CBT

My BMR has always been high. It's not a result of WLS. He checks it to make sure it's not changing. I have always been muscular, as well. Now have portion control and I'm not hungry which results in mindful eating most if the time. So as I eat healthy, I eat less. I used to over eat and I ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it. Food would call out to me from the cupboards. At times I really did have problem binge eating. I do not have that now. Gone. All gone. There's all kinds of stuff around here that I would've binged on preop. Now. Meh. VSG is hands down the tool I needed to help bring it all in line. My body prefers to eat muscle over fat and that's been a challenge in my journey because I tend to like high intensity stuff. That's fun for me. (My endo would like it if I didn't sweat but he doesn't want me to stop doing what I love. He's not asked me to...yet. We've talked about it. ) Now my energy levels are high and match my BMR. Its insane. The people I dance with who've witnessed this transformation comment on it frequently. He has talked about metabolic syndrome. That does not seem to apply to me. I definitely had more issues with estrogen. My endo is covered by insurance, btw. He's part of the bariatric practice. I'm happy to take questions to him. He's all about education.

I just entered maintenance. I had a plastics consult and she told me to stop losing weight. I'm glad she did; still, I too have a high BMR closer to 3k. Measured regularly by the endocrinologist. I'm about 3 months overdue to meet with him :-/ About 7 pounds ago I thought I probably could stop losing. I just thought my body would figure it out. I keep losing. I think my sagging skin confuses my judgement. About food: if I want it, I eat it. I don't like the taste of fatty foods anymore. I too eat avocado and nuts and high calorie healthy foods. I do eat potatoes and rice. I just don't prefer them anymore. Give me quinoa. Anyway, I need to eat a lot more and it's a lot of effort. I'm not hungry. I don't really know what food will trigger me or if I even get triggered anymore. I do have some anxiety about it so on some level I'm avoiding it. Your post is bringing it home for me. I actually came on today hoping to find someone who is trying to stop losing. It's a head trip. You are much farther into this than I am. I am just glad you're here!

I'm glad the site support is working for you. Keep coming back! The Hero ALWAYS has a trusty sidekick to help with the villain. Eventually they get the elixir It's perspective. What have you decided to work on?

It sounds like you can address this from several angles. The supervised diet really exposes the areas that will challenge us postop. That being said, you're getting in touch with how you feel about you. That will go through a massive transformation on the losers bench; still, I suggest you get with a therapist now. I suspect you will experience some significant depression in the month postop if you don't have the opportunity to work through this now. There's a lot of grieving for some people. Maybe you're going to do that now as you break up with....your demons. I completely agree with tracking. These things help us self-correct when we get off our path: tracking, WL community, exercise. Ppl who are successful at 3-5 years do these three things. Start now. Also increase your water. Congratulations on taking control. You are doing this. You're on the Hero's Journey!

When were you cleared?

I have my plastics date! Aye!!! So here's my question, 5 weeks post op is spring break. Do you think a three hour car ride to a family resort sounds doable?

Yea, I keep thinking about that overdoing part. I'm hoping I'll do less that week if they have a pool to play in, etc. maybe I need to bring a teenager along....unclear if DH will be able to go since he's taking time off for me to recover.

Appropriate and clear food measurements and options: Tablespoons, 1/8 & 1/4 cup versus grams, and liquid measure and ounces. This is really tough for veg and fruit. One clearly stalk. Three baby carrots. How do you measure an avocado when you've had 2 slices of a large avo? That's like 1/16 the or 1/8 cup? Drives me batty if I let it. Four pita chips. Not 28 grams!!!! Or whatever four pita chips weigh. Lol. I love the database but man, for how sleevers eat, I waste a lot of time adjusting the measure to get the right Protein count. Now that I'm trying to maintain by increasing calories to stop losing, I do have to pay attention to calories. Not all calories are processed the same, though. I think making that adjustment is just on me. I think this may just be a limitation of these programs? What else....oh! The exercise database on MFP needs so much work. So many types of movement missing. Like all the different types of yoga. Different forms of dance. Martial arts. Rock climbing. Playing in the pool with your kids. Also, when you're 5'2" "walking at 4 mph" is really a slow jog. So I burn way more than my 6'2" husband who is just walking. (I take 1.5 steps for his 1) MFP has it pretty well controlled for weight and calories burned but not by height so well, IMHO. Now get to work! Teehee!!!

Lower body lift, breast lift and aug. Three drains.

There are lots of variations to planks. If you're bored or feeling limited, you have options: low plank, high plank, high plank knee to nose, knee to elbow, knee to opposite elbow, side-open plank, side-open plank with deltoid lift, side-open plank lifting top leg....it goes on.

Yay! Isn't it fantastic how fast you can build strength!

I read where someone's back was hurting? I think it has resolved? If your low back hurts, you have a couple options: raise your butt a bit more (then your core is engaged and not your low back) or modify the plank by lowering to your knees until your back is better

Okay, I'm jumping in. I love to plank and I like challenges! I did 200s low plank today.

Right! Just because medically I "can" doesn't mean I will.

Salmon bones, the small ones, are soft and full of calcium! You could try buying small, cooked pieces from a deli counter. Find what you like. It's more expensive; still, you can control how much you're buying and get goo ideas of what you like and how to prepare it. So many good ideas! Have you nosed around here: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/?m=1

Hi mistysj! I agree with lipstick 3-5 classes if you go a couple times a week so your body can pick it up. Learn the feet first and let your body get that then add the arms. Have fun, let go and laugh when you go the wrong way

Amazing transformation! Thanks for posting and journaling. Information is gold!

Lower body lift and breast lift with augmentation. Surgeon said I can resume light aerobic activity at 2 weeks. No core work for 6. I had ventral hernia repair (lower abdomen) with mesh. So I totally relate to not standing up straight or being able to get up etc. I wore compression garments to support the muscles. The plastic surgeon said my metabolic rate would triple in recovery and I'd have to eat a lot to maximize healing and minimize weight loss. I can't imagine how much food that'll be. I already eat 1800 calories. I see you did drink a lot of Water. That does help me. It sounds like too much activity too soon really is a no no. It's soooooooo good for me to read this. The surgeon told me not to do much of anything for 2 weeks (hence the splitting of hairs). I really appreciate all the journaling. It's reinforcing the messages and helping me make it mental.

I am sensitive to sodium and will get edema just looking at it. I'm wondering if you had a tendency to retain fluid preop? Also, were you drinking a lot of water during recovery? I know fluid and swelling is par for the corse in surgery, I'm just trying to glean my own insights knowing what I know about how I do with recover. Does that make sense?

I am preop plastics but I asked the surgeon, "is 2 weeks 10 days or 14?" She laughed and said 14! "Not a day sooner. Since when is 2 weeks 10 days?" I really was hoping it'd be 10

How's it going? What's the ct show?

Surgery just sucks. It's true: you have to want it to be a good candidate for the recovery.

So life post divorce. What do you see? You lose a lot of control over your son's exposure/experiences. This is the hard part, IMHO. The things you fight about magnify and you no longer have any say. What happens at his house is his business. Just stuff to think about. It's been a blessing in your first marriage. Just gotta have a plan....

So exciting to have a plan, goals and desires for life and to know what works for you. Yea, recovery in the holiday season not so much. I had ventral hernia repair in early Nov and Thanksgiving that year was a trip!

A private surgical center does help with cost and for that I'm grateful! I have to stay overnight because if the lower body lift. May I ask, why are you waiting two years? I hope it works out for you, too.