Rogofulm

Yup, ketosis give you bad breath. I carry a roll of breath mints with me everywhere, and gargle with mouthwash several times a day. Also, drinking fluids helps makes your mouth feel a little less toxic. I've asked my wife to let me know wneh she notices my breath getting funky. Yeah it's unfortunate, but the corresponding weight loss is SO worth it! So I just think of stinky breath as yet another NSV (non-scale victory).

I'm sure we all see progress pics that make us think, "Hmmm...." Heck, I even posted a picture of myself shirtless on this forum! But before my surgery, I barely wanted MY WIFE to see me without a shirt on! That shows you just how far we can come in our own minds when we have weight loss success. The reason people share their milestones, often with pictures, is to Celebrate and receive positive feedback from their WLS peers. Nobody's asking you to lie to them. And there's really no need to lie, because when you see pictures that you don't think are flattering, you have a couple of perfectly good choices: 1) As others have written, just say nothing. You're under no obligation to respond. And 2) you can provide wonderful support and affirmation without ever mentioning how someone looks. "You're doing great! Keep up the good work!!!" And that's the honest truth!

Yup, I'm in the coffee club too, with Splenda and non-dairy Cremora. And anything that's protein-based is fair game. Kung pao chicken is one of my favorite foods, as are ribs. As long as I stay off the carbs, that type of food doesn't seem to affect my weight loss much.

9 months within 5 pounds of goal? That's fantastic! I'm a little more of an "all or nothing" person, so I have to work my way back to "normal" and find my footing more gradually.

I'm so sorry for your loss! I know it's hard to eat, but starving yourself will not help, just as stuffing yourself wouldn't have helped in the old days. Since you have no desire to eat, can you at least try to drink Protein shakes? Maybe if you have 3 or 4 of them a day, just like during the pre- and post-op weeks, you can still get some nutrition while you struggle with your grief. And as other have said, call your doctor to make sure you'll be okay. When we lost my Dad, my Mom had trouble coping for a long time until she went to a few bereavement sessions offered by our local hospice. Somehow they really helped her deal with her emotions and she was able to start functioning again. Of course her grief didn't go away, but it was a big step for her. We wish you all the best and offer our support during this very difficult time.

That's great! Keep it up!!!!!

Personally, I'd choose to stay away from potatoes or other starches. I'd ask about the soup of the day. You can have anything that's not starch-based. I discovered that even broccoli-cheddar soup works, as long as you're not also having starches. Also, if you like and can tolerate chili, that's a great choice at restaurants too. A quick look at their menu shows that they offer a white chicken chili. I'd ask for it without the rice garnish. With French onion soup, I just take out the bread and croutons, or ask for it without them. I know you're still in the early stages, but restaurant eating is actually pretty easy. Once you can eat regular food, the formula is: Skip the bread and cocktails, you won't need an appetizer, order a meat dish and replace the starch with a second vegetable, and skip the dessert. You'll still take half of your meat and most of your veggies home for tomorrow's lunch!

Congratulations on getting "Un-Super-Sized"! The BMI chart I used, had me starting at Class III Obesity. Since I liked to make (and achieve) every possible milestone, I celebrated: Class II obesity, Class I obesity, Overweight, Normal Weight, every 5 pounds lost, every 10 pounds lost, every 5 pounds left to goal, every 10 pounds left to goal, every quarter of the way to (or from) goal, every third of a the way to (of from), halfway there, and every one of the last five. And, of course, every shirt or pants size. It's insanely obsessive, but it makes it fun to achieve so many milestones. And by "celebrated", I mean with a fist pump, not a treat.

Thanks for your response! Anybody who successfully maintains their weight loss for 8+ years deserves to be applauded!!!

Thanks so much for setting this up Alex! For those of us trying to figure out how to hold on to our weight loss, this will be a valuable resource!!!

Because now the sign says "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS"!

Okay this one's kinda convoluted, but... When you're acting in a play... And the script calls for your character to change clothes onstage... And amazingly, you're not self-conscious about stripping down to long-johns in public... And then you're supposed to put on pants that are too tight... So you go out and buy a pair of pants in a size you haven't been able to wear for over 40 years.... But you still have to "act" like they're too tight, because they actually fit... And then you realize, OMG, I'm a 32" waist now instead of a 48!!!

