mysleevemylife

Im so excited.
Hi all, Just want to say thanks to all here on this forum. I finally made it to Onderland and not without you guys helping me.
Some of you may already be familiar with me, because I'm the President and CEO of the slow losers club.
And guys, i had to rethink my position. lol
So, i finally got the break I was looking for. I did the 5 day pouch test that was originally designed for gastric bypass patients. I was out of control with you guess it slider foods like that darn, popcorn. It work to get you back to basics and that it did.
Happy dance here! No more popcorn for me after following the program And as an added benefit i lost down 5 pounds. Yay
Thank you, because we share more in way of encouraging each on this Journey than sometimes with others.
Ballermom

It wasn't a dream... They still fit thus morning!

It's one of my fav fruits & I thanksfully have no digestion issues with it. I also continue to lose when I incorporate it into my weekly plan. I've found that the darker pink...the sweeter....YUMMY!!!!!

I'm just wanting to explore this a little more. Do you really feel that you will struggle with your weight FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?? I think I know where you are coming from with this, but I think it's just the word "struggle" that caught my attention. I will take care of myself & love myself for the rest of my life, but there is no way I will "struggle" with my weight for the rest of my life. The struggle is ending & the coast is beginning. I claim victory & freedom from the years of bondage that have held me in a place where I've struggled with my weight. There will be a day that I will no longer struggle but I will reach back & help others who will & are struggling just like I once was. THis is in no way a means to start a blown out discussion....just my perspective.

Starting weight: 320 lbs.
I replied to everybody in the original thread. Fruits and veggies are unhealthy? You guys crack me up.
SAM's Club opened at 7am, and I was right there for a big haul!

Breakfast
Look at those lucious strawberries, fresh mangos and plump tomatoes. I had to wipe the drool off me before checking out. So I came home and made a banana/spinach/pineapple/strawberry smoothie:

LUNCH/DINNER
I got hungry at 1pm, so had a few yummy grapes. And then at 4pm I drank a ton of my freshly juiced cucumber/celery/apple/orange drink.
Around 7pm I'll have a big salad and then drink the rest of my juice until bed.
Walked for 45 minutes on the treadmill. Now my kitchen is GREEN:

I am wondering what everyone eats to feel the most satisfied. By that I mean which foods do you find fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied for long periods of time? Also, do you find that drinking Water 1/2 hour or so after eating flushes foods out of your stomach, leaving you hungry again? I am trying to gauge when to drink my liquids

It's been a while since I've been able to get caught up on here, so sorry for late reply. I totally understand what you mean now. I agree. Same here. :-)

I'm just wanting to explore this a little more. Do you really feel that you will struggle with your weight FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?? I think I know where you are coming from with this, but I think it's just the word "struggle" that caught my attention. I will take care of myself & love myself for the rest of my life, but there is no way I will "struggle" with my weight for the rest of my life. The struggle is ending & the coast is beginning. I claim victory & freedom from the years of bondage that have held me in a place where I've struggled with my weight. There will be a day that I will no longer struggle but I will reach back & help others who will & are struggling just like I once was. THis is in no way a means to start a blown out discussion....just my perspective.

I hope that your sleeve will cooperate so that you will be able to enjoy your favs as an occasional treat!! I do! It's all about keeping a healthy balance so that you can continue living your life to the fullest without feeling deprived.

I'm just wondering who else really enjoys updating your ticker. It's really something for me to look forward to. It's been very encouraging to see the girl on my ticker get closer & closer to the "finish line".
Now, on another note, this is random, but I was just thinking about how all of us are different. A lot has been said about this lately. I am fortunate that I am able to eat anything that I choose to without feeling sick and/or vomiting. I've discovered that one of my fav Snacks is popcorn. I allow myself some about once or twice every other week. I even give my Malti-Pooh some. He loves the crunch, lol.
I, lastly, want to encourage anyone that needs it. Continue to stick to what is best for you. Fight for yourself. Be good to yourself. Love yourself & make no appology for it either. Love should start "at home" (within) & THEN spread abroad. Put in the hard work & stay focused on your goal. You do the work & just trust that your body will follow your lead....in it's own way....but it knows how to catch up & act right eventually. SO DON'T GIVE UP! Enjoy occasional treats with NO GUILT!! Live life so that you enjoy it & are not held in bondage by rules & things as such. As long as you eat/do/drink nothihg that will literally inflict harm to your body, sit back & enjoy your journey day by day. I wish all of you the best. I know that this post is all over the place, but just typing what comes to mind. THANKS FOR READING IT!

Very well said. This is so true. I like the fact that your post did not seem to sarcastically mock individuals that feel this way & post about it. Your post was also encouraging. This is what we are all here for, to help, encourage, inform, uplift each other & even sometimes to help snap ea other back into a healthy reality...lol. I like this post & I'm glad that you posted it.

