MrsSugarbabe

YOU CAN DO THIS!!! YOU WILL SUCCEED!!! Don't let stinkin' thinkin' get in the way of your success!! Remember -- nothing tastes as good as being thin feels. As I'm typing this, I'm telling myself the same thing because I've been stuck in the same 7 lb. range for 6 months. Every day, every week I keep plugging along and working to getting back to doing what I know I am supposed to be doing -- Protein, protein, protein, Water, water, water, walk, walk, walk - to keep it simple. And.....log log log that food in somewhere. Accountability by tracking my food and exercise helps keep me honest with myself. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I did this for me. I am doing this for me and my health. WE CAN DO THIS!!!

You will have to do it all, whether required for insurance or not. Most likely these are the requirements of your surgeon's practice for WLS. We all had to do some variation of all the specialists you listed. Do everything they tell you to do and you will be successful! Welcome!!! Your journey has begun!!! Good luck!!

I was fortunate, it was my PCP who recommended I consider having WLS. And has been super supportive since. It took me a year to wrap my brain around the option and to research everything I could. Once I made the decision, and had the first appointment with the surgeon, I didn't look back. Even though years before another PCP's PA with whom I had my appts. had suggested it "lightly," I always thought I should be able to lose this weight with the surgery; I'd done it many times before. But, life changes things, the body changes, and no matter all the efforts made to lose even 50 lbs., I was not successful. WLS certainly IS NOT the easy way out no matter what others may think. It still takes a lot of work, but having the restriction of my sleeved tummy certainly helps. No regrets!!

I've been hanging in the 202-208 range for months now. Onederland has been very elusive. Working hard at getting back on the downhill slide, but nothing is doing the trick. Have made food and exercise adjustments to decrease food and increase exercise, specifically weight training to try and ramp up the long term calorie burn. AND....doing my best to not get frustrated anymore than I already am and to not get depressed/discouraged about being camped out here. Still a whole lot better off where I am than where I was when I started this journey. We're in it for the long haul, right

Monthly massages as of 6 months ago, occasional facial, overnight trips with sister-in-law or my hubby, occasionally new clothes.

I'm more than a year out and still burp some and tummy still gurgles for a bit immediately after eating. Not sure it will ever stop, but I'm okay with that.

Great idea! I have some 4 oz. containers that I use to freeze stuff in to keep at work for lunch. Love these little containers! They help keep me honest and to not eat too much at one sitting.

It is a challenge to fight the head hunger. Mine didn't return until I was about 6 months post-op. You did good by going for a walk; anything to stop thinking about food. For me, it helps if I keep my Protein intake as close to 100 grams/day as possible. I do supplement with

Of everything I've tried, I prefer the @@unjury Protein powders. I use them all, except the strawberry sorbet. There are recipes available on the @@UNJURY website. One of my favorite combinations is SF orange & pineapple drink mixed with the vanilla Protein powder - delicious! Sometimes the same combination with a little skim mild added. I also like the chocolate splendor, skim milk, and a little coffee. Also, the vanilla with skim milk and your favorite SF Torani (or whatever brand you use) syrup. I buy the Torani syrups at World Market, Skinny Girl at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, my neighborhood Walmart and grocery stores also carry the syrups, and in a pinch I can always pick up a bottle of Starbucks SF syrup at one of their locations (about the same price as World Market). Get creative!

Fantastic!!! Congratulations!!! Enjoy your writing class tonight. I know you'll do well because all your posts are very well written and I believe we all have a little creativity inside us just waiting to get out. Have fun!

Thank you for your wisdom and for sharing your journey! You've done an amazing job! Congratulations on your success!

I use a straw regularly at night while sipping liquids or during the day when drinking a Protein shake. No problem at all. I probably avoided straws for about the first 6 months just because my surgeon/NUT/PA and the written instructions said not to use a straw. I can't tell there's any difference when using one or not.

Thanks for the suggestion @bikrchik. I do drink Protein shakes and will keep this in mind. I don't use a blender for the majority of my shakes for simplicity sake, but I may give it a try with an unflavored Protein powder, veggie juice and avocado. I think that would be very filling and satisfying.

Had 1/2 an avocado diced with 1 diced hard boiled egg and a little red wine vinaigrette dressing (Wishbone). Satisfied my taste for lots of flavor and very filling.

@@esskay77 - The sugar-free Torani syrups can be purchased at World Market/Cost Plus (about $7.99 in my area), and Bed, Bath, and Beyond carry the Skinny Girl brand ($4.99 my area) which are cheaper than the Torani, but tastes the same to me. I use both brands and have also used the DaVinci brand as well. My favorites are SF vanilla and SF Caramel which I use in my morning coffee. I've also used SF Black Cherry along with vanilla Protein powder in shakes. You can also stop by a local Starbucks and they will sell you a bottle of their brand; last time I checked they were $7.99 or thereabouts depending on the flavor. You could also check with other local coffee shops if you can't find another retailer who carries the syrups. You can also purchase these syrups on Amazon. When it comes to SF maple syrup, my husband prefers the SF Mrs. Butterworth's. It doesn't come out of the bottle looking like snot.

