deedeemuffin

Everyone truly loses differently. A lot of the posts that you see on the boards are from people who have had above average success rates. I would say that I am someone who is a little more average. I am a year and a half out from surgery & have taken off 50% of my excess body weight so far. As you can see by my stats & ticker I was at a higher starting weight than a lot of people as well.
My experience was that for the for 6 months after my vsg it was like the weight melted off. 100 lbs. in 6 months. I thought that I would be to my goal weight in no time. Then it was like I hit a wall. Now if you look at my other posts you will see that I struggled. Struggled with getting in Protein. Struggled with avoiding carbs. Struggled with exercise. Struggled with what a drastically different lifestyle being sleeved is. I even gained back about 10 pounds. I did not do "everything right".
It took me about a year to really revamp my lifestyle and find out what works for me to lose weight but feel balanced. I am down 120 lbs with another 122 to go. I am now losing consistently at about 2 lbs a week for the past 12 weeks. I have no doubt that I will get to my goal weight. It might not be as quickly as other people have, but I will still get there.
So, my 2 cents is that the sleeve is an invaluable tool. Even if I was not still losing weight, the weight that I have lost already has changed my life. My health has improved dramatically. I actually went hiking last weekend! It might be literally 3 years after my surgery before I get to goal, but so what?
None of us gained our weight in a year. We're not all going to lose it in a year. Is it possible to lose all of your excess weight? Yes! Is it possible to lose it quickly? Maybe. Will you regret surgery if you ONLY lose 50-60% of your excess weight? I doubt it. It is sincerely life changing. Best wishes to you & I am sure that you will make the right decision for yourself.

What a LONG, strange trip this is that I'm on. I was sleeved on 11/27/12 at 418 pounds. I am now at 298. That's 120 pounds down & about 120 more to go. Being under 300 pounds is monumental for me, though. I honestly wasn't sure that it was ever going to happen.
I am obviously not one of those uber success stories that took off all their weight in one year & I am learning to be okay with that,
My experience was that for the for 6 months after my vsg it was like the weight melted off. 100 lbs. in 6 months. I thought that I would be to my goal weight in no time. Then it was like I hit a wall. Now if you look at my other posts you will see that I struggled. Struggled with getting in Protein. Struggled with avoiding carbs. Struggled with exercise. Struggled with what a drastically different lifestyle being sleeved is. I even gained back about 10 pounds. I did not do "everything right".
It took me about a year to really revamp my lifestyle and find out what works for me to lose weight but feel balanced. I have now losing consistently at about 2 lbs a week for the past 12 weeks. It appears that I have found my groove. I have no doubt that I will get to my goal weight. It might not be as quickly as other people have, but I will still get there.
It might be literally 3 years after my surgery before I get to goal, but so what? Even if I was not still losing weight, the weight that I have lost already has changed my life. My health has improved dramatically. I actually went hiking last weekend! I'm going camping in a month. That's something that I've missed doing for years.
Getting sleeved is not a magic bullet. Losing weight is still hard. I still struggle with my self-esteem. I truly miss eating the way I used to, and sometimes I literally feel sad that I can't eat more. I still don't like exercising. I have come to see it as a necessary evil. I might never like exercising, This is just the truth.
I'm getting married at the end of September. After we got engaged in January, I spent months beating myself up that I am still so heavy. I thought if only I had tried harder then I could have been a thin, beautiful bride. That may be true. It may not be. What is true is that I am certainly more ready to walk down an aisle in front of 100 people now than I was at 418 pounds.
I have not given up. I am still moving and look forward to someday posting that I'm at my goal. I hope that this post is helpful to someone. You might be considering surgery. Maybe you're newly sleeved. Maybe you're where I was 6 months ago...gained back 10 lbs & not moving. You can do it! I can do it! Just don't give up.
Here are a couple before & after shots at this stage.
   

