BrantS1976

So I stepped on the scale this morning and the following was staring back at me.

I have now lost 101 pounds and finally passed the 100 lbs lost mark about 6.5 months after surgery. I have been staring at the scale impatiently for the better part of the past week waiting for this and today was the day. I keep reminding myself that I originally thought it might take a year to get to this point and it bested that by 5.5 months. As an added bonus at my six month appointment I was told I had lost 96 pounds overall, but had lost 102 pounds of fat, so I actually gained some muscle. In addition to that my measurements showed a loss of six inches from my neck and 12 inches from my waist. Surgery definitely is the tool that makes the difference.

So I stepped on the scale this morning and the following was staring back at me.

I have now lost 101 pounds and finally passed the 100 lbs lost mark about 6.5 months after surgery. I have been staring at the scale impatiently for the better part of the past week waiting for this and today was the day. I keep reminding myself that I originally thought it might take a year to get to this point and it bested that by 5.5 months. As an added bonus at my six month appointment I was told I had lost 96 pounds overall, but had lost 102 pounds of fat, so I actually gained some muscle. In addition to that my measurements showed a loss of six inches from my neck and 12 inches from my waist. Surgery definitely is the tool that makes the difference.

So I stepped on the scale this morning and the following was staring back at me.

I have now lost 101 pounds and finally passed the 100 lbs lost mark about 6.5 months after surgery. I have been staring at the scale impatiently for the better part of the past week waiting for this and today was the day. I keep reminding myself that I originally thought it might take a year to get to this point and it bested that by 5.5 months. As an added bonus at my six month appointment I was told I had lost 96 pounds overall, but had lost 102 pounds of fat, so I actually gained some muscle. In addition to that my measurements showed a loss of six inches from my neck and 12 inches from my waist. Surgery definitely is the tool that makes the difference.

So I stepped on the scale this morning and the following was staring back at me.

I have now lost 101 pounds and finally passed the 100 lbs lost mark about 6.5 months after surgery. I have been staring at the scale impatiently for the better part of the past week waiting for this and today was the day. I keep reminding myself that I originally thought it might take a year to get to this point and it bested that by 5.5 months. As an added bonus at my six month appointment I was told I had lost 96 pounds overall, but had lost 102 pounds of fat, so I actually gained some muscle. In addition to that my measurements showed a loss of six inches from my neck and 12 inches from my waist. Surgery definitely is the tool that makes the difference.

Starting weight: 286
Goal weight: 276
Current weight: 282 (down 2 from last week - puts me at 101 pounds lost!)

Starting weight: 286
Goal weight: 276
Current weight: 282 (down 2 from last week - puts me at 101 pounds lost!)

Great list Ginger. I can tell you that it will happen. i have my six month appointment this Friday and have lost 97 pounds. In addition to the numbers on the scale its funny the changes you notice as you go through this process. I no longer worry where they will seat me when I walk into a restaurant (I no longer fear the booth), no more avoiding plane flights whenever possible, no more paying way more for the same clothes just because they are at a big and tall store. Can now go to a baseball game, sit comfortably in my seat and not feel like i am encroaching on the person next to me. Keep us posted on how it goes tomorrow. Love your song lyric choice, that lyric was in my head when I decided to do this as well. I felt like I was 37 going on 55, and now I feel the best I've felt in a decade.

I have lost 99 pounds in a little over six months since having surgery. I was concerned I had lost muscle mass, but at my six month appointment the surgeon had me on the body composition scale and it showed my total weight loss at 97 pounds, but I has actually lost 102 pounds of fat since last time, so I actually GAINED five pounds of muscle. I had not expected that as I have felt a bit weaker since surgery. I guess the moral of the story is eat the amount of Protein they recommend, and it should be just fine.

Great list Ginger. I can tell you that it will happen. i have my six month appointment this Friday and have lost 97 pounds. In addition to the numbers on the scale its funny the changes you notice as you go through this process. I no longer worry where they will seat me when I walk into a restaurant (I no longer fear the booth), no more avoiding plane flights whenever possible, no more paying way more for the same clothes just because they are at a big and tall store. Can now go to a baseball game, sit comfortably in my seat and not feel like i am encroaching on the person next to me. Keep us posted on how it goes tomorrow. Love your song lyric choice, that lyric was in my head when I decided to do this as well. I felt like I was 37 going on 55, and now I feel the best I've felt in a decade.

Glad to hear you are doing well. The stalls are frustrating but it seems the scale numbers still keep moving in the right direction. I had a bit of Hair loss starting and my doctor recommended supplementing with Biotin, which seems to have helped. As an added bonus it also seems to boost your energy level a bit. Look forward to the pics and seeing your progress! Keep up the good work.

