Inner Surfer Girl

Here is a good essay from Salon about one person's post-surgery journey. http://www.salon.com/2013/01/22/all_the_weight_i_didnt_lose/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

It seems that at least 50% of the posts on BariatriPal are bemoaning a stall. Daily, and sometimes hourly, I am reading about how someone ONLY lost x number of pounds and now the scale hasn't moved in ___ [fill in the blank] days/months, etc. Oh no, they write, I am a failure/unique/my surgery didn't work/life is not fair, ... Why am I in a stall? I know I am exaggerating but I think you get the idea. Guess what? STALLS are a NORMAL part of the PROCESS of losing weight. If you want to lose weight, you will stall. Not just once, but over and over. And, guess what? A stall is where your body actually does the hard work of becoming smaller. It takes a lot of work and energy to dismantle a structure that has been holding up, in some cases, hundreds of pounds. For those who think they have to DO something to somehow "break a stall" (in my opinion, you do not break a stall, you just ride them out), here is my response: What can you do to "break" a stall? 1) STAY OFF THE SCALE Relax and stay off the scale if it bothers you so much. Weigh no more than once a week, or even less often. Weighing only at your doctor's appointments early in the process is a good strategy if your mood and self-worth are dictated by the numbers on the scale. 2) PICK UP A TAPE MEASURE In addition to using the numbers on the scale to measure your progress, take your measurements. Inches lost are also a great way to see physical progress when the scale isn't moving. Most people see the biggest physical changes in their body when the scale seems stuck. 3) TRACK YOUR PROTEIN AND WATER AND MEET OR EXCEED YOUR PROTEIN AND WATER GOAL EVERY DAY As long as you are getting in all your protein and water and following your NUT and surgeon's instructions, you are doing what you are supposed to do. If you aren't getting in all your protein and water, then increasing your protein and water is something you can do (and should be doing anyway whether or not you are in a stall). 4) EXERCISE If you aren't exercising, then you can exercise (and should be whether or not you are in a stall). You can start slowly by walking or even moving more around the house. Exercising will help you feel better, tone your skin and build fat-burning muscle. 5) MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR NUT If you are unsure or unclear about what you are supposed to be, or should not be eating, then make an appointment with your NUT (which you should be doing whether or not you are in a stall). 6) REASSESS AND REEVALUATE About the only good result I see that comes from complaining about a stall is when you take an honest look at what you are doing and realign with the program recommended by your NUT and surgeon. Have you started eating more outside of your plan? Are you restricting calories? Are you eating enough carbs and protein for your exercise? Are you taking your vitamins? Are you eating often enough? Are you eating slowly with protein first? Sometimes, all you need to DO is go back to basics. 7) JOURNAL One of the biggest things I have noticed from the various posts is how anxious and out-of-control some people feel when they notice a stall. Journaling can help you gain some perspective and deal with some of the emotional turmoil. -- Write about how you are feeling about the stall and your weight loss, and surgery in general. -- Write about why you had the surgery in the first place. -- Write about what life was like before surgery. -- Write about what you hope and dream about accomplishing in the future. -- Write about your fears. -- Write about your NSVs. -- Make a gratitude list. -- Make a bucket list. -- Write a letter to your old self; write a letter to your new self. Just write. 8) SEEK HELP Stalls are when too many people seem to revert to old, counterproductive dieting behaviors (restricting calories, over exercising, bingeing, etc.). If this is you, then another thing you can DO is to talk to a counselor or therapist or consider joining a bariatric support group or a twelve-step group like Overeater's Anonymous. The discomfort of being in a stall can also drive people to develop new, unhealthy coping habits or even transfer addictions. This is where you want to marshall all the resources you have available to you and use them. The last, and most important thing you can DO is: 9) EMBRACE THE STALL Stalls are a normal and natural part of the process. Our bodies are complex systems and not simple machines. Stalls go hand-in-hand with weight loss. If you had Weight Loss Surgery, then you probably want to lose a significant amount of weight. So, get ready to embrace the many stalls you will experience as your body is transformed. It will be worth it.

I just ran across this recipe and it reminded me that I haven't eaten ricotta cheese in a while. I made Shelly's Ricotta Bake not long after surgery but that was it. I will have to try this. It also, looks like a great option for people who need something to take to a potluck. http://leitesculinaria.com/84915/recipes-baked-ricotta.html How do you like to use ricotta cheese?

