Introversion

I've been in maintenance for 8 months. I'm 5'1, 118 pounds, and consume in the 1900 to 2200 kcal range per day, although I really don't track or measure any macros other than protein. I eat as much fat and carbs as I want. Since I run on most days of the week for exercise, I need the carbs to fuel my workouts. I consume about 120 grams of protein per day. Anything less will leave me hungry. I also consulted with a nephrologist and had my urine and blood tested, and the 120 grams of protein per day is not having an adverse impact on my kidneys. Tracking macros and counting calories is not really my thing because it is too reminiscent of the dieting mentality. Many of us sucked at long term adherence to diets prior to surgery. I refuse to revert back to a lifestyle that I disliked and left me feeling constant deprivation. By the way, I am sorry to hear about your mother's kidney issues. My mother recently died of end stage renal failure, so I am paranoid about my kidneys as well. However, 120 grams of protein per day is nowhere near 'high-protein.'

Here's the reality...the weight loss phase really shouldn't be the focus of your obsession. The weight will come off during the honeymoon phase regardless of what you do. Too many bariatric surgery patients are hyper-focused on weight loss while neglecting to come up with any type of plan to maintain the weight loss. The majority of us were able to lose weight just fine before surgery; however, keeping it off was the uphill battle that we often lost. For most people the weight loss phase lasts anywhere from 6 months to 2 years, but the weight maintenance phase is lifelong. Nonetheless, 80 percent of weight loss surgery patients regain some or all of their lost weight. Just follow the rules provided by your bariatric surgery team for now. Once you approach your goal weight, your new obsession in life needs to revolve around the work of maintaining your new, lower body weight. After all, this is for life. Good luck to you.

Here's the caveat...no matter how kindly and supportively we present a suggestion, the person who originally sought the 'advice' often replies in a testy manner that, "I didn't ask about that! I asked if a Taco Bell burrito supreme is okay to eat in the soft food phase. Only supportive responses, please!" Regardless of how helpful and supportive a reply is, many people have the ulterior motive of only fishing around for validation of their poor decisions. And of course, when they start regaining weight a few years from now, the blame and anger will be displaced onto some entity other than themselves (e.g., "the sleeve failed me").

I totally concur. However, human nature is not always logical or rational. Numerous people are dishonest with themselves and (unfortunately) lying to oneself is a barrier to true self-improvement. A person must first acknowledge (s)he has a problem if it's ever to be solved. But instead of admitting to having a problem, some people would rather surround themselves with cheerleaders and "yes-people" who offer false reassurances and delude them into thinking everything's alright. Honest introspection is a difficult, but necessary aspect of personal growth and self-improvement. Some folks lack the desire for introspection because it often unearths some painful truths. And, yes, the truth can hurt. Nonetheless, lying to oneself is more harmful in the long run.

Let's not forget about the one who ate an entire pizza at 3 weeks post-surgery. No one needs a fancy doctoral degree to conclude this person may have dire unresolved issues with his/her relationship with food. By the way, I steered clear of that thread. Also, there's the woman who got sick eating a Big Mac at 4 days post-surgery. Again, common sense dictates that she may have unresolved food issues if she'd willingly risk her life fulfilling a Big Mac craving when she's supposed to be on nothing but full liquids. These individuals visit online forums on the hunt for comments that validate their poor decisions, usually under the guise of "needing support" or "seeking advice." Any advice that follows the course of "You might develop a staple line leak by eating burgers and pizza at a few days post-op" is shouted down as rude. Of course, these are often the folks who never make it to their goal weight or, if they do, they start to fiercely regain during the second year and beyond. For a massive percentage of the weight loss surgery community, the biggest challenges are psychological in nature. After all, the surgeon operates on our stomachs and not our heads.

When's the last time you lost nearly 7 pounds in 9 days? You're doing extremely well! It's important to have very realistic expectations throughout your weight loss phase. For instance, I lost an average of 3 to 6 pounds a month yet kept on truckin' and still attained my goal weight. The speed and rate of the weight loss doesn't matter as much as your ability to keep it off. That's the moment of truth. Many of us were able to lose weight without surgery, but struggled to keep it off. Good luck to you!

You were probably pumped full of several liters of IV fluids on surgery day. Those IV bags of normal saline and lactated ringer's solution are rather heavy and add temporary water weight to the body. In other words, there's no possible way you've gained any fat since the surgery. Stay off the scale for a few weeks and allow your body to sort out its issues with swelling and fluid retention.

Unfortunately, when we ask for free advice and suggestions on weight loss surgery forums, nearly 100 percent of the time the respondents are not going to be 'experts' with fancy doctoral degrees. The advice is free, after all. If people who want advice and suggestions really need an educated professional, there's the option of paying the big bucks for consulting with one. Alas, we get what we pay for. If the snarky advice is free, an individual can log off. Speaking of signing off, many people lie to themselves. They seek only those opinions and comments that will validate their worldview or a terrible decision they're wanting to make, often under the guise of "looking for support" or "needing advice." In other words, many folks are really seeking Yes-people, cheerleaders, "supportive" Pollyanna types and others who tell them exactly what they want to hear, nothing more. Tough love and blunt advice that opposes the person's worldview or poor decision is discounted as rude. Sometimes candor and tough love are what the doctor ordered.

