Berry78

You do need to take something. I like enemas because of their immediate effect (schedule 30 minutes in the bathroom). I did them every other day for the first couple weeks until I could start taking fiber. Miralax might help too. Smooth move tea, etc. Ultimately you need a goal of going a minimum of 3 times a week.

When I started feeling really badly on the liquid preop diet, it was electrolytes I needed, not solid food. Low sodium v8 was a lifesaver (tons of potassium and low calories). Salt helps too. Could also be blood sugar problems (especially if you are diabetic), and that one could be tested for with a blood glucose meter. Hope you can figure out something that will help, without compromising your liver-shrinkage

We seem to get mixed reviews on this one. Some of us can without trouble, but you might want to run the question by your doc.

My balance has been off (twice I have "fallen" off a short ladder.. I feel it coming, so jump down, avoiding injury), and my joints are less stable (especially my knees). Gym time and physical therapy should help, I hope.

There is no reason you won't be able to maintain long term with limited exercise. Keep a tight reign on your calories. (At first, just see how many you are currently consuming, and keep it there). Be sure to weigh weekly, and if you start seeing unreasonable scale creep, decrease your calories by 200/day. It may take a bit of fine tuning, but since you've already been maintaining for 9 months, your body is comfortable there, and won't want to shift (it'll probably want to regain the 7, and if it were me, I'd probably let it, otherwise you'll be constantly starving). Lymes is such a terrible disease. So sorry to hear you got it

You'll get there! Good luck!

Congratulations on your surgery! It sounds like everything is going wonderfully for you! Do meals usually last for an hour where you live? Here in the US, meals are typically eaten in 20-30 minutes.

If the second hospital says the same thing, then you need to try and work with them to get treated for the supposed eating disorder (work with a psychologist), then maybe once the psychologist says you are doing well, then they can go ahead and do the surgery.

If you have the money, the Optifast liquid diet is the easiest to follow. Everything you need, right there. But, it is expensive, so you might be better off doing 3-4 protein shakes a day, plus low sodium v8 or salad with fat free dressing. You can expect to lose 10-15lbs a month on the liquid diet. Alternatively, you can just do a ketogenic diet (moderate protein, high fat, low carb). It will have the same results. There are some websites that have lots of info and "how to's". Ultimately, for most of us, when we try to just tweak our normal diet, it just doesn't work very well. We have to throw it all away, and start with a clean slate. Going liquid or keto will do just that. Both diets have severely strict "rules".. so you follow the rules, and you'll have results. You'll do it this time, I know it!! Good luck!!

Congrats! Sounds like everything is going very nicely!! In an attempt to be helpful, I'll put some info down regarding expected weight loss after surgery/goals. If you find it helpful, great! But please don't let these numbers discourage you. It's good to know what is common/expected, but ultimately your journey is YOUR journey, and you make of it what you will. At your height, your "ideal" weight is 179lbs. From a medical standpoint, the surgery will be considered a "success" at 50% of excess weight loss after 2 years. (Your end weight at 257lbs). People that have had the sleeve lose an average of 65% of their excess weight. If you followed the average, you could expect to end at 234lbs. Remember, average is just that. Some lose more, some less. Now I believe you can do better than average.. For those that are dedicated to the lifestyle change, 75% to 80% of excess weight loss is quite common. That would put your end weight at 210lbs. 90% excess weight loss: 202lbs 100%: 179lbs. We see so many people have a goal of losing 100% of their excess weight, but when it doesn't happen, they think something is wrong, and they beat themselves up. Have high hopes, but realistic expectations. Celebrate the losses, enjoy the journey.. and be happy when you end up healthier and happier than where you started... no matter what the scale says...

Don't focus too much on the number of meals a day. (Well, some programs REALLY want their patients doing 3 meals from the very beginning).. but I don't think that's necessary, or possibly healthy, if you feel too hungry, you'll overeat. So, I prefer to see patients focus on their goals. Figure out how many proteins, carbs, fat, and calories you need, and then create a plan that meets all these goals. Eat as often as necessary to meet your goals. I find, by tackling it this way, I have to push to get everything in, and eating becomes something different in my brain. It's no longer hobby, socialization, comfort, or any of that jazz... it's fuel and nourishment. Period. And that's a good thing! I don't feel guilty about eating now since when I don't eat, I feel weak. (hmm.. when I was a teenager, I was embarrassed to eat in front of people since I was heavy... I forgot about that! Lol!). If I have a day where I meet all my goals, and find I'm still hungry.. veggies are always on the menu. So there is no panic that I'll be left hungry, and not "allowed" to eat (a common problem while dieting). Sorry, this post is a little all-over-the-place.. but hopefully something here is applicable

Always mention new-onset pain to your surgeon. Have you had a BM? If not, you'll want to start thinking about getting things to happen in the next day or two in that area...

Insurance companies are funny.. but it might be their policy to just look at your start weight, not the weight you are at the end of 6 months. Check into that. I was thinking you probably had a higher BMI than you do.. 60lbs loss in 6 months at your weight IS asking too much (especially because typical weight loss is considered 1-2 pounds a week, which means 4-8 pounds a month..). Are you only a month into the process? If so, then you haven't lost too much if you end up needing to find a new doctor. Remember, you need your family doc on your side throughout the process, and afterwards. So if they are putting unattainable roadblocks in your path, then they are showing that they really don't want to deal with you or the surgery. Postop, you will have special needs, possibly with complications, but also routine blood draws (vitamin tests), and the like. Bariatric patients require a bit more medical maintenance than the average patient. So make sure your primary doc is on your side.

