I will happily answer any questions and try to help you the best that I can in your journey. 40 year old female, 3 kids, 143 pounds gone. It is a hard and trying process but the best decision I ever made!!!

Great job! You look great! How much did u start at?? I was sleeved 6days ago and would love a mentor! I start full liquids tmro but all I want to do Is bite into a piece of grilled chicken! What did u do u boost your weight loss and what kind of vitamins and protein did u use?

I started at 287 lbs. I focused the first 6 weeks on drinking and healing. I started taking Calcium citrate, Vitamin D and a prenatal vitamin daily once I was allowed to do so. Recently I stopped taking the calcium as my nutritionist and I decided that I consume a fair amount of calcium naturally on a daily basis so the extra is just not necessary for me. As far as boosting the weight loss...Initially to get my Protein in I used the typical shakes, bought skim milk powder and unflavoured Protein Powder to add to things. But worry less about protein for the first little while and more about getting in fluids because if you don't you'll find yourself dizzy, ditzy and the headaches are pretty unpleasant and will linger if you don't sip sip sip. lol I live in Canada so my access to some brands is more limited... I started out just walking on a daily basis and just increased the time and intensity week by week. Now, for me, walking is more of a nature thing as it doesn't bring my heart rate up enough to be effective the way I want it to be. But to start walking is a great way, just fill your ipod with music you love and that makes you feel good, and has an upbeat tempo to help keep you paced. Considering how early you are in this stage of your journey, right now worry less about the scale and more about healing and adjusting to your new diet.

Edited September 16, 201411 yr by dropdeadweightdiva

Wow, you look great! My surgery is set for October 14th. I am 48 and have 3 kids. I have my pre-designed testing next Thursday. I am nervous and excited. I hope I can do as well as you.

Pre-admission. Auto correct

Help I am a year and a half post op and can't loose weight

I know I am doing some things wrong but all my doctor says is move more

I lost 25 lbs in the 1 st month and haven't really changed since

I have a problem drinking while eating and I have read that basically washes the food down

How do you eat without drinking anything.

Dropdeadweightdiva ... love the post, love your name, love the picture.

I'm all ears for anything you have to say.

It's so cool when vets stick around. Mostly, it's so helpful.

Thank you for caring.

Ann

Hello, glad I found this forum. I just had my surgery August 27 and I seem to be really stuck at the same weight, which I lost in the first two weeks, when I was just on the broth post-surgery diet.

Are there any tips, besides exercise, that might help me? What did all of your doctors tell you your Protein intake should be in the months after surgery...and for how many months? Maybe that's my issue; not getting enough. I just started walking since I'm at my almost-4-week mark and okayed for light exercise.

Also, what should my calcium and Vitamin D intake be? I'm worried I'm not getting enough calcium at age 50.

Thank you,

Marybeth

Help I am a year and a half post op and can't loose weight

I know I am doing some things wrong but all my doctor says is move more

I lost 25 lbs in the 1 st month and haven't really changed since

I have a problem drinking while eating and I have read that basically washes the food down

How do you eat without drinking anything.

I make a point of drinking all day long.. so when I am eating I don't crave fluids. My suggestion would be to have a decent sized drink about half an hour before you usually eat. Also if you find yourself craving fluids while you eat maybe have a yogurt or something that consistency during your meal so you kind of feel that texture but it will fill you up at the same time. I know for me I have learned that when I fall off the wagon onto the carb express I can eat a huge amount of food, especially chips and crackers..As much as this surgery is a tool it's not a cure and we still have to fight the head games. Also when I overdo carbs my head hunger jumps into full effect and I find myself drinking less than I do when I am focusing on Protein. So as much as I am not one of those 'no carbs' sleever.. I am aware that carbs are the devil, lol So just be aware of the carbs in the form of breads, Pasta, crackers.. i don't count carbs in yogurt, shakes etc as a rule in my daily intake.. I do still have a shake every morning for Breakfast and I add a scoop of Fiber to it and you will be surprised how much heavier that sits to help tide you over for the morning.. I also drink a butt load of nestea green tea zero and Powerade zero.. Agree with your doctor to move more but the thing people tend to forget about is weight training.. cpl days a week .. i can set you up with a program that takes 20minutes.. muscle burns fat so it really is an essential part of the process while you are trying to lose.. Also try to stay off the scale and take your measurements instead.. much more reliable tell as the scale will stay still but the inches will move..

