PorkChopExpress

My stomach capacity needs to go up a bit to do much better with protein from food. I think I'm probably getting somewhere in the neighborhood of 25-28g of protein from food a day now, and my goal is 90g. So I still have to rely on powder for 2/3rds of my protein every day. I could do more from food if I ate more frequently, but that makes getting my water very difficult. So it'll just take time. But I don't like having to rely on powder so much.

There is some question of whether or not the science behind the limit of 30 grams of Protein per meal is actually scientific, or arbitrary. A lot of people in the fitness and bodybuilding communities find that it's not a reasonable belief, based on the experience of people who engage in intermittent fasting and consume all of their day's protein in a very narrow window of time, and are very successful at adding muscle mass through training, while dropping fat. food for thought, anyway: https://www.muscleforlife.com/the-truth-about-protein-absorption-how-often-you-should-eat-protein-to-build-muscle/

Started on the elliptical yesterday after a couple weeks of treadmill. Wanted to wait until I didn't really feel any kind of soreness in my abdomen, before I got on the elliptical. I had been doing 30 minutes on the treadmill at a fairly decent clip, but man...I'd forgotten how much the elliptical works your quads! I only managed 20 minutes and my legs felt like noodles afterward. Today, I went in there and banged out thirty minutes, no problem. Gotta love that...I was feeling good. Packed shredded beef for lunch tonight (I work graveyards) and it worked out perfectly, no issues. I had been a little nervous about it, because I've read people talking about having trouble with beef after their surgery and first trying it, but chewing it as well as I do everything else, it gave me absolutely no trouble at all. I've been really happy with my recovery. I haven't experienced anything seriously negative so far (knocking on wood as I write this) and no vomiting. I feel a little "gnawing" in my stomach sometimes that reminds me of hunger, but I know it's the acid buildup in my stomach. The surgeon told me that would eventually resolve. I guess the stomach needs time to adjust, too. Had a coworker laugh when he walked in on me in the kitchen eating my little bitty 1/2 cup container of food. He didn't mean to be rude (he knows I had surgery) and I know how comical I must look, 340 pound guy (or so, haven't weighed since my last doctor visit) sitting in front of that tiny little tupperware for twenty minutes, nibbling away at it. But hey, I'm doing great so far, so I don't mind

Sugar content. Fluid passes through your stomach into the small intestine quicker now, and juice has a lot of sugar. So you're risking dumping syndrome if a bunch of sugar hits your small intestine quickly. In general, I'd stay away from juices now, unless they are "diet" (like a diet cranberry I've had before) with very low sugar content. It's pointless carb calories and something to move away from with your diet moving forward, anyway. I am now getting my fruit servings in Dole peach fruit cups and squeeze puree packets from Trader Joe's. That works well. But juice I'd avoid.

He was! He does a good job with the surgical part, not so good with the bedside manner...but all I cared about was a good, complication-free outcome and he certainly provided that. I followed his instructions to the letter, and I have had very little to complain about in my recovery. But he really herds them in on surgery day, you'll find that you end up going in to get prepped for surgery at around the same time as probably one or two other people. But it was kind of cool in my case, because the people I went in with were people I met in the pre-op nutrition class, and we all recovered together, crossing paths while walking and checking up on each other. It was good camaraderie. Good luck! Just follow all of their instructions and you'll do great, I'm sure. His practice has a tremendous track record and very low complication rates. Technically mine goes into their complication record as a "conversion" but that was due to a screw-up by the surgeon who repaired my umbilical hernia, using the wrong type of mesh. My intestines grew into the scar tissue and mesh, making the Roux-en-y impossible. But the sleeve is working out just fine and in my further reading, and talking to some longtime gastric bypass patients, I feel like ultimately it may have been the best move anyway.

I'm just glad I don't have to date anymore, man. That's all I know.

That listed diet is all carbs, almost no Protein. I strongly suspect she is getting almost no protein in her diet at this point (especially not drinking shakes) and that means her body, due to her caloric deficit, is now catabolizing her muscle tissue. As she loses muscle mass, her body's ability to burn calories is compromised...so she burns fewer and fewer as she loses muscle mass. Eventually, she will wonder why she isn't losing any weight, when her diet has basically destroyed her ability to burn calories. There is a lot to this that people just don't seem to understand, or have ever learned about. You absolutely must have protein, 50 grams of it per day AT A MINIMUM if you're a woman, and more if at all possible. Protein is not stored as fat, so even eating more than your body can use will only result in it leaving your system after it is broken down. Shift your focus away from carbs and onto protein, where it belongs...and then start lifting weights, to try and maintain what muscle mass you can. It's important.

