Bucky0126

You're doing great and I appreciate our friendship with all the texts, emails and shared success!

Great updates, thanks!

Hey December surgery people! Our group hasn't posted much lately, I'm hoping it's because of all the success and lifestyle changes. I've made a few friends and one that I text with regularly that we continue to push each other and to hold ourselves accountable. My story has been met with highs, lows, weight loss walls and amazing success. I'm -122.2 lbs since I started the journey 1/1/20 and -73.1 lbs since surgery 12/2/20. My weight loss has certainly slowed in the recent month or 2, but overall it's trending in the right direction. I'm still not able to eat solid red meat (steak) and regular milk without severe stomach aches, but overall the experience has been life changing and worth every second of effort I've made. Does anyone else have some stories to share from our surgery month of December 2020?

Jason

On 3/19/2021 at 8:42 AM, Corey B said:

Checking in for the first time. I had my first appointment with my surgeon July 28th 2020 and weighed 518 lbs. He asked me to lose 40-50 lbs pre-surgery. I went in for my sleeve December 10th at 421 lbs and as of today, a bit over 3 months it, I’m down to 336.2. I’m in a stall at the moment, my weight hasn’t moved much for a week but I figure that will pass soon. I’ve been able to get in my Protein and Water without much issue but I did have to switch to capsule Vitamins because I couldn’t stomach the chewables. My only real issue is that beef and chicken taste horrible to me since surgery. I never ate a lot of beef but I always ate grilled chicken and that is annoying but I figure it’s temporary so we’ll see. I started at a 60” waist and 5xl shirts and I’m down to a 46” waist and XXL shirts. Overall, I’m extremely pleased with the surgery. Some days are tough but I’m hoping to get to my goal of 220 by early fall.

Wow, that is nothing short of amazing!!! You are clearly putting in the work and I can only imagine how much better you're feeling. These are updates that are really fun to read and I agree on red meat, it doesn't taste the same and my digestive system doesn't like it yet. Unlike you, I used to love steaks and burgers and have eaten what seems like a lifetime of chicken. Have you tried adding fish? I loved Salmon, but have added additional fish and it's going well.

On 3/9/2021 at 9:22 AM, Bucky0126 said:

I'm -59 lbs in 90 days post surgery.

You'll go through stalls that can last 2-3 days and some up to 5-7 days. Your body is trying to figure out your new life and may reserve some calories because it thinks you may be starving. It's all ok and good, I use stalls as extra motivation to keep it clean and healthy to resume the loss again. I have been in a stall at 245 for a week, but I've also included lifting weights a few weeks ago and the old, "muscle weighs more than fat" is my theme right now. If you're feeling good, then good things are happening. Keep focused and motivated, remember, the stomach had surgery, the brain didn't. The brain has been trained your whole life and your stomach has been retrained for a short amount of time.

On 3/4/2021 at 9:53 AM, Tim C said:

How much weight have you lost since surgery day?

I'm -59 lbs in 90 days post surgery.

On 3/1/2021 at 1:45 PM, David_L said:

As I near my 3 month / 90 day surgiversary, I'm reflecting more and more on how we got here on the first place. I feel like a broken record and I'm pretty sure I'm over thinking to avoid facing my true feelings. I have also reached out to a member here and I need to do a better job of keeping us accountable. My first couple months of loss were astronomical and now I've slowed down quite a bit. I find old hungers coming back but I'm also exercising 6 days a week. I'm trying to keep my Water and Protein intake high and my carb intake low. I figure if I keep my goals simple and work on making newer and healthier habits automatic, I'll be better off in the long run.

If i'm going to be honest.... I've always known that the hard work was NOW and that surgery does NOT fix the head.

Looking forward to any other words of wisdom out there when it comes to squashing the old sh1tty habits that all got us here in the first place.

Just by putting this post out there, you're acknowledging some internal struggles and by not keeping it a secret to yourself, you're making YOU more accountable! Best of luck, we are all pulling for you and all the other candidates as you're right, the brain didn't get the surgery, our stomachs did.

2 minutes ago, Tim C said:

When did you have your surgery and what did you weigh? I feel cheated because I was sheduled for 12/16 but postponed 9 weeks due to covid spike.

I started my journey 351 lbs on 1/01/20 and when I had surgery 12/2/20 I weighed 302 lbs. So -107 lbs in 14 months, but -58 lbs since surgery on 12/2/20.

It has been quiet and I guess I've not posted much either. I was fortunate to have someone that was about my age and size that had the surgery and walked this journey 2 years in front of me. I've also been texting a with a guy from our group that again, about my size and had the December surgery. The process is so unique to each of us as individuals that sharing experiences is great, but the drive and passion absolutely come from within. I feel like i know when I am doing well way before my scale says so. I am losing the weight as planned, walking/ jogging on treadmill 5-6 times per week and eating fairly well. When I deviate from the food plan, I know it comes with risks of my stomach disliking it (milk/ red meat) and even having a 1-2 day weight gain because of those choices. I've dabbled with alcohol, albeit, maybe 1-2 glasses of red wine from time to time and have had no bad side affects. Yesterday when I stepped on the scale in the morning and saw 244.7 lbs. I was very happy and declared yesterday a cheat day. I didn't go wild, but I made a small dish of my favorite nachos and ate about 1/3 of a box of whoppers. Didn't feel guilty in the least, but I made sure to get up this morning and put my 20 minutes of walking/ jogging in with 10 minutes of resistance bands.

