Tenna38

And we just responded...no judgement here...

And we just responded...no judgement here...

Whether it's food or a smoking addiction it is hard to stop...unfortunately smoking could affect your sleeve but just like you are making a choice to follow your post-op diet you can also make the choice to ease up on the smoking or quit all together...you can do it you have made it this for, no need in possibly irritating your wonderful sleeve for a few cigs...I too am an ex-smoker (mj variety).....

I'm always being asked how or what I did to get to where I am now. I'm always happy to answer any questions anyone brings to me, because I completely understand. I mean, I've been through it - the ups, the downs, the in-betweens... and I had even considered writing up a huge novel-like post to spell it all out.
But life got in the way, and here I am today.
Time got away from me and my project fell off the map. That's okay because I think that made the picture in my mind that I was trying to canvass a lot more clear. I'm seeing the forest for the trees now - and I have to tell you, the secret of my success is far more simple than I ever thought.
Finally early this morning as I was getting ready for work I started to simplify all the things I did that worked for me, and here is what I came up with:
The 5 P's to my success: Positivity. Patience. Persistence. Push Fluids. Protein First.

Minding my Q's: Quit the Salt. Quit the Sugar. Quit the Excuses. Quit the Denial.

Avoiding the C's: candy, Crackers, Cakes, chocolate, Cookies, chips, popcorn, iceCream.

When it comes down to it, these are the things that got me to where I am today. Seriously, nothing more and nothing less. I mean sure, I worked out and a lot - but I've got that covered with Persistence AND Quit the Excuses...
Blessings to you all. You'll get there, just keep doing all the right things!! I know, I say that all the time, and you ask - "well, what's that"?? Now, I've got "All the right things" written out on your screen.
THE KEYS OF SUCCESS.doc

hey peeps...been forever since i was on here...my journey started at 348 , 307 before surgery and im sittin at 194...let me tell u this journey has completely changed my life! went from a size 52 jeans to a 34. from a 5xl hoody to a large. i eat whatever i want!!! anything at all bread rice Pasta i can eat it all.my metabolism has sped up something like the millenium falcon. energy is through the roof. i do 850 pushups a day and it has done nothing for my loose skin, i drink a Protein Shake in the morning with 2.5 scoops of protein...loves it. since surgery i loves my chocolate dunno what happened in the operating room but before surgery i was never like thatbefore lol. for me this surgery has been pure magic...then weight fell off and i didnt have to work at it at all. not like a diet. anyone thinkin bout this surgery RUNNNNNNNNNNN and get it done.it will change ur life.i cannot describe the feelin ..its kinda like im just starting to live.t o be able to walk into old navy or any regular store and buy clothes.i used to be the guy who looked to the bottom of the jean rack to see if they had sizes big enough for me those days are long gone. i cant believe 5000 dollars changed my life...im soooo hyper all the time now its unreal.anyways peoples dont wanna ramble on too long....i could go on for quite a while. lets look alive people woot woot!!!!!!!!!! see pics attched!   

I do believe its because you're gaining muscle and still loosing the fat. I went though periods of gaining and loosing but still seeing results.
STOP LOOKING AT THE SCALE! Look at your body.

Thanks for the understanding and support Dooter! My NUT thinks if I get in 400 cal a day that's a lot and will be very hard to get more than that.
Then My dr comes in and says 700 is more likely what i will end up at here soon but not to think this early I can reach that. I told him I've been reaching 600-700 for two weeks so obviously I'm eating too much.
He says no i still hluld not be gaining!!! Then says he didnt believe I could get that much in so soon, until I showed him my fitness pal app, so then says even with that based in what I tracked down as my food choices I'm eating stuff he totally approves so although he doubts I am finishing everything I listed (which I am), I still should be losing weight.
Lastly the NUT comes back in and says although the first 2 months is where I will lose fast, I obviously am an exception to the rule and she will not worry until 6 month mark.
Oh is that supposed to make me feel better? Hahah
Hey bottom line, I do know eventually if I keep my calories and exercise and Water where I'm being advised to then eventually I will lose. So patience (not my strength) is all I got now.....
In due time..... (sigh)

