lsereno

Proud of you Laura! I know you were depressed about eating bad and then losing, but I want to mention that alcohol is a diuretic, so that may have contributed to weight loss after a night out. Or maybe you body finally took the hint that you want to be smaller! I'm happier with my two lb. bounce range. I don't feel like I will get as out of control with the snacking. Lynda

Alcohol is a diuretic. That may explain it. Lynda

Well in that case, chicken off the appetizer menu :-) Just pull off the breading if it comes that way. Some places have a cheese and meat appetizer plate. Not low fat, but good for a meal out if you don't see anything else you like. Lynda

Crab or shrimp cocktail are good for restaurants. Also soup and chili as others have mentioned. I also enjoyed fish items off the appetizer menu, such as scallops and shrimp skewers. I took my Protein powder and a shaker cup and mixed it with Starbucks instant decaf coffee. Fits great in a suitcase and no worries about spills. I also brought saltine crackers, because I was allowed a couple with meals on my plan. I bought greek yogurt cups at convenience stores and ate that too. When vacationing at a hotel with a mini fridge, I stocked up on a few yogurt cups, string cheese, and low fat lunch meat. If I could find a fruit cup with mostly melon, I bought that too. I couldn't tolerate most fruits the first few months because the acid bothered me. Lynda

If you don't want to drink, just put it in that category with other stuff you don't do even if someone wants you too. I went to lots of parties in the first six months post-op when I didn't drink and even now I only drink once or twice a week max so on vacation I don't drink every day and if I go to a lot of parties in one week, I don't drink at all of them. Have a backup plan for getting away if everyone else gets so tipsy that you can't stand another minute with them sober. I say I am tired or need a little rest when I need to get away from my fellow vacationers. Even if they give me a ration, I go hide in my room -reading a book or quietly looking at my ipad. If they are partying in my room, I hide by the pool or someone else's room. Find some non-alcoholic drinks you like that feel festive. I like sparkling Water with a splash of cranberry and a squeeze of lime. If you can't do bubbly drinks, it's good with still water too. That's how I drank it for the first months after surgery. I also like fruit juices cut with still or sparkling water. Then I ask for a garnish to perk it up. In the evening I have a decaf Soy Latte after dinner. Have fun and enjoy your vacation! Lynda

Have to agree that's its not the cookie that's the issue - it's the way you felt before and after you ate it. I still struggle with wanting more than I need -esp. junky foods. I prevent an ongoing backslide by getting back on my clean eating program. An occasional treat is OK, but they cannot be the norm. And, IMO, it's crucial to keep treats at a minimum till you get to goal. Be kind to yourself. What would you say to a friend in your shoes? Then say that to yourself. Yesterday, I really wanted junk after dinner. I had two cups of tea instead. And I pictured the snack isle in the store. Plenty of Snacks, and they are not going to run out. I can have some later! I do not need to have them now. Lynda

Happy birthday!

Hi Cheri, I'm at goal and have been maintaining 15 months now. I was two years out from surgery in May. I maintain by weighing every day and cutting back on Snacks if I am not within bounce range. I had a bounce range of 5 lbs but decided that was too big of a window and have reset my bounce range to 2 lbs. I do exercise, but I do not exercise more to get in range. Currently, I'm walking about an hour four days per week. I walk first thing in the morning because I simply won't exercise later in the day. My basic clean eating plan is: Low fat meats, non fat dairy, non-starchy veggies, fruit, and whole grains. I've outlined it below, but often eat part of the meal as a snack. So for example, I may have a soy latte at 8 a.m., then around 9 have the Protein and fruit. I shoot for: 2 oz. of protein, 1 serving fruit, and 1 serving non-fat dairy or soy milk for Breakfast 1 starch, 1-2 servings veggies, 2-3 oz. protein and 1 fruit for lunch 3 oz. protein, 1-2 servings veggies, 1 starch at dinner 1 serving non-fat dairy or soy milk after dinner. I know we are out there at goal weight. On the OH board there are few long-timers who stay at goal too. For me, one key is staying vigilant. It's one of the reasons I stay active here. When I was in WW I always swore if I managed to get to goal again (which I never did), I would teach, work, or volunteer with WW so I would keep the weight off. Staying active here helps me keep my focus on staying at goal. I do think it's important to lose the weight and get to the goal you want. As far as transitioning my mind set, the fear of weight gain is enough to do that for me. It's why I reset my bounce range too. After this long at maintenance I know that for me it takes continued eating of crap to gain 5 lbs and I'm just not comfortable with that. I probably would need a bigger bounce range if I still got the monthly, but I'm past that! I could always count on a few lbs of Water weight with that for a few days. Lynda

A couple of my fav inexpensive ports are Fonesca Porto Bin 27 and Presidential Ruby. Lynda

