AmyAlexis

5 hours ago, ASHLEIGH77 said:

Hey guys ... I am 5 days post op. Feeling good about 90% back to myself.. However this liquid phase is for the birds. lol I hate the monotony!!!! I am trying to muscle through it..

pre op weight 241 currently at 235

Are you having yogurt at this point? That helped get me through as well. Congrats!

Hi everyone! Time for an update.

In less than a week, I will hit 5 months since my Nov 8th procedure. This has been the best decision I have ever made.

When I weighed myself Sunday I hit the 30lb mark and inched in to the 120s at 129. Yay! It’s slow going now maybe a pound every week to two weeks as I near my goal

in terms of eating I can def see that I can eat more so I have to be careful. I weigh in everything that I can to stay honest and keep a food diary in. MyFitnessPal. I Would like to feel more restriction like in the early days but it is what it is.

My biggest suggestion for those just starting out is what my doctor told me… Take advantage of the early days of restrictive eating with liquids, and limited amounts of food.

for those halfway through don’t buy too many new clothes because they will be too big in a few months. 😮

And for those pre-procedure. I’m excited for you!

AmyA

2 hours ago, patriciaholland said:

but everyday is better lost 6.5 kilo so im happy

Sent from my SM-G935F using BariatricPal mobile app

That’s fantastic Patricia! The pain will go away. It’s likely gas so try to walk around as much as you can. It will dissipate. Keep it up!

4 hours ago, patriciaholland said:

hello nu friends sorrie yeserday wasnt a Good day bit 48hours later already feeling beter i sleep alot eat on time thnx 4 youre support xxxxxxxxx

Glad you are feeling better! It's all worth it

10 hours ago, patriciaholland said:

hai my friends time is tikking 12 hours for me now!!! i will post when im a real ESG girl let yall know how it was

Sent from my SM-G935F using BariatricPal mobile app

Good luck! It will be over fast and then you begin! Let us know how it goes! Excited for you!

Sounds like you are on top of everything! Keep us posted on everything!

On 3/16/2018 at 4:37 PM, ASHLEIGH77 said:

AmyA,

Thank you so much for your reply. I am staying in a hotel Wednesday and Thursday and going home Friday after my upper GI series. I live in Ohio Yes. We were going to fly home, but I didn't want to have to sit in a small plane and fly home if I happen to uncomfortable. So we are driving and I'm okay with it. I am super excited, but I do have anxiety. I think that it's normal to feel alittle scared. I think I'm more nervous about the 1st 2 days post op, but I love the office, and they are super sweet to me!! thus far... My goal is to lost 50 plus pounds, but I guess you get what you put in.. so that's my goal... Do you have a Facebook? I'm on the Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty fb group....

Much Love,

Ash

Hi Ash

Anxiety is totally normal- Dr. Shariah and the team will make you at ease when you get there. You should be fine, just be sure to have your liquids at hand on your post op days, and plan them for your drive home. (I am now addicted to Vitamin Water Zero- try it, it's delish).

I don't remember how long I kept the patch on, so be sure to ask them. Keep your paperwork/instructions. I'd suggest getting your Protein Shakes, SF Jello, Soups before you leave so they are at home waiting for you and you don't have to worry about it.

I'm so excited for you! This is the start of a new chapter in your life and if you are like me, you will be thrilled with the results.

AmyA

ps: Im not on the Facebook group but I'll check it out

Hi Ashleigh!

I had mine done in November with Dr. Shariah- LOVE HER and the entire staff at Weill Cornell.

I couldn't be happier with how it went and my results. I'm down 29 lbs now and am just about 4lbs away from my goal.

If you look at my earlier postings, it will walk you through my experience. But I'll tell you I had no issues. the procedure took about 45 minutes, then you are in recovery for a few hours and then you head back home.

There wasn't any serious down time for me. I had no nausea, the scopolamine patch was enough for me (I have used it in the past on a cruise to prevent seasickness).

