hope4momof4

Melesg— That is such a sweet Christmas story. This procedure has not only improved your weight and health but it has given you a closer relationship with your children. They probably don’t understand what has brought about this change in mommy but I’m sure they don’t care either. Their mom has just become the coolest mom ever!! That dork remark was completely uncalled for. You are getting the most out of this procedure. Truly inspirational!
Enjoy the rest of your holidays!

Thank you Tex, bubbles and hope4momof4.
Bubbles - so very sorry for your loss at this difficult time. My thoughts are with you.
Christmas Day is done and dusted in Australia and it was not a dieting disaster. I certainly ate some treat foods but in small amounts.
To round off the day I even, wait for it... went for a bike ride in the evening with my daughter. My head told me to lay down on the sofa but my heart told me to strap on the helmet and go for a half hour bike ride. I've never been on a bike with my kids (not for 30 years probably) and whilst it was wobbly and I looked like a complete dork, I rode none the less. At the end of our ride, I got a squishy hug from my baby who declared it "the best day ever".
mel x

To Mel— I’m glad that you are measuring your success in other ways which in all honesty is the most important thing you can do. Your children will absolutely cherish those memories of you participating with them in their fun activities. I have the same issues as you did before—I’ve taken them to Water parks and never gone on with them. They used to beg me to go on and now they don’t bother even asking. Maybe this summer I’ll surprise them. I used to love to swim and we belong to a swim club in our neighborhood now for over five years. Can you believe that I’ve never gone into the pool with them! That will be another one of my goals. Thanks for reminding me. My children are growing up so fast. Soon they won’t want me to swim or get on rides with them so I have to make the most of the time I have with them. I’m so happy Mel that you did this for yourself and your children. Their memories you’ll have with them will be priceless!!😍😍
To Bubbles— My sincerest condolences for your friend’s loss. That is certainly heartbreaking. You are doing what a true friend should and standing by her and just being there for her. Situations in life will put our plans on hold but you have to help her through this. Besides as you said you need to work out your thyroid condition before you can proceed anyway. This is only a minor setback and once you’ve worked through your personal and physiological issues you can get back up and move forward. Please post on this forum whenever you can to let us know how you’re doing . We don’t want to lose touch with you Bubbles. Even a small post simply telling us that your life is still “heavy” at the moment is enough. I know you’ll be back as soon as life eases up.
I wish you both a happier and healthier new year. I hope 2018 brings everyone here and around the world more peace, love, health, and happiness!!

Melesg and hope4momof4, wow, I have never been so touched as reading your most recent posts about motivations other than weight or clothes size to get our lives in a much healthier state. Very deep and so important to many of us, maybe we're a bit hesitant to be so clear. You were both so eloquent and strong in how you want to experience life to the fullest with your children, it really meant a lot to me.
There's something about us as parents wanting to show our children how they can grow up to be people we admire and respect. We have to model in our behavior and I believe for many of us who struggle (and feel like we're losing the battle with our weight) that this same issue is present. So cool that you both are so open to help us all share in this motivation and realize it applies to many of us, even if we haven't openly acknowledged it.
Thanks for this blessing during the holidays! It makes me even more determined to be successful this time in changing my life to a much healthier and active one and becoming the parent I have aspired to be for a long time.
PS. I stopped coffee three days before my ESG (Nov 21) and haven't had any since. After the first week I was over the headaches and really haven't missed it!