Be careful not to get into that mindset where you don't want to eat because you're afraid it's too many calories. 1000-1300 isn't too many calories. Especially if you're getting in some type of calorie burning routine.
If it slows down the weight loss, that's ok. This isn't a race... you have taken on a lifestyle change and now you have the rest of your life to get to where you want to be. In fact I always say, don't think of how you'll turn out next month. Instead consider yourself one year from now. It's much more realistic... relax a little bit. Again, this is for life... and since you've taken the steps to be healthier, you just added on a whole lot of years of living!! Enjoy it.

Hey All! I'm one month out from surgery today, and I just want to share my loss so far. Who am I kidding, I just need some attention today! So here it is:
Weight: From 340 to 300 (40 lbs.)
Neck: 1"
Upper Arms: 1" on each arm
Forearms: 1"
Chest (both measurements): 2 1/2" and 3 1/2"
Waist: 3" OH YEAH!
Hips: 5" (FIVE INCHES!! WOO HOO!)
Thighs: 3" !!!
Calves: 1"
Ankles: 1" Yes, even my ankles!!
And, my 10 ww shoes that I could barely wear are loose WITH thick socks on!!
So, in 4 weeks a lot can happen. My weight stalled this week, so while i'm waiting for the next drop, the measurements help.
--danielle

I never thought... anyway I received a PM from a dear friend on Facebook this morning and she told me she was playing around on Google. She did a Search for Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Before and After... lo and behold I'm on there. There's actually 2 of me that I found but this is the best one.
Again, I never thought I'd become famous over this!!! HAAA!!!
Have a blessed Sunday everyone!!!