Wow, you look great! My surgery is set for October 14th. I am 48 and have 3 kids. I have my pre-designed testing next Thursday. I am nervous and excited. I hope I can do as well as you.

I used to tell people in my earlier stages to do all the research that you can, now I say research the big stuff for complications so you are informed but don't stress too much over the other stuff. There are so many resources online, especially people and everyone has a different experience from post op diet requirements, length of stages, stalls, tolerated foods, etc.. so you'll learn from personal experience as you go.. Just remember that we're all human and none of us are perfect all the time and this surgery is a huge help with keeping you on track and I recommend it wholeheartedly having been someone who did all the diets and did well for about 6 months and then I re-inflated to an even higher weight as we tend to do.. You will do great because this time you have a loud voice that will tell you when you've overstepped and make you 'feel' it immediately and it will follow you around and remind you how awful you felt and how good it can be when you do well!!

Thank you Ann,

No worries and there is no such thing as a stupid question and there is such a thing as a stupid answer but I will try not to give you any It is one heck of a ride!

Dropdeadweightdiva ... love the post, love your name, love the picture.

I'm all ears for anything you have to say.

It's so cool when vets stick around. Mostly, it's so helpful.

Thank you for caring.

Ann

Edited September 22, 201411 yr by dropdeadweightdiva

Hello, glad I found this forum. I just had my surgery August 27 and I seem to be really stuck at the same weight, which I lost in the first two weeks, when I was just on the broth post-surgery diet.

Are there any tips, besides exercise, that might help me? What did all of your doctors tell you your Protein intake should be in the months after surgery...and for how many months? Maybe that's my issue; not getting enough. I just started walking since I'm at my almost-4-week mark and okayed for light exercise.

Also, what should my Calcium and Vitamin D intake be? I'm worried I'm not getting enough calcium at age 50.

Thank you,

Marybeth

A lot of people stall out for 2-3 weeks at about 3-4 weeks out. It is very annoying but as long as you keep doing all the right things it will move. Calcium is 12-1500mg/day but you the body will only absorb 500 at a time. Vitamin D for me is 2-3 pills a day, but initially mine was low so presurgury I was taking 7/day to get to where I needed to be. I also take a prenatal vitamin literally before I shut my eyes as they make me nauseaus, so wait til my eyelids can't stay open and down it or it will keep me up as the room spins..I recently decided with my nutritionist that I am taking in enough calcium through milk, cheese, and yogurt that I don't need to supplement anymore. But that's me, so I advise you to talk to your nutritionist.. I am on a manditory 66grams/daily of protein since day one post op. I have a scale of appropriate amounts from my nutritionist if you want me to find yours, but again that is a conversation to have with your nutritionist..

Again besides the obvious eat well and exercise.. Add Fiber powder to a shake per day also drink like a fish and I don't recommend chewing gum if you every were a swallower.. then stay far away..and you are too early out for this option now anyway but i do chew gum now and it is a huge help for cravings.. I know it can create additional gas for some but it doesn't for me so that is a personal experience.. and like I said don't even consider it until you are 4-5 months out if you think it may help.. some drop their cheese intake and definitely drop off on your carbs when your are stalled.. good luck! just don't get too frustrated as your body adjusts to the new schedule and calorie intake which for the first while I was told should be between 650-900/day if you can do that much, just work your way up..

I would love to have a mentor on here. My MIL had rny about 10+ years ago so some of the things she can't help me with. I just turned 28 and I have 2 kids, my surgery date is 10/20/14, so I am starting to get really nervous about everything. How did you deal with it? I cant start my liquid 2 week diet until 10/5, and am so not looking forward to it as I dont do well with being really hungry. That being said, I'm afraid I'm not going to do as well as I want to with this. Ive seen some people say that they are hungry all the time and honestly I was relying on the surgery to make that go away, at least for a while. Im the type of person that once I start thinking about food, like a specific item, thats all I can think about until I have it. I've been getting better on not doing that, but I'm afraid that 6 months out I'll be back to old habits and undo everything that i've went through. Any advice?? Thanks so much