I'm not perfect by any means, but I am dedicated to the process and make sure that with each speed bump (planned or unplanned) that I follow it up with some good decisions to even things out. Fearing that I turn one cheat day/ bad day into 2 or 3 is my drive to stay focused. That's my 60 days post surgery story, what's yours?

On 2/10/2021 at 11:08 PM, K Be Good! said:

Ok. I really thought I was going to get a pass on this Hair loss thing. I have long, thick hair and it was doing fine until last week. I neglected to read in previous post it starts at about 3 months post op. So if your hair has started falling out, now is the time. I was just getting over my last c-section Hair loss. I should have known. Thinking about chopping it all off.

I haven't experienced any hair loss...yet. I'm 2+ months post surgery and the weight continues to fall off, but the hair is holding tight. Good luck to you, hopefully it's a short and mild set-back.

While I didn't have that in week 2, I had it in week 3 or 4 where I hit a wall. Are you still on liquid diet? What I did was took the cup off the top of cough medicine and used that as my drinking measure. I would drink Water from that for 2 weeks to make sure I wasn't over or under drinking. At this point you probably aren't eating yet, so I relied on "good" Protein Shake powder from GNC to limit calories and raise Protein. What about a daily walk around the block? I live in MN so it wasn't appealing to me, but I powered through it. Just something different to throw the body a curveball. That's what worked for me, but everyone is different.

Keep in mind there are days when I think I am going to drop 1-2 lbs and step on the scale and I gained 1-2 lbs from last weigh in. It can be frustrating, but you have to stay the course. Have you talked to your doctor or dietician? Have you tried a food log? Just my $.02 worth.

Good luck!

2 hours ago, RTL1234 said:

Hey all! I had a follow up today and I’ve lost 50lbs from my highest! 42 from pre-op. Very excited to hit this mark!

I asked today about the pace and they said 8-10lbs a month for the first 6 months. She said that may vary obviously here and there but overall is a good average to go by.

I got new macros today and new calories for the next phase of the diet. 700-900 per day. Seems like a lot lol.

I feel like each person has a different path and along the way you will get better results than we deserve and other times we get worse results than what we deserve. I started my journey 12/29/19 and have lost 89 lbs since my highest and 40 lbs of that since my surgery on 12/2/20. I've had unexpected losses of 1.8 lbs and also gains of .8 lbs in one day with no real reason for it. I've also started to see a slowing of weight loss since doing my 1 mile treadmill walk and some resistance band work outs about 4-5 days per week in the last 2 weeks. My mind is starting to get away from the number on the scale to how I look and more importantly how I feel. Losing 8" from my waist and dropping from 3XL to XL has inspired me and adding some tanning salon fake sun has made me feel great.

I enjoy reading everyone's progress, keep up the work!

On 1/13/2021 at 11:08 AM, mil_unloaded said:

Officially stalling over here. Been around 271 for a week now. Sigh.

I think completely normal. I hit a stall and in looking back, I wasn't eating much, but also wasn't eating the right foods. I think it's important to stick to the meal plan and vary slightly...which I wasn't doing as I wanted to see how my stomach reacted. Stick with it! The week after my 8 day stall, I lost 9 lbs...it'll happen.

On 1/7/2021 at 8:35 AM, K Be Good! said:

I hit my first stall a week and a half ago. I just started losing again this morning. I knew it was going to happen based on others posts but it was still stressful. I’m a little over a month out. I’m now down 17 pounds down. I really want to hit the 20 pound mark before going back to work.

I had my surgery on 12/02, so I am 5-1/2 weeks after surgery. In that time I am -31 lbs and couldn't be happier in my decision. I too hit a wall of sorts and for 8 days, I only lost 2 lbs. I think the body needs time to transition to your new diet changes and also to work out it's new way to digest food. I am found that some days I feel hungry and others I could go 1/2 the day without eating. To me, I have kept a Protein Shake to start the day in my daily ritual along with an egg of some sort.

Do you find that sometimes you can take a bite of something and be full, yet other times you can eat more freely and almost feel like you ate too much afterwards?

On 12/28/2020 at 7:31 PM, ANewJourneyAwaits said:

Rachel, my sleeve blush has gotten better but I had a reaction to the pain meds they gave me. I’m not in so much pain now but I feel still loopy and I’m on day 4.

it does in fact get better.

13 hours ago, MM1604 said:

Hi - scheduled for 12/22. One week through liquid diet with one more week to go. liquid diet is really wearing me down physically. Any tips for getting through this last week?

Also waiting for the nervousness to set in

I drank Gatorade Zero and on the mornings I need a lift, I drank 1/2 caf coffee. I know it's not ideal for the coffee, but it helped me stay focused. If your only variance from the diet is a cup of 1/2 caf per day, you'll be fine.

