Jolene-journey

Hi everyone. My name is Holly and I am 8 months post op. I have lost approximately 120 pounds. My start weight on the day of surgery was 344 and my current weight is 224.
I have struggled with my weight all of my adult life. After having my children, it's like my weight just kept increasing. I tried EVERYTHING!! I prayed and prayed for God to heal my body from obesity. Before making the decision to have gastric bypass, I thought about it for years, lol. It was, what if this and what if that. When I finally made the decision, there was no turning back (regardless of what anyone said). I can honestly say that it was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. My life has changed dramatically. I've lost friends (which is crazy), but my health has improved, my quality of life has improved, I can run around with my kids, I feel BEAUTIFUL, and my marriage has improved. I haven't been this happy in a very long time. I have a long way to go to get to my goal weight, but I know that I will get there.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Ok, it's 2:30 am, just got back in from a great night seeing people I have not been with in 3+ years. But wanted to say today I found my cheekbones! I'm 6 weeks post op bypass.
First pic take a couple years ago when I last saw this group
This pic I just now took. Sorry for the bags under my eyes. It's late! 
So this is what
My 50 year old face looks like!?!? I see a mini face lift in my future! Lol

@@KristenLe usually if I accidentally turn my camera on all I see is two or three chins. so this was something different and positive.

I happened to be holding my phone up looking for something (flashlight) and somehow hit the camera button.
what I saw boggles the mind - I had to take and share a picture with you ladies.
sometimes this process seems painfully slow. other times something happens and it is hard for your mind to catch up.
so 4 months ago I looked like I was about 8 months pregnant. serious belly weight. wish I had a good picture to compare, but you can understand why I do not! yikes.
this weird picture shows today. 120 days later. Still a good long ways to go, but it blows my mind how much things have changed.

I'm only 3 months out:
Initial consult: 1/19/16. - 261lbs
Surgery day 3/14/16 - 239lbs
1 month- 214lbs
2 months - 200lbs
Today - 190 lbs
Total lost since January - 71lbs.
Amount to goal - 65lbs

@@Nurse_Lenora
There are alternatives for bariatric recipes. You can use spaghetti squash to replace Pasta.
Sweet Italian turkey sausage.

This is a recipe I tried.
Peel and sliced egg plant. Dip in egg wash and coat with garlic Parmesan cheese. Bake until golden brown
coat a cupcake pan with cooking spray
First layer - spaghetti sauce
2nd layer- Eggplant Parmesan
3rd layer - spaghetti sauce
4th layer - sweet Italian ground sausage -
Top with mozzarella cheese.< /p>

I like my "sausage" with girth.

Hello All,
As a sleeve patient 3 years post-op, I completely understand the difficulty of meeting your Protein goals when your stomach is so tight; especially within those first couple of months post-op, when swelling is causing further restriction. This is the very reason I wanted to share with you a Protein Drink that I discovered here recently.
I have been consuming and trying various protein supplementation for over 17 years. As a young college student, I was very active in weight lifting and I was very conscience about nutrition (yes, that was before kids, full time job, husband and obesity hit) and protein intake. Even once I gained the weight, my husband was still very active as a weight lifter, and I would often try the various Protein drinks and food products that he would buy. After I was sleeved, I gravitated toward Muscle Milk, and then Premier Protein for my protein supplementation (Premier had 11 Fluid oz ounces for 30 grams of protein, vs Muscle Milk's 14 oz of fluid for 25 grams of protein).
However, here recently I have taken my fitness level to a new height by increasing my muscle mass. This fall will complete two years that I have continuously engaged in weight lifting. To help meet my goals in that area, I do a lot of supplementation, including: pre-workout, BCAA's, post-workout, specific and timed dieting, and of course Protein Drinks. Well, lo-and-behold, as I am shopping at on one of my favorite supplement stores (Rocks Discount Supplements), I was introduced to a GREAT tasting protein drink: Isoflex by AllMax. The first flavor I tried was the chocolate with real chocolate chips. I mixed it with 4 oz of cold almond milk, and-let-me-tell-you it was as if angels descended from heaven and sang that beautiful "AHHHHHH" chorus. It was smooth, delicious and in only 4 little ounces!
Thus far, I have tried the one mentioned above, as well as orange dreamsicle and pineapple coconut. Dreamsicle is by far my favorite and eye rolling delicious, but the others are really, really, REALLY great as well.
This link gives you info on Isoflex and it will give you links to various entities that carry this product in their stores. I hope this helps for those of you struggling to meet your protein goals and I truly hope you enjoy the great flavors!
http://www.allmaxnutrition.com/products-type/isoflex/

Im 2 1/2 mths out..Yesss, I had drumstick last night and it went easier..what else do you eat to maintain Protein? ?

OMG!! I'm dealing with a 2 week long stall!! it's so frustrating! I was sleeved on April 13, and lost 20 pounds as of my 3 week post op visit , but nothing since! I'm being told by my nutritionist that 20 pounds in 2 weeks is a lot and my body is trying to catch up with this big change. But I totally understand your frustration!! I cry! Just stay off the scale !! That's what I have done. My clothes are looser, I feel great! I'm focused on that for now and praying this is JUST a stall. Good luck
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

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.

