Rainbow_Warrior

I choose to no longer eat rice ... don't have steamed rice, fried rice, etc. I avoid pretty much all crumbed and battered foods and most deep fried. I enjoy chips/fries but only four to six at a time with a meal these days. Too many empty calories.

Chicken. Just does not taste/feel right.

It's a bit early to consider but, in a few weeks, if things are not progressing, you could try the VSG Sleeve Reset ... Ask and I'll cut and paste it for you if you can't locate it on Bariatric Pal.

I know the feeling. I swim 2+ hours most days and do gym/weights 3 or 4 times per week. I cycle 35-65 minutes 4-6 days per week. My energy burns make me extremely hungry, I have a lot of 1850-2300 calorie days when I should (logically) stick to 1100-1200 on my big days. I have been around the 105-109 kilogram area now for five months. A few messages ago I posted you the RESET DIET ... I should work at it myself. I actually restarted it Monday 9th Sept ... 50 hours ago. Best of luck.

It's entirely possible. Have you tried the recommended "GASTRIC SLEEVE RESET"? Here is a cut 'n' paste: Complete Five-Day Bariatric Reset Diet The Five-Day Pouch Reset is a "reset" diet for people who have had gastric bypass surgery and might be starting to regain weight. Step 1 Drink only liquids for the first two days of the five-day diet. You'll need to drink at least two litres of water in addition to low-carb protein shakes. You can drink as many shakes as you want; the point of the first 48 hours is to take a break from your eating habits. By getting all of the nutritional needs from liquids, you'll be forced to pay attention to how often you were eating, snacking or simply grazing. Remember: The goal during this phase isn't weight loss, but mentally re-setting your habits. You can't make your pouch smaller through changes in diet, but you can learn portion control. Step 2 Eat only protein the next three days. On day three, you'll eat "soft protein" such as eggs and cottage cheese. On day four, you'll eat "ground meats" -- such as meatloaf and hamburger. On day five, you'll eat "solid proteins" such as chicken breast or a piece of fish. Limit condiments, such as salsa or mayonnaise. Foods should be as dry as possible -- which will help you gauge how full you are. You're allowed to eat as much as you'd like and as often as you like, but you must stop eating 15 minutes after you start. Do not sit and eat for longer than 15 minutes at any point during the final stage of the diet. Step 3 Do not drink any liquids 30 minutes before eating or with your meals. Liquids can help push foods more quickly through your pouch, allowing you to eat more than you should. Many facets of the five-day bariatric pouch reset diet are similar to the post-op diet followed right after surgery. Tips Plan ahead because the diet restricts the types of food you can eat. Make sure you have the foods you need on hand. The goal of this diet is to make you conscious of your food choices and stop mindless eating. Warnings According to the National Institutes of Health, "bypass surgery alone is not a solution to losing weight. It can train you to eat less, but you still have to do much of the work. You will need to follow the exercise and eating guidelines that your doctor and dietitian gave you."

Correct. Even when one feels like not going, just getting there is part of the process. I have had a lot of days (like today, Saturday 20th Oct at nearly 10am) where I really don't feel like kicking off my morning in the pool. But, if I just get in the car and drive the 8 km to the pool, it will be getting the routine started. The other thing is, I can feel like 5h1t some days and really think I don't want to swim, but just getting in the pool and doing that first lap or two sparks the right mindset within three to five minutes. You are so right about right time of day ... I prefer 5:30am to 9:00am on weekdays but, on Saturday, with the pool so cluttered with learn-to-swim classes near opening time, I often prefer early afternoon. And, Sundays 7am-10am is excellent at my swim centre. You remarked, too, about speaking with the front desk people. I'd say the same thing about the regulars in the pool too. I have a rapport or friendship with quite a number of weekday morning swimmers and a nodding acquaintanceship with others. People will remark next day if they haven't seen you the day before. (I had to stay home to let a plumber in last Monday so I swam from 11am-1:30pm instead and, when I went to the pool on Tuesday, at least seven or eight regulars sought an explanation or asked if I'd been unwell.) And, of course, if you feel hurt/pain/strain, just take it slowly or modify your workout or do a different exercise that day. I have been known to wade chest-deep for 2 hours or more if I have muscle-strain or muscle-tiredness from a long session the previous day.

Perfect advice. Swimming (even slow breaststroke) brings back a muscular upper torso in reasonable time and the pool allows one to operate oblivious to the knee and ankle pain of other cardio exercise. I have been doing 2.5 to 3.5 hours per day at the pool for over 11 months now. (Have only missed two days since I started.)