I see you're from Ohio so I don't know what your plan is after the procedure but if you have any specific questions, just let me know.

AmyA

Anyone have dinner suggestions? I need something that can be easily fixed.

I am struggling to find a new Protein. Tired of turkey burgers and rotisserie chicken

On another note: anyone else try these? Enlightened Bean Crisps? 7gm protein/100 cal per 1oz pack.

They are my fave snack!

10 minutes ago, hope4momof4 said:

Inspirational Amy!! I love to see that success. Are you still on puréed foods or are you eating regular foods just less?

So happy for you!!! Only 5 pounds left!!! I can only imagine how amazing you look. 😎😎😎

Thank you Hope4mom! I'm feeling good - getting a lot of comments when people see me - and am fitting into my "skinny jeans" if ya know what I mean?

I have not done any clothing shopping but I may give it a shot tomorrow.

I've been eating regular food for over two months now - I think in the 7th week is when I started eating pretty normally. I just eat less of it, and I keep it really simple. I weigh everything. No white carbs, rice, bread, potatoes etc. I did start adding brown rice and some brown rice cakes to the mix a few weeks ago and all seems good. The only thing I haven't added back in is alcohol. I'm not much of a drinker and don't miss it, so why add the extra calories I say.

1 hour ago, hope4momof4 said:

Well my beloved friends, thank God I think my stall may be over!!🎉🎊🎉🎊 I have lost an additional 3 lbs. for a total of 12 lbs. in exactly 17 days since my procedure. All of your advice was extremely useful. Thanks Tex for all of the tips on getting in the Protein and I love the muscle milk as well. That has become my go to shake. Amy, it was the Water. I was not drinking enough and when I starting to be more vigilant about my Water intake that’s when I got over my stall. Thank you for reminding me about the most basic rule! Thanks Mel for your constant and unending words of encouragement. You told me to be patient and stick to the plan and I will break through the stall and I did.

Thanks to everyone!I have come to depend on you all for this journey so stay with us and keep posting about your progress. I still have a long way to go and need you all to stay with me please.

Im going to post my #s, only because I’m finally at a point where I am comfortable enough to say those huge #s are a thing of the past and I hope for good!!!

Female, 43 years old, 5’5” tall

HW—201lbs. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Sw— 200 lbs.

CW— 188lbs.

GW— 155 lbs.

Can you please post your #s as well so I’m not the only one exposed? 😳😬

Fantastic news Hope4mom!

Yes I will post my numbers:

57yrs old (oy)

5'1" (shorty)

SW- 159

CW 132.5

GW 127

9 minutes ago, hope4momof4 said:

Thanks again for the encouragement Mel! It means so much that we can share our experience with one another. I’m at a bit of a stall now although I am certainly not cheating, it is too soon. However I’m excited that I have a lot of energy, my clothes fit better, and my cravings are almost gone. It’s a learning experience and I’ll ride it out. I hope to be out of this stall soon. I can’t let it get to me mentally. I hope to post better weight loss results soon. Until then I’m still following the plan of course with plenty of Protein Drinks and exercising now 5-6 times a week. Hope my scale moves soon!! 💝💝💝

Hope4 - You're doing great!

Be sure to drink your Water (do as I say, not as I do because I hate to drink water and it was a challenge for me) - if you're not drinking enough water you will retain water and that could be affecting the scale.

If you're taking in 700-800 cals/day You will continue to lose weight. I use myfitnesspal.com to keep me honest. I record everything I put in my mouth to keep track of the calories. I also weigh everything because I don't trust my eyes. Those two things are a big help for me.

AmyA

(note - I posted this in the wrong area, and have no idea how to delete that)

Hi everyone!

I've been on a work project and away from home for about a week so have been totally negligent on posting -

Hope, did you have your procedure? You said it was Feb 6 but I haven't seen an actual post that you did it and how you are feeling and doing?

