Terribj

I am 11 months out and I still follow the rules. I am so fearful of gaining weight back that I have to be reminded that healthy is more important than anything.
I keep track of Protein, watch sugar intake and track exercise. I don't count calories.
I drink coffee daily, but have to push to get all my Water in.
I exercise 6 days a week - at least 30 minutes. I alternate between cardio and weights.
I also have chosen not to eat certain things: Pasta, rice and bread still hurts. Fried food hurt and I can't stand the taste of sweets (Cookies, cake, pie, etc).
Grapes take care of my sweet-tooth.
The hardest thing I'm working on now is body image. I still see the fat girl in the mirror and I panic when I gain a pound. My husband has now hidden the scale to help me. Also, this fear / obsession didn't start until I hit my goal weight. I'm reading a couple books on post-op living and attending some support groups. In my opinion the surgery / weight-loss was the easy part. Overcoming these emotions and self-image are the hardest.

I am 11 months out and I still follow the rules. I am so fearful of gaining weight back that I have to be reminded that healthy is more important than anything.
I keep track of Protein, watch sugar intake and track exercise. I don't count calories.
I drink coffee daily, but have to push to get all my Water in.
I exercise 6 days a week - at least 30 minutes. I alternate between cardio and weights.
I also have chosen not to eat certain things: Pasta, rice and bread still hurts. Fried food hurt and I can't stand the taste of sweets (Cookies, cake, pie, etc).
Grapes take care of my sweet-tooth.
The hardest thing I'm working on now is body image. I still see the fat girl in the mirror and I panic when I gain a pound. My husband has now hidden the scale to help me. Also, this fear / obsession didn't start until I hit my goal weight. I'm reading a couple books on post-op living and attending some support groups. In my opinion the surgery / weight-loss was the easy part. Overcoming these emotions and self-image are the hardest.

I am 11 months out and I still follow the rules. I am so fearful of gaining weight back that I have to be reminded that healthy is more important than anything.
I keep track of Protein, watch sugar intake and track exercise. I don't count calories.
I drink coffee daily, but have to push to get all my Water in.
I exercise 6 days a week - at least 30 minutes. I alternate between cardio and weights.
I also have chosen not to eat certain things: Pasta, rice and bread still hurts. Fried food hurt and I can't stand the taste of sweets (Cookies, cake, pie, etc).
Grapes take care of my sweet-tooth.
The hardest thing I'm working on now is body image. I still see the fat girl in the mirror and I panic when I gain a pound. My husband has now hidden the scale to help me. Also, this fear / obsession didn't start until I hit my goal weight. I'm reading a couple books on post-op living and attending some support groups. In my opinion the surgery / weight-loss was the easy part. Overcoming these emotions and self-image are the hardest.

I am 11 months out and I still follow the rules. I am so fearful of gaining weight back that I have to be reminded that healthy is more important than anything.
I keep track of Protein, watch sugar intake and track exercise. I don't count calories.
I drink coffee daily, but have to push to get all my Water in.
I exercise 6 days a week - at least 30 minutes. I alternate between cardio and weights.
I also have chosen not to eat certain things: Pasta, rice and bread still hurts. Fried food hurt and I can't stand the taste of sweets (Cookies, cake, pie, etc).
Grapes take care of my sweet-tooth.
The hardest thing I'm working on now is body image. I still see the fat girl in the mirror and I panic when I gain a pound. My husband has now hidden the scale to help me. Also, this fear / obsession didn't start until I hit my goal weight. I'm reading a couple books on post-op living and attending some support groups. In my opinion the surgery / weight-loss was the easy part. Overcoming these emotions and self-image are the hardest.

@@claudi2103 I have a Protein shake in the AM (23 gr of protein). I try to eat 3-4 oz of meat for lunch and dinner each. I have a scale, but after using it often enough you'll know pretty close what each serving weighs. Most of the sides I eat are high in Protein. (Beans, cottage cheese, eggs). I track it all through my fitness pal and focus on protein. Does that answer your question?

@@claudi2103 I have a Protein shake in the AM (23 gr of protein). I try to eat 3-4 oz of meat for lunch and dinner each. I have a scale, but after using it often enough you'll know pretty close what each serving weighs. Most of the sides I eat are high in Protein. (Beans, cottage cheese, eggs). I track it all through my fitness pal and focus on protein. Does that answer your question?

I am 11 months out and I still follow the rules. I am so fearful of gaining weight back that I have to be reminded that healthy is more important than anything.
I keep track of Protein, watch sugar intake and track exercise. I don't count calories.
I drink coffee daily, but have to push to get all my Water in.
I exercise 6 days a week - at least 30 minutes. I alternate between cardio and weights.
I also have chosen not to eat certain things: Pasta, rice and bread still hurts. Fried food hurt and I can't stand the taste of sweets (Cookies, cake, pie, etc).
Grapes take care of my sweet-tooth.
The hardest thing I'm working on now is body image. I still see the fat girl in the mirror and I panic when I gain a pound. My husband has now hidden the scale to help me. Also, this fear / obsession didn't start until I hit my goal weight. I'm reading a couple books on post-op living and attending some support groups. In my opinion the surgery / weight-loss was the easy part. Overcoming these emotions and self-image are the hardest.

