Tony B - NJ

2 minutes ago, Monique1123 said:

Surgery Status: 6 weeks post-op tomorrow. Sx 7.14.2021 VSG

Phase: Regular foods

Highest known weight: 218

Surgery weight: 200 even.

Current Weight: 182 This morning. I gained 3 pounds 😭

Inch loss: 3 inches off waist, 4 inches off lower belly (Fupa), 1 in off arms, 1 in off neck,

NSV: Went from a size 18 to 14 in pants and XXL to XL in shirts !

Pretty good, you lost over 30% of your body weight in a short time. Pretty impressive.

Honestly, that is the problem that gets us all in the condition we were in. You just have to focus on something other than the food. Maybe go out for a walk when you are really stressing about it or maybe get involved in something else to distract yourself from it. Maybe it is not the best idea to have guests over on a food focused visit where it is going to do this to yourself. Until you get to a point where it becomes second nature it is not a good idea. I started my pre op diet earlier than I should have so that I could grow accustomed to not having the food so it was not thrust upon me. I have lost 20 pounds and for me, that motivates me away from the food. Do I want a bag of chips? It would taste great, sure, but my guilt would be so high I just turn my head and don't think about it. My workplace is a maze of treats....chips in the kitchen area, candy at the reception desk, people microwaving popcorn, food deliveries for lunch etc, etc. I have not really had the craving because I constantly tell myself I have to move forward and not backward. You cannot allow yourself to slip back into the overeating.

My surgery is August 31st but I figure it is close enough to track progress with September? Maybe? About a week to go, I am down 19 pounds from my first surgeon visit.

Just now, ChattyKathie said:

Get a new husband

I agree with that analysis!!!

3 minutes ago, ShoppGirl said:

My husband thought that they just cut the fat out of you somehow. He thought people just left the hospital skinny my somehow. And my husband is not an ignorant man…usually…lol. He said when He thought it through that didn’t make sense but he hadn’t ever given it much thought. I think that many people think it’s somehow instant though. Ooh and my psychologist said why don’t you just ask them to take more out. Referring to fat when I told him I was worried I wouldn’t lose as much as I want to. This is a man with a doctorate degree. 😂

You know, it really goes to the state of body shaming in the country. It is not OK to insult someone on their race, color, religion or sexual designation/choice etc, but it still makes people laugh and carry on to insult someone if they are overweight for whatever reason, medical or otherwise. People do not understand it because they don't care and still look down on overweight people. I really think it is an unfair situation.

4 minutes ago, MistySkye said:

I have had no issues getting enough Protein and I'm usually 90-100. I always start with 1 egg, 1 egg white, 1 oz cheese for Breakfast. Morning snack almost always a cheese stick and 1/2 tbsp Peanut Butter. lunch - usually 3-4 Turkey Deli Slices with some mayo and a cheese stick (or slice of cheese). Afternoon snack - varies sometimes 1/2-1 Protein Bar (i.e. Built Bar), or turkey pepperoni stick, or greek yogurt. dinner chicken or turkey. In addition, I have either Fairlife Milk or Premier Protein in my Decaf coffee twice a day. (I put Inulin Fibre in my coffee too)

...there is vegetables and fruit too! I just did not list them

Fluids certainly the harder struggle for me. At least I get 16 oz X2 w/ the coffee, but Water can be a problem. I aim for 6 cups a day, don't always meet it.

BTW, I'm pretty sure I have a cheese stick with Peanut Butter addiction. I have seriously had that everyday since I was allowed Peanut Butter LOL

HOw many calories a day are you taking in?

1 hour ago, Charlie C said:

For the first month after surgery, I was probably taking in around 4-500 calories a day. Mostly doing the Campbell's sippable Soups like chicken and stars or Tomato along with a Protein Shake and lots of Water. About 3 or 4 weeks in, I was able to do half of a scrambled egg for Breakfast and because it went down well, I would eat some yogurt from time to time. My savior during the first month was sugar-free Italian Ice. They went down well and just tasted good as well as getting something different in your mouth. You'll deal with "food envy", and just wanting something. It eventually passes though.

For exercise, once I felt I had enough energy (which was after a few weeks), I did about a mile or two of walking around my neighborhood. The thing to remember is for most people, your metabolism will skyrocket because your body is expending a ton of energy trying to heal itself in the first 1-2 months. The first three months are when you'll see the most weight loss.

