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So I'm home! I'm 72.5kg (159lbs) this morning so I've made it halfway to my goal like a true @NickelChip twin. I'm home until Thursday when I fly off again but It's going to be a hectic few days ( and I don't even want to think of all the laundry I have to do!). Thats means that in the last ten days since I was home I lost 1.7kg or 3.74lbs which is less bad than I thought. @NickelChip The travelling is hard, I'm usually in hotels with client meetings and lunch and dinners most evenings - I tend to tell them I'm intermittent fasting so manage to skip one meal. I'm not against eating in my room in the evening but do prefer to be out because I just hate the amount of time I spend shut in hotel rooms and prefer to profit from the ambiance of wherever I'm staying. It's just such a massive change for me because I've always been a social butterfly out and about where ever I go ... I went to an international school ( well multiple international schools - I was an "Expat Brat / Third culture Kid") growing up so tend to have acquaintance to visit most places too, or have a random packet to give someones cousin/friend/old neighbor and food and alcohol have always played in a big part in that for me. Eating alone inside isn't really my thing. I've actually got an airbnb for Athens because it's a longer stay so should be able to cook in the kitchen there, and I reckon there will be better salads, but it's a good idea to keep a tub of hummus and crudités in the fridge, I'm not a great fan of yogurt berry combos, but might try... I have perfected my smile and head tilt for when people I meet say "oh my god thats so lucky you get to travel so much" 🙂 @gracesmommy2 I'm not a fan of chips but could go for edamame! I come from a family of tall thin women with massive boobs - I'm the shortest ( and fattest) by quite a bit, I'm 5 ft 6 and my sisters, aunts etc are between 5ft8 and 6ft and probably have BMI's round 20.... So even when I was skinny I've always had massive boobs, I was a already a double F at 14 when I was 110lbs. When I was up at 200lbs and over they got to ridiculous proportions and I'd have deep dents on my shoulders from my bra straps digging in the whole time. I'm happy they're getting a bit smaller but hope I don't loose too much and that they don't head too far south .. but if they do ..that's what good bras are for. That said I am lucky because they've never caused back pain! Do take pictures if you feel up to it - they are good to look back at to see progress, you too @LisaCaryl ... I'm sure one day you'll like to look back at them! @Briss72 @Noelle74 @Eighmmie How are you getting on?

Thank you for sharing! I'm dealing with a stricture now. I've had 3 bsloon procedures but the camera still won't go all the way through. My surgeon described it as a funnel where he has been able to open some at the top but not go through. I've been trying to transition from a feeding tube to eating but can't keep water or food down and everything makes me nauseous. This is my story so far: I had surgery 6/13/24 for revision to RNY. I had 2 emergency surgeries 3 days later. I had a leak and had 7liters of toxic fluids cleaned out of me then ICU 6 days and hospital until the end of July. It has been 10 months + with wound vac, Gtube, and now a stricture that I've had 3 balloon procedures and still not halfway there. Total of 6 hospital stays, 4 ER visits, 7 surgeries since June 2023. I'm getting better. Feeding tube helps but also causes alot of pain and granulated tissue which has to be burned off. I have found 4 people who have talked about the same issues. A leak like this and a stricture is very uncommon. Most people with leaks end up dying. It's why you don't hear about them. I'm not sure why anyone would require a feeding tube other than a major stricture or leak. Maybe due to already having so much scar tissue. They think that is why I had a leak but nobody knows. For reference. I had lapband 2008. Lapband Removal 2019 due to Gerd. RNY 2023. I was 238lbs 5'6 at the time. I'm 170 now.

Also, adding grated or pureed veg to sauces or soups. For example, you can add grated carrots and zucchini to marinara and it pretty much disappears.

Yea check it out. What’s I love about it is if you log your food it allows you to add portions of a serving and it does all the math. Like you can add 1/4 of a bell pepper or so many ounces or chicken instead of just a chicken breast or one bell pepper so it’s pretty darn accurate for your macros. Even with the packaged food you scan in you can add less than a full serving and it calculates everything for you. Also for scanned items they must have a pretty big database because so far it has yet to not recognize anything I’ve scanned. I’m not sure if that’s how all the food tracking apps are or not because this is the first I have tried but it’s far more user friendly than I expected.

There is an app called Baritastic where you can log all your measurement info as well as food, water and even bowel movements. 😂. Some nutritionists participate witb it and they can see your information too. Ypu can still use it even if they don’t participate though.

That's a good strategy! The reusable containers can get very expensive, several dollars a piece. So why not get them and the food, too? I miss salad. At nearly 3 months post-bypass, I just don't have the capacity for a salad, and I worry about the raw veg as I'm still having issues if I don't chew my food down to a paste and take very small bites. But someday, I hope I can eat salad again! Right now, 2-3 oz of meat and a little bit of cooked veg is all I can manage.

