Malcy

Great topic. As someone just getting started, I'd love to hear some tips from vets on which things helped them out.
I will say that I have a 32oz Contigo Water bottle glued to my side all day, every day that helps me track my water intake. I have a Samsung Gear watch that I wear when I exercise. I am still on soft foods, but am looking into a food tracker to help me once I transition to the next stage. Right now my top contenders are My Fitness Pal and Lose It.

Research shows a strong correlation between proper hydration and fat loss
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4901052/

Congrats!!!! This is great!

Congratulations to you, and shout out to you also @Orchids&Dragons. Both of you hit incredible milestones and I'm very happy for you. You guys give me something to look forward to.

You look fantastic!

Congratulations!
But, OMGosh, I just realized - I hit overweight last week and missed it! YEAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been in the "obese" category for so many years and I just realized that in only one more pound I'll be officially down to "overweight" - which may not seem like much of a victory, but sure feels like one to me. I'm wearing another pair of my college kid's jeans today - size 14! - because I don't fit any of mine (again). And I feel SOOO healthy. So glad I did this. I'm GREAT at losing weight, but horrible at keeping it off, so this? This is wonderful.

Down 150 pounds. Why didn’t I do this surgery 10 Years ago!?!?!?

So inspiring!

The world has lied to you. They told you that being fat is the worst thing in the world. Not being mean, or a bully, an elitist, a miser, materialist---none of these are as bad as being fat. Think about that. Think about that complete and utter BS the world has fed you. They shoved it down your throat, and now the thread of thought is in you and it is poisoning you.
Right now, craziikid, this is your real problem, not your weight. If you don't learn to value yourself for more than what you look like you are never going to get out of the fog. Listen to your man, look at your successes. Despite the world telling you that you will never achieve anything or have people who want to be by your side, you do and you have. Yay, you are fat, but you are worthy as any other f*ck out there. That is the real truth--but they don't want you to know that, because how else are they going to sell you their diet pills, how else are they going to make themselves feel superior? Being thin is all a lot of being got. You got a whole lot more. You know you do.
I hate to go all body positive on you, but that is what you need right now, to give a big old middle finger to society and be fricking happy, girl. I don't mean to simplified it, but being happy is sometimes a choice--take it from one sick mind to another (read my profile if you want details). Then, when you are at that good place, if you want to get back on the dieting horse, do it, but do it for your health. Not for some made up, manufactured ideal of what a person should be.

Love love love this post! As someone relatively new to wls (1 mo post op) I can tell you that I feel like I'm going to print your post so I can reflect on it when I am further along in my journey. Thank you for sharing and congrats to you on your success.

Hello @The Preacher and everyone else who believes in the power of prayer on this post. I am asking urgent prayer for craziikid307 . They are on this website and posted a message stating they are suicidal. Please please please lift this person up in prayer so that they will not take their own life and will go and seek the help they need. Thank you

Just heard from her son! Hallelujah @Frustr8 made it through and is resting!!!

Oh good!

Just heard from her son! Hallelujah @Frustr8 made it through and is resting!!!

You aren't joking. Lately I haven't had any action so I'm starting to feel like my train has jumped the track altogether !

@FluffyChix thanks for the insightful and useful post. I'm working on getting all my legs together and I feel like this surgery has given me a good start. My 5th leg definitely needs some work getting the train on schedule lol

Congrats on getting back in the gym!!!
So the old saying is that your diet/weight loss happens in the kitchen, not in the gym.
But, I think things are not so straight forward. I know for me to succeed, I have to have 4 legs of my camp stool addressed and balanced: healthy eating/caloric restriction; exercise; sleep; well-being (de-stressing/happy activities/support system intact, etc). If any one of those legs are not in balance with the others, then I fall over off my stool (hehe I said "stool" which makes me think of a possible 5th leg of the stool: the #2 track and train schedule running on target ) and weight loss comes to an utter and complete, abject stand still. And then I freak. Seriously. Freak.
I'm doing some reading with a couple of neuroscientist docs who do research and treat peeps with degenerative brain diseases and the newest research coming out on this is startleing. There is a direct 1:1 relationship with exercise and healthy minds/bodies. And it is convincing enough to me that I'm exercising daily. I was never a daily exerciser. I don't love it. I will likely never be a gym rat. But I can walk. And I can do movement exercise, balance stuff, etc and build core strength...at home. So just my 2 cents!
Great question/subject!

