delta_girl

Target has a really great selection of dark chocolate with a few gourmet varieties as well. I bought a bar that had some coconut mixed in about 3 weeks ago and still have over half of the bar. I just don't crave sugar anywhere near what I did before.

At 13 weeks out now I average around 2 - 2.5 lbs a week. I am anticipating approximately 10 lbs per month and if it is more then that's great. If less, OK, too. It took a lifetime to get this fat so I'm not splitting hairs on how fast I can rip it off.

6 months out try everything.

I have little to compare this to, but I do remember a zillion years ago in college when I got down to 115 lbs for the first time since birth and still had a belly. I want to get down to 115 lbs again, which is my goal. I'm going to guess that when I eventually do, I will still have a belly and will need to continue to exercise and moderate my diet. It just isn't going to happen in one beautiful swoop. Reality is not that kind to most of us. Just keep doing good things for your health and be the best you that you can be.

One month out I was on baby food, broth, sugar free popscicles, watered cream of something soup, watery cream of wheat, canned tuna with a tablespoon of low fat cottage cheese, and lots of protein drinks. I "cheated" with a few crackers and pretzles every few days.

The level of hunger at pre-op can be off the chart. After the first week it is better. Many weeks out it isn't even in the same ballgame. An example. Im 13 weeks out. At the checkout counter of the grocery my boyfriend looked down at a huge box of Snickers candy bars. He asked me if I wanted one. I looked at it and saw that there were probably 24 or so in that box. I really, truly didn't want one at all. I said no way. But I also thought that pre op I could have probably eaten 5-6 of them. It is really, really different in a fantastic way. You are going to LOVE it!

Here is a post I made a while back. You may find it somewhat helpful: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/57581-sophisticated-calculator-caloric-deficit-exercise-for-monthly-estimates/

A little pillow. It is as valuable as chapstick and toothbrush. Hold it over your tummy after surgery. Use it to prop against in your chair. Use it as a soft buffer when laying down. It gives soft, gentle support. A full size one may be too big (it was for me).

Mexico has negative connotations from the photos and movies we see where there is a lot of poverty, but seriously, go to Youtube and check out some of the videos. The facilities look fresh, modern and the accommodations and care are superlative. You may want to do a search up top to see what you can find on threads by people who have had their surgery done there. This may reassure your husband.

Hmmm.....have you checked your heart rate during exercise to see if you are in your "target" range?

Do you know your daily caloric intake? I've read anything from 200-300 up to 800 from those still in the loss stages.

After months of documenting and gathering information, doing tests and my doctors recommendation, I was turned down by my insurance carrier. I appealed the decision and was denied a second time. I knew that, even though I was scared and it felt hopeless, I had to find a way. I went through a self-pay option with my surgeon. It was much more expensive than Mexico, but I only had a few days scheduled to get off of work and I had to make it work. The first month after surgery was really tough and I kept doubting myself and wondering if I had made a huge mistake. At 13 weeks out I now know that it was the best decision that I could have ever made. Easy? No way. There are options available. Don't lose heart. I have read so many good things here about the doctors in Mexico if you go that route.

I'm having a problem, too with protein. My doctor said no more protein shakes after Jan 1. He wants me on solid food only. I know that there is no way I am getting in enough protein with the little bit that I eat. Every once in a while I can pack in a good bit of food, maybe 6 oz, but that is not very often. Today I had 3/4 of a piece of string cheese, 1/2 cup of low acid orange juice, about 2 tablespoons of saurkraut and maybe 1.5-2 oz of boneless pork chop. That's 11g of protein and 15g of carbs and 190 calories. I'll probably eat one more time today. I really don't feel like eating more. This may be partially the result of eating holiday food for several days in a row, but I'm dropping weight even with nibbling on a few treats. My next appointment is in two weeks and I know he is going to chew on me if I don't get it together somehow. ..and I'm 13 weeks out.

Excellent information. One of the items that stands out to me and is a problem area for many of us is the excuses we make for not having time to exercise. I tried this with my surgeon and he was very quick to explain that he has practices in two towns and is the only bariatric surgeon at a huge hospital in a major metro area but he still exercises 10 hours a week. He thinks of it in the same way as prescription medication, you just do it, no excuses.

When I'm in a hurry I just grab a Muscle Milk Light, chocolate. When I'm on the road working and I have to grab something I like the yogurt parfait from McDonald's or some oatmeal with nothing on it but a tiny bit of butter. String cheese in the individual packets and Greek yogurt are also handy. I gave up cereal and don't really cook for breakfast or lunch.

That is fabulous!!! Congratulations on your success. You are doing so great that I can't imagine any tips you would need. But for an activity with the kids, volley ball or badmitten might be fun and not very expensive.

A few days ago woke up with a sore throat and it got worse through the day and the next day I had a headache and that all over achey feeling. I headed to Walgreens to find something to take. I know we are supposed to avoid NSAIDS like ibuprofen, aspirin, Aleve (naproxen). I spent a very long time going through all of the choices on the shelves, looking for something that might help with my symptoms. Eventually I gave up and went for an Alka-seltzer product that dissolved in Water. Yes, it did contain aspirin. So I mixed it up and let the fizz wear off and drank a dose. It was a nighttime version and knocked me out. I felt better so I took another dose when the instructions said to, even though this time it made me slightly nauseas to drink it. Again, I felt much better. Both times I also took a Prevacid to help with any stomach acid. Later that night my stomach and intestines were letting me know that things were not all good. After a few hours of discomfort, I went to the bathroom and had a lot of very soft, solid black, tarry stool. Nothing that I had eaten could be attributed to that outcome and it wasn't Iron supplements since I take those daily and have not produced black tarry stool from iron. That meant that it was probably quite a bit of blood in my stomach. I ate very little the next day. Last night I poured a glass of red wine and took a sip. It felt like glass in my stomach. I'm going to guess that my stomach lining was raw and the alcohol scorched it. I have read from other posters that you don't have problems with NSAIDs, but I wanted to share this with all of you during this cold and flu season. If anyone knows of a good alternative that targets sore throat, sinus pressure, headache, body aches, cough, etc., please share it.

The hunger felt during the first 8 weeks or so is not the same as after at all. Totally different. At least for me.

I'm 12+ weeks out. I felt a lot of hunger at first, but it was mostly stomach acid. Now I try to eat when I'm hungry. Sometimes that doesn't happen until late in the day. I have to make sure I eat, and get in my protein. Some days I don't even feel like eating at all. It is more about health and nutrition than about feeding my face.

Running for 30 minutes? I am very jealous. I signed up for a 5k in May and I am lucky if I can run for more than one minute at a time. I'm 12 weeks out.

51lbs gone, 53 to go, though some don't agree and think that is too much. I'm just going to see how it goes.

I'm at about 1/2 way to goal and I keep thinking and saying to myself that it is "over." That this is the best I can ever expect. It comes from a long history of diet failures. It still feels like no matter what I do.. I'll just gain back to where I was plus more. But the reality is that I keep losing weight. My head is not keeping up.

It isn't a diet, it is a lifestyle choice. And yes, it will be forever. But you will begin to realize as time goes by that you do not want a lot of those things and they don't make you feel good. Your body teaches you. I tried chess pie during Christmas, and chocolate covered almonds and sugar free ice cream. At 12 weeks out. I was so sick that it was not worth it. And I LOVE these new lessons. This is not a diet. It is a new nutritional plan. It is a choice and it is wonderful.

Dec 24 and I'm 169. Unless I lose my mind over all if this holiday food I think I'm gonna make it!

Careful about the fat. It can make you really ill