esskay77

@@mi75 I totally understand. I have been stalled for quite a while. I just really started to get back into this and started an at-home exercise regime---old fashioned gym class! lol. Toe touches, jumping jacks, push ups, squats, kettle bell, adding in a little dancing and then running in place for about 15 minutes. And then begin much more careful with what I ate and i lost 2 pounds the other day!! So, it just shows that I had been slacking off in exercise and food plan.

@@Chrystee -- which socks do you recommend? You are all doing amazing!! @@Brians147, that is impressive!

@@BLERDgirl Thanks! I'm going to try that!

I've heard that you can use yogurt in place of sour cream and mayo but have been scared to try it. Could you mix tuna fish with yogurt? How would that taste? I heard someone else suggest mixing tuna with cottage cheese. Anyone tried these?

I completely forgot one really good movie: Tim's Vermeer. It is AWESOME!!!

I should also suggest the brand Alfani's in Macy's. They are in the plus sizes AND the regular sizes!! Although, it sounds like you could shop just about anywhere in the regular sizes. Have fun!

@@CowgirlJane -- how did you get down to a size 4??!!! I am stalled and really need some advice/help!! That is so awesome that you have done that but that therapist was way screwed up!!! Geez.

Congrats for making it through smoothly! I don't remember any gas pain but I may just not remember! lol It sounds like you will do just fine throughout the process! I eventually did start to feel hunger when I was several months out but it only takes a bit of something to satisfy it. Certainly not like the hunger I used to have!! And the headaches that came with it in the past no longer happen. On to the next phase! You are doing awesome.

I have found a lot of great items at Macy's and JCPenney. Maybe the Dress Barn, too.

Of course! The fruits that I love the best have the most sugar in them!! Doesn't that just figure? Also, some of my recipes contain Protein and tomato together so I can't get protein in first. Is that still ok? Or should I avoid recipes like Soups and stews, etc. that are like that?

"YOU have such a pretty face" -- I hear a lot of you say how devastating this was/is to hear. It's something I have never heard. lol. Talk about devastating! Nobody has ever said I had a pretty face. I'm not looking for sympathy! I just always found it interesting that people hated being told they were pretty even though I understand how you are taking it.

Wow. Thanks for sharing. Glad you removed a toxic person from your life but I'm so sorry that you had to endure all that while growing up. It does stick with you! I think all of us have had the same thoughts--Yeah, I'm big but at least i"m not xxx pounds! And then next thing we know, we ARE that weight. Or, when we think we are fat and then over the years gain weight and see pictures of what we looked like and laugh because we were NOT fat at all! lol. Both are continuous cycles. If only I was as fat as I thought I was years ago! You will do great and I wish you well.

I used to love salads but for some reason am not interested in lettuce right now. I still may get a salad but will just eat the chicken on it and maybe a few other veggies that may be on it. Chili is a great option as well. Or, as someone above said, sometimes I'll get a sandwich but I'll pick it apart and not eat the bread.

And speaking of all that, I have my OWN issues! I'm not doing as well as I should be. I started out like gangbusters last year. But I have been stalled for a while now. My biggest trigger is FREE food. I have a real problem turning down free food. We had a party at work yesterday and they brought in Chinese food. And not even for lunch! This was around 3:00!! lol. I put on my plate some of that pork (those pink strips), a crab rangoon, 1/2 of an egg roll, 1/2 a spring roll. I think that was it. I didn't eat it all, partially because of the guilt but partially because I knew I shouldn't even have ANY of it. But I DID eat some and that was the problem. And then I got home and had a small dinner. And then an orange (well, one of those small clementines). Then a granola bar. THen another clementine. Ack!! And I knew I wasn't hungry. So, that's one problem I need to learn how to handle. (Oh! I also had a sugar free chocolate pudding!). My other problem is that I don't know what to eat. Other than making a chicken breast, and the turkey skillet, I am just not sure what to eat for dinner. Dinner is my main problem. If there are suggestions of what to eat for dinner, please post!!

