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Congratulations on your success. And thank you for reminding everyone that it does take mindfulness to keep on track. I will be 3 years in November and it is still the best decision I have ever made for myself.

Today was actually I good day for me as far as my fast day goes. I actually only ate about 400 calories. I am usually low after supper but I will eat something to make up the difference. Last night I really didn't feel like much, so I just ate a cup of cherries which as just over 50 calories when I had 142 calories to go to 500.

I sure woke up hungry this morning though. I always like how I feel after a fast day, a lot less bloated in my belly. I was down 3 lbs this morning, but I am not holding my breath that it will stick as I seem to bounce around a lot. But hopefully over the next couple of weeks during my "prime" losing time, I can shed a couple of pounds.

Good luck to all you Tuesday fasters!

Oh, and as a side note... I had to buy a dress for our prom which, is Thursday. I tried a UK14 on and I thought it looked ok... the sales assisstant came up to me and told me how lovely it looked, but it would look better if it was the right size! She brought back a 12 and it fitted like a glove! Another NSV for the books! If i get some good pics I will post them for you x

So I had to look up what the conversion would be, and here you would be rocking a size 8! I am not sure where you are seeing that you think you are so big, but you look fantastic to me!

I would still say I have pretty great restriction. I can eat more now at over 2.5 years post op than I could at even a year, but I still cannot eat a lot. It all really depends on food choices that dictates how much I can eat, which I know we can all relate too. I also have about the same level of hunger as earlier out. I get hungry if I haven't eaten for a long period of time, but it is not the same gnawing hunger with a rumbling stomach that I got before surgery.

I agree with Cheri about the all or nothing approach and talked about it a little on another thread. Instead as looking at the sleeve as an opportunity to make lasting lifestyle changes, people, for lack of a better word, crash diet. Sure, it might get you to goal quickly, but it is not sustainable over the long haul, just like it was not sustainable before the sleeve. I never took that stance. I decided to make changes that I could live with for a lifetime (limiting processed carbs...white stuff, Protein first, no drinking with meals, etc). I believe in the 90/10 or 80/20 approach. Eating healthy most of the time, but allow yourself some wiggle room. Personally, I knew I could never go the rest of my life never having ice cream with my kids or having a piece of cake at a birthday. But I don't keep those types of food in my house because I do not need to be eating them everyday. And with this approach I was maintaining for almost a year before I started a new medication that caused me to gain 7 lbs in 3 weeks without any dietary changes. I stopped taking the medication and I stopped gaining, but the way I was eating has been enough to once again maintain but not lose. Thus why I have chosen to try the 5:2 method to shed the pounds to get back down to where I was.

I also have read that you can start to produce more Ghrelin several years after surgery which could account for more hunger. Whether that is true or not, I am not sure and since the sleeve is still really in its infancy, I think there is a lot more research to be done.

I cannot see that you would have a problem down the road if you maintain what you are doing. If you can look at yourself and you regiment and say that you are happy and you feel it is honestly something you can do for life, you will be rocking it 20 years from now! You have made it a new life and have chosen to make permanent changes you can be happy with and sustain.

In all honesty, our downfall is ourselves. Allowing old habits to creep back in, becoming more slack, and not making lasting changes is what results in weight gain for most people (of course, ruling out the medical), not a mechanical problem with the surgery itself.

Yesterday (Birthday party for my Bro) came out fine. Kept within my calorie goal range, ate cake. Yummy restaurant food off the menu with the one change from Pasta to veggies. (Olive Garden) cheese stick for breakfast and dinner, but was full. Lost .1 pound- new low for this year, and fasting/resting today. So far, a good way to live. Fun plans for later today. See you all later Ladies and Gents!

So exciting that this is working so well for you!

I don't feel like I am dieting either, even though it is labeled the 5:2 diet. I find my fast days fairly easy, for the most part. As long as I have a plan, they go fairly smoothly. And knowing I can eat something I might be craving the next day makes all the difference. I think the word has such negative feelings around it, when people hear "diet", they think crazy cabbage Soup, Atkins, etc.

