AniracIre

Great job, you've done really well. You mentioned your workout regime earlier, but can you tell us what a typical days food intake looks like either in terms of calories in or protein/fats/carbs totals?

Hi everyone!
I wanted to take a time out here and share about my weight loss journey, as I close in on my goal weight it's a good time to reflect, look at what worked and what isn't work and set myself to accomplish what I am out to accomplish.
I had gastric sleeve in Mexico on 5/26, and started a 10 day liquid diet before. I was self-pay, my insurance doesn't cover bariatric surgery. I coordinated with my PCP (who wasn't thrilled, but once she got I was going to do it, we did all the preliminary lab work in advance so there would be no surprises.) The surgery was straightforward and seamless and besides not liking the hotels included in the package (I went to Cancun), everything else was great (the surgeon, nurses and other staff).
I had prepared myself for what there was to deal with and took a week off work afterwards which was more than enough time.
Before my liquid diet I weighed 335 which was my highest ever weight. I am 50 and 5'8", so clocked in with a BMI over 50. I had not developed hypertension or sleep apnea, but my A1C was 7.0 and had just started metformin.
I hadn't dieted in years - while in the past I found it pretty easy to lose weight, at some point I would fail and more weight would come on so I had concluded that I would stop dieting and just deal with being fat for the rest of my life.
I started to consider WLS about 3 years ago, but I was so scared to confront this issue again, I just avoided doing any planning, acting or organizing to move this forward. It was last year (feb 2017) that my A1C was up to 7 and that's when I decided to act. I had known that VSG patients were almost immediately cured of diabetes that's when I started to act.
After surgery, I dropped weight quickly and easily and still am. Not including the 1st month (a huge loss), I have averaged 2.5 lbs per week. There are a couple of things that made a difference for me.
1. Keeping the Protein first rule and learning which foods are sliders and which foods are triggers.
2. After I was down to 290 I started an exercise regimen. I used to play sports and work out and knew that I could build muscle quickly and easily which would support my weight loss. I did HIT and strength training and am now doing low impact conditioning and strength training (injured my knee last month).
3. I weigh and tweak, weigh and tweak, weigh and tweak. Right now I am eating a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet. I average about 1000 cals/day. Every 4-6 days I do a major calorie/carb spike. I am now experimenting with single day fasts. However, high fat/moderate protein seems to be the best combination. I do the carb spike if I go 4 days without losing weight. I made all this up, it's strictly a function of weighing and tweaking. I don't know if there's any science (except the studies that validate that the most successful weight loss people are the ones who stick with it and find what works for them.) Until I am in maintenance I will continue to weigh and tweak and if any approaches stop working, I will stop using them.
4. Paying attention to building lean muscle - improvements in strength, flexibility and endurance were as important as drops on the scale. I hired a trainer who runs a small boutique fitness gym 2 doors from me - I selected it because I figured I couldn't have any excuse not to go given I didn't have to walk far, take the subway or deal with transit. I got lucky - he is amazing, unbelievably educated and started training me right where I was and its unbelievable the changes in 4 months of work. He said he couldn't promise weight loss - that was up to me - but he could promise strength, endurance, balance and flexibility - all of which he delivered.
5. I am planning for maintenance - I am a very target-oriented person. Given me a target, a goal or an outcome and once I set my sights on it I am pretty unf****kable with it. I am looking at different goals and outcomes to create for myself.
6. I am surprised at how necessary exercise has become for me. Even when I played sports, I hated all the training that came with it - I just wanted to play and compete. To some extent, I think I am competing with myself, but this is a journey and I am excited about what my body can become and accomplish.
For the first time in almost 30 years I am under 200 lbs. I have lost 85% of my excess body weight in 10 months. I am grateful for surgery, genetics, and also the people on this board - whom I have learned a lot from.
What is next?
I am still experimenting and am educating myself on fasting. I am doing weekly 1 day fasts just to get in the world of what that's like and will plan for a 3-5 day fast at some point in the future.
If I get my knee straightened out I would like to hike up a mountain. This summer I would like to sail and bike the west side of NY along the Hudson River. I would like to lose these last 30 or so lbs my birthday in June (which is unlikely, but I like targets!)
Thank you for these boards, your participation and every journey here, it has made a difference.

