BlueAngelEyes

Honestly, the real fun one was this weekend. I didn't eat too much; I managed to actually stop myself in time. I'd had the Yucatan Shrimp small plate from Red Lobster (went out with the wife). Thing is, I didn't account for how much sugar was in the pineapple in the sauce.
I was fine until about 2-3 hours later when I started to severely cramp up.
I also had a small sip of the Diet Coke my wife had. Found I didn't like it at all. Considering I used to chug the stuff, that was interesting to me.
Honestly? I'm not sure. I'm technically cleared for "everything" so long as I target my Protein first and get in my 65-85 grams of protein a day. What my dietician has me limiting is sugar. No more than ten grams per meal.

For lunch today, i decided to have a shredded chicken mini-quesadilla from taco bell with extra shredded chicken. It went down okay, and to my surprise, I was able to eat the entire thing.
Except, after taking those last couple bites... and now lasting more than half an hour later, I'm in physical pain as my restriction kicked in. Holy crap, this hurts. I'm currently hoping that it's not stuck because I've had that happen before.
I'm not making this mistake again. If I do eat that again, it will only be half.
(It's sad because before the surgery, I'd eat one of these in addition to whatever else I ordered at Taco Bell.)

Hi everyone. I'm a newbie settling into life with a sleeve. Things have been interesting, but I'm excited about what's to come. I decided to join to be accountable for myself going forward (that little ticker thing) and hopefully help people as I learn and live through my experience with the sleeve.
I started my pre-op diet on 5/6 at 365.4, and had surgery on 5/28 at 341. Yesterday, 6/5 (30 days after starting the diet), I weighed in at 325.4. So yes, 40 pounds down in 30 days. I'm a male, but is that type of weight loss common for 30 days?
I had surgery at approximately 9:30 AM, and was in my room by noon. I was incredibly nauseated and in a great deal of pain the first couple of hours, but by 4:00 PM, I had stopped using the PCA. I felt so good, I asked my doctor to discharge me when she stopped by, but she didn't bite. I got up and started to walk the room - slowly, but after a bit was walking the floor pushing my IV pole. I ended up doing a little over 15,000 steps that day. As a bonus, my nurse allowed me to sleep without using the leg compression pump. I returned to work on Monday. Things, all in all, have been good so far, other than several lengthy and intense bouts of hiccups. First follow-up with surgeon is next week.
A few questions I have for everyone:
How long does the weight loss honeymoon last?
How much weight can one expect to lose in the first few months or what was your experience? Is there a 'guide' as to whats 'normal' in weight loss or is it completely dependent on the person?
I'm struggling to eat much right now as I don't have an appetite, so I'm supplementing with Protein Shakes. How long before you had any actual desire or appetite to eat?
TIA.

@bariutiful Thanks!! 😊 I've been on liquids for a total of two weeks, one week was clear only and the second was fuller liquids. The first week was a cake walk since I was barely hungry and ate because I knew I needed the fluids. This past week though has been very trying.
I just have to make it through today, and come tomorrow morning i'll have a little bit of scrambled eggs YAY!!! Oh and I attached my post op calendar so you can take a look at it.

@jaytissle55 Thanks! It's so comforting to know I'm not alone!

The first 2 weeks are the worst. I got really obsessed with looking at recipes and dreaming of food.
Today at over 3 months out, the obsession has faded and I'm learning to slow down and enjoy the food I do eat. I eat mostly to plan, but indulge sometimes, albeit a small amount. Today i enjoyed fresh strawberries and blueberries, but not a lot. I can consume amounts that led to my obesity.
Best of luck on your journey!

Hi, so what ive been told the best ways to help your skin right now is too moisturize with lotion and put sunscreen on when ur outside and keep your body well hydrated. When you can start exercising toning your muscles few times a week and even with that if anyone has been obese like myself i know i will have alot of lose skin on my stomach hoping my arms wont be a problem and my thighs. But will see. I started at 245 heaviest and before sleeve surgery i was 237 and i just had my gastric sleeve done last week and weigh 233. My skin is very thin and i feel like with my genetics im screwed with how my families skin bounces back. Age, skin damage, and how much u stretched ur skin all take a play in it. So i know when i get under 140 one day im getting a mommy makeover and getting my tummy tucked and my boobs put back where they go. I wish u the best!

