Virginia S

I think mostly our basic body shape doesn't change. In other words, the saddlebags will probably be the last thing to go. I have giganto-calves. Incredibly thick, almost as big around as my thighs. They've shrunk tremendously, but so have my thighs, leaving my (much skinnier) calves still almost as big around as my (much skinnier) thighs. As for the lady area, I noticed after about 75 lbs that not only did my clothes fit much better, so did my husband.

I had my surgery on April 18, 2011, and so far have lost 117 lbs (as of last Monday). I only weigh once a week. My dream is to be in onederland when I weigh this coming Monday.

I have an odd combination: an incredibly tiny sleeve of steel. I can tolerate everything - never vomited, never even close. But I can't eat much - 1 1/2 oz of dense protein or just under 2 oz of wet protein (chicken salad, tuna salad) at 6 months. But Rumbly (it's still a very noisy sleeve) has been good to me so I can't complain.

It sucks, but stress can cause/prolong a stall, and it sounds like you've got more than your share right now. I'm proud of you for making the hard choice that's right for your future. For now, just focus on doing what you need to do - eating right, drinking good fluids, staying active - and stay off the scale. You don't need the added stress of looking at that same number day after day. The stall will break. The more you take care of yourself, the less that stress will contribute to prolonging it. Good luck!

Thanks! I noticed we're "sleeve sisters" on April 18th. You're doing great, congratulations!

This is an attempt at posting my 6 month pictures. Things have gone pretty well - it's all been simple (but far from easy). First pic is me at 319 earlier this year. Second pic is me today at 214 or less (I haven't weighed since last Monday). You can click to see larger pics, but the before is plenty large enough for my taste!

Mix in a little unsweetened cocoa powder to taste.

I did 3 Protein shakes about 30 grams and a low carb dinner. I didn't count carbs, but did no breads, potatoes, Pasta, etc. Most days I did a salad with chicken breast or chicken or tuna salad or something on it. Careful of drowning it in dressing, and no cheese/croutons. Bacon bits OK, nuts OK. Right before surgery, I ditched the salad and only drank 3 or 4 shakes a day. That was all I ate except sugar free Jello or sugar free popsicles. I didn't count calories or carbs and lost 35 lbs pre-op, 21 in the last 6 weeks.

I've never heard the no milk rule from other practices, so I doubt it's dangerous. A lot of people do become lactose intolerant, though, which may be the reason for this rule. So: If you're not feeling uncomfortable, probably no harm. But I recommend you stick with your practice's rules and not have any more until you're allowed. You're fine!

I think it varies by the store. Our little GNC here is a joke too, but I've been to one near my sister's house that's great.

I follow the program very strictly. So far in 6 weeks I've eaten nothing at all that was off plan except one very small bite (and I mean tiny bite) of my daughter's birthday cake. I haven't had one bite of bread, potatoes, Cereal, even fruit. Nothing but eggs, meat, cheese, a little veggie, some mayo & greek yogurt to moisten things. I figure I only get one shot at the first-six-month honeymoon period. Some people would probably find that too restrictive, but to me it makes it easier on me to follow the routine absolutely. I know myself, and if I give myself permission to go off program a little, the next time it'll be a little more, then a little more...I'm actually a little scared of maintenance when I have to take more responsibility for deciding what and how to eat.

Way to go! That's amazing. I haven't seen such a dramatic change from my 50 lbs, but I have a ways further to go. I dream of regular size clothing - that must feel soooooo good! Congratulations.

Stalls happen. But I'm here are a couple of thoughts anyway: How much are you drinking? I found that upping my Clear liquids helped me a lot. I put your meals into myfitnesspal.com and got about 830 calories, 35 carbs and 135 or so grams of Protein including over half from Protein drinks (46 from the nectar alone). Suggestion: drink ONLY as much protein as you need to make your goals. Try not to get any calories from drinks that you don't need to. You are eating enough to get almost all your protein from food - consider dropping down to one protein supplement a day if you get enough protein otherwise. Those are the things that worked for me: upping my clear liquids, getting only the protein from a supplement that I absolutely have to.

There are no foods we can never ever eat, but there are foods we should avoid during weight loss because we will undermine ourselves. During this stage, you should avoid any simple carbs and even most complex carbs in the form of breads, potatoes, cereals, etc. Even sugary fruits and starchy veggies add to your carbs and slow your weight loss. If you stick to lean meat, non-starchy veggies and sensible Protein supplements plus clear non-calorie liquids you will do best. On maintenance you can have anything in moderation but might want to avoid foods that were triggers for you. Were you someone who couldn't eat one cookie without eating the pack? Or were you like me and could eat as much Pasta as you could lay your hands on? Maybe a good idea to simply rule those foods out. Some folks say you should never make any food taboo, but to me it's easier to rule a problem food out completely than try to control it when you eat it. There's an interesting book called "The Thin Commandments" that talks about that.

Congrats! It's easy to get discouraged, I'm glad you're feeling better about yourself. Remember this the next time a slow losing period hits - it WILL end, and it's not your fault. I have been slow losing the last several weeks - about 2 lbs a week. This week - 6 lbs. I think the biggest differences have been I'm able to get a little more Protein from food/less Protein drinks and I've continued to push to up my fluids. Gotta go update my ticker :-)