What a LONG, strange trip this is that I'm on. I was sleeved on 11/27/12 at 418 pounds. I am now at 298. That's 120 pounds down & about 120 more to go. Being under 300 pounds is monumental for me, though. I honestly wasn't sure that it was ever going to happen.
I am obviously not one of those uber success stories that took off all their weight in one year & I am learning to be okay with that,
My experience was that for the for 6 months after my vsg it was like the weight melted off. 100 lbs. in 6 months. I thought that I would be to my goal weight in no time. Then it was like I hit a wall. Now if you look at my other posts you will see that I struggled. Struggled with getting in Protein. Struggled with avoiding carbs. Struggled with exercise. Struggled with what a drastically different lifestyle being sleeved is. I even gained back about 10 pounds. I did not do "everything right".
It took me about a year to really revamp my lifestyle and find out what works for me to lose weight but feel balanced. I have now losing consistently at about 2 lbs a week for the past 12 weeks. It appears that I have found my groove. I have no doubt that I will get to my goal weight. It might not be as quickly as other people have, but I will still get there.
It might be literally 3 years after my surgery before I get to goal, but so what? Even if I was not still losing weight, the weight that I have lost already has changed my life. My health has improved dramatically. I actually went hiking last weekend! I'm going camping in a month. That's something that I've missed doing for years.
Getting sleeved is not a magic bullet. Losing weight is still hard. I still struggle with my self-esteem. I truly miss eating the way I used to, and sometimes I literally feel sad that I can't eat more. I still don't like exercising. I have come to see it as a necessary evil. I might never like exercising, This is just the truth.
I'm getting married at the end of September. After we got engaged in January, I spent months beating myself up that I am still so heavy. I thought if only I had tried harder then I could have been a thin, beautiful bride. That may be true. It may not be. What is true is that I am certainly more ready to walk down an aisle in front of 100 people now than I was at 418 pounds.
I have not given up. I am still moving and look forward to someday posting that I'm at my goal. I hope that this post is helpful to someone. You might be considering surgery. Maybe you're newly sleeved. Maybe you're where I was 6 months ago...gained back 10 lbs & not moving. You can do it! I can do it! Just don't give up.
Here are a couple before & after shots at this stage.
   

What a LONG, strange trip this is that I'm on. I was sleeved on 11/27/12 at 418 pounds. I am now at 298. That's 120 pounds down & about 120 more to go. Being under 300 pounds is monumental for me, though. I honestly wasn't sure that it was ever going to happen.
I am obviously not one of those uber success stories that took off all their weight in one year & I am learning to be okay with that,
My experience was that for the for 6 months after my vsg it was like the weight melted off. 100 lbs. in 6 months. I thought that I would be to my goal weight in no time. Then it was like I hit a wall. Now if you look at my other posts you will see that I struggled. Struggled with getting in Protein. Struggled with avoiding carbs. Struggled with exercise. Struggled with what a drastically different lifestyle being sleeved is. I even gained back about 10 pounds. I did not do "everything right".
It took me about a year to really revamp my lifestyle and find out what works for me to lose weight but feel balanced. I have now losing consistently at about 2 lbs a week for the past 12 weeks. It appears that I have found my groove. I have no doubt that I will get to my goal weight. It might not be as quickly as other people have, but I will still get there.
It might be literally 3 years after my surgery before I get to goal, but so what? Even if I was not still losing weight, the weight that I have lost already has changed my life. My health has improved dramatically. I actually went hiking last weekend! I'm going camping in a month. That's something that I've missed doing for years.
Getting sleeved is not a magic bullet. Losing weight is still hard. I still struggle with my self-esteem. I truly miss eating the way I used to, and sometimes I literally feel sad that I can't eat more. I still don't like exercising. I have come to see it as a necessary evil. I might never like exercising, This is just the truth.
I'm getting married at the end of September. After we got engaged in January, I spent months beating myself up that I am still so heavy. I thought if only I had tried harder then I could have been a thin, beautiful bride. That may be true. It may not be. What is true is that I am certainly more ready to walk down an aisle in front of 100 people now than I was at 418 pounds.
I have not given up. I am still moving and look forward to someday posting that I'm at my goal. I hope that this post is helpful to someone. You might be considering surgery. Maybe you're newly sleeved. Maybe you're where I was 6 months ago...gained back 10 lbs & not moving. You can do it! I can do it! Just don't give up.
Here are a couple before & after shots at this stage.
   