I've been doing well- down 26.5lbs since the Nov 8 procedure, and 5.5lbs away from my goal.

Just saw my doc for our 2nd post op visit and she said I've lost 16% of my weight in the 3 months and doing great!

Also got blood work follow up done. Getting results in now and should hear from her soon on that. I can see that my cholesterol is still high- so I expect some meds in my future.

My daily foods have remained pretty consistant. Yogurt/blueberries for Breakfast (and coffee), then a Protein Shake. lunch over the last week has been salad with grilled chicken - but the diff is, that I bought the big salad and it lasted for 4 lunches rather than 1 or 2.

Have also added a nightly snack of Halo Top - but instead of the whole pint, I measure out 4oz and it's plenty and satisfying.

So, all seems to be working in terms of satisfaction and fullness - but I still weigh everything when I can to keep me honest - since I don't trust my eyes

Glad to see everyone doing so great! Shout outs toTex and Mel, and Luv who appears to be new since I've been here last.

AmyA

Hi everyone!

I've been on a work project and away from home for about a week so have been totally negligent on posting -

Hope, did you have your procedure? You said it was Feb 6 but I haven't seen an actual post that you did it and how you are feeling and doing?

I've been doing well- down 26.5lbs since the Nov 8 procedure, and 5.5lbs away from my goal.

Just saw my doc for our 2nd post op visit and she said I've lost 16% of my weight in the 3 months and doing great!

Also got blood work follow up done. Getting results in now and should hear from her soon on that. I can see that my cholesterol is still high- so I expect some meds in my future.

My daily foods have remained pretty consistant. Yogurt/blueberries for Breakfast (and coffee), then a Protein Shake. lunch over the last week has been salad with grilled chicken - but the diff is, that I bought the big salad and it lasted for 4 lunches rather than 1 or 2.

Have also added a nightly snack of Halo Top - but instead of the whole pint, I measure out 4oz and it's plenty and satisfying.

So, all seems to be working in terms of satisfaction and fullness - but I still weigh everything when I can to keep me honest - since I don't trust my eyes

Glad to see everyone doing so great! Shout outs toTex and Mel, and Luv who appears to be new since I've been here last.

AmyA

24 minutes ago, hope4momof4 said:

Wow Tex I am now feeling more excited than ever to get this done. It is really starting to feel real now. It sounds like for you the procedure put that darn hunger hormone, gherlin, at bay. That is fabulous. For some who have had this procedure and posted their experience it seems that the actual physical restriction was the result but you got in my opinion a better result in the decrease in hunger hormonally.

Actually, I would like both please if that’s possible! In any case I guess it boils down to so many factors that I’ll just have to do this and find out what result I’ll get.

I’d love it if any of you all could list for me important things to remember to do preop in case my doc doesn’t cover them. Also, could you please give me an idea of what you drank the day of and one week after the procedure? What did you like and what did you absolutely hate? I’ll probably ask about your diet after one week but I want to do this one step at a time. So I will start with only the first week.

Thanks to all again. Any good pointers would be much appreciated.

Hi Hope-

I'm excited for you!

Here's what I would suggest - if I had to do it over again, I would not over-buy liquids. For instance, that Hint Water sounded so good and a great option for me since I am not a great water drinker. But I didn't love it , and we still have dozens of bottles just sitting in the basement .

Take some time now to taste test the Protein Drinks. I bought a few different brands and didn't really like anything besides the Atkins.

The first two days I was on Clear Liquids. I had chicken broth/beef broth, water, SF Jello, Vitamin Water Zero (my favorite- this has replaced diet coke for me) and unsweetened ice tea.

Then when full liquids were added on day 3, I added plain greek yogurt and creamy Soups from Imagine - butternut squash and broccoli was good for me.

Again, don't buy too much because once more foods are added, you may or may not want those creamy soups.

And it's not like this procedure puts you in bed for days so you have to stock up. You will be up and about pretty quickly.