Loose skin is the one constant thing that I have struggled with the most during my weight loss journey. But then I remind myself that I’d rather be carrying around a couple pounds of loose skin rather than the 140+ lbs I’ve lost! I’ve thought about surgery, however it’s very costly and I’m not sure if it will happen for me, so I’m learning to adjust and love my new body.

loose skin factors.
1 age = younger is always better
2 max weight = less is always better
3 how long you were heavy = less is better
4 amount lost = less is better for loose skin worse for your health
as to speed of weight loss the first 3 also play a factor in how hard it can be to drop the weight and how fast it comes off

As others have stated above, loose skin happens when you lose a significant amount of weight. It will bounce back better if you are still young, have good genetics, have a lot of collagen/elasticity in your skin. Once it's been stretched out a lot by weight, it will remain mostly stretched out whether you lose weight fast or slow, so don't let speed of loss worry you either way.

I carried a lot of weight on my arms and legs as well as my torso, so now at 52kg (approx 110lb?) loss and close to goal I have a fair bit of excess skin on my upper arms and inner thighs, as well as tummy. And my poor boobs have shrunk from 16G down to 12E and mostly skin (saw plastic surgeon for consult yesterday and they said once I get a breast reduction I'll be down to a full B/maybe small C!). I'll be getting a Fleur De Lis (vertical as well as horizontal incision) Tummy Tuck, belt lipectomy (rear tummy tuck), upper arm reducation, inner thigh reduction, breast lift and possibly breast fat transfer if I still look deflated post breast lift.

Down from 121kg (BMI ~49) to 69kg (BMI 28) at 13 months post op.

Hi, so what ive been told the best ways to help your skin right now is too moisturize with lotion and put sunscreen on when ur outside and keep your body well hydrated. When you can start exercising toning your muscles few times a week and even with that if anyone has been obese like myself i know i will have alot of lose skin on my stomach hoping my arms wont be a problem and my thighs. But will see. I started at 245 heaviest and before sleeve surgery i was 237 and i just had my gastric sleeve done last week and weigh 233. My skin is very thin and i feel like with my genetics im screwed with how my families skin bounces back. Age, skin damage, and how much u stretched ur skin all take a play in it. So i know when i get under 140 one day im getting a mommy makeover and getting my tummy tucked and my boobs put back where they go. I wish u the best!

I dont agree with your lose slowly advice. If people want to lose weight slowly they would just do weight watchers till they get to the weight they want. With having the sleeve done is the time to lose as much weight as you possibly can as fast as you possibly can. I would think more than 85% if not more over weight people who lose the weight have to get skin removed somewhere on there body. so why not lose as much as quickly as possible and have a new start to look the way u want and feel good and be healthy and get fit and into healthier foods. I have had 2 C-sections my stomach fat hangs over my scar so much no matter how much weight if i lost it slowly or fast i will still have hanging, sagging skin like a pancake when i reached my goal weight.

I'm a year and a half out. I would tell you to definitely use a tracking app (MyFitnessPal was mine) and a food scale. You'd be amazed how little or how much 2.5-3 ounces can be, depending on the food! Start small with portions and don't try to push yourself. Seriously, a quarter cup is not a lot of food, but at the beginning it will be! (that doesn't last, don't worry). YOu will find that some foods fill you up much more than others. I can eat a lot of salad greens. THat makes sense due to Water. But ground beef vs chicken or eggs - big difference. Eggs and chicken fill me up faster.
Get in your Protein and take your Vitamins. Vitamins are relatively easy and will make a huge difference in your health. Walk. YOu don't have to run marathons. Just walking will help.
Re sweets. Don't keep them in the house if you can. I find that if I'm really craving something, getting something out, preferably splitting it, helps me. But, if it's something that's likely to cause you to binge or crave carbs later - don't do it. That is a bit different for all of us. After 6 months I started incorporating small amounts of carbs back into my diet. I find it helps me in the poo department.
BIGGEST TIP! Use these sites for support and tips. However, this is YOUR journey. You, your situation and your physical and mental health history are different than everyone else. If someone tells you to go Keto and it's just not something you can sustain - it's not for you. YOu have to find your own path. Don't compare yourself to others. Some lost faster than me, but they started out in a different place with a different body and issues. Find your way and don't give up!

