FluffyChix

Oh wait! It's the don't eat after 6pm thing. Right? LOL?

Try taking the strings off with a veggie peeler. Sorry. That's misery!

Show of hands, who weighs buck nekkidy? Not even socks or undies come between me and my scale number!

I use MyFitnessPal and it's about as good as you make it. LOL. I use mainly raw ingredients and use the USDA values. So everything I search for, I try to say, "USDA cucumber with peel" and use the one in gram weights with the USDA number in it. Or things like "USDA, beef, top sirloin, trimmed to zero fat, raw". That kind of thing. Other times, estimates are just fine for if I'm eating out or whatever. I might say Chuy's enchiladas, or On The Border Queso. Whatevs. It'll get me close. I also try to pick the highest entry during those reports. There aren't that many of them, so I don't worry.

Must be your device. It's working perfectly here: audio and video.

I started a year before.

Hahahaha! OMG! Hilarious! Ok, so I had to be "schooled" about what that emoji was from my great niece! I thought it was a little Hershey's too! Hahahahaha!

Hahaha! Here's a great (charming) little TED talk about The Surprisingly Charming Science of Your Gut!!! Well jasus, no wonder so many of us have trouble poopin'! Take a few minutes to appreciate a very hard working little world! (pssst, isn't the doc adorabs?)

No it's not. Naturally thin women have been doing it forever. They were actually taught to "eat" before the party so you don't look like "pig" at the party. At least in the South, our mamas taught us that...

Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese? Where? What brand?

It's an evolution. I do IF. Because of that, if I "miss my meal" it's no big deal. If a social function doesn't have something I can eat, then it's very simple. No angst. No pangs. No regrets. No sadness. Food is just food. I go home and eat a normal meal or snack that's on my plan. Instead I just enjoy the social aspect of it and visit and meet new people.

Oh jeeze! So sorry for your loss and struggles!!! ((hugs)) I'll say good intentions for the home situation!!! On a bright note, you look fabulous and your cutie patootie daughter is the bomb dot com! What a smile! Hang in there and come play with us again!!!

Ok, Dr. V. isn't for everyone...but you guys are pretty Outstanding peeps! So I want to park this here. How to MAXIMIZE WLS. (Stay on the Elevator!)

Honestly? My suggestion would be to get yourself back to your surgeon and follow up visits. If not that surgeon, then find a new team. Recent research shows that those patients with the best follow up care/compliance have the best long term success with the least regain and complications. This is too complex of a journey to "wing it" on your own. Your leak most likely had very little to do with your surgeon and had more to do with your body and health. For whatever reason, you did not seal in an area. Most of us are so metabolically sick going into surgery that we are at greater risk of complication than a so called "healthy normal weight" patient.

Hang in there. White knuckle it if you need to. Deep breathe. Exercise. Move them to the pantry. They will find them. Encourage them to eat them quicker. Eat celery and carrots if you're truly hungry. You can do this. Vacay is about much much more than food!!! ((hugs))

Good luck on your interview. To this day I still have a love/hate relationship with nut butters and nuts. Some days win, some days lose.

Eating with a cocktail fork REALLY slows you down. Also eating with chopsticks slows you down. Also eating with your opposite hand. Also having a conversation at the table with family helps you pause and put your fork down between each bite. Also, don't pre-load your fork with the next bite until you've thoroughly chewed, savored and swallowed the bite in your mouth and you've enjoyed a bit of conversation at the table.

^^^^This a thousand times! I honestly think if you are having this issue, you must treat food as you would a prescription. You will need to be regimented, and determined and disciplined to go on a weight gaining program, but not just any weight--a muscle gaining regimen. And for that you really need a trainer who understands sports medicine and bariatric medicine. Cuz you do face challenges. For instance, are you logging? Do you track every bite that goes in your mouth? If you do, then you at least know a baseline both calorically and from a macro prospective. So you can alter your plan to increase your nutrition. The most obvious ways are NOT to add sugar. That is a recipe for RH. I have it. It sucks. Juice is TERRIBLE for that! But the most obvious way to add back cals and nutrition are to add back your protein drinks as supplements on top of your food. And eat very nutrient dense and calorically dense foods that allow you eat more of them cuz they are hedonic stimulants (lasagna casserole without noodles, casseroles, gooey things with cheese). Also adding in psyllium and miralax have been lifesavers for me... Hope those ideas help. If you are losing, I'd personally up my cals by 10-15% for the day...and get at least 1 meal in that had 30g of protein for that meal, cuz Dr. Longo says that aids in muscle building...

Here's a great thread that deals with doing the head work, losing regain, getting and staying on track, head hunger, emotional eating, etc!

Eating disorders are a mental illness as defined by the DSMV. Per many, many, many doctors, you cannot fast or restrict your way into a mental illness such as an eating disorder. In all situations, the eating disorder came before the restrictive episodes. Meaning it was an underlying condition. Fear of regain is natural and appropriate. You are on time and on track for having to deal with this conundrum as part of your walk into maintenance. You are a rockstar. You will begin trusting yourself and understanding your maintenance boundaries. Good job and congrats on where you are right now!!! Fill up your new maintenance calories 100-200calories at a time from very nutrient dense and more caloric measures. Use the full fat versions of what you've been eating. Add your carbs back (healthy ones) in the 5-10g blocks you're doing. You are doing everything right. Ignore everyone else. Regain DOES happen. You shouldn't artificially try to regain the weight you've lost. Try this week to go from 900 cals to 1000 or 1100. See what happens. Your maintenance will likely fall somewhere between having low days in the 800-900 range and high days maybe in the 1400-1800 area. It will probably average somewhere around 1200-1400cals per day unless you are super exercising. . It's natural to have days where you aren't hungry and days where you are a hungry hungry hippo. It's simple. The days when you aren't hungry, don't eat. The days when you are hungry, fill yourself up with nutritious and super healthy foods!!! That's what naturally thin people do!

Good that you are working on this stuff now! It can only increase the odds of your success post surgery. I think working with a therapist to develop a set of behaviors that are grounded in CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) could provide great help. Also EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and other programed designed to develop mindfulness and fascilitate behavior modification helps a lot. Also, getting into an exercise program that is a guided program where you have accountability. Having a local WLS support group is IMHO imperative. Having follow-up visits with your RD post surgery for accountability. Starting your weight loss diet now (your forever healthy diet). Having a creative hobby/outlet. Getting your support network aligned. Breaking up with any known addictions (caffeine, high glycemic carbs, sugar, white things, excessive fruit/fruit juices, sweets, smoking, drugs) Having a very clear view that you ARE choosing long-term change. There is no going back. Yoga and Tai Chi. These are all things that help. Also awareness/education. Learn/read and study your research!

Of course, I'm not advocating you drink alcohol after WLS...