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Help, ive been stuck for 3+ weeks
catwoman7 replied to Holloway10315's topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
there are mixed feelings about pouch resets. Many say they don't really work, and also, they reinforce "diet mentality". Probably better to either wait it out, or else maybe drop your calories by 100 or so and beef up your activity. Arabesque is correct, those last few pounds are a BEAR to get off. I got to my goal, but it took me 20 months. After the one year mark, my loss slowed down to a crawl - there were months I only lost a pound or two. But I just kept at it. She's also right in that stalls are a part of weight loss. There were so many times during year 2 that I thought "well, this must be it...", and then a couple weeks later I'd drop another pound. Frustrating, yep - but that's the way weight loss works! -
November 2023 buddies
muyfancy replied to brandycsiz's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Hii all I am finishing Day 3 of my 2-week pre-op My pre-op is one week of low calorie foods + 4 puréed days + 3 liquid days. I am excited and nervous for surgery on Nov 21!!! -
Definity do what your Dr says. I just got cleared to lift 25lbs at my two-week post op and I am allowed to do moderate cardio (walking or elliptical) but not the HIIT program on the elliptical like I used to do before surgery. I was told moderate cardio because my calorie intake is low, not because of healing. I did ask how long it takes for your insides to heal and I was told on average 8 weeks for most weight loss surgeries and with roue en y it is 8 weeks for the main part and 12 weeks for the side because you move that part of your abdomen more. I had roux en y and I was also told I was healing better than most people at this point.
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Did anyone NOT have a 3 week stall?
BlondePatriotInCDA replied to longhaul68's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
You'd think there wouldn't be a stall, but, I too eat 600-700 calories a day and walk 10k steps each day along with housework in a house with 6 stories (so lots of steps) and I stalled out at 3 weeks for 10 days. Its not based on calories and exercise, but the body adjusting and healing. It doesn't always happen at exactly 3 weeks tho..Just seems most have it at 3 weeks on average. I'm happy you haven't had to deal withbit! -
I stall all the time dont stress. Then other times lose rapidly. It’s just the body trying to hold onto fat as it knows you’re losing weight. Trust me just keep at a calorie deficit and I promise it will come off. My nausea has finally settled (5 months in)!! Wow that was a long and rough recovery. Recently did a CT scan which showed my stomach volume was only 100ml. Absolutely nuts!
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Surgery Shaming Should Be A Thing…
BlondePatriotInCDA replied to JessieJay85's topic in Rants & Raves
I've told only my best friend and swore her to secrecy - pinky swear with it locked down 😋 and my family. No one else, its not their business especially as you've noticed ppl are judgemental and rude. I'd ask your friends how they'd feel if you said the same about any surgeries, Child birth, medications etc., they've had - after all human bodies have immune systems, given birth outside hospitals for thousands of years and can fight infections without antibiotics etc.. How dare they take the easy way out type of things. I'm a strong believer in putting situations on others plates in ways they can understand. These things ppl do for their health - no different than what you're doing. Also, mention that you're under the care of doctors who are more knowledgeable in your health and needs than they are, along with the pains of insurance companies who won't pay for "unnecessary" surgeries so apparently their belief is its necessary for your health! Would they question your need for insulin if you were diabetic?? Ppl amaze me with their judgement, I've had ppl tell me upon looking in my shopping cart that I shouldn't be eating/purchasing sweets/chips (that were for my husband) because I'd never get rid of my fat eating that, so, I proceeded to explain their food choices, nutrient in each, calorie content vs. Macros and processing of each along with were it was sourced and suggested they weren't as knowledgeable as they thought and perhaps they shouldn't throw stones in glass houses. Fat ppl are the last group where its socially acceptable to look down upon ppl for who and what they are 😔 and ppl feel they have the right to comment and that surgery is the "easy way out!" So I always take the self righteous judgement and throw it back in their laps.. (Sorry for my rant). In other words, make it personal to each person so they can understand you didn't question what they did for their health, why would they question yours!? Or, just ignore what they said and do what you need to for you. -
