feedyoureye

Here is a percent EWL calculator.... check it out. I am down 82.5% EWL at 4 1/2 years. According to the research paper... thats damn good. Funny, look at the numbers one way and feel like a failier, look at them another way and feel proud.
http://www.percentagecalculator.net/
I used the second calculator... I put the number of pounds I have lost at this time in the first slot, and the number of pounds I lost at goal in the second slot.

I'm almost 18 months out and I eat when I'm hungry...every 2-3 hours. Always have, probably always will. I just eat healthy and don't overeat. The problems arise when I go 4+ hours without eating then I'm STARVED and I tend to eat crap and too much of it. So my advice...if you're hungry, eat.

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time Florinda. You have MS though and I am sure that contributesto everything. Depression causes weight gain.
 
I am really depressed. I can barely walk, let alone go to the gym, dance or hike, all the things I love.
 
I have an appt. with two therpists and I will pick one to do some counseling.

Sorry you have run into the wrong peeps here! At 4+ years, maintenance is the hardest part... and goes on forever! Coming here really helps me to stay in the game. Its the times that I want to be "normal" and just follow my nose without staying conscious of my actions that I start to regain. It took me 3 years to get to goal, and I have had ups and downs during maintenance... I am up right now, but heading down again... Usually the people I see giving "holier than thou" comments are still somewhere in the honeymoon phase, and really don't have a long term clue yet. Stick with us, and the Vets forum are for those who are mostly beyond the honeymoon, and facing the reality of reality further out!

Sorry you have run into the wrong peeps here! At 4+ years, maintenance is the hardest part... and goes on forever! Coming here really helps me to stay in the game. Its the times that I want to be "normal" and just follow my nose without staying conscious of my actions that I start to regain. It took me 3 years to get to goal, and I have had ups and downs during maintenance... I am up right now, but heading down again... Usually the people I see giving "holier than thou" comments are still somewhere in the honeymoon phase, and really don't have a long term clue yet. Stick with us, and the Vets forum are for those who are mostly beyond the honeymoon, and facing the reality of reality further out!

Research tell us that most weight gain happens after 3 years. I think there are both mental and physical reasons for this. Some of the reasons are unknown by medicine....they are looking into it more than ever. Lots of new research thinks that changes in the biom have something to do with why we lose, and if we start back into eating those refined foods we used to eat, the biom slowly changes back to how it was before surgery. (Some research suggests that when you eat lots of refined food, you grow more bacteria in the gut that processe that kind of food, and the bacteria has an imperative to get you to eat even more of that food FOR THEM. Creepy hugh? Our gut floura tells us what to eat. So if you stick with the right foods long enough, the gut will want you to keep eating them. Slip up for long enough and the gut will trigger chemicles that scream EAT CAKE! Not kidding. That is only part of the story, but those primitive voices that call us to eat cake are real and hard to ignore. There is thought that the surgery sets the gut biom in a new direction and gives us a boost towards a healthy reset... that combined with a smaller stomach helps the initial weight loss. I am at 41/2 years, have struggled with my goal... took 3 years to get to goal, and have bounced around a bit there... I am about 14 pounds above goal right now... and holding... always going back to maintaining consciousness about what i eat and how I move when I slip up... lots of good habits I keep up all the time...I consider myself a success (and so do my docs)... of course I would rather be at goal... but its still a work in progress.
Why couldn't I just lose it and keep it off before surgery? I wonder why too, but seeing the stats about how many people can lose and keep off the weight withought surgery is reason enough for me to have gotten surgery. This is the very firt time I could get it all off or stay anywhere near goal this long in my entire life. I have achieved many things in my life, lots of travel, interesting jobs, notariety in my field.... really, the only thing that has been the bane of my life and health has been being fat and not finding success taking it off or keeping it off. Like most of us here, I spent at least half of my life trying without success. This surgery has been the tool I needed to have some success there as well.

My Fitness Pal is a key in my daily success as well. When I don't use it... I ALWAYS gain.

