Baconville

Take your time telling people. I did not share it with many until I had my surgery date about three weeks before my RNY. By that point you are really committed and any negative comments just fly by. At least they did for me. As to favorite foods, by six months you will be able to eat probably 80% of them. Usually only one or two small bites, but at least a little. Even desserts and candy, pizza. You are not necessarily giving them up for life, just for the next several months. Good luck! I am approaching a year, and it has been life changing in every way!

My NUT told me no oatmeal or cream of wheat (after the pureed stage). No protein, and every meal needs to have at least 10 grams. If you can add protein powder to it you might make it work and some use protein shakes to make it, but I didn't like that. It is why I was so happy to find out about the TVP.

I got mine for my birthday in February. It has made a huge difference in my success. I know exactly how active I am, when I have met my goals and when I am falling short. I find it to be a motivating and challenging tool.

For a faster breakfast I like Greek Yogurt with a Tablespoon of ground flax seed. I like Dannon Lite & Fit. 13 grams of protein, low in sugar.

I like TVP, Textured Vegetable Protein, for breakfast. You find it in the baking isle of most larger grocery stores. I boil 1/3 cup in 1 cup of water. When the water has boiled away, I add 1/4 cup of skim milk. At this point you can add anything you want. Fresh fruit, cinnamon, sugar free vanilla syrup, Truvia, are all things I have added. It has 18 grams of protein, very low in sugars, very filling, and it stays with you. Takes about 15 minutes to make, but worth it for me.

I have a couple suggestions that can help. If you are not tracking what you are eating, do so. Measure everything you eat. It is very easy for our eyes to lie to us, and we end up paying more than we think we are. I like MyFitnessPal.com for tracking, but I know there are other apps out there that work well too. My second suggestion is to add resistance training to your weekly workouts. 30 minutes of full body resistance work (weight training), can make a huge difference and break a stall. There are many workouts that you can find online and you don't need a lot of equipment. A few hand weights or resistance bands can work wonders. We need cardio too, but we often overlook the importance of weight training. Good luck! Carol

Hi Graceann, Our stats are very simular. I am 5'2" and began at 330 lbs. I am now 134 lbs, the change has been life changing in every way. I hear you about the skin issue, I am right there with you. My arms are especially bad, stomach is too, but isn't as visible. Something that I have to look into, but I will be waiting until next year. Keep on keeping on! The journey is not over, and we can reach our goals. Mat God continue to bless. Carol

My vote goes for Premier Protein Shakes, chocolate. I drink one everyday and have for over a year. Best premade Protein shake, I could find.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You have obviously been a star patient! I am approaching my first year anniversary on the 25th. I am so afraid I will wake up and I will be back to where I was a year ago. Your post gives me hope that the journey continues and that I can also do this! That old me is gone forever!!

Thanks! It has changed my entire life!

Carol, I consider you my twin too! We are just so similar in our stats. I see my surgeon on june 25th and am praying I'll be in 120s by then. We have 2 weeks so let's both try together! GREAT IDEA! OK, so here is what I am doing. I am limiting my Protein to about 85 grams - it had been creeping over 90 - even though my calories have stayed about the same. I am increasing my vegetable intake, especially broccoli and cauliflower. These REALLY seem to fill me up, which helps with the increased hunger, I feel much more satisfied. I have upped the Water so I am getting between 80 - 100 ounces a day. This morning the scale moved to a new low, it wasn't a big move (.2 pound) but it was a move! I am worried about tomorrow as I have THREE graduation parties to attend, one is for my niece which I am helping to give, so I will be working with food. Lots of temptations, so I hope I don't undue all the hard work I put in this week. Let me know what you are doing and how its working. Together we can do anything! Have a good one! Carol

I had mine June 19 last year down 88 lbs Welcome! I am very glad you found us. This is a wonderful group of very supportive people with great advice. We will be here for you! Congratulations! That is a great loss in a year!! I will be at a year on June 25 and as of this morning am down 198 pounds, but the scale has really been fighting me these last 10 pounds. I only have 2-3 to go, and I have worked harder for these 10 pounds than the 190 combined! I am trying to switch things up, exercise, food and Water. The scale is moving, all be it VERY slowly. I was down .2 pounds this morning, a new low. One thing that seems to be helping is that I am making sure my Protein stays in the mid 80s (does not go over 90 grams) and that I am adding more vegetables to my diet. I find the vegies really fill me up and that helps because I seem to be hungrier now than I was even a couple of month ago. I am still hopeful I will get under 130 pounds for my 1 year check up on June 26th. WE HAVE COME SO FAR! WE CAN DO THIS!! Carol

Be smart about what you are drinking. Water is water. Make sure you take a sip at least every 15 minutes, if that works, go for every 10 minutes. Do it all day. This is your job! Find a Protein shake that gives you a lot of protein per ounce. I really like Premier Protein shakes because you get 30 grams of protein in just 11 ounces, and once the drinking gets easier, they only have 160 calories. You can also add Protein powder to your water if you are really struggling. Keep working at it, you will get there! Carol

More than likely you will still experience some hair loss. Most (but not all) do. How much also varies a lot. For the first three months my clinic's plan only allowed for 40-50 grams of protein a day. I was four months post surgery when the hair loss began, which is late, three months is average. Most see the hair loss stop around eight months. Still it is scary when it is happening. The shock of surgery plus the decrease in protein prior to and immediately following surgery is what really causes the loss.