I think as far as WLS there is no such thing as "normal." Each persons "journey" through this is different. I'm only 2.5 months PO and I eat my 3 meals at a cup each and I'm still hungry (and its not "mind hunger"), I too never had nausea or any of the side effects of surgery some talk about it. In fact I, like another person on another post questioned the actual surgery being done correctly. I just continue to eat as I should and hope my body will adjust. I just figure the fight against being hungry will be a life long battle that I plan to fight and win. I just try and occupy myself ignoring it. Am I happy about it? No, after all its why I had surgery but it is what it is. Plus, for me I get up early, 6 am and I'm up until midnight or longer - that's 18 hours with 3 meals only consisting of 800 total calories a day. I don't snack, or if I break and have one its a tablespoon of natural peanut butter. Like a lot of long time veterans say on these forums, no two ppl are the same, yes we all have the surgical incision scars but that's where everyone being the same ends and to " trust the journey" and just take a day at a time. Its a process, body and mind - yours is different and unique to you. Sorry I can't be of more help... Just try and think short time, step by step your body could change as well as your hunger within days..weeks, months
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Hi there, I’m 3 weeks post op today and 52 years old . I did not do a great LRD and probably didn’t lose anything . The day after surgery I was 14 st 9 and today I am 14 stone 5 lb!!! I have been working hard to get my protein in averaging 80g per day and now I’ve managed to increase calories up to 700-800 per day as my fatigue was so bad. has anyone else had such a poor initial loss? thank you
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November 2023 surgery buddies
SueCaudell replied to Italiano26's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
I'm having the sleeve 11/21. I'm down 20lbs since 9/17. I'm at 1000 calories a day. Some days are good others are filled with hunger. It will be worth it when I can captain my sailboat with ease. -
Craving sweets
summerseeker replied to Jessica Marie's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I have always got low calorie ice lollies in the freezer. I found a brand that I love. I have them daily. -
3 Weeks Post Op and My Birthday
catwoman7 replied to Sward06's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
you'll be able to eat almost anything (including an occasional piece of cake) at some point- it's really just these first few months when you have restrictions. All of my restrictions were dropped at the six-month mark. I eat a lot less than I used to eat (c. 1600 calories a day vs. probably 3000+), but there really isn't anything I can't eat - including, as I said, the occasional piece of birthday cake! So you'll be in a very different spot on your next birthday. -
I just returned my first post-op vacay. I was gone for a week to two different areas. The first place was a wilderness area on the Atlantic ocean, and then I visited an historic city for a few days.
On my most active day, I was able to hike 11 miles, and I accomplished my first solo backpacking trip. All of the other days, including the city, were 6-8 miles of walking.
One issue that came up for me was my mobile phone. I have become reliant on it for tracking macros, calories, and water intake. However, in the wilderness area, I did not have access to mobile data nor wifi, and the app that I use for tracking will not work if it is offline. I am sure that I met my water goals, but I doubt that I was able to reach my protein goals.
My second issue that came up with the mobile phone was, well, I broke it while in the city! So, in the span of 8 days, I was only able to track my intake for 1. It remains frustrating, as I haven't replaced my phone yet.
I will need to get some kind of paper logbook/backup option for travelling in the future. I am going to search the forums and start a post to find out what others use as an alternative to electronic journalling.
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Did anyone NOT have a 3 week stall?
