KristenLe

@@happycamper06 Your hormones are all out of whack too and making things look worse. Hang in there! See if there's something savory you can have instead.

I am still pre-op, so take from this what you will, but I would double check with your surgeon about having to wait after drinking to eat. I just saw my dietician and she said that I could drink up until right before I eat, I only have to wait after eating.
Another thing to add is that fat tends to store hormones, and since you are losing so fast, you may be having a hormone dump. That will contribute to your feelings of depression and regret. Hang in there, take your anti-nausea meds, and sleep if you need to. You are healing from major surgery and you are allowed to take time to recover.
I hope you feel better soon!

Ok so I had my Gastric sleeve yesterday morning with a couple complications... I had a hernia repair and a small spleen bleed. But all went well and other than some gas pain in my shoulder area early this morning I have been relatively pain free. Going home first thing in the morning, feeling very well and ready for what's to come. Anxious to get healthy and thanking God for the good outcome.
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The whole idea of the surgery is to restrict how much you can eat. It takes time, but you're going to have to learn to be satisfied with a smaller amount of food. Right now your head is wanting more, not your stomach. Learn to read that and STOP when done or it can cause issues, both physical and emotional. Food will have to take a backseat from now on.
And yes, the natural progression of things as everything heals and the swelling goes down is to be able to eat a bit more. That continues to increase slowly years out. There will be a time here real soon where you will miss the days of being full from a few spoonfuls of food. Believe me.

Nope, not tempted too much by candy...on the other hand my hubby is sitting across from me eating a huge bag of freshly popped buttery popcorn. I'm staring daggers right now. Popcorn is my kryptonite. I could live on popcorn alone. Oh I could seriously kill him right now....then take his popcorn...

HOPEFULLY!?!?!!
GIRL! Did you just feel me roll my eyes at you? By this time next year, you'll be stuffing it full of tissue and wearing it as a pumpkin costume. I have NO doubt.

I had a roommate when I was in the clinic. We both went into surgery at roughly the same time 7:30am. His wife was waiting for him in our room and was getting increasingly worried as time passed. I was out by 9:30...at noon he was still not down. His wife told me he did not follow his pre-op diet. He was supposed to do 3 weeks, he did 3 days...because he didn't like the shakes...neither did I so I consulted with the dietician and switched to something I did like. At noon the surgeons came down and said that his liver was fused to his stomach...they had to spend hours separating them. My surgeon had to go in and help his doctor complete the surgery because of the complications. He didn't come down from recovery until about 7pm and I'm sure was in the hospital longer than I was. He really looked like he was struggling. I'm very happy about following the pre-op plan..frankly I lost more weight in those 2 weeks than I have post-op..Go figure...

