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Hi! I'm new and just 4 weeks out from surgery!

M

mktggenius

Member
I am so lucky that the first month has gone really well for me. No complications and have been eating soft foods since a week after surgery. I still struggle to get either enough water or enough food in for the day. Am working hard on getting enough of both.

I have a question though: I've lost 29 pounds so far (with the liquid diet for a week pre-op) but have dramatically slowed down even though I am eating so little. I've heard that at about week 6, the pounds just start to fly off. Is that true?

Thanks!
 
mktggenius-Although I have not had my surgery yet I have heard that slow weight loss during the early stages following surgery is normal for some people and happens more quickly later as long as you follow your diet plan. I suggest you contact the bariatric dietitian right away though. It's vital that you have enough protein everyday and if you are having trouble eating the required amount it could cause nutrition complications. The dietitian can suggest food options that you may not have thought of that will help with the protein requirements. I heard there are bariatric soup mixes that provide both the proteins and liquids at the same time but I can't remember the brand.
 
Congratulations on your success. i am abt. 7 months out, now. I had several complications unfortunately but feel like I am mainly past them. Many ppl said the weight would just "drop off" when i returned to work. Well...sorta. I have had one plateau that was about 3 weeks, and am in another that has been about 4 weeks now. It can get disappointing.
 
First of all...CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I am sooo happy for you.

You sound like a mirror-image of me. You are doing just fine.

For the first month I lost only a few pounds, as I was told would happen...but then it was like somewhere around week 5, I got on the scales and wanted to pass out...I was down something like 23 lbs. I had given up weighing every day.

I have met with a lot of post-surgical women (no men yet) and discussed their issues. One of the biggest issues is that we are told to not graze and to eat 4 or 5 small meals. Well guess what, I can't eat a full meal. So I stopped trying. I graze all day long and I eat any dang thing I want to eat. It took me over a year of saying "i cant eat all that" before they finally listened to what I was saying. By "they" I mean the surgeon's assistant and my nutrionist. I just kept being told..try try try. Get up to 1200 calories. EAT.

It finally reached the point where we all threw up our hands. My nutritionist finally understood what I was saying. She finally listened to me. I CAN'T EAT A MEAL LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. Plain and simple.

The instructions I received changed. I was told to graze all day but watch what I eat. Every hour or two I eat something small. My choices are based on what is going on with my body. I consume an additional 70g of protein via drinks. It doesn't matter that it takes me all day to drink it all..what matters is during a 16 hour time frame I consume the calories, fat, carbs, protein, potassium, etc that my body requires to remain healthy.

Make sure you tell your nutritionist next time you see him/her. And if you aren't seeing on, whoever it is you are following-up with.

Trust your instincts. You are going to discover so much more about you that you never imagined. It's wonderful. And the weight will begin spiralling downward any day now. Make sure you take a current photo if you haven't already. You will want the before and after...of that I can guarantee.

I'm excited for you...for everyone...for what lay ahead. Life is wonderful. Smile and remember the alternative...it ain't pleasing!!!!!

Be safe and best to you.

Letrell
 
I'm having trouble getting all the protein, I'm 3 weeks out. Also, I can't eat a mean either. I end up dumping every time and I'm sick of the heaves. LOL. I guess the best thing for protein is Isopure from GNC but Ican't always stomach that. i hope I start losing faster soon. Right now it seems so slow.
 
I sure feel for you, Janet. You just reminded me I need to have some this morning (I'm about to run out the door). Ick. You need to say something to your dietician/surgeon. It took me forEVERRRRRRRR to get them to listen to me. I had reached the point of being so ill with the dumping that my blood work was about a week from me being hospitalized for IV's. You are losing so many vitamins, minerals, etc from the excessive dumping.

Please be safe and let us know what the doc says.

Take care.
 
