sillykitty

I'm confused ... 140 at 5'3" is normal BMI, not overweight

I loved this challenge! I really liked being able to set my own goals. It makes it relevant to anyone at any stage of the process.

You're right, my tummy actually is flatter. But unfortunately so are my t!ts and a$$

I'm not too late am I?? #31- Before & After Pics Here is my after, no big change, since I'm in maintenance!

I'm regularly irregular, if that makes sense? I might go three days in a row, and then not for 3 more days, and then skip, and then two days in a row, etc.. But it causes no issues, no discomfort. I've literally never felt constipated, or maybe I don't know what constipated feels like? I asked my GI ex about this once (when I was liquored up and had the courage ) and he said as long it didn't cause issues, no reason to worry. I only had a painful bathroom experience twice in my life. My first bm 8 days post op, but liquid diet + opioids, to be expected. The second was a few days into the January challenge, when I was very protein focused

@GreenTealael ... certainly doesn't sound like orthorexia to me. You're flexible, you're eating what sounds good to you, but with a healthful bent. You certainly aren't obsessively counting lettuce leaves. I'm totally food lazy, and I don't even feel bad about it. It's time consuming and expensive to cook for myself. It takes just as long to cook a large portion as a small portion. Then part of the large portion goes to waste, because I get sick of it. And then there is the dirty dishes and dirty kitchen. I'm usually happier to eat some cheese, or salami, or carrots with dip, or heat up two pieces of a Trader Joe's appetizer. Time saved, no waste, and I'm satisfied. #noapologies

Welcome back @FluffyChix Sorry you've been struggling lately . I can't help at all on the bg thing, I have no experience. I had also heard that B vitamins cause hunger. I don't experience that, but it can be a thing. With all the regularity talk .... do you all go every day, and consider it a problem if you don't?

#30 - January Goals Update

@FluffyChix .... where are you hiding??

I'm posting this just because it is so rare I actually put any kind of effort into a meal these days. I actually got a pan dirty, y'all! Tri Tip Emmentaler Melt on Sourdough

#29 - Website/Apps I really only use My Fitness Pal. It's great for letting me know how little protein I get if I don't push myself. It also keeps me honest about days I eat too much and days I eat too little.

I agree with @Healthy_life, the key to maintenance isn't pills and meal replacement shakes (especially from shady MLM companies). It's finding a long term sustainable plan that works for you. We are all individuals, so there is no one solution. You love breakfast, great! Protein waffles, protein pancakes, sugar free syrup. You want "real" pancakes, great, make yourself a small serving on Sunday mornings, or go all out once a month, with the chocolate chip and whip cream kind. Are you the slippery slope type? Can't have one potato chip or you will eat the whole bag? Great, then know you absolutely cannot have those items around, complete ban. But maybe you can just have an occasional square of chocolate in the evening and be done with it, so you can indulge, but stay on plan. Do you just generally have a hard time reigning it in, and you snack or graze? Well then work it off, burn those excess calories. As long as the excess calories aren't extreme, run them off, or swim them off, or bike them off. Whatever you do, diet pills aren't a solution, and neither is anything Herbalife sells.

This one is harder than January ... I'm scared!

Generally, no, not at all. I feel satisfied and full and have tasted enough of the food to satisfy the "head hunger" portion of eating. Very occasionally I feel some, maybe disappointment?, that I'm not able to continue to eat. Usually if it is something uniquely delicious that isn't something I'll have again anytime soon. Or occasionally my favorite comfort foods, usually pasta based, there is a twinge of sadness I can't just eat a big ol' bowl. Overwhelmingly though, feeling fantastic, looking fantastic (in clothes at least), TOTALLY makes up for any twinge of regret about not being able to gorge myself.

I had no physical hunger for quite some time post WLS. I still usually have decreased hunger. At this point, just focus on the basics. Meeting your protein goal just takes two protein shakes a day. I found that do-able most days. If I didn't manage one day, I didn't sweat it. Just make it all about protein, fluids, and supplements, those are the most important.

