Dyros

Today I am officially 100lbs DOWN from my highest weight! Sleeved 1/20/15 and just bought my smallest jeans sz 8 ! Whoop whoop! Thanks for the support and guidance my bariatric friends! You are amazing!

I am officially 9 months into my post op journey, and if you would have told me this time last year that I would be down from a size 20 to a size 6, I would have laughed in your face.
For everyone who is struggling with this decision, or is losing weight at a slow pace, keep your head up and let your new sleeve work for you. Don't over think things. If you slip up or fall down, pick yourself up, brush your shoulders off, and keep on truckin'.
I will not lie and say that this journey is easy, because it is very, very, hard. But believe me, if you work with your sleeve, and let your sleeve work for you, you too will find yourself in complete awe of where you'll be 9 months out from your surgery.
I wish everyone true happiness and success in their journeys, and if you are fortunate enough to find people here in the forums that will be as honest and upfront with you as some of those people that I have encountered have been with me, I promise your journey will be made just a little bit easier.
Thank you @@Alex Brecher for creating a forum for all of us to share, encourage, and uplift each other along this path.

I am 28 months post-op RNY. The approach that I use I put in a short article. Here is a link. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

The reason you are probably snacking so much is because you are not getting your Protein. It is that dense Protein from food that will fill you up and keep you full.
I went through this as well right around the same time. My nut suggested 2 bites of protein for every 1 bite of good carbs like vegetables and fruit. 3 meals a day.
If you get hungry in between which should not yet be the case but it is possible, try drinking 8 oz. of milk for your snack.< /p>
Milk turns to a solid filling you up and provides protein. You might even try fair life milk which has added protein to it. This will help you get to your protein goal.
You also should ask yourself am I really hungry or am I dehydrated? Dehydration causes the exact symptoms of hunger.
When you get that feeling in between meals, drink Water or crystal light until it goes away. If that feeling comes back right away, drink that cup of milk.
You are likely dealing with head hunger or dehydration.

ok just jumping on the thread to say I lost my 100 lbs and I'm thrilled. It has been really hard lately with all the stress but I still stick to the program and work the heck out of it! I hope everyone is doing well and I'm cheering for everyone daily !

Reflexology worked wonders for me!

Had to share my weekend happiness. 9mo post op - sitting 5lbs under surgeons goal. Enjoyed celebrating 6yrs of marriage with my husband and just feeling normal sized and pretty! It's a very new feeling - couldn't be happier with my Vsg journey and my choice to walk this path. So incredibly proud of everyone here, doing the hard work to gain personal success! Keep it up!

Quinoa, tuna, pickles, mayo & Pesto or Quinoa & cottage cheese

I made goal ???? I am now a 127 lb girl. My goal was 130 those last few lbs were hanging on forever. So here's some of my advice the scale is a liar. When I wasn't losing I really was.. I was dropping sizes, one week my body was all weird looking the next it was evening out all my saggy areas. So I believe I'm entering the body image phase. Like who am I? I look weird deflated..has my nose always been this big or was it buried under my old chubby cheeks? If one more person says wow April you've lost a whole person I'm throat punching them..It's such a mental game..anyways I rewarded myself by buying jeans you know the kind that has the measurements I'm a 26 x27 not a 17,16,15,14, etc so keep up the great work it will come off and let's try and keep our minds strong )

The best thing a woman can do is eat 5-6 small meals a day. This means 2-4oz Protein, and whatever space you have left should be a carb (fruit, veggies, or complex carb). This lessens a risk of a drop in blood sugar, which causes cravings for the bad stuff.
An ideal world:
Brkfst: egg white omelette with spinach and tomatoes
Snack: Greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom
Lunch: chicken and broccoli
Snack: handful of nuts
Dinner: salmon and asparagus
Dessert: flavored protein bar/shake (opt)
Basically if what you're doing is working and your blood nutrition looks good, keep it up. NUTs don't know everything. Not even close.

@slvarltx. Wow, I have to say that's confusing. I was going with bypass at my surgeon's suggestion because it had the most long term data, was the gold standard, had better weight loss and didn't cause GERD. So hard to know what's right. I work about things like ulcers, strictures, malabsorption with bypass but also feel like I'd benefit from the threat of dumping with high sugar and high fat foods. I guess I just need to trust my doc, take a deep breath and go with her recommendation!

