JJCool

You can do it! I think most of us are food addicts and may not necessarily realize it. During the past 6 days of post-op (sleeved on 8/18), I have learned that I am a food addict. I started my food fast on 8/4 at 415 pounds. have lost 41 pounds (currently 374pounds) in less than 3 weeks. It hasn't been easy, but the benefits I'm already getting in both health and appearance are slowly taking the place of the comfort that food gave me. Today is the first day I really thought about cheating. The urge was very strong, but I fought it...and won! It was a big deal for me and I'm so happy that I didn't give in. Food has a power over most of, if not all of us. Personally, that makes me mad and now I have a tool to fight back! Stay strong and keep the faith. For those regretting it, give yourself a chance to become free and live the life you deserve! The happiness you get from a cheeseburger will pale in comparison to looking and feeling better about yourself. I know it's tough, but you can do it!!
I've attached a picture of my face from last month and a pic that I took today. It helps me so much to see these results. I still have a long way to go, but I have faith in myself that I can and WILL do it! You guys that are struggling can too! Stay strong and don't let food have control over you. Remember, you're the boss of your own body! Don't let food bully you!
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The daily recommended amounts or dietary Recs for a typical person do not apply to us. People don't normally lose 50% or so of their weight in one year or have absorption issues.

There may be two things at play here.
First, as your fat cells dissolve they will release not only fat but also hormones and chemicals stored within these cells. Generally these are flushed through your system into your kidneys and expelled in your urine. But it is very important to make sure you are hydrated. If you do not drink enough fluids, these hormones will stay in your system and you will experience a hormonal flush.
Second, your new stomach may not absorb your prescription medicine the same way that it did prior to surgery. You may have to work with your doctor to find a medicine that will absorb better.

@@Lulu_lulu Just be careful with Protein bars - some of them have high carbs and are candy bars disguised as health food.
@@snannapuss What are you eating/drinking at this stage? If you can't get anything down - please call your surgeon. You very well could be dehydrated and low in potassium, etc. - which is extremely dangerous! Take care!

I am an extreme extrovert with 1700 FB friends, 500+ insta/twitter followers and I told 6 people (3 who live in my home). Social media and WLS does not define me. It's just a circumstance.

I am heading in to a mock interview. Wish me luck!

liquids in...liquids out!

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At 6 weeks out I'm easily getting in 650-800 calories/day. Usually closer to 800. There have been a couple of days where I got as many as 1,000.

I'm so glad to see this post because I'm in the same boat. I've had no issues with any food I've tried and never really feel full. And I too feel convinced at times that I never actually got the surgery! Of course I'm sticking to the recommended calories though and it's going ok.
I think we should consider ourselves the lucky ones, I'd much rather have to deal with not feeling full over nausea or food revulsion.
Jo x
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Biotin is WORTHLESS. Two years I paid money for this nonsense.
@ hey now I found Biotin to be great if what you are looking to do is sprout new Hair growth everywhere from your eyebrows down to your ankles. hair on your head? Not so much. Nice bushy crops of hair on your chin, tummy, inner thighs? Biotin is for you!

Tomato Soup was one of my the first foods I could tolerate. It's easy to make at home and most restaurants serve it too- ditto on it being a lifesaver.

i will call the doctor in the morning for certain!

I ate baby food twice during the purée stage, wouldn't recommend it. At all. Yuck.
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I was having Tomato Soups in my first week, they were a lifesaver!
Jo x
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I was having Tomato Soups in my first week, they were a lifesaver!
Jo x
Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Maybe they are worried about you and can't express their feelings so they are instead pushing you away. Call them out on it - let them know that you are hurt, disappointed and really need their support. Change is difficult for many. They may be afraid of you changing and what that'll mean for your relationship. Communicate - be honest and explain why you are having this surgery.

Please don't let Google, or even this forum, be your doctor. You should speak to a real one, just to be safe.
Jo x
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Please don't let Google, or even this forum, be your doctor. You should speak to a real one, just to be safe.
Jo x
Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Don't stress what you can't control right now. It's the 3 week stall. Here's the scientific reason why it happens:
A "stall" a few weeks after surgery is not uncommon, and here's why.
Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs. of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when a patient is not getting in enough food, the body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. Then when 2 lbs. of glycogen is used a patient will also lose 8 lbs. of Water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs. that most people lose in the first week of a diet.
However, when the body stays in a caloric deficit state the body starts to realize that this is not a short-term problem. Then the body starts mobilizing fat from adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But the body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. As it puts back the 2 lbs. of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs. of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though the patient might still be losing energy content to their body, the weight will not go down or it might even gain for a while as the retention of water dissolves the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

I hit 100 lbs lost at just about 5 months. My starting weight was 400 so the weight loss would have been faster initially than someone who started at a lower weight.

Lol, I thought this thread was going to be about bikes - and as I'm keen to get myself one when I've dropped a bit of weight I was hoping to find some good recommendations here haha!
If it helps my menstrual cycle has been all over the place since my op, but it was sort of like that beforehand anyway so not much help. Sorry
Jo x

Exercise has tons of benefits but for the most part I feel it is counter productive to weight loss and a lot of studies back that up. I exercised for years and never made any progress, but seriously changing how I eat and the hormonal benefit of WLS, weight lost.
When I work out at strenuous levels, my hunger skyrockets, like a ravenous wolf. I found it impossible to control my calories working out heavily, I would be so hungry I would over eat all the time.
Anyway I found this interesting and thought I would share.

My new bars arrived this morning and I really like them. They are
Optimum Nutrition complete Protein 50g bar - Caramel Crunch (not crunchy)
20g Protein / 170 Cals
Taste a bit like a Cadbury's Fudge Bar.

I quite like the USN Protein bars