baconsher

a lot of people expressed to me dismay over cutting out a "perfectly healthy organ" but to me my system was not perfectly healthy. I was hungry all the time. it would take me 3 or 4 times the amount of food I should have been eating just to feel satisfied. I don't know - in time, science may reveal causes of obesity - but in the mean time I have to live and be as healthy as I can. the surgery gave me that
now my diabetes is GONE. and a normal child size portion satisfies me. completely satisfied. with a normal amount of food. I have never lost the weight before, and it feels wonderful all the changes in my body.
I can't say if it is right for you, but most of us only feel like we should have done it sooner. Keep searching your heart and see whether you are ready for this or not.

Isn't medical science amazing?
When we have a blocked artery, we can have the artery opened up with a stent or balloon with heart surgery.
When a woman laboring is having problems delivering, putting her and her baby's life in danger, she can have a c-cection.
When we get cancer, we can have helpful but toxic drugs pumped through our bodies to fight it and hopefully put it in remission.
When we've tried every diet under the sun and completely screwed our metabolisms up, or we have physical issues that make it almost impossible to lose or keep weight off, we can have bariatric surgery.
No, medical intervention isn't always the way it's "meant" to be, but sometimes it's necessary.

Yes! I'm 15 weeks post op and I'm still very fatiguedy. I expected to have a lot of energy and I just run out of fuel. I'm better than I was after a month and after 2 months but I'm so frustrated. I'm deficient in Iron and Vitamin D. My surgeon doubled my Iron and started me on 2000 international units of Vitamin D. No change after a week. My Nutritionist told me to stay at 60g of Protein (I'm 5'2") and to increase my carbs but she didn't give me a range on carbs. A man in my monthly support group meetings said he didn't get energy until his 6 month anniversary. Both my surgeon and my Primary tell me to be patient (post op MAJOR surgery) so I'll be patient. It's extremely frustrating. A friend told me she experienced fatigue while on the Atkins diet (high Protein, very low carb). Maybe some of us need more carbs?
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None of us lose at a constant or steady rate. We all experience stalls and slow downs. Almost everyone experiences a stall about three weeks after surgery.
Since you already started at a very low weight/BMI you probably won't see a dramatic initial weight loss.
Nowhere in your post do you mention Fluid or Protein. It sounds like you have mostly been eating carbs. What is your Protein target? Until you are able to get enough Fluid and protein you probably will have low energy. Both are absolutely critical for healing and weight loss. The number of calories is less important than the soy cow of those calories. 1000 calories of mashed potatoes, toast, and jam, have absolutely no protein.
You just had major surgery and your body needs time and nutrition, mostly protein, to heal.
You need to follow your program.
Track your food.
Focus on getting at least 64 oz of fluid.
Make sure you are reaching your protein target. Mine is 100 grams a day. Try to aim for at least 80 grams if possible based on my surgeon's guidelines for someone at your starting BMI.
Avoid starches, added sugars (especially high fructose corn syrup), and fried foods.
Take your Vitamins and supplements as directed.
Exercise when cleared.
Stay off the scale if you are going to let the numbers drive you crazy.
And, Embrace the Stall
http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I actually take a little more than the recommended amount - which I think is 1 cap full? I have as much as 1 1/2 to 2 cap fulls depending on how I've been eating. It won't hurt you, whatever you don't need comes out in your urine.

Hey I know this is an old post, but chose balanced essentials based on the help of the consultant at Vitamin world along with your post...but i was wondering do you take the recommended dose of balanced essentials or double due to the amounts we bariatric patients need? Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

I really really like Balanced Essentials (by Heaven Sent Naturals at Vitamin World) and my second choice is Alive liquid. They both taste amazing...almost like juice and they are packed with so many vital nutrients, way more than you get in ANY chewable. I tried several chewables and unless they cost a fortune, they are gross and don't have but like 22 Vitamins in them anyway! Balanced Essentials has something like 35 Vitamins and 60 nutrients (trick your body in to thinking you live and eat from a garden all day long). It makes a heck of a difference, I wouldn't lie to you. You won't need any other supplement using this...not even Biotin for your hair. This has made my hair really strong and thick, the only thing Biotin did was keep my hair from falling out. Whatever is in this bottle makes my hair, skin and finger nails look better than they have in years.