When I was sleeved I worked 12 hour nights as a floor nurse. My packed lunches in those early weeks consisted of foods such as cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, creamed cheddar & broccoli soup, black beans & sour cream, deviled eggs, and white chicken chili.

Perhaps you aren't eating enough...I know it seems counterintuitive, but the human body is a brilliant machine that knows how to slow metabolic processes down to a crawl when it senses a threat to survival. Food intake that's too low for too long is a threat to survival, as far as the human body is concerned. At 4 months out I had bumped my intake up to 1000 calories daily. By 6 months I was up to 1200 calories per day, and by the 9th month out I was eating about 1500 calories daily. By one year out I was up to 1700 to 1800 calories a day. Today I'm 2 years and 1 month out. I routinely consume about 2000+ calories each day and maintain a fairly low body weight. I consume about 120 grams of protein daily and I don't count carb or fat grams. So, although my tactic of incrementally raising my caloric intake may have led to me becoming a "slower loser," I am reaping the rewards of it today with a preserved metabolic rate.

At 3 months out, I'd lost 33.5 pounds. Not everyone responds rapidly to weight loss surgery. However, my painfully slow weight loss phase (100 pounds over the course of 18 months) is now water under the bridge. The important part of my journey is my ability to maintain whatever I've lost. Also, a great analogy between weight loss and toilet paper exists. A roll of toilet paper with 250+ sheets is fairly big. Once 50 sheets are removed from the roll, it still seems big to the naked eye. On the other hand, a roll of toilet paper that starts with 175 sheets looks tiny after we remove 50 sheets. Similarly, a 50-pound weight loss is not as noticeable on someone with a starting weight of 250+ pounds. However, a loss of 50+ pounds is dramatically noticeable on a 175-pound person. After all, (s)he now weighs 125 pounds. What's the point of this story? Your weight loss will appear more noticeable in the mirror as the pounds continue dropping. Good luck to you.

You're doing beautifully. As a frame of reference, it took me an entire 12 weeks to lose 30+ pounds, so you achieved what I did in less than half the time (less than 6 weeks). Good job. I think people get way too caught up in the speed and rate of weight loss. However, the weight loss phase is unimportant in the bigger scheme of issues. Conversely, the weight maintenance phase is the most important aspect of the journey since it's lifelong. What's the point of losing like Speedy Gonzales and getting to goal quickly, only to regain some or all of the weight in the second year and beyond? Nobody thinks regain will happen to them, but statistics indicate 80 percent of bariatric surgery patients regain some or all of their weight. I was a slow loser. However, no one gives a rat's behind about the losing phase in the long run. The important accomplishments are the following: I reached my goal and lost all my excess weight when the majority of sleevers' fizzle out at 60 to 70 percent excess body weight loss. I have been able to maintain my weight loss. There's nothing more dispiriting than regaining weight. Good luck to you! It is all about perspective.

I didn't notice a stall at 7 weeks because I wasn't weighing myself daily, or even weekly. It's hard to notice stalls when you weigh in no more than once a month. By the way, it took me an entire 3 months to lose 33 pounds. You accomplished that in less than 7 weeks so you are still doing well. Keep up the good work.

You are four days out right now. At four days out I was not exercising. At this point I recommend leisurely walking to prevent clots and complications, but nothing more intense. The next couple of months are for healing and getting acclimated with your new sleeve. I didn't resume formal exercise until three months out. I started with a walk/jog routine. Now I run an average of 30 miles a week, either outdoors or on a gym treadmill. When I want a break from running, I use the stationary bike, stairmill machine, or elliptical trainer at the gym. Exercise is beneficial for cardiovascular health and weight control. However, it is not a main driver of weight loss as we've all been led to believe over the years. Fat loss occurs with good dietary choices. Cardiovascular health and body recomposition occur with exercise. https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/exercise-is-not-total-energy-expenditure/ http://drspencer.com/exercise-for-health-not-weight-loss/ https://criticalmas.com/2012/04/fat-loss-and-the-case-for-less-exercise/

I have a $30 step aerobics platform at home that I'm capable of breaking a sweat on. I can achieve a low to moderate intensity cardio workout on it using a basic step routine. I also have a ridiculously cheap gym membership...I pay $49 yearly to be a member of 24-Hour Fitness. Since I paid full price for a membership in 2006, I am "grandfathered" in and renew annually for a fee that is less than what some people pay for monthly dues.

