Berry78

3 meals and 1 snack. 60+ grams protein 1200 calories No sugar or white flour Don't drink empty calories Eat real food.

You aren't a failure, and neither is your sleeve. You were in a hole, the sleeve got you out of the hole, but now there are some steps to climb to get where you want to be. It's ok! You can do this! Take your time figuring out each step as it comes. It's easy to name a #, but how to make that number happen can be confusing. There is a reason there are so many diet books out there...

The soup is a slider. 40 minutes is long enough for the first part to leave. Keep meals to 20 minutes.

Aww, thanks! I do plan on sticking to the program... forever.... but I don't think just sticking to the program gets you where you want to be, necessarily. I'll keep my goal modest.. if I reach it, then I'll move it down... I haven't picked up running like someone I know...

Surgery helps. A lot. BUT, we all have to put the work in... preop, postop.. all the time, forever. Those that don't learn this lesson early and well.. those are the ones that lose weight, then proceed to gain it all back. Your journey doesn't begin on the operating table. It begins the day you decide to do something about the weight. Your journey doesn't end with "goal weight" either. It lasts as long as you do. Liquid diets are very effective, but they suck. I'll post a diet for you if you like. Just ask!

Oh man! Let's hope they figure it out soon, and get you to feeling better!

That's great! I lost 30 the first 2 months.

Very typical. I like fleet enemas for instant relief. (Schedule 30 minutes in the bathroom).

Once the scale stops for 2 months (and inches also stop coming off), then you know you have reached the end of the surgical- induced weight loss. If you want to lose more, it's back to old fashioned diet and exercise. Diet is still more important than exercise. Losses will be as hard to come by as they were before you had surgery. It takes commitment to the program. Figure out how many calories you now consume, cut out a couple hundred, and things should start moving again. Real food is better than fake food. Cut out sugar and white flour.

I'm 6 months out. These rule breaks I've done all along. 1. No protein shakes. Get protein through foods and drink. 2. Use straws carefully 3. Consume caffeine. 4. Eat more than 4 times a day. 5. Usually don't get over 64oz fluids 6. Drink up to the meal, but not during or after. 7. I eat more than the recommended carbs each day (fruit, beans, and potatoes). 8. I eat cake and ice cream at birthday parties.. as much as I want (in a single sitting.. not all day).

The simplest answer is to always cook things well, and when at a place that you can't control it, order vegetarian. Good luck!

It's called the "3 week stall". Almost everyone sees the scale stop moving for about a week or two around 2-4 weeks postop. There is no way to prevent it.. just part of the program.

You need to go to your doctor. I'm thinking vitamin deficiency, but you need to be checked out. Some deficiencies can cause permanent problems, so time is of the essence. Diabetes can also cause symptoms like that too.

I actually modified my goal upwards. I found a research article (don't have a link, unfortunately), but it basically showed the range of weight loss to be 28% - 48% of starting total body weight. The middle of the range (38%) is where most people end up. So for me, I started at 305lbs. 305 x .62= 189.1. So that is my new goal. There was also a curve, and my loss at 6 months was squarely on average. Edited to add: But, the plot thickens because for me to reach 189 means I'll have lost 79% of my excess body weight, which is WELL above average! So I guess time will tell! Maybe excess body weight is supposed to be calculated from a different point then 24.9 bmi (which I've been using). I'll go see...

25lbs during the first month is in the top 10% of weight loss amounts for sleevers (which means 90% of people lose LESS than that during the first month postop!) Personally I lost an average amount.. 17lbs.. and I started at 305.. just a bit less than you. You're doing great!

Think of it like a big bruise. A small bruise is usually gone within a week. You can expect this to take much, much longer. Not knowing how big it is, I'm not going to hazard a guess.. but weeks or months isn't out of the question. I once had surgery on some varicose veins and it took a full year for the body to get rid of the bruising. But, the discomfort you feel shouldn't last very long. A couple weeks, maybe. If the pain changes or gets worse, be sure to let your team know, in case the hematoma is getting larger or having a problem.

Yep! It seems about 20% of patients get diarrhea, and the other 80% get constipation. Almost no one seems to get happy, normal BMs postop! I recommend taking probiotics (you can open the capsules and sprinkle the contents into whatever you are consuming). We frequently get antibiotics during the procedure, and they mess with our gut bugs. If it gets bad, let your surgeon know because dehydration is a concern. Sometimes diarrhea can continue until you are on purees or soft foods, if it's due to the liquid nature of your diet. Sometimes it can be a result of food intolerances. Dairy and artificial sweeteners are common culprits. Congrats on your surgery, and hope things clear up for you!

Thanks! I'll give it a shot!

I'm not sure why your surgeon chose 130 as your goal. At 145 you would be into a "normal BMI", and the top part of that range is where we usually calculate from. So, if we were to use 145, then losing 55 pounds is 60% of your excess weight, which is still within the "average range".. which is 60% to 73%. It, hopefully, is nice to know that you ARE within an average range.. but don't forget, the surgery might only do the 60-73%, but if you don't like what you see in the mirror, it's all up to you! (It's just too bad the set point thing is so powerful, otherwise it wouldn't be a trouble at all!). Losing 55lbs is truly amazing, and that's part of what I want you to sit and think about.. how wonderful it is that you've come so far! The glass is half full/empty thing can really affect our PERCEPTIONS of our journeys... and that's just as important as any numbers on a scale.

Head hunger is a craving. This happens when your body isn't actually hungry.. and it's easy to tell the difference. If you are actually, physically, hungry, ANY food that tastes ok will work, and once you are full, you are done and can move on with your day. Head hunger leaves you still hungry even when your belly is full, and you are wanting something specific. So if I'm physically hungry, a pile of broccoli will look great! If I'm craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and am presented with broccoli, I'll just want the sandwich, and the broccoli doesn't satisfy (even if I eat the broccoli, I STILL want the sandwich).

Yeah, it's sobering for me to think that my 65% puts me at 210lbs. That's only 7 away, and still 20 pounds into the obese category. Not a cool thought at all! Gonna have to buckle down and work this thing!

I'm thinking acid.. are you still on acid meds? It also could be something like an ulcer. You should discuss it with your doc. Sometimes these low level, chronic complaints can quickly escalate into something you don't want. Let us know if you find out anything!

So this looks like a pretty new adjunct to a bypass or sleeve. Apparently it is creating good results for additional weight loss since the patients retain their restriction. My concern is the potential for erosion into the stomach or surrounding tissues/organs, since this is a foreign body with sticky-outy parts (technical term ).

9/22: 217lbs.

I go to Christopher and Banks. They have sizing from 24w down to about 6 in the same style of pants. I just go in every couple months and buy a pair the next size down. Currently in a 14 at 217lbs. They are expensive, so I just have the one pair that fits well (and I still can wear the next larger size, so have 2 pairs at a time).