Cloebird

HW 280
SW 270
CW 203
I've been in a 5 month stall gaining and losing the same 3 lbs. I joke and tell everyone I've lost 50 pounds since January...but it's been the same 3 lbs over and over and over.
Surgery was 14 Aug 2017.
I've started back on my walking weekday morning. I'm up to over 3 miles. Try to get it done before the sun comes up and makes it 500 degrees in South Texas.

Wow LaLaDee! You look very different! Well done!

Before: (August 2017) 155.5kg (343 lb)

May 2018 - 92.3kg (203.5 lb)

I hit 140lbs lost today, 74 since my surgery August 8, 2017. I stalled for about 4 months but last week added some carbs to my diet and upped my calories a bit and I started to lose again -- almost two pounds this week already. I think the amount of exercise I am doing was putting me in starvation mode with the low carb diet I've been following.
I'm having a few issues, can't eat meat or dense foods like broccoli without pain, still have chronic Constipation. I'm getting scoped, Upper GI and Colonoscopy in a week or so to see if there is anything wrong or if it's just my tummy is a slow healer. I also have been having hypoglycemic (extremely low blood sugar) episodes if I eat sugar, which thankfully I don't do very often.
Despite those few bumps in the road, I'm very happy with how things are turning out. I have more energy than I've ever had. I'm feeling wonderful and couldn't be more pleased with the reduction in pain in my back, which is why I opted for surgery in the first place.
Sleeved 8/8/17 HW: 315 SW: 248 CW: 174 Height: 5'9" Age: 50 GW: 150

Thank you, Allie. I need to find a therapist. I know it's not my body, it's my head. Thank you.

I have no advice, I'm on a 7 week stall. I still have plenty to go.

Ugh...mental setback. We went on a road trip last weekend...3 days. Over the three days, I had 2 bags of M&M's, half an English muffin, half the Water I usually get and probably a 1/4 of the exercise. Everything else was on track. I GAINED 5 pounds. Yes, I knew I was having things out of the normal, but to gain 5 pounds is crazy. It's made me feel that I will never be able to indulge on anything. This was the first gain, but to think how huge it was in 3 days is insane to me!.

People resent you getting fit with the help of surgery because they feel you didn't suffer enough to get there. They want you to suffer for being fat.
They also are threatened if you go from obese to more fit than they are.
In short, people are the worst.

We've been cold here, so I have 16oz. of water with a packet of Nestle Fat Free hot chocolate. It's a little "thin" but it changed it up.

No, you look seriously different! A random stranger on the internet doesn’t lie!
The other day, I was trying to safety pin my skirt on tighter (I need to go shopping) and a colleague was like, “did your skirt rip?” And I told her it was just weight loss and the skirt was loose. She smiled and said she had noticed I had lost a lot of weight but she didn’t know if it was ok to say anything. I think people who don’t know you well wont generally comment because it’s awkward. Like, what do you say to someone, “you’ve lost weight, you look great”. Does that imply they didn’t look great before? And also, you don’t know the reasons for someone’s weight loss - they could be ill seriously depressed or something.
Also some people (like me) find any conversation about my body awkward and uncomfortable. I blush and get weird if someone mentions my loss.
You have done so well. I bet people have noticed!

My surgery was 6 months ago today. I am sitting at 228 pounds, which is 8 pounds from my goal. I have not eaten low carb. I have incorporated tons of weight lifting into my exercise routine, and have eaten 85% clean over the past 6 months. I am just BARELY under what is considered obese by medical standards even though I have a 34" waist at 6'3" tall.
My takeaway from all of this is.....Don't base your progress on anyone else's. I am 98 pounds from my high weight (shown on left). I have lost only 61 pounds since surgery. However, you can see a definite difference in how I carry my weight. I am very happy with my progress. I am not at goal, but am no longer actively trying to get there. I am just focusing on my health.
My diet consists of tons of vegetables, Protein Shakes and lean Protein, super grains and fruit 6 days per week with 1 day of indulgence. Whatever I crave, gets eaten that day. I consulted with a bodybuilder friend of mine a few months ago, and he told me that the best way to lean up is to give yourself a day every week or so to calorie and carb load. This helps your body avoid thinking your are in starvation mode. Ever since I adopted that method, I have leaned up and increased my muscle percentage.
Anyway, I do track my meals with MyfitnessPal. I do weigh my food to ensure that I don't overeat. I don't deny myself anything. I just wait for whatever I want that week, and prioritize.
I am glad that mostly everyone is doing well. Just keep fighting for the life you want to have.

I think you are correct with the correlation between tracking and the fastest weight loss.

Tracking is a great tool to use if you are not losing or to find out the nutrition content of food.

However, the idea is that, we of all people, have proved that dieting doesn’t work. So if you are treating your life right now as if you are on a diet, eventually you will tire of it, stop tracking, and start gaining. I would bet a very large percentage of people on these boards have been on a low carb diet before and yet here we all are having bariatric surgery. Hence, being on a diet, tracking and eating low carb is not the answer.

I think we all need to take this year not only to lose as much weight as possible but to learn how to eat all kinds of food in balance and in the right portions. To get to a weight where we feel good working out and feel good enough about ourselves to eat food that is good and good for you.

I tend to watch my skinny friends and family. They do not track everything they eat. They do not avoid carbs. They indulge once in a while. They work out and move a lot. They make good choices like “I had a big weekend so this week I am eating lighter”. That is the life I want. Not one tied to a tracker and having my brain dominated by thoughts of what I can and cannot eat.