They definitely are pricey, I agree. If i was going to make one of these for salads for a family of four or going to eat the same exact thing four days in a row I could make it considerably cheaper. But to buy all the differnt ingredients for the differnt salads for just me (he won’t eat salad) I waste…a lot of food (produce, cheese, dressings, beans, corn, etc. My price to make them for one is a little closer to theirs to begin with so I am paying less than some for the convenience factor. I mean I go to Chick-fil-A now and pay $15 for a salad and an extra chicken filet that makes two servings which I would just buy that and put into smaller containers but it’s 30 minutes from me so not exactly convenient. In terms of waste, Their cups are actually reusable. They give examples of how to reuse them to organize your pantry and fridge on their website. I would probably donate the containers to my local thrift store. I always have a bag or box going. If you plan to make your own you may be cheaper to order them once and reuse their containers? That way you can see how they layer them to keep them freshest too. Just a thought I was considering as well.

Hi, my surgeon has set me up with a GI for testing . I’ve done the sipping and waiting at least 30 minutes before I eat. As of now I’m only able to drink a little over 32 oz, but trying to do more everyday. Food intake varies each day because of getting sick. I do protein shakes, protein bars, fish, chicken, broccoli cauliflower. I really think I’m not getting enough. I’m also wondering if being under a lot of stress can be the problem too. Hopefully I’ll get this under control soon.

That’s such silly advice. Make high protein choices. We make those choices every day. Okay up your protein but also up your calories. Your calories or volume of food you eat should be slowly but steadily increasing as you progress until you get to the point you’re maintaining. Until that time, you will keep losing but the rate slows & slows. Like many of the others above I kept losing for almost another year after I reached goal so about 18 months in total. (Wasn’t intending to lose more but it took time to increase my portions & calories to a point it the loss stopped plus it was obviously where my body wanted to be as I’m still there.) And the loss in those last months was grams a week (or none) not kilograms. It’s not over until it’s over.

Week 4 Post op Sw: 155kg /341 lbs Stats to date: - 13,8kg / -30.42lbs One month post op today ! I’ve been back at work for a full week and feeling great. I work as higher management in a corporate environment so except the daily and expected stress it’s not too strenuous. I had promised myself i wouldn’t go for long hour days unless i felt ok about it and i do. I am working as per usual and managed to get back into the swing of things after 3 weeks off. The only difference has been i actually take the time to take snack breaks. My daily eating schedule looks like: - breakfast + around 300-400ml water + coffee with milk and stevia - mid morning snack - lunch - water all afternoon - dinner I have adaptes super super well to the « real food » stage and i can eat absolutely everything i’ve tried. The only thing that does make me feel slightly uncomfortable is raw vegetables (lettuce, beetroot, carrot) or certain fruits (watermelon). It’s not that i feel pain i just feel super bloated when i eat them. I think the most shocking thing has been the fact that i went from being unable to eat more than 30-50g in the early days to actually being able to eat a (dessert) plate of food. I took what my surgeon told me about not measuring and ran with it: no more weighing food i just eyeball my dessert plate and i’ve learned my limit so i know when i’m full. I actually think it’s crazy when i think back to the amount i used to put on a plate … It did scare me to be eating more but i have understood that the actual goal is to be able to eat a « normal » portion. Because before i used to serve 2-3 in one sitting ! I have family friends that are visiting for 5 days and don’t know i’ve had surgery (we’re not specifically close enough to discuss this topic) and they actually haven’t noticed anything (or at least haven’t mentioned it haha) but i can sit and enjoy a meal with everyone without restrictions on anything other than the quantity. I’ve been able to eat carbs for a few days so i made a delicious bell pepper tomato and chorizo tart served on a bed of baby spinach - i had 1/6 size tart, and served everyone else the standard 1/4 size slice. Even though i know i’m eating much less i do feel guilty about eating more than 3 weeks ago at times. I feel like my surgery isn’t working because i feel hungry if i miss a snack mid morning … but, i know from having logged all food and drink for a while that i’m’at 600-800 cals per day So i’m reassured by the fact that it’s scientifically impossible to not lose weight eating so much less. Hopefully this slight panic, scared feeling subsides with time.

I take all my other vitamins and supplements, just not calcium. I get so much from the almond milk, cheese, sour cream, and other foods that I have everyday that I haven't needed to take it. And my blood work always comes back good. Almond milk has a lot more calcium than cow's milk, so maybe that's why.

