JoanneLaRusch

I stall ALL the time. I just came out of a 16 day stall. I feel like I lose for two weeks each month and stall for two weeks. It is always around my TOM. My hormones were out of control this month! Last time I came out of a stall I lost 7.5 lbs in 4 days. It is what it is, and I am about the same as other people with my starting weight and height. It’s hard to compare to others when we all have different body chemistry. Some people lose a lot more in the beginning and taper off after 4-6 months, and others seem to lose less at a time, but more consistently for the first year or two. As long as you are following your plan, you will be where you need to be by the end of the first year, even if it is a different trajectory than others.

I had gastric sleeve on October 21,2020. My starting weight & weight on the day of surgery was 230 pounds. Today I weigh 171 pounds. I'm 5'6 female age 32. I eat around 1000 calories a day

Happy new year everyone. May 2021 be the best year YET!

More or less this has been my meals:
7am Protein shake
10 am one Scrambled egg with milk this makes it soft
12 2 oz of protein sometimes I’ll have a little veggie or mash
3 snack like cottage cheese, string cheese or Keto friendly snacks
6 2 oz protein sometimes I’ll have a veggie or mash
8 protein shake
Water in between meals and snack

If I’m hungry before bed I’ll usually add a scrambled egg

Starting Weight 222
I was asked to lose weight before surgery so my surgery weight was 212. My current weight is 180 after 8 weeks and it's starting to look and feel really great. I can't wait to see 150.

Thanks so much! I’m FINALLY starting to feel better. The tests showed that something is going on in my intestines but didn’t show exactly what I had. My surgeon definitely said it is NOT dumping syndrome. I am on 2 different antibiotics and I’m feeling a little better so that’s hopeful. I go back to the Gastro doctor tomorrow so I will see what else they plan on doing. Hopefully this is just a bacterial infection that will go away after the medicine.

This is going to sound silly but I’ve been stubbing my toes in my kitchen a lot over the last few months. Kicking the dishwasher, the fridge, the skirting boards, cupboards - lots of swearing, hobbling, cracked toe nails & pain. Couldn’t work out why I mean it’s my kitchen. I know where everything is.
Then yesterday, when I was putting ice on my bruised big toe, I realised why. I don’t have a large stomach that protrudes out & reaches the kitchen bench before my toes do anymore.
How ridiculous is that. Subconsciously, I walk up to the bench & stop when my tummy hits it. Now when my tummy reaches the bench, my toes have already slammed into the cupboards.
Also realised while I often have bruises on my lower legs now, probably for the same reason I stub my toes, I don’t have the bruises I used to have on my upper thighs which I’d get from knocking my old large body into furniture.
Boy do I need to work on my spatial awareness in regards to my smaller body... if only to protect my poor little toes. 😁

I add Protein Powder to my Breakfast smoothie, and it's 100% tasteless.

On Monday I get to start eating whole fruits, vegetables, and meats. I've already been eating chicken thighs that were not ground, but no other whole foods. I really despise Protein Drinks, but it's the only way I can get a good amount of Protein in. How do y'all do it? I can't eat more than a half cup, and I feel uncomfortable when I eat that much, so I usually leave it at 1/4 to 1/3 cup. I want to eat veggies, a banana, an orange, but if I fill up on any one of those, there's no room for protein, and if I eat the protein first, there's no room for anything else. I'm seeing the dietician on Monday, and I hope she'll have some good suggestions, and I welcome any advice you folks have, too.
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Encouragement! 38lbs is a great accomplishment. When you say you feel no restriction, it sounds like you may actually be unconsciously testing your limits at the same time. You may unknowingly (or maybe knowingly) trying to see how much you can eat. There was a few times I remember doing this as well when I was first able to eat a bit more.
May I suggest trying trying my old trick... If it is not time for you to eat: (1) If you 'think' you are hungry or need/want a snack - drink a bottle (16oz) of water/hydration and wait 10-15 mins (2) After 10-15 mins, if you still feel the urge, drink another 16oz (3) After that, if you are still hungry: Eat Something! This will help you stay hydrated, aid satiety, and keep you busy stretching time between meals and grazing.
I suggest planning, preparing your Snacks in advance. Having set portions already ready to go helps keep you on track with what you should consume and keeps you away from snacking based on sight.
Last one for now - Protein and hydration. Proteins (low/no sugar or carbs) like shakes, bars and powders help get you the nutrition you need and curb your hungry. And you can never get too much hydration!
I'm just over one year post VSG - down 150+ from start of my journey and am just getting back to the forums. teh best advice I've found is from 'my' Dr. and peers on this same journey.
Wish well - keep on the path!

