BigZ

I am between 800-1100 a day. Last week I avg 959 per day.

I worked out of town all week, so every meal was at a restaurant. Even the sandwich place we went to, I just told them to keep the fries, and only give me veggies and the meat, no bread. I got strange looks, and it was discounted at all, but it works. I also had a birria taco, and just scraped out the meat/cheese, and left the tortilla. Grilled chicken at the steak place. Luckily I talked them out of a burger joint But if we would have gone, i would have got the burger, just no bun etc. I was still able to keep my calories under 1K per day!

I cut my carbs to ~20g a day until I hit 7 months, now I am around 40g a day. I pretty much took a modified keto approach to it. 75g of protein a day (minimum), and ~50g fat. I am down 191 pounds in 8 months, but we all lose differently. My daughter took a similar approach but she eats ~50-60g of carbs a day and she has lost 80. My cousin just had it done in Jan, and she has an approach like yours and she is down 30, she is a slower loser.

I could at 6-8 weeks. Nothing ever bothered me, just make sure to chew it all up.

8 months out and 191 pounds dropped, and it is still rough. Knees still ache, I am due for both to be replaced, but I have to be under 250 pounds, which is my goal. I can say that I do move better and can walk further, pain is still there but not as bad and they recover faster. I may attempt to try some light hiking this year. Swimming for sure, stationary bike, and even the elliptical is low impact on knees.

I tend to find the healthier option, however I have done a burger with no bun, no condiments. I will ask to substitute out the fries for a vegetable. Most meals at a restaurant will be 3-4 meals, and I don't eat them all in the same day. It will be spread out over the week. One thing to remember, if it is a 2000 calorie meal and you eat it all the same day (spread out), it is still a 2000 calorie meal. Just be wary of how and what you eat. I am 7.5 months PO, 8 months since I started Pre-Op, and I am still losing pretty quickly. I still limit my carbs (no bread, no rice, etc). And if you do have something that isn't "healthy", just get back on the bandwagon, don't beat yourself up about it, and don't abuse it. It is ok (no matter what everyone says) if you have something that isn't perfectly healthy once in a while. Just remember we all had the surgery for a reason, don't back slide into the same mistakes you made before.

Vital proteins collagen every morning and biotin every morning.

At the 6 month mark, I was eating between 6-700 calories a day and I noticed I was slowing to 1 pound per week, which was still good, but then I bumped up to around 1000 calories a day the last three weeks. I have lost 3.2 per week the last two weeks. So not sure if eating more helped, but eating more (which is hard to do without eating junk) seems to have helped.

I started going to the Chiro at 2 weeks PO, my hips were locked, I have stage 2 arthritis through my whole back. For the first 3 months I went 3 times a week for adjustments, now I go once a week. It has helped a ton! I still have back pain and I know some of it is just my body adjusting to losing 179 pounds. It is pretty amazing with the adjustments and weight loss to have some mobility back! My gait is a lot better, I stand more upright, and the back pain is a lot less than it was!

It lessens. I am 7 months PO and the only time it bothers me is when I eat to fast, or too much.

Awesome! I was told I needed to wait 18-24 months, but then again I started higher.

At that stage 1 can of soup was 3-4 meals. And it would take 45 min to an hour to finish 3-4 oz.

As a BCBS users, I ended up doing self pay and going to Mexico....it was a joke to try and use BCBS.

Yes, I felt that way until I was onto the puree stage and could suffice the hunger/growling with a little bit of food with consistency. I am assuming you are still on liquid only at this point? You are used to eating food, and your stomach is looking for it, liquids pass through pretty quick, it is essentially a funnel, it comes in and out pretty quick (~5 minutes). Once you get puree foods they last a bit longer in the stomach so the growling etc will go away.

Sorry you are going through this. At this point it is mind over matter. If you are struggling it might be worth looking into a therapist. 10 day pouch reset - day 1 clear liquids, day 2-3 full liquids, day 4-6 puree, day 7-9 soft foods, day 10 small healthy meals, continuing forward.

