Jingle123423

I know everyone has plateaus. I am very concerned and upset because I was able to lose 38 pounds in the first 3 weeks following surgery. However, over the past 4 weeks I have not lost any weight or inches or part of an inch. I am still eating small amounts and totaling between 493 and 724 calories per day. Logically this doesn’t make sense, this is not enough to live on yet nothing is coming off. I am exercising and getting in my Protein and Water. I don’t know what to do. With the ordeal of surgery and recovery, to not lose any weight after week 3 is extremely disheartening.
The only change has been that I returned to work.
Does anyone have any ideas?

So I’m on my 2 week preop liquid diet and we decided to go camping this weekend. (Which was its own brand of hell in itself). I decided to freeze a couple bottles of Premier so they could naturally thaw in the cooler Saturday and be cold for today (Sun). Oh man, it did some weird separation in the thawing process and ended up being chunky. So not only did I have to endure my family enjoying grilled hamburgers, corn on the cob, and s’mores around the campfire, I had to choke down chunky peach premier.

1. Remember that Bariatric Pal is a business. If you appreciate the boards, throw Alex a bone and actually BUY something to support his business. It's a pain in the arse to run a board like this. Open your wallet once in a while...the products are awesome and it's the least you can do.
2. Don't stay too long. One day you're gonna come to this place and it's gonna be more negative than positive for you. In the beginning, it's a lifeline. By the time you've read the board for a year and seen the full cycle of repetition and mental health issues here.....it's not a lifeline anymore. It can become a kinda toxic habit. Part of recovery is leaving the hospital. Know when it's time to pack your bag and go!
3. Remember that intimacy moves at light speed on the internet....but real trust is nearly impossible until you take your relationship real world. Message board friendships are real friendships...but they're different. Don't expect more than what's realistic, and be careful out there!
4. Everyone is going to have their own recipe for and perception of success. Lotta ways up this mountain. Live and let live....you'll live longer.
5. No person on here is an expert in how to do this...for anyone but themselves. No one can save anyone else...and they shouldn't try.
6. If you're happy with your results, you're doing it right for you.
7. Never lose your sense of humor. If you can't laugh at this board...even when some dork is heckling you....you're taking it way to seriously.
8. "but the vets needs to staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy!" No, they don't. Really...they don't. They have lives (we can hope!) and mentoring others is an unpaid job. And again, even your most successful vet....who is an expert at making this whole thing work for themselves.....does not know what is best for you. They don't. You do. Vets are people, too....some are awesome, some are toxic. Trust yourself. You can do this.
9. But there's so much contradictory information...what's the best way to go? That's up to you. And will be different for each of us. Keep trying. if something doesn't work, try something else. Just don't give up!
10. Wishing you all the very best. Adios!

Congrats!

I haven't been sleeved yet however, I did have a laproscopic surgery eons ago. I remember that using a pillow as almost a brace against my middle helped a lot.

So Guys it’s been a very long time. But my surgery was March 7 and preop I was 212 pounds now it is July and I am a 175 just wanted to give you guys an update with the pictures of Then and now still a lot of work ahead 💪🏼💪🏼🤪😘🤗

I'm not thin, nor do I want to be thin
I am, however at a very healthy weight and my body fat is under 28%...which is perfect for me.
I am a muscular, fit, strong force to be reckoned with.
I run again, ride my mountain bike, landscape, kayak, rock climb and am having a hell of a lot of fun:)
Best part is to be off all my meds (save thyroid) and have perfect labs.
My diet is extremely different, but it's awesome and it makes me feel really good. I don't feel deprived and I splurge on treats in tightly controlled moderation. I exercise A LOT...I do fun stuff and it makes me feel really good:)
It's worth it. And it's wonderful:)

Only 13 weeks post OP so here is my take at this point. My health issues are all resolved! No diabetes, no High Blood Pressure, NO Kidney Disease! I do not dread flying for my job now as I fit in the seat and even if a larger person is sitting next to me it's not a problem! Before this was a problem. I am still in the honeymoon phase but I do not miss food and do not have hunger! I am not looking forward to when/if I regain my hunger. That was the most strange thing for me to get used to. Eating was and is a chore with no hunger to let you know it is time to eat. LOL. Also getting to know the "tells" that your body lets you know when it is time to stop eating are interesting. I either get small burps, hiccups, or my nose starts running. It is all good as of now, but I am somewhat obsessed with my diet and exercise. Good Luck!

I got the results of a repeat sleep study today and I no longer have sleep apnea. The sleep doctor said that my average apneas per hour was 2.3 which is well below the threshold for obstructive sleep apnea. This is the third benefit that I've realized post-op. The first two were off of blood sugar control and blood pressure medicines. Tonight, I am going to try to sleep without the CPAP machine. The sleep doctor actually told me that continuing to use the machine may actually cause problems at this point. I shall see how I feel tomorrow morning!