Here's a quick update on me- it's been two months, two weeks since the procedure and I"m down 24lbs.

I'm about 10lbs away from my goal. Feeling great.

I have felt some hunger a few times recently, but honestly I think it was tied more to stress than real hunger. Most of the time I am great. I am still at about 1000 cal/day give or take, and my nutritionist would like to see me at 1200 but I am on a roll, so if I don't feel like adding extra calories at the end of the day, and am not hungry, I just don't do it. I am eating more like 6-7 oz of food at a meal, rather than the 4oz in the first months. Nutritionist says that's ok and expected. I look forward to talking to the doc when I see her for my latest followup.

AmyA

Hi Hope4Momof4..

I have been thinking about you and glad to see you post today.

It's always so hard to say anything that seems to make a difference when someone loses someone they love.

The loss of your mom could have taken you down a dark path, but it looks like you've guided yourself to a good place, and found some strong, positive energy towards your goal - one that was, a short time ago, causing you a bit of hesitation.

Sending a lot of good thoughts and wishes your way. We're with you all the way!

AmyA

Hi everyone- Thought I would check in.

Not much happening on my end. My holiday went fine - did not really have any issues. We went to my mother's, and I was involved in the menu planning. So turkey and roasted veggies was dinner. Plus brought some shakes for the day.

My biggest challenge is getting my ass in gear to work out. I am getting on the treadmill but not really pushing myself. tomorrow I will be returning to my bi-weekly boxing training, so I will have someone pushing me, which is good. Altho I am dreading it. It's been months since I've been there.

The weight loss has slowed down to a crawl so now it's important to move. I'm down 21lbs and not unhappy about it, but hard to see the scale not move like it used to.

That's about it from snowy NJ.

AmyA

21 minutes ago, hope4momof4 said:

Dear ESG family,

My post will have to be short. I lost my mother on January 1, 2018. She was the light of my life and my children’s life. I miss her so much that it hurts. We were together almost everyday and now she’s gone. If your moms are still with you please take the best care of them you possibly can because you never know when you won’t have them around anymore. I’m sorry but it’s too painful to talk about now. I will try to update in a few days.

Hope4,

I'm so sorry for your loss, deepest condolences. xo

4 hours ago, hope4momof4 said:

Thanks for the coffee tip love. I better start weaning myself off 😫😩That wont be easy but Decaf will have to do.

If you're not getting the procedure til March, it's too early to wean off- give yourself a couple of weeks before. I didn't have any prob with headaches or anything like that, just love my coffee and it's a morning routine/habit.

17 minutes ago, hope4momof4 said:

Great progress Amy. (20 pounds down!!🎉🎊) I made sure to put that in bold so you can take that in for a minute. You have done extremely well— skinny jeans my dear are only a fantasy for me right now. Give yourself credit please.

I think you could possibly be struggling with wanting to eat more because of the holidays. I know I always feel like snacking more at this time of the year due to the stress of the holidays and the fact that those sugary Snacks are constantly in your face. I would not beat yourself up about that at all. Tex commented that he was glad he had his procedure before the holidays because it definitely helped control those cravings. Think of how much bad foods you’d be munching on mindlessly without the procedure. Most people gain during the holidays so I’d call that a win for you. Keep up the good work. Remember that slow and steady wins the race because ,as I’ve read, the weight loss will slow down now. You have to always keep in mind that before esg it was a struggle to keep from gaining so any amount of weight, regardless of how small, that is lost is definitely a good thing.

(One minor question though- you were not allowed coffee after your procedure? I know that sodas and carbonated drinks are off limits but coffee? I am not clear on that one. My doctor didn’t mention this. Did they tell you why?)

Happy Holidays and keep updating. I really enjoy reading about all of your successes— Tex and Melesg love you guys too! You guys are all nailing it!💝💝

Thanks Hope4momof4!

Could be the holidays, I'm thinking more just general stress moments for different reasons. But you are right- I am not one to take in accomplishments, I'm more of a it's-never-good-enough person. Gotta work on that!

