Am i doing something wrong

[it is now]

Hello my fellow sleevers,

I have come to you for reassurance cos I am sure I'll find the answers here. I am not sure I am losing as much as I should and don't know why cos I believe I am doing as I should. For example my daily intake I believe is even lower than I should be having, yesterday for example I had half a pot of jelly, thick soup (made out of mashed potato in chicken soup), 1.5 litres of watered juice. I saw my nurse and surgeon two days ago and she reckons I'm not eating enough and taking enough fluids but I am trying its just hard to drink when you can only take sips. I haven't been able to go back to the gym but definitely going back next week.

My weight loss figures are- I weighed 97.8 at my first assessment before I had my op date, 95.8 on day of surgery and as at two days ago 91.1 and I am 3 weeks post op tomorrow.

Don't get me wrong I know I am losing weight as I can see it (belly is gone down ), clothes are beginning to fit better as well, but when I look around the forums it seems like people have lost a lot more than this at this stage.

Am I doing something wrong, is it not drinking enough, lack of protein or not enough exercise or I'm just panicking. Also I feel hungry sometimes but just a quick hunger pang - is this right?

Please help

[mwilson05]

Hi there,

I was reading your post and thought I would give my two cents. I don't think you should be eating mashed potatoes as they are very starchy. Also, I would switch to just water and crystal lite. No juice as it really may not have any nutritional value. Even though you can't get to the gym just pace in your house. I find that living in Seattle and it can get rainy here, that just pacing in my house for 15 minutes a couple times a day helps. My family always ask what I am doing like I am crazy but its the next best thing..Make it a priority to move. Also, are you drinking protein shakes? Costco has a good one packed with 30g of protein it's called Premier.. They are easy pre-made and don't have powdery aftertaste. Try these they help get your protein in. I hope that helps a bit.. Good luck!

[wannabhealthy50]

Please consider getting rid of those mashed potatoes. I was told no carbs or refined sugars for one year.

[mimipam]

It sounds like you are getting very little protein. At 3 weeks, your protein & calorie intake should be much higher (in my opinion). Also, I would eliminate the mashed potatoes and juice. Mashed potatoes = carbs, juice = sugar & carbs.

[Harley Granny]

Like the others have stated.....Protein and liquids are you lifeline right now.

You should be getting at LEAST 64oz of liquids a day and between 60-80g of Protein. Your body needs this to heal.

No to the juice....Get some lite gatorade.....some protein powder to mix with lemonade or whatever sugar free drink mix you like....remember that drinking this counts as part of your liquids.
If your going to eat chicken soup.....put chicken flavored protein powder in there instead of mashed potatoes. Those are just empty carbs right now.
Not sure what the pot of jelly consists of but I would steer clear of it.

Like others have said.....make your calories count. Protein 1st...the other is fluff.

Good luck! I hope you find a good balance!

[Its_Me]

Agree w/everyone else. Protein, protein and protein. Stop eating the mashed potatoes and no juice which is sugar. Best of luck

[it is now]

Hi Guys

Thanks for all your thoughts but from what I can see u're all in the states and I'm in the UK so I think we all have different advice. For example I am looking at the eating plan for wks 3-4 which is where I am and examples of suitable foods are: weetabix, porridge or ready brek, mashed potato, sweet potato or yam, soft cooked pasta blended with a sauce preferable tomato, mashed veg such as carrots, parsnips, minced chicken or meat pureed with a sauce or gravy, flaked fish pureed with a sauce, stewed fruit (either tinned in natural juice or fresh) with sweetener or mashed banana, smooth yoghurt with no bits (low fat or diet types), custard, sugar free jelly, blended pasta or rice fruit juice diluted with water.

So you see where I am getting my food advice from and I cant knock it off cos people have done it and they have lost the weight.

At this stage what would you say are the best things to do to lose the weight? @mwilson i dont just sit around all day not moving, just not as much as I would probably like. I have two little girls that I still have to do stuff for in the house

[it is now]

Hi Guys

Thanks for all your thoughts but from what I can see u're all in the states and I'm in the UK so I think we all have different advice. For example I am looking at the eating plan for wks 3-4 which is where I am and examples of suitable foods are: weetabix, porridge or ready brek, mashed potato, sweet potato or yam, soft cooked pasta blended with a sauce preferable tomato, mashed veg such as carrots, parsnips, minced chicken or meat pureed with a sauce or gravy, flaked fish pureed with a sauce, stewed fruit (either tinned in natural juice or fresh) with sweetener or mashed banana, smooth yoghurt with no bits (low fat or diet types), custard, sugar free jelly, blended pasta or rice fruit juice diluted with water.