The concern I would have (though I am not a dietician) is that slim fast bars and protein shakes are more "food-like substances" than actual food. Processed foods, even "diet" ones, can cause metabolism issues, and this feels almost punishing. Maybe you could try to find more satisfying, healthier options? You might try scrambling 2 eggs blended with some cottage cheese and a big handful of frozen chopped spinach for breakfast with a small serving of fruit, and a big salad of mixed veg topped with rotisserie chicken, black beans, and fresh salsa for lunch. Make sure the meat or chicken is being served with plenty of non-starchy veg, too. And don't ignore a good night's sleep and plenty of hydration. If you take prescription meds, check if any of them have weight gain as a side effect. I do agree that surgery is most likely going to be needed as soon as you can get it sorted because losing and maintaining that amount of weight is almost impossible without the metabolic changes that come with surgery.

Love the term onederland 😂 @NickelChip @BlueParis don’t get discouraged, you’re so much smaller than a lot of us and I would expect it to take longer or for you to have more prolonged stalls than when you weighed more. I know it can be frustrating but you’re doing great! 😘 Weightloss always slows way down when you’re closer to a “normal” weight. Whatever that may be. Oh and WTG on the no drinking! Maybe you can try high protein snacks like quest protein chips or roasted edamame to up your protein? @RonHall908 you look great! hope ev1 is still doing well, I can’t stop myself from weighing everyday, even when I try not too, I end up on the scale anyway. But that’s ok, I go up and down also but I know intellectually that it’s most likely water weight. I stop losing or gain briefly every time I do any exercise and I’m pretty sure it’s water weight. I also agree with @NickelChip that I do think the “stalls” are often related to not enough calories ( also over carbing it, I don’t really exercise much and have PCOS so I don’t metabolize carbs well and try to avoid simple carbs as much as possible) Your body going into starvation mode is truly a real thing and does happen. I seem to notice my most steady weight loss when I follow my diet 95% of the time and then have a cheat meal/day and eat crap I’ve avoided all week like fattening restaurant yummy food like chips and queso or chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. I might stay the same or gain a pound right after then drop several pounds. Plus for me it keeps me from craving all the unhealthy food ALL the time, bc I LOVE food and know that eating only healthy food 100% of the time is unattainable for me. I’ll eventually cheat and fall off the wagon hard! Oh and for anyone feeling disappointed in the slow losses take @LisaCaryl’s advice and go by how your clothes feel or better yet,take measurements if you can. My hubby helps me take my measurements and I log them on the Baritastic app. Even when my scales not moving I’ve lost lots of inches and my clothes are big. Plus I’m back into my small “fat” pants lol 😁 oh and @NickelChip, I feel you on the sweets, I use light and fit Greek yogurt and Russel Stovers sugar free chocolates for desserts! My hubby even likes the Russel Stovers chocolates and can’t tell they’re sugar free. Keep on keepin on guys! 😘

The more I read up on nutrition, the more I'm becoming convinced that calorie restriction is not the way to approach weight loss. It actually sets us up for failure and yo-yo dieting. You need to reset your metabolic set point by choosing the right foods and listening to your body for signs of when to stop eating as opposed to counting numbers. When I reached my highest weight last summer, I found the Pound of Cure book by Dr. Matthew Weiner, and this greatly changed my thinking. I started following his program and lost 13lbs slowly and steadily, and without counting a single calorie or macro. Of course, surgery has helped tremendously, but the months I was just following Pound of Cure guidelines, I never felt hungry or deprived. His YouTube channel has hundreds of videos to help get you started. The book is really cheap on Amazon, and there are no soecial products or supplements you have to buy. Just healthy, real food. Anyway, my advice would be to start there and see if it helps.

it's an individual thing, but most of us are supposed to shoot for 60-80 grams of protein a day. Calories are all across the board, depending on your body composition and activity level. There are people on here (well, women - men can usually eat more) who maintain on 2000 a day, and others who can only have 1200 a day. It takes some trial and error to figure out your maintenance level. Log your food for a couple of weeks (if you're not already) and note your average calorie intake. If you're gaining weight, slowly reduce your calories. If you're losing weight (and don't want to), then gradually increase them until you reach a point where you want to be - and are maintaining that.

Rahhh … I’m still stalled! Trying to keep with the onwards and upwards mentality even if it would be much easier if the scales were going downwards … managed 26k steps yesterday so that’s a plus. Starting to get homesick from travelling so much for work. I get back home to Paris on Saturday and have to leave again Thursday. I then have nearly 3 weeks non stop without getting home again. I’m finding it complicated to make good food choices and have enough protein. I’ve basically been having milky coffee and potatoes as a main food groups for the last few days. I hate protein shakes, I don’t really eat meat ( and strictly no pork), I don’t really eat fish ( and strictly no shellfish or seafood). At home I can do cheese and chickpeas and lentils and tofu etc etc but being out and about so much is complicated. I did hit 12 weeks no alcohol on Tuesday which is a big win for me because I’ve never thought I’d make it so far and the not drinking is getting easier day by day to resist the temptation. And also I sort of told myself that I go 24 weeks (6 ish months rounded down) so I’m half way through.