I happen to love cheese, and cottage cheese has come to be one of my go to meal and snack staples. I like cottage cheese plain, but I also like it topped with something tasty. I like it with various toppings and add-ins like: Freshly ground black pepper Fresh, ripe, sliced tomato Fresh herbs (like dill) Fresh fruit Cucumber yogurt salad Greek salad toppings Kalamata olives Pickled beets Dash of salad dressing What do you like to add to your cottage cheese?

I am sharing this video even though it made me mad. I was expecting it to be more helpful than it is based on the fact that the website that posted it is one that I normally respect. Instead of helpful, I found it condescending and almost mean spirited: especially in bashing weight loss surgery and online communities. What do you think? What do you wish she would have said instead? As someone who has had WLS and may still be struggling with food addictions, what kind of help do you need? What, if anything, good did you learn from this video? http://www.fitwoman.com/blog/2016/04/28/bariatric-surgery-treatment-binge-eating

As you may have noticed, I respond to a lot of posts with Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall I got tired of responding to the same posts multiple times a day and so wrote one long post with the information I have gathered and what works for me and others as it relates to stalls. I don't see the need for educating people about stalls to lessen anytime soon, but I would like to hear from YOU some of the good things that happened while you were in a stall. I'll start. I am grateful that during my last stall, I: dropped a bathing suit size; increased my lap swimming to 1 hour, several times a week and have gotten faster and stronger; am able to get in and out of my car more easily; and no longer need a seatbelt extender. How about you?

https://medium.com/@thefatshadow/on-tough-love-and-your-fat-friend-s-health-bec20b13af78#.1q5kwgvpu This is an excellent and moving essay.

I don't really remember. About an hour give or take.

I think Dr. Weiss is awesome.

I like Quest bars. Smore, double chocolate chunk and the new oatmeal chocolate chip are my favorites. The Power Crunch bars are pretty good, too.

I haven't posted in a while --- busy living life! --- but saw this today and thought it was quite helpful. If your support system is thin then you may find this particularly helpful. http://www.success.com/blog/3-ways-to-boost-your-confidence-when-nobody-else-believes-in-you

I was cleared to get on the pool once my incisions had healed over with no holes. It was about 4 weeks pay-op. Definitely ask this question at your follow-up appointments. It really depends on how well you are healing.

http://m.mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=67704 My answer is: perspiration, exhalation, and urination.

What is on your post-op food plan? It is important to follow the food stages carefully as you heal. Even if you don't have an appetitive (which is very normal) you need to treat eating like a prescription. Getting in enough nutrition, especially Protein and fluids, is critical for healing and for weight loss. At three weeks I was on soft foods: which meant things like tuna, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, deli turkey, chili, etc. Your primary focus should be making sure you are getting in all of your protein and fluids. The World According to Eggface blog has lots of ideas for each food stage.

Definitely wait until your surgeon clears you. You may also ask your surgeon about modifying your squat in the meantime. Walking is a great exercise until you are cleared for something more intense. Personally, swimming is my exercise of choice. I was cleared to get in the Water about four weeks post-op.

If anyone is watching the excellent drama on NBC called This Is Us then you are familiar with the character Kate and her struggles. In case you missed it she announced the decision last night at Thanksgiving dinner to have gastric bypass surgery. Here is an open invitation to the writers, the character, and the actress to join our community at Bariatric Pal. Lots of ideas for drama here!

It has carbonation so my guess is that it would be painful or at the least make you very, very uncomfortable. Carbonation is one thing I gave up completely pre-op and frankly, I don't miss it at all. There are alternatives.

Edited to add: The actress who plays Kate is Chrissy Metz. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1978680/

Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Wow. It sounds like your sister has some serious issues. All I can suggest off the top of my head is to: 1) love her, 2) set and enforce the boundaries that you need to take care of yourself, 3) talk with a professional therapist or counselor about healthy ways of coping and interacting with her if you need guidance, and 3) take care of yourself first. Although it may seem impossible, please try not to take her actions and attitude personally. Marshall all of your other resources: this site, a support group, your Bariatric team, a therapist or counselor, books/reading, etc. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

How are you doing at getting in all of your Protein and fluids? Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. We all experience stalls, and just about everyone experiences a stall about three weeks after surgery. Just follow your program and make sure you are getting enough fluids and protein. Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. You will experience stalls and just about everyone experiences a stall about three weeks after surgery. Just follow your program, and do everything you can to get in all of your fluids and protein. Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Plain water was the hardest thing for me to drink for quite a while after surgery. I think it is pretty common.