BKMama

I'm totally copying and pasting this response and saving it somewhere. This is a great simple explanation of stalls. thanks!!

OH wow, really? I didn't know that! I always had 1,200 in my head as "normal". I clearly made it up.

You really don't have a choice No really, you'll be fine! Don't punch anyone over fried chicken.

Well, think of it like this, you get your points based on a formula that includes your current weight. There is a number of calories needed to maintain your current weight and the points puts you right under that so you can lose at a slow pace. As your weight goes down, your points go down because it takes less effort by your body to simply exist the lighter you are. For example, I exert x amount of calories just walking up a few stairs because I'm heavy and it makes my body do hard work. Someone half my size isn't doing as much work and therefore burning less calories. With the sleeve, you start off eating like 500-800 calories which is a HUGE deficit. This is what causes the weight loss. As you get closer to goal (and therefore want to maintain, not necessarily lose) you begin to eat a normal healthy caloric amount 1,000 - 1,200 calories per day. That's what a normal healthy person eats. Except for the one super fit member blackberryjuice (or something like that)....she eats more calories than that because her fab muscular body burns it off! So yeah, you calories go up, but it's because your body is now in maintenance mode. Your body won't survive on 500-800 calories forever. This isn't scientific at all...just thoughts off the top of my head. I'm not a doctor nor do I play one on television.

Oh, thanks for that insight! My excitement and wishful thinking have me thinking I'll be zooming through sizes quickly. So you're saying I won't be a size 10 in a few months?!?! LOL You're totally right about the plus sizes having more leeway, so I should be good. I have my current size and things two sizes down right now because of my "normal" 30-50 pound fluctuations so I guess should be ok for a while then. I just hope to not do the huge shopping spree until I'm close to goal...but I know that's not entirely reasonable. Maybe I can get Stacey and Clinton from What Not To Wear to start that collection. LOL (See...there's that wishful thinking/dreaming again) :-)

I'm sorry you're struggling right now. I'm glad you've made an appointment with your therapist. Not sure if it's too personal of a question, but are you on meds for your depression? I've read that your meds need to be closely watched after WLS as they aren't absorbed the same as before. You may just need a different dosage. Otherwise, would your husband do couples therapy/counseling? Sometimes, the neutral third party can make a WORLD of difference in a marriage. I've found that we just don't really hear each other sometimes and having that third party there to moderate and even just repeat what someone just said causes some "aha" moments. Take care and good luck! *hugs* Wanted to add: When me and hubby get into the rut of everyday life...go to work, come home, watch tv, go to bed, lather rise, repeat...we schedule a date night or a "hooky" day where we both take off of work and just hang out with one another. When is the last time you and your hubby went on a real date?

So I'm just wondering, during that first year when your weight loss is the most rapid, are you all buying clothes in each size you hit?? Or did you find that certain items didn't look crazy once they were too big? I was thinking maybe dresses (particularly wrap style) or something like that would probably be a good way to coast through a few sizes. I just know I won't have $$$ to buy clothes for every size hit, so I'm trying to think ahead. What did you all do? If I could wear yoga pants to work everyday, this wouldn't be an issue. LOL

Anyone?

I can totally see this happening to me. I was a nut for about 2 weeks when I gave up my beloved Pepsi. LOL Hang in there.

Hi everyone! I'm 32 and have a teenager and a 5 yr old. I'm tentatively having surgery sometime this summer. I have my surgical consult in a couple of weeks then it's waiting for insurance approval. I'm excited but also nervous.

Yep I use Firefox with the spell check as well.

Nice!

You look great! And I love how you've maintained a curvy frame. Great job!!

Beyond the difference in your weight, you can see such happiness in your face in the 2nd picture. Congrats!!!

I get it. Totally get it. And I admire your self confidence! My husband, bless him, tells me I'm beautiful and sexy every single day. But I don't want to be beautiful and sexy with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease or worse in a casket. Now that this is actually a reality rather than just a possibility, I've definitely thought about the vanity part. Trading in my "cushion" for loose skin, losing my boobs, looking like a bobble head (I have a big ass head LOL). But really, if all of that happens it's worth it for me to be around to be a grandma for my daughters' children, to have a long loving marriage with my best friend, and to check off all the things on my list if "things I'll do when I'm normal-sized".

You're doing great! I bet you're feeling a difference in clothes too.

That is all sorts of awesome. CONGRATS!!!

Does anyone have any of these books? Thoughts on them? They are in my packet from the nutritionist and she "strongly suggests" I get at least one. :-) Eating well after weight loss surgery by Pat Levine recipes for Life after Weight Loss Surgery by Margaret Furtado The High-Protein Cookbook by Eckhardt and Defoyfd Weight Loss Surgery Cookbook for Dummies Thanks in advance!

Congrats!

Wait, your husband actually helps you shop instead of mumbling and grumbling the whole time??? LOL Great job and congrats on your loss!! Did you do the "they fit" dance in the mirror?

Yep, I budgeted my flex account hoping and praying I'd use it to cover just some of the surgery expenses (IF approved). Called the insurance company today and what I have in there will cover the expenses. Thank GOD! Now just need to get the approval. Easy, right? LOL

Congrats!!!

I love this post so much. I'm sure that if I let my husband read it, all of his reservations about this surgery will go out of the window! I'm sorry, all I can offer is a *high five*. =)

Congrats! I'm in the Chicago area as well and have BCBS. I am hopeful my approval goes as well as yours! If you don't mind my asking, who is doing your surgery? I'm going through Northwestern. :-)

That is theoretically when I'll have mine according to my nurse practitioner. I see my surgeon for a consult on May 3rd and that's when everything goes to bcbs for approval. I've heard that they typically give a decision quickly but my last nutrition class isn't until June 21st. (And I'll still have the pre-surgery class to do as well.). So I'm thinking late July to early August. Do you already have a date?