Jack

re: "I feel I might need that extra something to get down to my goal weight."
we all have ideas of what 'something extra' SHOULD accomplish.....yet I wonder in what manner is measured either what is accomplished or what it takes to do such.
And the reality of just what that matters, if our goal is not attained in a given time frame, depends on the drive/desires of the individual. What exactly motivates us to desire that extra 10% weight loss, when "90#" was quite remarkable in itself.
About 20 years ago my MD was convinced my T level 'needed to be raised'. So I took a few shots and a few of his Rx pills.
My blood measurements of T level increased over the weeks, as did a whole slew of symptoms I didn't like: jitteryness, irritability, decreased ability to concentrate, cranky behavior, etc etc. My T level climbed to where it was "80% of normal" for my age. Each new injection was followed by ever more undesirable. Finally chest pains and increased blood pressure, loss of sleep etc etc, directly linked to testosterone 'therapy' to 'get me up to the Normal' level.
I could see no advantage to getting another 10% closer to 'his goal'. We terminated that plan and over the weeks my charming and witty disposition returned.
Chest pains remained for years.

re: "I feel I might need that extra something to get down to my goal weight."
we all have ideas of what 'something extra' SHOULD accomplish.....yet I wonder in what manner is measured either what is accomplished or what it takes to do such.
And the reality of just what that matters, if our goal is not attained in a given time frame, depends on the drive/desires of the individual. What exactly motivates us to desire that extra 10% weight loss, when "90#" was quite remarkable in itself.
About 20 years ago my MD was convinced my T level 'needed to be raised'. So I took a few shots and a few of his Rx pills.
My blood measurements of T level increased over the weeks, as did a whole slew of symptoms I didn't like: jitteryness, irritability, decreased ability to concentrate, cranky behavior, etc etc. My T level climbed to where it was "80% of normal" for my age. Each new injection was followed by ever more undesirable. Finally chest pains and increased blood pressure, loss of sleep etc etc, directly linked to testosterone 'therapy' to 'get me up to the Normal' level.
I could see no advantage to getting another 10% closer to 'his goal'. We terminated that plan and over the weeks my charming and witty disposition returned.
Chest pains remained for years.

re: "I feel I might need that extra something to get down to my goal weight."
we all have ideas of what 'something extra' SHOULD accomplish.....yet I wonder in what manner is measured either what is accomplished or what it takes to do such.
And the reality of just what that matters, if our goal is not attained in a given time frame, depends on the drive/desires of the individual. What exactly motivates us to desire that extra 10% weight loss, when "90#" was quite remarkable in itself.
About 20 years ago my MD was convinced my T level 'needed to be raised'. So I took a few shots and a few of his Rx pills.
My blood measurements of T level increased over the weeks, as did a whole slew of symptoms I didn't like: jitteryness, irritability, decreased ability to concentrate, cranky behavior, etc etc. My T level climbed to where it was "80% of normal" for my age. Each new injection was followed by ever more undesirable. Finally chest pains and increased blood pressure, loss of sleep etc etc, directly linked to testosterone 'therapy' to 'get me up to the Normal' level.
I could see no advantage to getting another 10% closer to 'his goal'. We terminated that plan and over the weeks my charming and witty disposition returned.
Chest pains remained for years.

"I am even more convinced that a large portion go away because they are struggling." This is probably true!
However, I can not escape the notion that "Life ITSELF is a struggle". We of the Tribe of the Morbidly Obese, have to find a path through our personal wilderness, to reach whatever glimpse of the Life as Normo Weight we can manage.
Depending on how we look at our own progress, we can motivate or justify a wide range of eating behavior.
And yes it becomes frustrating at times.
After a year long struggle I've managed to drop 17# of what had crept back on somehow. And I'm 20# above what I weight at my best postOp weight.
The other side of the coin can not be ignored.....I'm within 10# of what I weighed 50+ years ago at high school graduation!
Still.....my drive to reach "size 40" pants has failed, as 46 fits pretty good. Day of Banding I wore size 56-58.
So the Dance continues....who would have thought 12 years postOp I'd still be in a daily Battle with the Dragons of Overeating!!!!