Greek yogurt = great choice! Mashed potatoes = eh... not so much. Try to stick with the great choices!

By six weeks out I was solidly on on solid food. We took a 10-day vacation to New England and our goal was to get sick of lobster. Guess what? It worked! I ate lots of shellfish (not fried), and Soups and such. But the main trick I learned while driving around a lot, beef Jerky (and almonds) can keep you satisfied. I know... jerky sounds like the antithesis of everything French, but if you bring store-bought sealed bags, they will stay fresh and it will help you make it through. At your stage, one 3.5 ounce bag is easily a meal! You're not going to believe this, but a quick search turned up a TripAdvisor thread about taking beef jerky into France. How funny is that?!! So have fun, and make good (read, protein) choices! Okay, here you go.... http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187070-i12-k1158057-Beef_jerky-France.html

Guy here. Pre-surgery, I could go to a steak house and have: bread, split an appetizer, salad, 12-oz steak, baked potato, side veggies, and split a dessert, all with 3-4 glasses of iced tea. Now, not quite a year post-surgery, I go to the same restaurant and have: no bread, maybe split an appetizer, no salad, 4-6 ounces of steak, a bite or two of veggies, no starch, no dessert, and nothing to drink. And I'm stuffed! I know it doesn't sound like much fun, but it's fantastic to get filled up on much less food – and you have great leftovers for lunch the next day!

I'm having pretty much the same experience your wife is worried about. I overshot my goal and she thinks I'm getting "too skinny". She's pretty upset with me. I'm trying to figure out what works to stop the losses, and maybe even gain a few pounds back, but it takes time. If I can just keep her calm, everything will be okay. My plan all along was to get to goal quickly and then figure it out. I'm there now, and working on that next step. But instead of going crazy and eating "the old way", I'm taking baby steps to test each new food to see how my body reacts. Just like figuring out the most effective ways your body loses weight takes time, it will also take some time to figure out what works and what doesn't to maintain. I just need to keep reminding her that I'm not trying to lose any more weight, and that she needs to be patient while I figure this out. She doesn't feel threatened, because we're totally devoted to each other. It's just that she didn't marry a "skinny guy", and still hasn't completely adjusted to my new size yet. But this is a good reminder to all of us who have had bariatric surgery that our weight loss affects our loved ones too, and we need to be sensitive to their emotional needs as well.

Thanks so much, @@erp, that's a big help! It's interesting that we're both 5'6" men, and that your bounce range is about 10 pounds below mine. How did you come up with that, or is that just where your weight kind of stabilized on its own? Even though I've added some carbs back into my diet, I'm still losing tenths of a pound every few days. I wonder if it would stop by itself at some point?

Oh, come on, you've got to be kidding! Anybody on this Forum NOT answer 'yes' to pretty much all of these questions? If anything, answering 'yes' should be a qualifier for the surgery, not the other way around. Can't wait to hear how this one goes. And if it doesn't go well, find another therapist who understands weight issues. Good luck!

What do your post-op instructions say about this? If you didn't receive any instructions, check with your doctor or nutritionist. They should give you guidance about how to eat after weight loss surgery.

Check out this thread on BP, and good luck! http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/338601-restartpouch-test-works/?hl=%2Bpouch+%2Btest#entry3825494

Congratulations on your anniversary and your weight loss! Keep it up!!!

Good for you! You have already begun using one of my best tips... Believe in the "new you" that you see in the mirror, and never look back over your shoulder waiting for the "old you" to drag you back. Let that person... in the "fat suit"... fade away into history. Good luck!!!

Beef and turkey jerky!!! You can buy a 3.5 oz. bag almost anywhere, and it's a meal!

I try to not drink anything for 30 minutes before meals, and 45 minutes afterwards. It's worked so far...

Excellent, enjoy those NSVs! And set yourself tons of mini-goals, they're fun to achieve and can really help keep you motivated!