Writergirl

Sent you an email! Haven't seen your blog for awhile. You look so beautiful!

That's awesome!

Get rid of them! You are going to love and deserve new clothes!

I have days where I want to eat all day and can consume 1300 calories (4 months out) and days where I don't want to eat, and can easily get by on 700. On those days when I want to eat, I choose what I eat carefully. I'm not stressing out too much about it now, but I would just say to track every bite you put in your mouth and don't do it two days in row. The other thing is that snacky foods like nuts will pack in LOTS of calories. Maybe you could switch to something like yogurt or cheese that fills the food need but doesn't "feed" those old habits.

Wow! Whew! Take a deep breath! You have a LOT going on here, including complications that you've had to deal with. Your body is going through a tremendous shock and tremendous changes, and everyone is different at this stage. Let me just address MyFitness Pal, though. I, too, log every single bite, and when I reached stalls it was SO beneficial to look at everything and see where I might tweak things. I highly recommend you continue to do this, now and forever. At the same time, the calorie goals set my MFP are for people who are on traditional diets. The unsleeved masses could not comfortably or successfully consume the small number of calories we can consume after surgery. The nutritionist at my bariatric center (of excellence) told me I should be consuming about 800 calories per day, including the 250 I get from my two protein drinks. Right now, you should be highly focussed on water, protein, vitamins, and as much exercise as you can do without injuring yourself or setting yourself back.

After a lifetime of failed dieting, it's easy and natural to feel that once again we are failing. However, this is a game changer, and all the rules are different. Again, take a deep breath, track, relax, and go through the process. It's going to be ok!

Big, HUGE CONGRATULATIONS!!!! What an amazing feeling that must be. I have so far to go, but know I'll be there myself one day!

Glad to hear you're out and about! I wondered how you fared. If it helps, during the first few weeks I also had serious doubts and felt lousy all the time. Don't overdo it, especially with weights. It's a day-to-day thing at this point.

Wish I had known about the Blossom pureed foods! I just got advanced to a full diet, and it's heavenly!

OMG, that is so ME! I'm taking prescription meds for acid, plus additional Zantac, so I don't think it's acid. I'm hungry very two hours, like clockwork. I'm 5 weeks out. I'm obsessing that I'm eating too many calories and I'm going to blow this just like every other diet. I'm eating 1,000 calories a day, including protein drinks. But I do believe this is real hunger. I have gurgling, gnawing hunger. I eat, and it goes away. I'm still on mushies, and am eating mostly protein--egg for breakfast, a protein drink, something like soup, beans or mushed turkey for lunch, an afternoon protein drink, something like a T of peanut butter in the afternoon, then more mush for dinner, and at night before bed (so I don't lie there starving) more peanut butter. I'm also drinking lots of water. I DON'T WANT TO BE HUNGRY ANY MORE!!! I feel so cheated! I thought it would be gone forever, and here I am. I've lost only 21 pounds in 5 weeks, and I'm disappointed because I was hoping for at least 5 pounds a week in this stage.

I was so glad to read your post and know I'm not alone, but I feel for you, too. I see my doc on Friday and I'm going to ask him about it then.

I read your story with tears in my eyes. It is so familiar... the lost sleep and fearful nights, worrying my daughter would find me dead, turning to food for comfort. First, let me say that you look so beautiful! You really do! You are just glowing with happiness in your tiara picture! Second, let me say that I cannot count the times that I've been in a positive, happy, successful place with a fitness regimen only to be taken down by my extremely rare and debilitating autoimmune disease. This is what I know from that: It's frustrating. It's sad. It's demoralizing. It's painful. And it's temporary. Whatever this is, whether it lasts for a week or 6 months, you WILL get past it, and when you do, you'll feel just as good when you get back out there again. Maybe your weight loss will slow a bit, but it is not dependent on your walking. I need to have both my knees replaced, and all I can do is swim. There are also chair aerobics and boxing DVDs. Feel a little sorry for yourself for a day or two. You deserve to. But know that you will get past this. In a matter of time, all will be well.

I've been working on emotional eating for several years. It's not easy, but one of the things I've had to do is learn to let myself feel my feelings and express them, not stuff them down. Every time I wanted to eat for comfort, I'd tell myself that when I was done I'd just have an extra problem--new weight to contend with. Still, food has gotten me through every major crisis of my life, and I dread the day I have to deal with something really tough without food as a crutch. That's why before I even had my surgery I scheduled an appt with a therapist. Good luck.... It's a journey, and as someone else said, we are NOT powerless.