Am I Insane? (Don't really answer that...just a topic)...

I have never really ventured away from the sweet confines of the Tennessee Message Board on OH...it's a nice soft lil' place for me to fall & I enjoy e'one on here so much. Ahhh...WLS safety & sanity.

But, tonight, I decided to go out into the big, bad world of posts on "other" message boards and all I want to do is crawl into bed & pull the covers over my head.

My reason for venturing out was that I am two weeks out from my RNY tomorrow & I was having such fun watching the scale plummet down 20 pounds so quickly, but now, for two days, it has been stuck at the same number.  I wondered if I could be some bariatric freak-of-nature & this surgery won't work for me?  Also wondered if plateaus are normal this early in the process...goodness, I still have 113 pounds left to go!!  Maybe my fears are irrational, but, still, they are there.

So, I went to a couple sites & found one forum that was OHers w/the same surgery month as me...I wanted to see if anyone else had stayed the same a few days in a row, or longer...but, I became lost in the craziness.....first, I am thanking my lucky stars for the program at Centennial, because I cannot imagine going to Dr. Houston with the following information (which I pulled off a post, but am not listing the persons name...).  This was a post about bad experiences since March 2009 surgeries and someone trying to get their "protein" in......:

Post Date: 3/28/09 8:46 pm

ive had a few horrible experiences with food getting stuck...ughhh
i cant seem to take SMALL bites! also with getting fluids in or even food for that matter! nothing i drink tastes right and i used to love water! im trying a side order of beans mixed with a little rice and a drop of sour cream from taco bell just to get some protein in...honestly im just staring at it...dont even wanna eat it!!

Okay Micheala...don't judge, don't judge, don't judge...DANG-NABBIT, I can't help it.  Taco Bell?  Is that legal? I think Dr. Houston would kick me two blocks down Murphy Avenue if I told him I was using Taco Bell for protein?  Okay...food is getting stuck....just had RNY surgery....rice?  Can we have rice?  Sour cream?  I am drinking protein n having chicken broth w/the occasional SF popsicle.....nowhere in my Bariatric Owner's Manual does it say "Taco Bell" is okay.....what am I missing here?

Now, my weight was the same yesterday morning as it was tonight...268.2..(-21.6 pounds)..I just expected it to keep rolling down for a while.  I am hoping for better things tomorrow morning....I am going to stay on track & keep doing what I am told and think about what my body would do if I put Taco Bell in it right now...OMGoodness.....

What am I missing here?  Someone, please fill me in?  xo, Micheala.

OK, what we have here is a failure to communicate!  Not really, but that sounds good! 

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt!  If you are worried about your weight stalling, that's normal at this point.  Now it does not happen to everyone, but it happens to the majority of WLS patients!  So, take a moment and .......

BREATH!!!!!

Your body is in what is called "starvation mode"!  It is screaming at you, yelling at the top of it's lungs..."What the heck are you doing to me?"  It is trying to hold on to every once it can.  You have been losing at an alarming rate, and it has put the brakes on...HARD!!!! 

Sit back and don't stress over it.  Enough of us have gone through the same thing at this stage of the game!  In fact, even I thought that I was the only one in the world that surgery was not working for.  "OMG, what have I done and all I've lost is 25 pounds!" Then one glorious morn I awoke to the scales saying, "OK, now you've lost 6 pounds overnight, are you feeling better?"

The simple answer is hold on, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.  The complex answer is, hold on, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!  Either way, rejoice in knowing, there are going to be stop signs, yields, and no through traffic signs along the course!

Take care and know, this is normal!  By the way, you have a lovely way with words!  Your post are entertaining, but full of information, life and zeal!  Keep it up, I truly enjoy reading what you write!

Have a great day!

Thanks, Scott....today proved your theory true...a speed bump for sure, but I made it over in my low-profile vehicle...lol....I was down 3 pounds this morning.  I guess it was a great lesson in how to be patient & stay the course!!

Thanks for the kudos on my posts....maybe you can photograph a book & I'll write about it!!! xo, Micheala.

OK where to start, where to start?  Early on, and I say this in defense, I had a stricture and threw up every single thing I ate for 2 1/2 months.  Sometimes the only thing I could eat without hurling was about 3 bites of baked potato.  Or, Wendy's chili.  So, that is what I ate.  That surely would not be on my list of approved foods to tell anyone.  My protein count was "in the basement" according to Dr. H.  But, I was hurting a lot with a lack of information on protein shakes.  (While today, I cringe at the thought of putting a baked potato in my mouth...  all I see are carbs,carbs, carbs!)

That's why this board is so important.  When we need it, there are people here who have the answers.  When we eat crap, there are people here who say "WTH?"  And when we need protein help, there are people here who KNOW and WILL help.  Paula, Kym and Susan were my lifeline.  They helped me when I was desperate.  I think I was the first recipient of a personalized protein intervention, of which protein parties were born!  I know that there are others here whose program did not even teach them about protein supplements and don't want their folks using them...  but because of this board, and its members, they learned how to mix protein drinks, buy good products, and are a healthy result because of it...