I was then able to do some heavier Soups around the 2-month mark and on my doctor's orders would also eat a small piece of fish or turkey as well with cooked vegetables. I hit a snag around the 2 and a half month mark and had a bad 4-day stretch where I was not handling food well at all and vomiting. My doctor upped my Omeprazole medication and I also added Famotidine...both are for reflux. I didn't feel like I was having any issues before with reflux but I must've been because that combination worked wonders. I'm just past three months now and for the past few weeks I have been able to pretty much eat anything I want. I'm probably around 800 to 1,000 calories a day now and I'm losing up to a pound or two a week. Soon I will be at my goal and hitting maintenance mode.

You'll have good days and bad days. The important thing I learned is not to get too high or low either way. My wife really helped me through the bad days. It's a tough journey, but the ultimate goal is life-changing.

Good stuff. Thanks for sharing!!

Just now, eholmes89 said:

Sounds good Tony! At this point I will try anything! 😂

I also feel like I’m quite bloated, which mentally isn’t good when your on a weight loss journey because I literally feel full of poo!

🤦‍♀️

haha....I am still pre op, but with so much Water in me I know how you feel. Who would have known what a priority a good healthy poo would have in our lives.

On 7/31/2021 at 1:44 PM, Blani said:

Today is 68 days since my VSG surgery. I am down 26.9 pounds. But still the same sized clothing though they are looser. Seems like my weight has been the same for a while. However, June 30th I was at 235.6 and today I am at 228.8 so I am down and that is a good thing. I can eat pretty much anything I want. I am hungry all the time. I do get in my Protein most days and that is by eating and not by shakes. Though I do still drink shakes now and then. I have not started working out. That is my plan for this coming week. I want to start walking 3 days a week and working out the other 3 with one day of rest. I hope you all are dong well. How is your progress?

It seems very difficult to get 60-80 grams of Protein with food alone. Are there any foods you eat that you can share that get you there and stay below 1000 calories?

3 minutes ago, eholmes89 said:

I have one word…

constipation .😫

I am 6 weeks post op and this is the first I am experiencing Constipation in my life! It’s just horrible! I’m actively eating more fibre, (does anyone know the recommended amount per day?) drinking more Water and walking more and I still can only ‘go’ once a week with a struggle….

any ideas? Before I resort to the stool softeners..

Thanks

I sounds like you are doing everything you should be doing. There are some teas you can drink that aid in moving things along if you want to avoid stool softeners.

On 8/21/2021 at 2:03 AM, Renee Z said:

U are experiencing what I've been told is unavoidable. I just passed my 2 week stall that happened 2 weeks after my surgery. I'm finally back on the downward slope of weight loss. Don't do anything different. Just be patient.

Respectfully, Renee Z

Your profile has pre op...please update us on your progress post op

Just now, Plsmi7th said:

Hey Tony! Not sure why you felt the need to call me out on here, but I figured since I was on the forum anyway I’d be happy to educate you! 😊

The Ricotta bake is a recipe I learned about through the Bariatric forums here on Bariatric pal. It was a recipe created for those on a blended diet post Bariatric surgery. It can be found on Bariatricbits.com, and I will also post the nutritional information since you are so worried about my calorie and fat intake! And don’t worry, Tony, I only had one serving and couldn’t even finish all of it! 😉

Serving size: 0.33 cup

calories: 144

carbohydrates: 5g

protein: 12g

fat: 8 g

So far down 21 pounds with no issue! Good luck with your surgery!

Certainly not "calling you out". It seemed a little strange to me. My apologies if you took it like that. I am just trying to learn is all. Again, my apologies

On 8/21/2021 at 2:16 PM, Maribelle76 said:

Hello! Since I've had the surgery, I have realized it is taking a lot more actual effort to lose weight than I thought it would. Don't get me wrong, it is still much easier than when I had to do it on my own. But I have to be careful about tracking calories, and I have to consciously decide to make the right choices and overcome head hunger. However, I think the doctor cut my stomach relatively big because I have had no issues with any foods at all and I don't really notice any restriction. Ultimately what it means is that my weight is not just falling off of me. I think the only type of surgery patient who might lose too much would be a person who has a lot of complications or an extremely small sleeve.