So you see where I am getting my food advice from and I cant knock it off cos people have done it and they have lost the weight.

At this stage what would you say are the best things to do to lose the weight? @mwilson i dont just sit around all day not moving, just not as much as I would probably like. I have two little girls that I still have to do stuff for in the house

[Matthewsiv]

You asked for help and you have been given it.

The advice is not wrong ,your eating plan is wrong.

Your priority should be protein first and then vegetables or fruit.No direct carbohydrates.

64 ounces of water a day.

This is the proven formula of success.

I am English and I know that you can buy low fat cottage cheese and
low fat Greek yoghurt from Safeway.

I too am on the journey and all I know is that from what I have read
Is that the above formula works.

You should be exercising every day and do weights 3 times a week.

I am suspecting you may not like this post .

[Truffles]

Yeah, I have to agree with Matthewsiv (except for the exercising part -- I don't think she's past the 6-week lifting restriction, yet).

Your eating plan is so very, very wrong.

If you are looking to find validation in your consumption of highly processed carbs, I think you'll be disappointed. Sorry.

My advice is what everyone else has been saying.

[mimipam]

I agree with Truffles. The processed carbs are bad no matter what phase you are in (not that you won't be able to have some one day, but probably not on a daily basis). I had my surgery done in Mexico, but I have read Instruction Manuals from 3 other Bariatric facilities in the US and they all have the same basic instructions for no carbs, protein requirements & ballpark calorie goals.

I am 35 days post op and have lost 39 pounds. I am getting around 600 calories daily and 70-90 grams of protein, 96-128 oz water/green tea. I was drinking 64 oz of water and upped it when I hit a stall. The increased liquid got me losing again.

You might want to try our recommendations and see what kind of results you get.

[melanie0941]

I agree with everyone else... Eat MORE protein, minimize carbs, drink water, exercise.
If you eat carbs in potatoes, it will cause a surge of insulin which will store your calories as fat. It seems your list of things you can eat is simply that... you CAN eat them without causing sleeve distress but... if you want to lose weight faster, you need to avoid or minimize the carbs. Much of what you listed are carb heavy... mashed potato, sweet potato or yam, soft cooked pasta, mashed carrots, some sauces and gravy, natural juice or fresh with sweetener or mashed banana, custard, sugar free jelly (sugar free does not mean carb free), blended pasta or rice fruit juice diluted with water. Try to keep your carbs to 50 or less per day and you can't help but lose. You must keep your protein level up and drink lots of fluids... plain water if you are able. Exercising at least 30 min per day... even if it is just walking around the neighborhood will also hasten weight loss. Good luck!

[Socaldixiegal]

The US market is massively low carb/high protein focused right now. If you go online and search for eating plans post bariatric surgery you'll see most of the US ones are lower carb/higher protein in theme. Europe does tend to show higher carb and lower protein.

I tend to follow a bit more moderate approach and do eat carbs from vegetables, fruits and occasionally potatoes. I also though lose a bit slowly (which I blame on cheese, crackers and wine!)

There are quite a few other folks here from Europe and Australia so interested to see what type of approach they follow. Perhaps posting this down in the regional forums could help?

[niamh]

I have a bit of a different take. I am also in the UK. I did have advice to have things like cereals, porridge, mashed potato. But I was also being advised to have protein shakes to ensure getting protein in, and I also drank a lot of skim milk. How are you getting your protein - the risk is that if you don't get protein you lose muscle mass rather than fat, and that does slow your metabolism.

However, my main point would be - your rate of weight loss is absolutely fine, don't sweat it. You've lost nearly 5kg in 3 weeks. I lost about 7.5kg in the first month, and I was 100kg or thereabouts on surgery date. As of this morning I was 0.6kg over goal in just over 9 months.

Don't worry about the exercise thing either too much - as long as you're getting some walking in you're fine.

Losing weight with this surgery is not a race. At 3 weeks, your main concern should be post-op recovery and nutrition, not rate of weight loss.

[Narasweet]

I am an Aussie but also have advice from my surgeon's team and know that protein rich, low carb and sugar works. I am yet to be sleeve but have lost 8. Kg, =17.5 lbs in 3 months. I am now gluten free so no bread, rice, oats, NO grains, so to be healthy was a steep learning curve I love the food I eat now, my occasional treat is a latte while others eat, lol.

Please please give our advice a try, I am sure you will more energy and start to lose quicker, my loss is slow and steady but I am still the lightest I have been in 10 years