Hi I use to run a big Support group for WLS in Syracuse.The mistake people make first out is they don`t eat their 3 meals a day. Try to get in what ever protein your Center tells you to take in a day. Ours was 50 to 60 but ever one is different.You don`t want to eat at all at first its like a dream come true but you have to and the weight will fall off you. Well good luck,
Sam
 
Sam,

Were you instructed to just eat 3 meals a day? Everyone I've met over the past 3 years has said they were told to eat 5 - 6 meals. I am wondering at what point the nutritionists started looking at smaller and more meals. No way in heck I can down 3 meals and get 1,200 calories. I do well to eat the little bit I do and try for 600 to 900.

But you are so right...you have to have the protein. My amount is 40 grams more than an average person....she has me on 70 - 80grams/day. I do it in the thick shakes. I love their taste; however it takes me hours to drink one. It's a great drink to hide the liquid potassium I have to take...icky icky.

Congrats on your weight loss. So exciting to see it.

Take care and welcome to the group.
 
I agree with Letrell about eating 5-6 meals a day per my surgeon and even 1 or 2 more in order to get the full amount of protein required. I'm thinking if you only eat 3 small meals (keeping in mind how tiny your pouch is) that your blood sugar level would drop and cause other problems like headache, weakness and nausea.
 
Janet-
Like you I had a heck of a time getting in all the protein - especially in the beginning. I have found 2 protein dense liquid supplements (cannot tolerate the whey or soy powders myself) that are palatable. The first is a chocolate shake made by Premier (30 gm protein/5 carbs/11oz) and a fruit flavored drink (watermelon, tangerine, fruit punch) called Cytomax Protein (40 gm protein/0 carbs/20 oz). I drink 1 shake for breakfast and drink half a bottle of the other in the afternoon... then eat a "food" meal of an evening.
 
maybe I should go back to the beginning with the protein drinks and small consumption. Since my weight has increased by 50 lbs since 2008 I wiuld like to get those 5 years back. I am testimony that you have to work hard for the rest of your life to maintain. as I saoid to letrell,its like you have stopped smoking and everyone else continues around you. thanks for the suggestion Janet I'll give it a try....patti
 
ShellyW said:
Janet-
The first is a chocolate shake made by Premier (30 gm protein/5 carbs/11oz) and a fruit flavored drink (watermelon, tangerine, fruit punch) called Cytomax Protein (40 gm protein/0 carbs/20 oz). I drink 1 shake for breakfast and drink half a bottle of the other in the afternoon... then eat a "food" meal of an evening.
Click to expand...

I am so glad to hear someone else using Premier. I love it! It's the only way I can 1. get my additional protein (40 - 70g per day extra) and 2. it's the only drink that masks the horrific taste of the liquid potassium I have to take daily. I don't care for the cost but it works and I feel great!
 
Patti,

It's not going to hurt you to go back and pick up the shake routine. Try it for a week, see what happens. But remember you still have to eat. I sent you an email...hope to hear from you soon.
 
Please Remember My surgery was almost 5 years ago now.There were 3 meals a day only. Shake were a good protien but not really a good meal(but could be) better to have a soiid . I was running a Support Group for UpState Hospital. I was up to date on things in Syracuse till June 2011.After time we worked up to a 1200 cal diet. The first two years are easy then the 3rd year weight gain got me. I gained 44% of my weight back. Then with a lot of hard hard work I got back on track again. I`m in good shape again down a 100 but it wasn`t easy at all. Don`t ever cheat after WLS. Sam
 
Unjury is a brand that is for bypass and sleeve patients. There is an unflavored pwder that one scoop is 1g carb, 20 g protien but little other nutrients - other sleevers I know that have the OK are mixing it with Carnation Breakfast Essentials Sugar Free Ready-to-serve Rich Chocolate (what a mouthful!lol!). The carnation adds 13g protien, 16 carbs and about a fifth to a third of many vitamins and minerals. The carnation is 150 calories, and the scopp of unjury is 80. I think the carnation pre-unjuy scoop is 8 or 10 oz. you can cut the carnation with about 2 oz of water and it does not affect the taste much.

If you become too dehydrated go to your PCP and insist they give you some fluids interveniously. I am really suprised this is not a post-surgery therapy for more people! If you can pinch you skin and it does not immediatly fall back, you may be very dehydrated! You will not lose as much either if you are not properly hydrated.
 
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