I was lucky in that my surgeon doesn't do a strict pre-op diet. She recommends replacing 2 meals with Protein shakes, and having one "healthy" meal a day, plus "healthy snacks" as needed. I probably wasn't eating as healthy as she had in mind, but I did the best I could. She said she has found that unless someone clearly has fatty liver disease, the pre-op diets don't make that much difference as far as liver size or safety in surgery. The only thing she's definite on is not eating or drinking 12 hours before surgery which is standard so the stomach is empty since that's what's being operated on, plus anything on the stomach can cause problems with anesthesia.
The pre-op diet was the hardest part for me, because before surgery there's nothing to curb the cravings and hunger drives. Even just trying to keep things "healthy" and only have my shakes for Breakfast and lunch was hard. I certainly wasn't perfect in those two weeks, but I did the best I could. Doc said my liver was fine, there were no complications.
I agree with @@LipstickLady that we need to get away from the idea of "cheating". We're all adults here, it's not like we are getting away with anything like in school. Our choices have consequences, and my choices will be different from yours. I do not severely restrict carbs. I eat bread and rice and fruit. That's because I get violently ill in ketogenesis, and my doctor and I agree on my eating plan. Other people function best when they don't eat carbs, and/or are working with a surgical team that has a different approach (e.g. ketogenic).
I made the choice to eat chocolate cake this weekend for my birthday. In fact, I didn't track a single thing I ate this weekend, and didn't worry about Protein goals or calorie counts or anything else. What's different about now vs. before surgery is that I only ate what I wanted, and I listened to my body about when I was done. I even learned that for anything that sugary, more than about 2 bites makes me miserable. Won't do that again. I don't think I "cheated" or that I need to confess it. I made a choice. I don't regret it, and certainly don't need anyone's approval. Some people here might think I'm crazy for doing that during my weight loss period, but it's the choice *I* made, and I get to deal with the consequences. I figured I'd gain a pound or two, or at least stay where I was, but I actually lost a pound over the weekend. I attribute that to eating mostly on plan even though I didn't track, and not going overboard with the indulgence. It may catch up to me in the end, it may not. Either way, I made a choice.
Where I really think the concept of "cheating" is dangerous is when it comes to post-op diet advancement. "Cheating" there is about compromising safety and recovery, and is so much more than just "being naughty". Eating something you haven't been cleared for can have deadly consequences. I think that's why so many of the vets here are seen as being harsh and judgmental about "cheating".
As a nurse, I shudder every time I see someone talking about eating steak or tacos or whatever 3 days out or 1 week out or whatever amount of time out but they haven't been cleared for it by their docs. And I want to scream at people who then come behind that person and say "it's OK, you're just human", or worse "I did that, and I'm fine." It sends the absolute wrong message to other people who are struggling post-op and want to "cheat" on their diet advancement plan. I have treated patients who were in their late 90's and in excellent health who drank whiskey and ate bacon every day of their life. That doesn't mean drinking whiskey and eating bacon every day is a good health choice just because this one person did it and had no issues. One person can eat something with seeds 3 days out and have no apparent ill effects. Another can eat the same thing the same 3 days out and have a life-threatening abscess. And no, I'm not being dramatic. People have literally died or come close to it because they violated the diet advancement their doctor gave them.
The person who chose to eat something before their doc said OK doesn't need to be shamed, but they do need to be told that it could be dangerous and that they need to check with their doc's office at the very least to find out what signs or symptoms they should be looking for to indicate a serious problem. And the other newbies reading the thread need to get the message clear and loud that it's not "cheating" post-op, it's playing with your life. As much as I was desperate for something pureed or something to chew when I was on my liquid restrictions post-op, I dug down and figured out how to push through because it wasn't about "cheating" it was about my safety.
I know this thread isn't about post-op, but every time I see a vet getting bashed for giving what some see as "judgemental" advice it frankly hacks me off. There are vets who I'm sure cringe every time I post about eating carbs. Even if they posted judgemental things about my statements, I wouldn't bash them because they're operating from what they were taught by their teams, and what they learned through their experience. They may be right. They certainly have the experience of successful weight loss and maintenance, and I don't. Until I'm sitting at my goal weight 3 years post-op, I'm swinging in the dark at this. I try to make that clear when I post advice... that I'm just a beginner at this process. I have access to medical materials that inform me, but that doesn't replace direct experience. The people who have been successful at this have the most direct experience, and they need to feel free to share it without being bashed.
(stepping off the soap box)

@@Jenny9541 There's many reasons that the scale isn't moving. You need to be sure you are drinking enough fluids. It could be Constipation, your period, Water retention, etc. Let your body adjust to all the changes. Follow your plan. Don't eat too little - that can be as bad as too much. Just keep going. The weight will come off in it's own time. Stay strong!

@@Jenny9541 There's many reasons that the scale isn't moving. You need to be sure you are drinking enough fluids. It could be Constipation, your period, Water retention, etc. Let your body adjust to all the changes. Follow your plan. Don't eat too little - that can be as bad as too much. Just keep going. The weight will come off in it's own time. Stay strong!

I am two weeks out from sleeve. I was 202 day of surgery and 196 today. I was a bit bummed but getting compliments so I measured myself instead and I'm down 2 inches each in chest, hips, thighs. As a low bmi I was told to expect to lose half my 70 pound (surgeon goal) in six months. 35/6 is only 6 pounds per month. Better than I've done for years!! Just need to not be hard on myself and put the scale away. It's a bigger temptation than food. As for skin, I've added a Gummy hair, skin, nails supplement. Adding weight training as soon as cleared for exercise. Muscle behind skin matters to where the skin "belongs".
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Do you think you are the first person to put weigh back on after WLS? Do you think he/she has never experienced exactly what you are going through with another patient?