Don't be nervous, it's going to be over before you even know what happened!

This is probably a question for your surgeon, you may need to give your stomach a break for a couple of days with a liquid diet and then see if it resolves. If not, you want to rule out anything more serious.

You have a lot of addictions, and you're in withdrawal right now. Trust me when I say it'll pass. I was big on sweets and a lifelong Coke addict. I resolved to eliminate all of that from my diet forever, once my pre-op diet started. The sugar detox I've been through the last six weeks has basically taken away the craving for sweets. I have tendrils in my mind left, those triggers of seeing something that I used to enjoy eating and thinking, "Oh I want one of those." Like seeing a box of donuts at work. But the fact is, when I really stop to think about it...I don't actually want one. My brain is just locked into a series of triggers and reactions that have become habit, over the years. The detox from caffeine and sugar has made Coke another thing I no longer crave. And you would've been hard pressed to find a bigger Coke fan than me, before I started this process. It's just that I've let it go, and I don't miss it now. You are mourning the loss of your old patterns and habits, and your brain is rebelling against the fact that you've robbed it of the ability to manipulate your behavior. It's a fight, and you're winning, so keep fighting it! This is why I tell everyone heading into the pre-op diet that it's crucial that you follow it to the letter, and that includes ditching whatever addictions you had beforehand. It's setting the tone, and it's baggage you don't need post-op.

Good luck! I hope it all goes very smoothly for you. You won't be feeling great when you wake up, but it'll pass pretty quickly. A few days after surgery you will be getting around pretty nicely and after a week, you'll feel like you're able to get back to normal life...with the new changes to your eating, of course! sleep when you need sleep, walk a lot, do your best on the fluids, and follow the surgeon's instructions. You are about to cross the threshold into your new life, which will actually feel pretty much the same as your old life, except your relationship with food will be radically altered

I went through this too, although a little earlier than you did. But it's part of the "letting go" process...it's kind of like your mind grieving what it has lost, in a way. You will find that you start to identify all of these ways in which food has dominated your mind and controlled your behavior, now. Take it as a chance to really analyze how you're feeling and how food has been your go-to in all of these situations. That's when you can start to find healthier ways to cope. Support groups are your friend, too - if your surgeon or nutritionist runs one or can recommend one, go check it out. Going through the mental process of change is super important, it's the majority of what will guide you to success. The surgery is only a small component of it, the mental change is the most important. When I really think about it, food wasn't so much a comfort as it was a distraction. I never really felt any better when I ate, it just took my mind off whatever was bothering me (or filled time when I was bored).

It's so nice to finally get to sink your teeth into something though, isn't it?! I'm on week four, heading into week 5...and I'm on shredded cooked meats now. Next week will be whole pieces, grilled or whatever (although technically, I've already had that and it was just fine). Then one more week and I'm cleared to try "anything" and see how it goes. That will be nice. I feel like I have to be so specific right now, when I get groceries. I guess in some ways I will still have to be, staying away from fried things and a bunch of bread and Pasta type carbs, but I could go get some Kung Pao chicken at least! It is really weird, the portion sizes. A coworker chuckled the other day when he walked in on me in the kitchen eating my little 1/2 cup container of meat and potato. Kind of comical to see this big dude eating like that.

The time that it takes to go through the prerequisites is valuable. You will get an education about every aspect of the surgery and life after surgery, and it gives you a chance to really start tackling what you're taking on mentally, as well. The process is worth the time and energy you invest in it.

It's going to be physically impossible for you to consume too many calories, unless you literally eat every time your stomach empties, and drink Coke between meals. I am eating four meals a day now, with two 30g Protein scoops in crystal light, and I don't break 500 calories. Then with my 30 minutes of elliptical, I'm burning about 200 calories. So when my TDEE is around 3,300 calories and my total input is 500 calories, I'm not too worried. Trust me, get an app like MyFitnessPal and start programming in everything you consume, in the exact quantities. You will see that it would be phenomenally difficult for you to eat too many calories. You'd have to actually work at it. Just follow your surgeon and dietitian's recommendations and you're going to be fine. Just never touch any drinks with sugar in them, or carbonation! I think Hormel chili is great, very easy to begin with (and also good to mix with a flavorless Protein powder like Genepro). I also liked Trader Joe's turkey meatballs, with a bit of mashed potato. Very easy starter foods. And scrambled eggs! Don't forget those. Just chew everything until you could suck it through a straw, before you swallow it. Let it sit for a while before you take another bite, because it'll feel funny at first. Get used to the feeling, and pay attention to how your stomach fills up. Eventually you'll know exactly how much food it takes to fill your stomach and you can pre-package it, which is what I do. Works perfectly.