Arabesque replied to longhaul68's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Frustrating I know but remember a stall when your body shuts down to reassess your new needs. It’s when it resets things like your digestive hormones, metabolism, etc. to support the changes you’ve made & weight you’ve lost so far. Stalls last as long as your body needs to do this & the stall will break when it’s ready to move forward again. Let your body do what it needs to do. Don’t stress it more (you’ve already been putting it through a lot) by making changes to your activity or calorie intake or food choices except for the accepted changes required by your plan. I used to describe stalls as when your body needs to take a breath. It closes the door, climbs into bed & pulls the covers over its head saying I’ve had enough & I can’t deal with this at the moment. The day always comes when your body gets up & says yep I’m ready to face the world & you start losing again. Most tend to have their first stall around the three week mark but it can happen before or after then. They tend to last 1-3 weeks but for some it’s longer & for some it’s only a few days. Mine were the few days type. -
My Gastric Sleeve Journey
TRClark23 replied to TRClark23's topic in Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story
Quick update, I had my first doctors appointment in roughly three months today, I weighed in at 286lbs, though it should have been less because it's cold in Texas right now and I was in jeans, shoes, and a hoodie, lol.. but anyway, everything is going really well! I dropped another 10lbs this month and the doctor said that I'm averaging about 10lbs a month, which is normal. He says that before long, the stomach will start to stretch more and that I'll be hungry again soon, which I don't really believe but hey, he's the doctor, right? I still can't really eat more than 3 bites or so without getting sick and have been mostly eating soup lately because of the weather and that I can take a little more in with the liquid. I've been drinking a lot of coffee and sweet tea, which I know isn't good, but I figure since I'm not eating that much, it's okay to get some calories in through drinks. I have 1lb to go until I hit the 100lbs lost stage and I only have 61lbs to go to hit my goal, so I really think I'm going to reach my goal before next summer, which would absolutely amazing. It's frustrating at times to see my family indulging on fast food and remembering a time when I could down a double whopper and a large fry with ease. These days, I can't take two bites of a burger before I'm ready to throw up, but to anyone reading my journey, it's absolutely worth it! -
PERIODS: I had my WLS when I was 47 and i *thought* I was already menopausal, as I hadn't had my period in a couple (few?) years before that. Well. 2-3 weeks after surgery, I got my period...heavily...for like 8 days or something like that (which for me is an anomaly as when I used to have periods, they would only last 4-5 days max, and were very light). Then I got my period like clockwork every 4 weeks after that for about 4 years. Go figure...I wasn't menopausal at all, I was just fat, lol I am actually going through it now i think as my last period was in the spring 2022 last year (i'm 5 yrs post op now). So yeah, i raise my hand for weird period happenings. HAIR LOSS: Yep, i lost a significant amount of hair. It all grew back eventually, and I feel like its actually thicker now...but that may be due to the fact that my diet is better? I dunno. Bonus as well is that my hair now has a little wave to it, which i love. Unfortunately, I don't think there is anything you can do to prevent it. My advice if it happens to you, is to just ride it out. its temporary and just a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things. STOPPING WEIGHT LOSS: My not-so-surprising answer to this: EAT MORE. lol. It took me few months of increasing my calorie intake until i figured out what calorie amount i needed to maintain. I lost 10+ lbs while i figured this out, but at least i did, ha! Now in my case (and alot of others) my restriction was still very much in effect, so I had to invoke the strategy of eating more higher-calorie foods vs. just more food in general. It was a little bit of a challenge as I was still in weight-loss mode thinking so switching mindsets to allow myself eat things i avoided for 7 months was a bit of mind f*ck. I'm really good at it now though, lol. Good Luck! ❤️
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Like mentioned above it depends when exactly post-op you are asking about. I too was one of those weirdly low volume eaters (which, during weight loss phase, equated to being a super low-cal eater) According to my logs at week 6, i averaged 423 calories A DAY (vs. weeks 1-2 when I ate less than that for an ENTIRE WEEK) sloooowwwwwllly worked my way up to about 700-800 cals a day by the time I reached goal (about 7 months post op). I am 5 years post op and maintain now at about 1800 cals a day. (5'2", 51 yr old female, 113 lbs this morning). You will find that the number of calories each of us require to maintain or lose (or gain!) weight varies greatly. The trick is to find out what calories YOU need to lose/maintain/gain, and work that into your eating habits. Note also that this magic caloric number FOR YOU is forever a moving target and will change depending on your health, activity levels, metabolisms, time of year, amount of sleep you get, stress levels, medications, mood, etc., etc., etc. Good Luck! 😍
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Questions for pre surgery liquid diet
ChunkCat replied to Longview Lady's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
The sugar free popsicles that are pretty low calorie have saved me a few days in my liquid diet. I also like the water flavoring packets (especially the jolly rancher ones because they are sour sweet) because I get tired of drinking plain water. I like to add coffee to some of my protein shakes to cut the sweetness, we aren't supposed to have caffeine on my plan so I've gotten decaf, still does the job flavor wise. Tea helps too. And some people's plans allow for strained soups, so you may want to check yours! I get tired of sugary tastes even if it is fake sugar. Oh and I ordered my Kettle & Fire broth from Thrive Market (and turned off the autoship) because I could get them one at a time to see what I like. But in person at the store is probably easiest! -
Daily calorie counts...?
