IcanMakeit

I'm at 112 this morning. I just need to stick the landing.

Welcome @hellohealthy. This forum is great for learning about what to expect and how to handle challenges that come up during the weight loss journey, but it's also one of the friendliest and most supportive boards. Enjoy!

Thanks @@Miss Mac. I love Lake Tahoe as well and go there a couple of times a year, but Reno has always been about food and drinking for me. They used to have really good buffets at very good prices, and they would give out free drinks to people who play Keno or slots, no matter how little money you were actually spending (and I made it a rule not to waste more than $10.00 on gambling for the whole weekend). Now that those bargains are gone (and I really can't take advantage of them anymore anyway, it's time for me to get out of the casinos and into more interesting activities. I like your suggestions. I'm going to go online and see if I can find the sites you mention.

I went for a longish bike ride today and learned two things. 1. Bike riding on a beautiful day in a beautiful town is fun and I need to keep doing it, and 2. It's way easier to ride when you weigh a lot less. Even though I'm totally out of shape and haven't been riding regularly since last fall, I was able to go up hills that used to make me get off and walk.

Yup. My tummy moves and gurgles, too. I'm so used to it now, I ignore it.

Each of us can only tell you how our surgeries worked for us, not how well it would work for you. My advice is to talk to and read lots of posts from people who had different surgeries, paying close attention to the ones who are similar to you. You will get a pretty good idea of what is common for all the different surgeries and then you can make an informed choice.

I told my entire family, my best friends and my best work friend. I don't believe it is necessary to discuss personal health matters with acquaintances. When a person who is overweight and seems to need help asks me about my weight loss, I should probably open up, but so far I haven't because I live in a very small gossipy town. (My family and friends don't live in my town.)

@@Debbieduck4 you forgot to mention the other blessing, I get an extra day off from work. A day strolling around with my husband is by definition better than a day at work.

@@borg/assimilated, I am going to practice my sashay before I wear them. Thanks for the tip.

@@gowalking, Congratulations on the birth of your grandson. Grandchildren are the reward we get for not leaving our kids on an ice floe when they drive us nuts. I enjoyed and agree with your post except for one thing. Although I didn't weigh myself daily in the losing phase, I'm getting a big kick out of checking my weight every day and finding that it's not a fantasy, I really do weigh this amount. I know it's immature and shallow, but I was so big for so long that I'm like a kid at an amusement park now. I want to jump for joy when I weigh myself. And on a practical note, weighing myself daily keeps me accountable. When I lost almost this much weight 15 years ago, I didn't maintain the loss for a hot minute. As soon as I stopped losing, I started gaining. I'm determined to keep that from happening again. And weighing every day is part of my strategy.

I rarely see shows in Reno or Vegas. The ticket prices are so high and the acts are often people I only enjoy in small doses. But you bring up a good idea. I'll see who's going to be playing that weekend. My husband is a blues fan. Maybe we'll get lucky.

My husband and I will be going to Reno next month for a long weekend. It's his choice since it's his birthday. Since I don't really like to gamble, I used to enjoy the buffets and the bars in Reno and call it a fun weekend. Now that I don't drink much (since my WLS 11 months ago I've only had one glass of champagne for New Year's), and I eat so carefully, what shall I do there for fun? We will definitely take a drive into the mountains for a hike. But that only takes care of one day. Any suggestions?

Also, you might find that a food that didn't agree with you will suddenly be just fine a few weeks later. So don't give up on vegetables and fruits. Just give yourself some time and then try again.

I found out there's a DSW only 1/2 hour away from my house. Uh oh. Went and bought some sandals. In yellow. With a pretty high heel. I could not stand to wear heels for more than a few seconds 130 lbs ago. Somebody hold me back. This old lady is getting a bit too wild.

You will be amazed at how much your body will change. I was the applest apple out there before I lost weight, and have not had a tummy tuck yet, but after losing 130 lbs, there is only a tiny bit of fat under my loose belly skin. Size 4's in some brands are huge on me. I do have a major loose skin problem, but with shapewear, I look pretty smooth.

I love my sleeve and am glad I did not have the bypass. I have lost more weight than I ever believed possible and am now enjoying better health than I have had for many, many years. But if my doctor had recommended the bypass instead of the sleeve, that would have carried weight with me. Only you can make the decision, but I definitely think that the surgeon's opinion should not be ignored. Although it has not been an issue for me, GERD is no joke.

Thanks for posting this. I jumped right on it. It expires today.

@@JamieLogical, you may be right that your body is healthy and acceptable at your current weight, but until you have reached your goal weight, you have nothing to compare it to. I think you should press on to goal and then decide if you need to stay there. When I reached my surgeon's goal weight (135 lbs), I briefly flirted with the idea of going into maintenance. I can now see that at near the top of the healthy BMI range, I was a lot less fit than I am now that I am on the low end of the healthy range (112-113 lbs).

I weighed in at 112 (my challenge goal) this morning. I fully expect to weigh a pound more next week. This has happened before that I drop two pounds and then gain one. No happy dance yet.

At over 240 lbs, I was up to size 4X/28W in tops and dresses, and size 1X or 2X skirts and slacks. Now, depending on the brand, I'm wearing mostly 8's and mediums (and some smalls) in tops and dresses and size 4 or 6 slacks and skirts. The other day I tried on a size small skirt and it was too big. I have tons of cute clothes in the sizes between XL and small. I should start altering them.

No thanks. While it's true that a few crackers have very few calories, they are all carbs and have very little else to offer. They are also easy to overdo because they are so easily digested. I can't be trusted with them. When I want a cracker, I eat Wasa Fiber Crispbread. They have lots of fiber.

I'm really enjoying this thread. It's really great to hear about your real lives. I'm female and 61 years old but I often jokingly tell people that that I'm 39 (like Jack Benny). I've been married to a patient and loving man for almost 39 years and we have two grown children (a son and a daughter) and two fantastically cute grandsons, aged one and four. We also have a German Shepherd who is so handsome that we feel like he's a celebrity and we're his entourage. I'm from San Francisco originally and I still live near the Bay Area, so rooting for the Giants is in my blood. I also check in to this website every day. You all keep me focused and give me such great advice. I'm very grateful.

Be careful with the fiber though. Most fiber supplements are soluble fiber, and in certain cases, too much of it can have the opposite effect. Our bodies need both soluble and insoluble fiber. Constipation has been my constant companion since my surgery. Even though I get plenty of soluble fiber in my diet, I find that I have to resort to medications or Smooth Move tea to keep things moving.

Since you seem to be able to take it or leave it, why stray off the program now? I think you should save the experimentation until your sleeve is more mature and you have become fixed in your new healthy eating style.

I definitely had to start exercising discipline to control my portion sizes at six months. There are a few on this board whose restriction seems just as strong when they are fully healed, but I think for most of us, once the swelling of the stomach goes down, we really notice the difference in capacity. Don't worry, though. All you have to do is measure/weigh your serving sizes, and you won't be in danger of overeating. And thanks to your sleeve, you will still be satisfied with a lot less food than you were accustomed to pre-op.