MrsSugarbabe

You will be fine through it all.....take a few deep breaths when you start feeling anxious.

I concur with everything the others have said above. Below are a few things to think about which I hope with help with your nervousness, etc. Daily Diet Solutions from Beck Diet Solutions (link below) April 29, 2015 - Wednesday Sabotage Sabotaging Thought: When I’m dieting, if the scale doesn’t go down every day/week it means it’s not working. Response: It doesn’t work that way. When dieting, I’ll always have weeks when the scale goes down, weeks when the scale stays the same, and weeks when the scale goes up. Just because the scale doesn’t go down one day/week doesn’t mean I’m not on track and it doesn’t mean it’s not working. Keep doing what I’m doing and the scale will go down again. April 28, 2015 - Tuesday Reality Check If you think, “It’s okay to eat this because I’ve been good all day and turned down so much other food,” remind yourself that your body has no idea how many things you DIDN’T eat, it only knows what you do eat. Saying ‘no’ before doesn’t necessarily mean you can say ‘yes’ now. April 27, 2015 - Monday Motivation All dieters and maintainers go through periods when dieting feels more difficult. The good news: this is completely normal and happens to EVERYONE. Keep doing what you’re doing and dieting WILL get easier again. Just stick with it! April 24, 2015 - Friday Weekend Warm-Up If you’re home more on the weekends, make a point to stay out of the kitchen except during meal times. The more you’re around food, the more you’ll have to resist eating and the less food is in plain sight, the easier it will be to stay on track. Hang out in other rooms instead! http://www.beckdietsolution.com/daily-diet-solutions/

After meeting my deductible, my cost was $2157. I was expecting it to be more, and I was prepared to be out of pocket about $5,000; glad I didn't have to pay that much. I work for the same healthcare system in oOrth Carolina that the bariatric group is part of so it was in network. Of course, there were all the co-pays for the various appointments pre-surgery. Appointments with my surgeon post-surgery were no charge for 3 months.

Thank you for the perfect reminder!!

@@NikkiDoc and @@CheleLynn45 - Both of you are doing GREAT!!!! I agree with @ - be proud that you are going in the right direction!! This is about progression, not perfection.

205 Ugh!!!

Gurgling noises appear to be normal, annoying, but normal. I'm still having those noises anytime I drink or eat something and it doesn't matter what it is. Sometimes the noises are so loud others will hear them.

An average of 3.4 lbs. each week is awesome!!! You're doing great!! (Wish I had that kind of average going on .) These slow-going phases are psychologically challenging, to say the least! Check in with your NUT regarding your food intake. Also, you may need to ramp up your fat burning cardio routine. When I hit these slow weeks, I keep telling myself that the inches are still coming off even if the scale isn't showing the weight change; it will eventually catch up. Hang in there!

Touch base with your NUT for guidelines on post-op eating/drinking plan, if you don't already have the plan, because they differ group to group. I didn't start drinking coffee on a regular basis until about 2.5-3 months out. My norm is a blend of half caf/half decaf with cream, sweetener and flavored syrup - what I call my sissy coffee. Initially I could only drink about 1/4 cup over a hour; now it's about a cup in the same timeframe, and rarely no more than that in a day's time. If you've read enough posts on BP you'll hear several sleevers say that their tastes changed post-surgery so know that that is a possibility. My tastes didn't change much, but it did take me awhile to get back to drinking plain Water, coffee, and tea. I'm willing to drink those calories & carbs and they do get logged. Good luck on your journey!!! It's for a lifetime.

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A little more than 5 months out and I'm eating about a 1/2 cup regardless of the food. If I eat much more than that at a sitting, then I'm going to be very uncormfortable for about a 1/2 hours. On another post a few weeks ago I remember reading about listening to your body's queues, i.e. gurgling, belching, etc. It's your body's way of saying it's time to stop eating. I don't always listen to it, but I should. Once I started on regular foods (as tolerated), the weight loss slowed considerably. I keep my calories to as close to 1000 as possible and still get in 60-100 grams of Protein. Because of the focus on protein, the carbs stay low by default. I want to achieve "Onederland" by Memorial Day so I've been working on refocusing my food and exercise in order to get there. There is a Memorial Day challenge started so I signed up in the hope it will keep me more motivated. Good luck to you in your journey!!! It is a learning process.

