Orchids&Dragons

Will they have to move it again after you lose all the weight?

Whoa! That design is stunning!

There are many ways to eat "around" your restriction. One of the most common is slider foods - something like chips or pretzels that usually make you thirsty so that you drink while eating them. This turns them to mush, which slides right past your restriction, enabling you to eat far more than normal. Other sliders are ice cream, soft fruit, bread, crackers, etc. You can pack in a lot of non-nutritive calories in a relatively short period of time. Another major way to fall of the wagon is liquid calories: alcohol, juice, energy drinks, soda, etc. You won't get any restriction from these either and they sure do add up.

UPDATE on Frustr8: I just heard from Tomkitten that Frustr8 is out of surgery. Doctor said there were no problems. She's very tired but sitting up and sipping liquids. I'm sure she'll be back on the boards in no time! She's been dreaming of this day and it finally happened. Praise be!

I totally agree. And my earlier response was typed before you mentioned that it was a "mean girls clique". That certainly makes a difference.

I'm 6 months out and eat 800-1000 cal/day. The adviser at the hospital thinks I should be at 1000-1200, so it sounds like you're perfect.

You can't really blame them for their ignorance. Right now, they're probably jealous as hell about your success, which they think is from diet and exercise, which makes them feel like total failures, which makes them resent your healthy choices, which . . . into an endless loop. No, I'm not saying you're obligated to tell anyone anything that you don't want. However, leaving them in the dark automatically excludes them from being any kind of support system. The other possibility is that they're trying to "peer pressure" you into being less restrictive with your diet because they have no idea that your diet/health is being medically supervised. All they see is extreme weight loss and that may scare them. Just my 2¢ worth.

Love the disclaimer! I think the only "backpack" person you're likely to offend is Bran from GoT!

Awesome attitude. You're setting yourself up for success! Best wishes for a smooth surgery and a speedy recovery!

What quilt design are you going to use? So far, the components look amazing together. I love the mix of stronger graphics with the watercolors! At least it keeps your mind off the colonoscopy!

Congrats! Glad to hear you're doing well!

At least he's consistent

You sound like my brother Mike. He spent all of boot camp doing push-ups because of his smart-mouth. He'd never looked better

After carrying twins full-term, I can tell you that they will shrink and get pale, which is far less noticeable!

Their loss

I think this really depends on your personality. Some people are great planners. They figure out what they are going to eat and when and then stick to the script. I'm more about tracking. I use a notebook, but you can use any of the tracking apps like MyFitnessPal, etc. Once I've met my protein goals for the day (water is easy for me), I'm done eating except for non-starchy veggies. I don't count those. But some way or another, you have to keep track. And even when you cheat, write it down. One thing that helps me is cooking. I have so much more control over protein an calories in food that I make myself. Good luck!

Man! You look great! Don't let anybody else set your weight goal for you. Do whatever makes you feel fit and healthy.

Good luck! Hope all goes smoothly!

Brilliant! You're a Bariatric philosopher!

Great topic! Following . . . And congrats on your success!

No, you haven't ruined it. It takes quite a while to stretch the pouch out and that is with overstretching it every day. However, you really want to focus on success now. Right now is as easy as it will ever get. Once the honeymoon period is over, it will be much harder to lose, so don't waste this time period.

Thank you. I'm glad I've been able to help a little. I have a co-worker with Crohn's. He is extremely thin and very careful with whatever he eats. I don't know anything about his medications. We don't know each other that well. But you've helped me to understand part of it. I appreciate it.

Oh, man, I am so sorry that you've had to go through all of this. It really makes me appreciate how much I take for granted. You're such a nice guy and very positive; its a real credit to your character than you haven't become angry and bitter. Your story is inspirational. Thank you for sharing and best wishes on your surgery and a smooth recovery.

Thank you, @sharonintx! Wisdom from a vet is always appreciated! Congrats on 5 years worth of success!

I have seen several men comment on it as well. I think it's just more noticeable when your hair is longer and you're pulling a gerbil-sized wad of hair out of the shower drain.