Miters36

First off, congrats on your amazing weight loss!!! I think your still doing great. None of us are perfect. A couple of flubs here and there won't kill you.
I have not been sleeved yet, but from what I have read, if you google 5 day pouch cleanse you can see that a lot of people have tried it.
I heard it is rough but it brings you back to the non carb days. I guess it helps with your carb cravings.
If I'm ever in a rut, that's what I plan on doing.
You have come so far, you can handle this small bump inthe road.
Good luck and congrats!!!!

Congrats on your brilliant weight loss to date.. I agree with all the comments above! You could try the pouch test, I did it at the beginning of the year and although I didn't lose much weight (a pound, surprise surprise) it did get me 'back in touch' with my sleeve.
I also think that upping your Water is a good suggestion too...
This is a temporary thing, I am sure and it might just be your body's way of having a 'whiff' and getting in balance again?
Good luck with the last stretch

Miters36- I feel like I could have written your post myself. We started at about the same weight, have lost about the same weight & have about the same amount to go. Like you I am just past 6 months & have been losing & regaining the same 3 pounds for the last 2 weeks. It is so frustrating. And the days when I feel like I've done a good job seem to be the days when the weight actually goes up! I'm sure I am eating more carbs than I did at 2 months out, but I really don't think it has been much. I'm thinking I'm hitting my first real stall & after having the weight fall off so easily at the beginning, it is just FRUSTRATING! Good luck & let me know if you figure out something to break the stall. I need help, too!
Krista

i am here now...except I am 5 mos out...I hit my 100 LB goal and have been within the same 3 lbs since then.
i can do well all day but evenings after work are a nightmare...i am totally craving carbs/sweets HELPPPPPPPP

I agree with Kelly: I think you can succeed by returning to the basics: Dense Protein first and get your fluids in. Write down what you eat and drink, including the grams of protein. You should be shooting for at least 65 grams of protein and 64 oz. of Fluid per day. Try to get your protein from food and you won't have much room for the bad stuff. If you are not exercising, start. Even just walking more every day. Write down your exercise too.
And don't be mean to yourself! Everyone falls off the wagon once and a while. The winners are the ones who climb back on! You are working on it or you wouldn't have asked for help. So besides doing the stuff that will get you back on track, set a mini goal and a reward for yourself. Maybe something when your number starts with 16? Or when you've gone all day without any bad carbs? For me, rewards and goals can be small or big- I like them all!
Lynda

I'm in the same boat as you. I started taking my master's classes again, and on top of full time work and parenting. I'm overbooked. so I've been stress eating and gained 3 pounds. I have realized what I am doing and I am trying to nip it in the bud before it becomes 5 or 10. I finally reached my 100 pounds down from when i started my WLS journey with my lap band in 2008, and I really do not want to get back to where I was. I have not been exercising, and have not really been drinking too much water, mostly iced coffee! I know I have been adding carbs to my diet and I know what I have to do to get rid of them, i do not think the pouch test will help is as we do not have a pouch, we have a stomach all be it smaller. we have to do a cleanse or cold turkey it to get the white carbs/sugar out of our systems, and it is going to SUCK big time!!! Last night i ate about 15 oreos, then I felt like crap for 2 hours! but today the scale showed 1 pound down, but tomorrow it will be back! I just have to stop and get the crap out of the house like Kelly said!!!

You have truly done a fabulous job in 6 months, but I know you want to get things going again. You can do the 5 day pouch thing or liquids, but you may have just as good results by increasing protein and water, and leaving out the carbs. It will be hard the first few days cuz of the carb cravings, but then it will be easy again. Just clean out your fridge and cabinets and only keep stuff you can have around you to avoid temptation. I know it's difficult. I do so well thru the wk, but on the wknds when we socialize more or around others and more stuff is available, I get in that mindset, maybe I am not losing fast because I'm not eating enough carbs or calories. All these voices that help me sabotage by justifying eating the wrong things. I haven't gone to overboard, but I've had a little baked potato or something.. When I'm home and only keep good stuff in the house though, it's way easier to make good decisions. Good luck, you are doing great and gonna be fine.

This is the first I have heard of the 5 day pouch test. It sounds like a good reality check and plateau busting tool though. I think you should definitely give that a go, if you feel like you are in a rut and falling off the "no bad carbs: wagon, so to speak. I am only 2 months out and haven't become complacent yet, but I will keep this pouch test stuff in mind in case I need it. BTW, I think you are being too hard on yourself. You have lost an AMAZING amount of weight and I am envious. I would be ecstatic with a 95 pound weight loss at 6 months and you should be proud of that too as well as the fact that you are being proactive,recognizing that your are develpoing a bad habit before it becomes a lifestyle again. I am proud of you, and you should be too. The carb monster is a hard one to beat and so easy to fall prey too even after you think you've beaten it. Good luck!

My PA suggested over- the- counter Biotin. I just bought a bottle at my local pharmacy. You can also buy a hair, Nails, and Skin vitiamin but that contained a lot of other things as well so I just stuck with the pure Biotin. I started taking it about 2 months after surgery. I also started using the Nioxin shampoo about 3 months out. I purchased that from Amazon. It was suggested by my hairdresser. She also suggested that I only shampoo my hair twice a week for a few months to minimize any damage. I am now 5 months out and while I have some hair loss, it is not too bad. I don't know if the Vitamins and shampoo made any difference at all, but I decided it was a small price to pay to try to minimize hair loss.
I hope your hair loss stops soon. Remember, people will be too busy looking at your slimmer figure to pay attention to your hair.
Marie

Miralax has no taste???? I think it's horrid. To me, it makes everything taste like spoiled milk. I was reading this to see how people take it. I've decided to go for a full whammy tomorrow evening by putting miralax in prune juice. If that doesn't work, nothing will. I'll just chug it and hope I don't gag.
I am also going to try the pro-biotics but thought I'd wait until after my next doc appt. just to be sure.

Me too but the gas pains that come along with it are horrible! However, I can win any argument in my house by threatening to drink a glass of milk.

It is so horribly frustrating!!! I would like to hear from a doctor for some scientific hard facts as to the WHY these stalls are happening and what exactly our bodies are doing during this time. I am NOT happy with losing 4oz in 3 days!!
I know I know, patience. I am getting fed up with "patience". Grrrrr! Lol

This is not the first time I've heard of this. However, me personally, my surgeon (BBJ and I had the same one) was one of the more conservative Post Op diet plans. I honestly took it even slower because I just couldn't tolerate a whole lot right off the bat.

Nothing wrong at all with taking your time. It's better to go too slow than too fast. However if you find that you can eat more easily by following your guidelines, then I guess for you it is OK.

Good luck!!

From what I have read, a lot of it is about letting the staple line heal well- and I will err on the side of conservative to hep that happen. I figure giving that time without stressing the incision area is worth it for a short while in prep for a long life of healthy (tiny) stomach!

The reason why so many doctors say liquids, thick liquids, soft foods the regular foods because the stomach is new and is prone to leaks until healed. I would be scared as hell if my doctor said that you could go on regular foods after day 3. Are you sure you are having the vertical sleeve? If you are the best chances of getting a leak are within the first 4 weeks. There isn't any way I will be putting any food solids into my sleeve until after 5 weeks of surgery..You might want to double check with them and make sure they are giving you the guidelines for the sleeve. I am so glad that I have the restrictions like I do. i really dont' want to borrow any problems..