lollyfidy1965

Every NSV counts! And if I am reading your ticker right, you have lost 103lbs in 5.5 months! That is incredible!! Congratulations!

I love it. My husband has never been able to just buy me a necklace. He's always had to look at the chain, see it it would fit on my longer chains, etc. I was looking at one of the "skinny girl" chains in my jewelry box last night and wondered if I could wear it. I may try it on later today now that you've inspired me.
No matter how small, they're still victories!

My husband bought me a beautiful infinity platinum necklace when we started dating, it was always kind of small because of my size , I wore it anyways but it looked like a choker, now it actually looks like a necklace :-)

After years of having to buy adjustable necklace chains, I am now able to wear an 18" chain!! My neck has gone from 18" to 15" since June 26th!! Now...if I could just get the scale to show something less than 251!!!!! ;-P

After years of having to buy adjustable necklace chains, I am now able to wear an 18" chain!! My neck has gone from 18" to 15" since June 26th!! Now...if I could just get the scale to show something less than 251!!!!! ;-P

I would vote for a theater with no kids...or at least certain movie times where no kids were allowed....like after 10pm.

I would recommend a baked or broiled fish. Shrimp, crab, and lobster can be a little too chewy (almost rubbery sometimes), and may not be the best idea at just 6 weeks post-op. While clam chowder might sound and taste wonderfully, its going to be very high in fat and calories...again, probably not the best idea at just 6 weeks post-op.
I hope you find something tasty!
Laura

A week after surgery I had been home or a total of 24 hours, and weighed 1 pound more than I did the morning of surgery. We're all pumped full of fluids after surgery, so don't worry over where you are. Trust me....you will lose weight, if you follow your surgeon's instructions, and you will be amazed at how quickly it will come off!!
Best of luck!
Laura

A week after surgery I had been home or a total of 24 hours, and weighed 1 pound more than I did the morning of surgery. We're all pumped full of fluids after surgery, so don't worry over where you are. Trust me....you will lose weight, if you follow your surgeon's instructions, and you will be amazed at how quickly it will come off!!
Best of luck!
Laura

Fall???? What is this "fall" you speak of? I'm in Houston and its 90 degrees here. Fall is the week between Christmas and New Year's.

I never had a stall on my way to goal. Never. Not one.
You know why?
I weighed myself once a month.
What is a stall? Who gets to define the parameters that make up a stall? Weight doesn't change from: Hour to hour ... day to day ... week to week ... month to month?
Your definition may be different from someone elses.
I like my solution best. Weigh yourself once a month and you never see the small periods where your body is adjusting. You're never discouraged. Don't be a slave to the scale. Isn't that one of the reasons why we did this?

Very cool!!

From the mouths of babes....

Laura

Week 3 weigh-in update...down to 251.2!
A couple of NSV's.....my size 20 jeans (that I bought 3 weeks ago) are now LOOSE!!
I had to pack two more blouses in the Goodwill bag...too big to wear out of the house!
I've lost a combined 23.5 inches from my neck, chest, waist and hips!!
Woot!

I'd rather take the sublingual pill daily than have to go see my dr once a month, pay the co-pay, pay for parking, and get a shot. Ultimately, its a matter of personal preference. I don't mind taking the sublingual every morning....its not a big deal.

Actigall is available as a capsule, and can be opened and dumped/mixed in unsweetened applesauce. I do this twice a day. The medicine doesn't affect the taste of the applesauce at all.

Like you, I have been exceptionally lucky in my recovery. I had a couple minor hiccups, but nothing to complain about.
What bothers me about your post is that every surgeon (or so it seems) has their own approach and philosophy regarding self-care and "diet" after surgery. (I put diet in quotation marks because I no longer consider myself to be "on a diet"....I am simply eating for the rest of my life.). In my opinion, and you're welcome to take it or leave it, we should each be following the advice of our own surgeons/nutritionists....that is, after all, what we pay them for, right? I knew going in that my surgeon's philosophy was relatively conservative. He strongly recommends no smoking, no drinking, and low carb after surgery. Not because he wants me to feel deprived (which I don't), but because those things aren't healthy for me. My food choices, prior to surgery, are the reason I ended up needing surgery....why would I continue to put the same crap....even in "small portions"....into my body after surgery? It's like they say....the definition of insanity is doing the same thing, over and over, expecting a different outcome!
So, rather than saying "You can eat anything you want, and drink anything you want!", I would suggest "Ask your surgeon/nutritionist if you can have x, y, or z, but listen to what your surgeon/nutritionist tells you in response.". If you don't (listen to your own surgeon), you're taking your success into your own hands.
Personally, I'm sick of insanity, and am trying something completely different. The results are in my tickers.
I wish you great success!

I keep my Protein at 75-90 grams/day, and my carbs below 30 grams/day.

I keep my Protein at 75-90 grams/day, and my carbs below 30 grams/day.