That's the thing, I was diagnosed as type II...but not they they are saying I was either misdiagnosed and/or I have other underlying issues. But, like you said, I am thankful I am not on as much insulin as before. It's a reality check that I am still going to have to maintain a specific/healthy diet to combat my diabetes. I got kind of lax, once I was able to eat again. I am not happy about it, but at least I have better control.

Do you eat carbs yet? If not, My NUT has advised me to start adding good Carbs to my meal plan, she suggested half a plate Protein, quarter plate salad, quarter plate good Carbs (whole Grains) and I now can't finish my plate as I'm full!

Hi all! Surgery was 01/19/15. 54 pounds down, 26 to go...
SW 205
CW 151
This was a big week for me. Every July we go to the Jersey shore with extended family. Last year's vacation was the most miserable of my life. I actually called the hospital during vacation to start the process to qualify for surgery. What a difference this year. I could swim and walk and keep up with my kids, without getting painful chub rub between my thighs! My fingers and toes weren't swelled up and my thoughts were not ruled by food!
You all continue to inspire me! Looking forward to sharing our progress and experiences on this journey!

How's all your rashes doing?? Mine has finally finished! I guess it was a part of this process

Making the decision to have weight loss surgery is a very big deal. It seems obvious to say that when someone agrees to weight-loss surgery they're desperate for help to change the way they're living, or not fully living their lives. Everyone goes into the procedure ready and willing to surgically alter their anatomy hoping for a better future.


So why is it that so many will fall short of losing the optimal amount of weight for their health and will actually regain within 3 years much if not all of the weight they lost? Some studies say 1/3 of patients will regain most of their weight post-surgery. I think the number is actually higher because many people who regain simply fall out of contact with their bariatric surgeon and support staff because they feel ashamed, so the statistics do not include these people. So, why do most people regain the weight? What can you do to help insure that you will be one of the successful long-term losers of your excess weight? By examining why people fail you can create a plan for how you will succeed.
The government agency, National Institutes for Health (NIH) defines weight-loss surgery as "merely a tool that helps people get a new start toward maintaining long-term good health. The surgery alone will not help someone lose weight and keep it off. Together with a reduced-calorie and low-fat diet and daily exercise, surgery will help an individual lose weight and maintain the weight loss.” Please read that a few times. That is how important this quote is! The surgery alone will not help someone lose weight and keep it off.
We as weight-loss surgery patients have a history of seeking comfort, happiness and pleasure through food. We wouldn't be here if that weren't true. Me included. The process of surgically altering our anatomies does nothing to remove from us the tendency to seek comfort in familiar ways but assures there will be physical suffering if we do. Post-surgery we will still have the same brain that is used to comforting us with food, and we will still have the fingers and the arms that are used to lifting food to the same mouth to find comfort and pleasure. It is critically important that the WLS patient seek out new ways to soothe, comfort, and find pleasure in their world other than by eating.
ONE main reason patients regain their weight is they search for ways to get around the surgery, still thinking of food as primarily a source of pleasure, not a source of fuel that can be pleasurable. This is often done relying on liquid calories, which may pass more easily, like high calorie coffee or juice bar drinks or alcohol. This is also done post-operatively by trying to maintain the presence of “trigger foods” in their lives. “Trigger foods” are often foods from the patient's past that helped cause obesity, do not satisfy hunger but instead create a craving. Many are high-calorie and highly processed, not nutritious. Trigger foods can include chocolate, chips, crackers, bread, Cookies, ice cream, pudding, lattes, frapuccinos and alcoholic beverages. Really, any food can be a “trigger food” if there is so much pleasure in the “mouth-feel” or taste that repeating the pleasurable experience takes on more importance than actually feeding hunger. Very successful patients cultivate a mostly trigger-free post- surgical life. Bariatric surgeons and the NIH know the most common reason for regain and the most common post- surgical complication is “noncompliance.” Non-compliance is a fancy word that means the patient is not eating and exercising the way he/she agreed to before surgery. These people “talk the talk.” The successful patient “walks the walk” after surgery and changes how they eat and move.
A SECOND reason people often regain beginning in the second or third year post-op is that the “honeymoon” is over. The “honeymoon” generally encompasses the first 12 to 18 months post- surgery. During this time many patients will say, "I could eat all the chocolate and ice cream I wanted and still lose weight. I didn't have to try and the weight just came off.” This is often true because the body has been through such a shock after surgery that it takes months for the body to reset itself and learn to function with its' new physiology. Patients who regain their weight often believe that this “honeymoon period” is the new way that it will always be and don't adopt healthy eating patterns. So when their “honeymoon period” ends as it will they believe that the surgery has somehow failed them. In reality they have failed their surgery! During the first 12-18 months post-op it is essential to develop healthy patterns around food and exercise. This is the time when it is actually easiest to do and to not do so wastes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to begin a great new life with positive momentum.
A THIRD reason many patients regain much of their lost weight is a lack of support. Humans are social animals and we desire and need the support of each other throughout our lives. For thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years people coming together as a family or a community over food has been a way we connect with each other. Post-surgery, when the patient isn't able to eat what others are eating or in the quantities others are eating, or others are eating their 'trigger foods”, life can feel very stressful and lonely. This can be compounded by being around unsupportive people or people who want to be supportive but don't know how. Patients fail by not surrounding themselves with supportive people in a safe environment where they also must be accountable for their actions and behavior with food and their bodies. It is key to have a community of professionals and non-professionals who understand the challenges and hardships faced by those carving a new life with a new anatomical structure. There are online and in-person support groups. Even patients who've gone abroad for weight loss surgery can often use the support services available with their local medical group's Bariatric department. Creating relationships that support and assist you in becoming a healthier person and that hold you accountable for making healthy choices are key.
These are my top three. What would you add to this list? What plan will you create to deal with the items you add to this list? Who will support you on this journey of your life.....for your life?