Your stomach is still healing (6-8 weeks PO), and it still hasn't adjusted to your smaller stomach size. It will get better over time.

My surgeon run's specials, I think my overall cost was 4200. My daughter had it done same day with me and she was 3700.

It is a brain game for sure on those road trips. There are a lot of protein snacks that are good. My last road trip I took Quest Protein Chips with me, they hit the spot for a snack. As far as restaurant eating, and there isn't a healthy option, most restaurants will give you a burger wrapped in lettuce, or a grilled chicken sandwich and hold the bread/mayo etc. There are ways to eat healthy on a trip even going to McDonalds. I typically will find a sit down place if I need to eat lunch/dinner etc, even if it means driving another hour to the next town. Gives me time to get that leg stretch in and find something that I can eat that won't break my weight loss goals. I will say I was super worried about hunting last year, we always eat all the junk non stop, and meals aren't exactly great. I was able to keep everything under control, only junk I had were chicharrónes, and some sugar free jerky. I kept a protein shake with me every day as some days we hunt through meals.

Don't worry about calories for a while. Once you are on the last phase for maintenance etc you will monitor more. I want to say by the time you are around 6 months you should have up to 1000 calories a day, and then with maintenance it is 1100-1500 calories a day. You aren't going to be able to eat enough (if you follow their guidelines) for the next while to worry about it. I am 5.5 months PO and I am between 600-800 calories a day. I only have my 3 meals, plus a snack if I am low on protein.

Yes a holter monitor or something similar, they will have you strapped up to an ECG monitor that you wear around your neck for 24 hours, with ECG pads/wires. If you show signs of anything, they may have you wear it longer. Hope it isn't anything serious and just your body reacting the surgery!

My cousin just had the surgery plus the hiatal hernia surgery 2 weeks ago, she still struggles with liquid intake. She still has to set a timer to sip sip sip. Try walking more for the gas pains, it helps get rid of them. Every hour walk for 5-10 minutes. I am 5.5 months post op and the first week was hard to drink anything, cold or hot. Even when I hit the puree stage it was hard enough to get liquid in let alone something with a thicker consistency. It will get better over time. I agree, contact your surgeon, see if they have any other options.

I did the Mexico self-pay, even with my insurance the process was almost a year long before approval, and estimated costs out of pocket were still more than going to Mexico. I wouldn't touch semaglutide with all the issues with it and weight loss. It works for some, but the friends I know who have done it have all put back on all their weight and 20 pounds after they quit it. Too many issues that can happen with it, stomach paralysis, rotten food in your stomach, etc. If you have HSA/FSA there are ways they will cover your surgery in Mexico or go towards the cost. I had a lady in my surgery group in Mexico that was able to use her HSA/FSA completely, I know she said she had other paperwork etc she had to do and get approval before hand as it was out of the country. I believe Go Light Bariatrics has a financing option, and I want to say it was interest free.

You have got this! One of the best steps/tool towards your weight loss goals! I am now 5.5 months Post Op, and I wish I would have done it sooner! I won't lie, the first few days are uncomfortable, but it will go away pretty quick!

Go see your Dr ASAP, don't forum this. Go get an ECG done. You may have AFIB, or it could be something else. If it happens consistently there could be a big issue, if it is just a once in a great while thing it may be ok. I went into AFIB for over 24 hours a year ago. It happened one time, and hasn't happened since, and by the time I got to the Dr it was cleared up. If you have a newer fitbit they have the ECG app, when you are feeling the palpitations run a check. But make an appt with your Dr and/or see a cardiologist. However, it is normal to feel a missed beat or something on occasion, but nothing that lasts for even 10 minutes.

Unflavored isopure is what I used, or the gatorade zero protein drinks. I struggle with enough protein on food alone at 5.5 months PO. I find myself having a protein shake. I am trying to wean off the shakes, which means eating more protein snacks (Quest Protein Chips).