I plan dinners two weeks at a time, and build my grocery list starting with that. My breakfasts, lunches, and Snacks are all planned out (in my "Diet Minder" journal) the night before...so I know, every day, exactly what I need to eat. This has made it very easy to ensure I'm meeting my Protein goals every day, and that my carb intake remains below 30 grams/day. If I decide to change something, during the day, I can do it in an intelligent manner...because I know what I need, in order to make my numbers for the rest of the day.
Tracking food consumed...whatever method you choose to use...is critical (IMHO).
Best of luck!

I plan dinners two weeks at a time, and build my grocery list starting with that. My breakfasts, lunches, and Snacks are all planned out (in my "Diet Minder" journal) the night before...so I know, every day, exactly what I need to eat. This has made it very easy to ensure I'm meeting my Protein goals every day, and that my carb intake remains below 30 grams/day. If I decide to change something, during the day, I can do it in an intelligent manner...because I know what I need, in order to make my numbers for the rest of the day.
Tracking food consumed...whatever method you choose to use...is critical (IMHO).
Best of luck!

I can eat 4 green Beans before feeling bloated... ;-P

This is always an interesting topic and one I've had to figure out for myself as time went on. I think it all depends on how you got here. For me, I did 2 things wrong, I was a compulsive eater and I ate all the wrong foods. Those 2 bad behaviors fueled each other. At 4 months post op I know now that I cannot eat the way I used to eat and rely on the sleeve to control my portions for me. There are just too many slider foods available. A compulsive eater will actively try to eat around the sleeve. I had to learn new behaviors, and I had to learn a new normal. What some people would call a diet, I call a new healthy way of eating, which excludes some foods that I previously enjoyed. I cannot eat those foods in moderation, not just because I'm weak, but because certain foods do contain chemical triggers to entice you to eat more and more of them.
I look at it like this, some people can drink alcohol regularly and not become alcoholics, some cant. Well for me, starches were my alcohol. I can't have them in moderation or I will go off the deep end. I feel similarly about chocolate, but I've let my Protein shakes take the place of candy bars so I get to enjoy chocolate everyday....keeps me from feeling deprived I guess.
I also discovered something else interesting this weekend. My BIL and SIL came to stay with us for a few days. We had fun, but I realized how much my wife's family centers everything around mealtime. food is not just fuel for them, as it has become for me. It is the cornerstones of the day's activities. After 4 months of eating only when I needed fuel, I realized how much I used to be this way and I hate it now. Every time I turned around we stopped everything for a 2 hour meal. Just seems like wasted time to me now. I can grab my Protein and be back on the trail in 20 minutes.

Like you, I have been exceptionally lucky in my recovery. I had a couple minor hiccups, but nothing to complain about.
What bothers me about your post is that every surgeon (or so it seems) has their own approach and philosophy regarding self-care and "diet" after surgery. (I put diet in quotation marks because I no longer consider myself to be "on a diet"....I am simply eating for the rest of my life.). In my opinion, and you're welcome to take it or leave it, we should each be following the advice of our own surgeons/nutritionists....that is, after all, what we pay them for, right? I knew going in that my surgeon's philosophy was relatively conservative. He strongly recommends no smoking, no drinking, and low carb after surgery. Not because he wants me to feel deprived (which I don't), but because those things aren't healthy for me. My food choices, prior to surgery, are the reason I ended up needing surgery....why would I continue to put the same crap....even in "small portions"....into my body after surgery? It's like they say....the definition of insanity is doing the same thing, over and over, expecting a different outcome!
So, rather than saying "You can eat anything you want, and drink anything you want!", I would suggest "Ask your surgeon/nutritionist if you can have x, y, or z, but listen to what your surgeon/nutritionist tells you in response.". If you don't (listen to your own surgeon), you're taking your success into your own hands.
Personally, I'm sick of insanity, and am trying something completely different. The results are in my tickers.
I wish you great success!

Like you, I have been exceptionally lucky in my recovery. I had a couple minor hiccups, but nothing to complain about.
What bothers me about your post is that every surgeon (or so it seems) has their own approach and philosophy regarding self-care and "diet" after surgery. (I put diet in quotation marks because I no longer consider myself to be "on a diet"....I am simply eating for the rest of my life.). In my opinion, and you're welcome to take it or leave it, we should each be following the advice of our own surgeons/nutritionists....that is, after all, what we pay them for, right? I knew going in that my surgeon's philosophy was relatively conservative. He strongly recommends no smoking, no drinking, and low carb after surgery. Not because he wants me to feel deprived (which I don't), but because those things aren't healthy for me. My food choices, prior to surgery, are the reason I ended up needing surgery....why would I continue to put the same crap....even in "small portions"....into my body after surgery? It's like they say....the definition of insanity is doing the same thing, over and over, expecting a different outcome!
So, rather than saying "You can eat anything you want, and drink anything you want!", I would suggest "Ask your surgeon/nutritionist if you can have x, y, or z, but listen to what your surgeon/nutritionist tells you in response.". If you don't (listen to your own surgeon), you're taking your success into your own hands.
Personally, I'm sick of insanity, and am trying something completely different. The results are in my tickers.
I wish you great success!