Exceptionally well put!

Starting weight: 286
Goal weight: 276
Current weight: 284 (same as last week)

I have lost 99 pounds in a little over six months since having surgery. I was concerned I had lost muscle mass, but at my six month appointment the surgeon had me on the body composition scale and it showed my total weight loss at 97 pounds, but I has actually lost 102 pounds of fat since last time, so I actually GAINED five pounds of muscle. I had not expected that as I have felt a bit weaker since surgery. I guess the moral of the story is eat the amount of Protein they recommend, and it should be just fine.

Thanks for the excellent post. Only six months out but have started to experience periodic stalls in weight loss and this is a great reminder. When I hit a stall I do two things. First, I look at all the positive changes and think about how much better I feel and how much healthier I am. Then I do a very honest self assessment to see where I may be slipping up a bit and what might have crept back into my diet. Biggest culprits for me tend to be liquid calories, not drinking enough Water and not getting enough sleep. We all got a great toolkit from our surgeons and their support staff, just need to remember to keep using them.

Great list Ginger. I can tell you that it will happen. i have my six month appointment this Friday and have lost 97 pounds. In addition to the numbers on the scale its funny the changes you notice as you go through this process. I no longer worry where they will seat me when I walk into a restaurant (I no longer fear the booth), no more avoiding plane flights whenever possible, no more paying way more for the same clothes just because they are at a big and tall store. Can now go to a baseball game, sit comfortably in my seat and not feel like i am encroaching on the person next to me. Keep us posted on how it goes tomorrow. Love your song lyric choice, that lyric was in my head when I decided to do this as well. I felt like I was 37 going on 55, and now I feel the best I've felt in a decade.

Hey, but if you look different enough that they don't believe your ID belongs to you, I'd say that's a great sign of how far you've come and a good problem to have.

Exceptionally well put!

Hey, but if you look different enough that they don't believe your ID belongs to you, I'd say that's a great sign of how far you've come and a good problem to have.

Oh please! They actually had to go check the security cameras for me to get back in the casino! I was waiting for someone to just snap my ID in half.

Been off the grid for a while. I found that the more time I spent on here the mire I thought about weight and stalls and food.
So..I been out living life working out lots and taking on new endeavours at my job..I have my 4 month appointment on Monday and mu total weight loss is right at 70 lbs today. I'm very happy and it feels that much more rewarding knowing that my hard work at the gym is contributing..
I have minimal loose skin in my very upper thighs and very upper arms...I've combatted the stretch marks with Bio oil and Palmer's lotion (the one with the pregnant lady on the front)
Over the last 4 weeks or so I've started to loose some hair not loads not clumps but..
Idk..a dozen entire strands or so with each shower ...I think its slowing down now..
What else..OH! I was getting the free protien shakes from insure nutrition UNTIL I found out they were billing my insurance as out if network providers who were not covered ..so I canceled..got to keep the shakes and the check my insurance company sent me from my USA to pay insure nutrition..so..look out for that :-(
Pictures to follow soon! Hope everyone is doing great!

Thanks for the excellent post. Only six months out but have started to experience periodic stalls in weight loss and this is a great reminder. When I hit a stall I do two things. First, I look at all the positive changes and think about how much better I feel and how much healthier I am. Then I do a very honest self assessment to see where I may be slipping up a bit and what might have crept back into my diet. Biggest culprits for me tend to be liquid calories, not drinking enough Water and not getting enough sleep. We all got a great toolkit from our surgeons and their support staff, just need to remember to keep using them.

Exceptionally well put!

Are you finding yourself at over a year out and now you find yourself struggling?
Do you miss the excitement that you first had when you had post op surgery while the weight seemed to melt away?
If this is describing you, then I want you to listen up…