Well, I'm almost 2 weeks out from my original post & only down 3.2 lbs. At least it's in the right direction.
The trip to the bridal expo didn't do so much for my motivation. The wedding dress models looked like they were 16 & had bones jutting out. How sad. I don't want to have my bones jutting out, but it was discouraging nonetheless. I thought, "I will never find a dress that looks good on my monstrous, fat body". I am not very nice to myself sometimes.
Two days ago I actually went dress shopping. It was as insane as I imagined it to be. I actually did find a dress,though. I cried too. I felt beautiful, even at the size that I am now. I didn't expect to have that experience. The shop owner is wonderful & I know another sleever who went to the same shop & lost 90 lbs from dress purchase to wedding ate & they were able to alter it perfectly. I let them know my situation & made sure my dress could be taken in significantly.
So, now I have about 9 months until our wedding day. The past 2 weeks has been a jumble of efforts. Buying all healthy food & then feeling anxiety about having nothing to "snack on". Starting out the day well, but crashing & burning by the end of the day, That just leads to me beating myself up & more very mean self-talk.
I did join the Valentines Challenge. I think that my approach for now is going to be a little more simple. I was looking to just get back on track hard core & that's leading to failure & more negativity. For now I am going to concentrate on one thing at a time. Starting with Water. For a week I will get in ALL of my Water every day starting today. (of course I will continue to try to incorporate healthy eating). Next week I will start tracking every bite I put in my mouth on My Fitness Pal & making sure my Protein intake is where it needs to be. The week after that I will add in activity. I see this approach working for me. Within a month I should be right on track.
Any thoughts on this approach or suggestions of what might be helpful in this slow & steady approach? Healthy snack ideas are always welcome. I still struggle with major carb/sugar cravings.
I feel like I'm heading down the right path. The scale is going down again. Even if it's in small increments. So, I'm just trying to keep calm & carry on!

Well, I'm almost 2 weeks out from my original post & only down 3.2 lbs. At least it's in the right direction.
The trip to the bridal expo didn't do so much for my motivation. The wedding dress models looked like they were 16 & had bones jutting out. How sad. I don't want to have my bones jutting out, but it was discouraging nonetheless. I thought, "I will never find a dress that looks good on my monstrous, fat body". I am not very nice to myself sometimes.
Two days ago I actually went dress shopping. It was as insane as I imagined it to be. I actually did find a dress,though. I cried too. I felt beautiful, even at the size that I am now. I didn't expect to have that experience. The shop owner is wonderful & I know another sleever who went to the same shop & lost 90 lbs from dress purchase to wedding ate & they were able to alter it perfectly. I let them know my situation & made sure my dress could be taken in significantly.
So, now I have about 9 months until our wedding day. The past 2 weeks has been a jumble of efforts. Buying all healthy food & then feeling anxiety about having nothing to "snack on". Starting out the day well, but crashing & burning by the end of the day, That just leads to me beating myself up & more very mean self-talk.
I did join the Valentines Challenge. I think that my approach for now is going to be a little more simple. I was looking to just get back on track hard core & that's leading to failure & more negativity. For now I am going to concentrate on one thing at a time. Starting with Water. For a week I will get in ALL of my Water every day starting today. (of course I will continue to try to incorporate healthy eating). Next week I will start tracking every bite I put in my mouth on My Fitness Pal & making sure my Protein intake is where it needs to be. The week after that I will add in activity. I see this approach working for me. Within a month I should be right on track.
Any thoughts on this approach or suggestions of what might be helpful in this slow & steady approach? Healthy snack ideas are always welcome. I still struggle with major carb/sugar cravings.
I feel like I'm heading down the right path. The scale is going down again. Even if it's in small increments. So, I'm just trying to keep calm & carry on!

All great advice & encouragement. Thank you. I told my fiancé what I needed to do to get back on track, cleaned out anything that is a stumbling block for me from the fridge & cupboards and stocked up on healthy foods. These first couple days have been hard. My first day with my "dessert" of plain ff greek yogurt with PB2 & stevia I felt down right depressed. Today I am going to a bridal show & Wednesday I have my first 2 appointments to try on wedding dresses. That should kick my butt into high gear!

I think I definitely need veteran advice & ideas of how to restart weight loss. I was sleeved 11/27/12. So, I am now a little over a year out. The first 6 months I did awesome. Lost weight like gang busters. 101 lbs. in 6 months. Then the next 6 months I lost 19 & then gained 10. So, I'm 13 months out, now 110 down with 130 or so MORE to go. *SIGH*
I know this surgery was not a magic cure. I know that there are things that I should be doing that I'm not (counting my grams of Protein, drinking Water, exercising). It's like I totally lost momentum & I am so depressed about it. I am a vegetarian so the Protein part has always been hard for me. I think it was at about the 6 month mark that my sleeve was able to handle about anything. It's easier & tastier to eat Pasta than tofu over & over.
Has anyone else gone through something similar or know someone who has? I feel like I probably need to go back to Water & Protein shakes for a couple of weeks (as much as I loathe the thought of protein shakes) & try to "reset" my body. It is definitely used to simple carbs & sugar again. I dread going through the withdrawal.
I am also struggling with my self-esteem. How could I screw this up? I was given a second chance to live a healthy life & I'm not doing it right. I was feeling resentful that my diet has to be so different. I think that I thought that I would be able to eat "normal" food, but in smaller portions. It really looks like I will always have to eat fairly "clean" & the sleeve helps with portion sizes of those foods.
Yes, I want to be a healthy weight. Yes, I want to feel better. Yes, I want a lot of things. I am just having a REALLY hard time getting back on track. I just got engaged on New Year's Eve. We are going to get married in the Fall. I can't help but thinking that if I had been on track this whole time that I would have been healthy on my wedding day. Now I'll be fighting the world of plus size bridal gowns. I'm not giving up. I just don't know how to pick myself up & move on.

