AZhiker

Just over a year after my surgery I have reached my goal! I am officially half of my starting weight. I do think I'm going to try to lose another 15 lbs, but woohoo!
The not so good news, I've been sick for the last 10 days and that's the only reason I am down as much as I am in this two week period (9 lbs), and I fully expect a small bounce back once I feel better, but for now, I want to enjoy this moment as much as I can.

I usually also add a tablespoon or so of ground flaxseed.

You can get half of your daily Protein requirements in if you use milk and add yogurt and protein powder.

My go to is Spinach, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple juice (just a little, also add Water to get the right consistency) and Protein powder, collagen powder and Fiber supplement.

Almost 5 1/2 months out and down 77lbs! The first picture was taken the night before surgery... I'm thankful I have it for comparison. This Surgery has saved my life in so many ways.
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My doc said I had to wait 8 weeks. My standard "recipe" is milk (or milk substitute), some yogurt, a scoop of Protein Powder, a good handful of dark greens like kale or spinach, some berries, and half a banana. I also add 2 TB of frozen prickly pear juice with is super high in antioxidants.

After what seems like a million years I finally got my approval!!! I am ecstatic and overjoyed! Now that it is really happening I can’t lie I am kind of nervous because I never had a surgery besides a c-section almost 20 years ago lol I am waiting to speak with the nurse so I can pick a date but I know it will be sometime in February omg!!!! Any helpful tips and tricks will be highly appreciated!

I'm really surprised you weren't scoped pre-op. But anyway, there is nothing to it. A little IV is the worst of it. You take a very sweet nap, wake up, and go to Breakfast. Really. I work in the GI department of our hospital and it really is not a big deal. The procedure is very short, but you wake up feeling great.
The thing is it's really the only way to know if there is an ulcer, and you do want to know this. You don't want an ulcer to go on and get worse. They are treatable, but it's always better to find out sooner than later.

Never. They are sugar and processed carbs - the kind of food that got me in trouble in the first place. My "sweet fix" are a couple of frozen Medjool dates.

I think it has to do with metabolism issues. All of a sudden your body has gone from a comfortable and cozy 3,000, 4,000, 5,000, 10,000? calorie pleasure ride to crashing down to 400-600 calories. The body just says, "Hey, this is for the birds! I am literally starving to death. I better hang on to every last pound I've got!" But eventually, it has to give in to the deficit and the weight comes off. This is just my own fabrication of the process, but in the end, the caloric deficit will result in weight loss. Plus, the surgery resets a lot of hormonal loops that decrease appetite, increase sensations of fulness, etc. This is a HUGE adjustment and it just takes some time to get past it. When you see really rapid gains (like 2 pounds in a day) that is Water weight. It could be from salt in the diet, increased carbs, hormones, or any number of things, but it's not fat. Likewise when you lose several pounds in a day, that is also water weight. You may weigh daily, but track on your charts weekly, on the same day at the same time. That will be more accurate than the daily fluctuations. Hang in there. If you have not lost weight in almost 2 weeks, then you are nearly at the end of the stall! It's just around the corner!

By day 60 post op, I had lost 54 pounds, which includes 15 pounds lost on the pre op diet. BUT EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT! It doesn't matter if you lose fast or slow. You cannot control that as long as you are following your plan. I lost fast, but had terrible body dysmorphia from the rapid change. I think losing slower has advantages in that area. But we really don't have a choice in how we lose - just the choice to stick with the plan. Hang in there! Don't get caught up in comparing your numbers with everyone else. It is interesting, but the journey is unique for each person.

I understand completely! I’m 2 months out from VSG and have had two stalls that have each lasted about 10 days. It’s SO frustrating!! The weight will start dropping again. Just yesterday I started losing again. How are you doing with exercise? I find if I don’t walk, I slow down in weight loss. Hang in there. As frustrating and maddening as it is, it can’t last forever!

I find that the days when I drink more Fluid (usually 70 fl oz), I lose more weight the day after. Maybe try to up your fluid intake?

Your body is wondering what the hell you just did to it. It went through a major trauma of surgery and is healing. Now you're feeding it way less than it's used to getting. It happens. It really is okay, I promise you. You're doing everything right. I can't explain the science to you, I just know it's real. For instance, I have been eating 650-800 calories for the past 12 days. For the first 5 days I lost weight. For the next 3 days, I GAINED weight. How the hell do you gain weight on 800 calories/day? But I did and I figured it was my body adjusting, plus I was eating green olives, which are high in sodium. So now fast forward two more days and it's slowly coming down again. Weight fluctuations are normal. Take it easy on yourself and take care and trust the process. 😀

Regarding men - Covid has increased my game! When I'm wearing a mask and sunglasses, I must look a lot younger b/c I will catch 20 somethings checking me out. Of course if I took off my mask and sunglasses they would realize I'm their mom's age and run away! LOL!!!!

