary for healing. I know that sometimes it feels as though you are drinking water or eating constantly (my nutritionist made me 'eat' 6 times a day so I could get all my protein in) - I can tell you that now, approaching 7 months, I have no trouble getting in 60 grams - in fact, usually I get in about 75. For me, it was a discipline - I did it because I knew I had to...simple as that. I had a lot of trouble with the shakes, but made myself drink them until I was able to get my protein in different ways. For those that have just had surgery, I would suggest that you have a goal to increase your protein and water everyday until you meet your goals. It will not be easy, but will prevent a lot of problems down the line. Protein is an essential building block - and lack of it will cause your body to find other ways to cope - such as using your muscle or organ tissue. While you may feel just fine now when you don't meet your minimum goals for protein, the long term cost is not pretty. Most of us go through this surgery to be healthier; for me, it just makes sense to at least follow minimum goals to achieve a new and healthier body. Be good to yourself, take care of yourself - push yourself if you have to....it is all worth it.

keep up the good work - take it one day at a time - you might get constipated any way - Milk of Magnesia was recommended by my doctor and really helped me - but some folks need to take something stronger Congrats on your surgery. It is hard to get in all the Water and Protein at first, but setting hourly goals helps a lot - and forgiving yourself if you don't quite make the goals for the first few weeks helps too. listen to your body - and at first the water is most important....

I went to Maidenform shop and was measured. It only took a minute and really helped a lot.

What a terrible way to get a reminder about not drinking and eating at the same time. I am sorry you got sick like this on your day 'off'. Hopefully, it will be done with soon so you can enjoy the rest of the day.

You are doing great! You will find that 'practicing' now how you will eat after the surgery will make things so much easier after the surgery - gets the head in the right place. You are really getting yourself in place for great success!

@@Danita I eat a lot of fish, chicken and cheese - I eat my protein first, then veggies and fruit. I don't drink protein shakes at all since I have a problem with whey and haven't found another type that doesn't disgust me. I do, however, eat Life Choice protein bars from time to time. I find them at Walmart in the cereal isle. They have 16 grams protein, 180 calories, 19 carbs, and 3g sugars. They do not have the bad effect on my stomach, etc. that the purely whey based ones have. I always carry one in my purse to eat in case I go off schedule or can't find a suitable source of protein to eat (say, my friends are eating cupcakes or something) I cut the bar up into 8 pieces and carry it in a baggie so it is handy to 'snack' on - so to speak.

@@Danita I get the swanson's low sodium chicken broth. I think it goes down well because it is really warm. I find it helps to 'wake up' my stomach, so to speak.

Yes, I have to drink it at room temperature.

I have had a hard time with drinking Water since my surgery. I know the symptoms you mention. Here are some of the things that help me. I have found that I cannot drink water first thing in the morning - it lands 'hard' and makes me feel ill. So, I eat a small meal first. On days when I later try water and it still doesn't go down well, I drink 8 oz of low sodium broth. After that - it seems as though I can handle water pretty well. I cannot gulp it down, though - have to drink it in small amounts at a time - wait a bit - then drink more. I hope some of these suggestions help you - perhaps you are just drinking too much too fast? I hope you find a solution quickly.

Hi all! Been reading posts and really appreciate this forum. It seems as though my weight loss is slowing down a bit - and it wasn't that fast! Anyway, one of the hardest things for me is to get in enough fluid everyday. My stomach still doesn't like water very much, but am trying not to drink broth very often as even the low sodium broth has salt in it. I could probably exercise more - lol - have had a lot of trouble with getting tired out when I exercise, but am still walking everyday and get to the pool a couple times a week. Don't know why my energy level is still so low - all my blood work seems to check out fine. Anyway, I am taking things day to day - still logging everything. I am not really stalled - just SLOWLY losing. My arms have begun to get really loose - and my stomach, too. I exercised a whole lot before the surgery, so am thinking that helped a lot up to this point. Just spent a week with the grandkids - kept up with them the whole time! I can do so much more these days because I am not carrying around so much excess weight. Anyway, continued success to all of you! Keep on keeping on!

yeah, something that you really do need to practice and get into habit before surgery. I have had water too soon after eating before and have spent the better part of the next couple of hours in the bathroom lol - lot easier not to drink anything

I have gone down from a size 3x to a size 16 since my surgery. I have always thought in terms of lbs not clothing size. My goal is 150 - although when I get there, I will probably see if maybe I want to go to 140. As far as size goes, I think I would be quite happy with a size 12.