I'm 8 weeks out this past Wed. I hit a 2 week stall and was very disappointed. I know this is common by reading posts on this site. I also attend a monthly support group and nobody ever speaks of how much weight they have lost but rather the decrease in BMI. Some people weigh themselves daily (I do) and some weekly. Make sure to follow the guidelines as you will lifelong. You will do great, keep the faith.
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You definitely need to log your food. You will be surprised how off you can be "eye-balling" portions. If you don't like the app you are using, try My Fitness Pal or Livestrong/MyDailyPlate. As @InnerSurferGirl asked, what are you eating? How many carbs, Protein, etc? Are you taking Vitamins? Without more info, we aren't able to make a lot of suggestions.
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I might be dumping I'm done with eating I'm just going to have Protein shakes and Water I'm so over the cramping and throwing up
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Thanks @@gina171 I guess I don't feel as bad. Six weeks was a long time to have waited for results. I would've panicked. I'm 26 and have roughly around 120 to lose (since being my heaviest at 257 and 248 starting weight), which idk if that considered not much weight to lose, but maybe that could be why my weight loss is going at a slower rate. ???
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I use MyFitnessPal. 90% of what I eat is already in the database. I have only had to add a couple of things. The very few things that I couldn't find specifically, I have been able to find something similar enough to feel confident that it is a good estimate.

Comparison is the thief of joy! This is your journey. Work your program and Celebrate your successes! We are all different biologically. Follow the rules, exercise when you can and allow yourself to enjoy every one of those 23 lbs. I am rooting for you! Keep us posted!

I need to track better, it just gets to be tedious. I will admit I was tracking using my baritastic app everyday at first but now I am just kind of eyeing it (my Proteins and fluids) for the most part, but I guess taking better measurements would be a big help. I guess I stopped after some of the foods I was eating weren't able to be found in the app.
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There is a woman in my support group who is in her early 30's (young!), had RNY, and did everything to the letter her surgeon and Nut said and lost nothing. NOTHING for the first 6 weeks, when everything is supposed to be cruising along. It baffled them all. Then, after 6 weeks, she said the weight began falling off in sheets! Super fast, and then kept going down.
So....fear not!
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I understand the desire to know about other people's experiences, but I think one of the dangers of this is the assumption that we can somehow control results.
I have come to understand that the only thing I can control are the inputs. And even then, trying to manipulate the inputs (by restricting calories, over exercising, etc.) can do more harm than good.

