MichiganChic

Yep, weekends are so tough for me, too. I have to take a break from fasting because I have to have another surgery tomorrow. I have a couple of seromas, and they have be cut out....so that means a few weeks of extra calories for healing. Sigh. I am still swollen and no amount of fasting was helping...so maybe by the time I'm ready to start fasting again my swelling will be gone and I'll be able to lose a couple of pounds. I'm always hopeful!

You don't have to hit the complete button on your diary. Then it won't tell you anything. I love that app.

So sorry to hear about all you've been through! Don't be so hard on yourself about the regain. It happens to people with a lot less reason than you have. We're all human. In answer to your question, I don't think it's too late at all. If you want to do this, you can. It's hard work,but you already know that. Good luck!

I don't know. I've been taking them for about 2 months, and I can't tell a difference. My dietitian said you close 10% more with them, but that's not working out for me, ether.

Love that closet! I'm jealous - mine is a mess, lol. You lost 114 pounds in 7 months??! That is such a great loss - Congratulations!

You want to be one of the many in the open relationship?

You can add me - tboosrn

@@BarnGirlWK I can't begin to imagine why you haven't lost anything in so long. Generally, it is due to intake, but sometimes it could be due to other factors. I believe you when you say you are eating so little, and that you are following the rules. One thing I learned that just shocked me, and explains why weight watchers didn't work very well for me, is that I have to eat less than 900 calories a day to lose. I couldn't do that before surgery, so no wonder I didn't lose. Another that I've learned since surgery is that it can add up in a big hurry. I can hit 1500 calories easily, and it can happen while following the rules. I wouldn't know unless I counted those calories, so for me, its useful information. I use my fitness pal, and I force myself to count everything. If I hadn't done that, I would have never known what it takes to lose, and I guarantee I would have been following the rules and not losing a pound. I'm not saying that is your case, but it's my best advice. There are some people who don't have to do this, but I think they are the minority. If you try it, you're not out anything, and then you'll know for sure. It's a way of ruling out one possible cause of stalled weight loss. Once that's ruled out, your doc can focus efforts to find other causes, such as medications or another sub-clinical issue.

@@Folly since you asked, I did answer this a year ago, and I went back and read my answer, and all of it is still true today. I don't do the same thing everyday, it just depends on what's going on.

I had a lower body lift. That was an abdominoplasty, thigh lift, and butt lift with auto fat flap augmentation all in one procedure. My abdomen turned out great, I did get a significant thigh lift, and my back and upper rear end is better, too. I have the circumferential scar that's straight in back. I think the result is acceptable, especially considering where I started. The shape of my upper rear end is very good. However, my lower half is still flat, and I still have a little saggy skin in my upper posterior thighs/lower buttocks. Again, it's way better, but not as good as everything else. I could lay on my back, but it sort of felt like a had belt with pins poking me for a while. That's gone now. I also had my arms done at the same time, and even with the scars, they are awesome. I also had a medial thigh lift with a short incision in the inner thigh/groin area and long incisions to my knees. The results of that are also good, but not great, at least yet. It's only been six weeks. My thighs were really horrible before surgery, and have been my whole life. I still have some looseness and quite a bit of cellulite. I also have saddle bags on my outer thighs. My thighs are not exactly symmetrical either, but they never were. I think I'm going to need some tweaking. In order to correct the saddlebags, she said a little liposuction would take care of it. As for the saggy bum/thighs, she said it would require an incision along the buttocks crease, and the recovery from that is rough - you can't sit for a month. So, my doc prefers not to over correct, because that's harder to fix, or potentially impossible. This process sure does take longer than I anticipated. But even if this is all I have done, it's still better than where I was 2 years ago, or where I was before plastics. Of course I would love a perfect body, but I'm not sure I want to keep putting myself through the misery and risk to get it. Sometimes the damage from obesity is just too much, and there is only so much that can be done. I'm 52, so I suspect my body is better than most women my age.

Great job ladies! For all my whining and complaining this week, I didn't do that bad. Never really had a fast day at 500 calories, but overall, did much better about not grazing, and keeping calories around 900. As we all know, the weekend starts on Friday night after work - so that's usually when the food struggle starts for me. I am happy to report that yesterday was less of a struggle than it is at other times, and I was around 900 calories. So nice when that happens. Georgia - good luck to this weekend fighting that fight, too! FYE - you're doing great! And you are so right, any loss is far superior to a gain. It's our lot in life. So glad to have all of you to share it with!

She gave me Lasix 10 mg for 10 days. I'm down 4 pounds from three days ago, and 15 from when I first posted this. Strangely, or maybe sadly, after all is said and done, she removed about 12 pounds of fat and skin, but my weight is the same as it was before the first surgery, now that most of the swelling is gone. I had a couple of wounds that were slow to heal with the lower body lift, so I had to increase my calories for about 3 months, and then again for about 3 weeks after the December surgery. I can only surmise that I gained 10 pounds somewhere.....but my clothes are looser and really don't see it. I'm anxious to lose that last 10 pounds!

How many calories are you eating per day? Are you weighing and measuring? and are you eating between meals? As for the hair loss, I had it really bad until 12 months. at 24 months it was much better and most of my hair has grown back, though not all of it. I think it continues to better.

I don't eat any slower than I ever did. I know should, but it's just not something I ever mastered. I used to really work at, but not so much anymore. I have never thrown up and I lost 140 pounds, so I think it's ok.

I just had an old fashioned abdominal binder that I wore around the house, and spanx when I went out. I didn't wear anything on my arms. My doc said there is new evidence that for to arms compression isn't helpful and may cause issues. For my thighs, I used spanx, but honestly, there was nothing that that was all the helpful - except diuretics! I'll put some pics up pretty soon. Far from perfect, but much improved!