Hi, my name is Fredricka and I’m new to the group. I’m super excited. I have UHC and I’m starting my once a week 12 sessions with a nutritionist on Thurs. 1/14/21 as required. This is my final step before approval submission. My current BMI is 46. Hope for some tips and info from you guys as well as encouragement while I go through this journey. Anybody go through UHC for approval?

Trader Joe’s black bean and corn enchiladas (1/2 package), with an egg and a bit of cheddar on top. About 250 kcals. I am stuffed, but it was soooo good! 😋

Where I live we have this Chipotle-esque place that I enjoy. I’m actually surprised by how much I was able to eat!
Lil’ Burrito bowl (kid’s size)- pinto Beans, double steak, Monterey Jack cheese, onions, corn salsa, pico salsa, fajita vegetables, banana peppers, sweet habanero sauce and queso. Also ate 4 tortilla chips with it.

That looks great! I bet it tastes great too

I waited awhile before telling my (then) BF that I had been much larger and had had WLS. It wasn't any big deal to him.
My weight loss left me with significant loose skin, especially the "apron" which had my tummy hanging down to my upper thighs.
I was embarrassed greatly by my "apron" and always wore lingerie in bed to cover that part of my body.
I finally decided to get a Tummy Tuck 6 years after my WLS, even though I was not at my goal. My WLS surgeon and the plastic surgeon agreed that since I'd held my weight loss for so long that it would be fine to go ahead with the tummy tuck.
It was TRULY the best thing I've ever done for myself. My sense of self is completely different. I no longer have so much shame around this part of my body. When my BF broke up with me and I starting dating again, my WLS and tummy tuck made reentering the world of dating so much easier on my mindset. I had so much more confidence.
I know that should I find a new partner, I would at some point share that I had WLS. It is obvious I had plastics, because the scar from a tummy tuck is quite large and evident. So I would be open about that, too. I figure anyone worth developing a strong connection with will take this information with acceptance and even admiration for me.
Below, a current photo of my tummy. 90% of this is the tummy tuck, 10% of it is my core work that I do to keep my tummy flat and toned.

(I don't know why the photo is huge; sorry!)

From a guys view: I am 54 and up until last week was single. I do not judge people by how they look or there weight. I actually just re married my x who is a large person. My view is this it is your life and a real person will not care about what little imperfections you may have.
I would not worry about it to much and you can get surgery if it bothers you. Look for a guy who wants a friend and companion, Not a roll in the rack and move on.

Wow! Getting real quick huh?!!
I’m feeling ok. Pain has been rough past couple of days but it’s def manageable pain though. I have seen the girls and they are swollen but look great! Haven’t seen all of my tummy. Just had hub check on my belly button. So far so good.
Keep saying to myself it’s all worth it once I’m all healed up! It will be!
Careful on going to places bc of your COVId test. I was afraid to get waxed and my pedicure bc w my luck I’d somehow pick it up. Not sure where you live but it’s getting pretty bad down here again. I’m in Texas.

After tons of research I landed with Dr. Alex Earle. I looking forward to enjoying some winter sunshine in Miami for a couple days pre op! Our usual winter rain & gray in Seattle is really getting to me this year.

I’m just under two weeks away from my Tummy Tuck, BL/BA, and arm lift. I’m nervous and excited! This truly feels like my reward for all of the hard work I’ve put in to lose my excess weight. I’ve got my cute swimsuit picked out for my before & after pic which I will post here. For those who’ve gone before me, any last minute advice?