ShooterInTheSix replied to ShooterInTheSix's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
With my now being six weeks post-op, I'm curious what others' calorie intake has been in the early stages of typically rapid weight loss after surgery and am well aware that intake increases and body weight decreases. I realize everyone is different, and clearly stated in my original post that I have already spoken about this with my dietitian for my own case. I'm not seeking medical advice from an internet forum on what my target should be; I'm opening a conversation about the topic to see where other bariatric patients have found their own successes with respect to their caloric intake as one metric. -
It takes a lot of calories to maintain that heavier weight & for the body to function at that weight (just moving with that weight alone requires a lot of energy) & so the calorie deficit has a greater impact. It requires your body to burn more fat to get the energy it needs to function so there is a greater weight loss. There is a percentage formula to help give you an idea of what weight loss you may expect (may not will) but I can’t recall what it is. Though I think they say you may expect to lose about 30% of your weight at three months. Say it says you’ll lose 10% of the weight you’re to lose in your first month. It you weigh 600lbs & are to lose 400lbs you might to lose 40lbs in the first month. Have a lower starting weight & are to lose 200lbs you might lose 20lbs. Well, that’s my understanding. 😁
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Daily calorie counts...?
Arabesque replied to ShooterInTheSix's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
At what point post op do you mean? Your calorie intake increases as you progress with your weight loss. I was a low calorie consumer and therefore my stats are very different from others but I am different from others too. I was never given calorie goals just portion sizes & wasn’t told to count calories - I did it randomly for my own interest & still do it like this. Was barely eating 300 calories in soft food & I think I was barely at 900 calories by 6 months. I stabilised at about 17 months (about a kilo less than I am now) consuming around 1300. I eat about 1500/1600 to maintain my weight now. Everyone has different caloric needs. (Metabolic rate, activity levels, age, weight, height, etc. all contribute to what calories you need.) Please check with your dietician as to their recommendations for what caloric goals you need while losing & then maintaining. -
It’s pretty common for your menstrual cycle to be a bit screwed up with your weight loss (longer, shorter, more or less frequent, heavier or lighter). Like the others have said it’s the estrogen stored in your fat being released into your blood stream as you lose weight. I was in menopause too & all my menopausal symptoms disappeared yay! - they came back though when I got close to my goal unfortunately. You can’t stop the hair loss. Your hair naturally sheds & after surgery your rate of loss temporarily accelerates (it’s quite common after bigger surgeries, pregnancy, stressful periods). It often starts around month 4+/- & lasts about 3+/- months. Some people say take biotin or other supplements & use special hair treatments but their hair loss all seems to last the same 3 months or so. How much you lose is individual. Your new hair is growing as it always dies at the same time & at its usual rate. I too cut my long hair to just above my shoulder. Shorter hair is bouncier & looks mor full than long hair. It also takes less time for your new growth to catch up in length to your shorter length than your long length so your hair will look & feel as thick as it always did more quickly. Only way to slow your loss is to eat more calories. If you get to this point work with your dietician to ensure you’re following a way of eating that is healthy, still nutrient dense & is sustainable. Remember too, the surgery changes your body weight set point. We don’t always end at a weight we wanted or expected but is the weight your body is happiest at & is easiest to maintain.
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December Surgery Buddies!
NickelChip replied to AshleeHarvey's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Oh my goodness, protein supplements have been an obsession. I bought a big tub of "chicken soup" and "latte" flavors early on and both of them were so awful. Anyone live in MA? I will gladly give them both to you. My nutritionist gave me samples of a few others to try from Unjury. Their chicken soup was better. Not enough to buy it, but better. I got a really good introductory deal on Syntrax Nectar Naturals, so I bought several flavors, and I love the peach the most so far. I've also liked the chai flavor of Ka'chava, though it's on the higher side for calories (240 with 25g protein) and has 7g fat instead of 5g as recommended by my doctor, so uncertain of whether I can use it. But it tastes really good. I also bought cherry limeade from Wicked protein (really refreshing) and pumpkin spice from Truvani (good, but their shipping takes a long time). I've specifically been trying to find ones without artificial sweeteners, which is so hard. I got two flavors from Vega, which were not too bad and pretty affordable. With all that, I should have some choices when the time comes. Oh, I've also stocked up on Celebrate One 45 in tropical twist flavor, and bought their calcium chews, which are a nice treat. I like the fruit flavors best, like eating a Starburst candy. You've inspired me to finally follow through on buying a new, bigger purse. I have been saying for a year that I need one, but now I have an ironclad excuse so I can carry a water bottle. Staying hydrated is hard. -
December Surgery Buddies!