I, too, have been a diabetic for a number of years. Before I started this process I was taking the full dose of Avandia, 75 Lantus and around 175 Novalog per day. I lost 30 lbs before surgery and was taken off Avandia and down a significant amount for both Lantus and Novalog as I lost weight. I am a little over 5 months out from surgery. My endocrinologist is sure I will be off insulin completely soon, although I worry that I have been a diabetic too long for this. I currently take 20 Lantus per day and about 10 Novalog. I had the RnY because of the cure rate for diabetes. I have not yet reached my goal weight - so hope that as time goes by I will eventually be able to go off. As a side note, I am not yet off my high blood pressure and cholesterol meds either. I am 60 and although losing weight steadily - it is a lot slower that many. This is okay, though, as my body has had time to adjust and I don't have a lot of loose skin to deal with. Anyway, I have seen many posts here where people were able to go on a sliding scale after surgery and soon off insulin all together. I guess a lot of factors play into it. I wish you well for your surgery. The surgery goes a long way to help us get healthy; it is a great tool. Even though I am not off insulin completely, the amount of insulin has dropped drastically and I am much healthier for it.

All good suggestions from others. I am 5 months out and have only dumped a couple of times - The first was eating cottage cheese a couple weeks out from surgery. I ate at a hospital cafeteria and I suppose it was 4%. I have since found out that I don't tolerate fats too well, so that is really something I watch out for. The second time I dumped was probably sugar related. My sugar fell really low and I grabbed a banana - was sick and throwing up for several hours. Haven't had a banana since lol I always have Protein bars with me when I travel and cut up cheese. When I go out to eat, I first go online and check out the menu to see if they have anything I can eat. Sometimes the appetizer menu has a few things, but if I order from the regular menu I ask to substitute stuff out like veggies instead of potatoes, etc. Most restaurants will work with you. I always take a LOT home; sometimes enough for a lunch for my hubby. I am careful not to order things that might be fatty because one or two bites can make me feel pretty uncomfortable for a couple of hours. I am also careful to eat slowly enough that I know when I am about full - then I stop. I have found that there is almost an art to playing with my food so others don't feel uncomfortable with me not eating much. I have also learned to let them bring the darn water; I just don't drink any of it. Hope this helps...

Well, I think you probably have an accurate picture of where you are. I think the discipline of measuring out our foods and making sure we have the proper amount of protein, fluids, vitamins, etc. is a good discipline to have because it will serve us the rest of our lives. While it may be true that you will lose no matter what you do right now, you are probably developing habits that will 'bite you in the butt' down the road. As many say - the surgery is only a tool - it gives us a way to lose the extra pounds without having to experience the hunger pains, etc. Essentially, it allows us to 'reset' our minds and bodies into a healthier way of living. I have a friend who had surgery and now only two years later has gained all her weight back. She told me that it was because she took the surgery and weight loss for granted and slowly slipped back into the habits she had before the surgery. You are not that far out from your surgery, so you have a choice every day of how you are going to live this out. The surgery IS just a tool - how you use it is totally up to you. I am 5 months out from surgery. Every day I have decisions to make. I find it easier for me to plan my meals - my exercise for the day. I also use this forum, a support group, and some self discipline to keep me accountable. I know that I have a short amount of time granted by the surgery to lose all my excess weight. For me, the benefits of doing so far outweigh the discipline it takes to avoid the foods I shouldn't eat and to exercise on a daily basis. I understand emotional stuff. My husband just finished up 8 months of chemo and we will find out next month if he has gone into remission. I had my surgery right in the midst of that and had to find ways to adhere to the diet, etc while traveling almost 100 miles back and forth to his treatments. I found a way to make it work; I find a way each and every day. Sometimes you have to deal with things that way. I think, also, that some emotional stuff does come along with this surgery. I remember days when all I wanted to do was cry. Find someone to talk with who will allow you to lean on them and will give you the support that you need. Do some stuff just for yourself; actually taking walks help to clear the mind and has the added benefit of making you feel so much better. Start out small. Set small goals like: today I am going to start logging every bite I eat and drink so I know what is going into my body. Then perhaps after you have that down: Today I am going to walk for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, then 30 minutes... etc. You can do this! You made the decision to have this surgery for some reason. Remember that each and every day - use that for motivation. Good luck to you in your weight loss journey!

yeah, call your doctor's office. I had to crush all my meds and could only drink sips of stuff at a time - but you can't be throwing up all the time - you will get dehydrated. Your doctor's office should have someone to call even after hours.

wow! you have lost a LOT of weight! Take some time to Celebrate that - go treat yourself to a facial or massage - or a trip to the beach if you have one close by. Schedule a long walk and leave the world behind for a while. Sometimes life gets pretty hectic and we have challenges thrown at us from everywhere; it can be pretty unfair and overwhelming. Take some time to take care of yourself - even if you have to schedule it - I find when I am able to do this, my whole attitude and outlook on my life gets an 'adjustment' - Usually none of the situations have changed, but my ourlook has. I hope things get better soon - and. by the way - the stall will end. Try not to dwell on it.