To Mel— I’m glad that you are measuring your success in other ways which in all honesty is the most important thing you can do. Your children will absolutely cherish those memories of you participating with them in their fun activities. I have the same issues as you did before—I’ve taken them to Water parks and never gone on with them. They used to beg me to go on and now they don’t bother even asking. Maybe this summer I’ll surprise them. I used to love to swim and we belong to a swim club in our neighborhood now for over five years. Can you believe that I’ve never gone into the pool with them! That will be another one of my goals. Thanks for reminding me. My children are growing up so fast. Soon they won’t want me to swim or get on rides with them so I have to make the most of the time I have with them. I’m so happy Mel that you did this for yourself and your children. Their memories you’ll have with them will be priceless!!😍😍
To Bubbles— My sincerest condolences for your friend’s loss. That is certainly heartbreaking. You are doing what a true friend should and standing by her and just being there for her. Situations in life will put our plans on hold but you have to help her through this. Besides as you said you need to work out your thyroid condition before you can proceed anyway. This is only a minor setback and once you’ve worked through your personal and physiological issues you can get back up and move forward. Please post on this forum whenever you can to let us know how you’re doing . We don’t want to lose touch with you Bubbles. Even a small post simply telling us that your life is still “heavy” at the moment is enough. I know you’ll be back as soon as life eases up.
I wish you both a happier and healthier new year. I hope 2018 brings everyone here and around the world more peace, love, health, and happiness!!

Hi there. I Just wanted to touch base with all my friends here. Reading your successes brings me joy. Congratulations. I"m eating well and trying to stay the course to the best of my ability! I've discovered Premier Protein shakes which I love, so using those to help decrease calories and increase Protein per day. Unfortunately my lab from my Dr. S came back indicating possible hyperparathyroid. Why can't I get a skinny disease? Ugh..I need to follow up with an endocrinologist. In addition, a dear friend of mine son died two days ago. Life is heavy at the moment so just trying to get through one moment at a time. I'm not sure how frequent I will be checking in, but I will when I get some downtime. I have 11 guest coming from out of town to stay with me, so I'm busy, busy. busy... Wishing you all a happy holiday and praying for your continued success.

Your going to love the otherside!!
When I think about my motivation to have the esg it really was all about health. Being healthy so that I could really LIVE this incredible life I have with my family. I have probably lost site of that during the first few months post esg as I really was judging my progress by weightloss alone. But I'm changing that thinking now as it really isn't the measure that's most important.
I told my kids that when we go on vacation in march that we are going to a waterpark and I am going on all the rides too. They thought it was the best thing ever and keep talking about who is going to come on each slide with me. My son said he has never seen me swim, or wear shorts in summertime lol 😂. That's about the change!! It's about time I jump into photos with my kiddos and be fit and active in their lives. And it's awesome to have the energy to know I mean it this time 😊

Great progress Amy. (20 pounds down!!🎉🎊) I made sure to put that in bold so you can take that in for a minute. You have done extremely well— skinny jeans my dear are only a fantasy for me right now. Give yourself credit please.
I think you could possibly be struggling with wanting to eat more because of the holidays. I know I always feel like snacking more at this time of the year due to the stress of the holidays and the fact that those sugary Snacks are constantly in your face. I would not beat yourself up about that at all. Tex commented that he was glad he had his procedure before the holidays because it definitely helped control those cravings. Think of how much bad foods you’d be munching on mindlessly without the procedure. Most people gain during the holidays so I’d call that a win for you. Keep up the good work. Remember that slow and steady wins the race because ,as I’ve read, the weight loss will slow down now. You have to always keep in mind that before esg it was a struggle to keep from gaining so any amount of weight, regardless of how small, that is lost is definitely a good thing.
(One minor question though- you were not allowed coffee after your procedure? I know that sodas and carbonated drinks are off limits but coffee? I am not clear on that one. My doctor didn’t mention this. Did they tell you why?)
Happy Holidays and keep updating. I really enjoy reading about all of your successes— Tex and Melesg love you guys too! You guys are all nailing it!💝💝

