Kat410

Even without the background info that is helpful it’s probably safe to say the answer to the OP’s question will be some variation of EAT LESS.

Even though the surgery doesn’t really work this way, I am curious why would you want less removed?

I made the mistake of assuming my weight loss would be speedy. Instead, virtually all of my losses were single digit (1 to 7 pounds monthly) and it took me 18 months to lose 100 pounds.
I made the mistake of comparing my weight loss progress to others. The more comparisons I made, the more depressed I became about my snails pace progress.
I made the mistake of concluding I'd be the one anomaly for which the gastric sleeve wouldn't work.
I made the mistake of downplaying the strong genetic component that drives weight loss after bariatric surgery during the first year.
I made the mistake of not having enough faith in the process.
Now it's all Water under the bridge.

Sorry Terry, but I have to correct this statement. A lb is a lb is a lb. It matters naught what substance you weigh, if it's a lb, it will register a lb. A lb of fat and a lb of muscle weigh THE SAME. However!!! A lb of bowling balls occupies much less space or volume than a lb of feathers--just as a lb of muscle occupies less space than a lb of fat.

I just threw my personal extender out. I now have plenty of room to spare in my seat and can cross my legs in coach. #goals

Even though the surgery doesn’t really work this way, I am curious why would you want less removed?

I would not describe my experience like yours but you are most likely dealing with a fairly intense calorie deficit. It took me about three months to me emotionally and physically adapt to this. Additionally there are significant hormonal changes you are likely experiencing.

What you are describing may be connected to that. I would not worry about and do what you can to support yourself including getting a lot of rest, handling your hydration and eliminating stress where you can.

One year ago today I had my surgery down 150.

Just wanted to share my most recent before/current
HW was 301lbs in July 2016, though it could have been a little more since I didn't weigh regularly.
SW: 271 (12/30/16)
CW: 185
GW: 175, then reassess.
The left picture was October 2016 at about 275 lbs while working my pre-op diet. The right was Monday at 185 lbs.

In Australia, "White Castle" is a brand name for very effective cleaning products.

1) Live Healthier:
2) Live without BP meds
3) Live without the CPAP machine
4) Live without knee pain
5) To ride my bike again
6) To run (maybe even the participate in the Cotton Row Run)
7) Make love to my wife (it has been a long time)
8) Shop in the regular clothes section of any store!
9) Put a seatbelt on without having to lift a butt-cheek
10) Travel (where I can fit in the seat on buses and planes)

I eat the edamame Pasta as well. You can get it on Amazon. You need to work with it differently than regular pasta. It’s as dense as hell and cooks very quickly and my sleeve can’t handle a lot of it. But it’s a nice change up from animal Proteins.

I eat the edamame Pasta as well. You can get it on Amazon. You need to work with it differently than regular pasta. It’s as dense as hell and cooks very quickly and my sleeve can’t handle a lot of it. But it’s a nice change up from animal Proteins.

I eat the edamame Pasta as well. You can get it on Amazon. You need to work with it differently than regular pasta. It’s as dense as hell and cooks very quickly and my sleeve can’t handle a lot of it. But it’s a nice change up from animal Proteins.

Had a great holiday and finishing the year with houseguests, NYE party, then hosting a big new years day party.
I have gained and lost the same 2 lbs for the past 3 weeks - welcome to my first real stall and I am not being rigorous with the quality of food entering my body. However, I am working out and loosing inches.
I am looking forward to getting back to my normal routine after the 1st and doing what I need to do see that scale cross 200.
The frigid weather has required new wardrobe purchases for work - I have bought my size 12-14 winter wardrobe!