I had my surgery (sleeve gastrectomy) in mid-December, so I'm about six months out and have lost 78 pounds, with less than 15 to go to reach goal.
This surgery is a tool, not an easy way out. I agree with whomever said that you should give up the tough stuff pre-surgically. I did that, including coffee. It wasn't that hard.
I would then suggest implementing/using a tracking app. I use baritastic and it is awesome. If you don;t weigh, measure and track, it's very difficult for you to know what kind of progress you are making and why. Your nutritionist can help you set goals for the app. I literally live by it!
A few months down the road, you will then need to decide what kind of diet suits you going forward. For me, it's Keto, or some semblance thereof. You will learn to be very regimented, but also you will know, thru tracking, when you can allow yourself a treat. Good thing for me, my taste for sweets is almost entirely gone.
Drink your Water, get your Protein and realize there will be tough times and plateau's, but you will lose the weight and you'll be glad you did this!!

The other thing that initially impacts post-op weight loss is all the Fluid that was pumped into your abdominal cavity during laparoscopic surgery, and if you were on an IV during your hospital stay. It will take time to lose the weight caused by this fluid. Be patient. It is usually recommended that you don’t weigh yourself the first month so fluctuations and stalls don’t mess with your head. Good luck. Your experience is very normal. Just follow your surgeon’s plan and you should be fine.

I dont understand why so many people are cheating already on there diet plan.

Hi everyone!

I hope I’m not the only one but today has proven to be a hard day! I’ve been in a lot of pain (12 days post VSG) so I’m not walking as much and can’t go to
The gym just yet. I’m also dealing with hunger - head hunger. I’m at my 4pm snack which is 1/2 skim milk and 1/2 Isopure shake and it’s been an hour and I can’t finish it! I HATE IT. So now I’m just completely sad and feeling defeated. And it’s only 12 days in! I’m trying to relax, meditate but being in this house all day every day is killing me! I want to go out but I’m so hungry that I’m afraid that’ll I do something stupid and get a pickle or something. I don’t want to fail! I’m so frustrated with myself, with my body, with my inability to stop wanting food.

I am grateful to God that so far I’ve had minimal symptoms, nausea only lasted 3 days and no vomiting yet but I am eating so little.

I’m on purée stage until 6/6 and I stick to that 1 oz of turkey or chicken and 1 egg when I do eat it. I’m super gassy and even while drinking this shake I feel the gas stuck in my chest. Sigh. I’m just venting. I don’t have many friends anymore since I can’t do shit! (Excuse my language, I’m so angry!) and my husband doesn’t understand. He is supposed to get the surgery next month and I don’t know how he’s going to do it! He really thinks I’m exaggerating. I wish I was, man. I’m inpatient, I’m such a go-getter that being and feeling stuck is getting to me and Idle time is my enemy! It’s when I want to eat! I need the pain to go away but I’m healing and apparently that hurts?! Sigh. I know it’ll get better. I can’t wait for better days but today, today is a hell day. Emotionally, physically, mentally. And tomorrow I turnt 35 so existential crisis is also kicking in! Help me Jesus!!!! Thanks for reading this long rant. Y’all the real MVP for reading this. Sighhhhhh

I dont understand why so many people are cheating already on there diet plan.

I dont understand why so many people are cheating already on there diet plan.