Post Date: 1/22/10 7:26 pm

I wrote this to another board earlier, but I think it might be good for me to start posting here, where it is all VSGers, rather than a cross-section of bariatric surgery patients.

About me:

I had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy on Nov 24, 2009, in Mexico. I weighed myself when I started on the pre-op diet: 310. 300 on the day of the surgery. Am now, on Jan.22 at 270 (more or less... the scale goes up and down a little, and at the gym they had me up SIX POUNDS, but I can't think that is true... oh god, please don't let it be true....).

Now, when I think about it, that is about 40 lbs. in 2 months, which is pretty darned good. However, it is like I go in fits and starts -- no loss at all for 2 and a half weeks, and then lose 5 lbs. Another 10 days, nothing, and then lose another five. Right now, I'm stalled.... been at this weight for about a week... and it just scares me.

What am I eating, you may ask? Well, I just this week was able to find a way to stomach Protein powder drinks. I was having a heck of a time, and so, I know I wasnt getting enough protein... probably 20 g on a good day. This week I discovered my mocha smoothie: 3.5 oz of Fage yogurt (8 g of protein), 1 scoop of "Click" Espresso Protein Drink (7 g of protein), 3/4 scoop of Max Protein chocolate (11 g of protein), a teaspoon of Torani's sugar free English Toffee syrup, some Water and ice... all in my Magic Bullet. Basically, that's 26 g of protein in about 200 calories. Drinking this in the morning has helped me not feel as hungry at lunch, nor am I famished at night.

Speaking of which.... one of the reasons why I had the VSG instead of the band was that I have always had this RAVENOUS hunger, starting about 5 pm. I'd be okay either eating regular food, or even not eating at all during the day (honestly, it didn't seem to make any difference, so I often didn't eat, because why waste those calories when it didn't pay off in the end?). I *thought* that by having the fundus removed I'd totally be over that. I'm not. Like I said, it is better now that I'm getting enough protein, but I still, in the evening, get is gnawing *pain* in my stomach. I'm a little queasy, but eating helps it, rather than making it worse. It has always been this way for me... and I'd hoped the surgery would stop it altogether. It hasn't. I can't eat much in a sitting, of course, but an hour later, the gnawing hunger pang is back.

Anyone else experience this? I am finding that one of the downsides of going to Mexico for the surgery (which was necessary.... I couldn't afford it here on a teacher's salary) is that I don't have the aftercare I would have had, and would have been able to ask these questions to the doctor or nutritionist.

Anyway, what else do I eat?

Usually I take leftovers from dinner the night before, so lunches and dinners are about the same. Samples over the last couple of weeks:

4 or 5 shrimp sauted in canned tomatos, a couple of olives, and a tablespoon of feta.

2 chicken strips, left over from dinner, they were sauted and then put over rice and the Healthy Choice cream of mushroom Soup and a little milk. Had about 1 T. of rice/sauce with the chicken

Went to Red Robin and got a cheeseburger in a lettuce wrap, no fries, that came with 2 slices of cantalope (each about 1/2 in thick). I ate 1/2 of the cheeseburger and saved the other for the next day.

So, that takes care of Breakfast (smoothie), lunch and dinner. But.... what do I do when my tummy feel like it is going to implode at night? Well, I have a SF Jello pudding snack, or a half of a container of Fage with some granola in it. I have eaten some cashews at times, and one night I had this delicious concocotion with about 1/4 c. Fage yogurt and chocolate Protein Powder, SF Torani's Caramel syrup, 5 pecans smashed, all mixed up, and then put a half of banana (sliced) in it. I couldn't eat all of that... only about 2/3.

Am I eating too much? Wrongly? Is this weight loss pattern normal? Honestly, since I started out so heavy, 40 lbs. is JUST allowing me to fit into my next size clothes, and people are just now starting to say something. Maybe I'm expecting too much? I guess... I guess I had just hoped that, by now, I'd be a lot more different than I am.....

I never lost weight every single week. Our bodies have to adjust to the new weight. You've lost a lot of weight in a short time.

I think you're doing just fine. Count your carbs and if you're eating less than 30 a day, and getting some form of exercise, you will get to your goal weight.

My first question would be are you taking a PPI? The reason I ask is because that gnawing hunger pang I felt was related to acid over producing. I wasn't really hungry, but it felt weird. So, once I started taking Prilosec 20mg, once daily, it resolved, and I didn't have that issue.

I don't know your calorie, carb count, but I think you're eating a well balanced diet. If you want to lose weight, cut carbs to 30 or less grams a day, at least 60-70 grams of Protein, and increasing exercise and Water consumption can get the scale moving. Also, if you aren't consuming enough calories, the body can hold onto weight. Sometimes, we have to shake things up to get the scale moving. Not everyone loses every week. I did, but it's not out of the normal for people to hit a stall here and there. It's the body's way of adjusting to all the changes.

This might sound really really stupid, but you know what i've been doing this past 4 weeks out? I trick my body with little games, one day, i'll eat about 350 - 400 calories, then the next 530, then stay with 530 for 2 days and drop down to 400 then down to 350 again, I 've never hit a stall (knock on wood) yet. . . the growling "pains" I can't explain really but when that happens i drink alot of water, or gatoraids (low carb ones) that works and sometimes if it keeps going, i think what is wrong and usually find that i'm really tired and need some rest, so i take a tylenol and go to bed. . . the tylenol fills the gap and fixes any other pains you may have during the night. . . good luck

40 pounds in 2 months sounds fantastic. I think the girls have given you some good advice above.

Try not to stress so much - you are losing weight and people are noticing.

(Of course, that's easy to say this side of the sleeve. I'm sure I'll be obesessing soon enough! :biggrin0:)

When I wasn't losing, I just gave up for awhile. I didn't count anything and I didn't exercise for a week. When I went back to my old routine of counting carbs and exercising, I dropped 5 lbs.

I recently lost 2 more lbs without even trying. I am now 2 lbs below my goal, which is fine with me. I like having a little wiggle room. I am sure I will not get too thin, because I know how to add back healthy foods without overdoing it.