Sadiebug

I'm not voting because I'm still losing and I don't want to mess up the poll results I'm 15 months out and still fighting the good fight. My weight loss is much slower at this point and I'm dealing with more stalls. I feel like I could pretty easily stop losing if I wanted but I'm not at goal so I keep fighting the good fight.

I was really nervous about this before surgery too because my husband and I are much the same way. I'll be honest that it was a little rough for us during the first couple of months but we were able to figure it out. I do a lot of what PHARLOW recommended. And we have just adjusted dinners at home to always include something I can eat - and his portion size is just bigger or includes a side that I don't eat. And like James said, I have far more time now to socialize and focus on my husband, family or friends instead of being 100% focused on the food.

Cheese sticks... but for non-dairy I will have a small piece of ham/turkey or a hard boiled egg. Another very common "snack" for me is a decaf latte. I make them myself with 1% milk but you could use a non-dairy alternative. That occupies me a lot longer than a few bites of food and hot drinks sit very well on my stomach. Plus, it adds to my fluid and protein goals.

Thanks for posting! I haven't really heard of David's Tea but upon googling I found that there is a store right near my house. I'm putting it on my shopping list for this weekend The cold press pitcher looks like something I can't live without!

I have had a series of small goals - most I've met so far but some I'm still working towards. Here are a few of mine: 1. weighing less than a linebacker before the 2017 NFL season started (done!) 2. being able to sit in chairs at work without worrying about breaking them (done!) 3. fastening the seatbelt on an airplane without needing an extender (done!) 4. buying pants in a 'normal' store instead of a plus size store (done!) 5. running a 5k, 10k and mini-marathon (still working on it...)

I lost a lot the first week - but I also did not have a pre-op diet - quite the opposite I did a lot of binging the week before...so mine was all the water and detoxing that you lost during your pre-op. From then on my weight loss was a consistent 2-4 lbs a week. So I would give it another few days or a week and I bet you will start seeing the weight drop. I also had no problems drinking or eating (my program starts purees right away) and was freaked out because it didn't seem "normal". But remember the people who tend to reach out in support forums are those that are having issues. So you don't see a lot of posts saying "hey I was able to drink all my water today without problems. Just wanted to let you all know!" I went through several months where I was wishing I would get sick because I thought that was 'normal' and I was worried my surgery didn't work - and I know how crazy that sounds but it was real in my head. Try not to worry though. We all have our own journey but in the end if you follow your plan you will be successful. Hang in there!

I slept horribly for the first 3-4 weeks. I did better in a recliner or on the couch but even then it wasn't great sleep. I found once I was up, more active and eating a little bit more I was able to sleep so much better. I also did better once I got back to work and was using my brain for a little more than just tracking vitamins and protein... Maybe try working crossword puzzles (or suduko or whatever) right before falling asleep to see if that helps. And just rest when you can and know it will get better

I didn't have any big stalls until almost a year out. And, I define a stall as 3+ weeks with no movement on the scale. I would have a week where my weight was the same or up a pound but then the next week (or in a few days) it would come back down. I didn't really track calories but I was probably in the 800-1000 range and now I'm more like 1500. And like Mattymatt said, always protein first and then fruit/veggies/starch. I don't think a stall means you are doing anything wrong though. My nutritionist said that some people lose weight like going down a ramp with consistent losses every week and some people lose weight like going down stairs - weeks of nothing and then big drops. We all end up at the same place though.

yeah...over a year out and I did this just last week. It was so painful. But I was thankful in a weird way because it means my tool is still working

I would base it more on the overall program than the surgeon/surgeons office if there are any differences. My program offers nutritionists and free NUT appointments for life following surgery. They also have exercise classes, in person support groups, cooking classes and all sorts of other things. I haven't had any complications (knock on wood!) but I have absolutely taken advantage of all of those other things since I live very close. I know there are others who used the same surgeon as me but live much farther away so they can't utilize all of the other services...and they struggle. I also know some individuals who have moved away from our surgeon and have really had a hard time finding a new doctor who will take them on board which is another thing to consider. If you really love the surgeon/program 60 miles west that you've started with you could go ahead and ask the group 50 miles east if they would be willing to take you on post-op and just plan on switching to them at a point in time after surgery.

Someone asked the normal "have you lost weight?" I responded yes and she said "did you mean to?" um....well....actually no, I was hoping to stay fat but 130 lbs just fell off accidentally!

Try a heating pad - that helped me a lot with my incision site pain. Also if it keeps up and is very extreme don't hesitate to call your doctor or nurse for advice or help.

I was very nervous about this same thing before surgery....mostly because I couldn't always tell the difference between actual hunger and cravings/head hunger and I couldn't ever say no to myself. The first week or so after surgery was pretty rough - but I knew 100% it was head hunger and I couldn't physically eat or drink any more than what was recommended so I didn't have the option to give in to the cravings. So that helped me figure out the difference and now I can more easily recognize when it's just a craving vs. actual hunger. I also had a good 3-4 month period after surgery where I was not hungry at all. I had heard people mention that but prior to surgery I just didn't believe it was possible because in my past diet experience all I felt was the awful hunger. But it is absolutely possible and that's what is good about this tool. It gives you a fighting chance because you don't have to deal with the hunger for awhile. You'll be ok!

I pour the pre-mixed shakes into my coffee. That way I can get something reasonably hot and the coffee really helps cut the gross sweet taste.