I have an ethical problem with MLM companies, and choose not to do business with them.

Food is not a slippery slope for everyone. Some people are perfectly capable of going wildly off plan whether it be a bite, or a meal, or a day, or a week, and then put it behind them and get back on plan, with no real damage done. You say "To each other own..." but yet make statements like "I think it's terrible because you got fat from eating those foods. Why would you still want them in your life?" You can say you only wanted to discuss the merits of shocking our system, but when you add judgmental comments, people are going to respond to them. There are many paths to success post WLS. Just because one wouldn't work for you, doesn't mean it's "setting yourself for failure" or that it's "terrible".

#28 - Overcoming Obstacles For me, it has come down to stubbornness and ability to keep focused on the goal of being thin and healthy. One of the biggest obstacles during my WL phase was business required entertainment, which translates to heavy drinking. Night after night I sat and had water, while everyone else drank. I honestly didn't miss the alcohol. But I missed the camaraderie. I don't like standing out, in a negative way. I didn't enjoy having to say over and over again that alcohol made me ill. I didn't like having clients sometime curtail their fun because I was not joining in. But I did it week after week, because I was determined to make the most of my tool. I didn't want to eat 500 cals during the day, then add 100's of empty calories at night. So, yep, basically stubbornness!

#27 - My current struggles What's the character limit on here? Primarily, getting my protein in. I am not a huge protein lover, so prioritizing protein takes effort. But even when I make the effort, my restriction generally doesn't allow me to get close to 60 g without some form of protein supplementation, like shakes or bars. I have found shakes and bars I can tolerate, but none I really want to eat. It worries me that going forward I'm going have have to force myself to eat borderline gross protein supplements or only get 30 g or so per day otherwise. Secondarily, finding where I can maintain vs. lose. I think maybe my body wants to be in the low 130's, for right now at least? It's really nice to be able to eat pretty freely and not gain. But I'm also scared if I will be able to do the same 6 months from now, or a year from now. Finally, my naked self, I really don't like. It seems these last 10-20 lbs hit me the hardest negatively physically. I lost a cup size + in the last month, my butt is significantly flatter and my thighs are way saggier looking. Seriously makes me want to cry.

#26 - How I eat out I eat out far more than the average person. One reason is due to work travel, and the other is just my lifestyle, going out is a standard things my friend group does. I'm generally pretty lax when I dine out. I sometimes make pretty good choices, like this. But I'm almost never going to choose something I really don't want, over something more delicious. So in the Shake Shack case, I'll never order their chicken vs. a burger (cause their burgers are my fave ever!). But I do sometimes make easy concessions, like a lettuce wrap vs. bun

But you responded with that advice to @SteveT74, who is post op ....

Ok, then I am definitely not on your hubby's side! He's down for the hard work, but not the relaxing. Something is wrong there!

Be cautious about making these kind of statements on a bariatric forum. This is contrary to just about every program ever posted on this forum. Most post op diets are very low calorie, VLC, at least at the beginning. A large caloric deficiency is the norm. This generally leads to rapid initial weight loss. And then as we heal and our stomachs naturally stretch a bit we eat more calories, and weight loss naturally slows. But there is a honeymoon period with WLS, and if someone is eating at or near their BMR is will generally slow losses, and squander this window. Of the thousands of posts on stalls on this forum, and others, I have anecdotally concluded that stalls start and break absolutely independently of what anyone eats or does. But for bariatric patients eating consistently below your BMR does not leads to stalls or gains, anymore than anything else causes these, like breathing, or a full moon, or who wins the Super Bowl.

I missed this Fluffy. How are you liking the air fryer? I ? mine!

First, congrats! It’s not easy these days for little ones to leave the nest, and for all your grads to have done that is pretty amazing! But, I have to side with your hubby here a little. None of that sounds like a vacay! ?