I would love to have a mentor on here. My MIL had rny about 10+ years ago so some of the things she can't help me with. I just turned 28 and I have 2 kids, my surgery date is 10/20/14, so I am starting to get really nervous about everything. How did you deal with it? I cant start my liquid 2 week diet until 10/5, and am so not looking forward to it as I dont do well with being really hungry. That being said, I'm afraid I'm not going to do as well as I want to with this. Ive seen some people say that they are hungry all the time and honestly I was relying on the surgery to make that go away, at least for a while. Im the type of person that once I start thinking about food, like a specific item, thats all I can think about until I have it. I've been getting better on not doing that, but I'm afraid that 6 months out I'll be back to old habits and undo everything that i've went through. Any advice?? Thanks so much

I was exactly like you. I obsessed about food all day long. I could get it out of my head. I was ALWAYS hungry; relay voraciously hungry. That is in part why I chose the surgery. I can tell you the I, personally, do feel hunger every know and then, but it's not that horrible black hole of hunger that needs to be filled with large amounts of anything and everything. I think I'm actually feeling what normal hunger must feel like I don't obsess about food any more. I don't even have cravings for my old vices...coffee, donuts, diet coke, cake, hamburgers with extra cheese. Thinking about them doesn't make me sad I can chosen not to eat them, or make me want them even more. It makes me think about what my stomach can handle. It really is a big partnership between your head and your stomach. The body is an amazing piece of equipment!! It will tell you almost everything if you listen to it. Your new stomach will tell you what it can and can't really take and your head doesn't have to feel bad your not getting those things you thought you would never in your life give up. Also, this will help your family eat healthy. Make the same smart choices for them as you would make for yourself.

I think of my sleeved stomach as a nice little coin purse. Do I want to fill it with pennies or quarters. Which brings me the best return on this investment I've made on myself and my health? Pennies?...the old crappy foods I used to eat. Or quarters?...the good nutritional choices I make to fill up that little space.

Also, I recommend two movies wholeheartedly. "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and "Food Inc." One is a motivational way to look at vegetables and fruit, the other is a look at how broken our food delivery chain really is and why Americans are more obese in bigger numbers than ever before.

I would love to have a mentor on here. My MIL had rny about 10+ years ago so some of the things she can't help me with. I just turned 28 and I have 2 kids, my surgery date is 10/20/14, so I am starting to get really nervous about everything. How did you deal with it? I cant start my liquid 2 week diet until 10/5, and am so not looking forward to it as I dont do well with being really hungry. That being said, I'm afraid I'm not going to do as well as I want to with this. Ive seen some people say that they are hungry all the time and honestly I was relying on the surgery to make that go away, at least for a while. Im the type of person that once I start thinking about food, like a specific item, thats all I can think about until I have it. I've been getting better on not doing that, but I'm afraid that 6 months out I'll be back to old habits and undo everything that i've went through. Any advice?? Thanks so much

Admit this may be a long one so I apologize upfront for that!

I was ridiculously out of control in my eating habits therefore I was also crazy worried about my ability to make the change. I did begin changing my habits before surgery. I began walking short distances as the 8 stairs up from my basement had me huffing and puffing. Initially I dreaded having to walk the 3 blocks to pick up my children from school. For almost 2 decades I never really dealt with hunger because I often ate so consistently I don't think I ever allowed myself to get hungry. I woke up and thought about what I would eat for Breakfast, after breakfast i focused on lunch but had Snacks, etc... I literally ate from wakeup, to my head hitting the pillow and often got up to eat more before I actually fell asleep. I remember eating 2 footlong subway subs in a sitting, and this wasn't a one time marathon thing; driving to 7-11 at midnight for junk food and then eating most of what I thought I would eat over 2-3 days. So I get it completely. Frankly I was scared sh**less that I would fail, or sabatoge myself along the way. Shortly before my first meeting with my center I had gestational diabetes but it went away immediately after my pregnancy. I admit when I am pregnant I am completely in control and anal about what I put in my mouth so lose weight throughout them. Of course post nursing forget about it! So after finding out I had no choice but to switch to formula I actually managed to become a full blown diabetic in about 5 months. It was a flurry of chocolate, fries and slurpees! My point being you and I are very much alike in being obsessed with food 24/7. So if I can do it anyone can do it!