To me, green tea really doesn't have any taste to it so I might as well be drinking plain Water. In an effort to get the benefits of green tea, though, I will brew a bag of green tea along with a bag of my most favorite tea - Constant Comment. Preparing it like this it get all the things I want - benefits of green tea, tastes good, and taste of black tea. Add in a little sweetener, and sometimes a little cream when drinking it hot, and it helps to add a little zip to my doodah. In fact, I think I'll go make me a cup now. Happy sipping everyone!

Congratulations, @@gowalking!!! Such a wonderful testimony to perseverance and getting healthy. You inspire me!

Congratulations on all of your successes!!! You look fabulous!! It's evident from all your new found activities like you're enjoying your new life. Awesome!!! What can I add that all our other BP friends haven't already said I agree with them all. Yes, considering the circumstances, even the change in your marital status is a NSV. His loss. I'll look forward to future updates and your race results in October. Keep on keeping on!!

Congratulations on your progress!!! Keep up the great work! You're doing a lot better than I am at this point considering our surgeries were a month apart. Everyone's journey is different, yet very similar. I've got lots of jiggly going on, too, along with some significant bat wing arms. Yes, muscle definition is more evident with a lot less fat to camouflage it. I need to have my good rings resized, but not read to do that until I lose more weight and get closer to goal. Until that time, I'll tolerate my rings slipping around my fingers, or I'll buy a couple of ring guards (scotch tape works, too lol!).

I love it in salads and California rolls, but still prefer it the simplest of ways - cut in half, remove stone, place in a bowl (with the skin still on), in the center add just a tad of oil and a little cider vinegar, salt and pepper and scoop out with a spoon. Instead of plain oil and vinegar, I will use Wishbone's Red Wine Vinaigrette dressing.

Had my sleeve done just after my 59th birthday. Wish I'd done it years ago, but pride got in the way....felt like I should have been able to do it on my own, but the older I got, the harder it got to lose weight and to stay committed to an exercise routine. The sleeve has changed my life for the better! I say go for it!!! (Not to discourage you, but I did develop some complications several days post-surgery, but would still do it again today (minus the complications.)

I live with chronic back and hip pain (lots of osteoarthritis, facet joint issues and other joint inflammation), but still continue to exercise - walking on my lunch break for 25-30 minutes most days, gym workouts 2-4 times per week varying between elliptical, circuit training, stair climber, other machine assisted exercises, etc. There are days that I sometimes overdo it and will take the next day off, or just walk, to give my body the rest it needs. My job keeps me confined to a desk all day so every hour or so I make it a point to get up and walk around my desk or around the office area for a few minutes. I take pain meds at night so that the chronic pain doesn't keep me awake and rob me of much needed rest, but also have to manage the pain with some early in the day. Have to stay awake to do my job LOL! Something to consider - Could your hip pain be referred pain from something going on in your back? Because my hip pain would sometimes shift sides, or one side would be more intense than the other, I had my rheumatologist xray my hips for any arthritis - there wasn't any. The pain I was experiencing was mostly referred back pain, although I do sometimes deal with bursitis in my hips @@CowgirlJane made some excellent suggestions; the only thing I would add is to be sure your shoes have excellent arch support. Years ago when going through some physical therapy, my therapist and I talked about my crosstrainer shoes (I will buy ONLY New Balance). Even though the shoes worked well for me, she recommended that I remove the sole liner and replace it with another liner with better arch support. That one small change made a HUGE difference in how my back and hips felt while doing my lunchtime laps and any other standing type of exercises. One thing that my rheumatologist told me is that my weight loss will only help the knee pain, which it has - they no longer ache!!! So far "they" have not been able to prove that significant weight loss will help with back pain, other than to help with overall inflammation in the body. My back pain is the same today as it was prior to surgery despite losing 60 lbs. Some things we will just have to learn to live with. Surgery is not a miracle worker for everything.

Great thread @@Kindle! Everyone who has already posted have pretty much covered anything I miss and don't miss. The one biggie for me that I do miss is my very thick wonderful head of hair with lots of body. Lost a lot of it starting at week 13. It is growing back, but it's coming in quite curly and too slowly to suit me. I don't miss having to buy hip friendly tops/blouses and slacks. Now XL in most any brand works for hips and shoulders. This will get even easier/better as I continue to lose more of my weight on my way to goal.

Welcome to the stall club I'm still about 40 lbs. from my goal, a little more than a year out from surgery, and have been stuck just above 200 for about 5-6 months now. Don't give up. Just because we have smaller tummies now, weight loss still takes a lot of work every day, every meal. I, too, have mixed things up over these months in an effort to jump start losing again. I believe what will work best for me is to go back to drinking more @@powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury shakes to ramp up my Protein intact, even though most days I get the recommended amount. I do get plenty of exercise. Just keep plugging along and doing all that you can.

Welcome to the losers club!!! One of my favorites to mix my vanilla @@@UNJURY has a chicken flavor that's good whenever you get tired of the sweet flavored shakes. I keep it at work and will drink it for lunch or a snack some days.