I find that I do a lot better with my Fluid intake if I vary the type of fluid and temperature of it during the day. What works well for me is to have some different flavours of herbal tea and the warm Water allows me to sip much faster between meals. Experiment with ice cold and warm water too to see what works best.

HW 365 CW 332 GW 220
Sleeved 6th March 2018

The final two days of my pre-op liquid diet also followed a similar plan. It was skimmed milk with milk powder to make a "high protein" milk where we had to get in about 90g of Protein in for each of those 2 days.
Like as been said here - every surgeon seems to have a different plan!

HW 365 CW 331 GW 220
Sleeved 6 Mar '18

My incision sites only got tender after all of the paper stitches had been removed and I was back to work. I had absolutely no pain before that.
Nothing that painful, but I was aware from time to time of where my work shirt was rubbing against the largest incision site in particular.

HW 365 CW 331 GW 220
Sleeved 6 Mar '18

I also use the Myfittnesspal app to count. I also have a very cool Bariatastic app I use.. but its american and not all the dutch products are on it.. so sometimes I have to do some guessing. But it keeps all the macros handy in a widget so you know your intake .. I do keep a diary also. Otherwise its so easy to go off track
We follow a no fat no sugar low carb diet. So only 50 grams of potatoes/rice/pasta per day- but also 2 slices of wholegrain bread per day- so its not that strict.. I have heard of stricter programs where people even count the calories and carbs in the Vitamin supplements haha yikes!

So I talked to my surgeon today, and my only dietary specifications now are to keep working on meeting my liquid (48-64 oz)/protein (60-80 grams), keep my diet low sugar and relatively low fat, and work toward getting into the 1000-1200 calorie range per day (I have no idea what I'm at currently because I didn't have to monitor that in the first few stages). White bread/pasta/rice is not recommended but not flat-out restricted, but I've made a goal for myself to stick to 100% whole wheat and brown rice for as long as possible (and still not very often). I can introduce other foods whenever I please, and if they don't work, just put them aside for a few weeks and try them again later. I do not have specific carb/fat ranges to aim for.
After I got home, I went to the store and bought salad fixings (spinach, crinkle cut carrots, cubed ham, and fat free French dressing); fish sticks (I ate three for supper); and a box of that bacon you just have to microwave (it's a little high in fat if you eat a full serving of three slices, but I'll probably only be able to eat one at a time). I was so happy to have something CRUNCHY! I can't wait to make a piece of toast topped with a little bit of reconstituted PB2 and sugar free strawberry preserves tomorrow. (Don't know that I'll even be able to eat a whole slice, but that's okay.)
My recommended size for meals at this point is 4-6 ounces or 8-12 tablespoons, but I still can't even eat half a cup sometimes, depending on the food. Still working up to that.

I started back to work part-time last Monday and full time this past Monday. So far, I've kept my diet to my Protein Shakes, tuna and today I added a hard boiled egg. That's the extent of my diet, and I'm satisfied for the most part. I use the Starkist Tuna Creations pouches so no refrigeration is needed. They're really convenient and inexpensive.

HW 241
SW 238
CW 210
GW 130
Sleeved 3/1/18

Hi, what app is that you are using to track your weight loss?

HW 365 CW 332 GW 220
Sleeved 6th March 2018

So, I'm back to work today, two weeks after surgery (6th March). I've been really lucky that my recovery has been without issue so far i.e. no post surgery pain or discomfort to speak of as I write this!
My diet allows me to be back on regular food at this point, but it should be "mashable" or chewed to death before I swallow (probably stage 3 as defined on this site, but my dietician / surgeon don't use that term). That brings me onto where my head is at just now - what does my daily work food routine (snacks & lunch) look like. I'm on the road quite a lot (which is part of the reason my weight went where it did because I was always eating out), so I'm really conscious of starting on the right path and staying there.
There has been a great sense of community and energy in this thread so far and I'd be interested to hear what others are doing as they move through these food phases!

Hi ..this app is "monitor your weight" in the app store for android and iphone

Someone may have already stated this but if you add the unflavored Protein Powder to broth, the temperature of the broth can't be too hot or it will change consistency or "curdle", as you noted...Try adding it to warm broth, not hot...I didn't have a thermometer with me when I tried it. I just did equal parts cold Water to hot water and it seemed to be fine.