The difference? The ones who ultimately succeed suck it up, get help, and get back on track. Those who don't, lurk in the shadow of self doubt and self pity and just pack on more and more weight.

By coming here, you sound like the former not the latter. What would you tell ME to do if I were in your shoes?

I had 2 weeks liquid diet and didn't have anything not on plan. It sucked but my goal was to beat head hunger and cravings prior to surgery.

I never thought I would be this resistant to the program. I have to get back to my counselor on what is in my head
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@@megnun21 I'll be 2 weeks out tomorrow. I'm not even bothering tracking weight loss at this point - we had a lot of swelling and Water retention from the IVs and weight can fluctuate up and down drastically during this time. Concentrate on getting plenty of fluids (at least 64 ozs) and meeting your Protein goals. Don't restrict foods - eat as your plan suggests! There's no way to compare your progress with anyone else. We all lose at different rates - and have different amounts to lose. Just keep doing what you're supposed to be doing - the weight will come off. It's not a race.

Have you been given a PPI prescription? Often stomach acid feels like hunger in the early days and causes the bubbly rumble feeling that mimics hunger pains. Once you start real food you will feel a ton better.

Right @@elisa5150 but my hunger is not mental it is legit hunger pains in my stomach that I am feeling. I just keep drinking Water and Protein Shakes tho. They said I can't drink too much when I spoke with my doctor ealier today. So hopefully when I start eating real food again it will be different.

I have two dogs.
One sleeps against my worn out right knee....she's warm and keeps the nighttime pains away.
The other sleeps on my blown out right shoulder. It is amazingly therapeutic.
They just pile up there when I get in bed. I've never coached them to do so.....but those are the EXACT spots I'd go for.
I sleep well thanks to my girls.
So......my advice......go forth and get yourself a pair of great dogs.

I didn't touch one piece...I was worried I'd break with my 11yr old enjoying his...but I stuck to it. I was proud of myself...I am in control of food...it is not controlling me! How life has changed!
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It was easier for me the first and second year sleeved. The first year I had no candy because I was only 2 months post op, last year I was at goal and I think I had 1 peice. This year in maintenence for a year it's been hard. I've had several Kit Kats. But I'll be running them off tomorrow and detoxing off sugar again for sure!

I had 2 weeks liquid diet and didn't have anything not on plan. It sucked but my goal was to beat head hunger and cravings prior to surgery.

Finally weighed myself during a visit with my family over the Halloween weekend...what a trip, seeing numbers on there I haven't seen in nearly a decade. I'm averaging five pounds lost per week right now. More shocking to me is that I'm down 60 pounds from my high weight when I started, and I've done that in two months. The best I've ever done on my own is around 55 pounds, over a period of about six months.
I'm now in week 6 and my program has given me free reign to try anything I want to try, of course avoiding sugar and excessive fat intake. Took my wife to a great new steakhouse and it was delicious. Weird to leave such a huge amount of food to be boxed...very weird. But I ate on that meat for three days! Not quite as good reheated, but still very good. Funny how I now feel like I'm getting a lot more value for my money, because it lasts so long

Today was another fun milestone. I have been finding my shorts loose and baggy in the waist, so I finally decided to take out a box of clothes that I'd packed away in anticipation of the day I might actually lose weight and fit into them again. This is stuff I haven't fit into in YEARS. I tried on a pair of shorts I can remember wearing when I was dating my wife, five years ago...and I still remember when I was going through my clothes and putting them in the box, trying these shorts on and having trouble even pulling them up. They seemed miles away from being able to zip and button. Today? They fit perfectly. Then as I put my belt on, I realized that I unconsciously fastened it at the next belt hole. I spent maybe one week on the other hole before I moved on to this one. Unreal. My "starting weight" belt hole is now three holes away from the one I'm currently on. Just over a month into this process and I think I've probably lost as much as I'd typically take 5-6 months to lose, through normal dieting.
Feels good, man.

I did not have one but, do to the anesthesia I was not producing very much urine. The eventually did an Eco of my bladder and said if I do not go soon they would need to cath me. That was all the incentive I needed.LOL

Thank you for the response. This app has really helped with the process. Good luck to you. 2 weeks op seems like an a lifetime from now.
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