It seems that at least 50% of the posts on BariatriPal are bemoaning a stall. Daily, and sometimes hourly, I am reading about how someone ONLY lost x number of pounds and now the scale hasn't moved in ___ [fill in the blank] days/months, etc. Oh no, they write, I am a failure/unique/my surgery didn't work/life is not fair, ... Why am I in a stall?
I know I am exaggerating but I think you get the idea.
Guess what? STALLS are a NORMAL part of the PROCESS of losing weight. If you want to lose weight, you will stall. Not just once, but over and over. And, guess what? A stall is where your body actually does the hard work of becoming smaller. It takes a lot of work and energy to dismantle a structure that has been holding up, in some cases, hundreds of pounds.
For those who think they have to DO something to somehow "break a stall" (in my opinion, you do not break a stall, you just ride them out), here is my response:
What can you do to "break" a stall?
1) STAY OFF THE SCALE
Relax and stay off the scale if it bothers you so much. Weigh no more than once a week, or even less often. Weighing only at your doctor's appointments early in the process is a good strategy if your mood and self-worth are dictated by the numbers on the scale.
2) PICK UP A TAPE MEASURE
In addition to using the numbers on the scale to measure your progress, take your measurements. Inches lost are also a great way to see physical progress when the scale isn't moving. Most people see the biggest physical changes in their body when the scale seems stuck.
3) TRACK YOUR Protein AND Water AND MEET OR EXCEED YOUR PROTEIN AND WATER GOAL EVERY DAY
As long as you are getting in all your protein and water and following your NUT and surgeon's instructions, you are doing what you are supposed to do.
If you aren't getting in all your protein and water, then increasing your protein and water is something you can do (and should be doing anyway whether or not you are in a stall).
4) EXERCISE
If you aren't exercising, then you can exercise (and should be whether or not you are in a stall). You can start slowly by walking or even moving more around the house. Exercising will help you feel better, tone your skin and build fat-burning muscle.
5) MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR NUT
If you are unsure or unclear about what you are supposed to be, or should not be eating, then make an appointment with your NUT (which you should be doing whether or not you are in a stall).
6) REASSESS AND REEVALUATE
About the only good result I see that comes from complaining about a stall is when you take an honest look at what you are doing and realign with the program recommended by your NUT and surgeon. Have you started eating more outside of your plan? Are you restricting calories? Are you eating enough carbs and protein for your exercise? Are you taking your Vitamins? Are you eating often enough? Are you eating slowly with protein first? Sometimes, all you need to DO is go back to basics.
7) JOURNAL
One of the biggest things I have noticed from the various posts is how anxious and out-of-control some people feel when they notice a stall. Journaling can help you gain some perspective and deal with some of the emotional turmoil.
-- Write about how you are feeling about the stall and your weight loss, and surgery in general.
-- Write about why you had the surgery in the first place.
-- Write about what life was like before surgery.
-- Write about what you hope and dream about accomplishing in the future.
-- Write about your fears.
-- Write about your NSVs.
-- Make a gratitude list.
-- Make a bucket list.
-- Write a letter to your old self; write a letter to your new self.
Just write.
8) SEEK HELP
Stalls are when too many people seem to revert to old, counterproductive dieting behaviors (restricting calories, over exercising, bingeing, etc.). If this is you, then another thing you can DO is to talk to a counselor or therapist or consider joining a bariatric support group or a twelve-step group like Overeater's Anonymous.
The discomfort of being in a stall can also drive people to develop new, unhealthy coping habits or even transfer addictions. This is where you want to marshall all the resources you have available to you and use them.
The last, and most important thing you can DO is:
9) EMBRACE THE STALL
Stalls are a normal and natural part of the process.
Our bodies are complex systems and not simple machines.
Stalls go hand-in-hand with weight loss.
If you had Weight Loss Surgery, then you probably want to lose a significant amount of weight. So, get ready to embrace the many stalls you will experience as your body is transformed. It will be worth it.

Please don't compare yourself to other people. Everyone loses at different rates. A lot of it depends on your starting weight/BMI.
Just focus on following your program.
Without knowing what you are doing it is hard to make suggestions.
Are you tracking your food?
Eating Protein first?
Reaching your Protein target every day?
Getting in at least 64 oz of Fluid every day?
Taking your Vitamins and supplements as directed?
Exercising?
Have you talked to your NUT about your concerns?
Everyone stalls. Just about everyone experiences a stall about three weeks after surgery. Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. If you intend to lose a significant amount of weight, you will experience stalls.
Embrace the Stall
http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall.

I am 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass. The weight dropped off so quickly there really wasn't much time for a stall. Sleeve patients lose weight at a slower pace but can sustain the weight loss for a longer time, eventually reaching almost the same weight loss. So I recommend the following:
1. Put your scale away in the closet. If you worry constantly about your weight loss, it can trigger anxiety. Stress can interfere with your weight loss.
2. The most important requirements after surgery is meeting your Protein, Fluid and Vitamin daily requirements. food is secondary because your body is converting stored fats into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight. Exercise is also important. Get at least 30 minutes of walking in each day (or equivalent). Follow the program guidelines and just let the magic happen.
3. In the beginning, you will need to supplement your Protein with Protein shakes. But as your meal volume increases, if you concentrate on consuming high protein meals, you can begin to offload your protein supplements. These supplements contain calories, so reduce your use of them as you progress. This approach helped me break a stall at 2 months post-op. I went from 3 Protein Shakes per day, down to 2, down to one and finally at a year and a half, down to zero.

