Catracks

Thanks Cheri. I know from prior posts that you were a slow looser and that slow does not mean unsuccessful. I understand the frustration of hearing people complain that they have only lost 30 pounds in the first three weeks after surgery LOL! I am 5'1" and shooting for 130. Like I said, I suspect I have 10+ pounds of skin. Right now I wear a size 6 comfortably. I was trying on pants last week and noticed that if it weren't for the panni, I could easily wear a size 4. I forgot that I have no hips. I am constantly having to pull my pasts up as they slide over the non-existent hips and get stopped by the lower stomach skin. My surgeon's goal for me is 110. I think he's nuts. I would be a size 0 or less. No thanks!

I will try the strength training. I have equipment at home for that. All I need to do is pick it up. No extra money for a gym. It's funny, but when I do exercise there is a weight gain that accompanies it at first no matter what the calorie deficit is.

Connie and Aussie: One week? Nahhh. Two weeks is a little more frustrating, but they can last 1-2 months despite the fact that you are doing the same thing you had been doing when you were losing. Both Cheri and ButtertheBean and others have posted detailed explanations on stalls. The simplistic explanation is that your body needs time to readjust after a weight loss both in chemical terms and physical inches. I sometimes think that the body is actually redistributing flesh.

If you are doing everything right and not losing pounds, do not over-worry. Keep with it and you will lose. There are some that say changing up or playing with the numbers (protein, fat, carbs, exercise, etc.) will shock your body, but my experience up to now has been to wait it out. This may have changed for me since I'm close to goal. Cheri knows what she is talking about.

I am with a few pounds of what I was just before Christmas. This morning I tried on a pair of pants that were super tight that I have not worn since then and I am swimming in them.

The lose skin that I did not think was so bad a couple months ago is more noticeable now. I mentioned in another post that I actually have loose skin on my fingers. Don't let that scare you BTW. I'm 47 and had a 46 or 47 BMI when I started. It's so much better than the fat.

Cheri - Keep us posted on that baby of yours! Named yet? I named my daughter when she was 3 weeks old - I mean 3 weeks from conception I was calling her by name. Yes, I'm weird, but she was long wanted and I have to plan EVERYTHING is advance :-P

I use SF Torani syrups. You can find tons at Cost Plus. The grocery stores just don't carry many flavors.

SF Jello or Jello pudding mix works too.

These things are good to doctor up Protein shakes as well.

Ahhh, snack for full liquid stage is hard. Protein Shake in a thermos? It gets easier!

I was out shopping with my husband and I had forgotten to bring a snack for myself. So I stopped at Sonics and ordered a small side of tator tots. I ate the INSIDES of just three and threw the rest out. I was on day 1 of soft foods and was afraid to eat even that small amount. Next time, I'll bring the right kind of snack with me!

GAH, stay away from Sonic. I checked their menu and there is not one thing that i would eat there. In a pinch I can find something in fast food places like El Pollo Loco or Taco Bell (the al fresco tacos are not TOO bad), but certain places have no redeeming qualities and that is one.

Bring individually wrapped string cheese or some other Protein thing. Even a bit of Peanut Butter and a few slices of apple. How about a slice of turkey wrapped around a dill pickle?

I am confused. Why could you not eat baked chicken?

Twelve days out and I wasn't even off Clear liquids. Surgeons have different post-op guidelines, but even the most liberal would probably not go for baked chicken at that point.

Even when I got on solids on week 7, such a dense Protein would have to be consumed slowly and carefully and chewed to mush.

You could go for entertainment purposes. When I last went to the support group for people 1 year + out this one lady totally wigged out and broke down over the fact that she had bought a six-pack of Coke and had a sip out of each one.

Good thing I didn't bring my Diet Coke with me. Yes, I still drink diet soda.

Anyway, the other support group classes I've been to have been filled with people clueless about their own surgery. I'm the only sleever too. The nutritionist also thinks I should NEVER drink Protein shakes ever again. I think it's B.S.

Still, I go every once in a while out of curiosity. It's not mandatory. I do feel for you, but I'd continue so they cannot say that you didn't follow the surgeon's directions should something come up.

For me it was 2 weeks Clear Liquids, 2 weeks full liquids (protein shakes, milk, yogurt and clear liquids) and finally 2 weeks pureed foods.