I don't view diligence as "dieting". When I got the surgery, I decided to overhaul the way I ate, but I made changes I could live with for a lifetime. I actually never counted anything, but cut out the white stuff, never keep trigger foods in my house, and quit drinking with my meals. I still enjoy eating ice cream with my kids once in a while, or having a few french fries off my husband's plate. I knew I could never go the rest of my life without ever enjoying food again. I've said it again and again, I worry about the people that go to extremes on either side of this. Either they vow to never watch what they eat again because the didn't get the sleeve so they would have to diet. Then, like so many attest to, the weight starts to creep back on. Or they go the other way and restrict themselves to extremes, which, in my humble opinion, is not sustainable. We have all done it, lost the weight, and then gained it back. Why? Because not many can live like that for the next 30 or 40 years.

I like what you said, Cheri, about the word "diet" seems to imply that it ends some day. But when we stop being accountable is when we run into problems!

Well, enough with my rant of the day! Today is my fast day as well. Woke up this morning down a little from yesterday, so still sitting at 2.8lbs lost since I started fasting. The next 2 weeks are the typical weeks that I tend to lose (up to ovulation time, then all scale hell breaks loose!). So I am hoping to see some good stuff the next few weeks. Plus we have no major events for a couple of weeks, so I am going to get back to my regular eating routine on my non-fast days.

Have a great fasting day to all my fellow Monday fasters and a great week to everyone!

I weigh 149...have lost 102 lbs. and my BMI says I'm fat as well. And I am still wearing a size 12! What the heck. Maybe I'm just under tall (I'm 5'2"). We need to all give ourselves a break as this journey/life can be SO frustrating!

It is always amazing to me how different all of our bodies are! I know another sleever who her and I weight close to the same, and I think she wears around a size 10 or 12 as well. I carry a lot of my weight on my lower body, especially my bum and thighs and my waist is smaller.

We should Celebrate how far we have come and our amazing bodies. I forget sometimes what my body has done ( and what I have done to it!), and should give it a little bit of a break, but my brain is a dominatrix!

Cheri, I think your doc is crazy! What a way to make you feel like a failure when you are a complete success!

My goal weight when I started out was 140lbs, which put me just within the normal BMI range according to what I thought my height was, 5'3" ( I am actually about 1/2 inch shorter, so even now 140lbs puts me back into the overweight category). I dropped a little below and was sitting around 138lbs for about a year until I started that f***ing medication! Now I am back up to I do not even really know because it fluctuates so much day to day (I am going to say 145 because that is what I weight this morning). The sad thing is that I never even thought I would reach my goal, and when I had lost down to 145lbs I felt amazing. Now I am back up to there and hate it!

And even at this weight, I still where a size 6 ( I could wear a 4 in some brands before the 7lbs gain...vanity sizing maybe, but I really don't care!). And I am already boney in my shoulders and chest, I really wouldn't want to weight much less than the 138lb logically. But there are days that my brain is saying your are sooo short, you shout weigh less than 130lbs, even though I would probably look terrible.

What can't we get around all these stupid numbers! I wish I could and I wish I had your confidence feedyoureye!

Maybe it is something in the air because my emotions and that old feeling of feeling like the fatest person in the room has reared its ugly head in a big way lately. Maybe it is all the crappy food I have been eating on my non-fast days that are messing with my mental state, who knows.

How do you guys deal with "not perfect" food choices in your house? Are most of you all or nothing or are you similar to me in this? I'm just curious where we all are.

I do wonder, if much like oregondaisy, I'll find my fourth year more challenging with respect to maintenance and moderation.

~Cheri

I do take a "in moderation" approach, sort of. I cannot have anything in my house. If it is there, I will eat it. I have tried to resist, but I just can't seem to make it happen. So I knew if I wanted to succeed, I would have to choose to not keep anything in my house. I really didn't before either, so it wasn't a really hard transition. I also tend to stay away from the white stuff as much as possible (sugar, rice, Pasta, bread). If we are out, I will have stuff that I do not eat at home. I will have a piece of garlic toast or a piece of cake.