For me, almost any food. Nothing known yet that I can't eat after one year. I drink "shiploads" more water. My meals these days fit in a bowl or a side plate. If I eat out, I make sure I take a couple of ziplock bags or a tight-lidded "chinese" container. I inevitably cannot eat a main meal in one go any more. I usually order an entree only if the choices are suitable.

Not far from Newcastle NSW, @elcee. Had my VSG 368 days ago ... one year anniversary last Friday. What are your key questions?

I find that the crockpot (a.k.a. bench-top slow-cooker) is great. I can toss in a range of medium to high fibre vegetables and a few 40 gram home-shaped meat-balls and cook them overnight and divide them into small and medium meal-lots. Some are casserole consistency while others tend to be more like soups. I can usually aim to have 10-15 serves done overnight about once every two weeks.

So true. I started with minimal (safe) exercise after surgery (on Oct 12th 2017). By the end of November, my daily swim had progressed from ten laps of a 25m heated indoor pool to swimming 125 minutes and chest-deep wading about 45 to 75 minutes (dependent on time available, work, etc.) I also do gym for 90 minutes three days per week (after starting out with just three or four stations for a total of 15 minutes). Little things: I park the car on the far side of the supermarket car-park so that I get an extra slab of incidental walking. I park at least one block from the cafe/diner (unless it's raining). I try to eat under 1000 calories on at least four days per week (but I don't stress if the exercise makes me hungrier). I still try to eat 45% to 65% of my calories in protein rich foods.

Power to you. I am 48 weeks since meeting my surgeon at 174.6 kg. In the weeks before surgery, I dropped about 15 kg (33 pounds). My surgery was 12th Oct 2017. Thanks to my gastric sleeve, my 1200-1400 calories per day, my 77 hours per month swimming and my 30 hours per month in the gym, I am easily going to realise 52 kg (114.5 pounds) off in 52 weeks since meeting the surgeon to discuss a gastric sleeve. - - - I hope you are reaping the benefits of improved lifestyle and comfortable clothes!

Impressive effort, @DaAlchemist ... in Australia your achievement would be 197.3 kg (435 lbs) down to 145.1 kg (320 lbs) ... So your loss of 52.2 kg (115 pounds) is wonderful. In my case, my (nearly) seven months (12th Oct 2017 to 4th May 2018) has netted 44.3 kg (about 98 lbs) from 174.6 kg (about 385 lbs) to 130.3 kg (287 lbs). I am currently recovering from five weeks of trickle losses. Three days ago my dietitian suggested I make a couple of changes to the timing of my eating. In a short period of about 70 hours, things seem to be getting better. Best wishes for your continuing positive progress.

Just weighed in today at the exercise physiologist's room at the gym ... registered 130.9 kg (or 384.93 pounds). That's 43.7 kg (or 96.3 pounds) down from 174.6 kg (or 288.58 pounds) on July 17 last year. So, on today, the six month anniversary of my sleeve surgery, Thursday 12th October 2017 to Thursday 12th April 2018, I am very likely to pass the 100 pounds off milestone in the next 7 to 10 days.

My boss has put a new ID photo on the work wall ... now six months and 34kg (77 pounds) (5.5 stones) lighter. My five year D/L renews in 2020 ... so RMS will tale a new photo then. Passport due for upgrade in 2027 ... maybe a new photo then. I was a Y wedding ring and now it slips off or falls off. I don't wear it to the pool for my exercise any more. I told my wife I'd get it adjusted before our next anniversary. (Dec 2018).

It's quite often the case, eh? Hard truth from our family doctors or GPs that finally makes us sit up and take notice ... most often after half-hearted motivation to change and oodles or procrastination. Good luck from here on!

PRE-OP = nil DURING OP = nil (thanks, anaesthesia!) POST OP (rest of day) = about 3/10 to 4/10 POST OP (2nd day) = about 2/10 when moving, flexing, changing position in bed. Able to walk fairly comfortably for exercise. POST OP (3rd day) = about 1/10 when changing position in bed, otherwise NIL. Able to walk slowly & comfortably for exercise all around clinic. POST OP (days 4-7) at home = NIL PAIN n.b. Other than the op day and the morning of the 2nd day, I refused ALL PAIN-KILLERS offered to me as I simply did NOT need them. I spent another week doing light exercise (walking and stretch bands) at home. (I am officially retired but I returned to my part-time job 12 days post op.

Have you seen the UK comedy show, "Little Britain", where Daffyd (correctly spelled), the gay Welsh teenager thinks he's "the only gay in the village'? It's a recurring skit with new scenarios in every episode. Search Youtube with "little britain only gay in the village" to enjoy several of them.

And, in time, there's better than an 85% chance that the circulation will improve ... as long as you're not smoking or hiding from regular exercise.