You really don't need to go back that far. Basically the rules are:

to eat Proteins first (lean meats, seafood, cheese, nuts, legumes, eggs, dairy, etc.) I don't know how far out you are, but at one year I can eat 4 oz. of dense Protein when I eat very slowly. Yogurt obviously goes down easier. Protein should be between 70-90 grams a day.

Fills the edges with vegetables (not starchy) and low glycemic fruits. pineapple, berries and cantaloupe is good.

Finally if any room, eta some healthy carbs like quinoa or whole grain things. I keep my carbs under 25% of my total intake. It comes out to something like 45 grams a day. This is what worked for me:

Protein: 50%

Carbs: 25%

Fat 25%

Use My Fitness Pal or some other program and document everything you eat. Also drink your Water (72 oz. a day) and take your Vitamins.

Expect that the lower your body weight and the closer you are to your body's happy place, the harder it will be to lose weight. So yes, weight tends to come off more quickly in the beginning and to come off more slowly the closer you get to goal. That does not mean it's more difficult to lose weight. You'll use the same exact techniques and tools to lose. It's just harder for your body to give up those final pounds. I was six months to lose the last twenty. That's a bit excessive, maybe, but I was a slower loser from the start. But everyone slows down near the end - it's natural when your body has less to give up.

~Cheri

Just the thing I wanted to address. I have been gaining and losing the same pound for more than a month now. I finally lost another pound, but I cannot say that the stall has been broken yet.

I almost feel that my body has reached what it thinks is optimum weight. I'm wondering if the 10+ pound of extra skin is not a factor in what my body perceives is fat/muscle ration and metabolism. I'm so close to goal and cannot seem to get there.

The days of losing 5 pounds a week are sorely missed. I'm going to try upping my Water.< /p>

On occasion I will roast potatoes in the oven with other vegetable and olive oil. It's enough to rid me of the french fry craving.

I wish certain things gave my sleeve trouble, but they don't. It is true that my higher standards have caused my tastes to change though.

Congratulations!! What a milestone! I've been stuck close to goal. It's frustrating after the months of 5 pounds lost in a week.

Wow! Great day!

Went to the DMV last week and got the picture retaken and weight changed 145. I should have waited until goal, but I got funny looks from the TSA. I don't need them taking me to the strip/interrogation room.

I have to fetch my own food now.

Funny how you mentioned whining about it being hard to eat sometimes. I made my daughter get me a bacon burger last night. I disassembled it as per usual. Ate 1/4 of it without the bread and pushed the plate away.

I thought my daughter was going to bust a neck vein. "You sent me out in the cold so I could get you a burger that you disassembled and nibbled on?!!!!!!!! YOU are NOT THROUGH!!!!! EAT THAT DAMMIT!!!!!

I have a question for all of you that have had this surgery. How much of your excessive weight have you lost? My surgeon said that I should lose about 60-70% of my excessive weight. I would like to lose all of it but I know that may be impossible. Or is it impossible?

With 4 more pounds I will be at 90% excess weight lost.

I LOVE leftovers so I usually get a regular meal with a Protein and order sides that are not Pasta or potato. If I do get potato I make sure it's plain baked or baked sweet potato.

I stay away from sauces and usually ask for a box. I eat really slow so we are finished about at the same time. What I like to do if I remember is to keep a tupperware in my bag. It keeps better.

I wear nothing but Bali Comfort Revolution bras now. I think I mention that I'm a 34C and I actually wear a small! I have issues with underwires, hard padded cups and irritating lace and straps. In other words, I HATE most bras.

Amazing support with these and I can actually sleep in these. They're so comfortable that I forget to take them off.

See, I was a A-B in high school. Now there is just a lot of skin hanging about that looks just fine in a proper bra. I will never have the money to have them fixed on my own dime anyway. Actually, I don't want a knife anywhere NEAR there. Shudder!

I've been eating Ben and Jerry's ice cream since day 14 with no harmful side effects and I've lost 22lbs and nearly five inches in 26 days. Ice cream goes down very easily and stays down but I limit it to 58g (2oz) per serving.

I use MyFitnessPal.com to track everything that goes into my mouth. It's real easy to rack up empty calories with ice cream. However, ever since returning home from the hospital, I've been struggling with meeting my Protein requirements and consuming enough calories to meet my BMR. It will be 8 o'clock in the evening and, according to MFP, I will have only consumed 650 calories for the day. After meeting my Protein goals, ice cream helps to provide a lot more energy than yogurt and, as long as I am well within my calorie goal for the day, there isn't one iota of guilt to contend with.