It could be that you've just gotten some inflammation happening in there, in which case it's a good idea to take a couple of days and go back to the liquid diet, maybe even clear liquid diet, to give it a chance to recover. Then see how it goes after that, gradually. And just make sure that everything you swallow is of a consistency that you could suck through a straw.

After the sleeve, you have the tool you needed to succeed - a smaller stomach. It seems like you'd have to actively work on it, to gain weight...what's your diet look like? Are you drinking soda? How many meals a day and how many calories? The surgery by itself is not what gets you to goal, it's also the mental part...the discipline of forming new habits and behaviors. Having another surgery probably isn't the answer, because you've already had one and regained weight, which tells me the issue is likely behavioral and nothing to do with the surgery or size of your stomach. That's just my feeling, based on what little info I have here.

I'm looking forward to getting my libido back, because the heavier I got, the more it vanished. It's been a real problem. I had been taking testosterone treatments to help with it, but I'm not right now as I lose this weight. I have read a lot of guys saying it comes roaring back when they reach a certain level of weight loss, so I'm looking forward to that day. But yeah, as you lose weight your blood flow improves, so it stands to reason.

When I say gradual, I mean you don't wake up after surgery and the weight is gone. It takes months for it to come off. You do have some time to adjust to the changes, even if it's relatively fast. I'm one month post-op and even though I'm losing a lot, I don't exactly feel like a new man and so I am able to get used to the changes because they're not immediate. It still takes time.

I've had three abdominal surgeries including the VSG so I'm an old hand at it. The best part about surgery is, you don't even know it happened. You wake up and it's been done Every time, I remember getting myself positioned on the operating table and they get my arms stretched out and BOOM...next thing I know, the nurses in the recovery room are saying my name and trying to wake me out of my drug-induced stupor. When the fog eventually clears, you start the process of recovering...and it doesn't take that long, if there are no complications. I was under the knife in the morning, and I was walking the halls of my recovery wing that evening, trying to work the gas out. The surgical gas is the worst part, and it usually takes me 3-4 days to get it all out. Actually...drinking was the hardest part for the first day or two. I didn't want to put anything in. But it gets easier...you just have to do your best. But to keep calm, just remind yourself that what you're doing is among the most common surgeries being performed today, and serious complications are extremely rare. By the seventh day after the surgery, I was ready to get back to work, no problem. Try not to worry about it. The surgery and recovery are actually not as hard as the mental war you will fight with your old self...because you'll heal up fast, but that battle will keep raging in some form, as you re-learn how to eat and how to think about food. Getting the surgery done is stepping across the threshold. When you wake up, you will have achieved a major victory for yourself and the journey begins in earnest...and you'll be right there with the rest of us, marching forward to our new, healthier future. Congratulations on taking this step, and just focus on making the most of it. Follow the doctor's instructions and you will do great

I was told to expect this after surgery, but that it would resolve over time and that the hair would actually come back even better and healthier. You have just undergone a total overhaul in your diet, so it's to be expected that a few adjustments and changes are going to happen. But as I understand it, this passes and it's not anything to worry too much about. If you're actually getting 60g of Protein, you're in the window for a female - you should be between 50-70g/day. Guys are supposed to be 70-90g/day. Make sure you're getting your Water too, that's important. But I would say just give it time, because my surgeon and dietitian warned all patients of this possibility, prior to surgery. But you could always go in and see about a blood test, to see if you're having any deficiencies that the Vitamins aren't addressing.

Well, the change doesn't happen overnight. It's faster than if you tried to do it on your own, but it's still gradual. You have time to adjust a bit, as the weight comes off. I have never known a day, since elementary school, where my weight wasn't an issue and I didn't have to endure comments about it. I am looking forward to a day when that is never an issue for me again...I never have to hear another snide remark, passive-aggressive comment, hairy look or rude response, due to my weight or size.

Great! Yeah, that stuff is very versatile, even if it's a touch pricey. I guess you get what you pay for!