@@Sophie74656 - I'm glad you have a great support team. I didn't. The people in Mexico did supply me with the basics, but I did learn a great deal more here. And some people like to get validation. And then there are those poor souls who want to find a loophole to get back into their bad habits. But you do raise a bigger point, it really is up to each of us to verify what we reading. 78.6% of statistics presented online are made up on the spot, so caveat emptor.

Is it a pain right under your ribcage? Does it start and stop suddenly? Could be your gallbladder.

I would call your surgeon. The blood is worrisome. You may have just irritated your intestines but I wouldn't take the chance - call.

On May 12, 2015, I had my weight loss surgery in Tijuana. I had a procedure called Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, or "gastric sleeve" for short. About 80% of my stomach was removed. The normal human stomach is about the size of a football. My new stomach is the size of a banana. As a result of the surgery I can only consume small portions of food, ranging from a few ounces to a cup of food, depending upon what I'm eating. However, the amazing thing about this is that I am fully satiated from eating so little. When our stomachs are full they send signals to the brain that makes us feel satiated and we stop eating. Since my stomach is so small I get those signals way quicker and with very little food. So I feel satiated off of a few ounces of food while a person without the surgery may have to eat an entire plate of food, or more. Before surgery I could eat an entire large pizza by myself in one sitting. Today I can't even finish one slice. I believe the surgery, along with quitting smoking, saved my life.
My Stats:
Highest Recorded Weight - 388 lbs
Weight at Time I Decided to Have Surgery - 370 lbs
Weight on Day of Surgery - 350 lbs
Weight One Year After Surgery - 190 lbs (and still losing!)
Goal Weight - 170 lbs
Total Weight Loss To Date - 180 lbs
Highest Recorded BMI (Body Mass Index) - 50.2
Current BMI - 25.8
Largest Pant Size - 46
Current Pant Size - 32
Largest Shirt Size - 4X
Current Shirt Size - L to XL
I want to give a shout out to my niece, Jazmine, who thought it was funny to say that my legs are so skinny they look like teenage girl legs. Trust me, I am taking that as a compliment! I would rather have "teenage girl legs" than massive tree trunks. Also, a shout out to my friends who told me that I went from a "2" to an "8" on a scale of attractiveness. That was much appreciated! Finally, a shout out to my bestie Michelle who told me that "Now there is no one out of your league, only people beneath you." (Kind of a mean-spirited comment but a definite ego-booster!) LOL
So what's next? Well, I have 20 more pounds to lose and then I will be at my goal weight. I also need to start saving for my plastic surgery to have my excess skin removed. It's weird because even though I lost the weight I am still majorly self-conscious because the excess skin is so ugly. I would not be comfortable at all with taking off my shirt in public. Even after the surgery I will still probably be majorly self-conscious because I will have so many scars. I will probably look like a sexy Frankenstein's monster. So it will be real ironic if after all this is said and done that I still would not feel comfortable taking off my shirt in public. All I can do is take it one day at a time and hope for the best.
BEFORE and AFTER pictures below!

So I haven't been on much in the last couple years. Just steadily keeping my weight from fluctuating too much. I am having a TT and breast augmentation on 5/2 with Dr Michael Salzhauer (aka the real Dr Miami) in Bal Harbour, FL (Miami area). It's all paid in full. It was about $12,000 that I took the last 14 months to pay off.
I started at 350 (give or take since I don't know how much I got up to really)
I'm now at about 200. I went as low as 170 but looked unhealthy. I love my curves as they are now. However, the pain the excess skin causes on my back is more than I can bear.
Everyone keeps asking me "are you excited??", "aren't you terrified??", and "are you sure you want to put your body through that??" Yes. Yes I do. To all of it.
Here's a couple pics I had from before and during the processes. Thank you for everyone that has been so supportive.