I found out I had become a diabetic at my first appointment at my bariatric center, March 12, 2013. That was the day the light went on for me, even if it was dim when it started. I walked 15 minutes that first day and I hated it lol. That night I completely lost all control of my sanity as every emotion under the sun came out over every little thing. For a second I thought OMG I am pregnant!! But no, apparently I am an emotional eater so now instead of eating, all of a sudden I was feeling everything and it was completely overwhelming. For this reason I strongly recommend trying to get at least 2-3 days of healthier eating out of the way prior to your liquid pre-op. The mental part of this is by far the hardest, so getting a small advantage before really does help. So expect to be very hormonal when you start out.

Tricks of the trade pre-op.. I chewed a lot of stride gum especially during my liquid diet (3 weeks), lifesaver, that is my biggest thing to this day, although no I don't promote it post op as we all know it is a no no and I was 6 months out before I tried it. I drank a lot of low calorie fluids and I planned ahead for meals (before liquid pre-op). For the first little while I kept junk out of the house. I have kids so that's hard, so I chose to buy things they like but I don't, like all dressed chips, or cotton candy ice cream.. My fave thing being a large cup of lite hot chocolate with fat free hazelnut creamer in the evening as a treat and it kept me pretty full.. so I would do it at my peak struggle time. I started keeping fruit that I really liked around, cherries and raspberries and I would go to town. Not ideal but it was certainly better than the alternatives.. smart pop was another fave pre-op.

No I was not perfect I had bad days, still do, but I started to convince myself that it didn't have to be a bad day.. instead it was a bad couple hours and then I let it go, guilt has no place on the road to success. It will not motivate you, it will only make you feel worse!! I made a list of all those things i wanted to be able to do post op... and a list of all those things I never wanted to feel or have happen to me again. That was emotional, then I put them up in a cpl places around the house where I thought they would most benefit me. I also included a list of the consequences of failing to follow my liquid diet. Number one of course being a cancelled surgery!

So I actually made it through all 3 weeks or 22 days as my nutritionist miscalculated lol. A ton of gum, broth to break up the sweetness, I was allowed 2 cups of raw green veggies/day added garlic salt or seasoning salt.. no dressing allowed! It makes you an idiot about a week in, prepare to write things down as you won't remember them. Drink tons of fluids as the day 3 headache is a nightmare and will likely last a cpl days and nothing will touch it but hydration so stay on top of that.

Post-op hunger concerns... I have hunger, boy do I experience real hunger. Now I am not trying to scare you, I didn't experience hunger like this until about 7 months out. So I have had a lot of time to work through better choices and options when I am hungry, the nice thing about being early out is that it won't take much to reel in said hunger if you are one who feels it. Have a cup of broth, some greek yogurt and boom it's gone for another couple hours. Also remember that your intake is soo limited that it is okay to feed it. Sometime just choose to feed it with fluids. That is the biggie, learning to decipher head hunger from actual hunger from thirst!! Once you get that straight your life will quickly become much easier. So pay attention to what each of them feel like, not as hard as it sounds I promise. Further out you can eat more, and I fall off the wagon the last time I was off for almost 4 weeks, stopped exercising too. I gained 5 pounds. The difference is that this time the weight gain actually scared me, having been a 'normal' size for a bit now I got comfortable and this was a well needed reality check. Now considering how much I was eating 5 pounds was kind, so the surgery really is just a tool. You still need to fight those demons for life but when I think about how much weight I could have gained in that same time period preop.. no comparison. I also dropped those 5 pounds during my 'taking back control' week. But what I didn't do is beat myself up for it, I went on a fabulous food vacation and when I landed back in reality I dealt with it. No guilt, just moved on and smartened up. So being kind to yourself is something that gets easier as you go through this process. It's also one of my favourite NSV's..

Sorry so long I admit I am horribly wordy... hope that helps alleviate some of your fears

Marybeth, love love love your post!! Especially your coin purse analogy, gotta remember that one!!