1/08 SW: 316.8
1/17 CW 313.6
Down 3.2
Valentine's Goal 299
Time to get myself really moving

1/08 SW: 316.8
1/17 CW 313.6
Down 3.2
Valentine's Goal 299
Time to get myself really moving

I went off track, crashed and burned. I'm 2 years post op and up 25 lbs. Trying to get back on track. Its a process for sure. Just taking it a day at a time and trying to get back to the basics, which for some reason, are so easy the second time around. But I still persevere...

Good for you, SOS, you can do it!

I did gain 4 pounds but Im almost a year out and I WAS only 5 pounds to goal but happened to gain 4 during holidays. Now is the time Im getting scared because to be perfectly honest I can eat whatever I want only small amounts but I went all Ozzy Osbourne ( off the rails in a crazy train) at Christmas. I know I need to amp up my healthy eating and walking cuz now the hard part begins. Keeping it off. I was cocky thinking it was so easy but now its 4 lbs and that can turn into 40.

I think we all go through a resentment period after the 6 month mark. We have been good for so long and the old habits want to creep back in. I too have been fighting the resentment. I haven't gained but my weight has slowed down drastically. I keep reminding myself that I really have to stay with this way of life because it is what my body responds to even though my mind wants to go another way. It sounds like you have started the path back to a clean way of living and if you stay with this wonderful group your support will be there. Thanks for posting your feelings because you are really voicing the same worries and concerns of many. It helps to hear others are struggling and working past it which in turns gives others like myself a stronger resolve. You can do this!! You have already lost a tremendous amount of weight and I know you will get past this!

I find that my motivation needs regular "care and feeding" - going to a bridal show sounds like an excellent way to get your head in the right place! You've got a lifetime of healthy eating ahead of you with your soon-to-be husband, and this is a good time to get both of you on the right track.
Can you find some healthy treats that appeal to you more? I find that most of the time I can find low-carb, sugar-free substitutes that will make me happy without sucking me into the carb/sugar vortex (and I'm VERY prone to getting sucked in). I make no-flour, sugar-free oatmeal chocolate chip Cookies, that taste great, and I can make 6 and still have some left on the counter after a couple of weeks. I even found myself a sugar-free low-carb recipe for pecan pie at Christmas so I could enjoy some without getting off track. It's good enough even my husband will eat it! Those are still treats, and not necessarily low calorie, but they're things I can truly enjoy in moderation without ending up on a binge. Don't suffer with foods you don't enjoy, find some you DO. There are some great recipe sites out there.

All great advice & encouragement. Thank you. I told my fiancé what I needed to do to get back on track, cleaned out anything that is a stumbling block for me from the fridge & cupboards and stocked up on healthy foods. These first couple days have been hard. My first day with my "dessert" of plain ff greek yogurt with PB2 & stevia I felt down right depressed. Today I am going to a bridal show & Wednesday I have my first 2 appointments to try on wedding dresses. That should kick my butt into high gear!

All great advice & encouragement. Thank you. I told my fiancé what I needed to do to get back on track, cleaned out anything that is a stumbling block for me from the fridge & cupboards and stocked up on healthy foods. These first couple days have been hard. My first day with my "dessert" of plain ff greek yogurt with PB2 & stevia I felt down right depressed. Today I am going to a bridal show & Wednesday I have my first 2 appointments to try on wedding dresses. That should kick my butt into high gear!