In terms of the coffee- they told me no coffee for first 5 weeks because it's a diuretic, and staying hydrated is important. I was able to have Decaf, and that got me through my mornings - but it's just not the same for me.

Hi Everyone!

I am overdue for an update, and finally have some time to sit down and write so here's my end-of-December report.

Since my ESG on Nov 8, and as of this morning, I am down almost 20lbs (yay) and feeling fantastic.

Best accomplishments this week - and admittedly these are very superficial - getting into my "skinny" jeans, and being able to cross my legs comfortably.

Biggest challenge: The loss has slowed down. The scale didn't budge all week until this morning, when I finally lost another lb. I know this is to be expected but still frustrating and I know that I really need to ramp up the exercise now to keep it going. My calories are already low (I average between 800-1000/day) so not much give there.

Another challenge came yesterday when, for the first time, I really felt like eating more so than I have so far. As Snacks throughout the day I had 1oz raw almonds, a Protein Shake, and 1oz of string cheese.

On Tuesday I went in for my one month appointment with my doc - this was the first time I've seen her since the procedure. On the office scale, where I'm weighed in in clothes and after eating and drinking all morning, I was down 17lbs. Doc said I was doing great - above average in the weight loss. I will see her in another month.

I'm cleared to add all forms of exercise. And even though I am allowed to add in some starch this week, she said I should stay away from carbs to help keep the weight loss going, so I'm all for that.

And one of the best things now- I have real coffee in the morning! ☕

Here's yesterday's day of food as an example:

Breakfast: (same every day:)

4oz Fage plain greek yogurt with 1oz blueberries/real vanilla & truvia added.

2 cups Coffee w FF coffee mate

Snack: Protein shake

Lunch: 4oz 1% cottage cheese

Snack: 1oz cashew butter or 1oz raw cashews

Snack: 1oz string cheese

Dinner: Turkey burger (Jenny-o - about 2.5oz cooked/180cal) and 2.5 oz steamed spinach.

snack: protein shake

total cals for day = 931

That's about it for now- happy to answer any questions as always. Have a great holiday everyone!

AmyA

10 minutes ago, Melesg said:

Haha - My husband is definitely fit and healthy but it doesn't bother me. Thank god my kids got his build and metabolism and not mine!!

Add my husband to the group too. Always thin - could eat whatever he wanted (but he can gain and of course, loses it quite easily). Damn them!

Hey Hope! 18lbs makes me very happy- but Just to keep it real, It's been four weeks - entering my fifth today!

18lbs in 2 weeks would be crazy!

Hi Bubbles,

I thought I responded to this last night via my phone but guess it didn't take.

Here's a snapshot of a recent day of food:

Bfast: 4oz Fage Greek Yogurt with 1oz blueberries. I add a bit of real vanilla and stevia.

Snack- Protein Shake (Atkins. 15gms protein)

Lunch: 4oz 1% Friendship cottage cheese.

Snack: 1 tbsp cashew butter

Dinner: 1 turkey burger patty (around 2.5oz cooked). I like Shady Brook Farms but Trader Joes frozen burgers are pretty good.

1/4 cup spinach or 2oz brussel sprouts

Snack: Protein shake

Total cals are usually around 800/day.

I am walking on Treadmill but not enough- must. get. on. today. Waiting to go back to boxing 2x week after I have my one month followup with doc next week. She has to give the go ahead.

41 minutes ago, BubblesCT said:

YAY AmyA! I'm so happy for you. I like the removal of the negative, I'm a believer in the law of attraction. No need to call in any negative energy. First we think it, then believe it, then become it, so what we think should be as positive as possible.

I love hearing that you are not feeling hungry. 18 pounds down...Whoop Whoop! You guys are my inspiration. Thanks for always being there to share and support!

Feeling good after reading these posts!

Happy to hear that Bubbles! 😀