The consumption of ice cream (bacon, chocolate, etc.) doesn't sit well with the abstinence model people (who warn against eating anything with processed sugar, wheat, and alcohol) but I don't believe in abstinence when it comes to food with the exception of carbonated beverages after VSG surgery.

Learning how to eat in moderation is the key to long term success. Limiting foods high in calories in an attempt to offset the damages from grazing is the wrong approach I think... at least it is for me. The healthier approach is to abstain from grazing, not foods that you enjoy.

I don't abstain from anything really, but when I find a healthier alternative that tastes just as good, I'm going that way.

With ice cream I find that protein ice cream suits me better. High protein Greek yogurt has taken the place of sour cream and mayo. Coconut, olive oil and butter has replaced Canola and margarine. Crackers and breads high in protein and high in nuts and whole grains has replaced white flour, Quinoa has replaced white rice and nuts and home popped popcorn have replaced chips.

I don't eat overly processed foods or things with added sugar except for the dark chocolate 70% or better, but I keep my portions controlled.

Funny, but I never gave up diet soda.

I still eat my version of "seafood salad" which is crab, baby shrimp, diced celery & onion with a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese mashed into it. I can eat it plain & I use all different flavors of the cheese depending on my mood.

That is a great idea! Most recipes call for cream cheese and that is a better and tastier way to do it.

Would love to get the skin removed at be a B cup. I'd never get implants. Bothersome things get in the way. Now stuffed into a bra I am a 34 C. They are saggy, but I need a new roof more than I need plastics.

I don't know what your recipe is, but I'd leave the Mayonnaise and/or sour cream out and replace it with plain nonfat Greek yogurt. Lower calorie and more Protein in it.

Otherwise it's fine for mushy stage.

Wow girl you did all that in 4 months. What was your schedule like? How much exercise did you put in?

Really! It took me a almost a year to get that far. LOL, No complaints though! I'm happy with 100 pounds for the year. That's still pretty amazing. Usually weight only comes off that fast if you have 200-300 pounds to lose.

Go here and make you own Protein ice cream. You are limited only to your imagination and with a $20 soft serve maker you can be eating it in 5 minutes.

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2010/02/protein-ice-cream-101.html

If you don't want to make your own, the sugar free 40 calorie Fudgesicles are pretty good. I wouldn't recommend any king of regular ice cream as it's a slider food and you can rack up carbs and calories that will sabotage your weight loss. The Protein ice cream is the best deal because it tastes great and you get the protein in.

At your stage I was still on full liquids. I don't know what your surgeon's directions were, but the only things I could have were yogurt, milk, Protein shakes plus the Clear Liquids.

Yeah, it's tough, especially if you're in a stall. I'm a year out and cannot seem to lose the last 17 pounds. Frustrating as hell!

Here's the deal: Eat all of your Protein. You need between 70-90 grams. Get the Water in. That will make or break you. Keep the carbs down. Some people say below 40 grams, but I do fine below 50. Log everything you put into your mouth on My Fitness Pal or Fitday. They are free and even have phone apps.

You can do it! You have the tool. It's knowing how to use it.

As for all the rules about Protein Shakes and protein first, well ... as someone told me: "You do what ya gotta do." It's not forever and the joy of eating and being satisfied with a few ounces of food will come. Today I'm having shrimp scampi, tilapia, a mini Bell cheese and a few multi-grain crackers from Trader Joe's. Maybe some chicken and veggies for dinner. I can even have a smidgen of dark chocolate for dessert with some coffee.

It does get better. You are not consigned to deprivation. You just have to be smart about it and it does take some retraining in how you deal with food. Days and get-togethers should revolve less around food and more with friendships and activities.

There's a great world out there for you. Just go get it!

...buying clothes to replace the ones that are too big? I was just sleeved 12/17, but I am almost 40 lbs down from my starting weight and my clothes are seriously baggy. My underwear falls down. I guess what I need to do is go through ALL of my clothes in hopes of finding a few things I may have grown out of before. I have no problem going to a thrift store, but we all know how hard it was finding clothes that fit in a place that sells new clothes at our old weight, and thrift stores are so hit-or-miss. Any suggestions?

-Kendra

Find a Goodwill in a affluent area. Aren't I tacky? It's true though. Yes, it takes a long time to find things because they are sorted by type and color. It's take a long time to sift, but be patient. It's worth it.

Ebay is another goldmine. People sell all kinds of clothes.