How To: Get Back on Track and Stay There
Are you finding yourself at over a year out and now you find yourself struggling?
Do you miss the excitement that you first had when you had post op surgery while the weight seemed to melt away?
If this is describing you, then I want you to listen up… you are not alone. In fact, I’d say that probably all of us post-operative surgeries have felt this way at one time or another. The difference between all of us is how we respond and how quickly we can hit the ground running again after a setback.
So then, what are those who are successful doing differently compared to those who are struggling more? I have been doing extensive research in the last 6 months and I’m going to share with you what I have discovered. I’m hopeful that it will help everyone out there, because none of us are failures. If we have a setback, we MUST forgive ourselves and fight to get back up. The only time one can be determined as a failure is if they simply give up. As long as you don’t give up, you still have a chance.
Weighing In:
I’ll be the first to tell you that your self-worth has nothing to do with the number on the scale. That said, the scale never lies, but you just have to determine what it is telling you. It will let you know when you have not been on track, that’s for sure. During my weight loss phase post op, I never went more than 10 days on a stall. I’d sometimes fluctuate up a Lb. or two due to hormones and Water retention but it was the scale telling me I needed to do two things, drink more water which is a natural diuretic and second reduce my sodium intake. I tend to crave saltier foods at that time and no, the scale did not lie one time.
Sodium is a major culprit in water retention, not only that if you have high blood pressure you will always want to be mindful of how much you are getting in. Someone with HBP should keep their daily total to 1,800mg or less per day. A normal person should be around 2,400mg per day or less.
Back to weighing in however, doing so at the same time of day daily, weekly or monthly (whichever you personally prefer) is really the best way to measure the difference between your last weigh in. Again, do not allow the scale to crash your mood. It is a measure of success or changes that might need to be made. But it won’t lie to you! If you are up 5 Lbs. then likely you need to put on the brakes somewhere and get back to basics. Put a limit on how much you will allow yourself to weigh on your scale. You decide what that number is, as long as it’s a healthy number for you.
The WORST thing you can do regarding staying on track is ignoring your scale altogether. It has to be a part of your regimen because take it from me, it is much easier to lose a 5 Lb. gain than to realize you have gained 40 and desperately need to stop the gaining in its tracks. If you have been ignoring the scale then it’s far beyond time to stop lying to yourself and check the damage. In the smaller sizes it only takes 7-10 Lbs to go up a size. Do not wait until your clothes feel too tight, because by then you probably have already gained that much.
Diet:
Diet: di·et1
noun
noun: diet; plural noun: diets
1.
the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats. (Google Definition)
What does your Surgeon and/or Medical staffs say about this? Did they leave you with any kind of eating plan before you left from your hospital stay? The majorities of all of the journals I’ve ever read regarding post op diet plans are extremely similar to one another, give or take a few variations on when to move to the next step in foods. I’m talking about long term eating however, not the liquids or soft foods phases, but more what and how to eat as a Weight Loss Surgery patient once your stomach has healed.
Back in 2011 when I was being asked by numerous members on the website how I was able to maintain my weight so well I decided to create a thread called the Basics Bootcamp. It was a regimen I held close to me if I felt I was falling off track and it helped me to stay at goal for nearly 3 years. I recently have made a bit of a revision to it knowing what I know now regarding nutrition and health sciences. I’ve been studying Nutrition and Health for a while now as well as speaking to many Bariatric Registered Dieticians and Nutritionists. But it still has the basic concepts which are: We do not need to eat so much sugar, we do not need to eat so much salt, we need to focus on Protein first and we need to eat our fruits and vegetables. We especially need to be sure we are getting in our minimum of water every day.
Sound simple enough? It should be but we have to deal with head hunger too.
Indulging in sugar can become a slippery slope. Some people can do much better at moderation of these types of foods than others. I am not one of them. I find that if I abstain from junk food all together I do not think about eating it as much. But once I eat that first bite it feels almost uncontrollable to stop when I should. I continue to crave it for a week or more but then as time goes on the cravings do diminish once again. It all comes down to knowing how YOU react to them and recognizing these behaviors. Getting in tune with your personal triggers and avoiding them is one of the best ways to both get back on track and to stay there. When you hear that sound in your head that says “It’s okay, other people do it and they are okay. Go ahead, you’ve been good, you deserve it.” Realize this voice is a liar and if you listen you will likely find yourself back in square one.
Anyhow, here is the thread if you’re looking to kick start getting back on track: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/306411-basics-bootcamp-v2-getting-back-on-track/#entry3459464
Exercise:
Working out... Does everyone really need to do this? Even if you’ve lost weight really great in the beginning? The answer is definitely YES. Everyone should have some kind of exercise regimen tailored to them, but no matter what everyone should be doing something. Maybe all you can do is sit on the couch and do leg lifts. Then do that. Maybe you’re very advanced and you can run marathons… good for you! But do it and don’t stop. It takes a long time to become conditioned enough to be advanced but only a matter of weeks to fall all the way back to level 1.
According to the mayo Clinic standard adults should get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise every week, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise weekly. Break that up into 21 minutes per day if you have to, but just be sure to do it. This is a general guide and a good one to follow, especially if you are just starting up or starting again.
The secret is figuring out how to stay there is to find something you like to do. You don’t have to train to run a marathon if you hate running. All that will do is burn you out and likely you will want to give up because it does not meet your fancy. Keep searching and doing new activities. Even brisk outside walking is considered moderate aerobic activity. I personally love it; I can treat it as my getaway at work. I put on my head phones to my favorite tracks and just let my mind wander to another place and relax. Yes, I love it so much I find it more relaxing than tiring. I breathe the fresh air and let the sun soak in. Believe me there are so many choices out there, you only need to find your favorites to keep you coming back.
If you are doing this for reasons such as health, you will want to add in your workout. That’s not the only thing working out is good for however, it can help tighten your loose skin, toning can help fill it out. Also, being able to withstand longer periods of workout can help with simply being in a good mood. It’s a great stress reliever.
It’s all mental:
Yes, it really is. Your attitude will always be the driving force to whether you become a success and especially if you stay a success. How do you perceive yourself? Do you see yourself as worthy of being healthy, active, and happy and at a reasonable weight?
Celebrate every pound you are down, no one pound deserves more praise than another. Lose the word “only” or “but” when describing how well you’re doing. It is okay to feel good about yourself and shout it out to the world! Take periodic progress photos so on days you’re feeling down, look at them and see how far you have come. Take as many photos as you like! It is not a bad thing.
Another rule to hold dear is to ALWAYS forgive yourself, get back up and keep fighting. A baby never learned to walk after his first step. It took many try’s, stumbles and falls – but the baby keeps getting back up and builds those leg muscles until it can walk without effort.
One last thing, NEVER compare yourself and your journey to anyone else!! You should only compete with who you were yesterday.
Struggling has quite a bit to do with how you feel about yourself, and how you feel about yourself will have everything to do with how often you’re struggling. Stay positive, always. Every time!
“If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win, but think you can't
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you've lost,
For out in the world we find
Success being with a fellow's will;
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you're outclassed, you are:
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the one who thinks he can.”
― Walter D. Wintle

