Grateful Heart

Congratulations on your revision. I'm just a sleever but I think you'll do amazing! I love my sleeve. Also, I'm the one in the room now that is always cold!

Just a warning about the liquid protein. IT IS NASTY! Haven't found one that tastes tolerable. Like I said I just take 2 TBSP like a nasty medicine and I'm done.

I've been sleeved since Feb. 2010. Lost 78% of the weight and got complacent. Threw all the rules out of the window. Absolutely stopped losing and recently began creeping back up. The rules are there for a reason and I believe when we begin to rationalize changing the rules to "suit our bodies" we are setting up ourselves for failure. I have recenly began the 5-day pouch test to restart my weight loss and returning to the rules my doctor gave me from the very beginning. After over 2 years my advice is "don't change the rules". It helps to know the "why" but just do it!

Thanks ya'll! To be honest I need to lose another 30 lbs to be at my ideal weight. Truth is I got pretty satisfied at current weight. In a size 8 jean, etc. However, my BMI is still "overweight". Soooooo....... I started the 5-day pouch test yesterday and got back on this forum. I'm afraid I got to the point that I ate anything I wanted and told myself I just couldn't eat as much. True, but began to creep up just a couple of pounds. So I have restarted and feel good about it.

My doctor has never advocated Protein shakes. Protein supplements, yes. I take a liquid Protein I get at the Vitamin store. Can't remember the name. Two tablespoons is 16 grams protein. I take like a medicine. Some mix it in stuff. My doctor's position is that you should never "drink" your calories. Just saying......... That doesn't mean I never drink a Protein shake. Seems to me though that a shake is a "slider." Goes right through your stomach. Doesn't give you the full feeling like a solid protein will. I don't necessarily think they are bad for you - just not as good as solids. I guess what I'm saying is that if you cannot find a protein shake that you can tolerate you can do the sleeve without them.

Had my sleeve Feb 2010. Haven't been on the site in a long time. Thought I would post some pics. It's been a little over 2 years. Lost 70 pounds.

Starting Weight: 219 Today's Weight: 155 Lost to date: 64 lbs Surgery date: 2/5/10

Thanks, Susan! I was trying to change my profile pic instead of avatar. Didn't even look for change avatar. Now I know!

I cannot seem to change my profile pic. I downloaded a new one. It shows the new pic on my profile page. I even deleted the old one out of my album. When I post a thread, my old profile pic is still showing. Any suggestions?

I am reminded every day about why I decided before my surgery to "tell the truth". By now I'm sure I would be worn out with all the lies! Lying is something I'm not very good at and it is very stressful. Someone stops me every day and asked me how I'm losing all this weight - someone at church, at work (I work in a 16 story building, so I see a lot of people every day). So I tell them! I am very proud of my decision to finally do something about by weight. If other people have a problem with that, it's their problem not mine. I finally feel good when I wake up each morning knowing that I don't have to start another kind of diet every day. Of all the people I've told, not one person has said anything to me that was insulting or negative. Most of the time they want to know more because either they need to do something themselves or they have a friend that needs to do something. I had the thought at the beginning that I hope by telling anyone that asks, maybe I can inspire someone to help themselves.

Congratulation, Tiffykins. You are indeed an inspiration to everyone on this board. And you look AMAZING!

Yeah! Down 3 lbs this week. First week I've lost 3 lbs in a while. BW 219 SW 215 CW 162 Total lost 57 lbs

Yea! Scale is finally moving again! HW 219 SW 215 CW 165 TL 54 lbs Surgery Date 2/5/10

Down another pound this week - 167 - slow and steady. Feels like I have stalled, but I looked back and i lost 7 pounds in the last month so I guess I'm okay. BW 219 SW 215 CW 167 Loss 52 :cursing:

I started Tony Horton's 10-Minute Trainer this morning. OMG! I couldn't do much at all, but I felt like I had worked out when it was over. Just making the effort is better than nothing, right? Just did what I could - tried as hard as I could. Should get a little better every day, right? Just getting down on the floor and getting up is quite the workout for me! I'm still about 40 pounds overweight and 59 years old. Haven't exercised in years.