I just got the RENPHO Smart Body Fat scale Bluetooth Digital Bathroom scales Wireless Weight Scale FDA Approved BMI Scale Body Composition Monitor with Smartphone App, 396 lbs - White and it is pretty sweet. I never thought I would like a scale, but this thing is awesome.

I just got the RENPHO Smart Body Fat scale Bluetooth Digital Bathroom scales Wireless Weight Scale FDA Approved BMI Scale Body Composition Monitor with Smartphone App, 396 lbs - White and it is pretty sweet. I never thought I would like a scale, but this thing is awesome.

I am in MA. I am having mine done at Brigham and Womens. I have a two week pre-diet.
Pre-Operative Diet
The preoperative diet is required for all patients before weight loss surgery. This diet will help to make your liver smaller which makes it safer and easier for your surgeon to perform surgery.
Start this diet 2 weeks before your surgery date.
Every day during the pre-op diet, you will do these 2 things:
Follow the instructions in each box. For boxes A, B, C, and D, choose 1 item to eat or drink during the day. For Box E, consume 1 meal. Drink at least 64 ounces of sugar-free beverages (water, Crystal Light, Fruit2O, etc.). With 1 item from each box, you will have 5 eating events per day.
Box A Choose one Protein shake: SlimFast Advanced Nutrition (RTD shake only, not powder) Pure Protein (35 gm can) Premier Protein Atkins EAS Advantedge Unjury (in water) Syntrax nectar (in water) Syntrax Matrix (in water) Designer whey (in water) Quest Protein (in water) +
Box B Choose one protein shake: Syntrax Matrix (in milk*) Unjury (in milk*) Glucerna Hunger Smart Core Power Light EAS Myoplex Lite Boost Glucose Control Boost Calorie Smart Designer Whey (in milk*) Quest Protein (in milk*) +
Box C Choose one snack: 1 cup non-starchy vegetables + 2 Tb Salad Dressing or guacamole ¼ cup unsalted nuts ¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese, ricotta cheese 6 oz Plain Greek yogurt 2 eggs (any style) 2 oz turkey + 1 string cheese 1 Protein Shake from Box A +
Box D Choose one snack: Nature Valley Protein Bar Pure Protein Bar (190-200 calories) Detour Whey Protein Bar (170 calories) Fiber One Protein Bar 1 serving fruit + 1 TBSP nut butter 1 protein shake from Box B +
Box E Eat one meal: Meal should contain: 4 servings of protein 3 servings of non-starchy vegetables 2 servings of fat *Can choose skim (fat-free) or 1% milk, lactaid milk, or plain soy milk.
Please choose only the items listed on this sheet.
Bread, rice, Pasta, starchy vegetables, and alcohol are not allowed on the pre-op diet.
Important Notes:
Use the Serving Size section starting on page 20 of the diet guidelines book to remind you which foods are in each food group (protein, non-starchy vegetables, and fat) for your 1 meal in Box E. Eating every 3-4 hours and drinking plenty of fluids in between can help to prevent hunger. You choose the order of your items. Sample Pre-Op Meal Plans
Remember to drink at least 64 ounces of sugar-free fluids throughout the day.
Example Day 1 Breakfast (Box C) 2 hardboiled eggs Snack (Box A) Pure Protein Shake (35 gm protein – can) Lunch (Box D) Nature Valley Protein Bar Snack (Box EAS Myoplex Lite Protein Shake Dinner (Box E) 4 ounces baked haddock, 1 ½ cups cooked vegetables (green Beans, broccoli, cauliflower), 2 Tb light margarine Example Day 2 Breakfast (Box A) Premier Protein Shake Lunch (Box E) 4 ounces grilled chicken, 3 cups salad (lettuce, Tomato, onions, cucumber), 1 Tb + 1 tsp creamy salad dressing Snack (Box Core Power Light Protein Shake Dinner (Box D) Pure Protein bar Snack (Box C) ¾ cup low-fat Greek yogurt) Example Day 3 Breakfast (Box E) 1 ¼ cup egg beaters, 1 ½ cups cooked vegetables (peppers, onions, tomatoes), 1 Tb avocado, 1 Tb light margarine Snack (Box A) Syntrax Nectar Protein Powder with water Lunch (Box C 2 ounces turkey + 1 string cheese Dinner (Box D) 1 small apple + 1 Tb peanut butter Snack (Box Unjury Protein powder with 8 ounces milk – frozen into ‘ice cream’ Example Day 4 Breakfast (Box A) EAS Advantedge Protein Shake Snack (Box C) Atkins Protein Shake Lunch (Box Boost Glucose Control Protein Shake Dinner (Box E) Chili: 4 ounces cooked ground turkey, 1 cup tomato sauce, ½ cup cooked onions & peppers, 1 Tb avocado, 1 Tb sour cream Snack (Box D) Syntrax Matrix Protein Powder with 8 ounces milk

It matters if your floor is level also. My bathroom floor is very uneven, thanks to my husbands attempt at doing our own tile job, and having the scale on an uneven floor makes it completely inaccurate. I have one spot that I can set the scale to weigh on, I had to get a scale with a base smaller than my 12"x12" tiles so it would fit on the one that is level without hanging off, lol.