"I am even more convinced that a large portion go away because they are struggling." This is probably true!
However, I can not escape the notion that "Life ITSELF is a struggle". We of the Tribe of the Morbidly Obese, have to find a path through our personal wilderness, to reach whatever glimpse of the Life as Normo Weight we can manage.
Depending on how we look at our own progress, we can motivate or justify a wide range of eating behavior.
And yes it becomes frustrating at times.
After a year long struggle I've managed to drop 17# of what had crept back on somehow. And I'm 20# above what I weight at my best postOp weight.
The other side of the coin can not be ignored.....I'm within 10# of what I weighed 50+ years ago at high school graduation!
Still.....my drive to reach "size 40" pants has failed, as 46 fits pretty good. Day of Banding I wore size 56-58.
So the Dance continues....who would have thought 12 years postOp I'd still be in a daily Battle with the Dragons of Overeating!!!!

re: "appetite suppressants simply do not work as a long term weight loss solution. We KNOW this or we wouldn't have needed surgery."
My own personal Battle with Obesity began circa 1964 with the little miracle pills then common for appetite suppressant.
I'm not posting to batter anyone/anything, just report my own journey.
After a couple years of ever-increasing doses of (yes, it was amphetamines) I began to imagine it was not abnormal to be up at 3am. It was helpful for other reasons as well, because I was taking 21 semester hours at college and working 3 part time jobs.....
So the last time I saw my physician, he gave me 'the strongest formulation' they had.....dark dark purple/dark dark amber capsule. And no, I wasn't hungry. At first. Then I saw a new report, my doc had been arrested for running some kind of illegal mill, whatever that was.....(ok call me naive)....
In any case, pill routine I got for a couple years ages 16-19, were absolutely of no long term benefit, and probably complicated/delayed better treatment for a problem essentially of behavioral adaptation to various stresses then unidentified.
Personally I was aghast last year when a physician gave me a list of 3 current appetite meds as part of one of his weight management plans. The potential side effects left me with the determination to continue the struggle without them.
But 'your means may vary' and our job is to seek the best solution to our individual problem.
Good luck.

re: "appetite suppressants simply do not work as a long term weight loss solution. We KNOW this or we wouldn't have needed surgery."
My own personal Battle with Obesity began circa 1964 with the little miracle pills then common for appetite suppressant.
I'm not posting to batter anyone/anything, just report my own journey.
After a couple years of ever-increasing doses of (yes, it was amphetamines) I began to imagine it was not abnormal to be up at 3am. It was helpful for other reasons as well, because I was taking 21 semester hours at college and working 3 part time jobs.....
So the last time I saw my physician, he gave me 'the strongest formulation' they had.....dark dark purple/dark dark amber capsule. And no, I wasn't hungry. At first. Then I saw a new report, my doc had been arrested for running some kind of illegal mill, whatever that was.....(ok call me naive)....
In any case, pill routine I got for a couple years ages 16-19, were absolutely of no long term benefit, and probably complicated/delayed better treatment for a problem essentially of behavioral adaptation to various stresses then unidentified.
Personally I was aghast last year when a physician gave me a list of 3 current appetite meds as part of one of his weight management plans. The potential side effects left me with the determination to continue the struggle without them.
But 'your means may vary' and our job is to seek the best solution to our individual problem.
Good luck.

"I am even more convinced that a large portion go away because they are struggling." This is probably true!
However, I can not escape the notion that "Life ITSELF is a struggle". We of the Tribe of the Morbidly Obese, have to find a path through our personal wilderness, to reach whatever glimpse of the Life as Normo Weight we can manage.
Depending on how we look at our own progress, we can motivate or justify a wide range of eating behavior.
And yes it becomes frustrating at times.
After a year long struggle I've managed to drop 17# of what had crept back on somehow. And I'm 20# above what I weight at my best postOp weight.
The other side of the coin can not be ignored.....I'm within 10# of what I weighed 50+ years ago at high school graduation!
Still.....my drive to reach "size 40" pants has failed, as 46 fits pretty good. Day of Banding I wore size 56-58.
So the Dance continues....who would have thought 12 years postOp I'd still be in a daily Battle with the Dragons of Overeating!!!!

