JanineVSG

I may have been a little premature in that statement. I'm definitely feeling those squats now, lol! But we are definitely getting better every day Yes, you should definitely take photos! It's so nice to be able to compare. You won't notice any changes for a while, and then once you look back at an old photo... it'll be such an amazing experience.

I track all my weight on this Epic Weightloss Spreadsheet from Reddit. It requires a little bit of an understanding of Google Documents in order to use it correctly, but I am very visually oriented and I like seeing the graph. I also like that it has a space to put notes on your day (I use it to track my pants sizes as they go down, lol) As for numbers, I calculate total lost from my absolute highest weight recorded at a doctor's office (I'm sure I weighed more at one point) and also calculate how much lost since surgery.

28 lbs! That's fantastic! Great job I take pictures all the time. I'm kind of addicted to progress photos, lol. Plus... I'm finally able to wear some of the cuter clothes that have been hiding in my closet! It probably is. Cold water definitely makes me feel sick. Room temp is the way I go post-VSG. I don't mind it, but dang do I miss a refreshing glass of ice water after a hard workout... Speaking of workouts, last night I was at the gym for like, an hour and a half, but I'm hardly sore at all today. I need to start upping my weights. At least I know I'm making progress!

Hi Marty, how far out are you? Are you getting nausea at certain times (like after eating something in particular)? I don't deal with a lot of nausea anymore, but I realized early on that I can't drink cold water in the morning or I'll dry heave. A lot of us have to quickly learn how to identify foods that upset our new tummy.

Mine's more of a "before and during." 2 months post op, 35 lbs down (~75 overall) And here's a face comparison (my friend overlaid two selfies from January to March):

I love your sense of style! You look great!

Have you ever tried Couch to 5k? http://www.c25k.com/ A lot of people swear by it! Another fun app to get into running is "Zombies Run". It makes your jogs/runs into audio dramas about the zombie apocalypse!! Just remember to take it slow so you don't get shin splints or anything like that :)

I am not sure I have any worthwhile advice, but I just wanted to let you know that I hear your struggle and I hope things get better for you. Stay the course; 2 weeks will fly by in no time at all. If you feel like you're not getting enough support from your spouse (which it sounds like you aren't), just know you can always find support on this forum.

That's so crazy. Not wanting people to publish their Before and Afters?? That's insanity! We all have to work hard, no matter where we started. Some of us have to work a little longer, still, but the journey is still hard... there's just no pleasing some people!

Hey sleevers, how y'all doing? Here's a 2 month update from me. (btw, I watermark all my images so no one can steal them. I recommend everyone does this for their wls photos!!)

You look awesome!!! Congratulations on all your hard work!!! [emoji322]

Hey OP, are you taking a B vitamin? It will make your pee neon yellow. It's pretty freaky! But your tongue does indicate dehydration. One way to test for dehydration is to pinch your skin on your hand. Google "dehydration pinch test". If the skin seems to stick together, you might be dehydrated. If it moves back into place, you're ok.

With the gastric sleeve, you can expect to lose 75% of your excess body weight. Your profile says you are 5'7", so your ideal weight is 115-155. You have an excess of 289-155, so about 134. So 75% of that is about 100 lbs, which means you could expect to get down to at least 180! That's totally possible There's other way to calculate ideal body weight, too... here's one from Moose and Doc: http://halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm

Do you use a CPAP or anything? I find that I can't get to sleep unless I put my mask on. Otherwise, I get too restless... One key thing to consider when you're having issues sleeping is electronics use. Some people recommend not using any electronic devices like your computer or phone in bed, because you need to associate your bed only with sleeping. So, don't sit and read in bed, don't study in bed... just use your bed for when you're tired.

Like a lot of others have said, I retain water during my cycle! I got the IUD before surgery as recommended by my doctor. Even though I'm on the IUD, I think I still have a cycle of sorts, and I notice I get more hormonal/my body feels differently each month, even though I'm not menstruating. That being said - I think the most important thing to remember is that a pound is 3500 calories. If you weigh in and you've suddenly gained weight, it's most likely water weight. Why? Well... it's really freaking hard to not only eat back what you burn each day, let alone another 3500 on top of that, when we have such teeny tummies. That's what helps me get through the wild ride that is weighing in! Haha

I didn't think I'd be crying this morning, but here we are. It's been a really tough journey, you guys. Every day I struggle with "defensive obesity," a condition my psychiatrist says results from my childhood sexual abuse. I have to be kind to myself. I have to love myself, because if I don't, how can I continue to work hard? Let's all do better. Please respect my wishes and don't reply to this thread again. Let's let it die.

Holy cow, man. "Maybe a bit of self hatred would have done you some good" but then, also, "Well too allow your body to get to 400 you can't love loved yourself that much" You're right. I didn't love myself. When I was 3 years old, I was raped. I was raped as an infant, as well. I grew up hating myself and everything about me. I wanted to protect myself, so I ate and ate and ate, finding comfort in food. I wanted to shield myself. I wanted to be disgusting so I couldn't get hurt again. I hope you are proud of yourself. That was a very hurtful thing to say. Thank you for reminding me how far I have come in how I feel about myself, though. I had value at 456 lbs. I'll have value at my goal weight, too. We all need to be nicer to ourselves, because if we are more understanding of what we're going through and why we eat the way we do, we'll be able to take better care of ourselves. I am a survivor of child sexual abuse. I will not let that control my life any longer. I have come a long way. I'll go even further once I block you. Have a blessed day.

That's an awesome idea... I'm always looking for ways to cut waste out of my life, so bringing my own containers would be great for that. Thanks for the tip!!!

How much did everyone lose in month 2? I only lost 10 lbs in month 2. I'm worried it's slowed down too much. I just have to remember I lost 45 lbs pre-op so there's a chance it won't come off as fast for me as it does for others... and, on the other hand, 10 lbs is much more than I would have lost before!

Anyway, to answer your question -- try to order "a la carte" if you're able. Or, get a meal that's protein based and ask for substitutions. For example, the other day I went out to eat and ordered a citrus chicken breast served over rice with one side. I asked for creamed spinach instead of rice and got a side salad. Ate a few bites of chicken, ate my salad, and boxed the rest up to take home! I got 2 more meals out of it. Just look over the menu carefully and see what can heat up well, like you mentioned.

You're right! I just went to hibachi earlier and got a side order of just salmon... the waiter was like, "What? You know that doesn't come with rice or vegetables or anything right?" Like, yeah, I know, I'm aware! ? I even was able to box up half of it and take it home. I actually like going out to eat, because I like getting leftovers and being able to munch on them for a few days. My husband has even gotten into this habit, too, so he's losing weight as well!

That's a lot of replies and a lot of anger. You said you're leaving the thread - so . . . good luck with everything!

That sounds so frustrating!!

I am not saying you need to coddle others when discussing your own struggles. I, and some others in this thread, are just saying we could all stand to be a little nicer to ourselves and understand how negative self-talk does not really lead to a healthy relationship with our bodies. I am sorry if my post upset you.

Hello dreamingsmall, I am sorry if my post offended you. You seem to be very aggressive in this reply to me. I never said it was all about me. This is a place to talk about all of our frustrations. Personally, I am working to be more conscious of how everyone's journeys are different and how our struggles can be just as hard, despite our different starting points. Maybe you can also work on understanding how someone voicing their struggle with self-worth doesn't invalidate your own. Thank you for the reply.