@wendy4energyrenewal Thanks for the welcome. I'm one week out now and the nausea with protein shakes seems to have lessened (I'm just already tired of them). I did figure out that mixing the shakes with water and ice made it a little more tolerable ... the thickness of the pre-made shakes is not sitting well. Wow, 2 weeks on pure liquid didn't sound like much but after a week, I'm really starting to feel deprived. I'll make it, but I'm already planning some pureed meals!!

When I had my sleeve my hunger was gone for a while but I remember that there was another member on here back then who experienced it early like you. She got a few tips from others about dealing with the hunger which I can’t remember them all but the one that does stick out was warm liquids. Soups and tea or coffee. Stuff like that. She said it filled her up for a while. I agree with the protein first too though. I have a protein shake for breakfast and it fills me up till lunch. Maybe try some of the clear protein drinks or mix plain protein powder in your food if you don’t like the shakes. Also it could be reflux as mentioned above. Are you on meds for that?

From the research I've done, your lifelong maintenance is less about counting calories and more about eating mindfully while choosing nutrient dense, natural foods. This is one of the best videos I have watched on the subject:

Good Day I am going to have my gastric band removed and the gastric sleeve done on May 17, 2024 due to complications from the band. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on recovery, foods, exercise etc for the first few days after the surgery. When I had the band installed i was on a liquid diet, then puree and finally real food. Lots of gas pains in chest and shoulders back then. Now I am on a new journey at the end of the month. Any success stories?

Hello Everyone: I am getting my gastric band removed on May 17 and going with the gastric sleeve as per my surgeon's suggestion. He feels I will do well with it. I managed to lose 150lbs with the band ( surgeon told me it was not a typical result). I started having trouble getting food to go down. I guess I created a pouch and have a lot of scar tissue. Had to have all the fluid taken out of the band while I was in Nevada. The surgeon performing this (not easy to find anyone in Las Vegas who would even look at removing the fluid) advised what was going on. There are only 5% of surgeons still installing the band in the entire country. Many, many complications with it. I was fine until a year ago. Had fluid put in (the doctor back home put too much in), then the chest and back pains started. Food would go down sometimes and sometimes not. I managed to regain 15lbs. Struggling every day. I hope the revision to the sleeve will be a success.

So it's supposed to be at least 2 hours between iron and calcium and I think the same for calcium and calcium as your body can only absorb about 500 mg at a time. I take my multivitamin in the morning. Not quite first thing, as I take my probiotic/prebiotic first on an empty stomach, then usually have a proffee or reg coffee depending on the day. I am currently on 2 calcium chews a day, so I split that between midday and nighttime. I was first taking a bariatric multivitamin w/iron and 3 calcium chews a day. At my 8th month post-op checkup, my vitamin D levels were on the higher end of normal so my dietician wanted me to cut back. So I had to switch to a regular multivitamin (bariatric has 3000iu of Vit D) and cut back on the calcium chews since they also have about 800 iu each of vitamin d. Even though in my diet I get in quite a bit of calcium rich foods, I was advised to continue with the 2 chews a day as unfortunately a blood test doesn't give a clear picture of what is happening in the body calcium wise. If you are deficient in calcium, your body will pull it from your bones. The blood work will look good as it is getting calcium, but slowly your bones are getting weaker. It's usually not until it's too late that you may be aware with teeth, bone and other body issues.

we were told taking vitamins (and other supplements) was for life. The malabsorption of vitamins with either RNY or DS (and its other versions - like SADI) is permanent. That said, I was told by my endocrinologist (whom I see for osteoporosis) not to take calcium supplements anymore, because I was spilling a ton of it in my urine, and my blood levels of that and that other value (forget which one it is - but it's the one that indicates whether your body is leeching calcium from your bones) indicated I had hypercalcemia - which can damage your kidneys. I have my levels tested regularly, and it's clear that my body is absorbing enough calcium from my food - but I think I'm an exception.

I honestly don't take an extra calcium anymore. I take the bariatric multivitamin w/ iron in the morning and that's it. I was told once you hit 6 months out, you don't need it anymore because you'll get what you need from your food. Hmmm...I wonder if I should ask about it again.

Carbs are generally delicious, especially processed carbs. But they're what made most of us obese in the first place. As an occasional treat when maintaining I'm sure these bagels might be fine, but in the months after WLS it might be better to focus on protein, veg and fruit with a tiny portion of complex carbohydrate if you need or want it (which you may well find you don't). There are essential fatty acids and essential amino acids that we simply cannot make for ourselves and HAVE to get from food, but there aren't any essential carbs!