dashofsunshine

I reached goal weight a few weeks ago. 163 lbs lost since surgery day November 20th, 2014. HW: 330 SW: 323 CW: 160.

I reached goal a few weeks ago. 163 lbs lost since my November 20th, 2014 surgery date. HW: 330 SW:323 CW:160

3 months No No No I used to put away half a bottle of rum every weekend, pre-surgery. I drank dessert wine all the time, and fruity, sugary cocktails. These days, if I really want a liquor drink I'll have cranberry and vodka, but it only takes one. The only alcohol I drink regularly (2 glasses per week) is wine. Usually Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Grigio. Sugar content is almost non existent, pretty low cal, and I don't overdo it. I also only drink Water, G2 (on long run days), or coffee with SF creamer otherwise. No soda or sweet tea or any of that crap.

140 lbs down since surgery, 20 until my doctors goal. VSG, it will be a year post op on the 20th of this month.

I have one motivational bottle that I bought from motivationalbottle.com and I love it so much that I made myself a second one I bought an infuser bottle (I love them for infusing with fruits, saves me from the boredom of 5 bottles of plain water every day) from Walmart for $5.99, used my colored sharpies and some clear acrylic coating. I have lots of water bottles but those two are my favorites because they mark the times on the back, so that I know if I'm behind on my water intake!

I lived on bouillon and Protein shakes for a month after surgery (only did the Protein Shakes because I had to...bouillon went down much easier, haha). One day I really wanted chicken noodle Soup, so I strained the liquid out and drank that so good. All this being said... Liquids sucks. It's not fun, nobody thinks it's fun, and you had major surgery. Your body is confused and pissed, lol. I was in a lot of pain for several days, had complications, etc. BUT stay the course. It will all be over soon. And it will become a distant memory and will be more worth it than anything else in your life.

look at you!! Beautiful!! Do you have any success tips? I'm feeling very discouraged..I had the sleeve in June..I'm losing on an average between 7-8 lbs per month..would you say that is normal? And losing tons of hair..help! Hey there!! Don't get discouraged!! Everyone's body is different. I lost 30 lbs my first month out, then lost anywhere from 9-15 lbs every month after that. I'm a little over 10 months out now. I focus on Protein first and eat less than 20 carbs per day (on most days!). I keep my calories really low (700 a day max) because my NUT and doctor specifically tell me to do so. I drink 80-100 oz of Water a day. I walked 3 times a week up until about 3 months ago when I started lifting weights and doing T25 in addition to running. I don't know if my weight loss has been fast, slow, normal - I've just stuck to it and tried to eat in a way that is sustainable for me and my next 60 years of life! Haha. My best advice to you? Get off these boards, or anything else that makes you compare yourself, or feel like you're losing too "slowly," or whatever. I quit social media and message boards a few months in unless I had a specific question or concern, and I only came back once every few months to update. Your journey is yours and no one else's - focus on it and you will be rewarded! PS I got unbelievably lucky and didn't lose any hair. I took Biotin every day and used biotin shampoo! No clue if that is what made the difference, but worth a shot!

Thank you guys so very much!!!

Thank you very much, I appreciate it!!

Thank you so much!!

Did you have the bypass or sleeve? I had the sleeve on November 20th of last year

Thanks so much!!!

130 lbs down, about 30 more until goal.

10 months out, 130 lbs down, 30 more until doctor's goal weight. 323 on the left vs 193 on the right.

My severe shoulder pains subsided after 1.5 to 2 weeks (somewhere along in there), but I had horrible crampy, gassy pains every time I drank/swallowed anything for like 3-4 weeks. It was heinous and miserable and all I can say is I'm glad I survived, LOL. I think your surgeon is giving you an estimate - everyone is different. You may get lucky and it may go away in a week or you may be stuck with gassy pain for weeks. Heating pad DEFINITELY helped me, I had forgotten about that!!!

The gas pain is very common, very brutal, and mine didn't go away completely for about a week and a half. I remember being at home in my bed and sobbing because my shoulder felt like someone had impaled it. Every day will be easier. You had major, massive internal surgery. Your body is pissed, haha. Give it time, take your pain meds, walk, and ride it out. I promise - it WILL pass. The surgery IS worth the pain, though I know it doesn't feel that way now. Good luck!!!

