MlkPas

I'm almost 11 months out and my loss has slowed to a crawl, too. I'm hoping to lost 5 more pounds by my surgiversary on March 17, and my ultimate goal is to lose another 5 more after that. I'm not really dieting, but I have tracked every bite on www.fitday.com every since my surgery and it really helps keep me honest! If you don't want to do that, I'd advise cutting out the bread -- it slows my loss like crazy! Also, are you working with a trainer? A good one is expensive but you might find it's worth it. I started with a trainer at the end of August and I'm really happy with how my body is re-shaping itself! Just a few thoughts from somebody with almost identical numbers!!

My Costco doesn't have the Premiere Protein bars. I like the Pure Protein bars that I get at Target. Depending on the flavor, they are 18-20 grams of protein in 180-200 calories. And they taste pretty good, too.

Just looked at Fitday.com. For the last two months (I'm 7 months out), my averages are: Calories: 1,074 Fat: 46g Carbs: 98g Protein: 61g Alcohol: 5.8g My Vitamins and minerals look great because I am religious about taking my supplements. That's pretty high carb, but I'm losing an average of a pound a week, and I'm a lightweight so that works for me. I could totally eat like this for the rest of my life -- I have pretty much zero need to increase my calories much at all, ever. I am never hungry and don't deprive myself. My daily calories range between 650 or so to as much as 1,500 or even a bit more if I go out and have dinner and a drink or two.

I don't really know what to tell you. I am averaging just under 1,100 calories a day, exercising four times a week, and losing about a pound a week, and that has me on track to get to goal by my one-year surgiversary. For me, 1,000 to 1,200 feels very normal and not like a diet, and I didn't have this surgery so I could diet -- I had it so I could STOP dieting! But I know everybody is different, so maybe my experience isn't helpful to you. One thing that really does throw me off, though, is too much "bad" stuff. I went through a phase where I was drinking wine several times a week, and eating sweets almost every day, and that really slowed down my weight loss. I have cut that out almost entirely and I can really see a difference on the scale, even though my total calories aren't that much different. Plus I find that eating "bad" carbs makes me crave more of the same. If I stick to good healthy food I do much better. Other things that work for me: I have a Protein shake for Breakfast every morning -- 30 grams of proteiin in 160 calories, gives me a great jumpstart on my protein for the day. If I'm eating lunch in, I'm likely to have a Protein Bar for lunch. 20 grams protein, 180 calories. Then I have plenty of calories left for a decent dinner and maybe an evening snack. Or if I go out to lunch, I have a tiny dinner -- maybe a slice of cheese and an ounce of salami and call it a day. I'm also religious about taking my Multivitamin and my Calcium. I was having a hard time remembering, and then something as simple as moving the Vitamins from the kitchen into the bathroom solved my problem -- now I just take my vits right after I brush my teeth in the morning, and it's become automatic. And I swear it's helped my weight loss! If you're not doing weight training, I really encourage you to start. It makes you feel great and builds muscle, which is great for all kinds of reasons. I splurged on twice-weekly sessions with a personal trainer and it's the best money I've spent since my surgery. I also take dance classes twice a week. Hope this helps! Hang in there -- you are doing great!

It all depends on how much you have to lose and where you started. I'm just over 6 months out and have lost about 36 pounds so far, so you are WAY WAY WAY ahead of me! :confused1:

I totally know how you feel. I had a million Last Suppers and Food Funerals. The good news is that everything changes once the surgery is done. Just do your best and hang in there!!

I agree with the others. If possible, I'd suggest putting off the surgery until after the sleepover.

I've been noticing something kind of sad lately. I have several friends online at non-diet-related forums who have been posting about how they have gained weight, or regained weight they've previously lost, asking for tips about how to lose weight and keep it off. And you know what? It just makes me sad, sad, sad. I've known most of these people online for years, and all of us have been dieting unsuccessfully, or losing and regaining, all that time. I feel so freakin' lucky that I was able to have this surgery and that my weight is finally coming off for good (and I've been open about it with these friends and they have been very supportive), but I honestly have no idea what to say to people asking for diet tips. The reality is, diets don't work unless you stay on them forever. You have to eat way less than you want to, you have to be hungry, you have to bust your butt in the gym, you can't ever let up even a little, and then if you are very very lucky and are able to make your diet and exercise program the main focus of your life FOREVER, you may be able to lose your excess weight and keep it off. And if you're not able to do that near-impossible feat, then you hate yourself for being weak. Man. I guess I'm just rambling at this point, but I have been there and done that for so long that it just makes me all kinds of sad to see the people who are still stuck in the diet trap. I guess the best thing for me is to just keep my cyber-mouth shut when the topic of diets comes up, huh?

Holy guacamole! You look incredible! You are rocking that sleeve!! Congratulations!!!

As for the question about requirements if you're self pay, it's really between you and your surgeon. My doc told me there are FDA requirements for the band because it's a device that's regulated by them so you have to meet their BMI requirements and so on, but for the sleeve it's up to the doctor's medical judgment. I started out with a pretty low BMI (32) but with my history yo-yo dieting and the fact that I was gaining weight as I got older he didn't require a higher BMI or any co-morbidities. He did require a psych clearance, but I was able to provide a letter from the therapist I'd been seeing for a while for other issues and that was fine with him.