SmoknDudette replied to AshleeHarvey's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Tenatively December 4th or 13th! I started back in June. I asked my primary about bariatric surgery and he gave me the refferal and was in my bariatric consult within 5 day. They set up all my nutrition and psychologist appts the same day. Got the all clear from my nutritionist and psych and they have submitted to insurance for approval. From the start I downloaded a food tracking app. Started tracking my food again since I'd stopped doing it years ago. Even taught my nutritionist about macros and modified body builder diets. And started upping my excerise. So far I've lost over 40 lbs going back on a modified style body builder diet and interested to see what I'll lose on my pre-op. The last couple weeks I've been pushing my protein more as well so hitting about 50% protein (around 100-110g) daily. Also calories are running around 650 - 900 daily and thats even a struggle. Slowly getting my husband on board now and started trying out all differing kind of recipes, protein powder and supplements. So far the Syntrax aren't bad (like the lemon tea and caribean cooler best), And I started following a handful of other baratric patients online (one had a DS, two had sleeves), and started aksing my friends who have undergone bariatric surgeries. Built bars will by my travel go to as well as CleanSimpleEats greens. Learning all tips and trick as well on how to get my protein in and make sure it works for my husband as well. Also, I never carry a purse, only a wrist wallet. So to help me be successful I bought a nice tote/laptop bag that will be the bag I grab when ever we go out (errands/travel/etc.) This way I will always have snacks, drinks, protein and water enhancers on hand and I don't have to settle for something not great. Also got a nice large shaker cup and it even has a pocket for my water bottle. So for my preop its 3 weeks and with my tenative date of Dec 4th, I won't be able to partake of thanksgiving unless it gets moved to Dec 13 and then I can have one thanksgiving dinner early in the week before I start pre-op. I'm actually getting more excited for the adventures my husband and I have planned and not having to think about how my weight will impact those. -
Daily calorie counts...?
catwoman7 replied to ShooterInTheSix's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
I had my surgery several years ago, but we were told not to count calories, either - just to make sure we were hitting our protein and fluid requirements. that said, I ate around 800 calories/day from about 3-8 months out. Then I was up around 1000 until around the year mark - and maybe 1200 or so after that. Once I hit my goal, I experimented for awhile to figure out what I needed to eat to maintain my weight. That's around 1600 calories for me, unless I'm doing a lot of heavy exercising. -
I agree with summerseeker. I was already post-menopausal when I had my surgery so the period changes didn't affect me, but I read on here all the time about screwed up periods and mood swings during the first few weeks or months after surgery. It eventually all settles back down and regulates. But yes - it's supposedly due to the estrogen in your fat cells being released during the rapid weight loss phase. I had very little hair loss (not enough for anyone to notice) which occurred during months 5-9. It does happen to most of us. It can range from none at all to lots of shedding - although not like it does to chemo patients. It may or may not be noticeable to others. I almost never hear about people having to get wigs. At most, those with noticeable loss usually get short cuts so it's not as noticeable. Although again, you may not lose any at all or lose very little. And there's really nothing you can do about it. As mentioned above, it's already dead, and the shock of surgery (plus the fact we take in very few calories the first few weeks and months) is just speeding up the normal growth/shedding cycle. your weight loss is going to naturally slow as you get closer and closer to your goal. In fact, those last few pounds can be a BEAR to get off. For some of us, the loss stops naturally. But if you're wanting yours to stop and it doesn't seem to be doing it on its own, you can always increase your calorie intake to stop it. Keep in mind that it's very common to gain 10-20 lbs after hitting your lowest weight, so you might want to factor that in. I intentionally went below my goal a bit to account for that. And also, it's more common to not quite reach your goal than to lose too much, so stopping the loss usually isn't an issue for many of us. But again - if you're in the situation where you need to stop it, it's just a matter of increasing your calorie intake.