"I am even more convinced that a large portion go away because they are struggling." This is probably true!
However, I can not escape the notion that "Life ITSELF is a struggle". We of the Tribe of the Morbidly Obese, have to find a path through our personal wilderness, to reach whatever glimpse of the Life as Normo Weight we can manage.
Depending on how we look at our own progress, we can motivate or justify a wide range of eating behavior.
And yes it becomes frustrating at times.
After a year long struggle I've managed to drop 17# of what had crept back on somehow. And I'm 20# above what I weight at my best postOp weight.
The other side of the coin can not be ignored.....I'm within 10# of what I weighed 50+ years ago at high school graduation!
Still.....my drive to reach "size 40" pants has failed, as 46 fits pretty good. Day of Banding I wore size 56-58.
So the Dance continues....who would have thought 12 years postOp I'd still be in a daily Battle with the Dragons of Overeating!!!!

"positional hypovolemia" can be resultant from a wide variety of causal conditions including medication and blood flow issues especially in the carotid sinus.
I've found for my own instances of such headaches after heavy exercise if I check my blood glucose level it often is way low for me....under 80 & I can expect headache, much lower & I get the wooozies & rapid decrease in focus & mental acuity.
As a diabetic the extra step of keep blood sugar levels low but not TOO low is very essential.
Low blood pressure/dizziness/headaches often accompany 'standing up too quick' when the carotid sinus in the neck doesn't feed the heart the signal to temporarily increase the blood pressure during those raising-up-quickly maneuvers.

"Just stuffed. Is this normal for the first week? While this change soon?"
yes. enjoy the sensation of 'NEVER' being hungry while you can.
One of the very odd things we suddenly face, is what to do with all that extra time we aren't hungry; eating, preparing to eat, wishing we had not eaten too much, thought about eating something else, etc etc.
Let your old Bad Eating Habits float away; they will squirm & try to resurface & make you start eating again even when you AREN'T hungry.
Pleasant period that passes way too rapidly IMHO.
Good luck!

One of the early postOp tricks I learned, was to take the waitress aside and quietly 'confer' with her, that "I have recently had stomach surgery and just can not eat much. Can you help me make some kind of reduced size order"?
Also, get the take-out box & put most of whatever you order in it first.I had small 'fish & chips order last 3 or 4 extra meals.
I became very familiar with the Soups available. The first 6 or 12 months mostly I had "CUP" not 'bowl' size order.
Savor each bite. Sometimes I would pace myself with the slowest eater around me; often times either kids or oldOldOLDsters some of whom had various eating troubles themselves.
Learning how to pace myself like normo eaters rather than just jamming it all in as fast as possible and looking for more, was the Old Bad Habit I didn't know I had...that was 'normal' for my early years.
Strive to recognize when "NOT hungry" strikes rather than "full"....'full' is when I had already OVER eaten, while 'not hungry' was the place I never had learned to appreciate.

Thanks to the part of me that DID get away from all this, my shirt size is now down to the below the number of XXXXs I was never going to let it go over....

I have lost 58% of my EWL. I am just under 6 months out and still losing. I think success rates depend upon each individual's willingness to change eating habits. You will be successful if you are of a mind to be.

And, the success rate in the long term without surgery is pretty close to 0.

Oh man, I wish I hadn't read this. I've lost almost exactly 25% since surgery and I've been stalled for weeks.... and I'm still 320 pounds. I don't really think I'm done losing but there's a tiny little part of me that's panicking. >.>

thanks for the timely tips, Alex!!!
Just getting ready to head out for noonish buffet dinner....
No more does the lure of plates upon plates of T-day gut bombs lead me astray.
The challenge is continuing the modest discipline each day presents.
I feel so much better being NOT too full than the anxiety of being hungry ever was.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.

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Hey BariatricPal Members!
Happy Thanksgiving! It’s a time for family, friends, fun, and food. It’s even a time for health! Don’t believe it? We’ll walk you through some ways to stay sane and even keep losing weight. Here’s the run-down of this holiday newsletter.

Giving Thanks: This Year More Than Ever Surviving the Thanksgiving Table: A Few Hacks Healthy Ideas for Thanksgiving Weekend
We hope this newsletter helps empower you to make healthy choices and to appreciate everything you have. We certainly appreciate all of our BariatricPal members! Thanks for everything, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,
Alex Brecher
Founder, BariatricPal

Giving Thanks: This Year More Than Ever
The purpose of Thanksgiving is to give thanks. It’s a chance to remember what we’re truly grateful for. So often that gets lost in the hubbub of making the perfect turkey, cleaning the house to the standards of your fussy mother-in-law, and scheduling trips to the airport to pick up the cousins, nieces, and nephews who are dropping into town for the long weekend.