I have spent my whole life having so much guilt around eating, that when I got the surgery, I didn't want that anymore. I know that naturally thin people watch what they eat, but they also allow themselves to have "treats". It has been a bit more of a struggle since I had some regain not feeling guilty when eating anything, but I can honestly say that I cannot go my entire life never having a piece of cake again. And like I mentioned before, I was maintaining easily with the way I was eating until I started a medication. Now the pounds are stuck and I can't seem to shake them.

I am sticking to the 5:2, but I have to say, that it has been a bit of a struggle. Not so much the fasting, that is not too bad. But my normal days have been all over the map. Between a lot of special occasions, having company over, and my period, I am having trouble reigning in my eating. Plus, my scale has been fluctuating wildly, and it is driving me nuts!!

Well, tomorrow is my fast day again, 1st one of my fourth week. My weight jumped up this morning thanks to an evening at a backyard party and lots of grazing. Things are getting back to normal for a few weeks before we go on holidays, so I am hoping I can get some control!

You look glowing! And the fact that you are carrying twins and haven't gained means that you will be lighter after you deliver! Congratulations on your huge weight loss and you pregnancy!

Coops, I know everyone has said, but you should be so proud of what you have accomplished. Especially that, in the face of adversity, you have not given up. It would be way easier to throw your hands up and say it can't be done. But you have not done that! You have chosen to keep working at it no matter how frustrated you may become. For that alone you are a complete success and an inspiration to many!

And Chimera, you are right, we have to be mindful. I feel sorry for you sister-in-law because it seems as though she is giving up and throwing in the towel. She has lost so much and it is never too late to gain control. I hope for her that she does. Your quote from Eggface is perfect! Just because you get there doesn't mean you can quit. You have to keep it up for a lifetime. The other thing she always says about WLS is that it is not a do-over, it is a do-better. Make lasting changes that you know that you can sustain forever. You can work your a**, follow super-strict diets, etc, and sure, those sleevers might get to goal quickly. But if not careful, there is the risk of repeating the same mistakes we all have done before we had surgery. It is too hard to maintain and we end up giving up at some point (at least I know I did...before I had my son I worked out so hard all the time that I burned out, I just physically could not to it anymore). I chose to look at WLS as a way to change my life forever, not just for the 18 months it took me to reach goal. And likely the fact that it took me 18 months helped entrench a lot of good habits which I still continue today.

I am grateful for everyone on here that is fighting the fight and being honest about what the future is like for sleevers over 2 years out. It takes a lot of character to be honest and keep coming for support (whether here or local support groups). No one should feel ashamed if they are struggling, and no one should be made to feel ashamed either.

There will always be a level of diligence that we will have to maintain, likely for life, that I know I hoped that I wouldn't have to, but, that is reality!

Hope everyone had a good 4th - we just lounged around and stayed lazy. It was nice.

Today's another normal day. I'll fast tomorrow. I'm holding steady on the scale, which puts me down 2 pounds for the week so far. If that's true and it stays, I'm okay with that, even if it puts me up over last week.

I'm having trouble getting my Water in lately. No interest. I think nearly three years of pushing it every day and I'm just tired of it, so I'm going to challenge myself and try to get in at least 64 oz. each day for the rest of this week. Maybe it'll be habit again after that.

Hope you all have a great day. Fridays are busy for me - I make homemade bread every Friday morning and then we do a big dinner. Well, it's a big dinner for everyone but me because I always eat the same amount of food. Anyway, I'm off to start my day in the kitchen. With a big cup of Water, of course.

~Cheri

A loss, no matter how big or small, is still a loss! That is awesome! And good for you for baking bread. I love to bake, but I can't because then I eat it!! Mmmm, I love fresh bread smeared with butter....

I know! The rat!!! But it sure lifts your spirits! Lol. Down another 2 this morning. That makes 17 for me. I had honestly given up on the ability to lose again. Hard work is paying off and oddly enough, I'm finding it exhilarating at the same time! Crazy, I know, but accomplishing something again and finding a way to eat NORMAL without really depriving myself (low carb) is encouraging.