Since I transitioned to a Whole Foods Plant Based diet a year ago, I have maintained my goal weight without difficulty, and I eat all I want, with no counting or measuring. The center of WFPB are fruits, and veggies of all kinds, including lots of the starchy ones like sweet potatoes, carrots, corn, etc. I eat apples, bananas, daily avocado, and all sorts of fruit, but no juice. Whole grains and legumes play a big role for Protein, along with nuts and seeds. There is no sugar, added oils, or processed foods. I easily get 60 gm of protein a day, and the ability to eat unlimited volumes of food is so satisfying and filling. I eat at least 10 servings of fruit and veggies daily, and get about 60-70 gram of Fiber a day, and this is one key for feeling full all the time. Anyway, I am healthy and strong and love not feeling enslaved to macros or calorie counting. This has given me so much freedom in my eating, and I know it is healthy and sustainable. Just food for thought.

I did develop an ulcer about 6 months post op. I was feeling a lot of discomfort when my stomach was empty, but there was not much relief with eating, either. It progressively got worse and when doc scoped me, there it was. I was doing all the right things, and none of the wrong things and there was no reason for it. Doc said maybe one of the stiches got irritated. Anyway, a couple of months on omeprazole and sucralfate and I have been fine ever since.

Men are nicer to me now. Has anyone noticed that?? I also don’t miss wearing clothes that fit poorly. (I’m wearing my daughters hand me downs and they look amazing on me) I don’t miss my knees screaming when I walk!!

here is to 2021!!! I live in a very small town and I am not much on social media. I have kept my WLS on the down low, not because I am ashamed but because I am not looking for support or BS from anyone. My husband we into town today to the local cafe (gossip central) to pick up eggs that I forgot to get on my regular grocery run and the old gal who runs the place announced to the whole joint, during the morning coffee run, how sorry she was to hear about my illness. My husband said "she is feeling good but I will tell her your thinking of her" she carried on to ask him how many rounds I would need. He replied " I believe this will do it". The word is I am going though chemo, LOL. I am not telling them any different......let them talk.
Chemo or weight loss surgery regardless, I am getting thin!!!! LOL

Just pick yourself up and get going again. But think about it and try to learn from the experience. If you can learn what triggered the problem, you can figure out how to avoid another call. As long as you keep learning from failure, you set yourself up for success.
For example, I remember twice after riding my bike that I absolutely craved french fries. I gave in both times and got sick both times. Then I realized it was the salt I was actually craving. Once I added some electrolytes to my water bottle during rides, I never experienced that again. So try to think it through - was it boredom, stress, or something else? What can you do during those times rather than eat? One of my big temptations is munching while watching TV. Now I have some sewing hand work to finish up before Christmas and I do that instead of eating. So much more productive! You can do this. You are not alone.

So I've recently been hired for a new job. As part of the "Welcome Kit", this company sends new employees a company T-shirt. They sent a size medium and in the past, I would have known there was NOTHING I could do with a medium T-shirt except maybe hang it up and look at it. It would have been just another one of those small indignities that you have to live with when you are bigger than the rest of the world. But today, the T-shirt fits perfectly and I'm starting off my new job without a reminder that I'm different from everyone else. How sweet it is!

I also found the first weeks pretty easy because everything is so limited. Protein Shakes, Water, and broth is all you need at first. Your program should give you a list of foods for the various stages, but your body will tell you which ones will work for you at that time. I wouldn't advise to prep lots of meals, because you will probably waste a lot. I prepped fish, chicken, and ground beef in 3 oz servings and froze them. But I could only eat half of that and it was just too much to handle. Then I kind of got sick about them and didn't/couldn't eat any of it. I stuck with cottage cheese, refried Beans thinned with broth, and yogurt for my soft stage. Really pretty simple and not a lot of work. Don't get too stressed by these stages. They pass quickly and you will advance to regular foods within a couple of months.

Having your throat close up with difficulty breathing is a very serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. It is life threatening. The second exposure can be much worse than the first. It might be worth having some allergy testing done to try to figure out exactly what food was responsible. Gluten intolerance does not usually result in anaphylaxis, but until you get actual testing you'll never know for sure. It would not be advisable to try to figure this out on your own by trying different foods to see if you get a reaction, because the next reaction could be much worse.

I also found the first weeks pretty easy because everything is so limited. Protein Shakes, Water, and broth is all you need at first. Your program should give you a list of foods for the various stages, but your body will tell you which ones will work for you at that time. I wouldn't advise to prep lots of meals, because you will probably waste a lot. I prepped fish, chicken, and ground beef in 3 oz servings and froze them. But I could only eat half of that and it was just too much to handle. Then I kind of got sick about them and didn't/couldn't eat any of it. I stuck with cottage cheese, refried Beans thinned with broth, and yogurt for my soft stage. Really pretty simple and not a lot of work. Don't get too stressed by these stages. They pass quickly and you will advance to regular foods within a couple of months.

Having your throat close up with difficulty breathing is a very serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. It is life threatening. The second exposure can be much worse than the first. It might be worth having some allergy testing done to try to figure out exactly what food was responsible. Gluten intolerance does not usually result in anaphylaxis, but until you get actual testing you'll never know for sure. It would not be advisable to try to figure this out on your own by trying different foods to see if you get a reaction, because the next reaction could be much worse.