I'm doing better, finally. I joined the gym, too, and have been working with a trainer twice a week. Closing in on 35 pounds lost and a "normal" BMI. Fitting into my smallest clothes, which is great. I finally feel like you could pass me on the street and not think "fat" as your first impression of me. Good luck with 6 more by October, kalew!

I'm 5-1/2 months out and I can eat a whole taco, but if I do I know I will feel Thanksgiving-dinner full! I feel like I eat pretty normal amounts of food, but it is WAY WAY WAY less than my DH or DS eat, and I couldn't even begin to eat an entire restaurant meal. (Although I can, on a good day, polish off most of a 240-calorie kid's grilled chicken breast and broccoli meal from California pizza Kitchen. Again, though, Thanksgiving-full!) As for drinking, my surgeon said it's not the end of the world to have a few sips of a beverage with a meal, and I did at first, but I've gotten out of the habit because the liquid takes up space in my stomach that I'd rather use for food at mealtime! If you're eating slowly and chewing adequately, there's really no need to "wash your food down," anyway. I am surprised every day by how little I can eat and how satisfied I am with that little. I feel amazingly normal -- in fact, I feel more normal than I ever did before surgery, when I wanted to eat everything in sight and was never satisfied until I had done just that! And I had one piece of Papa John's pizza for dinner tonight and it was just awesome.

Breezy is totally right! I went through a period about 3-4 months out when I was eating a lot of "slider" foods like popcorn and cupcakes and Cookies. My calories were still low, but I was getting pretty snacky. And guess what? My weight loss slowed to a crawl and I was going nuts!! When I cut out the junky stuff and concentrated on getting all my Protein in, my weight loss started to speed up again, even though my total calories went UP! Go figure, huh? I also got serious about exercise and now I'm working out with a trainer twice a week, which is doing wonders for my mental state as well as my body. And this month is shaping up to be my best weight-loss month since the first month, even though I've gone from under 900 calories average per day to over 1000.

Nobody at my workplace has even mentioned my weight loss, much less asked about surgery! LOL If and when it comes up, I have decided that I will not lie if asked a direct question about surgery, but I will not volunteer the information. If somebody asks, "What are you doing?" and I say "I've drastically reduced my portion sizes and am working with a personal trainer," I've told the truth even though I haven't volunteered the fact that I've also had surgery. If somebody asks "Did you have gastric bypass?" and I say "No," that's also the truth, although at that point I may or may not clarify that I had a different surgery, depending on who's asking. If somebody asks, "Did you have weight loss surgery?" I will either say "yes," or I will smile and say "That's a very personal question and I don't want to get into it."

I feel a moral obligation not to tell an outright lie if asked directly whether I have had WLS. That's it. I don't feel any obligation to volunteer the information, or even to answer the question. But I don't lie, and that includes lying about this. As for the stigma and education and so on, I don't feel an obligation to single-handedly take on the task of educating everybody with whom I come in contact. I don't ever participate in any conversations that perpetuate anti-fat bias or stereotypes, but beyond that I make any disclosures on a case-by-case basis.

I told my family (DH, DS, my parents), a few close friends, and the people I go to school with (we're a small and close-knit graduate school class). I didn't tell anybody at work (except my immediate, trusted staff -- 3 people) because I have a fairly high-profile position and I didn't want people gossiping about me. So I guess I'm on the case-by-case bench, too!

Russ, I had exactly the same experience as you -- I was sleeved on March 17 and my loss also really slowed down at about the 3 month mark. I lost just 1.4 pound in June, but then I lost 7.8 pounds in July! Not all of us have all our weight drop off seemingly all at once, but I am confident that we will all get to our goals if we don't sabotage ourselves!

I think I'd tried it by 2.5 months out. Honestly, though, I don't dig it much any more. I used to really enjoy Margaritas, but I've stopped ordering them because I just can't finish one. They're too sugary or something, and it just kills me to spend $10 on a drink and leave most of it behind! If I find myself out for drinks with friends, I'll just order a glass of white wine and sip it -- one glass will last me for an evening.

Great observations, Donna! Have you read "The End of Overeating" by David Kessler? It's a whole book about this exact same thing!

I didn't tell anybody at work except my immediate staff (2 people). I took vacation time instead of sick leave from work (1-1/2 weeks). And because I'm a lightweight I've lost the weight slowly enough that nobody has really noticed. A couple of people have noticed me eating less and I just said I was dieting and that was the end of it.

You two look great! Congratulations!!

That's awesome! We just had our grill cleaned and serviced so we are good to go for the summer! Tomorrow is ribeye night at our house!!

I use a dessert plate and child-sized silverware. It didn't take long at all to adjust. These days (3 months out) the "normal" servings my DS and DH eat look HUGE to me!

Mary, you took the words right out of my mouth! "You have a big butt," is just a statement of fact, like "the sky is blue" or "you have curly hair." I'd tell my kids, "Yes, Mommy has a big butt and curly hair and brown eyes and a big mouth so she can give you lots of kisses!!" They take their cue from you -- if you're not upset, they won't be, either.

Uh, last I heard there was no such thing as "militant atheist doctrine." I'd bet anything the people in the freethinkers group are just like you -- people who want to meet others who don't need or want religion in their lives. Give it a try -- if you don't like it, you don't have to go back!