168 this morning! Just a pound this week, but a pound is a pound is a pound! Never to be seen again! Beginning Weight - 219 Surgery Weight - 215 Today Weight - 168 TL - 51

Boy, did I enjoy some good crawfish this weekend. Ummm............. 169 this morning.

173. I have been going up and down for about 3 weeks and getting a little discouraged. But I looked back at my post on 4/5 and was 177 so at least I have lost!

I made the decision before my surgery that I would tell everybody - before, during or after! I just didn't think I could stand the stress of the "cover-up"! I am not ashamed!!! I had surgery after years and years of yo-yo dieting. Nothing ever worked where I didn't gain all I had lost back plus some. I just hope I never offend anyone. Sometimes I just want to look at someone who is obese and say, "Haven't you heard about the sleeve?" But I keep my mouth shut because I would never intentionally hurt someone. But then again if they ask how I am losing all that weight, I feel free to share my journey with them. I'm in a different stage of life, though. I realize that. I am 59 years old and truly no longer care what people are saying about me. Sure, it would hurt my feelings if it got back to me, but I realize it is their problem not mine. I even thought that maybe I can help someone else who is watching my journey. I am happy! My husband is happy! My grown children are happy! I am at peace with myself and with God. That's all that really matters!

This is a really weird journey! I've been up and down for the past 3 weeks. From what my doc said, my metabolism has bottomed out because I'm eating so little. I guess that could explain some of the comments some of you made about feeling guilty about overeating (1000 calories hmmmmm!) and losing weight. Could it just be that your metabolism got geared up again after being in starvation mode? I posting on another thread that my doc said my next step is to get my calories up to 700-800 a day. Then I could begin building muscle. He said, "It is impossible to build muscle on 300-500 calories a day." Just saying........... One more thing... My DH and I were out doing a little shopping on Saturday and decided to stop and eat the Soup & salad at Olive Garden. I so love the salad at OG! So he had the Soup, Salad and Bread Sticks (I so love the bread sticks at OG!) and I had the salad. I ate my salad. After I was done I tore the middle out of a bread stick and had a couple of bites. Enjoyed it all immensely. My point is that the salad and the couple of bites of bread did not satisty me at all! I felt empty in only a little while. I guess because there was not any Protein in my lunch. Next time I'll be sure to get something with some chicken in it.

Tiffikins - You said you could never do low carb and low fat? Are you doing low fat or low carb or neither. I'm confused.

MINI - Thanks for the tips. But I've never drank protein shakes. I use Pro-stat 64 for my protein supplementation. No I never thought I would ever be "complaining" because I can't eat enough! LOL. And the only people who understand are ya'll. I could never say those kind of things to my friends at work. Most of them are ffrom a little to a lot overweight. They are already hating me a litlle for eating so little and dropping weight so fast. They all know about my surgery. I just think it would be rubbing it in if I told them I have to try to eat more. LOL

I went for my 6-week checkup yesterday (which was really 10-weeks because I was in the hospital at 6-weeks with gallbladder surgery). Anyway, my doc told me that by now my metabolism was probably bottomed out because I am only getting in from 300-500 calories a day. He didn't ask me about my calorie intake, he just knew (and he is right.) He then told me my next step is to begin exercising to build muscle to lessen the loose skin. But what I must do first is get my calorie intake up to 700-800 calories a day. He said it is impossible to build muscle when you are getting only 500 cal/day. It all made sinse to me. He advocates an Atkins type lifestyle - high Protein, low carb, but also low fat (which sound to me more like South Beach.) Anyway, I find it very difficult to eat 700-800 calories a day while keeping it low carb and low fat. I just can't eat that much! Wow! I just updated my ticker and realized I am exactly half-way to goal at 10-weeks post op! Yeah me! I'd appreciate any comments about the calories and building muscle!