I know for a fact that I spent 10 years struggling with a full-blown eating disorder. It took on a lot of different forms: super restrictive dieting in high school, followed by long stretches of all-out binging in college, then coupled with periods of bulimia and laxative abuse while desperately trying not to gain so much weight from the binges. I started dieting in middle school and would go to eat alone at lunchtime with my salad so as not to be tempted by the junk food in the cafeteria. At 15, I did Herbalife and started kickboxing and lost 50 pounds. Kept it off for about 9 months and then PACKED it back on with carbs and ice cream. It was like a nightmare, putting that weight back on as a teenager, having to go to high school and feel fat…when I wasn’t making rounds to all the different vending machines on campus (don’t want to load up too much at any one on it’s own) I was sitting in the bathroom with a journal, making lists of reasons why my next diet was going to work and why I wanted to lose weight. I just didn’t think of anything else but food. When I went to college, it was a disaster. I had no supervision and a car…no need for much detail, but I started staying up all night eating, and missing classes. All I thought about was eating. My life was a mess and I felt beyond help. I attempted to see a counselors a few times and twice was put on a mild antidepressant, but nothing truly worked.
It makes me sad to recount this and think of all the years that went by wasted on food. Every time I think I’ve covered it, I remember another “phase” and each is more depressing than the last. Sometimes I feel bitter that no one rescued me from it. I get angry thinking if I had had the opposite problem – if I’d been anorexic and 50 pounds underweight instead of 100 pounds overweight – someone would have stepped in, because a person who starves themselves has issues and needs help. But because I was a person who binged, it just meant that I was lazy or lacked self control and that I’d just have to work it out on my own. I honestly feel I was sick enough to be hospitalized at some of those points, but I was only ever given a pep talk. There is a feeling of helplessness and abandonment in the knowledge that your problem is not taken seriously enough…that no one is coming to intervene or save you.
Anyway. So I yo-yo’d a lot, picked myself up and got on a plan with gyms and diets a few times, but spent most of the time hiding in the behavior, just too scared not to have that crutch to give it up. I’d give myself a time period – like a long weekend off from school or something, and give myself permission to go crazy and eat everything I wanted, on the condition that right after that I’d change everything and never do it again. Of course, that turned into every weekend. And weekday. And waking moment.
Then, suddenly, a couple of years ago, I got in a really good place. I tried to look at food differently – not worry about doing everything perfectly, but just to think about food LESS. I started doing a lot of yoga, and dropped a lot of weight, probably around 50 pounds. I was eating healthy, exercising and loving it. I was much happier and more confident. I thought I'd finally "figured it out." Then, when I got close to really crossing that "threshold" – you know, where things start changing and people notice, and you really get down in size to smaller than you have been in a long time - I couldn't go on. I fell apart and self-sabotaged heavily. I holed up in my apartment all winter, ate, and gained 70 pounds in 6 months, and still kept eating. In January of 2011, I hit an all time high of 312, and was at an absolute, horrified loss of what to do.
I ended up coming to two conclusions:
One, that I simply could not take going back and forth anymore. That I was going to have surgery (something I'd previously been against) because I wanted the weight OFF. I wanted it off fast, and forever.
Two, that I really, really needed help. I did not feel in control of my own life or actions. I could not think of anything but food, and it affected my day-to-day existence and interactions with people. I’d moved to a big city and was able to find a good therapist who worked specifically with eating issues (this can be difficult in small towns) and tried my best to just be honest. It was not easy for one minute, but now, over a year later of sessions (and nearly 10 months post-op) I can say it's made a huge difference.
I did not want gastric bypass – for all the horrible things I’ve done to it, I do have an odd sense of protectiveness over my body, and rearranging things in there just did not appeal to me. Plus, I’d seen post-bypass people before and they looked sick and droopy to me, and I didn’t like the idea of not absorbing Vitamins, etc. When I read about the sleeve, it was like a light bulb going off. Something purely restrictive was perfect to me. I really WANTED TO CHANGE, and what I needed was just that inability to put myself too far off the wagon, not a bunch of Vitamin and mineral deficiencies. (PS, I realize there are lots of successful bypassers, and am not trying to sounds biased – just relaying my thought process at the time). I believed that my desire to change behaviors would be enough support for a procedure that wasn’t quite as extreme.