Im 2 months and 3 weeks out from RNY I got my burst of energy just about 1 week ago. so I guess you can say it was 2 and a half months out, I have been getting 13,000 steps in most days now and I feel like if I needed to I could do more!

Im 2 months and 3 weeks out from RNY I got my burst of energy just about 1 week ago. so I guess you can say it was 2 and a half months out, I have been getting 13,000 steps in most days now and I feel like if I needed to I could do more!

I don't know why one day you are satisfied and another you aren't. It could have to do with what you are eating (especially if you are eating carbs/sugars), it could be head/emotional hunger, it could be stomach acid, or, you could actually be hungry. I recommend that you make an appointment with your NUT and talk about it. Share your food logs. Also, journal about when you are hungry and when you are not. Maybe your NUT can see a pattern.

Stalls are normal and necessary! We've all worried about them. I had more than average, most likely due to my PCOS, and I was here making similar posts, scared that I would be stuck at whatever weight I was forever. In fact, I have a 2-3 week stall every month, that's just my body's "normal". And yet, here I am less than 9 months later and down 143 pounds since surgery. It all adds up, and worrying about it is just needless and adversely affects your mental and physical health anyway. Just keep up with your Water intake, Protein, and Vitamins, and soon you'll feel silly for ever worrying about this.

I am watching some old episodes of my 600lb. Life. Season 2 "James' story"
He went to dr Now with his mom. Is her shirt the most appropriate. To wear to discuss weight loss surgery?

Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Sent from my SM-G930V using the BariatricPal App

I had my surgery in January at age 47. I had a staph infection and surgery for that 2 weeks post op, and then 1 month after that had a surgery for twisted bowel.
I'm 4 months out, down 56 lbs and ALL of my health issues have resolved. It's so worth it, but I've only felt that for the last month. I was so sick and in pain, and have had such new dietary issues that I wanted to die. If I'd had the energy I wouldn't be here.
Now that I've accepted that I can only eat Vegan, the pain from eating is basically gone; which means I'm finally enjoying my husband hugging me and calling me "skinny"!
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I don't consider myself an "old timer" yet, as I am officially one year out as of yesterday. However, I agree with @@Christinamo7 ... regardless of what the % is, I am so much better off. For me, it wasn't about a number for my weight, but rather about a healthier overall me. I have lost 132 lbs, but more importantly I am off ALL prescription medications (except allergy meds), my diabetes is now considered controlled, and I am able to do so much more physically. I know plenty of people who have had WLS & regained. But I also know some who have maintained their goal weight and healthier lifestyle. And it is a total lifestyle change. I no longer eat bread, Pasta, rice, and only minimal potatoes. I have cut out most added sugar. When I look at where I am today compared to a year ago, I am so much better off & wouldn't change a thing!

When I'm feeling low or flat and in need of a pick-me-up, I actually think about something my then 3 year old nephew said to me one day...
He walked up to me, put his little hands on my cheeks and held my face to make sure he had my full attention...
He looked right, deep into my eyes and said "Unky Jase..."
He calls me Unky Jase...
"Unky Jase... Sometimes your bum is your arse..."
I think there's something in that for all of us...

Hey guys! I just wanted to share my motivation jar with you in case anyone wants to do this. I love it and it feels very rewarding!

I had my surgery on Feb. 2. I still struggle to get in as many fluids and Protein they want me to get in. I had a really hard time for the first 4-5 weeks. Then all of a sudden, I felt better. I had more energy, I went back to work and I could finally lay down flat without pain. I am averaging about 600-800 calories a day, 40 oz. of fluids and I'm getting about 60 oz. of Protein. I'm supposed to be getting about 100 oz. of protein which seems like a lot but, according to the Bod Pod that is what I need to maintain my muscle mass. That is very hard to reach! I don't over do it on working out. I walk 2 miles, 3-4 times a week and sometimes do the bike. I do great with my Vitamins. I lost a lot my first week and it's been slow and steady since although I hit a stall for almost 3 weeks. I even went up a pound or two in there somewhere. I'm sure it was because I wasn't eating/drinking enough. I'm down 40 total and 33 since surgery. That's almost 4 lbs. a week loss even though most of it was the first week and I had a 3 week stall. Pretty Awesome I feel! If you ever need to chat, let me know! Hang in there! It does get better!

H​ello Everyone! I just wanted to share my before and now progress photos and a little bit about my journey so far! I am about 9 weeks post-op. I am 5'3 and my starting weight was 243. I currently weigh 203. I am feeling a lot better already! I no longer have high blood pressure and I'm no longer pre-diabetic. I also have not had any issues with my Acid Reflux since surgery. Everything is much easier to do already! I felt like I was losing weight slowly. Maybe it was because I had a 3 week stall but, I'm averaging more than 4 lbs. a week loss even with that! That's not too shabby! It's true what they say. You can lose inches without losing weight! I have lost over 4 feet of inches from all over my body! I cannot wait to see what the future brings! Now that food is not controlling my life, I feel this can be done and I can actually go all the way! The surgery was not easy but the surgery has made it do-able for me! What goes up, Must come down! Ha,Ha! Finally!

I would suggest at minim have someone there when you take a shower.

Very inspiring. I'm now 8 days out and went against my own rule and gave in to the scale today. 13 lbs since day of surgery. Holy moly ![emoji4][emoji4][emoji4]