You can look at the feedback you are getting from your new stomach as being a positive thing. It will tell you of any negative behaviours going forward. I'm also learning where the boundaries of what will work for me are..it's an interesting journey for us all!

HW 365 CW 332 GW 220
Sleeved 6th March 2018

I know exactly how you feel. As I went through the different pre-op checks such as bloods, ECG, medical history checks, (about 2 hours before surgery) I was sure that at each point something would be found and I'd be told that it had been cancelled! Even at the final consent authorisation with my surgeon when he casually asked "how did the pre-op diet go?", I wondered if there was a right or wrong answer! (I told him the truth that I have stuck to the diet btw!)
Yes, the build up is intense right into the moment you go into theatre, so you are not the only one!

Day 4 since I was sleeved. Today was a 180 degree turn for me (thank God)! No more nausea, fluids are staying down, only a little soreness on the main incision, less need for naps. Still taking things slow when turning, bending etc but was able to get solid sleep on my side last night. Not craving anything, my mind is consumed with healing vs. hunger so I’m ok with that. Not meeting Protein goal yet but hopeful I will in the next day. Thanks to all of the encouragers and those sharing this journey! New life ahead... no regrets!


HW=315; SW=268; CW=261; GW#1=210; GW#2=170

Hi, I've been using Protein Powder isocool since day 4 after surgery 2 scoops with 8 oz of Water after day six 4oz of water + 4oz of skimmed milk or almond milk (i dont really like skimmed milk so i decided to make my own home made almond milk) you cant believe how good the protein taste but be careful i drank around of 5oz or 6oz really fast and felt so bloated like i had eaten a whole cow [emoji14] had to lay down for a couple of hours

Sent from my RS988 using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm doing great with Protein. I start off each day with a Premier Protein brand premade shake which has 30 grams! I have greek yogurt which has about 12 grams. I have 1- 16oz bottle of Protein2 0 which is a protein infused Water that has 15 grams or the Premier Protein Clear which has 20 grams (I was told that the protein water counts toward both fluids and protein so double whammy 😁) The rest of my fluids are plain water. Then I finish the day with another Premier Protein Shake (30 grams) or a pudding, Soup, etc with unflavored protein powder added (10-20 grams) So, protein intake can range from 67-92 grams. I am a 4' 11" female.

Good find, thanks.

HW 365 CW 345 GW 220
Sleeve scheduled 6th March

I struggled with this a lot. I had considered getting sleeved a couple years before I did and told a few people I was considering it. I was surprised at their responses, especially my parents. For one, most people had a pretty negative view of it—even a doctor friend of mine. But it was clear most people were not well-read on the topic and were prone to all of the common misconceptions. At first my parents sounded like they would be supportive but them wrote to me in unison telling me that I shouldn’t do the surgery. My dad had been successful at losing a bunch of weight and controlling his diabetes a few years back but has since gained most of it back. Their thought was that if I needed to have a lifestyle change after surgery to maintain why not just do the lifestyle change and forego surgery. They also thought that if it was something I had to be secretive about (because I had asked them not to mention it to my siblings) then it must not be right. Well, this discouraged me and I decided not to do the surgery but try to lose weight on my own. And, as you can imagine, I did not succeed. My diabetes got a lot worse and I started daily injections. I also developed sleep apnea and needed to sleep with a CPAP machine. The trajectory of my health was not good and I came back to the idea of bariatric surgery. I thought that I would not ask my parents their thoughts but just tell them my decision and ask for their support. My thought was that I had to tell them because they are my parents. But I struggled a lot thinking about how they would respond and doubted that they would keep it from my siblings, who, if they knew, would tell the world. I actually talked to my primary physician about it and she supported me and suggested that since I’m an adult (46) my parents don’t even have to know. So I wrote to my parents a desperate message telling them the extent of my health problems and that I needed to do something. I asked for their prayers. I already decided to get sleeved but didn’t know if I should tell them. I decided that if they replied and changed their tune about surgery and brought it up to say they’d support me if that is what I decided (since we had discussed it before) then I’d tell them. But otherwise, I would take that as a sign that I should not tell them. They just said they’d pray for me, so I decided I wouldn’t tell them. I also decided that I couldn’t tell people in my workplace because of gossip—telling one would be the same as telling everyone. So, in the end, the only people in the world who know, besides the doctors and nurses who performed the procedure and my other physicians, is my wife. I didn’t even tell my young kids.