I am exactly the same way and was nervous going into surgery thinking it would be yet another 'quick fix' and I would eventually gain all of my weight back. One of the reasons I chose the RnY was because I figured it might give me some negative feedback when I ate things with a lot of sugar or fat. That didn't exactly play out because I'm one of the lucky ones who does not experience dumping syndrome...but the fear of getting sick carried me long enough to get through the cravings and carb/sugar withdraw. I'm only a little over a year out so I can't speak to keeping off the weight long term but when I start to see bad habits creep back in I am much quicker to stop them right away. Mainly because I put so much effort into this surgery - it's not like a diet that I can just quit. My insides were cut apart and rearranged and sewn back together and I can't undo that. If I "cheat" not only am I risking weight gain I'm also literally risking my health, especially during the first several months. And that extra motivation (or fear) has kept me from falling off the wagon so far. I also recommend looking into therapy to address the food issues. That way when you are a few years out you have other tools to fall back on instead of the food.

I'm also about 14 months out from surgery and I also have days where I notice I'm slipping a little bit. I don't get sick from anything so I haven't ever had that to keep me in check. I find that if I really focus on eating dense protein first that helps - then if I do add in the other stuff I get full a lot quicker. If I start by eating the junk then I never get full. The other thing I do is meet with my dieticians every single month. My program offers appointment with them any time free of charge and I have just gotten in the habit of going every month. Some months we don't have a lot to talk about but just having that check-in forces me to at least halfway stay on track - because I know they will be asking If you can't do that then maybe in person support groups if your program has that. Just something to help bring the focus back every so often. I honestly didn't understand when people talked about the "honeymoon phase" at first but now I get it! It was so easy for the first year!!!

In short - yes it's pretty common. It's probably just a side effect of anesthesia and all of the hormone changes happening with the rapid weight loss. I was freezing all the time for several months. I'm over a year out and I still get cold often but not nearly as bad as it was right at first. All of that said, if you every are worried you should always call your surgeon or nurse to check in.

I struggled so much during my 6-month supervised diet and pre-op. Mine was all mental - I figured I would never be able to eat "good" food again and so I had to eat all of the junk available to make up for the rest of my life. I managed to squeak out a 6 lb loss during my supervised diet (I was over 350 lbs so that was pretty much nothing). My surgeon doesn't require any sort of special pre-op diet so I was having food funerals literally up until the day before surgery. The only thing I did "right" was to cut out caffeine. Thankfully I did fine during surgery though I'm sure I was at much higher risk because of my poor eating prior. But, post-op I had the worst time because not only was I dealing with the normal post-op stuff I was also going through a massive detox from the sugar, carbs and junk. The headaches, cravings and moodiness were just not worth it. But, it is HARD so don't feel like you are failing if you slip a few times. Just do the best you can. And know that you can have good food after surgery but your definition of what is "good" will change. Now that I'm over a year out I can eat pretty much anything - I choose not to eat the junk now because I no longer crave it and my relationship with food is completely different but if I really want a taste of something I can have a bite. In hindsight I really regret not doing better during my pre-op phase but I also know that nothing anyone said would have changed my behavior...it's just something I had to figure out myself. Best of luck to you!

My program allows anything the size of a pencil eraser or smaller immediately. I think they said to wait on the bigger stuff 8 weeks - but I was taking smaller capsules earlier than that. I'd say it was right around 8 weeks when I felt like I could take something really big without discomfort.

I discovered that adding more fat to my diet helped tremendously with my constipation problems. I switched from skim milk to 2% and try and eat healthy fats every day (e.g. avocado) and if I'm having a lot of problems I will have a bit of higher fat canned soup (e.g. canned turkey chili) and it works without fail.

We eat out about once a week and I use all of the advice listed above - protein first, box up leftovers etc. One thing I have found very helpful especially when we are out with people who don't know I've had surgery is to go to restaurants where shared food is normal - like tapas or other 'small plate' type restaurants. Thankfully those are very popular in my neck of the woods right now. I just let everyone else order and then I take tiny portions and eat very slowly. No one even notices that I'm not eating much because we are all sharing. It also helps me avoid the uncomfortable discussion with the waitstaff who typically thinks I hated my food because I eat so little... I've noticed that I love going out with friends even more now because I spend my time thinking about my friends and our conversation. Before I would be so focused on the food and self-conscious about things like fitting into chairs or booths that I would ignore the people around me.

I did 6 appointments in 6 months. My first one happened to be on June 1 so all of my subsequent ones were the first week of the month. My 6th appointment was somewhere around Nov 5 and then they submitted it a few days later and I was approved by mid-November. This was all in 2016 though. Requirements can change and every Anthem policy can be different so I would recommend calling your insurance directly to get their specific requirements. I know it can be really hard to chase down. My program has an insurance coordinator who makes all of those phone calls for us which was such a blessing.

YES! I'm over a year out and I still have a little trouble with ice cold water. It took me around 8 months to be able to stomach plain water - I used crystal light in room temp water, hot tea and decaf coffee up until that point.

I don't know how your program defines mushy...so some of these ideas might not qualify - but I ate: plain sweet potato, cooked carrots, canned chicken or tuna mushed up with a tiny bit of mayo to help moisten it, cream of whatever soups (chicken, mushroom, etc), hummus and a LOT of refried beans. If refried beans work then maybe try mushing up other types of beans - black or kidney - and adding in different seasonings. You could do kidney beans with a little chili powder and cumin so it tastes like chili for example. And frequently what worked for me one day would not work the next - and what I got sick on one day would be totally fine the next day so keep trying things periodically.

My experience was very similar. My first mushy food was mashed potatoes (in the hospital - my program starts mushy very quickly) and I felt nauseous and weird. Eating very slow and tiny little bites were key - like smaller than you can even imagine. Also, walking around right after I ate every time helped a lot. I found for the first couple of months every time I tried a new food I would feel a little nauseous but then the next time with that food I would be completely fine. Just keep mixing it up and trying. Maybe try the beans without the cheese or something different like yogurt or cottage cheese (depending on what your program allows). Also - if you spray low fat cheese with a tiny bit of cooking spray it will help it melt better