@@HumanMerelyBeing yeah, I've been pretty pouty about the whole thing this week, lol. I vacillate between being kind to myself and kicking my own rear end. I also just really worry about my ability to maintain for the long term. I think much differently now than the first year. I knew it was a lifestyle change and would always be work, but I also couldn't fathom how things would change over time. I thought the physical changes from the surgery would be more permanent than they actually are. So I now know there is more to come. More changes that I don't see coming, and not sure that I'll be equipped to deal with. Surgery was totally worth it to me, and I'd do it again, but it really is unchartered Water for each of us. I always try to remember it's a lot more fun being thin and hungry than fat and hungry from the perpetual failed diet. That usually perks me up.

OK, all you 5:2 friends - how is it going? I have not had one successful 500 calorie day this week. I have been below 900 3 days, and yesterday was 1100, so I am not surprised that I am still maintaining. I am still not cleared for exercise, though that will be soon. It's been super stressful at work, so I feel like I did a pretty good job keeping things in control this week. Typically, I will find myself grazing during times of extreme stress, and I was able to avoid that. Doesn't sound like much, but it is to me. So now the weekend is upon us again. I am hosting a family party for my dad's birthday Saturday. I know that I'm going to indulge a little- so that means next week I will need to cut back even more!

@@Oregondaisy so sorry to hear this! Right now focus on protein and adequate nutrition. Such a bummer that this didn't go smoothly for you. You can always deal with the weight once you are healed. You probably need somewhere between 500-1000 extra calories a day for post-operative healing, depending on who you talk to. It's a catch 22 for us - we will certainly gain like that, but we won't heal without it either. I will look for your story on the other thread when I get a chance this weekend.

I am always shocked by this crap...but seriously, you can't make that shitt up. I don't know what is wrong with some people! Clearly, it's their issue and not yours. I'm reasonably certain there is nothing you can say to stop them.

All true. I think we know all of that. There is a difference between knowing it and being at peace with it ALL the time. The first year is easy. Settling in to maintenance is a little different. Motivation has to come from a different place, other than the instant and constant gratification of weight loss. I've found that my sleeve has changed over time, and hunger has returned to some degree. A 1 year sleeve is different than a 2 year sleeve, and I'm certain it continues to change for some time. That's probably why statistically, regain happens around that time. I think it's normal to get a little despondent at times at the thought of the tremendous amount of effort and focus it's going to take to stay at this place we all love - normal! Good for you if it's as simple as facing and understanding the facts about what it takes to lose and maintain, but I find it to be much more complex than that. I find that sometimes its easier, sometimes its harder. Some days it's easy to revel in the joy of what I've accomplished and it's enough to keep me going. Other times, not so much. I'm human. I just do the best I can, but I'm under no illusion that accepting the known facts safeguard me against regain. All of those same things were true before WLS, too.....yet here we all are.

The swelling does get better, but I think it varies from one person to the next on how long it lasts. I was still swollen a little from my LBL and arms that I had in August. Not terrible, but up and down. When I had the thigh lift and breast lift, not only was the new surgical site swollen, including my lower legs, but my back, abdomen and arms swelled back up too! It is getting better, but it is slow going. Sometimes I feel like my skin is too small. I saw my dr yesterday, and she prescribed a low dose of Lasix for a few days. It's a temporary fix at best, but I'll take it! I'm anxious to see just how much Water weight I'm hanging on to. I'll let you know!

Welcome back. Forgive yourself and move on. Its all we can do. I know that scenario you are describing. Every day is "the day" but at the end of the day, it wasn't. And you watch on horror as the pounds pile on. The difference now is that you still have your sleeve, and you know what it takes to lose weight. And 20 pounds is way easier to lose than 100! Take it day, meal, or hour at a time. Good for your recommitment to the lifestyle change it takes to get to where you want to be. You can do it

Unfortunately, everyone has an opinion about weight, and more unfortunately, some people feel free to comment. This might be out of nosiness or out of general concern. I would just smile and answer, "no, I'm fine and I feel great" and change the subject.

You are in a tough spot. Unfortunately, that's the painful truth for many of us. It's not uncommon to have regain around years 2 and 3 I suspect you know HOW to lose the weight. Most of us were expert dieters before the sleeve. It's a matter of getting our minds right....and taking advantage of the restriction offered from the sleeve. You don't say what or how much you are eating, but you should probably start by taking an inventory of that. Log your food, eat Protein first, and do what you did to lose at first. Don't graze. Start moving more. Start small. It's not too late.

*sigh* All true, and well said, @@CowgirlJane . That post is right about where I am, right now. I have a lot of will power, and I can pretty much do most things I put my mind to. I'm not one who even worries about difficulty, short term pain, or is short sighted when it comes to long term gain. The realization is really settling in for me that this is my life. Forever. I will go to my grave trying to keep from gaining weight by eating very little, and I'll be discouraged every time I eat a little more and gain. I have also had to wonder if it's worth it. I'm trying to get to goal, which you know has been elusive for me. I'm struggling with a lot of stress in my life right now, and it's all I can do to maintain some days, let alone eat the 500-800 calories required for weight loss. In the grand scheme of things. it is absolutely worth it to maintain this weight, but I'm not sure getting to 140 pounds is worth the effort. I'm not ready to quit trying just yet, but I think it is a valid question. What am I really trying to accomplish? So, for me, I pick the lesser of the evils. I REALLY don't want to gain any of that weight back, so I just keep doing the best I can....and not spend too much time thinking like this! I have to be Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind and just think about it another day