@@claudi2103 I have a Protein shake in the AM (23 gr of protein). I try to eat 3-4 oz of meat for lunch and dinner each. I have a scale, but after using it often enough you'll know pretty close what each serving weighs. Most of the sides I eat are high in Protein. (Beans, cottage cheese, eggs). I track it all through my fitness pal and focus on protein. Does that answer your question?

I am 11 months out and I still follow the rules. I am so fearful of gaining weight back that I have to be reminded that healthy is more important than anything.
I keep track of Protein, watch sugar intake and track exercise. I don't count calories.
I drink coffee daily, but have to push to get all my Water in.
I exercise 6 days a week - at least 30 minutes. I alternate between cardio and weights.
I also have chosen not to eat certain things: Pasta, rice and bread still hurts. Fried food hurt and I can't stand the taste of sweets (Cookies, cake, pie, etc).
Grapes take care of my sweet-tooth.
The hardest thing I'm working on now is body image. I still see the fat girl in the mirror and I panic when I gain a pound. My husband has now hidden the scale to help me. Also, this fear / obsession didn't start until I hit my goal weight. I'm reading a couple books on post-op living and attending some support groups. In my opinion the surgery / weight-loss was the easy part. Overcoming these emotions and self-image are the hardest.

@@claudi2103 I have a Protein shake in the AM (23 gr of protein). I try to eat 3-4 oz of meat for lunch and dinner each. I have a scale, but after using it often enough you'll know pretty close what each serving weighs. Most of the sides I eat are high in Protein. (Beans, cottage cheese, eggs). I track it all through my fitness pal and focus on protein. Does that answer your question?

@@claudi2103 I have a Protein shake in the AM (23 gr of protein). I try to eat 3-4 oz of meat for lunch and dinner each. I have a scale, but after using it often enough you'll know pretty close what each serving weighs. Most of the sides I eat are high in Protein. (Beans, cottage cheese, eggs). I track it all through my fitness pal and focus on protein. Does that answer your question?

I am 11 months out and I still follow the rules. I am so fearful of gaining weight back that I have to be reminded that healthy is more important than anything.
I keep track of Protein, watch sugar intake and track exercise. I don't count calories.
I drink coffee daily, but have to push to get all my Water in.
I exercise 6 days a week - at least 30 minutes. I alternate between cardio and weights.
I also have chosen not to eat certain things: Pasta, rice and bread still hurts. Fried food hurt and I can't stand the taste of sweets (Cookies, cake, pie, etc).
Grapes take care of my sweet-tooth.
The hardest thing I'm working on now is body image. I still see the fat girl in the mirror and I panic when I gain a pound. My husband has now hidden the scale to help me. Also, this fear / obsession didn't start until I hit my goal weight. I'm reading a couple books on post-op living and attending some support groups. In my opinion the surgery / weight-loss was the easy part. Overcoming these emotions and self-image are the hardest.

I had a relatively low BMI (37.3) and no co-morbidity. I was self-pay for my surgery.
I feel that I am having good success. The pounds and inches are coming off - at my body's pace. In the past I couldn't lose weight. I've read about people who can't keep it off - i couldn't lose it. 4 months of a supervised diet before surgery, with a NUT, personal trainer and my doc - I gained a pound in those 4 months. I personally think my lower BMI has helped with my success. I don't mean that as a blanket statement - that is a "this works for me" comment.

I had a relatively low BMI (37.3) and no co-morbidity. I was self-pay for my surgery.
I feel that I am having good success. The pounds and inches are coming off - at my body's pace. In the past I couldn't lose weight. I've read about people who can't keep it off - i couldn't lose it. 4 months of a supervised diet before surgery, with a NUT, personal trainer and my doc - I gained a pound in those 4 months. I personally think my lower BMI has helped with my success. I don't mean that as a blanket statement - that is a "this works for me" comment.

New Year - for the past 41 years I told myself this was the year. This was the one where I was going to lose the weight once and for all.
2014 WAS THE YEAR...
I am 3 pounds from my doctor's goal weight - I reached my goal of a size 8 last month.
So my questions / comment - now what? Other than maintain the weight and tone....I almost feel lost. I mean I've had the same un-reached goal for 41 years... This is the first year since I was 11 years old that the new year doesn't bring a new start feeling.
For those of you that have reached or are close to goal do you have new goals?
Did you have to get used to not having that weight loss goal?
If you didn't set any new goals - how does that make you feel?
I love how I feel and how I look.Just wondering how others have dealt with the fact that New Year's resolutions no longer revolve around weight, especially since it's been such a big part of my life for so long.