I'm just wanting to explore this a little more. Do you really feel that you will struggle with your weight FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?? I think I know where you are coming from with this, but I think it's just the word "struggle" that caught my attention. I will take care of myself & love myself for the rest of my life, but there is no way I will "struggle" with my weight for the rest of my life. The struggle is ending & the coast is beginning. I claim victory & freedom from the years of bondage that have held me in a place where I've struggled with my weight. There will be a day that I will no longer struggle but I will reach back & help others who will & are struggling just like I once was. THis is in no way a means to start a blown out discussion....just my perspective.

I'm just wanting to explore this a little more. Do you really feel that you will struggle with your weight FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?? I think I know where you are coming from with this, but I think it's just the word "struggle" that caught my attention. I will take care of myself & love myself for the rest of my life, but there is no way I will "struggle" with my weight for the rest of my life. The struggle is ending & the coast is beginning. I claim victory & freedom from the years of bondage that have held me in a place where I've struggled with my weight. There will be a day that I will no longer struggle but I will reach back & help others who will & are struggling just like I once was. THis is in no way a means to start a blown out discussion....just my perspective.

I'm just wondering who else really enjoys updating your ticker. It's really something for me to look forward to. It's been very encouraging to see the girl on my ticker get closer & closer to the "finish line".
Now, on another note, this is random, but I was just thinking about how all of us are different. A lot has been said about this lately. I am fortunate that I am able to eat anything that I choose to without feeling sick and/or vomiting. I've discovered that one of my fav Snacks is popcorn. I allow myself some about once or twice every other week. I even give my Malti-Pooh some. He loves the crunch, lol.
I, lastly, want to encourage anyone that needs it. Continue to stick to what is best for you. Fight for yourself. Be good to yourself. Love yourself & make no appology for it either. Love should start "at home" (within) & THEN spread abroad. Put in the hard work & stay focused on your goal. You do the work & just trust that your body will follow your lead....in it's own way....but it knows how to catch up & act right eventually. SO DON'T GIVE UP! Enjoy occasional treats with NO GUILT!! Live life so that you enjoy it & are not held in bondage by rules & things as such. As long as you eat/do/drink nothihg that will literally inflict harm to your body, sit back & enjoy your journey day by day. I wish all of you the best. I know that this post is all over the place, but just typing what comes to mind. THANKS FOR READING IT!

Okay... i know this is all about lifestyle transformation and i am still pre op so its not like ive tried to order fish and chips after surgery...
What i want to know is...once in a blue moon will i be able to go out with my hubby for a special dinner and order beer battered fish and fries? Cause it is my favorite thing in the whole world...i crave malt vinegar like its no ones business ever since i was young...i just want to know if it will ever be possible to eat battered and fried fish? Or will it always be a no no

Love Gman's post.
When you find that diet that lets us lose while sitting on our cans, do be a dear and post a link for all of us here. We'd love to sign up!
~Cheri
And kudos on the lifestyle changes! That's the biggest part of long term success.

I have also only told a few people, my immediate family and a few people at work, and I already have problems with some of them saying things like "you shouldn't be eating that" or "you can have just a bite" which is why I didn't want to tell anyone. If you are just on a regular diet, people understand when you have an off day. But after having surgery, I feel that people are always judging me. I am probably just being over-sensitive and reading more into it than is really there, but it makes me crazy. Then you have the people who ask you every time they see you how much you've lost, sometimes several times a week, which also makes me crazy. I hit a stall in weeks 3-6 where I only lost 3 pounds, so having to tell people, several times, that I hadn't lost anything was hard, and then dealing with their "helpful" comments. If I were to do this over again, I would not have told my co-workers, just my immediate family who I could not hide my post-op recovery from. I am not sure if I will ever make the big announcement to the world that I have had WLS because to me, it is only a part of the reason why I am loosing weight. In addition to the surgery, I have changed my lifestyle with exercise and eating differently and healthier, which will last far longer than the initial six months after my surgery when I will lose the most weight. In four more months, my weight loss will be much more based on my lifestyle than surgery, and in a year from now, it will be almost all me, and not the surgery, that maintains my weight loss.

I got a cheap flyer in the mail one day selling miracle bath fat puller. Apparently, you put this stuff in the bath Water and it pulls the fat out of your body, 20-30 pounds in 20 minutes. It had a drawn picture of a fat body-before, and a skinny body-after. I guess you'd have to call a plumber afterward to unclog your fat clogged drain. I was amazed to think that some people would actually believe this malarky.
People fill in the gaps in their knowledge with imagination. Politicians count on it. They insinuate and let you do rest in your mind. Facts are secondary to effect.
If you feel so inclined you may destroy their ignorance with fact. Be aware that some folks prefer imagination regardless of it's proximity to reality.

