SteveT74

This seems like sensible advice. With respect to some people giving advice that are still only 5 or 6 months post-op (like me), telling someone that is 7 years post op to drop down to 800 calories a day is not good advice and it's not reasonable. It's easy to say that when you have lots of restriction. I am 5 months out and I couldn't live on 800 calories at this point--no f--ing way!!! I am eating at least 1500 a day, but I am eating healthy and I am working out 2 hours a day. It's working well for me and I am pretty much where I want to be in terms of weight and health. However, I know that if I am not careful I could end up back where I was before surgery and I would want to get back to where I am now by any means necessary.
As for the pouch reset, I guess it can't hurt. However, there's no evidence that the so-called "pouch reset" actually does anything to reset your "pouch"--which we don't even have since that is a RNY thing. Also, to say it's OP's fault for not following the guidelines after 7 years is very unfair. Sh!t happens!!! 7 years is a long time and any of us can end up in OP's position. The fact is the VSG is great, but it's not enough for everyone. There are other procedures that may be better for OP and that's for her and her doctor to discuss. Revision exists because a high percentage of bariatric patients regain for lots of different reasons.

I started the process with a BMI of 37.5 last April and I weighed in at 256 during my first bariatric consult. On the day of surgery (12/17/18), I weighed 234 and I had a BMI of 34.5. By New Years Eve, I was down to 224. On January 15, I was down to 212. By January 30, I was down to 204. On February 15, I was down to 197. On March 1, I weighed 196.7. March 15, I weighed 196.1. Today I weighed 193.2. So you can see that it came off fast and has leveled off. I have lost 2 inches off my waist since March 1, so the inches are coming off if the weight isn't. I follow a strict diet and exercise program--which is pretty intense, but I am really enjoying it. I feel awesome. Here's some photos documenting the journey.
Last Summer this is me at 255 or so:

This is me on Surgery Day (12/17/18) (weight: 234):

This is me on January 17, 2019 (Weight: 210)

This is me on February 28, 2019 (weight: 197.8)


This is me on March 23, 2019 (Weight: 192.1):


So, the weight loss has slowed up, but that's ok. I want to lose another 10-15 pounds, but I don't "need" to lose that weight. I am more concerned at this point with improving my physical conditioning and strength. The weight came off so fast that I didn't really "see" the difference in the mirror, but the photos show a dramatic change. I still hasn't really sunk in yet, but it's kind of like winning the health lottery. I am look healthy and fit. I am no longer diabetic according to my doctors. My BP is normal and my blood tests look great 3 months post op. Huge improvements. Honestly, having this surgery is the best thing I ever did for myself. I wish I had done this sooner--but better late than never. Obviously, the surgery helps get the ball rolling and gives you the tool so that the rest of the changes you make in your lifestyle will actually work for you. I have tried to do this before with hardcore dieting and exercise and I would just hit a wall and then lose ground. Not anymore!! If 191 is my wall, that's ok for me--but I think I'll still lose some more weight over the next few months, but the changes won't be as dramatic or noticeable (on the scale or otherwise).

Agree... go for compression shorts. I also use a compression shirt. It holds everything together--no jiggling. You look pretty good in them too. You can put your regular clothes over them. It may feel a little weird for the first 20 minutes or so, then you forget they are on.

That's terrific. Sixty pounds down is awesome!

I am totally with you guys. There are some days where I feel no restriction and can eat a 12oz steak and other days when I am stuffed after 4oz of hamburger. There's no real rhyme or reason. Nevertheless, eating heavier foods like chicken or steak will fill you up faster than other foods like salad, nuts etc. (which I slider foods). If you watch your calories and make sure you are sticking to a healthy diet, it's not a big deal though. As much as we may think that the weight loss is a result of the restriction from our sleeved stomachs, I am convinced that most of the weight loss is caused by metabolic and hormonal changes caused by the surgery (and lifestyle changes that we make along the way if we are making the most of this opportunity).

I really don't think eating too fast is really going to be much of an issue for your (at least not as much as you think). During the first few weeks/months post op, you'll eat slowly--because if you don't you're feel like total crap and puke. Maybe you'll do that once or twice and you'll change your behavior to avoid the consequences. Later on--after you heal--and are able to eat normal food, eating fast won't cause you to feel sick--then it's the same as it is now. You need to change your behavior so you can recognize when you're full and not eat so quickly that your brain doesn't have time to register what's going on in your stomach. This is just something that takes practice. If you're a fast eater, it's also something you may screw up from time to time. You'll be ok though. You need to follow the rules, but if you screw up a few every now and then--no biggie. It's only when you ignore them altogether that you will have significant problems.

