Following-Up

[Deleted]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for the well-wishes and supportive sentiments

I'm about 6 weeks post-op from my BoB to VSG. I apologize for taking so long to post, but I had a bit of a rough post-op experience. Nothing too bad medically, just some severe nausea.

Once that settled down, I had to go right back to work, which was a bit challenging.

I'm much better now and feeling nearly healed up. I've lost about 20 lbs (down to 320) since the surgery, but have been fairly stagnate at that level.

I've started taking the full Vitalady vitamin regime (its pretty intense!), but am doing ok with that.

As far as eating, I'm staying high protein and lower carbs. Probably eating more fatty meats than I should be, but I find they digest better.

Anyways, I'm going to try to stay on top of the diet and lifestyle stuff leading into the second step. I'm still a little scared about the DS, but I think it has to be done. The plan is to aim for the fall, likely Oct/Nov.

Thanks again everyone. 

Revision

[caprice]

Good to see you posting again, and that you're feeling better.
Though you're not malabsorbing fat (yet), I think it would be a better habit to lean towards fat, rather than carbs. Usually, protein comes with some fat attached to it, and you want protein. You're building better habits for the future this way, too. Win-win, I'd say..
May these next few months fly by uneventfully, and you be able to get the "switch" as planned.
Enjoy!

[goodkel]

Jun 24, 2015 18:05:03 GMT -5 @revision said:

Hi Everyone,

I'm much better now and feeling nearly healed up. I've lost about 20 lbs (down to 320) since the surgery, but have been fairly stagnate at that level.

An early stall is entirely normal.

When the body is on an extremely low calorie diet, as you are immediately following surgery, the body uses carbohydrates first as a fuel. Since you are ingesting minimal calories if any at all, your body uses glycogen, which is a carbohydrate stored in your body, as fuel. When your glycogen is depleted, it burns fat for energy. The storage of glycogen involves a large amount of water. Early weight loss is primarily water until the glycogen stores are depleted. That is the point when the body begins using fat for energy.

As you begin to ingest more calories, the glycogen stores are replenished, including the water required to store them. At this point, your weight may stall and sometimes even increase by a few pounds. The fat that you have lost in the interim will remain lost.

Keeping your carbohydrates low will continue to direct your body to consume fat for fuel and you will again begin to lose weight.

[OnMyWay2Thin]

Just wanted to send well wishes and good luck for a speedy, uneventful recovery. Hope you are feeling very good soon!

Kell

[Deleted]

Thank you so much. To be honest, the stall is a bit depressing. Mostly because in my heart I don't fully believe that it is just a stall. I think that if I let myself go a bit, I would be putting on weight. My carbs were a bit high the week before last, and I went up a few pounds. I've been more focused this past week, and keep the diet much tighter. Also, I picked up some home gym equipment and have started working out, which feels great and hopefully will help to keep the weight down until my next surgery. 

I'm hoping to be down to 300lbs (at 320-ish now), by the time of my DS, which will be in the fall. I am lowering my expectations of the whole thing, as I have had so many ups and downs (so my metabolism is screwed I'm sure) and I'm a revision and I'm a 2-step revision. So, I'm going to try to upgrade the lifestyle stuff as much as I can in the hopes of maximizing what I can get out of this.

The whole thing is very scary. So happy to have a community like this to share this challenging experience with.

Thanks again.
R

[goodkel]

As I mentioned above, the stall and even the weight gain are entirely normal at this point. Do watch the carbs, be vigilant taking your vitamins, and make sure you are getting in plenty of protein at least 120 grams a day. The weight will come off.

Your metabolism IS screwed and the VSG alone is not likely to get you to a normal weight. But, another 20 pounds in three months is a reasonable and attainable goal.

Have faith and be of good cheer. Your goals are in reach.