IcanMakeit

I'm sorry you are going through this @TudaTank2. No doubt about it,the first few weeks post op are not fun for just about anyone. I didn't have any pain associated with eating during that time, but I had so much nausea that I, too thought I would never feel well enough to eat again. Now, 11 months later, that brief period is just an unpleasant memory. Go ahead and talk with your surgical support team just to be sure, but they will probably tell you that what you're going through is in the normal range of the healing process. As the next couple of weeks progress, you should find yourself feeling better and better until you feel so normal that you'll almost forget how uncomfortable you were.

Most people are uncomfortable with change. Since I actually am thinner now than I have been since junior high, I understand that people are not used to the new me and will take some time to get comfortable with the change. I'm just hoping to maintain long enough that my friends and family will think the thin version is the real version of me.

I have always loved vegetables and have been eating them every day since I was cleared for all foods. The only problem I have from them is a bit of occasional gas. (But that won't stop me from eating them. I don't feel a meal is complete without my veggies.) Fruit, however, I avoided until I reached goal weight. I know that for me, sugar is an issue and I didn't want anything to interfere with my weight loss. Now that I'm in maintenance, I do eat fruit, but I stick to fresh fruit in small amounts. No fruit juices. I haven't tried banana yet. Just a bit too high carb, for now.

I couldn't figure out how to read it for free without signing up for the $9.99/mo unlimited plan. It's supposed to be available to borrow for Kindle owners, but I did not find the link for that.

Your surgeon needs a refresher course in sensitivity. I can imagine how frustrating it must be to be following the program and then get accused of blowing it. Don't let him get you down. Your body will release the weight when you figure out what's holding you back. Just approach this logically and methodically. Try to rule out each possible culprit by weighing, measuring and logging your food intake. Keep an exercise journal (or just use MyFitnessPal). Check the lists of side effects on all your medications. Then take all this information to your doctor and/or nutritionist and ask them to evaluate it.

This happens to me often. I just assumed it was gas.

I found a cute white denim skirt and tried on the size small. It was too big. maybe it was mis-sized, but I'm taking it as an NSV anyway. A year ago I could not have squeezed into it at all.

Thanks for continuing the challenges. My starting weight is 114 and my goal weight is 112. I'm in maintenance, but I feel having a goal to lose a couple of pounds will help me stay focused.

@@jackie's journey the acne might be from the hormones that get released when you lose a lot of fat. If so, then it's probably a temporary nuisance. Talk to your doc about effective treatments. Things are much better in that department than they were when I was a teen. hair loss is also a temporary side effect of rapid weight loss. Biotin is said to help with regrowth, although it doesn't seem to prevent the loss in the first place. Don't despair. Hair grows back.

Currently, I'm 11 months out from my surgery and wear size 6 or 8 in tops and dresses and size 4 in slacks. Before I started losing weight, I wore size 26-28 tops and size 1X or 2X bottoms. It took a long time before I was out of plus sizes, but once I got into regular sizes, I progressed through them rapidly. It was quite expensive to keep replacing my clothes, but I kept underestimating how much I would lose.

I'm not giving up on my plastics. I just want to be sure we'll still have a roof over our heads before I go spending our savings. My husband is turning 65 (and has been retired for years) and I will be 62 this year. We don't have a lot of earning in our future. On the other hand I believe that @@AvaFern is correct to point out that improving the quality of one's life is worth a financial sacrifice.

But first you sucker all the other racers into taking the penalty as well. © Boston Rob.

I'm not the most organized person, but since I know I like snacks, I divide my daily allotment of calories into four (on weekends) or five (on workdays) meals and I always keep my current favorites on hand. I'm not saying everyone should eat so many meals in a day, but it really helps me stay satisfied.

I have never posted a photo because of privacy concerns, but I just might post a pic of me in my new skort. I want to be a trendsetter.

This is taking off on a tangent, but I want to endorse the call for kindness. There is another bariatric website that I read, but have never posted on because some of the members tend to be judgmental and acerbic. I'm not a timid person, but I don't thrive in situations of conflict. I don't want this website to become like that one and I wince when I feel someone has responded unkindly or sarcastically to a poster who clearly needs information and support. I don't think we need more rules or Internet nannies to read and approve our posts. We all have our own way of expressing ourselves and a right to say what we think in our own style. I just hope that we can all remember that we are here to give and receive support and that the people who feel supported by sarcastic responses are probably in the minority.

I have decided to wait until at least the end of 2015 before I get my tummy tuck. There is some uncertainty about my company's future right now in that one of the owners is retiring. It would be prudent to wait until I'm sure that I'm still going to be employed before spending such a huge part of my savings for surgery that is not urgent. Part of me is disappointed that I won't be getting my new tummy soon, but the other part is relieved. I had breast reduction surgery at the end of last year and the recovery was slow and a little uncomfortable. I'm not really anxious to go through all that again. Also, as my weight has come down significantly since the beginning of the year, I am finding that I am not as uncomfortable with my "apron" as I once was. It's still there, but it's less in my way now that there's less fat trapped in it. My current strategy is to try to stay on the thin side of normal and work on building my abdominal muscles. Maybe that would help with jiggles and dangles.

115 lbs. today. I surpassed my goal, but more importantly, I stayed on track for the entire challenge. Thank you Susan for running the past few challenges. Keeping up with all of our changes must be time consuming.

Thank you for taking over the hosting of these challenges. They are very helpful to me. Although I am now in maintenance, I want to participate in the challenge again. I don't want to lose focus and start down the road to regain. I'll post my starting weight and goal weight next week.

I know I would feel lonely if I was doing this without any support. Maybe you can educate your friend. Perhaps you should send her the URL of this website. She is obviously uninformed and some real stories from real people might be what she needs to read to shake her preconceptions.

My problem is that I like my current weight. I really want to maintain it for as long as possible. I know it's a foolish vanity, but this (115 lbs) is the least I have weighed since Jr. High school. I'm enjoying fitting into waist-hugging dresses and skinny jeans. I guess the answer is in the other end of the equation. If I want to broaden my diet, I'll need to exercise more.

What a coincidence. After not having come across one for years, I just bought a skort in a really fun print this week. It was at a local consignment shop. I wasn't sure if I could get away with wearing it, but your post gives me permission.

I'm glad you posted this. I'm really interested in reading the responses to this question. I'm already below my goal weight, but I'm not confident about transitioning from weight loss mode to maintenance. I'm afraid that as I add calories, I'll add pounds as well. I'm hoping someone will know the best way to stop losing without gaining.

Congratulations on your success @Sreeder. You are doing great! How wonderful that you are incorporating new healthy habits into your family's lifestyle. Your list of do's and don'ts is spot on. You are an inspiration to others and should be proud of yourself. If you update your ticker, everyone will see how well you've done.

Today is Crazy Shirt Friday at my office. This is a fun group activity that I'm trying to keep going through the Spring and Summer. In anticipation, I went to a thrift shop yesterday and got 7 wild and crazy blouses for $20. This could not have happened last year. I had to buy my clothes online and at plus size stores. I never would have found 7 different items that would fit in an impromptu stop at a thrift shop!

Please don't eat the popcorn! Movie popcorn is full of fat and salt. Also, the hulls are pretty indigestible and might do you harm this early out. Although I love popcorn, I'm 10 months out and I haven't tried it yet. When I do, I'll make it myself so I know how much fat (if any) has been added.