I have chosen to make this surgery, and the way I live my life now, a total lifestyle change. Meaning, I will eat/drink this way for the rest of my life in order to maintain my weight loss and not regain everything 5 years down the road. For me, that means all things in moderation. I lost 70 lbs several years ago, eating no carbs, drinking no alcohol, basically starving myself, and of course - it was not sustainable, and I wound up at 323 lbs. I am determined not to make that same mistake again. Unless you are a nun or have decided to give up your social life entirely, it's kind of ridiculous to think that you will NEVER EVER touch alcohol (or French fries, or a cupcake, or whatever) again. A healthy relationship with food is about making good choices as much as possible, indulging occasionally, and being active. That being said: OP, when I have a beverage I generally have a small glass of wine; but since that has been ruled out, my suggestions are.... Vodka with lime juice and a splash of simple syrup Vodka with light cranberry juice (sometimes the bar has it, sometimes not) Or, my favorite, a Bloody Mary ???? vodka and v8, basically I am 9 months out and 120 lbs down, and still dropping. I eat carbs and drink wine occasionally, as a treat. Has that made my weight loss slower? Maybe. Is this lifestyle something I can keep up the rest of my life? Absolutely.

Quick, easy favorites in our house: -Ground turkey Asian lettuce wraps -Bunless burgers topped with homemade pimiento cheese (the slider size burgers are perfect!) -Marinated Rosemary ranch chicken (on the grill) -Lemon pepper or blackened salmon (I use the weber spice/marinade packs from the store - eaaaaaasy) -I eat tuna pretty frequently for lunch...throw in some romaine and a few olives, a vinaigrette and bam - easy lunch! -Beef stir fry with veggies (my hubs has rice, I don't) -Frozen mini meatballs from Sam's - these are glorious. I cook several and keep them in an air tight container and eat 2 at a time for lunch every day. Add some marinara! My hubs loves this, and he adds chopped squash/zucchini and onions to his (I don't have room for those, lol) I love getting chicken with broccoli or beef with broccoli from the Chinese place and eating on it for a week ???? makes me feel normal, haha! Also, if you're in a pinch, Taco Bell pintos and cheese with a scoop of ground beef was one of the most glorious post op foods ever. Lol! The Beans have some carbs obviously, but not too bad, especially if it's an occasional treat.

I was on liquids only for two weeks before surgery, two weeks after surgery - then two weeks on purees/mushies. I couldn't have real food until a month after surgery, and I remember thinking I was going to absolutely murder someone. So miserable. All I can tell you is - it will be a distant memory soon. I promise ???? and it is so, so worth it. I know it sucks horribly right now, but you can do ANYTHING for a few days!!

Your body is literally in shock from surgery. It's trying to figure out what the crap you did to it, lol. And it will feel somewhat weird for a while, as all of your organs and bones and muscles try to adjust. I was on my period when I had surgery and I ended up bleeding for two weeks, then didn't have a period for over a month...when my doc put me back on my BC pills, things started to straighten out. Major surgery like the sleeve is a pretty large trauma to the body. Things will straighten out!! As long as you know you aren't pregnant, you're fine.

Wow, only 600 calories a day at 9 months post op? Are you getting in all your Protein every day? That seems really low. What does your NUT say? I get 60 g of protein every day, and yep, my NUT and my doctor both have me on 600-700 calories daily. I'm down 120 lbs and still dropping, so it seems to be going ok! Everyone is different, though

I am 9 months post op and still only eat 4-5 bites of food at a time. I'm still on 600 calories a day. I don't eat fruit or carbohydrates of any kind (except the occasional beans in chili, or something like that). I'm frankly amazed that you are able to eat those particular foods, in those volumes, that often, at only 3.5 weeks out. I was still on purees at that point. I would definitely give your NUT a call.

I would thoroughly encourage you to get off the forums, bariatric websites, Instagram, whatever - unless you need to ask a specific question. Early on, I was on Instagram with a lot of WLS people and all I did was constantly compare myself - "why is she losing more weight than me?! I had my surgery two months before her!" That sort of thing. It was really getting me down and making me upset. So I stopped. I stopped reading forums and I quit Instagram and I focused on doing what I KNEW I was supposed to do in order to succeed. I check these forums once every few months, I still do what I'm supposed to do, and I'm down 120 lbs. in 9 months. Was it "slower" than some others? Sure. Did the weight still come off? You bet it did. Try to focus on yourself and your journey. You got this!!

Gonna be honest with you, I struggled with gas (from surgery) for about a week. However, it took about 2.5 weeks for me to be able to drink normally without burping/taking in air when sipping. Every sip I took for the first 2.5 weeks caused me major discomfort and some pain. Doctor said it was gas, totally normal, and one day I woke up and it was gone. I'm 2.5 months out now, 60 lbs down. Keep pushing forward ????

I am 2.5 months out, 60 lbs down, 120 lbs to go, and my stats are as follows: 500-600 calories a day, 40-60 G protein, 60-80 oz of water a day, and less than 30 carbs a day. All of this was suggested and approved by my nutritionist and my surgeon ???? good luck!