GradyCat

A couple of thoughts pop into my head. One is you may actually be at your set weight. Was your goal realistic? Do you feel healthy and happy at the weight you're at? The second thought is that you said you follow what your nutritionist recommended on "most" days. While we can't be perfect, what are you doing on the other days? Sometimes, believe it or not, we are getting too FEW calories that is keeping us from losing weight. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but it happens. Is your weight lifting adding muscle weight so that even though you're losing inches and re-shaping, the scale isn't reflecting it? Keep in mind that the scale is only one measurement tool. Have you been tracking your inches lost and shape? By the way, you look GREAT! Good luck with your continued WLS journey.

My general practitioner took lab tests and all my vitamin levels were A-OK. In fact, I had too much Vitamin D, so I quit taking it for a year. Actually, I quit taking all the vitamins and supplements for a year. And guess what? My vitamin levels are still all GREAT! No absorption problems. Vitamins make me sick to my stomach unless they're the GNC soft chews, which naturally are more expensive.

I eat around 1100 calories/day still trying to reach goal weight after a regain during COVID. I get 75+ g of protein daily.

My surgeon just said to focus on protein and eat appropriate portions. No specific calorie guidelines. She doesn't believe in counting calories. That said, I gained 18-25 pounds during the two years of COVID, but I just re-lost it and now am trying to reach the goal weight my surgeon initially set for me, which is about 20 more pounds. I joined Weight Watchers about 3-4 weeks ago and while it counts points and not other macros, it seems to be around 1100-1300 calories/day with no restrictions on food types.

You really put things into perspective on how life-changing WLS is. Thanks and congratulations.

I hadn't thought of that. I follow a girl on YouTube that lost 70 lbs doing Weight Watchers because I'm doing it now. She didn't have WLS though. I'm not on FB either. Or Instagram, but I'm thinking about joining.

Yes, yes I did. Stupid typos! Thanks. 64 oz of water.

Yes, Pinterest is a great source. There are also recipes on a site called SkinnyTaste that cater to dieters and weight loss including keto, paleo, weight watchers, vegetarian, etc. Thanks for sharing.

I was going to give you some hospital stay advice, then I saw your response that because of COVID you'll not be staying in the hospital. So my only other post-op advice is walk as much as possible. It'll get the gas out and you'll feel better and do better if you stay active. Stay hydrated and sip, sip, sip water all day long. If you get tired of water, have some sugar-free flavored popsicles, which count as water.

You're still pretty fresh from surgery. Your body hasn't completely healed and figured itself out yet. I wouldn't do the "eat til I'm full thing" at this stage. I'd stick with very tiny portions but you can have them 7 or 8 times a day whenever you feel like eating. You can eat more often, just less portion size each time.

I never cared for the powders. I do the pre-made GNC Lean Shakes in Swiss Chocolate flavor with 25 g protein.

Well, a couple of thoughts pop into my mind. One, a pouch reset involves going back to the basics of eating focusing on protein, watching your portions, tracking everything you eat, and drinking enough water. It's that simple. Your pouch probably is still functioning like it should. My second thought is that you're experiencing head hunger if you're hungry all the time. Boredom. Stress. Habit. That's a harder habit to kick, but you can do it by limiting yourself to 3 meals a day plus a snack.

Welcome to the site, Rhianna. There is a ton of good information out here if you explore the various topics in the forums and all of your questions have been address there. Can you go back to your surgeon's office and get nutritional counseling follow-up at this point? My procedure included lifetime support of nutritionist and counseling visits. To answer your questions: You can eat whatever your body allows. Everybody's body is different. For example, 3 years post-sleeve I still can't tolerate dense foods like bread or pork chops. You should get a minimum of 6 oz of water daily. Sip all day long. You should get at least 60g of protein daily. The protein can come from real foods like meat or from protein bars or shakes. Doctors recommend all adult humans get 150 minutes of exercise on 5 days each week, which means an average of about 30 minutes a day.

Welcome to the site, Athena. Congratulations on your success. Do you feel your size or WLS has impacted your ability to find love?

I still give in to the cravings but in a healthier fashion. So protein cookies instead of old fashioned chocolate chip homemade baked cookies. Skinny Pop instead of butter-laden or kettle corn. I find alternatives.

Welcome and wishing you success on your WLS journey. You should spend some time reading the different forums here to hear about different people's experiences with which surgery to choose, pre-op requirements, post-op healing, and more. It really gives you a ton more information than your surgeon's office alone can provide and we're here to support you along the way.

Don't worry about getting it perfect, just do the best you can at most of it, like MiniDude said 80%. I never got three meals in a day. I'm not that kind of a girl. I'll get two meals in and two snacks but not an actual third meal. The exercise is beneficial for your mental health as well as physical health, but if you had to slack on one, this one would be the best to slack on. PRotein is easy to get in with protein shakes, protein bars, and protein-heavy foods. The 64 oz of water a day takes some getting used to, but once you reach that level it's easy to maintain. Just sip, sip, sip all day long, constantly and consistently. And stuff like broth and sugar free popsicles counts as water/liquids. You can do it, it just takes practice. None of us did it magically overnight.

My understanding is that you're never supposed to smoke or vape again post WLS.

Stick with it. Sip, sip, sip all day long. Also do some sugar free flavored popsicles, they're lifesavers at getting the liquid down easily . They count as liquid.

It's too soon for you to make this major of a decision. You're just 30 days post-op. Talk to the counselor at your surgeon's office to discuss your difficulty transitioning to this new lifestyle. It's an adjustment. Give it some time.

I have Mitral Valve Prolapse, bradycardia, and an enlarged heart and I was able to have WLS. It required my cardiologist to sign off/approve it, and he did saying that the very minor risk of surgery was far less than the good the weight loss would do for my condition.

Did you have thinning hair before the surgery? How old are you? Other than nutritionally, I don't know what else could be causing it. Mine is hereditary.

Have you considered getting a different therapist? Are you on antidepressants? You might just need a temporary med to help you as you get therapy to help you improve your mood. By the way, I say this from experience as someone with Clinical Depression and anxiety who takes daily antidepressants (2) and sees a therapist monthly.

So, I looked up body dysmorphia (body disphoria usually deals with gender identity issues) and learned that it's not terribly uncommon. I do hope you'll consider therapy/counseling to deal with this. You'll feel so much better and learn to accept your body as it is now. The causes are unknown, but abnormalities in brain structure, genetics and environmental factors play a role. Symptoms include a frequent examination of appearance in the mirror, comparing their appearance to other people, avoiding social events and photos. Treatment includes medication and cognitive behavioral therapy. Symptoms The symptoms include: Frequent examination of appearance in the mirror Constantly comparing their appearance with other people Seeking dermatological treatment or cosmetic surgery Avoiding social events and photos Seeking verbal reassurance Excessive grooming Restricted eating Anxiety Depression Compulsive behavior Treatments Treatment includes medication and cognitive behavioral therapy. Medication Antidepressants: Such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) of help with symptoms of depression. Fluoxetine Self care Avoid alcohol and drugs: as they may worsen symptoms Be active: Perform exercises and engage in physical activity Therapies: Cognitive behavior therapy

Don't beat yourself up about it. If you could eat/sip 8 oz then you could. You're not going to stretch your stomach or pop your staples. When you transition to real foods, stop at the recommended portion sizes, but right now you're healing and you need nutrition.