I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing, and anyone who hasn’t seen me since last May still does not know. I told the people at my job that I was going on vacation and that was it. I didn’t even tell my roommate until I got back. And it’s funny, I didn’t even care or get uncomfortable. After the fact, it was just like, “This is my life now. I’m happy and I don’t have to justify it to anybody.” I’d left the country and gotten surgery for cripes’ sake, the scary part was over! People’s thoughts on it meant zero to me. That said, I kept my mouth shut upon getting back too, so if they had thoughts I was never really made aware of them. There were only a sparse handful of occasions where I was uncomfortable or in a situation where I didn’t know what to do. A few months post-op, I had to attend a food tasting for a conference we were putting on at work. No way could I try all the different courses, and had to sit at a table and turn things away, having specifically gone there to “taste”! That was a bit awkward, but two other colleagues were there and they tried the stuff I didn’t. And it was ultimately fine! One thing we need to remember is that we are more highly sensitive to these things than other people. They don’t know your circumstances – you could have food allergies, you could just be getting over the flu, you could be pregnant, who knows what! People might wonder briefly, but no one really gives a damn what anyone else eats for more than five seconds, so all you can do it worry about YOU! It’s your life and you don’t have to explain anything to anyone.
So now, on to the present:
I have struggled recently with the fact that as I get further out, my capacity is changing. It's still small, obviously, but I could eat more/badly if I wanted to. Some days I do want to, most days I don't. I feel more in control of these issues than I have in a very long time because the sleeve tool has empowered me with the ability to take my thoughts of food "off the plate” for the most part, no pun intended! When you simply can't eat (or can't eat more than a few ounces at a time) there is just no point to obsessing about it. Also, some things change that are out of your control - I truly crave Protein. It's not about what tastes good - your body is actively ASKING you for protein, and so you want that - more than you want the bad stuff. Again, I don't think that will last forever, but it gives you a big head start - you start dropping weight and you love the results - so you are driven to continue on doing the right things.
That said, part of the reason I’m writing this is that I’ve had a rough. I get very hungry sometimes now – I think specifically when I’m about to drop a few pounds, it’s sort of like molting – I get hunger and crave more substantive foods – like oatmeal and whole wheat Pasta and carby things, instead of just usual protein. Sometimes I go a bit overboard. My capacity is bigger and sometimes I have a “big” bowl of oatmeal (by big I mean maybe a full cup or a little less, which is still way more than I could’ve done at my 2 oz. phase) with bananas and chocolate chips and milk in it…and then I panic. Why can I eat this much? Have I fallen off the wagon? Is it all over and I will self-sabotage from now on?!! That’s what’s always happened in the past and I’m still scared of it. I race over to My Fitness Pal and log everything and try to figure out how I can “save” the day or make plans to burn off all the calories. Sometimes I actually do that and sometimes I don’t, and I just have to take a step back and remember that this is still NOTHING compared to the damage that would have done before, that it’s okay to eat a little more sometimes when your body is asking for it, and to just CALM DOWN about everything, because not every day or even every week is going to be perfect.
This past week is the first time I’ve really experienced a “pull” back to binging. I’ve surrounded myself since surgery with positive images, and affirmations and practices and have loved feeling healthy in all ways. But I am not cured – I don’t think there is a cure. I know people here have lots of varied reasons for having surgery and for some it was just a need for help with real Portion Control, stubborn genetics, that sort of thing – but for me it is truly behavioral: I have an eating disorder and it is a struggle every day. If I get too cocky and think I am just a normal person now, it backfires on me. I can not have trigger foods around and I can not be left on my own if I’m feeling “unstable” in the choices I’m making. The thought of gaining the weight back is all consuming and terrifying. I will have to pick myself back up, journal, and go to therapy, and fight the fight.
I am so grateful for this website. It is part of my routine to come here and learn and be inspired by all of you. And all I can say for those of you who are reading and researching, trying to decide if this is the right thing for you…all I can say is DO IT. Prepare, prepare, prepare, read everything you can about it, but by all means do it. You already know a lot of the ways it will change your life from other people’s accounts, but the biggest (and best!) thing to remember is that there are other ways you will change that you can’t even fathom yet. And they are wonderful! It’s so hard to convey the FEELING – of being so much better off physically, of getting your life back – but it’s in your future and you should pursue it no matter what, if you feel it’s what’s best for you. Do NOT let fear or the opinions and negativity of others get in your way. Trust me, the first time you sit in an airplane seat with a foot of extra seatbelt, wear heels with no pain, get hit on in the line in Starbucks…the fact that someone threw some shade at you about getting surgery is not going to matter to you one bit.
I am 25 years old, 5’8 ½ and had a highest ever weight of 312 in January 2011. I had surgery 5 months after that over Memorial Day 2011 at 278 pounds. Today, I have lost 105 pounds and weigh 173. My largest ever jeans were a tight size 24, and now I’m wearing a 10 and medium tops. My goal is to be about 160 pounds and a size 8.
These pics are from before, ranging through about ¾ months, 6 months, my fab red dress for a formal gala dinner, up to me in my suit for a conference last week. For some reason they are not posting in order, but hopefully the order is pretty clear.
"Half an orange tastes as sweet as a whole one." Chinese Proverb
"We have never arrived. We are in a constant state of becoming." Bob Dylan