I think I would be able to figure it out if I got to the point of losing too much weight. I know EXACTLY how to gain weight when I need to gain weight so for me, that is not anything I would worry about. a tweek of calorie intake should be fairly easy to do with your nutritionist help. Or in my case, a cheesesteak would do the trick....kidding of course.

MIne was very similar to yours JD, just 800-1000 calories and the only snack was things like Jello, non starchy vegetables and broth.

On 8/15/2021 at 4:03 AM, Laurie C. said:

Sorry your husband is not being supportive. My ex-husband was even supportive with me! Although my loving brother informed me that I was "taking the easy way out and that he was disappointed in me." Like I care! He admitted he hates fat people. He's ignorant and fat himself! So, whose disappointed in whom?! Lol My question is, how are you going to get to the many other doctor visits that come along with this surgery? And how supportive is he going to be with your new eating plan? Is he going to eat healthy with you or are you going to have to cook all the things you can't eat and have that temptation on top of all this stress? Is it just you and your husband or do you have children to cook for as well? That's another challenge you may be facing. I feel for you. That's why I joined a support group. We're here when others aren't. I would ask a friend to help you if they would. A trusting, suppirtive one. Best of luck!

I laugh at the "easy way out" comments. I have been on the pre op diet for a couple weeks now and it is NOT easy, so not sure what the hell they see as easy. I think they believe it is snip, snip and you are instantly skinny.

On 8/16/2021 at 8:38 PM, Itstamy said:

I had the same problem My husband told me if anything happened and I couldn't go back to work he was not helping physically or financially. Nice huh. I arranged my own rides.

I don't understand how anyone could do that to a spouse. I would really be questioning my future with him if I were you. Just is not right.

On 8/21/2021 at 2:03 PM, greenwitch17 said:

Thank you all so much for the feedback! This community has already helped me so much and I am so excited to start the process!!

Good luck, update the forum when you get new information.

21 hours ago, vikingbeast said:

My clinic doesn't require any kind of pre-op diet other than liquids only the day before surgery and NPO the day of surgery.

Am I weird for wanting to do kind of a step-down diet over the next three weeks, just so that it's not all just one "AARGH!"?

My thought is to replace one meal a day with a Protein Shake this week, reduce fruit, and step from 2 cups coffee a day to 1 cup (and no sugar in the coffee, which is about the only place I still eat sugar).

Then the second and third weeks, replace two meals a day with Protein Shakes, and eliminate fruit and coffee entirely. If I get too hungry, I'll have something protein-y like plain skyr. (Skyr is a dairy product that's like yoghurt but is made from skimmed milk and is higher Protein than regular or Greek yoghurt.)

Any other suggestions from veterans? What was hardest for you post-op that you wish you would have dealt with pre-op? I have been practicing "sipping" for a couple of weeks and it's annoying as H-E-double hockey sticks but not undoable.

I am in my 3rd week of the preop diet. My doctor only required 2 weeks (surgery 8/31) but my research showed that the more weight lost in pre op diet, the better the outcome of the surgery. I also felt that I would rather be well accustomed to the diet (or lack thereof) and not be quite as hungry. I am finding it much easier than I thought and I am getting a head start on the weight loss, making my body used to dealing with less calories.

On 8/19/2021 at 12:59 PM, happilylacey said:

Got my date of September 10th, going through Dignity Health WLC in Gilbert, AZ.

I haven't seen a September thread of surgeries yet, but I'd love to hear where you are and your date!

I start my PreOP diet Aug 27th, and its only 3 Protein Shakes a day...no chewing at all! I've seen some that are 2 Protein shakes a day and then a small amount of chicken and nonstarch veggies for dinner. What's your PreOP diet like and how long do you have to do it?

Mine is one meal a day with 3 ounces of Protein and some vegetables, the rest liquid and Protein Drinks. I am down almost 20 pounds in two weeks. Not really hungry that much, much easier than I though. My surgery is 8/31

2 hours ago, jasj65 said:

6 July 2021 was surgery date.

Weight was 268 pre surgery

weight of surgery was 257

Weight of of today 207

Doing very well with the foods, drinking all day and looking forward to the new me.

Good luck all.

50 pounds in that amount of time is incredible!