I am only three pounds from my goal, I feel your pain! I have lost 197 pounds, why do the last three have to feel impossible! My only advice is to change up your routine. Take an exercise class, bike or swim. Check your protein, if you are getting over 90 grams a day, take it down 5 - 10 grams. Increase your water. Track everything you are eating, those little bites add up. Try it for a solid week and see if the scale WILL move. Best of luck to you! I need life to slow down for a couple weeks and see if I can focus on these that pounds. Maybe we will make it together!

My main stays were Greek Yogurt, applesauce, eggs, tuna, and canned chicken. The tuna and chicken were mixed with a bit of Miracle Whip Light and pureed in a mini food processor. I tried pureed canned chili at my clinic's recommendation, but hated it. You are eat such a small amount. A little bit goes a very long way. GOOD LUCK!!

Hi, In reality, there is very little you can do to prevent it, although the above posts are correct in that getting your Protein in is key. I took the Biotin, I also used special, expensive hair care products from my stylist. I still lost a LOT of hair. Fortunately, I have very thick hair, so I did not need a wig, but about six months after surgery, as Christmas was approaching, I thought for sure I was going to go bald, and I had some very thin spots. Now my hair is coming back, but I think it will be another six months before it is back to where it was before surgery. It has been one of the few negatives of surgery. For any that are reading this and wondering if it was worth it - ABSOLUTELY! I would go bald to feel as good as I feel today. Good Luck to you! Working with a good stylist really makes a big difference. Carol

It's mine and RJs surgiversary but Mel is welcome to join. She can get the tattoo, I'm staying with my mani/pedi. I want to echo your sentiments about all of you tho! You all have been such a huge factor in my success. I am truly thankful for this entire group. I love our Junies!!! Hey! I didn't realize you were also a June 12th surgery! Congrats to you too!! You have been like my twin during this journey, and I have drawn so much encouragement, peace of mind, and inspiration from you. Do you have plans to celebrate the day? RJ is correct (as usual!). It is time to stop being on the WLS journey and to start living our lives in the gift of these new, healthy,bodies. I wish you all the best! Mark this day with something special, YOU DESERVE IT!! I am a bit behind all of you. I won't reach my surgaversary until June 25th, so I have a couple more weeks. I am hoping to be under 130 by then, was 133 this morning, so it is possible. I am so thrilled with the new me, that it won't matter if I don't get there. It would be nice for my BMI to hit 'normal' though. CONGRATULATIONS!! Carol

To RJ and Mel, Happy one year surgerversary!! What a year it has been. Both of you have been such a big part of my journey. Your journeys have been my inspiration. Tattoos and mani/ pedis to mark this day that has been so life changing. CELEBRATE!! Enjoy your day, you have each earned it! Carol

I have been fighting not to bump my calories up. I have been able to keep it under 900, today I am under 700. That used to be no big deal, now it is a real struggle. I see my NUT and bariatric specialist on the 26th for my one year check. I am wondering what to do to make it to the finish line. If you gain any insight, I would love to hear it. Carol

I would have been ready for surgery a long time before I had it, but my husband was not on board and I wouldn't do it without his support. My weight got to a point that it was really effecting our lives. I lived on Advil and had constant knee and back pain. I tried to lose, but could not exercise at all. I finally convinced my husband to attend the informational seminar with me. We have gone though the process together. He was a bit overweight and has lost weight along with me. His support and encouragement have been a critical part of my success. If you have a healthy marriage, he should value your health, and he will come around. One thing that helped me was pointing out that they call it Morbid Obesity because it kills. If he wants you around to grow old with, he needs to allow you to have the surgery that will save your life. If you needed heart surgery, he wouldn't hesitate. This is really no different. Good luck! Carol

I received so much support from folks here. I really want to pay it forward. I am here for you if you ever have any questions. I can't believe the change this year has had on my life and am happy to help in any way I can. Carol

I have followed my clinic's guidelines very carefully. I have never experienced dumping and am approaching my one year surgervarsary. I have, on occasion, had sweets, even candy, and high fat foods. I have had these though in VERY small amounts - no more than three bites. Everybody is different and some are much more sensitive. However, if you follow your plan, you will probably never experience it. Good luck! Carol

Hi Msshellg, I'm doing well. I waited to post anything until I saw my surgeon after my NUT said I was doing fine not to worry about eating small amounts of food and feeling satiated. She felt that as long as I was meeting my Protein and Water requirements I doing well. I saw my surgeon today and he said the same thing. I don't have a stricture thank God I was stressed over that because I've followed orders strictly since week three when I went through that dumping phase. I'm on schedule and since my surgery on April 21st I've lost 56lbs. My surgeon thinks that I'm just going to be someone who does not require a lot of food to become full and that's awesome to me. My mother shared with me that I was a fussy eater and she had to make me sit at the table until I ate at least half of my meal. It's funny how food becomes an obsession for us. I hope I never go back to those bad habits that almost caused me my life. Thanks to everyone who responded to this posting. I appreciate you and I pray that we will all continue to make changes that improve our health and well-being. Have a great evening, God Bless. So glad that you got good news! Sorry to have been the one to panic you, it was not my intention. I have been watching for your update and couldn't be happier for you. Just keep following the plan! You are doing great! Carol

This actually happened to me. In the two months leading up to the pre-op diet I lost about 35 pounds. For whatever reason, on the pre-op I stalled. Mine was a two week liquid diet of mainly soup and Protein shakes, which I followed to the letter. However, both foods are very high in sodium and my clinic felt that was what caused the stall. In those two weeks I only lost 4 pounds. The good news is that even though the scale didn't move much, the liver shrunk and I had a very successful laparoscopic surgery. It was important that I spoke with my NUT because then they knew that I was following the plan and not having results. The lack of results was not from cheating, which could have delayed my surgery. Best of luck to you! Soon you too will be on the loser's bench!! Carol