I am 2 years and 1 month post-op. I've developed a compulsion for running and other forms of cardio exercise in the context that my nephrologist recently instructed me to "moderate my exercise." My recent bloodwork indicated a persistently high creatine kinase level. This is a sign of muscle breakdown, even though I consume an average of 120 grams of protein per day. Thus, the good nephrologist advised me to moderate the amount of exercise I get since I might be over-exercising. I also do more online shopping these days, although not compulsively.

My weight yo-yo'ed massively in my 20s. I didn't realize what I was up against. I would lose 60 pounds through diet and exercise, regain 100 pounds, then lose 50 pounds, then regain 90. Rinse and repeat. Although getting weight loss surgery in my 20s would have saved me considerable misery, I predict I would have regained some weight after the procedure because of my lack of understanding on obesity. You see...obesity is not curable. Ever, ever, ever. It can definitely be put into remission by losing enough weight to enter the normal BMI range, but those of us who are/were obese will need to be vigilant for life. Even after surgery, our bodies still fight to get back to the heavier weights we once were. Those who slide backward into old habits often regain substantial weight. I know of a sleever who regained 150+ pounds. Would I encourage a 20-year-old to undergo bariatric surgery? If a myriad of health issues are present, you may wish to consider it. However, educate yourself about the limitations of surgery. It is not a quick fix to a weight problem. Good luck to you.

I had lost exactly 79.5 pounds at one year post-op. I weighed 218 on surgery day, and on my one-year sleeve anniversary I weighed 138.5 pounds. It took me approximately 17 months to lose 100 pounds. Yes, I was a slower loser. However, a slow and steady pace is still capable of achieving the goal. Good luck to you.

Personally, it took an entire 6 weeks post-op to start feeling 'normal' again. I was in a post-anesthesia fog for those weeks and felt unmotivated to do anything other than sleep and use the restroom. I did not exercise during the pre-op diet...at all. You are not consuming enough calories to properly fuel any decent workouts, so your body will respond by breaking down your stored fat and muscle. You will also feel tired and depleted of energy. The last thing you want to lose is precious muscle tissue. The only type of exercise I would do during the pre-op diet phase is low intensity activities such as leisurely walking or slow bicycling. Anything moderate or high intensity isn't the best idea right now.

Glycogenation is the primary reason for weight gain when starting a new exercise routine. Exercise enhances your muscle’s energy storage capacity. Active bodies require more fuel, so one adaption involves storing the carbohydrates you eat as glycogen in the muscle tissue. Therefore, you may be losing fat when you start a new exercise routine, but the progress you make has been masked by water weight gain. You could have perhaps lost a couple of pounds of fat the first week but gained a few pounds of glycogen in that time. In essence, you get on the scale and conclude you're stalling because you see water weight gain. You might have even jumped to the conclusion your exercise regimen is all for nothing. Therefore, hide the scale for several weeks. Measure your progress how loosely your clothes fit, not by some arbitrary scale number. Also, bump up your food intake. The less you eat, the more your body wants to retain water. Nourish your body with the food it needs, and it will reward you by eventually shedding its fat stores.

I weighed 218 pounds on surgery day. I weighed 177 pounds on my 4th month post-op anniversary, so I had lost 41 pounds at 4 months out. I should mention that I had hypothyroidism and insulin resistance, two health issues that negatively affect the metabolic rate.

I have been in maintenance since September 2016, so it's been about 8 months at this point. I only weigh myself once a month and my weight has remained stable from month to month.

My go-to snacks include baked apples, dry roasted peanuts, pork skins, turkey pepperoni, beef jerky, turkey sausage sticks, string cheese, navel oranges, and cottage cheese.

I am 2 years out and consume in the ballpark of 1900 to 2100 calories per day, although I don't really count, track or measure anything. I consume about 120 grams of protein per day. I do not count carbs or fat...I eat as much of these as I please. Since I sucked at adhering to diets in the past, I've decided I will not engage in the dieting mentality again. Breakfast: 3 cups of coffee with half & half creamer and artificial sweetener Late morning: 1/2 cup cottage cheese and a baked apple Lunch: Roasted chicken drumstick, 1/2 cup side salad, 1/2 cup Spanish rice Mid afternoon: Roasted chicken thigh, two cheese quesadillas, 1/2 cup salad Late afternoon: Quest chocolate chip cookie dough protein bar Dinner: Flatbread pizza with turkey pepperoni and jalapenos Bedtime: Roast beef & cheddar sandwich on 45-calorie multi-grain bread

$40 for vitamins is kinda pricey... A bottle of 100 Centrum once-a-day vitamins costs about $8 at Walmart. 100 vitamins will last 100 days; therefore, it exceeds a 90-day supply. I'd rather pay $8 for a 100-day supply of Centrum versus $40 for a 90-day supply of bariatric multivitamins. Unless you've had a malabsorptive surgery such as the duodenal switch or distal bypass, the bariatric vitamins are not always necessary. Again, I take the Centrum brand and my nutritional lab work is perfect.