I had a lot of problems with smell and taste - and upset stomach after surgery. For me, two things affected these. The first was that I became lactose intolerant - the second that I could not tolerate whey Protein. Once I eliminated lactose my stomach felt a lot better. Getting off the whey protein was harder. I tried all sorts of alternative protein source shakes and could not make myself drink them (the taste was awful - at least the whey shakes tasted good). Fortunately, I was able to wean myself off the whey based shakes and get my protein with 'real' food by time I got to the solid food stage. I have not had the smell and taste problems since. I do eat Protein Bars from time to time - but tend to have the same problems come back if I eat some of the better tasting ones that are whey protein only. This is what it was for me; it could be something totally different for you. I hope that you discover ways to get your protein without getting sick and that this is just a phase that will pass quickly for you.

lol - and how much I eat depends on what food it is. Soup - about 2/3 cup - 1 egg with cheese - - but I can only eat about 3 bites of some meats - like chicken breast. I also can't eat but a couple bites of tuna, but can eat 4 ounces of salmon or tilapia. Although I cannot eat but a couple bites of chicken breast, I can eat 4 ounces of chicken thigh. I can eat a lot of shrimp, too. Since I need to get my Protein in and cannot tolerate the Protein shakes, I tend to eat what is easier for me to tolerate in larger amounts. I try to break my protein into 4 or 5 servings - getting around 15 - 20 in for a meal and about 5 in for a snack. I also drink FairLife milk from time to time as it is lactose free, lower in sugar, and higher in protein than regular milk. I don't drink protein shakes as my stomach doesn't tolerate whey very well and the rest of them are putrid (in my opinion) - but I do eat Life Choice Protein Bars (1/2 before and 1/2 after working out) They have 7 grams sugars and 18 protein. Hope this helps...

oh, and my surgery was October 19th - so close to when you had yours. Do you still see your NUT? It might help to talk with them - also, if you can find a support group in your area...

I think that logging your food will really help. Try breaking that one larger meal into smaller meals. Once you log your food you will be able to make a better assessment of what needs to be done. I am about 5 months out from surgery and eat around 800 calories, although my NUT wants me to increase to 1000. My pattern of weight loss is: lose 10 pounds - stall for about 4 weeks, repeat. So I wouldn't be too concern about your stall right now if I were you - just get yourself regulated because your body handles many smaller meals better than one larger. I don't know about you, but if I don't log everything and be intentional about eating and drinking, I tend to not get enough calories. I do much better when I plan my meals out and can push myself to eat over the 800 calories. You have lost a lot of weight so far - congratulations! ...And even though you have not been measuring your food, you have not been gaining. There is a lot to be said for that, too. Measuring what we eat probably should be a habit for the rest of our lives. Good luck on your journey!

Hi guys! Just thought I would check in. I had my 3 month check up a few weeks ago and everything was great! My doctor said that they wanted to see 40% of excess weight off by then and I had exceeded that! So...lol don't worry about how fast it is coming off. As of today, I have lost 42 lbs since surgery - with around 71 lbs total. I feel pretty darn good - although I still get tired out relatively easily. I've given all old clothes away and have settled with wearing jeggings and t-shirts most of the time (I'm retired - so don't have to 'dress') I got tired of baggy clothes for church so finally went out and bought a dress. Luckily winter stuff is marked way down. I am officially out of plus sizes!! I got a 16, but probably could have gotten a 14. When I held the dress up in the store it looked awfully little - lol - but it fits well - at least for the next few weeks. My next purchase will probably be an Easter dress - just because. I am flying to NY this morning to visit my daughter. I am anxious to see how I fit into the seat - last time I flew I had to ask for an extender - think those days are long gone. My daughter hasn't seen me since I've started losing weight. She is in for a surprise. While in NY we are going to get a make-over together. This is something I promised myself for when I got under 200 lbs. It ought to be loads of fun! Anyway, that is an update on me - slow but steady is winning the race! I hope everyone else is well. Although I don't post very often, this group has meant a whole lot to me on my journey. Peace and love to you all!