All such great support. Self correction is part of making changes permanent. Whenever you self correct, that's the right time. Coming here is a step in making that u-turn.
If I think I'm not living for wellness, I go back to basics: community support, eating plan, and move my body in ways that make me happy and challenge me and tracking.
Clear the stinkin thinkin of shoulding on yourself. Heehee. Instead of thinking about what you should do, think about what you'd like to do/ want to do. Very powerful shift.
Also, getting some medical support might help. Go see your primary doc for a physical and some labs.
You get to decide where to put the effort!

Hello!!! I am getting back on track too. I am 2 1/2 years out. I am about 5lbs from my low weight (today) and 20lbs from my NEW goal. I was originally satisfied with just a BMI of 29.9 or less. Now I am shooting for 150's or a size 8, whichever comes first :-) (size 12 now) I was eating junk and not working out for the past year, I am lucky I only regained 7-8lbs! I am down 3.5 lbs since the first of the year.... I have been:
1.) following a modified intermittent fasting eating schedule, kind of like the 5:2 diet many vets are following...
2.) eating 80 grams of Protein per day
3.) drinking lots of Water
4.) weight lifting to increase lean muscle and rev my slightly slowed metabolism
We can do this!!!! I know we can. Summer is coming, and it is so nice to feel great about ourselves, that’s my motivation.

My first weigh in wasn't until Wednesday 1/8 so
SW 316.8
CW 316.4

Thanks, Bea. My starting weight as of yesterday morning is 316.8 I know it seems like a lot, but I'm just getting back on track so I'm going to set a goal of 299 by 02/14. We'll see next week if I need to readjust or not. Thanks!

Evolving is right...we'll be happy to add you. Just give us your current weight, your goal weight for Feb 14, and start posting your weights every Friday (or whatever works for you...we're really laid back here!) Welcome to the Challenge!

I haven't been on the boards in quite some time & someone let me know about this challenge today. I'm really struggling to get back on track & I think this would help. Any chance that I can still get in? I know that I'm getting a bit of a late start.

My bariatric surgeon, not my obgyn, recommends 2 years. I actually had to sign a paper acknowledging that it was for safety purposes. Not only do you need time to heal & learn how to eat with your sleeve & lose all your weight. You also need to be able to provide adequate nutrition for yourself & the growing baby inside you. Most people can't do that at just 3 months out. I know that a lot of women get pregnant unexpectedly because of the hormone surges we go through while our body dumps it out of our fat cells. As long as you work with a nutritionist, your obgyn & your surgeon I'm sure that you will be just fine. Best of luck to you.

Valentines Chalange:
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/291848-valentines-challenge/
I am a vegetarian too, and managed to lose to goal on veggies, dairy and eggs(a few). It can be done. I also went through a period of time where I was gaining... and it took a while to really turn it around, but I did, and am now at goal after 3 years.
I find I really have to cook to get the best quality vegetarian food, with the occasional meal out. So many restaurants serve Pasta or french fries and such for vegetarians, really junk food. I had to really get creative to get enough Protein in, but it can be done. Pasta does have some Protein, but really most of it is not that great for you. I pick out Dreamfields or whole wheat pasta and measure out 1 oz if I want pasta.
how about:
low fat cheese sticks, soy and regular milk, yogurt, seitan products, TVP, tofu, Dried tofu sheets (yuba) Beans, nuts, nut butters, seeds, tempi, eggs, egg whites... there are so many veggitarian sources of protein to choose from, morning star has some great products. I make my own "turkey", meat loaf and beef steaks from great recipes I have found along the way. It does take work, but you can make and freeze in individual servings. I cook on sunday for the week. Really use those veggies too, most of them are low calorie and so delicious, raw or cooked. I make a pot of veggie Soup sometimes every night of the week (then its on to stir fries and casseroles...) You can do it! Just stay away from sugar, white flour and the like... dump it out or give it away! Set yourself up for success by planing ahead, shopping for success, figure out your favorite foods and modify them to fit your protein and lower carb needs. I like mexican food, but could not eat that every day or fat fat fat!!!! I do make pots of Tomato veggie Soup, with chili and cumin, sliced onions,"groun round" and a tiny bit of sweet corn... really so good, and leaves me feeling like I just ate a big mexican meal. My husband likes it too. You can do this! Use Myfitnesspal, measure or weigh the food for a while, then test again now and then... weight yourself, and measure yourself too! Its a new start. Get out there and move, find something you have always wanted to try, or learn... I started birdwatching, and go out the the local "wilds" 2-3 times a week for a walk and a look. I don't even know I am exercising, its just so fun and beautiful! And last by not least, hang out here, the support is great!