JerseyCityGal

I was on it years ago. You will lose weight, but when you stop taking it .... your appetite comes back with a vengeance.

I was on it years ago. You will lose weight, but when you stop taking it .... your appetite comes back with a vengeance.

I had an epic stall before my 6th month check-up too.
You look great and you are doing great. Keep it up!

Put the Protein shakes in the blender with ice and make a real shake out of it. It will make you feel fuller. You can also add sugar-free Torani syrups (0 calories, 0 carbs, etc) to make any flavor you want.
I personally love the cinnamon sugar, belgian cookie, pumpkin pie or gingerbread flavor(s) in a vanilla shake blended with ice. It really makes it delicious, like a coolatta.

I'll get real with you too ... and believe me, I'm being realistic, not mean.
PCOS makes it much harder to lose weight, but not impossible. I lost 70 lbs at one point through diet and exercise. It can be done. I went through early menopause so my symptoms are pretty much nonexistent now, but women with PCOS can lose weight. It's harder and slower than the average person, but I did it and I didn't have superpowers. Don't use PCOS as your catch-all excuse. Lots of women with PCOS have the surgery.
I've been a vegetarian for 30+ years and I have to tell you, as far as weight loss and real nutrition, your diet is crap. Bagel with butter? Skipping a meal? Chickpeas (btw, I love them) have 45 carbs in a cup and close to 300 calories. 1/4 cup of feta is loaded with sodium. A cup of quinoa has 39 carbs. Where's the Protein? You think you are eating a lot healthier than you are.
You're not in "great health". You're 5' 4" and almost 300 lbs. You are a morbidly obese woman who is used to walking. Not having a heart attack at this very moment doesn't mean you are in "great health". What you are is someone whose body hasn't started showing the signs of breaking down yet. The key phrase is started showing. It's breaking down. You can walk? Great. We're SUPPOSED to be able to walk without effort. You're not getting the Gold Star of Health because you can still walk and you don't have obesity hypoventilation syndrome ... yet.
I weighed 268 and was 52 when I decided to look into surgery, and I could actually sprint, touch my toes, run up the subway stairs, walk for miles, you name it. I also had a family history of people dying in their 40's and 50's, and if they made it to 60, it wasn't for long. I really didn't want to die. That was the tipping point for me. I was in my genetic "dead zone". I was 53 when I had the surgery, and I'm 54 now. I'm confident I'll live to see 74.
Have you seen any 5' 4" 300 lb women in their 70's and 80's walking around? No. Do you know why that is? It's because there are aren't any. They are all dead.
If you aren't ready for surgery or just plain don't want it, there is nothing wrong with that. It's not for everyone. If you want making it up the stairs to your house to be your personal best, go for it (and I'm not being sarcastic). Sometimes people are happy with the way things are and don't adapt well to change. I had this sort-of uncle who lived in his mother's basement his entire adult life. He had a pool table, a full bar, a dart board, state of the art (for the 1960's) stereo, color tv (a big deal back then), fridge, some type of velour sofa and a bed. The only time he would leave was to buy beer and Slim Jims. He was truly happy. His whole life was spent in that basement. He loved being down there until the day he died.
I personally am so grateful for my surgery. Every day I wake up and think about what I was this time last year. I ate clean before, but now proper nutrition is a priority. So is exercise and making the best possible choices for me at all times. What I put in my mouth, what I do with my time, what I will accept from myself. My personal standards for myself and my goals are a thousand times higher and it really shows.
Is there something you are afraid of? There are some downsides (like sagging skin), but it's small potatoes compared to all the health and personal benefits. I don't pray to not die in my sleep every night before I go to bed any more. I'm not jonesing for Bagels any more. I get excited about working out. When stuff happens, I have to deal with it instead of eat. The happy switch has been turned on for me. I wish I had done this years ago.

Yes, along with Biotin, etc. Didn't help me one bit.

Yes, along with Biotin, etc. Didn't help me one bit.