On 12/4/2020 at 6:51 PM, UGAPRRTHD said:

Noob here...first post. I am 4 days Post-Op Bariatric Sleeve (11/30/2020) and suffering through the SIP, SIP, SIP torture. I am truly amazed at the lack of residual pain. I started this journey almost 2 years ago at a massive 364 and almost 47 BMI, due to covid my original op date was pushed and this past Monday I weighed 332 (almost 43 BMI) when I laid on table. Agree that the timing really interferes with the Holiday meals, but I cannot wait to see the results.

You had surgery 3 days before me, I'm curious if you're experiencing the same thigs I am? I'm able to pass gas controllably which is nice to ease the gas pain. My incisions aren't an issue, but when I stand after sitting in same spot, I'm a little sore. I wear the belly brace to bed, seems to have helped with my side sleeping. I'm -18 lbs in almost 2 weeks, but this morning I'm the same weight as yesterday. I have tried adding sugar free pudding this week and strained cream of mushroom Soup (stomach was surprised to feel that and gurgled a little). Other than that, it's Water, Protein Shakes and Jello for me. Looking forward to soft foods as early as next week.

18 hours ago, StacyMendes said:

Omg! I had mine on the same day! How are you coping?

Sent from my SM-G988B using BariatricPal mobile app

I had mine 12/2 as well. The pain is gone, a little discomfort when standing after sitting for a while. I can sleep on both sides and experiments with pudding and cream of mushroom strained Soup yesterday. Both went down, although the stomach was making the moaning and groaning sounds, but no side affects. What are you guys doing for meals?

On 12/6/2020 at 7:55 PM, merraculous said:

December 17th here... its the day after my birthday so I guess... Happy Birthday too me.

Feeling really nervous, been pretty good on this presurgery diet, but like I am having a lot of cravings, anyone else experience this?

Funny, I had my surgery 12/2 which was a day after my birthday as well. Stick to the diet, it'll help for the post op diet as the cravings will subside once you don't have the feeling of being hungry.

On 12/4/2020 at 7:20 PM, Working on ME! said:

I had my Sleeve done on 12/1. Who else is the same timeframe?

I had mine 12/2. Not quite able to eat an entire Jello cup, but drinking Water and gatorade from the little med cups. I have my post op surgeon video call Thursday, which I assume will graduate me to the phase 2 diet with Protein Shakes. It's nice to start having the stomach gas start to subside, I have been doing 10 minute walks twice daily.

What are you guys experiencing?

Surgery was a success for the gastric sleeve on Wednesday 12/2. I stayed one night in the hospital to treat the pain and discomfort with IV fed pain meds, which worked miracles. I was discharged yesterday after being able to tolerate Water and pass gas (you'll get sick of them all asking if you passed gas, but it's important). So at home and dealing with stomach soreness, sipping water every 30 minutes as instructed and taking pain meds. sleep was great in my own bed, just in the stage of feeling full of gas and the stomach rumbling almost non-stop, which is all to be expected. The staff took great care of me and I have ZERO regrets and the process was great! If you are getting closer to your date or have any pre-op diet or actually surgery process questions, don't hesitate to ask. Good luck of you are right behind me in your process, ease your mind and let the doctors and nurses take total care of you!

On 11/28/2020 at 11:29 AM, ChrisgetsSleeveDec2020 said:

Did anyone not get approval from insurance for in patient surgery? I'm worried about having to come home same day.

I had the gastric sleeve surgery 12/2 and in my mind there was no way I would even want to go home same day. The pain being administered via IV was much stronger and immediate. I could hardly move for 6 hours after surgery, but they had me up and lightly walking in 8 hours, albeit gingerly. After spending one night and most of the second day, I was ready to go home and sleep in my own bed. You wont get much sleep day 1 as you slept during surgery and in recovery, so it's good to lay flat at home and get some real sleep.

On 11/23/2020 at 9:16 AM, Jackson5mom said:

Wow I know that’s nerve wracking! I’m monitoring everything while trying not to make myself crazy. Hope it works out for both of us!!!

Just got the call from my VA surgeon's office and I am locked in for 12/2. The only thing stopping me now is me or my surgeon getting COVID. So happy! Day 8 of my liquid diet and I am -11 lbs. The cravings have subsided and I just have a slight general hungry feeling. The next 8 days will be tough, but I'm halfway.

On 11/19/2020 at 11:41 PM, Jackson5mom said:

Hi new here and sleeve surgery date is 12/3. Almost a year to get everything done and approved. Day 4 of my pre op diet which is mostly liquid. I’m allowed an Atkins style meal for dinner. It’s been interesting so far. But looking forward to the bigger picture and new start.

Age 42

CW 254 (thanks in part to the pre op diet lol)

Just a few days ahead of you with it being day 7 of my pre op liquid diet. I'm only allowed liquids and up to 5 cups of green non starchy vegetables (green Beans and broccoli). My sleeve surgery is scheduled for 12/2, but with all the beds being taken at hospitals, I'm anxious to see if they cancel my, or anyone's surgeries.

MN Governor said he isn't shutting down elective surgeries, I hope that even of he did, it wouldn't be for a week or 2 with my surgery 2 weeks from today. Fingers crossed.