Welcome to the goalies bench! There's plenty of room for all us because we are all so skinny :-) Seriously, congrats on getting to goal. Love the pics! Lynda

My surgeon used a 40 bougie. I asked him because I had seen it discussed here. And I've lost 19.2 BMI points and if EWL is calculated based on the high end of normal BMI, I lost more than 100% of my excess weight. Lynda

OMG How did I miss this thread till now? You can't ever drink from a straw again You can't have port again (I love Port and it's the first alcoholic drink I had post-op.) Everyone who follows a 800 calorie or less diet during the first 6 months trashes their metabolism for the rest of their life. You can't eat <fill in the blank>. You can't drink <fill in the blank>. You won't lose unless you exercise. Lynda

Oh and I had the Protein shake for Breakfast and then after dinner. So a typical day early: Protein shake for breakfast 1-2 oz. meat and a bite of veggies for lunch and dinner Protein shake around 8 p.m. Lynda

Early out I had two Protein shakes a day and I made them with Soy Milk to get another 9 grams of protein. I like the GNC Gold Standard Whey. It's 24 grams of protein in a scoop. So with the Soy Milk it was 33 grams of protein for each shake. After a while, I was able to cut back to one shake per day and finally I was able to eat enough to get enough protein without a shake. I also ate greek yogurt (23 grams per cup), moist chicken breast (7 grams per ounce), crab meat, shrimp, and fish. Lynda

Ha ha! That's a relief! And we will fit in the seats on the boat too! Lynda

Thanks Leann! I'm looking forward to the day I can mark ten years at goal. Lynda

Hi Leanne, I posted the article. Here it is so others wont have to dig: http://img2.timg.co....1_151963966.pdf Regain is an issue. As others have said, it's a life long struggle, but it can be done! WLS has a higher success rate than any other method of losing weight and keeping it off. Start thinking now of how you will maintain long term success. For everyone, that is different. Some need additional counseling to deal with issues that lead them to overeat. Some need to add exercise. Some need to weigh every day. Some give up certain non-necessary foods. And follow those who are successful! Our fearless leader on these boards, Alex, is a good example. Shelly (eggface blog) is another. Here's to life on the goalies bench! Lynda

For me, it's not wasting the "Hail Mary" I made when I decided to get weight loss surgery. It's remembering that WLS was my last, best chance to get healthy and now that I am here, I must be vigilant to keep the gift of health I have been given. That means taking care of myself by eating right, exercising, drinking enough fluids, taking my Vitamins, and getting needed medical tests and vaccinations, It also means addressing issues that affect my mental health. Lynda

I think about food a lot too. I'm really hoping that it will be like when I quit smoking and the urges will fade over time. Not that they have disappeared. More than 20 years later, I still get the occasional very strong urge to smoke. And we all know food is harder because you can't just give it up. But some people do choose to give up certain foods. For example, Shelley of http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/ does not eat carbs. I'm not ready to say no permanently to any foods, but I recently read an article, Freedom from French Fries, on Gretchen Rubin's Blog (The Happiness Project) that talks about how saying no permanently can be easier than controlling how much and when: http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2013/01/want-to-be-free-from-french-fries-or-why-abstaining-may-be-easier-than-you-think/ For me, the key to maintaining is to weigh every day and take action IMMEDIATELY if I am out of my bounce range. I originally set that for 5 lbs. over goal weight, but I think that is too much, so I've changed it to 2 lbs. over goal weight. My weight does bounce a bit due to salt and whatever, but I'm post-menopausal, so I no longer have the monthly bounce range. So for me, 2 lbs. is enough to say time to cut back on the Snacks. I know maintaining the weight loss can be done. But it's not easy or there would be more long term successes out there. Lynda

Vicki, Glad the issue is identified and you will have a quick resolution. Lynda

Call your Dr. and discuss. Could be anything from eating too fast to gallbladder to stricture. Dr. will be able to ask the right questions to figure it out. Lynda

Not sure of your dietary restrictions, but here's some stuff I enjoyed at three weeks: low fat lunchmeat Turkey Chili Anderson Split Pea Soup No sugar added applesauce Moist chicken mixed with a little BBQ sauce Turkey meatloaf (found it in the deli case at Walmart) Crabmeat Shrimp Lynda

I had the same issue and even today I have more restriction first thing in the morning and kind of stretch out my breakfast. I stuck with Protein shakes or yogurt shake (greek yogurt, splash of OJ, bigger splash of Water, 2 strawberries and Splenda) till I was 6 months out or more. Lynda

Congrats!

Since it's two hours later I don't have a good answer. I would check with the doc and see if he/she thinks it is something to be concerned about. I had problems and had to take tiny sips slowly, but it got me right away, not two hours later. Lynda