Well, I'm 6 days out from a breast lift/augmentation and bilateral medial thigh lift (with the long inner thigh incision). I had abdominplasty, butt lift and bilateral brachioplasty last August. The swelling from the first surgery in August was just starting to go down, and now it's back in full force! I'm up about 15 pounds from my lowest weight, and I have to say, it's the swelling that is miserable! And, the Water weight went directly to my arms and abdomen and hips, as well as the thighs and breasts. Basically, everything that I've worked on is a magnet for Fluid retention. I feel like a stuffed sausage.
However, this second surgery is much easier to recover from that the first - night and day difference! Even with two large drains still in my groin, I'm not feeling too bad!
One of the reasons I decided to do this it to feel "finished". I hate it when I can't complete something I set out to do, and I just felt so incomplete with all the loose skin. While I'll never have a perfect body, that was never my goal. I think my surgeon got me closer than I even hoped. I also believe that it will help me maintain my weight loss. While it's no guarantee, I do think that it might help, but I guess only time will tell.
For anyone considering plastics, there is a lot to think about. I had some open wounds from the first surgery that took nearly 4 months to heal, but I still think it was worth it. I have swelling that I find miserable, but even if it lasts a year, it's temporary, and it's way better than loose skin. And I do have a lot of scars, but they are fading, and will continue to do so. That loose, flabby skin was never going to tighten on it's own. I feel much better in my skin now, even with the swell hell I'm in.
So, while I thought I'd come here to complain about it, I also have to say I don't regret it! Things haven't settled into place yet, but even still, I look way better than before. Even though it's a difficult surgery to recover from, I'd do it again (but thank goodness I don't have to, lol!) Thanks for listening!

G2 with Protein Powder
chicken or beef bullion granules
Drained healthy chice Soups that you can see through
Diet lemonade

@@CharlotteWebb The sleeve is a great option and if that's the safest surgery for you then don't be upset. There are tons of people who would love to have this surgery and can't. Since this is a new procedure to you just spend some time researching it. You can find out all kinds of info, Internet, youtube, reading ect...and you always have the option of not having it done at all if your against it. No need to upset yourself!

@@JerseyCityGal, you nailed it. The OP titled her post...Gettin real, so I thought she wanted "real" responses. It does seem like the only respnses she "likes" are those that go along with what she wants to hear. One cannot learn that way. I joined this forum so that I could learn and hear different perspectives....without the sugar coating

Find a hobby that doesn't involve food and that will engage your brain, something like genealogy, really fast.
This will sound trite, but every day really is a new day. You don't have to carry yesterdays mistakes into tomorrow. You blew your diet and that's over with. You don't have to do it again tomorrow. We all have our moments of weakness. Don't let it get you down and then turn to more bad choices for comfort. You can do better tomorrow.
If you don't buy it, you can't eat/drink it. Clear out everything that aren't the best things for you to consume and it will make sticking to your diet & exercise plan a lot easier. Out of sight, out of mind.

Find a hobby that doesn't involve food and that will engage your brain, something like genealogy, really fast.
This will sound trite, but every day really is a new day. You don't have to carry yesterdays mistakes into tomorrow. You blew your diet and that's over with. You don't have to do it again tomorrow. We all have our moments of weakness. Don't let it get you down and then turn to more bad choices for comfort. You can do better tomorrow.
If you don't buy it, you can't eat/drink it. Clear out everything that aren't the best things for you to consume and it will make sticking to your diet & exercise plan a lot easier. Out of sight, out of mind.

If the scale isn't cooperating, focus on your clothing. Do NOT start slacking; that will only sabotage your program. Occasional nuts are okay, but I find that when I start eating them I have a hard time stopping, and it slows down my progress. We all tend to look in the mirror, and what looks back at us is the weight we still need to lose. You're so early in the process. Before too long, you should start seeing real changes. Look forward to the new you, not backward. If you keep making the right choices, it will come off - promise!

Bob,
I wasn't scared at all, not even for one second, until I was in the operating room. It was right then that I became terror-struck. I got my hands on a Filipino nurse and wouldn't let go. I was yelling "Please pray for me!" at her. Mercifully they put me out pretty quickly after that, lol.
The surgery is a new beginning, a fresh start, and the best thing that is ever going to happen to you. Just keep thinking about what your life will be like in 3 months, 6 months, a year.
I'm exactly 6 months out today and have lost 79.5 lbs. I feel so good, and I keep feeling better every day.
There really is nothing to be nervous about. You will make it through just fine.