I started looking into having surgery when my PCP told me that I had a fatty liver and the only way to slow the progression of the damage it can cause was to lose 100 lbs. He felt that at my age, it would be too challenging and take too long to lose 100 lbs. (even though I had already been exercising daily and managing my portions, etc.). I also had diabetes and high blood pressure which he told me that after surgery, I should be able to come off those medications. After that office visit, it took me a year to get to the point of deciding to have the surgery, and lots of reading and talking to co-workers who had already had either RNY or VSG. I kept thinking that I could lose the weight on my own, and that surgery wasn't the route for me, I didn't weigh enough to warrant taking such a huge step. Once I psychologically accepted that the surgery was just a tool to help me get healthier, and that I was not doing it for vanity's sake, I was ready to go. I'm glad I made the decision to have the surgery. I don't know where you live or where you are going for all of your appointments, but the rapidity of all the appointments is very similar to what I went through once I committed to my decision. It wasn't unusual for me to have 3 appts. on the same day; fortunately, all in the same office, just different people. There were a lot of hoops to jump through. My insurance approved my surgery without me having to go through a medical weight loss program prior to surgery since I had at least two comorbidities that qualified me in addition to my BMI. Having the volume restriction of the sleeve has been a huge help. Life with the sleeve still takes a lot of work, but the restriction has helped me to refocus on what foods are important and which ones I can let go. I have to work on not letting old, bad habits back into my life.

@@JamieLogical -- I think you've done and are doing a great job of staying on track despite the occasional small splurges. And you are such an encouragement and source of reason and excellent advice for many, including myself. Whatever you decide about your "ultimate" goal weight, I'm sure it will be what you feel is best for you. Stay the course! Just something to ponder...... March 31, 2015 - Tuesday Reality Check It's important to not undermine your commitment to weight loss by telling yourself, “Maybe I don’t really need/want to lose weight,” or “Maybe I don’t actually have to do these things.” If you do, you will have a much, much harder time getting yourself to just do what you need to do. From Beck Daily Diet Solutions - http://www.beckdietsolution.com/daily-diet-solutions/ April 20, 2015 - Monday Motivation No matter what you did or didn’t eat over the weekend, today is the start of a new week and a fresh chance to have a great eating week! What are you doing to make today and this week great? From Beck Daily Diet Solutions - http://www.beckdietsolution.com/daily-diet-solutions/

So glad you posted this topic! I appreciate everyone's responses which have encouraged me today. Thank you all!

208.5 for today's weigh-in. Wrong direction!! Frustrated. Getting back on track today.

Awesome progress!!! And great lessons learned! Congratulations and good luck on your journey!!

I'm 5 months out and still have remember to drink slowly and only sipping - no large drinks of liquids as it will cause some temporary discomfort. The same applies to eating regular foods.....very small bites, chew chew chew, and eat slowly. I was always a slow eater, but now I have to eat even slower. It takes time to make the adjustments. Good luck to you both, @@Netteyazz and @@aubrey222!

@@cmhueto Follow all the guidelines provided to you by your surgeon and nutritionist for pre-surgery and post-op. Even though a lot of us receive similar instructions, I've noticed that some are very different from mine; it all depends on the surgeon. About cravings......some of mine have been greatly diminished, others have become so unimportant that I don't pay any attention to them. Once you start eating LOTS of Protein and cutting out the majority of carbs (focusing on the good carbs in fruits and veggies), you may find that your cravings diminish. I know I did when 6 months prior to surgery I chose to start using powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury Protein powder for two of my meals Monday-Friday. Within two weeks I noticed that my craving for things like Pasta was nil to non-existent. I've been very fortunate in that my new tummy has tolerated everything I've eaten. The one thing it doesn't tolerate is when I eat or drink too much and/or too fast. Even though I was always a slower eater, post-surgery I wasn't slow enough. And when I'm really enjoying a meal (the 1/2 cup that it is), I can sometimes take too big of a bite or eat it too fast. Twice now I've caused myself to be very, very uncomfortable after eating. Slow and small bites are the way to go. You're headed in the right direction in teaching your son how to make smart and healthy food choices now. A wonderful legacy! Good luck on your, journey!!!