Very few people in my life know I had this surgery, this is why! I was out with a friend who did know about my surgery and she actually said to me I wish I was lucky enough to have that surgery so I could just sit on the couch, eat whatever I want and still just have weight fall off me! Apparently she think I sit at home all day a weight just magically falls off my body! Yes, I will say during the first few months it kinda felt like that, expect for the eating part because i still cant tolerate many food and most likely never will. I have lost over 100 pounds. However after I lost my first 40 pounds I stalled majorly, which thankfully is when I started coming on here and getting advice and encouragement. However to kick up my weight loss I joined a gym, which I go to 5 days a week and work my butt off, I count every calorie (except during my vacation:-/) I have worked very hard at switching my whole family to a REAL FOOD diet, almost no processed foods in our house. To be honest I have been working at this lifestyle to make it work best for me, that's not even taking into account all the mental aspects of dealing with my old food habits and food addiction and getting to the root of those issues so I don't repeat my history. I couldn't believe she said that, it made me wonder how many people really believe this lie and it made me so mad. Fortunately it was just the two of us and I was able to take some time to let her know that it's not that easy. Has this ever happened to any of you? How did you handle it? It made me so mad, but it also made me wonder if I made the right decision not telling people, part of me is glad because I'm less likely to end up in that same situation, however the part of me thinks if I did let people know it would open me up to being able to have these honest real conversation with people. Any ways guess I just wanted to get that off my chest.

So having been there and done that with the bright eyed bushy tailed (or honeymoon syndrome) and now realizing what the real constant struggle is, how hard is it not to be jaded here? Most people posting are newly sleeved and are so fresh and eager with the easier road still being travelled. While its great that their outlook is positive, it must get a bit difficult to read all these types of posts. Just curious when the rose tinted glasses came off for you?
I am only 7 weeks out and realize I. Am facing an uphill battle for life. Wanted the solution but realize I only got a calculator! Still up to me to solve the problem...

Please stop and do the math.
People get completely freaked out by what I feel are unreasonable expectations. They fly into a panic. They assume that the first time they don't lose on the scale that their loss is done. They think that two weeks at one weight is a massive stall. They look at other people's large losses and forget that we don't all lose at the same rate.
First - if you did a pre-op diet you are not going to have the same loss your first month as someone who didn't do one. Your pre-op loss should get counted into your loss calculation if you did a pre-op diet.
Second - a stall is three weeks or more at the same weight with no fluctuation. Are you panicked after that? Well, my friend coops once spent twenty one MONTHS at the same weight. She finally broke through and never regained during that time, and even lost two sizes while not budging on the scale. Is it the miracle cure you may have been hoping for on the scale? No. But stalls are not the end of the world. They are certainly more normal that flying to goal in six weeks, I promise you.
Third - losing anything more than a pound a week is good. Are you eating less than ever before? Yes. Does that guarantee you'll lose faster than ever before? No. I had two nine week stalls - no movement except upwards for my monthly cycle. I had months where I lost but only in the tenths of a pound. It's not normal to expect a big loss every time you step on the scale. It's setting yourself up for disappointment.
Fourth - your pattern is your pattern. You can compare yourself to other people sleeved the same day or with the same stats but it doesn't matter. So much of this is individual. So if you're constantly seeking out other people and comparing your losses to theirs, you are eventually going to discourage and frustrate yourself.
Fifth - are you closing in on goal? We all lose even more slowly the less weight we have to lose. So if you only have sixty pounds to lose but shed thirty in your first three months, please don't be hysterical because you're "only" losing a pound a week now that you're past the halfway point. It's normal.
Stop. Breathe. Do the math. Adjust your expectations. This is not a race. You do not get a special award for reaching goal more quickly. Your surgery was not pointless or worthless if you manage to get to goal in two years instead of six months. The real goal is not losing the weight. It's keeping the weight off. That's real success - that's what we're here to do. It does not matter if you hit goal in nine months or two years - the real challenge and the real journey begins with maintenance. How quickly or slowly you lost does nothing to change the challenges you'll encounter there.
I am not ranting at anyone in particular. I just feel that this is an issue that comes up constantly and it's actually pretty silly for people to fly into such a panic without really thinking. I've seen folks upset when they're logging losses of upwards of four pounds a week. Point to the diet that helped you accomplish that and was easy to maintain prior to surgery.
~Cheri

Let's see here....hmmm....
By end of 2013
1. jog comfortably on Tmill
2. jog comfortably on Land
3. Swim Better
By end Of 2014
1. Be heavily training to become a Boxer
2. Running comfortably (not struggling to breath) on the Tmill & on Land
3. Jog/Run a Marathon of any length
-These are the first that come to my mind.

If you have read any of my recent posts, you can understand I enjoy fitness as a post op VSG. Pretty sure it is my transfer addiction from previon version of self! I know there are tons of other fitness enthusiasts out there from long distance bikers, to runners, to cross fitters, to power lifters, to (fill in the blank).
The question I want to pose to VSG today: what is your 5-10 year plan with regards to fitness? What are your short term and long term goals?
Here is what I have been thinking about recently:
1. Summer 2014 - qualify for regional cross fit competition
2. Summer 2015 - qualify as a finalist in regional cross fit
2. Summer 2016 - transition into parkour (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkour) and mma and get good at them
3. Summer 2018 - audition for American ninja warrior (really inspires me, especially this season on TV)
4. Summer 2020 - qualify as a finalist in American ninja warrior
Big goals, I know! I do not believe in small goals. We are all winners when we set our mind to achieving large goals.