Hi Everyone! VSG date: August 29, 2013 I am a 45 year old single female who started this journey in Jan 2013 @ 263 lbs ("Ideal" weight is 145). Days before the surgery I allowed myself to hope for bright and healthy future. 27 days post-op and hope is warming my heart like the morning sunrise warms the cold earth. However, years of hopelessness wore me down. Pessimism is a hard habit to break. That's why I need reassurance, leadership, and my goodness - a ton of patience. Please consider talking this critical walk with me.

Hi Everyone! VSG date: August 29' date=' 2013 I am a 45 year old single female who started this journey in Jan 2013 @ 263 lbs ("Ideal" weight is 145). Days before the surgery I allowed myself to hope for bright and healthy future. 27 days post-op and hope is warming my heart like the morning sunrise warms the cold earth. However, years of hopelessness wore me down. Pessimism is a hard habit to break. That's why I need reassurance, leadership, and my goodness - a ton of patience. Please consider talking this critical walk with me.[/quote']

Kelly I was just sleeved 9-12-13. I also feel this way. I lost 10lbs my first week, but when I went to full liquids im not sure what happened. The scale hasnt moved in a week. Im not sure what im eating is right, so I went back to just Clear Liquids and my shakes. Just like you this has dimmed my excitement about everything. It is affecting my motivation and my positive outlook is starting to return to how it was before surgery. I hope to find some one or something that helps me thru this.

Ladies, I volunteer! I don't know how good I'll be, but my surgery date was May 13, 2013 and I'm an email junkie

I have lost 55 lbs since surgery. I have my weigh in numbers from the 2, 4, and 6 week check-ins at the doctor. But I want to tell you, like you'll hear until you want to scream, everyone is different.

We had major surgery! They yanked out part of our body! You're healing! Follow your doctor's advice about your diet phases (they sound slightly different than mine), and put the scale away! Only weigh once a week. Remember that as you heal you're only getting in a minimum number of calories just because of swelling and stuff. So you lose a lot, and then your body starts hoarding everything, and then you adjust and start losing again. So it's a bit wonky at first. The weight will come off. It has to!

Our surgeon's office had a In-Body body composition scale, and it could spit out what your resting metabolic rate is, which is how many calories it takes for your body to function. So, at my pre-op weight of 268 and 5'10" tall, my resting rate was 2100 calories. At my 3 month appointment (around 220 lbs, I think), It was still around 1800-2000 calories. (my numbers are at home) So since I'm only getting around 1000-1200 calories a day, I'm losing weight. It's not fast, but it's still losing.

And I say it's not fast, but I'm apparantly still on "bypass rate" in terms of my average weight loss. I did lose a lot pre-op, which put me in good shape for post-op recovery and getting back to the gym. But don't rush going back to the gym. Walking and sipping are the initial things to do, until you're back at full calories (the new "full", about 1000 / day) so that you don't pass out (which I came close to doing until I remembered about the major surgery!).

Keep hydrated. Keep getting your Protein. Because you want to lose fat and not muscle. Things will happen, but we didn't get overweight overnight, so we won't get thin overnight either.

As I said, I volunteer to help. I'm on the board generally at lunch, but send me a private message if you want my email address for outside of here...

Good luck!

I believe this entire board is willing to be with you both. Here is where you are (IMHO)... The surgery is over and NOW the real work begins... This Real Work is control of your head. My brain is evil (I call him Skippy) and Skippy wants me to be sad, and hungry and lethargic. Skippy wants me to give up and go out for Krispy Kremes.

Get your head's in this game and let us help. We are ALL with you!

Thanks ladies!! I have been really confuses about the diet. Today I decided to go back to the full liquid version I did for pre-op. I will admit I have not been walking much. Just the usual going to the mall or sams club walks. Thats my fault. Looked at some pictures today and see a pretty big difference already. I am following my post op except I dont want all the sweet stuff. I was getting arounf 60 grams of protein a day...I have upped that today to 80. Im scared to eat the chunky soup that im able to blend and eat. All those carbs scare me. I will do as you say and put the scale away. I will only weigh on Thursdays. I keep tasting things I shouldnt, youre right my head isnt in the game right now. I have a houseful here but they are all super thin and not very supportive at all. Thanks for responding.

I was sleeved on 9/3. I'm 41 and my surgery weight was also 263. I was 290 in may so I lost quite a bit pre-op. post op I've lost 23 pounds but nothing for 5 days. Trying to walk 5 miles a day. Have hit that goal 5 of the last 7 days. Feeling optimistic!!

Wow. I'm not very social so I never thought much about social forums. I see now that I need your support. Jenni, Arts, Sharika & KathyP, thank you for posting. Arts......your mind vs. matter methodology makes sense and I found that super helpful. Jenni.....I need to focus on my protein intake as well. I love 1% milk, yogurt, lean turkey and low-fat cheese, but I probably need to concentrate on making protein shakes a way of life for a while. Sharika....it sounds like you're in a good because you're walking. I don't feel like doing anything after work; but, I'm not going to beat myself up just yet. I just started taking B12. Maybe that will help. KathP, please stick with the rookie - I need you to tell me like it is. Once again to all, thank you. Please stay in touch.

Good Lord, KathP 112 pounds lost. That's incredible!

We are 100% with you, Kelly...