Research tell us that most weight gain happens after 3 years. I think there are both mental and physical reasons for this. Some of the reasons are unknown by medicine....they are looking into it more than ever. Lots of new research thinks that changes in the biom have something to do with why we lose, and if we start back into eating those refined foods we used to eat, the biom slowly changes back to how it was before surgery. (Some research suggests that when you eat lots of refined food, you grow more bacteria in the gut that processe that kind of food, and the bacteria has an imperative to get you to eat even more of that food FOR THEM. Creepy hugh? Our gut floura tells us what to eat. So if you stick with the right foods long enough, the gut will want you to keep eating them. Slip up for long enough and the gut will trigger chemicles that scream EAT CAKE! Not kidding. That is only part of the story, but those primitive voices that call us to eat cake are real and hard to ignore. There is thought that the surgery sets the gut biom in a new direction and gives us a boost towards a healthy reset... that combined with a smaller stomach helps the initial weight loss. I am at 41/2 years, have struggled with my goal... took 3 years to get to goal, and have bounced around a bit there... I am about 14 pounds above goal right now... and holding... always going back to maintaining consciousness about what i eat and how I move when I slip up... lots of good habits I keep up all the time...I consider myself a success (and so do my docs)... of course I would rather be at goal... but its still a work in progress.
Why couldn't I just lose it and keep it off before surgery? I wonder why too, but seeing the stats about how many people can lose and keep off the weight withought surgery is reason enough for me to have gotten surgery. This is the very firt time I could get it all off or stay anywhere near goal this long in my entire life. I have achieved many things in my life, lots of travel, interesting jobs, notariety in my field.... really, the only thing that has been the bane of my life and health has been being fat and not finding success taking it off or keeping it off. Like most of us here, I spent at least half of my life trying without success. This surgery has been the tool I needed to have some success there as well.

these vintage styles look super cute.... http://www.unique-vintage.com/unique-vintage-black-ruched-mansfield-halter-one-piece-swimsuit.html

Research tell us that most weight gain happens after 3 years. I think there are both mental and physical reasons for this. Some of the reasons are unknown by medicine....they are looking into it more than ever. Lots of new research thinks that changes in the biom have something to do with why we lose, and if we start back into eating those refined foods we used to eat, the biom slowly changes back to how it was before surgery. (Some research suggests that when you eat lots of refined food, you grow more bacteria in the gut that processe that kind of food, and the bacteria has an imperative to get you to eat even more of that food FOR THEM. Creepy hugh? Our gut floura tells us what to eat. So if you stick with the right foods long enough, the gut will want you to keep eating them. Slip up for long enough and the gut will trigger chemicles that scream EAT CAKE! Not kidding. That is only part of the story, but those primitive voices that call us to eat cake are real and hard to ignore. There is thought that the surgery sets the gut biom in a new direction and gives us a boost towards a healthy reset... that combined with a smaller stomach helps the initial weight loss. I am at 41/2 years, have struggled with my goal... took 3 years to get to goal, and have bounced around a bit there... I am about 14 pounds above goal right now... and holding... always going back to maintaining consciousness about what i eat and how I move when I slip up... lots of good habits I keep up all the time...I consider myself a success (and so do my docs)... of course I would rather be at goal... but its still a work in progress.
Why couldn't I just lose it and keep it off before surgery? I wonder why too, but seeing the stats about how many people can lose and keep off the weight withought surgery is reason enough for me to have gotten surgery. This is the very firt time I could get it all off or stay anywhere near goal this long in my entire life. I have achieved many things in my life, lots of travel, interesting jobs, notariety in my field.... really, the only thing that has been the bane of my life and health has been being fat and not finding success taking it off or keeping it off. Like most of us here, I spent at least half of my life trying without success. This surgery has been the tool I needed to have some success there as well.

MyFitnessPal...and it syncs to my fitbit as well. I used to use fitday.com... but MFP has lots more listings and easier... I also use the phone app when I'm on the road.

My Fitness Pal is a key in my daily success as well. When I don't use it... I ALWAYS gain.

This thread inspired me to also go back to basics as i want to knock off the last 25-30 to bring me to goal. In the last 2 days I've lost 2 pounds and have broken through my almost 3 month stall. I write everything down and realize that i was eating as if at goal already vs eating to continue to lose. Im back to low or no fat greek yogurt with 1 packet of stevia in the raw twice a day, 2 hard boiled eggs made as deviled eggs with dijon mustard, 1 med apple per day eaten 1/2 at a time as a snack 2x per day with 1/2 the apple and 2 mini baby bel cheese for each indiv serving Until i wrote down what i was eating vs what i needed to eat to get me to goal i had no idea and kept thinking oh its just a stall. I caused the stall. Once i reach goal i will then resume how i had been eating during my stall as i gained no weight during this time. Oh and Water water water ????

You'll have to be accountable to yourself. That's the best kind of accountability anyway.
The tool that has helped me the most (in addition to my sleeve) along this journey is My Fitness Pal. I use it for two things: (1) planning my daily menus and (2) tracking what I ate.
The first function (planning my daily menus) has been very important to my success. YOU decide what you're going to eat. Don't let random food sitting around decide for you.
Best wishes!

When I get into the tub and my body is actually under Water and my stomach is not sticking out!