And wanted you to know your calm reasoning with others is delightful to me.

Way to rock it Georgia, you are doing amazing!!

It wasn't pretty but I made it through the day.

I actually weighed two pounds less this morning before the fast?? It would be nice to have it say the same tomorrow.

That is awesome!

Well, it was rough yesterday, but I made it through my fast day. I was having a bad day, so it took everything in my not to stuff food into my face (I am a stress eater, and an emotional eater, and I know it!). But I made it through. The bloat weight went back down so I am back at sitting at 2.8 lbs down. I am finished fasting for this week, so we will see how things go through the weekend. Have a great weekend everyone!

Remind me why I am fasting on JULY THE 4th?! Smile. Well, if the attached is true, I'll take it!

I know! When I track on fasting days, mine says I would be 130lbs in 5 weeks! I wish, but I am just not down with eating 500 calories a day anymore! And I have never really even made it close to being that low, so I can't really see it!

Congratulations on 3 years!! And it sounds like you had an amazing time on your vacation!

UGH! I am so frustrated at the moment. I am starting my second fast day of the week today, which I am fine with. But I weighed myself this morning and I am right back up to almost where I started! I just started that time of the month and logically I know that has something to do with it, even my wedding rings feel tight. But it doesn't make me feel like less of a failure. Plus I feel like I am having trouble getting my head in the game on "normal" days. There has been so much going on the last 2 weeks, that I have been eating more than normal. But the thing that makes me frustrated is I am not eating THAT much more. I just wish my body was normal. That I didn't have to stress about every morsel of food that I put in my mouth

Sorry for the morning rant, I am just not in a good place today and just feel like crying this morning.

Oh, and I hope I have a good 5:2 week, because my three year anniversary is on the 15th and I'd like to look good in the picture and feel good about my weight when I post my update!

~Cheri

You should be so proud of what you have accomplished and you are an inspiration to all. No matter how you feel about posting an updated picture, I know you will look as beautiful on the outside as you are on the inside!

Great, we are now likened to crack addicts...

For the record, my box o' pure bars are in hibernation.

I have tried hiding them high up in the cupboard thinking that if they were out of site and hard to reach I wouldn't eat them (which actually works for me with some things), and I would find myself grabbing a chair, standing on my tiptoes trying to reach them in the back of the pantry...sad sight! They fired off the worst carb cravings of almost anything I have eaten!

Good for you for being able to put yours out of sight, out of mind....

My name is Sheila, and I am a Quest Bar addict.....

I hate to say this, but I am glad I am finally not alone in this fight . I have to go back and read the last few posts, but I was really getting discouraged reading how easy it was for everyone else to lose if they gained a couple lbs.

I had wls almost 7 years ago. I am NOT going back to being fat. But this is a very hard battle, when you're used to the sleeve taking care of hunger.

I am also glad that this forum is here and that those of us who are struggling have a place to talk about it. And I hope that people that are new take note, this truly is not the easy way out.

You have done amazing and to have kept everything off for 7 years is an amazing accomplishment!

These Quest bars are everywhere! I've not tried one but I'm going to have to one day they sound good. Can't wait to get back on track.

Today I've eaten like a fat queen

We are in the land of excess today (Vegas)

Don't start them, they are like crack! I would warm them up and eat them, then I found myself getting wicked cravings and scarfing down 2, sometimes 3 in a day!! They never really filled me up that much either! Needless to say, I do not buy them anymore!

Thank you Susan for moving it

Wow, that was fast!!!

I'm only a week out, but I was just curious of what is 5:2?

The basic idea is to eat a normal, healthy diet 5 days a week and fast (eating 500 calories) two days a week. There are many health benefits to fasting, but I would NOT recommend this for anyone that is under a year for sure. Your body is still healing from surgery and you need to focus on recovery and getting in as much healthy nutrition as you can at the moment.