I got my scale off of amazon.. the brand is RENPHO. The best and most accurate I have found.. plus it has an app for your phone and syncs to most fitness trackers. It was like $30 on Amazon.

HW 318
SW 300
CW 247
GW 175
I love my tool so far! 
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using BariatricPal mobile app

Posting these is hard for me- But if they help someone- I’m all about being real. This is where I came from. Before wls I was at rock bottom in my life. I was overweight, in so much pain, addicted to opiates, in a miserable abusive marriage, terribly unhappy, i could barely work, so hard to walk, so hard to just live. I’d been on or off of a diet since I was eleven. I was constantly binging or starving myself. I’d tried every weight loss plan under the sun and I was totally burnt out. I’d tried therapy, you make it. Perhaps if I’d stuck to therapy that would have worked, but at the point I had surgery I was so exhausted I just needed something sure.
I was totally committed to the surgery although i didn’t follow the rules very well, I’ve never been good at self care. I couldn’t take care of myself well before surgery and i struggled to do that afterwards. It has taken a lot of work to get better at that.
I went in knowing what could happen and that i wouldn’t be able to eat normally again. It was worth it to me at the time.
My surgery had complications but the weight loss was easy due to a severe stricture that I had, plus i was just determined to lose the weight- nothing was gonna stop me. I did really well eating very little for a long time, I was so burnt out on food i was able to break my codependent behavior towards it. Maintenance was really really hard for me, I had issues with wanting to keep losing weight and not being able to stop. I rejected food so hard it was a real struggle to begin eating again and I had to seek therapy for that.
I’m doing well now and so much has changed. I have a very different outlook with food. I’ve also gone through plastic surgery 2x and I’m finished with that. I’m at my 3 year surgery anniversary on dec 4. My start weight was 240 and my current weight is between 130-135. I’m 5’6.
I went from 240 to 120 in about 10 months. My lowest weight was 115- scary. I’ve since gained to a healthy 130 ish. I try not to slide back into the 120s because I look sick at that weight. I don’t try and maintain my weight through dieting anymore, I practice “Intuitive Eating”. While being thin is nice and my weight is something I care about, these days I try not to weigh myself and I focus on overall health and well being. My next goal is to get more active with weight training and exercise.
Surgery is no walk in the park. I had a rough time and I still struggle. But it was worth it for me, as you can see. My weightloss did stall a week or two here and there. I never let that get to me, I just kept my calories low knowing eventually it would start again. During the weightloss phase I tried to focus on my life and stay busy rather than focus on every pound. I definitely ate very very little. I suffered from malnutrition and health problems because of this so I would not recommend it- take your Vitamins and get in your Protein.
Don’t ever let anyone make you feel bad for choosing surgery. And don’t feel bad if weight loss takes you longer than others. My biggest regret is that I didn’t give myself more love before my surgery. But at least I gave myself enough to try and change my life for the better.
 

I was discharged today and am feeling great. Sipping Water and Powerade zero like I’m getting paid for it!

Sorry can't talk, I'm on a salt restrictive diet lolVSG2017 HW 249 SW 238 CW 167

Surgery wasn’t supposed to be scheduled until the second week of August ! Got a call that there was a sooner opening yesterday for today and grabbed it !! Wish me luck I know I’ll need it ! and good luck to anyone else also having their surgery today !

Why 2 weeks? I recovered in 3 days.

you shouldnt have to tell them anything. Just say surgery .... I like Chunkysoup's answer of hernia. I never told anyone other than my husband. Weight loss- I said I switched my diet to low carb high Protein months before and added in a lot of exercise etc

I think it is a very personal choice as far as whether or not you want to tell anyone, and your feelings may differ on it over the coming months as you get closer and go through the process. You can simply say that you have to take time for medical reasons, or that you have to have surgery, and leave it at that. I wouldn't make up a story and say you have to have your gallbladder out (unless they are doing that at the same time) because what if you have gallbladder problems later and really have to have it taken out, that may be hard to explain, lol.

You are an absolute ace, Tealael.

Getting so close I can taste it! Might even try for 125 🤔 Happy Sunday everyone!

Awesome - I hate airplane seats...it is these non-scale victories I am looking forward too.