@Creekimp13
Thank you for sharing this so powerfully. Like others, I can relate to what you have said. And while there are moments when I miss the experience of sitting down at a diner and ordering a bacon cheeseburger with waffle fries and how felt when I ate some really rich and savory and fatty dish (at least for the 20 minutes I was eating and savoring it), I have found some other ways to channel my feelings about food.
I don't have hard rules - bread is a major trigger for me and I don't buy it, but I do eat it from time to time. If there is a rule, it has to be really good bread, like the kind of home made French bread I might get if I was at Balthazar in New York. Fried foods are also a trigger but again - same principle, if there is quality I will have some.
I have no intention of ever completely eliminating the aspect of food that is beyond fuel - that is sensual, pleasure based and emotionally connected. What I am no longer willing to have is a life that revolves around that. So it will always have its place, I will always love to cook, entertain, enjoy pristine produce, learning cuisines and techniques and yes - even eating certain foods from time to time.
I had my surgery in May - so I'm not yet a year in. Today I crossed the 130 lb lost mark and so far its working but a lot of why it's working is because my sense of restriction is still very intense (just had two bites of tuna poke and feel like I used to feel after I ate a 12 oz ribeye!)
I may have to change my tune at some point in the future, but for now - this is where I am at.

@Creekimp13
Thank you for sharing this so powerfully. Like others, I can relate to what you have said. And while there are moments when I miss the experience of sitting down at a diner and ordering a bacon cheeseburger with waffle fries and how felt when I ate some really rich and savory and fatty dish (at least for the 20 minutes I was eating and savoring it), I have found some other ways to channel my feelings about food.
I don't have hard rules - bread is a major trigger for me and I don't buy it, but I do eat it from time to time. If there is a rule, it has to be really good bread, like the kind of home made French bread I might get if I was at Balthazar in New York. Fried foods are also a trigger but again - same principle, if there is quality I will have some.
I have no intention of ever completely eliminating the aspect of food that is beyond fuel - that is sensual, pleasure based and emotionally connected. What I am no longer willing to have is a life that revolves around that. So it will always have its place, I will always love to cook, entertain, enjoy pristine produce, learning cuisines and techniques and yes - even eating certain foods from time to time.
I had my surgery in May - so I'm not yet a year in. Today I crossed the 130 lb lost mark and so far its working but a lot of why it's working is because my sense of restriction is still very intense (just had two bites of tuna poke and feel like I used to feel after I ate a 12 oz ribeye!)
I may have to change my tune at some point in the future, but for now - this is where I am at.

I am 8 months out and have lost 126 lbs including 10 day pre surgery liquid diet

In the first 3 months I probably averaged about 600 Calories day. Around 6 months it was about 800-900. Now I am closer to 1000.

I work out, work long hours and have no issues with my stamina (although that was not the case in the first 4 nonths).

I do try to Vary my calorie intake every few weeks by doing short term spikes and then lower calorie days. My weight loss progress is pretty consistent with a CICO approach.

This is something I’ve tweaked over the past several months which I think is critical. Different people respond to different things.

Time for a forum nick name change miss not-so-thick!!

4.5 months post-op.
1. Get yourself in a long-view mentality. Do not get fascinated with the quick drop at the beginning (or lack thereof). Do not obsess over what is happening with the scale on a daily or weekly basis - use it is a tool (and an imperfect one at that).
2. Use this time to change your habits. As much as possible, routinize your food. Move eating to a "background" activity (something that is done out of necessity, versus organizing activities/events around eating). Do as much as you can to completely eliminate unhealthy/non-nutritious food from your diet. Train yourself to love/crave/want nutrient rich food. Be prepared to find new activities to replace eating - walking, exercise, other hobbies and activities.
3. Prepare yourself for how you are going to communicate to others about your lifestyle change. You have the right to communicate however you choose - but think it through in advance and be ready. Be ready for people to have opinions (both positive and negative). Be ready for the overweight people in your life to be curious, jealous or inspired. Be prepared for some of your relationships to change because YOU will change.
4. Take on habits that foster discipline - making your bed every day, weighing/measuring your food, prepping meals, keeping a clean house - any habits that build or foster a sense of discipline where it has been lacking. There will be times when the discipline of keeping your word (if only your word to YOURSELF) will give you a lot of power when old cravings kick in.
5. Empower yourself - do not beat yourself up if you slip, if you make a mistake, if you have strong feelings, if people act like morons. You are making a choice for the quality of your life.
6. Create a point for the surgery that supports you. For me, looking better was not worth it. What was worth it was having my body by useful, make a difference for others and contribute to people for decades to come.