In these times of shock and disappointment, always try to keep the big picture in mind. Your ultimate goal is to get down to a healthy weight, right? So whether you drop 5 pounds before surgery, or 50, it's all to the good for your final goal (but 50lbs is closer). If you let up now, and stop losing, then your goal is further away. If you keep on pushing to lose as much weight before surgery, then your goal will come quicker postop. AND, the surgery will be easier for the surgeon, and your recovery quicker and easier for you. So let this bump in the road motivate you to just keep on pushing forward, and when you DO get your surgery, you won't look back and say.. "what was I thinking?! I lost focus, and now I could have been that much closer to goal, and I threw it away!" Keep your calories below 1500, whether you exercise or not. Don't worry about "messing up" your metabolism because when you do get the surgery, it will reset everything. We all have to be "on a diet" of one sort or another, *forever!* when we embark upon this journey. And you are ON your journey. This trip starts the day you decide you are going to get surgery. Surgery is just a stop along the way.. not the beginning. So your "surgery stop" turns out to be further away than you planned, but you'll get there!

Surgery date 3-20-17 HW: 305 SW: 289 CW: 223 Total lost (including preop): 82lbs 50lbs more to go to goal!

Yes, you can do this. As long as it's thin and lump-free, it should work. I know it's hard, but take it one day at a time, and before you know it you'll be on a normal diet, and this will all be a distant memory!

Surgery will knock off 50+ pounds over the first year. But regain IS possible, so you would forever have to be vigilant as to your calories in/out post-op as well. One thing most of us didn't know before starting this process.. (but we are learning now..): Exercise has relatively little to do with weight loss.. it's all about what you eat. In fact, after a minimal level of exercise that is enough to make you strong and maintain your lean body mass (muscles and bones, etc)... exercise is actually counter-productive because it makes you HUNGRY (one of your biggest complaints). If I could guarantee you would heal up from surgery without a problem, and live your life, forever healthy.. then I'd say it was a good option, and you should run out and do it tomorrow. The problem is that that isn't necessarily gonna be the case. Complications can and do happen, and some can be life altering, or even life-ending. It would be a shame for you to take that risk, when your body is likely just screaming for balance. Go to the gym twice a week to do weights. Walk 3 miles every day. That's it. Any more exercise isn't really needed. Check into getting your RMR/BMR tested, then use that information as a baseline for figuring out how many calories to eat. The thing is, that these suggestions are the same as we all have to do after surgery anyway.. you should just try them first.

Put away the scale, and pull out the tape measure. Measure yourself once a week or every-other week. You may be one that tends to lose inches while retaining fluid (so you are getting thinner without dropping weight). Try to get your calories between 800 and 1000, and trust the process. Working out isn't necessary this early, but walking can be helpful. It's early, just give it time...

Me too. I was always a big breakfast eater, but not anymore. Usually don't have anything solid until 11am at the soonest. (I'm 5 months postop). I'm just not hungry, and the thought of eating... bleh.. I also drink coffee first thing with some milk.

Ok, when I started typing, I didn't see you mentioned diabetes. There is a bit more remission for diabetes with the bypass. Ultimately, how long you have had diabetes, and whether you are insulin dependent makes a difference too. If you are newly diagnosed and don't take insulin, I still think the sleeve should be in the running. If you've been diabetic for years, and especially if you are on insulin.. then the bypass would be better.

If you only have 75 pounds to lose and don't currently suffer from GERD, you are likely an excellent candidate for a sleeve. Both sleeve and bypass are good surgeries, but like others have mentioned before, the bypass can have long term complications that are less likely with the sleeve (intestinal problems and malnutrition). Unfortunately there is no perfect bariatric procedure. They all have pros and cons. We each have to weigh those things that are important to US, and in that, there is huge variation. I don't care that a portion of my stomach landed in the trash. If it keeps me from developing diabetes or having a stroke from high blood pressure.. all to the good. Sleeves ARE frequently revised. Partly because they CAN be. RNY are almost never revised, and it would be an especially rare case where it would actually be reversed. (It CAN happen, just almost never does). Regain can and does happen post RNY. I think that "malabsorption" component allows people to feel relatively safe in eating a smidge more than they need. Then after a couple years, the intestines adapt, and suddenly they begin gaining. The sleeve requires the patient learns good habits during the first year. Regain is always a threat, so they must learn new eating habits, right out of the gate. And lots of people just. don't. Initially, post surgery weight loss is combined physical and mental effort. After the honeymoon period ends, it becomes all mental, no matter which procedure you have.

My thoughts are with everyone affected...

I was self pay, so didn't do the 6 month diet. My first PCP probably would have done the same thing. She really didn't like the idea of my having surgery. (I now have a new doc.. but you don't want to switch now or risk having to start all over). At least she's giving you another chance 10lbs a month is quite a bit, but if you start counting calories religiously, I'm sure you can do this! Aim for 1200-1400/day. (Cutting out sugar and white flour will help too).

I'm not to goal weight but figured I'd chime in anyway. At 5 months out, the surgery is fast becoming old news, both for me and my family. The pounds continue to slowly come off, but I don't seem to be looking different like I did at first (to me anyway). Life goes on the same as it always has, but it seems easier to just stand up and go DO something, instead of it taking a huge effort to just get started. I don't get as tired as soon either. Whether the problem was the physical weight or mental weight, it is taking some time for me to realize that I now can EASILY do things that were so hard before. (Like mowing the lawn).

5 weeks is still early for meat. Don't stress if it isn't agreeing quite yet. At 5 weeks out, I was still working on cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, beans, tuna salad. Stuff like that. Even cheese was too harsh. Water is a problem for lots of us.. herbal tea, adding flavoring, etc. can help. Miralax or the occasional enema can help the constipation.