So Much to Be Thankful for
Don’t forget to dedicate some attention to being grateful. Look beyond your daily chores, struggles with food and weight, and challenges in your relationships. Silly as it may seem, naming some of the parts of your life that you are grateful for can help you appreciate them a lot more. What about your family, your home, and your weight loss surgery? What about…?

-being a lot lighter than you were last year at this time.
-knowing a lot more about the WLS journey and what it takes to succeed.
-being more confident in yourself and your ability to live healthier.
-being able to participate in more activities without holding others back.

The BariatricPal Store: Helping You While Following Our Dream
BariatricPal has no trouble finding things to be grateful for. For example, we are so thankful for The BariatricPal Store! It’s another way we help the weight loss surgery community achieve their goals and dreams. The BariatricPal Store is the place to go for:

-protein powders, bars, and shakes
-high-protein, low-carb Snacks
-high-protein, low-calorie hot and cold breakfasts and Entrees
-bariatric Vitamins

Thanksgiving weekend is a great time to shop The BariatricPal Store!

Through Sunday, use coupon code BP10Thanksu for a 10% discount off your total order! It’s our way of saying “Thanks!”

Our Sincere Gratitude for BariatricPal Members
At the top of the list of things BariatricPal is thankful for are our members. You keep the boards going. Our members let BariatricPal continue to be the world’s premier online support system for the weight loss surgery community. Thank you for making it possible!

A Reminder to Be Good on Thanksgiving
Ahh…Thanksgiving! Almost everyone looks forward to it because this may be the first break you’ve gotten since the summer. Thanksgiving can mean a few days off work, some family time, and the start to the holiday season.

Don’t Throw Caution to the Wind
But here’s a quick reality check before you get lost in celebrating the season. Let your guard down, and you could be looking at thousands of extra calories…in a single day. What a way to put a quick stop to your weight loss streak and your good intentions.

Skip This, Choose That
Here’s a quick sampling of some Thanksgiving disasters so you know what to avoid…and what to try instead.

-Instead of sweet potatoes with sugar, butter, and marshmallows and pecans (400 calories), try baked sweet potatoes.
-Instead of green bean casserole (200 calories), try steamed or roasted green Beans or asparagus spears.
-Instead of jellied cranberries (100 calories), make your own sauce with fresh or frozen cranberries and stevia.
-Instead of pumpkin pie with whipped cream (500 calories), make low-carb pumpkin cheesecake with sugar substitute and fat-free cream cheese.< /p>

In summary, stick to small portions, and skip the dishes that are sugary, fatty, or starchy…or all three of those!

Stick to the Plan
Day in, day out, you know the drill. Meals with some lean Protein, a lot of vegetables, and some grains or fruit will get you where you want to go.

That’s true on Thanksgiving, too. Go for skinless turkey, roasted vegetables, green salad without dressing, and fresh fruit, and you’ll be doing yourself a favor.

And what’s also true, just like it is every other day of the year, is that you can get back on track if you get off. So enjoy your Thanksgiving, do your best to keep it healthy, and go right back to your healthy eating plan the next day.

Healthy Ideas for Thanksgiving Weekend
The meal is over. Maybe it went “well” for your weight loss surgery journey. Maybe it didn’t. Either way, it’s time to look forward. What will you do for the rest of the weekend? Here are a few ideas.

Try Some Healthy Leftover Recipes
What do you do with the leftovers from a 20-lb. turkey? Give thanks for a shortcut to healthy weight loss recipes! Turkey’s a lean source of protein and rich in nutrients. Why not experiment with healthy recipes using leftover turkey that you might not have the time – or desire – to make if you had to make them from scratch or you didn’t have that cooked meat already ready for you?

Here are a few ideas:
Turkey chili. Turkey tetrazzini with spaghetti squash. Turkey vegetable Soup, with split peas for extra protein and Fiber.< /li> Turkey wraps with soy sauce and diced vegetables wrapped in lettuce leaves. Turkey omelet for Breakfast.< /li>
For more, head to BariatricPal and ask on the boards!