@@cmhueto -- Once I was given the go ahead to resume regular food "as tolerated," it wasn't until about month 4 before I ventured back to eating an occasional salad - nothing fancy, just iceberg, tomatoes, cucumber, a little carrot, maybe some sunflower seeds, and most importantly, Protein in the form of roasted turkey. I always eat most of the meat first, then the veggies. My instructions were to always eat protein first, then add in some veggies and/or fruits. Pre-surgery one of my favorite meals was a large salad with grilled chicken breast (at a favorite restaurant). I grieved a bit over having to give up that large salad because I love my salads!!! Now that I'm eating a similar salad, but on a much smaller scale, it's okay that I can't have that big salad anymore. It's been interesting to me how being sleeved has changed my desires and preferences (in large part, but not totally). I do have to be very careful not to let old, bad habits worm their way back into my life and routine.

@@Djmohr - I buy my bras at Lane Bryant - the Cacique brand. New commercial out says #I'mNotAnAngel...LOL!!! Pre-surgery I would joke that I'm a 44D long. Well, now the girls are 42C long....LOL!!! Never been perky, ever, and they sure aren't going to be as I get older. I still love wearing the fun colors and prints tho. That "other" store won't get my business because the one time I walked in there to see if they carried my size, their customer service stunk. The gal at Lane Bryant the other day was awesome and extremely helpful in getting me fitted properly in a new bra style and correct size underwear. Enjoying all!!

@@JustWatchMe -- YOU ARE AMAZING!!!! You have accomplished so much!! Be proud of yourself, and always remember one of the last things you wrote -- "I am precious in God's eyes.." THAT is priceless and no one can take that away from you.

Here we go!! My starting weight for this challenge is: 207.5. Goal weight: 199 or below I'm getting tired of flip flopping around within a 3-4 lb. range. Hopefully that cycle can be broken by doing this challenge.

Great progress!!! Congratulations!! I think I'll give your MD's suggestion a try. I keep fluctuating within a 2-3 lb. range right now. A jump start is needed. My calorie intake is between 1000-1300 and primarily Protein. I had an RMR prior to surgery, and haven't had one since. My surgeon's office has not said I needed to have it redone.

From Beck Daily Diet Solutions - http://www.beckdietsolution.com/daily-diet-solutions/ Daily Diet Solutions April 10, 2015 - Friday Weekend Warm-UpIf you slip up this weekend, get immediately back on track. Doing so means you’ll get to go to bed feeling PROUD of yourself for your ability to recover, instead of MAD at yourself for getting off track. April 9, 2015 - Think Thin ThursdayIt’s hard to keep track of how much you’re eating when you’re taking handfuls from a big bag or a communal bowl. To keep yourself accountable, put whatever serving you intend to eat in your own bowl before you start eating. That way, you’ll be able to enjoy each bite more because you’ll know exactly how much you’ve had and exactly how much you have left. April 8, 2015 - Wednesday SabotageSabotaging Thought: I’ve blown my diet for the day so I might as well keep eating and get back on track tomorrow. Response: It’s not as if, at a certain point, the calories stop adding up. If I go on to eat 2,000 more calories, my body will count them. If I go on to eat 4,000 more calories, my body will count those, too. It makes NO SENSE to continue eating off track because the more I eat, the more weight I may gain. Get back on track RIGHT NOW! April 7, 2015 - Tuesday Reality CheckNow that holiday weekend is over, consider throwing away or donating leftover candy and treats. If you think, “But that would be a waste of money,” remind yourself that the money is already gone; eating the treats won’t bring it back. The only thing it will do is knock you off track and make you gain weight. Just get rid of it! April 6, 2015 - Monday MotivationDid you get off track this weekend? Here’s the good news: It doesn’t matter! No matter what you did or didn’t eat this weekend, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a FANTASTIC day today and go on to have a great eating week.