Ok so seriously... i just have to say..
I can't fit into my favorite pants anymore cuz they are tooooo damn big!!!!!---$10 to drive them to a friends house
Yesterday I was a size 12 and this morning I can wear a size 10! --- $15 gettin the waist restiched so i can wear them another week
I just went shopping at Kohls... I couldn't even find anything to wear in the adult section so I was forced to go buy 3 pairs of pants from the juniors section!! WTF?!?!?!---$57
I have given away literally 15 pairs of pants, 12 shirts, and I have 6 more pairs of pants at my house right now waiting to get picked up by a friend and 4 other shirts.. one also being my favorite.---$60 just basically giving clothes away
I just bought a pair of pants 3 weeks ago.. haven't even taken the tags off yet.. and this morning i go to wear them.. oh they dont even fit anymore!!!---$25 wasted on not wearin the when i bought them
MY WALLET IS TAKING A BEATING!!!!!!!!!
Look on my moms face when she gets back from Japan today and I tell her we wear the same size pants-----ABSOLUTELY FREAKIN PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!

K well, i didn't eat the whole cheese burger. Lol, i ate half, and only the meat and toppings. Not the bun. My second oldest and i went to Nic's Grill in OKC it was features on "Dinner, Drive-in's, and Dives" it was good, and i could have eaten the bread if i had desired, funny thing is i didnt really care. So, what is my point?
Well, yes there does come a time after surgery when u really can eat whatever u want. Both physically and mentally. Its a great place to be. Notice however i mentioned this was my 1st burger. 10 months out and 12lbs below goal. So, i read a post here and there where someone is saddened that they cant eat this or that at 5, 10, 12 weeks out. My thoughts on this are (no i dont think i am an expert or know everyones circumstances) we made a choice to force a change into our lives. Sticking to a healthy eating plan should be a given! Why try to eat burgers and queso and cake and all that when u have not made goal, this tool is amazing, it works. And it works even better if we are focused and diligent. Did i cheat here and there? Heck yes, margaritas are a weakness but if I paid for it in a stall, or a pain in the gut, i understood why and how to correct it.
Now, here i am fighting the old demons as i order my with splenda! Did i mention im 12lbs below goal?
I run 3 miles 3 times a week an 10 miles on saturday, the truth is i can eat whatever i want now. And mostly what i want is good clean fuel for this new amazing body i woke up in!! You can get there, you can find that place where u can eat whatever, just in smaller portions. But it takes some time and work. It takes remembering that nothing tastes as good as thin.
I know this isnt as feel good as my normal encouragent post. I mean for it to be, i also mean for it to be a positive way to view where your headed and motivation to stay the course.
If your just starting out push forward dont give up, refocus when u lose track and fight for the beat version of you to crawl out of your old self!
GodSpeed
Pasquini

I'm a little over 10 weeks out from surgery... I have to say, I've never done anything so physically, emotionally and mentally engaging as this sleeve journey.... Early out, the physical part of the journey was the most difficult for me.. but, learning to navigate my life and social interactions by listening to Sleevina and the rest of my body, has allowed me to release the anxiety of eating... (still there sometimes, but it was crazy at first!!! OMG!!)...
Lately, the emotional and mental challenges of this journey have weighed me down some.. I guess, I expected to do what I'm supposed to and the weight will fall off and everything will be great!! NOT TRUE!!! Yes, the weight is coming off, but I don't know if my mind and body are in sync...I started not taking my vits and supps on time or at all (changed that yesterday!!).... Many days I only eat once (I know... that's crazy and can be dangerous.. I won't do this EVER again!)... When I look in the mirror, I still see a 382 pound woman.. I haven't gotten rid of all of my "big" clothes... I'm trying to figure out if it's because subconsciously I feel that I will wear them again!! I find myself using the word.. ONLY when talking about my weight loss... sometimes I feel that I haven't done enough... I've lost about 33 pounds since surgery (54 lbs total), but people think I've lost tons more because I'm losing lots of inches!! I am grateful..
I'm grateful because
I can run around w/ my niece and nephew...
I can cross my legs (I haven't done that in 8+ years)...
I can walk around a store or my house for hours w/o sitting down or my back hurting...
I can wear HEELS again!!!... (I'm a shoe freak.. this makes me sooo happy!!)..
I'm comfortable in chairs, desks and my car...
I haven't used my inhaler in over 3/4 weeks...
I don't have to roll around in my chair at work for half of the period.. I can stand and walk around ALL day!!...