New Year - for the past 41 years I told myself this was the year. This was the one where I was going to lose the weight once and for all.
2014 WAS THE YEAR...
I am 3 pounds from my doctor's goal weight - I reached my goal of a size 8 last month.
So my questions / comment - now what? Other than maintain the weight and tone....I almost feel lost. I mean I've had the same un-reached goal for 41 years... This is the first year since I was 11 years old that the new year doesn't bring a new start feeling.
For those of you that have reached or are close to goal do you have new goals?
Did you have to get used to not having that weight loss goal?
If you didn't set any new goals - how does that make you feel?
I love how I feel and how I look.Just wondering how others have dealt with the fact that New Year's resolutions no longer revolve around weight, especially since it's been such a big part of my life for so long.

New Year - for the past 41 years I told myself this was the year. This was the one where I was going to lose the weight once and for all.
2014 WAS THE YEAR...
I am 3 pounds from my doctor's goal weight - I reached my goal of a size 8 last month.
So my questions / comment - now what? Other than maintain the weight and tone....I almost feel lost. I mean I've had the same un-reached goal for 41 years... This is the first year since I was 11 years old that the new year doesn't bring a new start feeling.
For those of you that have reached or are close to goal do you have new goals?
Did you have to get used to not having that weight loss goal?
If you didn't set any new goals - how does that make you feel?
I love how I feel and how I look.Just wondering how others have dealt with the fact that New Year's resolutions no longer revolve around weight, especially since it's been such a big part of my life for so long.

I'm 3 months post-op and I still cannot eat Pasta or bread. I only eat 2-3 oz at each meal still. I think you will be surprised at how full you get how quickly.
I do eat Busch's baked Beans but in a very small amount - maybe a tablespoon. While it is good in Protein it is very high in sugar so I limit that. I'll have cottage cheese with the Beans along with lean hamburger or chicken.
Remember once you are ready for solid foods (6 weeks for me) Protein first, veggies second, carbs third.
I can eat Peanut Butter, but I put it on saltines, not bread. and I've been transitioning to PB2 which has far less fat and calories. My NUT recommenced staying away from low fat pnut better as well - it is very high in sugar.
I don't think you'll be able to eat the mac/cheese and spaghetti for at least 4-6 months.
Everyone is different, but if there is one thing everyone on here would probably agree with is don't push it. Don't push your stomach to more than it can handle. Try something new each week. For the past 4 weeks I've been trying to eat a piece of cucumber, and each week my stomach says "not yet".
Your eating habits will change significantly -- which is what we all wanted.
Best advice someone gave me:
Be patient
Hide your scale
Don't compare yourself to others
Ride this ride for all it's worth
YOU ARE WORTH IT

My surgeon said I couldn't work out at all for 6-8 weeks after, part of that due to a hernia repair at the same time. I did try a light workout about 3 weeks after thinking that it would be fine and boy did I regret that, hurt so much. But I walked soooooooooo much during that time, pretty much like 2 or more miles a day and that really helped a lot.

It takes your brain 20-25 minutes to register you are full. I try to eat slow so my brain can keep up with my stomach. I don't want to over eat and I'd like to feel full for as long as possible.
I don't like eating slow - i mean really - how long does it take one to eat 4 oz of food - most people that is two bites, for the rest of us it is the whole meal.
I do find it difficult to make 4 oz last 20-25 minutes but each meal I try. I notice the slower I eat the fuller I feel longer. As everything else everyone is different - find what works for you.

Really? I thought they were gross and disgusting and had a hard time with one. Just can't do it.

There is a big difference between folks who didn't receive guidance, and need advice from others who have shared the same journey because they have no where else to turn.
I think the first poster was upset about folks who were told what to do by their doctors (such as no alcohol for six months) and then come here asking for some sort of validation for doing exactly what their doctor told them not to do.

Yay, I just realized today that I know weigh what my driver's license says I weigh! That is so awesome!! Just thought I'd share my "win" today LOL

I'd measure more by body fat percentage than BMI. I'll see some after pics of people who have a higher BMI than me, but they're leaner and more toned/muscular. If you still have an above average body fat percentage, then I say I keep pushing. My surgeon gave me a target weight of 140-160lbs. I'm only 4lbs from his maximum goal, but I'm not close to mine. My body fat percentage is near 35% (down from 52%). It's going into the 20s, and I'm taking a non-negotiable position on it. My body and I are getting there.
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/body-fat-chart.php

Well, preop I was a 44DD and at 4 1/2 months out I had to shop for new bras - 38C. Not sure what my weight loss was at that point....probably around 60 - 65 pounds. Unfortunately I jumped the gun, because now at 7 months out I'm 90 pounds down and those bras are too big. Now I'm a 34B. Haven't had this small of boobs since middle school! And they certainly were never this saggy.