I was open about my surgery with people I spent a lot of time with - including co-workers.
I was very straight about what would and would not work for me.
My staff members are no longer allowed to bring food into my office for meetings. I am also more sensitive to smells, so that means no coffee (I have a coffee aversion).
I can now handle being around any food, but it was not like that for a period of months. I told people what would work and what didn't work.
You should talk to your friend. There is nothing wrong with being straight and telling people what you need and what is OK or not OK in your own dang house.
In the long run, I think it's more undermining to have resentments and be upset about things and NOT discuss it than it is to be straight and work things out.
You are in the toughest part right now. The second toughest part will be right after surgery. You are doing great. And venting is useful.
YOU GOT THIS

I was open about my surgery with people I spent a lot of time with - including co-workers.
I was very straight about what would and would not work for me.
My staff members are no longer allowed to bring food into my office for meetings. I am also more sensitive to smells, so that means no coffee (I have a coffee aversion).
I can now handle being around any food, but it was not like that for a period of months. I told people what would work and what didn't work.
You should talk to your friend. There is nothing wrong with being straight and telling people what you need and what is OK or not OK in your own dang house.
In the long run, I think it's more undermining to have resentments and be upset about things and NOT discuss it than it is to be straight and work things out.
You are in the toughest part right now. The second toughest part will be right after surgery. You are doing great. And venting is useful.
YOU GOT THIS

I was open about my surgery with people I spent a lot of time with - including co-workers.
I was very straight about what would and would not work for me.
My staff members are no longer allowed to bring food into my office for meetings. I am also more sensitive to smells, so that means no coffee (I have a coffee aversion).
I can now handle being around any food, but it was not like that for a period of months. I told people what would work and what didn't work.
You should talk to your friend. There is nothing wrong with being straight and telling people what you need and what is OK or not OK in your own dang house.
In the long run, I think it's more undermining to have resentments and be upset about things and NOT discuss it than it is to be straight and work things out.
You are in the toughest part right now. The second toughest part will be right after surgery. You are doing great. And venting is useful.
YOU GOT THIS

Hi there! Always good to have NYC in the house! And enjoy that Vitamix! I am in Washington Heights now, recent transplant from Bushwick. Best two decisions I've made in the past year was moving out of Bushwick for Washington Heights (there's green up there! lots of it!) and having a gastric sleeve. I know the former is probably heresy to BK devotees.
I did my surgery memorial day - my stats are in my signature, but it's gone pretty smoothly for me. My surgery was self-pay due to insurance and I did that in Mexico - which was also simple and straightforward and managed the preop work and post op work my PCP who is affiliated with NYU.
Being on this board is a good structure, I've learned a lot here that has been very helpful about various topics.
Since surgery I've lost 115 lbs, and about to cross from obese to overweight according to BMI charts and have fallen in love with exercise/working out (actually, it's better to say I have fallen in love with the benefits of that).
You will have a blast prepping and cooking with your background - I should be asking you for tips!

I have a small cuisinart food processor, a Blendtec blender and a cold press juicer. I use my juicer and food processor the most right now and it’s seasonal.

I am making a lot of savory dishes that get portioned out and frozen, in particular meat and bean dishes. Doing the work that needs to be done with garlic, onions, peppers, herbs, shallots, etc just works best in a small food processor.

I prefer juices over veg smoothies but truthfully the Fiber would do me good and I may lay off on the veg juicing. You can just get a lot more bang for your buck nutrient wise with juicing so it’s a trade off for the post op patient and my juicing is 90 pct veg and herbs with a boat load of ginger. I don’t do as much juicing in the winter. Not sure why, probably just all the growing up years of savory and saucy things when it’s cold.

The one kitchen accessory that has been shockingly valuable is a high quality knife sharpener. I cook and prep food so much more often now. I am a single New Yorker and this demographic lives on take out and dining out. But that just doesn’t work for me. I am now heavily invested in food prep and cooking and I love it.

I don’t use my slow cooker as much as I thought I would. It’s a hand me down from a friends upgrade to the instapot. I haven’t quite nailed how to use this without the incredible dulling of flavor that comes with the slow cooker but truthfully I haven’t done as much experimentation as I could have. I did do a Boston but in the slow cooker recently for a dinnner party to make pulled pork tacos that turned out really well.