So, through it all the crying, complaining, ups, downs, EVERYTHING... I don't regret a thing!!! These are my lessons
I will not compare myself or my journey to anyone else's... Our journies are as different as we as individuals are.. Yes, we have similarities, but no body's exactly the same
I will not beat myself up for making an unwise decision... it happens, take a breath and make a better decision next time..
I will not just focus on weight loss... I am in the midst of a total life make over... It will not happen overnight...
I will not diminish my strength, hard work or successes to appease people... I've lost friends... but I've gained a new lease on life... I think I've come out ahead
I WILL NOT STOP!!! I am determined to live my BEST life, EVERYDAY!!!!

Thanks for reporting this issue! We're looking in to it now and will hopefully resolve it shortly.

About a year ago

Living my dreams

Same problem here works sparingly...I have to logout and back in which triggers me getting the welcome to vst emails even though I have been a member...

Friends-
Today, I Celebrate one of my biggest moments of bravery. I Celebrate agreeing to be wheeled into surgery despite a healthy dose of fear of both complications and the unknown. I had no idea how I'd cope in life without the crutch of food and failure. I wasn't excited about surgery and possibilities. I was simply scared and resolved. Now, I live a life I truly wasn't sure I'd ever get to enjoy. Life is good. So good.
I have been incredibly blessed on this journey. My approval process was relatively painless. It only involved four months of supervised diet. I didn't even have to do a liquid diet leading up to surgery. My only real complication was a very minor infection on one of my incisions. A round of antibiotics and I was fine.
My biggest memories of life following surgery were trying to figure out how to live without food as a focus and exhaustion. I wasn't hungry but still felt a need to eat but couldn't. I worked hard in therapy to be ready for this yet I wasn't. On top of that, I remember being absolutely exhausted until week 5. My other biggest memory is when I lost about 50 lbs. and realized that I no longer hurt. I had been overweight so long that I simply accepted pain as a part of life. To wake up one day and comprehend than general life no longer hurt left me giddy.
Since surgery, I have dropped 112 pounds, 12 inches (literally a foot!) off my waist, and 6 dress sizes (from 24/26 to 12/14). I have found a passion for running that culminated in running a half-marathon in January. I found the confidence to apply for a dream job that came with a crazy raise and got the job! I've found pride in myself and my appearance. I've become more than what I eat and how I look.
I haven't been the most well-behaved sleever. I feel I should share that in the interest of honesty. When I got the crazy, awesome promotion I started making some poor choices. I have yet to gain weight but I am in the world's longest stall due to poor food choices and a lack of focus on diet. I haven't lost a pound since December. I recognize that I haven't lost the last thirty pounds because of my less than ideal food choices but I am okay with this for now. I know that I will soon be ready to lose the last thirty and I will focus and finish what I started. My goal is to be at or under 175 by 18 months. I feel this is very doable. However, I recognize that this is my journey and I will finish it when it is right for me. Right now, I am enjoying the ride and life in general.
I would like to take a moment to thank all of you for your constant support, opinions and advice. I've found this forum and the people it consists of a lifeline on more than one occasion. Bless you all!
Of course, a surgiversary post isn't complete without photos!


PS- I swear I am not a big drinker... it just happens that pics normally occur when I'm drinking.

But in my opinion you should never leave a job in the wrong way always keep your door open to return.
When you give notice just say that you are leaving for health reasons and that is a professional answer to why you are leaving. Wait till you get the job before you leave or give notice being unemployed and looking for a new job is hard.
Good Luck

Great job lady...inspirational!

Good day... I stalled at week three also, it lasted for 3.5 weeks. It's disheartening, but everyone here encouraged me to just keep doing all the right things and it would work out. I only weighed myself once a week for the first two weeks of the stall, but the next week and a half I weighed every day. I too would go up 2 lbs, then back down. I was getting depressed, but believe me, it will happen. I ended up losing 4.5 lbs overnight. In just three days actually. Since then, I have lost another 4-5 lbs a week for the past couple weeks. It is like standing on a set of steps, you wait and wait, but then jump three at time to catch up to others. Just keep doing what is right. Your body is just holding on to the solids because of the starvation mode it was in with liquids. Good luck to you.