You both, TexSlim and Melesg have been great role models for me. And Tex you are a hero. In fact I think you both are! A hero doesn’t have to be someone with superpowers. You both have been brave enough to do a procedure that is fairly new. You both were bold enough to take that step towards your good health. You both have been caring and kind enough to continue to post for others from your experiences so that we can get a better idea of what to expect even though you both hardly knew what to expect when you had your procedures done. That to me is a hero. So many other posters have come and gone without giving the rest of us much advice or insight. I’m so thankful this holiday season for this forum. This was the best gift I could have ever received. Thank you to all of the brave heroes who have done this and came back to help the rest of us. I wish you all the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Years. May we all reach our goals in 2018 and remain on this forum as an “esg family”. Sending you all my love and well wishes. Here’s to a healthier and therefore happier 2018🥂🍾🎉🎉🎊🎊

Thanks for the encouragement hope4momof4.
If it helps, my dr was happy if I had 1 coffee a day from early on. I am a massive coffee addict but really didn't feel like I could stomach it for over a week after my esg. I also couldn't drink more than about 150mls at a time so it was a little cup. My advice was to ensure I had 1.5litres of Water a day and that my coffee was to be in addition to that to ensure I was hydrated.
I double checked with the dietician about having occasional carbonated drinks and was given the ok. In small volumes, stretching doesn't seem to be a concern. I used to love Diet Coke but now have maybe 200mls every few weeks as a treat rather than food. I.e at the movies. They sell the mini cans and I get very excited to sit back and enjoy my mini Diet Coke. I also have had a mini can of mineral water When I was feeling quite head hungry twice as this again feels like a no calorie treat. I completely understand if others have been advised to avoid them all together as I know it can be a slippery slope but just giving my experience 😊
Also just need to share - I can run for 10 minutes without stopping now plus do another 40 minutes of cardio and weights. Honestly feeling so energised from the running - my house has never been cleaner!
Mel x

If you're not getting the procedure til March, it's too early to wean off- give yourself a couple of weeks before. I didn't have any prob with headaches or anything like that, just love my coffee and it's a morning routine/habit.

Thanks Hope4momof4!
Could be the holidays, I'm thinking more just general stress moments for different reasons. But you are right- I am not one to take in accomplishments, I'm more of a it's-never-good-enough person. Gotta work on that!
In terms of the coffee- they told me no coffee for first 5 weeks because it's a diuretic, and staying hydrated is important. I was able to have Decaf, and that got me through my mornings - but it's just not the same for me.

Hi Everyone!
I am overdue for an update, and finally have some time to sit down and write so here's my end-of-December report.
Since my ESG on Nov 8, and as of this morning, I am down almost 20lbs (yay) and feeling fantastic.
Best accomplishments this week - and admittedly these are very superficial - getting into my "skinny" jeans, and being able to cross my legs comfortably.
Biggest challenge: The loss has slowed down. The scale didn't budge all week until this morning, when I finally lost another lb. I know this is to be expected but still frustrating and I know that I really need to ramp up the exercise now to keep it going. My calories are already low (I average between 800-1000/day) so not much give there.
Another challenge came yesterday when, for the first time, I really felt like eating more so than I have so far. As Snacks throughout the day I had 1oz raw almonds, a Protein Shake, and 1oz of string cheese.
On Tuesday I went in for my one month appointment with my doc - this was the first time I've seen her since the procedure. On the office scale, where I'm weighed in in clothes and after eating and drinking all morning, I was down 17lbs. Doc said I was doing great - above average in the weight loss. I will see her in another month.
I'm cleared to add all forms of exercise. And even though I am allowed to add in some starch this week, she said I should stay away from carbs to help keep the weight loss going, so I'm all for that.
And one of the best things now- I have real coffee in the morning! ☕
Here's yesterday's day of food as an example:
Breakfast: (same every day:)
4oz Fage plain greek yogurt with 1oz blueberries/real vanilla & truvia added.
2 cups Coffee w FF coffee mate
Snack: Protein shake
Lunch: 4oz 1% cottage cheese
Snack: 1oz cashew butter or 1oz raw cashews
Snack: 1oz string cheese
Dinner: Turkey burger (Jenny-o - about 2.5oz cooked/180cal) and 2.5 oz steamed spinach.
snack: protein shake
total cals for day = 931
That's about it for now- happy to answer any questions as always. Have a great holiday everyone!
AmyA