I think you hit on something there when you said something about being treated as if you are invisible.
That's the reason. Nobody was purposely ignoring you, it was more like they just didn't notice you there before -- and now they do. It is what it is.
Look, the world is an unfair place. The sooner you accept this, the happier you will be in life.

I was on it years ago. You will lose weight, but when you stop taking it .... your appetite comes back with a vengeance.

I was on it years ago. You will lose weight, but when you stop taking it .... your appetite comes back with a vengeance.

You really don't hear what people actually say, do you?
What you were told, by two people who have PCOS - same as you, that they were able to lose weight. PCOS is not an excuse. It's harder, but it can be done. I went swimming every morning for 45 minutes before work, not dog paddling but Olympic size pool laps. Then I hit the gym, with a personal trainer, 5 nights a week. On weekends I literally walked for miles. If you want to lose weight, surgery or not, this is the kind of effort it takes for someone with PCOS. You think it's commendable that you are able to walk. You need to do a heck of a lot more than making it up the steps or the hill to your house to lose weight unless you live on the summit of Mt. Washington and park at the base.
No one said you have no right to be happy or healthy. I've read the thread twice, and there is no such post where you are told this. That's your belief, not what anyone said.
Yes, being almost 300 lbs and 5' 4" is abusing your body. There are thousands of reputable websites that detail what all that excess weight is doing to your body. Everything from increasing your heart attack risk six-fold to wearing out your joints. Even your chances of getting cancer are increased. Would you subject someone you loved to something that would do these things? Nooooo.
Your digestive issues and allergies don't prevent you from eating foods with a lower carb, sugar, fat and calorie content, do they? Never in my life have I seen someone besides you claim that a bagel with butter is a "healthy food choice". bread is not your friend.
For instance, Chickpeas vs Black Beans. You chose chickpeas. 1/2 cup of chickpeas has 269 calories, 4g fat, 45 carbs and 15g of Protein. 1/2 cup of black Beans is 90 calories, 0.5 g fat, 12 carbs and 7g of Protein. You could eat three times as many black beans as chickpeas and still be better off. 45g of carbs for a 1/2 cup serving of anything just will not work if you are trying to lose weight. Your carbs have to be restricted. There isn't anyone who is going to tell you that you can have all the carbs you want and you are going to lose weight. It doesn't work that way. It's like you can't even imagine that there are better choices than the ones you have made.
If you want to lose weight, you will have to change your mindset first, then your habits. You think there is nothing you can learn or be taught because you believe you have a "healthy lifestyle". You don't. Just because you aren't eating a tray of cupcakes at every meal doesn't mean you have made the best choices.
I want to loan you a book, on Kindle. You can use the Kindle app on your phone or computer to read it, you don't need a Kindle. It's by Dr. Duc Vuong. He's the weight loss surgeon that treated TLC's 900 lb man. He wrote a book about Gastric Sleeve Success, and it's great. It explains what you have to change and why, along with explaining the entire sleeve process. If you message me your e-mail address, I'll Kindle lend you the book.

It was really hard, but I did it.
FYI, there were no video games in the 1960's and nowhere in my post did I mention cigarettes. What I was pointing out was that he was perfectly happy with a situation that most people would have been clawing their way out of. He had no desire to change or make things what most people would consider better for himself. He was just fine with the way things are. Maybe you are too. You don't have to have surgery if you don't want to .... just don't fool yourself about what your situation really is.
Whether you think so or not, you aren't eating for optimal nutrition and weight loss. Do you know how much sugar is in sundried tomatoes? How much sodium? For you to get in the proper amount of Protein with all those ingredients, your salad would have had to have been MUCH larger than you stated, and the calories would have been pretty high.
Skipping meals causes weight gain. For one, it slows down your metabolism. I could go on and on. You're just not eating the way you need to. If you want to have surgery, you are going to have to take a crash course in nutrition and really grasp what you are putting in your mouth.