HW 214
DOS 205 (12 January)
Current 157
Goal 125

HW 214
DOS 205 (12 January)
Current 157
Goal 125

It's finally going away! You can barely see it now. I started putting Bio Oil on it about two weeks ago when I started applying it to my incisions. One day I was like, hmm... maybe if I just rub this all over.... and it worked! I'm so relieved. It was so ugly and took confidence I'd gained from weight loss away. Thank you for checking in on me Dyros

lol I'd love to say I'm doing something wrong since most of you are near goal but I guess we all just lose differently. I slip here and there and drink and eat things that I'm not suppose to and I'm aware of that but I did not sign up to give things up forever. I signed up to learn how to eat the right amounts. Place a good foundation for working out and eating right. I never said I was going to give up the occasional things that I use to love. Just agreed that in order to change i was going to have a cookie instead of 6 or 8. Or 4 oz of steak instead of 12. Everything is ok in moderation and while I might not reach goal as quickly I know it will be a more realistic way for me to get there. I hope you guys are having a great week and try to enjoy the holiday weekend!

Are you drinking a cup of milk between meals? It really helps me. Or have a little cheese or nuts. For some reason those little Snacks carry me over to the next meal and then I am not starving and don't overeat.
Milk is the best solution, it fills your tummy, provides good Protein and Calcium. Sometimes I just need something.

On my way to under 200lbs. I can see it from here. Yippie! I can do this.
Best to everyone!

Sleeve surgery is currently the most popular surgery Israel and if you qualify, paid for by the socialized medicine system which also includes lifelong monthly follow-up with a dietitian and support group. So there are thousands of sleeved Jews in Israel alone .

Hi everyone, I love checking in and hearing about all the progress.
I have some good news, yesterday I got on the scale and including the 27lbs I lost pre-surgery, I have now lost 100lbs. Down from 310 at my heaviest (11/26/2014) to 283 at my surgery (1/20/2015) to 210lbs now. I am thrilled and so proud of myself. I'm tearing up just typing this. Anyway, keep up the great effort, we all go at a different pace but it seems like everyone here is making progress.
30lbs to go till my goal ????
My heaviest

Yesterday

Hay!
Jan 5th sleeved!
Doing great, feeling SOOO MUCH BETTER!!!
Here is my before and after so far.
Left was 2 weeks after surgery
Right was mid April, so I've lost some more since than, but started lifting weights too so I've been bouncing around the same weight.
But I'm excited!!
New pics to be coming soon since the wedding I'm in is June 19th!
But the dress is hot pink not blue!