Hi everyone,
One last update before Christmas. I am down 13.6kg (30lbs) since my procedure about 14 weeks ago. I was nearly 17 kg heavier this time last year and will be nice seeing in a new year lighter than the previous one.
I think I am finding my esg groove. My portion sizes were getting relaxed as was some grazing so I have gone back to tracking what I eat and weighing some foods again.
I have been at the gym most days since I joined even when I had good excuses not to go. I am enjoying the feeling of sore muscles and breaking a sweat. I really don't typically love exercise but I am realising that it's essential for building muscle and keeping my metabolism up.
I did pay dearly this week after drinking a large volume of Water very quickly. I felt awful and it didn't go away for a day. My dr said I wouldn't be restricted with fluids which is normally true, unless your an idiot like me and skull a giant glass of fluids. Oh man, it hurt. Definately won't be doing that again.
Part of me wishes I had achieved a bigger weight loss at this stage but I have to be happy with slow but consistent losses. I guess we all want to wake up skinny but I do see my behaviour changing a lot during this journey.
I really want to achieve a 20kg loss by the time I see my dr for my 6month review. I am still seeing more progress in my clothing sizes than on the scales. Just bought a size 12 dress for Christmas Day which feels great.
Merry Christmas to the wonderful esg community. Here's to a healthy and happy holiday and keeping the weight gain contained!!
Mel x

Thanks, melesg and hope4momof4, I'm no hero, same person I was before my ESG. My body and mind are reacting very differently (in a positive) way to the new diet. I was not capable of doing this either pre ESG.
Before my ESG, I tried a 2 week vegan cleanse twice, but it was not like this. I felt hunger and the desire to graze in the evening. As soon as I finished the cleanse within a couple of more weeks I reverted back to my old unhealthy eating and drinking habits. It was strange, but the reverting back did not make me feel any better, yet it still happened to me each time in my yo-yo dieting cycles. It was like the irresistible pull of a strong magnet!
I feel so much better physically now that I do not want to lose this and really believe I can make my goal, about 65 lbs more to go. I'm enjoying the holidays and not missing the drinks or Snacks and not "feeling" any physical need to eat more. I hope both of you are able to do this as well.
This forum has been so helpful to me in making my choice for an ESG and learning thru others how to adapt. Just trying to give some back and help others. Merry Christmas!

Thank you all. Tex that is extremely reassuring! I am very excited to hear that to be successful I don’t need to be stellar preop. I’ll keep trying though. I think when I get closer to the procedure day it will really start to feel real and that nervousness/ anxiety may be a driving force to clean up my eating habits. You sound like you are doing fantastic. 20 pounds is a big accomplishment. (Can’t wait till I’m posting the same) Your daily meal plan sounds challenging for me now but post esg I hope I will be able to follow a similar meal plan. I know that I would not be able to follow your meal plan now, certainly not for any extended amount of time. I am hoping this procedure will give me that drive and will power. It sounds like you have those things. Keep up the good work!! You have all given me hope that this procedure will work. I look forward to your weekly posts. I’m preparing!🤞🏻🤞🏻

Tex - you are doing amazing. The amount of Protein you are taking in is incredible and your self discipline at such a challenging time of the year is beyond fantastic. I think you may be the most perfect esg patient - your esg team must be so happy with your progress. You are clearly very determined - to stay on shakes and such a low carb/strict plan is admirable.
You are really inspiring the whole esg community, including me. I hope you know how powerful your updates are to so many people.
Merry Christmas and keep up the great work,
Mel x

Great job Luv life keep going! you're off to an awesome start! So good that you're exercising so much, key to sustaining your weight long term!!