Funny thing, but as a former coffee addict, after surgery it tasted like mud! I couldn't stand it. I avoided all caffeine and acidic drinks after surgery to avoid ulcers (I got one anyway), and after two years it started to smell/taste good again. So now I drink only Decaf, with unsweetened soy milk, and only with a meal - not on an empty stomach. And not every day. So far, no more stomach problems 2 years out. So you may be surprised and not even like it post op.

surgeons are literally all over the board with this one. Some don't want you to drink it ever again in your life, some are OK with you drinking it before you even leave the hospital. Some allow it after a certain amount of time (e.g., at three months out - or six months out), some are OK with it right away but want you to limit it to something like 1-2 cups a day. There doesn't seem to be consistency AT ALL with this. You'd probably be better off asking your surgeon his/her preference, since you're bound to get a bunch of very different answers here.

I started my pre op liquid diet almost 2 weeks ago. I did pretty good, I cheated twice, having a subway sandwich one day for lunch. And another night I had a oriental chicken salad for dinner. Other than that. I tried my best to stick with it, and on surgery day I was down a total of 16 lbs in a week. I had my surgery Oct 29th 202p. I'm currently on day 4 of post op. The 2nd and 3rd day of was feeling very overwhelmed. Emotional. Was wondering if I made the worst decision of my life. The pain I felt was mainly from the air and gas, omg that was horrible. But here on day 4, I don't really have too much pain, except where my drain currently is, and only sometimes. I get it taken out on a couple days. But I'm starting to not feel as emotional, glad I have my mom here to help me out as I am a single mother of 3 kids. Without her, lord I couldn't of done it this far. I'm starting to feel alone better about the decision I made. I'm on my liquid diet right now, and I haven't really thought about food, the only thing I want to do more than anything is GUZZLE a glass of Water !!! Lol. Taking small sips throughout the whole day helps I suppose. LOL I just feel so thirsty. I am glad I found this support forum, I love reading everyone's journey, and I'm glad to be here !
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If you are not tracking what you eat, you should. Be honest and track every bite you put in your mouth for a couple of weeks, including the not so good for you stuff. It might help with getting perspective and then you can make adjustments as needed. The stall will typically resolve itself, but with your dietary restrictions, you made need to tweak things a bit.
Good luck! 💕

A few things that jump out at me:
1. You mention you are not getting enough Protein. This can make the body resist losing weight because otherwise you'd be cannibalizing your own muscle tissue. Giving your body sufficient protein is an important signal that you're not suffering life-threatening food scarcity and it's okay to burn stored fat.
2. You mention that you have a "small range of things" you can eat. I don't have any scientific proof for this but I have observed that switching up your diet can help when you hit stalls. It's like the variation in what you eat shakes up your metabolism and gets things moving again. I know it's easier said than done since you have ARFID. Maybe if you can't vary WHAT you eat, you can change things like how much you eat, what times of day, how much exercise you get.
3. It goes without saying that you've got to eliminate the junk food. Again, easier said than done but it's really important. One tip that someone gave me that has really helped me over the years: before you eat something bad, eat something good. What they meant was, rather than giving in to temptation and eating something completely off plan (like crisps or cookies), give yourself a small on-plan snack. It's better to eat a little more of your on-plan food than you intended rather than go off on a junk food binge. I have found that this works - often whatever craving I had will go away if I eat something allowed.
4. You've lost 77 pounds, which is a lot of weight. As we get smaller, our body needs fewer calories. So you may need to reduce your intake or increase your exercise in order to keep losing. The amount of calories you ate at 299 may be too much for you to lose weight at 221. For me, as my weight came down, I had to up the exercise to keep losing.
Stalls are not unusual and weight loss is rarely a perfect linear process. But those are a few things that can help keep things moving. I wish you well in getting back on track so you can see those numbers start going down again! 🤗

to keep the food in your stomach for awhile so that you're satisfied - otherwise, it washes out of your pouch or sleeve too quickly, and you get hungry again.