I started back a couple weeks ago with a Zumba class. I was fine on the first song but was practically crawling out at the end. But each class I noticed I had more endurance. As far as weight loss I really can't say because I'm in a stall right now. But I will tell that continuing to workout even when I'm not losing is helping me cope with the stall because I know it won't be long before the scale moves. And honestly I don't see how exercise could not contribute to weight loss.

All,
Let us please bear up our dear friend @Frustr8 as she undergoes RNY Surgery today. She is 73years young and has been an amazing support to me and to so many others as we went through our procedures. She has had so many personal, financial and other attacks leading up to the surgery and is really going through a tough time, many have tried to desuade her from going through with it, but she is resolved to trust the Living God and go through with it.

Spirit of the living God, do what only you can do. Please bear our beautiful sister @Frustr8 up today and always. We ask that you bless her from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet. That you give her peace and encouragement going into her procedure and that all things coming against her boomerang right back to where they came from and away from your daughter.

We pray for everyone who is going to come into contact with her or touch her, we pray and plead the blood of Jesus on the facility, over the check in clerk, over the nurses who tend to her, over the surgeon, over the anesthesiologist, over the the medications, over the equipment, God even over the linens that will touch her body and the, and the sutures and bandaids, we uplift and exalt the whole procedure, that you yourself with masterfully operate on your daughter. We pray everything goes without a glitch, we pray for her to wake without any complications, and for it to be like from a sweet sleep, we pray that she is in no pain and discomfort and that she is soon able to be up and about to everyones surprise and delight! And that her short and long term results are marvelous to your Glory!

We thank you in Advance Lord for your mercy's for we know that you are MORE than able!
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Praying now!!

My three week stall has lasted about 2.5 weeks so far, not breaking yet. This is from my NUT:
Plateaus are common even after weight loss surgery and they often will happen at points where your body has wanted to stall in the past. In the first 6 months after surgery, they are usually 1-3 weeks in length. They can last even longer than that after 6 months post-op. Have faith that you are on track! Focus on how clothes are fitting and if you are losing inches more than pounds. Know that stress and poor sleep can also influence the scale in addition to diet and exercise.

Generally there are two phases to weight loss surgery: the weight loss phase and the maintenance phase. The maintenance phase can sometimes be the hardest nut to crack.
It is common for some people to gain a little weight after they bottom out. It is called the 20 pound bounce. But it should level out there. Some individuals gain almost all the weight back. I asked my nutritionist about this. She said a couple things. First, the tool is still there. Stretching the pouch is just a common myth. The tool is still there. Second, it takes the same amount of time that you were out of balance to return to balance. So if you gained weight for a couple years in maintenance, it will take a couple years to get back to the ideal weight. It will not happen overnight.
There was a man in my small town who had weight loss surgery. He lost a tremendous amount of weight and was happy for several years. But then the pounds started adding back on and he gained all the weight back. He then realized he had a problem and put all his energy into reducing his weight. He lost it all again.
One of the components of the surgery is the psychological component. If you have an overeating disorder and are contemplating suicide, that means that you have a problem in this area. And the psychological component can make it more difficult for you to achieve your goals. It must be addressed and addressed soon. So seek the help of professionals in this speciality and let them help you get back on the straight and narrow.

Hello @The Preacher and everyone else who believes in the power of prayer on this post. I am asking urgent prayer for craziikid307 . They are on this website and posted a message stating they are suicidal. Please please please lift this person up in prayer so that they will not take their own life and will go and seek the help they need. Thank you

Father God I come before you with an urgent request. Lord I ask you to move on the person reading this post on the other end of this keyboard. I don’t know who they are Lord but you know all things. Please touch their heart right now. I rebuke all spirits of depression, suicide, and sadness in the name of JESUS and I send them back to the pit of hell. Devil I come against you in Jesus' name and I'm telling you that you have no power over this person’s life. Please move on their heart Lord and help them to see themselves the way you see them. Help them to see that they are wonderfully made. Help them to see that they are on this earth for a unique purpose. Help them to feel Your love and the love that so many other have for them.
In the mighty name of Jesus I pray,
Amen