Sometimes people really do not know...  but sometimes they do know and are just so desperate or fearful that they must eat something, anything...  and yes there will always be those who just don't care and do it anyway, but in my case, my rules from Dr. H said to eat X, Y, Z and I tried X, Y, Z over and over again but it just wouldn't stay down...  But anyway...  that's my .049 cents worth

*due to the price of inflation, the price of an opinion has increased from .02 to .049 cents.

Mel--I will definitely pay the inflated price for your opinions....!

I am so thankful that I am able to tolerate my protein (& really, actually, love it)...because those first days were horrible.  I just know that my only reason for having this surgery wasn't just weight loss--it was a total nutritive makeover for a longer, healthier life free from the addictions of sugar, caffeine, fat & crud.  I guess my insecurities about ever going back into those dark places show when I see someone else doing it.

Thanks for the cents-worth! xo, M.

Michaela,
Scott is wrong.  LOL> I was the only person that surgery was not going to work on. I was sure of it.  I lost 19 pounds in 2 weeks, then had lost 31 pounds by a month, I think, then...nothing...nothing.  My body rebelled big time.  Went into starvation mode, big time.  It had to catch up.  This is when getting in tons of liquids and those protein shakes is critical.  This is also the time that I started riding my exercise bike to start working on my metabolism.  I started incredibly slowly-5 minutes at a time only twice a day.  It took me 2 weeks to get up to 30 minutes a day and another week to do it all at one time.  This all happened again at about 6 months and I actually had to increase my caloric intake at that time.  As you know, I have always suffered stalls, and am still 23 pounds from my personal goal, but this surgery does work.  Keep following the rules that your surgeon gives you NO MATTER WHAT!  You are a smart girl and you chose your surgeon for a reason, so don't decide to be a ninny at this late date and go off and do something different.  (Not that I really think you would, that was for the benefit of anyone else reading this.)  Each surgeon has done research on his/her own and has reasons for his/her program, and since we chose that surgeon we should follow the plan we chose to attain the best result we can attain.  As far as the other boards, visit them, but don't forget where your home is!

ahhhh....23 pounds from goal...for those of us looking way, way, WAY down at you on the Looooser's Bench you have a great seat!! You are doing incredible!  I can't wait to be where you are.

Thanks for letting me know about your journey.  I guess I have to remember that this is, in fact, a journey & appreciate every moment. Of course, that's easier said today since the scale dropped three pounds on my 2 week anniversary....but, from this I have learned that stalls will occur, so I should be prepared & just stay the course!

Thanks...xo, M.

 I can understand your gut reaction to this.  Yes, I am thankful for my doctor as well. Remember, each program has totally different ideas on when you can progress.  Vandy puts you onto soft foods after a week.  Sure, I made some serious mess-ups because I tested it too early.  I definitely paid for those but just follow what your plan says.  

 Taco Bell, hell, food in general is not inherently bad.  The trick to this trying to figure out how to make better choices and do research.  If you look at the nutritional values of Taco Bell pintos and cheese,  they are as follows:

Calories: 128
Fat:   6
Carbs:19
Protein: 9

Yeah, the fat is probably a bit higher than it should be if  you just opened up a can yourself, but in the big scheme of things,  It is nowhere near the 4 tacos, 1 chili cheese burrito, and a small nachos that I would have had before the surgery.  
Right now, you are in a very controlled environment.  Once you get back to work or start traveling or just life in general, you will be faced with situations where  you can't always pack your lunch or cook at home.  You will have to go out into the real world try to survive.  With the knowledge that Dr. Houston and his team have given you, you will be able to make smarter choices.  Who knows,  you might end up with some Pintos and cheese.  .   On a side note,  the rice, absolute no-no and I would use greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  More bang for my buck.  

Good luck!

I agree with Missy. As far as fast food, Pintos and Cheese from Taco Bell is one of the better choices. I have done this when there is nothing better available. The key is making it fit into your plan. At this point I can only eat half of a container. I have it occasionally if it fits in with my daily plan. I log all my food and count calories, carbs, fat and protein. I stay within my limits and occassionally work some favorites in. It is all a matter of planning and counting.

I hit my first stall at a month out. For two weeks the scale didn't move. It was frustrating but I've read enough on the boards to know this will happen to almost everyone. Don't panic but try to be patient. The scale will move again.
Hang in there.
Karen

Thanks Missy...I guess you are right...I must be a Taco-Bell Snob, because I have always thought of it as the bottom of the bluck ladder when it comes to food.  Probably because I survived on it in college & law school & then, for ten years, can't even smell it w/out gagging....that's a good thing! 

Thanks, M.