I love this philosophy! I feel like I'm very behind where I should be. I was sleeved on Aug 1, and I'm down about 72 pounds. The holidays were a real challenge and it's taken me some time to find my way back. I didn't really gain weight back but I stopped losing for at least a month. I feel like being on here helps to keep me focused so I'm going to try to check in more regularly. I have gotten back to the gym and I'm tracking everything I eat so I feel good that I'm back on track. I regret the time I lost, and I wish I was further along, but I guess this is a learning process. It's very mental/emotional for me. Being Italian with 4 kids the cooking is non-stop. I have to really work on my self control and the struggle is real! If I had Iron will power I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place so it really is all about winning this battle in my mind first.

@Creekimp13 I vote for posting a "what's for lunch" thread everyday, because I really am enjoying the sharing and ideas that this thread has brought forth.

Is there a dinner thread yet? lol

Macros? Assuming you are talking about Protein. I can eat about 3.5 - 4 oz of dense protein at a time. So typically Breakfast is 1/2c eggwhites, a turkey sausage cut up and .5oz mozzarella. lunch is 3.5oz of lean meat (shredded chicken, ground turkey, etc) and dinner is the same as lunch. I typically have a snack at 3 that is also protein (string cheese, yogurt or similar). After dinner I have another snack, usually 2 low fat hot dogs cut up small, ham or turkey sausage and then if time permits I may have one more snack before bed, usually string cheese and cottage cheese or similar.... So really not time or room for many carbs. I don't like the artificial stuff in shakes so avoid them if I can.

Balanced. I eat carbs and my plan includes them. Typically, I eat low glycemic index carbs because they don't cause sugar/insulin spikes and boomarang hunger. I eat whole grains, Beans, oatmeal, etc. I avoid refined sugar, white flour, etc.
I also hit my Protein targets. About half animal protein, half plant based.
But yes...I love the fact that a whole wheat english muffin has 110 calories and 6 grams of protein. I also enjoy pumpernickel and sourdough bread, protein Pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and a the occasional black bean brownie:)
My preferred maintenance diet is Mediterranean diet or mayo Clinic diet. I like them because they are associated with more longevity and less cancer risk than high protein diets. They include a lot of whole grains and fruits, veggies, nuts, beans and legumes... and much less meat than the typical american diet.
My nutritionist works with me to make this work post sleeve:)
I am looking for a Forever Diet that I can live with. Not interested in extremes. I'm really happy with my current diet, and feel like I have good flexibility to keep it fresh, healthy and livable.

They tell you pre-op that carbonation is something you should give up forever.
It can potentially stretch your new stomach and cause issues.
I know some people do return to drinking carbonation, a few report they don't have problems.
But nearly all bariatric surgeons will say adamantly that you should not do this.
You go through a lot of trouble to have your stomach size reduced...why would you want to expand it?
Sad as it might be, you might want to find a replacement for that particular habit.
(and I sympathize...I miss carbonation, too...but don't want screw up something I worked so hard to achieve)

My BMI went below 30 this morning. My pulmonologist said if I went below 30, I can probably get rid of my CPAP. I'm also now the lowest weight I've been in the thirteen years my wife and I have been together.

I feel like a failure too sometimes since my stats seem awful compared to other people. Times like that I remind myself I’m wearing smalls and mediums in clothes and easily fitting in jackets from college. Haven’t tried my skinny jeans yet.

I have started to treat myself occasionally. I’ll have a bite of chocolate or a small bowl of Pasta. I just have set macros for the day depending on whether it’s a gym day and make sure I meet my nutritional and caloric goals for the day.

We need to be more gentle on ourselves. Not make excuses for poor decisions but recognize we’re all human and one bad meal or snack won’t make or break our success.

I have to admit that I am on a low carb plan. I'll eat bananas, sweet potatoes, and quinoa but I don't go anywhere near bread, rice or Pasta. I am allowed these things in moderation by my nutritionist but, for me, it's easier to just avoid them.
Cloebird - I'm sad to hear you're not in a happy place right now. I understand how you want to turn to food. It's a constant struggle for me too. Do you keep a food journal? If so, you might want to try tracking your feelings or moods and then looking for patterns. e.g. if feeling bored makes you overeat or reach for something lacking nutrition then you can try and be mindful of that and distract yourself.
I'm trying to make myself feel better without food. No more eating my feelings! When I get the blues, I go for a walk, treat myself to bath, read a trashy crime novel, listen to music, or go and chat with someone. Anything to distract myself! I don't watch TV when I'm sad (because then I might grab a snack) or go anywhere near the kitchen). I have a lifetime of terrible habits and I need to learn new ones! Sometimes I make mistakes and eat chocolate or whatever and then I have to forgive myself but that's OK. I'm a work in progress.

Well its official...I'm in onderland, woohoo

Sure... my kids are back at college so dinners are easier now. My husband and I eat together, but not the same foods. Haha
fir Breakfast I have a Premier Protein shake which i think is 6 carbs?
lunch a 4oz hamburger or turkey patty
low fat cheese stick 0 carb
dannon light n fit 15 carb but you can subtract the Fiber the nutritionist said??
dinner 4oz chicken or steak, nothing on it, maybe some more non fat cheese, some almonds
thats about it
im down 97 lbs since 8/15
was 356 pre surgery, 342 surgery date
currently about 258 give or take a bit
Good luck to you on your journey!!!

Yay! I hit 100 pounds lost.
I never, ever, ever imagined this would be possible!