1 hour ago, Jaelzion said:

Some of us are more carb-sensitive than others. The sugar in fruit is natural, but it's still sugar. When I was in the weight-loss phase, I would add a few berries to my yogurt sometimes and that was it because I would stall if I ate much more than that.

I also found Protein Bars slowed my weight loss way down. I don't know why, but when I cut them out, it picked back up again. Try going super basic for a while (unprocessed meat, veggies, fats) and see if you begin losing. Then you can add things to try to identify if there is something specific that is causing you to stall. That was how I realized Protein Bars were the culprit (even though I counted those calories and factored them into my total).

Are you staying hydrated? Dehydration can also slow things down. And then the slow loss could just be natural to your body and metabolism. After a lifetime of dieting, my body is really good at adjusting its caloric needs if I start restricting calories. But it can't do it forever. Stay with it, on 800 calories, you have to start losing sooner or later.

Good points on the fruit. I love fruit but I am pretty much staying away for a while until after surgery. Then I will slowly add things in to see how they affect the weight loss. I think keeping a journal on what was eaten and weight lost would help with that.

On 8/15/2021 at 5:12 PM, AmiLou said:

So, I have gained 40 lbs back since my surgery five years ago. I find myself eating for comfort again and have basically forgotten (and broken) ALL the rules of the bariatric diet! I welcome any encouragement, tips, and advice. I remember the keys to early success were: Protein Shakes, Water, extremely small portions, balanced healthy diet, walking, and taking supplements. I quit taking the bariatric supplements after a couple years and uh... well the small portions have gotten bigger (I no longer vomit). I crave sweets and I allow myself to eat them! Ugh...

I still take regular multiple Vitamin but nothing else other than prescriptions for depression, thyroid and a blood thinner for clots. My legs absolutely hurt ALL the stinking time so there is that. I am seeing doctors to try and figure that out. I've seen my primary doctor, a hematologist, and a cardiologist. It does interfere with my desire to walk or exercise. It is just too painful. I think I am at the point I am ready to start again though to work through that pain.

Best looking over you tube videos and getting back familiarized with everything. When they say it is a for life change and I read a post like this I get it. You can easily drift off into non compliance if you are not careful and end up back where you were. I think staying in contact with groups like this and talking to your doctor and nutritionist a couple times a year are a must.

I think most of us who have been on less than 1000 calorie diets find it angering when we step on the scale and see anything except a loss every day. To restrict yourself to such few calories and not lose weight every day is puzzling to me. But, the body does what the body does and goes through it's own reset and rebalancing and will lose when it is ready. Basic math tells me I should lost at least a half pound each and every day. Some days it is a pound, 2 pounds, nothing or even a gain of a pound. Very frustrating for sure.

On 8/14/2021 at 8:14 PM, Charlie C said:

So today, for the first time in over 20 years, I am below 200 pounds. I am still astonished at my results in such a short amount of time. In mid-April, I weighed 285 pounds. Every joint in my body hurt and I had high blood pressure and slept with a C-pap machine. I had surgery on 5/18/21, and today, almost 3 full months later, I weigh 198.6 pounds. I haven't used or needed my C-pap for the past several weeks, my blood pressure and heart rate readings are on the low side and I have so much energy. I really wish the best for everyone on this forum and hope you're all one day as satisfied as I am with your results. This has been a total life-changer. God Bless all!

Charlie....share with me please what you have done. How many calories are you taking in, how much exercise, what are you eating. I want to duplicate your success. I am currently 274 off a high of 297 and have surgery on the 31st of August.

20 hours ago, mamabear_2_2 said:

So glad to hear all my August surgery peeps are doing well! I go in tomorrow morning at 5:30AM and am finding myself in my emotions today. Tons of worries and just the emotional toll of knowing I need to go to this extreme to lose weight. I keep telling myself my last 10-15 years have proven I need a tool to help me stay healthy and I know it's the right thing. It's like this unexpected last minute wave of shame and guilt. I hate the thought of putting anyone out and my husband will be bearing the brunt of this with extra childcare, chores, errands, etc.

I thought I could get through this without a therapist, but I am seeing now how that will be a helpful resource. I can only imagine the emotions that will come with this lifestyle change and the changes my body will be going through.

Trying to breathe, stay focused and look to the future today. Thanks for listening! I am so excited to continue to hear about all of your journeys! Best wishes to you all! ❤️

good luck on your surgery today