Just wanted to give an update on my progress. This past Friday was 6 weeks since the procedure. I've been exercising 4-5 days a week and eating 3 small meals a day. I'm down 30 pounds. It's still challenging to get in 64 ozs of Water a day but I'm working on it.

Happy Monday, getting in the holiday spirit (no alcohol, snacking or Cookies this year!)
Tomorrow is 4 weeks from my ESG procedure, I lost 4 pounds this week for a total of 20 pounds since ESG!!
Great questions and answers by hope4momof4 and melesg here are my answers as well:
Typical daily food intake, since week 3 averaging ±1000 calories and ±100 g protein:
Breakfast 0600 - Premier Protein shake, 160 cals, 30 g Protein, Multivitamin and Calcium supplement
Mid morning 0900-1000 - Danon Non fat Light n fit Greek Yogurt Cherry, 80 cals, 12 g protein
lunch 1200 - Either Premier Protein Shake or 4 oz protein chicken or salmon (baked) 250 cals, 25 g protein
Mid afternoon 1500 - Premier Protein Shake
dinner 1900 - Either 4 oz chicken or salmon (baked) or Danon Non fat Light n fit Greek Yogurt Cherry, (if protein at lunch)
Drinking >1,5 liters of Water each day as well, between meals, no coffee/caffeine/alcohol
1) No hunger pains or feelings, no evening urges to graze that I used to have every day.
2) I didn't follow the puree stage myself as digestion has been very stable, solid foods haven't been a problem. I have stayed away from leafy items and whole fruits/veg. I'm staying with the Protein Shakes a bit longer to keep ramping down my weight. Started walking and feeling stronger this week, taking the ramp up easy, will introduce weight lifting this week as I hope to go skiing over the holiday period.
3) I'm right around 1000 calories, still a bit extreme and not long term, I have lost 20 of my ±90 pound targeted loss and want to continue this pace for another month or so. When I get below 275 (13 more pounds) I will start to transition to a more long term diet. More than 20 years since I was below 275.
4) No cravings, the head hunger thing is real for me. I don't desire sweets or salty munchies (honestly thought I would never utter these words!). My portion size is <1/5 of what I was previously eating at meal time and that's before not taking seconds.
5) Emotional eater - yes to all the above. If you would have asked me before the procedure I would have denied it and said it was based on my need to get calories due to being "a large body" with any number of related excuses, I'm big boned, I weighed this much when I was in my teens, etc. It just isn't the case. I really believe there is a positive effect from the reduction in stomach size and satiety (feeling of being full) and hormone reduction that is driving this.
Hope4momof4, don't be stressed, I would not have predicted any of 4) of 5) before I had my procedure. In fact I gained about 10 pounds in less than a month from the time of my consult to completing the blood work and dietician visit. I thought about changing my eating and lifestyle before the procedure but never could have understood beforehand how much my willpower is stronger now after the ESG.
Keep going, stay strong, there's lots of hope coming your way!!

I totally agree with Bubbles. This forum has been a great inspiration for us all who are pre esg or whatever procedure. I also agree with Bubbles about how reading all your posts puts me in higher spirits. That is interesting how Tex after having esg is now able to take a step back and think about his food choices and not just automatically put things in his mouth. Yes, Bubbles I do exactly the same thing as you, it is really an automatic action that we never stop to think why? My kids are eating so I eat. My kids are snacking so I snack. Great that this procedure gives you the power to break that habit. Tex I’m sure you will get over your stall. Many have reported a stall after only two weeks. But all who have stalled have pushed through to lose weight again. You will get through this as well I’m sure. Make sure to get enough Protein (all who have reported a stall got through it, it seems after increasing their protein) and I’m not sure if you mentioned if you started exercising again. I hope others who have experienced stalls can chime in here and give you better advice than me. The main thing is that you’ll get over this small bump in your journey.

Add my husband to the group too. Always thin - could eat whatever he wanted (but he can gain and of course, loses it quite easily). Damn them!