Give New Meaning to Quality Time
You have a couple of days that may be a little quieter than other times. It’s good time to spend quality time with friends and family, and make it even higher quality by making it healthy. You can cook healthy recipes together, go for a walk, or even go holiday gift shopping. Of course, stay tuned for the BariatricPal Holiday Gift List to be published in BariatricPal’s Weight Loss Surgery Magazine!

Again, thank you for being a BariatricPal member and for your support. We are truly grateful to have you along, and we hope we are helping you achieve your goals this holiday season.

"It's like the butt part is too short so the waist band dips down and shows crack. Guess I'll never actually be wearing those jeans.:"
Take a look at Duluth Trading site, they have henleys & other shirts with longer tails for 'plumbers crack'...
Long ago I had the manditory 3 sets of cloths....too small/never will fit again; too tight/maybe I can somehow wedge into them; and "huh, this many XXXXs just CANT be my size".....
in any case, in the wonder-months after my own Band so long ago, I started jettisoning those old things by the box load.
Favorites I held on to despite the 'too-tight blues'. Odd thing happened....suddenly, I was too SMALL for most of them!!!
Stuff I'd had for years, just waiting to get back down to what I was sure I'd never 'go over'....etc.
The dream was complete with the discover they make whole STORES than somehow don't even HAVE a "XXXXX" section to be found!

For me the secret is 'just a taste' of the things I really like, but sit down & have it on a (small) plate all as a meal......the remnants of my old 'dayly graze' remain too influential.
And while home made sour dough herbal stuffing is great, I prefer a spoon or 2 of gravy.
I too prefer a little seafood rather than turkey...but in a pinch, a little thin slice of prime rib will do.
We used to go to friends for a 4 hour multi-too much feast of multiple everything.
Now a small salad plate with a mini taste of the choices really satisfies.

I'm thinking some type of fish with a little bit of mashed turnip and butternut squash

A lot of WLS patients find their tastes change after WLS. Sometimes it’s too bad, like not liking healthy foods like chicken or salad anymore. Sometimes it’s a good thing, like when you don’t like greasy foods anymore.
Sometimes it’s a direct result of surgery, like being intolerant to super sweet foods after gastric bypass or not liking the taste of Water anymore after the sleeve. Sometimes it’s the result of getting used to a new set of foods that you first FORCE yourself to eat, and later actually enjoy more than the junk food you used to eat.
Like many lap-band patients, I didn’t notice any immediate changes in my tastes post-op, but my tastes have definitely changed in the years since surgery! Now, I like healthy foods, and don’t automatically prefer high-calorie sugary or fried foods. I like yogurt, and oatmeal, and fruit, and vegetables, and prefer unprocessed foods.
What about you? Have your tastes changed since surgery? In which ways?

I'm getting evaluated by a new program that will include various supportive in-person components. They include a pedometer as well as nutrition/counseling. Also some new drugs, which I will not be adopting.
'Diet drugs' circa 1963 was ineffective for what I was after.
So I'm ready to 'become accountable'.....as long as it's not inconvenient!!!! HAR!

An absolute great and understandible article by David Mendosa, long term diabetic who sends his newsletter no charge.
I recommend you take a look at his work:
"The new food insulin index can work much better than carbohydrate counting, which for years has been considered to be the gold standard for improving glycemic control. For those of us who have diabetes, this index is also a more comprehensive guide to blood sugar control than the glycemic index.
For years the limitation of the food insulin index (also known as just the insulin index) was the few foods tested. The original 1997 study, which in 2003 I reviewed in detail for the first time in the article “Insulin Index”on my personal website, tested only 38 foods.
We had to wait until 2011 for the index to grow to about 120 foods in “Prediction of postprandial glycemia and insulinemia in lean, young, healthy adults.” I reviewed that study here at “Manage Your Blood Sugar Better with the Insulin Index.”
Now, a much more extensive study of the food insulin index is available, and it is further expanded to include 26 more tested foods. The study, titled “Clinical Application of the Food Insulin Index to Diabetes Mellitus,” is Kirstine Bell’s Ph.D. dissertation from Australia’s University of Sydney. The entire 282-page dissertation plus a dozen appendices is free online.
These are the foods most recently tested for their food insulin index:
Here follows a graph I can't copy.
http://www.mendosa.com/blog/?p=3667Food I
Cheers to the Bandster Diabetics on their journey.

"Really is my own fault I know what works for me I just need to step up and do it."
that could be a banner on a large biplane following most of us around!!!