Capt Darel:
I haven't really seen much of this type of an argument on the boards here although they're certainly all over the internet.
About ten years ago, I was a low carb dieter. I said a lot of the things that I hear people saying on these boards: " I'm carb sensitive," etc -- and I note that bariatric surgeons tend to prescribe this diet to get the weight off. There's a simple reason for this: it works. However how it works is as a dietary intervention to a host of problems arising from overexcretion of insulin -- which can be caused by obesity itself as well as the overconsumption of fast sugar.
It's basically a hormone imbalance. Obesity could also be summed up as a hormone imbalance given the endocrinological differences between overweight and thin people. However, inside of that discovery is another one -- which is the role of gut microflora and dysbiosis which is another, even closer indicator of metabolic health than any hormone level you could measure including insulin and leptin.
Back to carbs being the problem: this is not true. Overconsumption of energy either as a route from genetic tendency or familial patterns or emotional or physical imbalances -- or merely by accident because of a lack of exercise and high nutrient density over time -- that's the problem. And the other problem is the hormonal imblance and imbalance in the gut that's been modulated by diet and behavior.
You can solve the *very same problem* by underconsumption of calories over time. Why? Because the less fat you are carrying on your body, the less dysbiosis/insulin feedback imblance you'll have, and you basically get to the finish line with exactly the same type of success as a lowcarb dieter.
With one difference, though -- the lowcarb dieter, when they are done doing lowcarb, is going to experience rebound hypreinsulinemia when they crash off of that lowcarb diet. Believe me, I have done this at least ten times. When people say that type of restriction has to be a lifetime thing, they're really not kidding.
And that's the problem with strictly limiting carbs over the long term.
Carbs aren't bad for you. Limiting your total caloric intake has the same effect as counting carbs for the same reason -- if you're only eating a thousand calories a day, how many carbs can you eat? Theoretically: 250. However if you factor in even minimal Protein and fat, you'd still be pretty low when it came to carbs -- about 100 or so. And additionally, the lower caloric contect *also* raises insulin sensitivity and lowers secretion.
You can't prove anything very easily with epidemiology. If you want to prove it's healthier to eat carbs, study the Japanese. If you want to prove it's healthier not to, study the inuit. There's a common denominator though in both; they both, on average, eat a thousand calories less a day than we do.

I am bursting inside and I just have to tell someone, so why not the whole VST?? Today, I was sitting behind my desk and a pathologist from my work comes in. She was asking about a bullet that she removed from a person. She and my boss were looking down at it and I rose from behind my desk to come over and see it too and she looked up at me and in mid sentence exclaimed "OH MY GOD!!!!!!" really loudly and I said oh sh*t! what??? Is there something on me? She said, I am so sorry, but I just havent seen you in a while and I was completely taken aback.
I was so surprised! I didnt realize I looked that different. After we talked about the evidence, she asked me how much I had lost and told me that if I stayed right where I am now, I would be perfect for the rest of my life. I said I have about 30 more I want to lose and she said well as far as I am concerned, you look like you are at a perfect weight. Congratulations. She is a brilliant doctor whom I respect so much and it just made my day to surprise her like that and make her scream out in the middle of a sentence! Horray for me!!!! Wow what an NSV! Wooohoooooo!

This morning I fit into some size 16 jeans and a top I haven't dared wear in a while because of my fat stomach. I'm sure I can't fit all 16s but it's my first size down and I'm so excited I'll just wear this pair like they're going out of style! :.D

Hi yecats.. I like ya!! So I'll answer your Quest for information. Here's what you do:

Get more fluids in (water!!! 64 oz minimum)
Up your protein
Throw your scale away, either that or only weigh in 1-2x per week (less if it drives you that nuts)

That's it. I can't see anything else that might be affecting your scale. The 3rd week stall will hit 99% of us... you just have to keep doing all the right things and keep it moving. STAY POSITIVE!!!