Haha - My husband is definitely fit and healthy but it doesn't bother me. Thank god my kids got his build and metabolism and not mine!!

Ok it’s update Monday. I’m going to continue to post here regardless of whether or not anyone else is reading it, lol 😂. I need to do this and am grateful for anyone who joins in.
My biggest accomplishment this week: (not really weight related but nonetheless): Realizing that my husband still thinks I’m attractive even though I’ve gained 15-20 pounds in the past few months. I’ve been so self conscious and only worn baggy loose fitting clothes to cover up my weight gain but he really doesn’t seem to be bothered by my extra weight. This is very good for my self image but is not going to stop me from moving forward with the esg. It is because of his nonjudgmental attitude that I want to be the healthiest I can be for him and for myself.
On a side note— someone else in this forum mentioned that their husband has always been fit and lean and that bothered her, I think it was Mel?, in any case my husband is exactly the same. He’s been the same size for the past twenty years without ever “dieting”. It annoys the sh.. out of me but it’s true. However, he recently quit smoking and I’m so proud of him but he has put on like 10-15 pounds because of this. I could care less about those pounds. I’m so happy he’s quit. 🎉🎉🎊🎊
My biggest challenge: Realizing that I am getting closer to my procedure date and I haven’t changed my eating habits at all. ☹️ I have to start making an effort towards this. When do you guys think is the best time preop to really clean up your act? I have seven weeks left to go.

Absolutely, more than happy to answer any questions.

1. Yes I do feel hungry but it's still mostly head hunger. I think it will take me a long time before this changes. This is one of the biggest points the dietician and I discuss - strategies to ensure I am tuning into real hunger verses head hunger.

2. I don't have strict rules apart from fruit veg and Protein. General advice is to minimise unhealthy snacking but nothing is off limits at all.

3. I try stuck to under 1200 cal per day. I wasn't set a strict calorie amount after my esg.

4. Yep - still like the sound of bad foods but I find it easier to not have them. If I really want something I can usually wait a day or two and decide if I want it. I typically would then share it and make sure the rest of my day is healthy. If I really want chocolate I would now eat a small bar rather than a whole block. The old me would have gone on an eating bonanza, eating from dusk till dawn and still wanting more.

5. Definitely an emotional eater. I have to say I felt a little lost at the start and sad that I couldn't eat the way I did. I now feel much stronger in general when it comes to emotional eating. The esg definitely slows you down but you have to still stay strong. As there is no immediate barrier to how much you eat, you need to eat slower and enjoy the food now - not just inhale it . I was an inhaler unfortunately but those days are gone.

6. Yes! I could eat less now to really shed the pounds but I really think this is sustainable for me. The weeks where my weight has stayed the same I think have taught me what my maintained diet may look like. Adding a bit of bread here and a snack there pushes me into sustaining my weight rather than losing. But I honestly think it's sustainable. I no longer feel controlled by food the way I was before esg.

7. I think it's mostly still quite positive. I do find it hard at times to "see" my weight loss. Even though I am now buying size 14 clothes, I still take an 18 into the change rooms just in case. It can be frustrating not having the big numbers come off like at the start but I just think that that I was so lucky to lose 1/3 of my weight in the first weeks. It was a real kickstart.

There is certainly a mental edge to weight loss and I think most overweight people are pretty hard on themselves. We see every flaw in ourselves when I'm not sure the rest of the world sees us that way. We all need to peel away the layers that our obesity has covered and it can leave you feeling a bit exposed perhaps.

Overall, I would say I am eating about half what I was pre esg. My calories now come from mostly nutritious foods and I am more active. I don't think maintenance will be easy but I am told that rewriting your eating behaviour and sticking to it is the best way to make this work forever.

I don't see myself getting super slim but rather healthy. Not so much bikini ready, more like one piece tummy control swimsuit ready x