Has anyone discussed this with their surgeon as to why it is so bad? I like very spicy and salty food, and I find it very difficult not to take a couple small sips of Water after eating. I swish it around in my mouth, to take out the taste, two sips at most. I have never had dumping. Does anyone else feel like they need to do this? And what if your food is a liquid like soup? Doesn't that count as eating and drinking? You said: Has anyone been told eating and drinking at the same time will stretch out ones stomach? I say: No, that's not the issue. Drinking fluids flushes the food out of your pouch faster and the you get hungry sooner. You want to keep the food in your pouch longer. YOu said: I'm worried but I can't seem to stop. I say: Yes, it's hard but can be learned! I was the type that always drank a lot of water during my meals. If, at a restaurant, my water glass (or wine glass!) was empty and the waiter wasn't coming around, I would be freaking out inside!! And I wouldn't eat another bite until I had the liquid. Now, I am finding that usually when I'm to that feeling, I am really just done eating! lol You asked: Exactly how long before and after eating am I supposed to wait?? I say: Stop drinking 30 minutes before eating, eat for no longer than 30 minutes, and then you can start drinking 30 minutes after (30/30/30). You said: Also I just can't stop eating fast!!!! It's so hard. Eating fast, lightning fast, is such a huge habit for me. After I had kids it only got worse. I forget or I try and slow down and it's so hard. I find eating super boring and tedious and sometimes I just want to get it over. Sometimes the food tastes so darn good I just have to keep eating it!!! Anyone else have any advice for me? I say: Couple of things here. You HAVE to stop eating fast and yes that is hard but it is because you aren't eating "mindfully" You're not even tasting your food. You have to chew your food a LOT. Keep it in your mouth, really taste it. Put your utensils down after each bite and enjoy the food that you are chewing the heck out of. Take 3 deep breaths before you even pick up your utensils for the first time. Take a deep breath before you pick your utensils back up to take your next bite. Make a game of it. It takes a big effort to do this even though it is so simple. I was working with a coach and my goal was to do the 3 deep breaths before beginning eating. That simple. I was to do this for 30 days. Most of the time I wouldn't even remember until I was almost done eating! It's really hard! But, I'm learning. You say you find eating super boring and tedious! Cool. Use that to you advantage. Don't server yourself very much. Just the small amount you are supposed to have. My theory on the food tasting so good that you just have to keep eating it (because I'm the same way!!!) is that when you are drinking liquid with your meal, you are actually washing out the taste of it from your mouth which means you want to eat more because you want that flavor in your mouth. Well, if you chew a lot and keep the food in your mouth longer and don't drink liquids, the taste will stay in your mouth longer without needing to eat more! But that's just my theory! Last thing to say is to suggest you join a support group. It may be that you (and most of us) have a food addiction and you need to learn what to do about it. But, also start with mindful eating. Be completely aware of every bite you take, every flavor you taste, how long you are chewing, etc. But, you also shouldn't eat longer than 30 minutes!! And stop eating when you are satisfied, not full. My new NUT showed me a scale of 1-10, with 5 being in the middle (natch!) for hunger level. He said I should try to remain at about 4-4 1/2 on that scale of being hungry, which is closer to the hungry level. It means that I'm almost to the middle, which would be perfectly not hungry or not full, just very slightly hungry. Best of luck! Keep us posted as to how you do.

You're doing great so far!!! You might want to stop having the brown rice for right now. That will help. You can eventually add it back in but not yet. Too soon. Possibly the same with the fruit, though I also have questions about how much fruit w can have especially further out. Yesterday was my 1 year surgiversary!! But I have also stalled and have not been eating properly lately. I have so much more weight to lose so I would love to hear everybody's ideas. But, also push to get your Protein in!! Nothing else until you get your meal's ration of protein. And by that, I mean to figure out ahead of time what you will eat for the day to get in your protein for each meal. Do that first. Then, as you can, veggies are next. Best of luck.

I don't have one favorite song but they have to be up-tempo, the kind of music where you want to get up and dance. I have been using "Rock My Run" app which has a good set of free music. There are times that the music is so good that I really want to stop walking/running and just dance but I don't want to look like the weird lady at the park! lol Songs like: Dance to the Music, Footloose, We Got the Beat, that sort of thing.

Thank you @@Brians147, that was very inspirational!!

I can't speak for anyone who is bipolar but even us non-bipolar people have those issues. It is called food addiction unfortunately. Working with a therapist and going to support groups that deal with food addictions should be very helpful for you. The hardest thing is to wrap your head around the phrase "food addict" but when they talk about what that means, it's a lot of what you describe and then some. It also helps to keep a food journal and be completely honest with yourself about what you ate. Or, even better, at the beginning of the week, fill out your journal of what you WILL eat for the week and follow that. It's hard to do but when I do it, it's amazing!!

I used to have pain on the inside of my knee (inside of my leg at the knee if that makes sense). My issue ended up being the MCL (vs the usual ACL that most people have trouble with). Physical therapy helped me very quickly. I just needed to properly build up the muscles around the knee for proper support. It's been great ever since! Try a physical therapist--they are BRILLIANT!

I had my surgery at St. E's, too. They are fabulous so you are in good hands. Best of luck and like it was previously mentioned, follow your doctors rules!! Let us know how it goes.

I would assume that the same rules apply that are in place for tobacco use (assuming you are smoking it, not using an edible). I was told absolutely no smoking.

You could probably add a tablespoon or so of skim milk to thin it out. Or, less pudding powder.

Yep, it's probably a word or phase you used when you met with the social worker or nurse. Trust me. You need to only tell them you are doing this for your health, no other reason, and that you don't know what a goal weight would be. I apparently gave them too low of a number and made a comment about someday wanting to fit into a pair of jeans. I didn't stress that I was doing it for health and that freaked them out. But, I assumed that was a given which is why I hadn't mentioned it. I like how organized BID is but didn't like that part of the program.

Alex, Can I ask--what kind of support groups would these be? Are they all 10 step addiction support groups? That's all I have found so far, which is helpful but I didn't know if there were other types that could also be helpful. Thanks