Just read this whole thread.
Wow! What an eye-opener.
I'm almost 6 weeks at / below my goal.
Obviously, there's a lot to learn about maintenance.
One thing for sure -- whatever it is now, it will be different in the future.
Great thread. Thanks to all who've contributed long-term to it. Really, thanks!

Hi all -- I haven't been around much cos I was avoiding this thread for a while, during the time I was sooooo down and depressed cos I was just a huge bummer. I need to catch up on what I've missed as well as update you on news from my side, but have to carve out some time to do so!! I have to go on a biz trip next week and anticipate a lot of hurry-up-and-wait, as well as jet lag mid-night awakeness, so hopefully can do it soon.
The short version is: I'm doing MUCH better, thank you all for your support while I was in the $h1tter of life...
xoxoxo

215.8 this morning, last night it was 219.6 and had been 219.6 for 4 days. I don't feel hunger, perhaps one of the only blessings I received from the surgery, while others lost faster or more my actual hunger has never come back. I get this weird kind of cramping in my stomach region that I think probably indicates the empty walls of my stomach smacking into each other, lol.
Yesterday I had a Protein Shake and a salad of sauteed greens, sardines, and avocado and for dessert a Protein doughnut made of coconut flour, chia, raw honey, etc.
8 pounds in ...14 days.

HI guys, nice to see you all here... I have been working on some prints, drypoints. Here are some photos... the press, a pic of an inked up plate and a pic of the finished print. Its old school and so much fun.
These are of a pair of earrings I bought in India years ago, I wear them most of the time and they show up in my paintings now and then too....
Got a few pound off... trying to stay on track...

When I get into the tub and my body is actually under Water and my stomach is not sticking out!

I definately am an emotional eater. It is so clear to me now. Over the last year I gained 18 pounds. (!!!), three of them in the last two weeks (eating vacation... I swear, three pastery shops a day!) I feel like I finally really feel like I have had enough to eat... three days ago I started back with the whole list of dos: Protein first, enough Water, and semi fasting two days a week (5:2) and I have lost the 3 1/2 pounds from vacation already. I hope to get back to my goal/bounce range someday. I am tired of wearing my fat pants and missing my skinny jeans in the closet! We can do it ladies... one day at a time. I know the fast days can be hard... I find if I write everything down that I will eat after work... including something sweet... and I can look forward to that, I find its easier to stay on track the first part of the day. I also use 100 cals on a Protein Drink in my thai tea in the AM, that helps too.

I think you are doing well, and should be proud of yourself. After doing 5:2 and the 5 day pouch test, I am down 3 pounds currently.... it has been really hard to get the old body to take it off and keep it off... its 3 pounds is good, but still way above my old bounce range...(14 pounds).... I really am not sure what it will take, but just keep ploding on, and trying to do the Protein first, increase my protein, drink enough water, eat more veggies to fill up after that.... lower the carbs, and the advice I have given others and myself for years now... WRITE it all down, good, bad, ugly.... use my fitbit, and try to keep it positive come what may. I think I must be producing a ton of cortisal... just feel like its coursing in my veins... stress and sad too much of the time... but did sort of see a bright spot today... a way to think that makes way for hope, and have been working on my art more than ususal, which is great! LIFE! what a bitc!-! and what a blessing!

I hear your feelings about this, I just do not have the same response. When I dump a bunch of pounds very quickly from eating low carbs/calorie and high Protein, it is mostly from Water weight... no self depreciation at all.... it still feels fantastic, I am happy about it, and know that later weight loss (probably slower) will be fat, if Im eating and exercising right, and not muscle or water. No prob..... really what that statement means to me, is if I don't keep up the good work, it will show up back on in about a minute... still just water.

The last big party I hosted was a month after Linda died. Betty and I always did birthdays together and it was the last birthday party we did - back in 2007. Life is full of regrets, and one of them was not keeping somehow connected with Betty. By the time of her 50th, she was dying of brain cancer so no party there.
This year I joked with my family that this was my 50th plus 1 since I was not in a hosting state of mind for my 50th (don't worry, friends took me out for an evening so it was noticed by someone even if my entire family blew by it)
My friend Mary told me that I am such a good hostess... went around and talked to everyone, made sure everyone had someone to talk to (people didn't all know each other), made sure there were beverages and food flowing... all that kind of stuff. I enjoyed it alot and wasn't even aware I was being a good hostess... I was just in my element I think.

HI guys, nice to see you all here... I have been working on some prints, drypoints. Here are some photos... the press, a pic of an inked up plate and a pic of the finished print. Its old school and so much fun.
These are of a pair of earrings I bought in India years ago, I wear them most of the time and they show up in my paintings now and then too....
Got a few pound off... trying to stay on track...