You do it the same way toddlers do. They have a small stomach, don't eat a lot and stop when they are full. You aren't dieting, it's a complete lifestyle change. You have to learn about nutrition and log every bite that goes in your mouth. The cravings were rough at first, but I got through it. Now I'm not interested in certain foods I used to scarf down.
Seriously? If you had such a "healthy" relationship with your body, you wouldn't weigh close to 300 lbs. What you are is accepting of yourself and the way you look. Not being self-loathing doesn't mean you have a "healthy" relationship with your body. You are living in an abused body. Don't make your husband an excuse. It's extremely rare to find a mentally and emotionally healthy person who goes "ewww" when their partner gets in shape and healthy. What you think you look like in your head right now is not what the rest of the world is seeing. You can save up for plastic surgery. It will be a few years before you lose all the weight, work out to get as much muscle tone and definition as possible and stabilize so you have lots of time.

I'll get real with you too ... and believe me, I'm being realistic, not mean.
PCOS makes it much harder to lose weight, but not impossible. I lost 70 lbs at one point through diet and exercise. It can be done. I went through early menopause so my symptoms are pretty much nonexistent now, but women with PCOS can lose weight. It's harder and slower than the average person, but I did it and I didn't have superpowers. Don't use PCOS as your catch-all excuse. Lots of women with PCOS have the surgery.
I've been a vegetarian for 30+ years and I have to tell you, as far as weight loss and real nutrition, your diet is crap. Bagel with butter? Skipping a meal? Chickpeas (btw, I love them) have 45 carbs in a cup and close to 300 calories. 1/4 cup of feta is loaded with sodium. A cup of quinoa has 39 carbs. Where's the Protein? You think you are eating a lot healthier than you are.
You're not in "great health". You're 5' 4" and almost 300 lbs. You are a morbidly obese woman who is used to walking. Not having a heart attack at this very moment doesn't mean you are in "great health". What you are is someone whose body hasn't started showing the signs of breaking down yet. The key phrase is started showing. It's breaking down. You can walk? Great. We're SUPPOSED to be able to walk without effort. You're not getting the Gold Star of Health because you can still walk and you don't have obesity hypoventilation syndrome ... yet.
I weighed 268 and was 52 when I decided to look into surgery, and I could actually sprint, touch my toes, run up the subway stairs, walk for miles, you name it. I also had a family history of people dying in their 40's and 50's, and if they made it to 60, it wasn't for long. I really didn't want to die. That was the tipping point for me. I was in my genetic "dead zone". I was 53 when I had the surgery, and I'm 54 now. I'm confident I'll live to see 74.
Have you seen any 5' 4" 300 lb women in their 70's and 80's walking around? No. Do you know why that is? It's because there are aren't any. They are all dead.
If you aren't ready for surgery or just plain don't want it, there is nothing wrong with that. It's not for everyone. If you want making it up the stairs to your house to be your personal best, go for it (and I'm not being sarcastic). Sometimes people are happy with the way things are and don't adapt well to change. I had this sort-of uncle who lived in his mother's basement his entire adult life. He had a pool table, a full bar, a dart board, state of the art (for the 1960's) stereo, color tv (a big deal back then), fridge, some type of velour sofa and a bed. The only time he would leave was to buy beer and Slim Jims. He was truly happy. His whole life was spent in that basement. He loved being down there until the day he died.
I personally am so grateful for my surgery. Every day I wake up and think about what I was this time last year. I ate clean before, but now proper nutrition is a priority. So is exercise and making the best possible choices for me at all times. What I put in my mouth, what I do with my time, what I will accept from myself. My personal standards for myself and my goals are a thousand times higher and it really shows.
Is there something you are afraid of? There are some downsides (like sagging skin), but it's small potatoes compared to all the health and personal benefits. I don't pray to not die in my sleep every night before I go to bed any more. I'm not jonesing for Bagels any more. I get excited about working out. When stuff happens, I have to deal with it instead of eat. The happy switch has been turned on for me. I wish I had done this years ago.

I had laser hair removal after years of waxing.
The cost of the laser treatments pays for itself when you figure out how many waxes you are going to pay for during your lifetime.

I was on it years ago. You will lose weight, but when you stop taking it .... your appetite comes back with a vengeance.

I was on it years ago. You will lose weight, but when you stop taking it .... your appetite comes back with a vengeance.