I was afraid people might guess I had had the surgery if I suddenly lost a lot of weight—especially the few people I had previously told I had been considering it the first time around. So about 3 months before surgery I posted on Facebook a pic of me on my bike and that it was time for me to reset my diet and lifestyle and lose weight. I did start exercising then and would regularly post pictures and updates so that people would get accustomed to the fact that I was exercising and working hard, which would leave little room for suspicion about the cause of my weight loss. This worked really well and I did indeed lose 38 lbs pre-op through diet and exercise, which, to this day, convinces me that I did do this and can take credit for it. I took a 2-week vacation and got the surgery on the third day of the vacation. This gave me time to recover so that I’d be in good shape by the time people saw me again. I had told a couple people that I was going to take my vacation to ramp up my weight-loss efforts and alter my diet. I lost a quick 10-15 lbs immediately after the surgery and when I went back to work a couple people noticed. I went to my explanation: “I had been losing weight since August but no one could tell but me; then when I get to a certain threshold everyone starts noticing and thinks it happened overnight, but truthfully, ive been losing weight over the past 3 months!” I’ve lost 34 lbs since surgery and am much thinner than before. But I’ve continued to run races (5K, 10K and half-marathons) and post about it online. People have said some very encouraging things to me but I’ve been a little surprised that I haven’t gotten more comments about my weight loss. Maybe because I’m a guy—might be different for a girl. Not one person has asked me if I got bariatric surgery, or have seemed to be “fishing” for that either. I’m sure some people think I’m just being prideful by posting so many selfies and race results, but I decided that would be both understandable and effective for keeping the secret about surgery. So far all has gone well—I don’t regret the surgery or keeping it a secret. I also don’t feel like I’ve lied about portraying myself as having done it all on my own when really surgery did it for me because I lost more pre-op than I have post-op, and I have still had to maintain all that discipline since surgery as well. I can eat a lot more than I thought I would be able to, and so it is still my self-discipline that is keeping food out of my mouth, not just the sleeve.

Someone recommended the gas x strips that melt in your mouth and I have been using those. I don’t have any gas pain, and I think that is why. You should check them out.

Same as@bradleyY, I just got home today from the hospital. I have five incision sites that seem to be healing nicely and I've almost no pain from these. The gas pain is a different matter altogether and it seems to be taking some time for it to sort itself out.

My diet today in the hospital started with a natural yoghurt and half a banana smoothie with a teaspoon of honey. I could only manage about 100mls before I was full. It had the effect though of getting my bowels going and boy did they go! (Sorry TMI I know).

My energy levels are fairly low at the moment and a 30 min nap in the recliner tuned into three hours. Hopefully that won't stop me from sleeping later, but given I felt like I was conducting a snoring orchestra in the 4 bed ward I was in last night, I'm not surprised that I slept today.

Overall, I feel really happy about my decision to have the sleeve so far and I've had great support from my wife and kids. I haven't told my wider family group yet about the specific surgery that I had, but that's a discussion for a different day.

Same as@bradleyY, I just got home today from the hospital. I have five incision sites that seem to be healing nicely and I've almost no pain from these. The gas pain is a different matter altogether and it seems to be taking some time for it to sort itself out.

My diet today in the hospital started with a natural yoghurt and half a banana smoothie with a teaspoon of honey. I could only manage about 100mls before I was full. It had the effect though of getting my bowels going and boy did they go! (Sorry TMI I know).

My energy levels are fairly low at the moment and a 30 min nap in the recliner tuned into three hours. Hopefully that won't stop me from sleeping later, but given I felt like I was conducting a snoring orchestra in the 4 bed ward I was in last night, I'm not surprised that I slept today.

Overall, I feel really happy about my decision to have the sleeve so far and I've had great support from my wife and kids. I haven't told my wider family group yet about the specific surgery that I had, but that's a discussion for a different day.

@JD3787, thanks for your detail. It echoes my own experience (I was sleeved yesterday), but the only significant nausea I had was in the first 30 minutes after waking up in recovery...no puking though.

HW 365 CW 343 GW 220
Sleeved 6th March 2018

Best of luck to all getting sleeved tomorrow, I'm following you on Tuesday!