Good day to everyone!
In two and a half years of being on this amazing site (thank you @@Alex Brecher), this is my first post in Rants and Raves. And it really isn't a rant or a rave. It's more of a request. I recently read a post that essentially said "Tell me your WLS story from pre-op to goal weight." Really?
There are so many knowledgeable and caring folks on this site. We are so anxious to help others who are facing many of the same challenges we have faced. We want to share our experiences and offer suggestions and support and encouragement. We really do! And we really have a lot to offer. But we can't do that unless you do your part. So here are a few ideas to help us help you.
Avoid impossibly broad questions (like the example above). Most of us don't have to the time to type it. And you probably don't have the time to read it. Ask any question you want - but be as specific as possible. What have you tried to solve the problem or concern? What was the result? Have you discussed it with your doctor/nutritionist/physician's assistant? If yes, what was their response or suggestion? You gain nothing from well-meaning suggestions that you've already tried and that failed to address the concern. Please, at the very least, complete the surgery type in your profile. Members of the forum can see that information whenever you post. The answers to some questions are surgery specific. Knowing the surgery you had or are planning to have allows other members to judge if they have the experience needed to answer your question in the context of the surgery you've had or are planning. If you're post-op, completing surgery date, starting weight and current weight in your profile is invaluable. I recently read a thread where the member was very frustrated with his/her results. Another member noted in their response that his/her weight loss to date was truly excellent. There simply was no cause for concern! Post your questions or ideas to the correct forum. One of the great strengths of Bariatric Pal is the availability of forums for virtually every aspect of the WLS journey. It only takes a minute or two to select the best option. You'll be rewarded with more responses and responses that are more focused on your specific question. Always acknowledge responses to your question. In many cases a simple "Thanks so much!" is fine. Failure to acknowledge other's attempts to help you succeed is inexcusable. Familiarize yourself with the Search function on the forum and use it. We get it - every single one of us was new to WLS at some point. But many questions have been answered dozens, if not hundreds of times. A quick search for one or two keywords will return a virtual library of responses on many, many topics. You'll get tons of answers from many different perspectives. You'll be amazed at how much and how quickly you can learn from the experience of other members. If you don't find the answer to your question, type away! You guys have a great day and always remember - you're gonna love the new you!!

Thanks for the excellent post. Only six months out but have started to experience periodic stalls in weight loss and this is a great reminder. When I hit a stall I do two things. First, I look at all the positive changes and think about how much better I feel and how much healthier I am. Then I do a very honest self assessment to see where I may be slipping up a bit and what might have crept back into my diet. Biggest culprits for me tend to be liquid calories, not drinking enough Water and not getting enough sleep. We all got a great toolkit from our surgeons and their support staff, just need to remember to keep using them.