I am totally with you guys. There are some days where I feel no restriction and can eat a 12oz steak and other days when I am stuffed after 4oz of hamburger. There's no real rhyme or reason. Nevertheless, eating heavier foods like chicken or steak will fill you up faster than other foods like salad, nuts etc. (which I slider foods). If you watch your calories and make sure you are sticking to a healthy diet, it's not a big deal though. As much as we may think that the weight loss is a result of the restriction from our sleeved stomachs, I am convinced that most of the weight loss is caused by metabolic and hormonal changes caused by the surgery (and lifestyle changes that we make along the way if we are making the most of this opportunity).

I really don't think eating too fast is really going to be much of an issue for your (at least not as much as you think). During the first few weeks/months post op, you'll eat slowly--because if you don't you're feel like total crap and puke. Maybe you'll do that once or twice and you'll change your behavior to avoid the consequences. Later on--after you heal--and are able to eat normal food, eating fast won't cause you to feel sick--then it's the same as it is now. You need to change your behavior so you can recognize when you're full and not eat so quickly that your brain doesn't have time to register what's going on in your stomach. This is just something that takes practice. If you're a fast eater, it's also something you may screw up from time to time. You'll be ok though. You need to follow the rules, but if you screw up a few every now and then--no biggie. It's only when you ignore them altogether that you will have significant problems.

I really don't think eating too fast is really going to be much of an issue for your (at least not as much as you think). During the first few weeks/months post op, you'll eat slowly--because if you don't you're feel like total crap and puke. Maybe you'll do that once or twice and you'll change your behavior to avoid the consequences. Later on--after you heal--and are able to eat normal food, eating fast won't cause you to feel sick--then it's the same as it is now. You need to change your behavior so you can recognize when you're full and not eat so quickly that your brain doesn't have time to register what's going on in your stomach. This is just something that takes practice. If you're a fast eater, it's also something you may screw up from time to time. You'll be ok though. You need to follow the rules, but if you screw up a few every now and then--no biggie. It's only when you ignore them altogether that you will have significant problems.

I really don't think eating too fast is really going to be much of an issue for your (at least not as much as you think). During the first few weeks/months post op, you'll eat slowly--because if you don't you're feel like total crap and puke. Maybe you'll do that once or twice and you'll change your behavior to avoid the consequences. Later on--after you heal--and are able to eat normal food, eating fast won't cause you to feel sick--then it's the same as it is now. You need to change your behavior so you can recognize when you're full and not eat so quickly that your brain doesn't have time to register what's going on in your stomach. This is just something that takes practice. If you're a fast eater, it's also something you may screw up from time to time. You'll be ok though. You need to follow the rules, but if you screw up a few every now and then--no biggie. It's only when you ignore them altogether that you will have significant problems.

Agree... go for compression shorts. I also use a compression shirt. It holds everything together--no jiggling. You look pretty good in them too. You can put your regular clothes over them. It may feel a little weird for the first 20 minutes or so, then you forget they are on.

Decided to post some pics. This is from 3 days pre-surgery to now, 7 months post surgery.
starting weight: 426
surgery weight: 400
current: 267

@lolo2020, I am not sure that the benefits wear off entirely, but it depends on what benefits are really working best for you. If this is just about restriction, your capacity to eat will increase over time. Call it stretching for the sleeve or something else, but it happens to everyone. Your stomach will never go back to the size it was before the operation. I suppose it could if you abuse it, but it's unlikely that will happen. It will get larger though over time. Even if you can eat 1.5 plates of food--you probably could eat 2 or 3 before the operation. That's still a big reduction in quantity--not as much as right after the operation though. However, if your filling your plate with Pasta and fried chicken, 1.5 plates will send you back into obesity quickly. On the other, the sleeve (even at a larger size) will still be an effective tool if you're fill it with healthy foods.
The other benefit of the sleeve (and probably the most important benefit) is the metabolic effects of the surgery. I am not really sure how long the metabolic changes caused by the surgery last. Maybe they are permanent, but my guess is that these benefits also slow up over time. The studies just aren't conclusive on this. I don't think that you're capacity to eat or your metabolic changes ever go back to what they were before surgery, but the effects may still lessen over time. In the end, maintaining this weight loss comes down to how we use our time during this honeymoon period. If we use this time to change our lifestyles and get healthy new habits, I think the benefits will be sustainable in the long run. That said, it's not easy to predict the future and the long turn outcomes for VSG patients 5-15 years out is still yet to be determined.
One thing is certain, if we don't make major changes to our diet and exercise programs, we will not be have successful journeys. I know that no matter how the world sees me (and I am thin now--not just thin for me, but really in good shape thin), I will always be an obese person that struggles with weight. I am doing very well right now and I am 100% committed to this program. I want this to be a lifelong success. I also know that if I am not careful and let things slip, I will end up back where I was eventually--even with the sleeve.
Here's the deal--and I am going to tell it like it is. I didn't get fat by accident. I did it to myself over time--making excuses for why it was ok to eat badly and not exercise. I lied to myself and anyone that asked. I had a great excuse for everything---but it was all BS. I am not going back to being that person. There is nothing cute or beautiful about being fat. I used to joke about it all the time when I was heavy--but it's not funny at all. Being fat sucks!!! Feeling ill and sweating through my shirt just walking up stairs sucked!!! Being too tired to play with my kids sucked!!! Having constant back and knee pain sucked!!! Having to take injections for Type II diabetes sucks!!! I having to take 12 pills every night before bed for all my medications sucked!!! Having high blood pressure sucked!! Everything about being obese sucked!!!! Not being able to buy clothes off the rack in a normal store sucked!!! Being told that if I don't change my eating and exercise habits I may not be alive in 10 years sucked!!!! I am finally where I need to be in terms of weight and health and I pledge to God I am not going to squander this second change!!! No f**king way!!!!! I worth more than that and I have too much to live for!!!!
Here's what I have to live for:

Here's a recent picture of me (I think it's from May 1?)

I have 11 to go, but I also just changed my goal from 170 to 174.5. I guess that's cheating???? JK, I think I would look sickly at 170 and frankly 174,5 probably wouldn't be sustainable for me (despite what that stupid BMI chart says). At this point, I am not actively trying to lose weight. If it happens, it happens. I was actually consciously increasing my calorie intake (planned out using MFP) to find a level where I am comfortable and maintain my current weight. Ironically, as I increased my calorie intake, I think that broke me out of the stall I must have been in (didn't really bother me since I was happy where I was) and I started losing again. Go figure! I am not used to losing weight without making a herculean effort. We'll see where things end up.

I started the process with a BMI of 37.5 last April and I weighed in at 256 during my first bariatric consult. On the day of surgery (12/17/18), I weighed 234 and I had a BMI of 34.5. By New Years Eve, I was down to 224. On January 15, I was down to 212. By January 30, I was down to 204. On February 15, I was down to 197. On March 1, I weighed 196.7. March 15, I weighed 196.1. Today I weighed 193.2. So you can see that it came off fast and has leveled off. I have lost 2 inches off my waist since March 1, so the inches are coming off if the weight isn't. I follow a strict diet and exercise program--which is pretty intense, but I am really enjoying it. I feel awesome. Here's some photos documenting the journey.
Last Summer this is me at 255 or so:

This is me on Surgery Day (12/17/18) (weight: 234):

This is me on January 17, 2019 (Weight: 210)

This is me on February 28, 2019 (weight: 197.8)


This is me on March 23, 2019 (Weight: 192.1):


So, the weight loss has slowed up, but that's ok. I want to lose another 10-15 pounds, but I don't "need" to lose that weight. I am more concerned at this point with improving my physical conditioning and strength. The weight came off so fast that I didn't really "see" the difference in the mirror, but the photos show a dramatic change. I still hasn't really sunk in yet, but it's kind of like winning the health lottery. I am look healthy and fit. I am no longer diabetic according to my doctors. My BP is normal and my blood tests look great 3 months post op. Huge improvements. Honestly, having this surgery is the best thing I ever did for myself. I wish I had done this sooner--but better late than never. Obviously, the surgery helps get the ball rolling and gives you the tool so that the rest of the changes you make in your lifestyle will actually work for you. I have tried to do this before with hardcore dieting and exercise and I would just hit a wall and then lose ground. Not anymore!! If 191 is my wall, that's ok for me--but I think I'll still lose some more weight over the next few months, but the changes won't be as dramatic or noticeable (on the scale or otherwise).

What you are experiencing is totally normal and should be expected. If you start a diet/lifestyle and don't incorporate exercise in that new lifestyle, you can lose plenty of weight with diet alone (with or without bariatric surgery). The moment you change your lifestyle habits by adding in what sounds like a new and reasonably intensive exercise regimen, you're going to probably experience what appears to stall or slow down in weight loss. Your body will begin to increase your volume and percentage of skeletal muscle--which is a good thing. Muscle burns calories at rest, which enhances your metabolism even when you're not at the gym. At the same time, muscle is more dense than fat. You can lose inches by adding muscle, but your total weight stays the same (depending on the rate that you burn through your fat reserves). In the beginning of your new exercise regime, you may initially gain muscle faster than you lose excess fat. This could look like a gain or stall on your scale, since a regular scale only tells you how much you weigh--without distinguishing fat from muscle or considering body composition. If you have a good BIA scale or invest in something like an Omron Body Fat Monitor (Omron HBF-306C Body Fat Monitor) you'll see a change in your body composition over the course of a few weeks of moderate to intense training (with a drop in body fat % and increase in skeletal muscle). As long as your body fat is dropping and your muscle mass is increasing, you're making progress in your weight loss journey. After a few weeks, you'll see the scale drop as your body (including your new muscle tissue) needs to burn more calories to meet your daily requirements and turns to fat tissue to get the job done (provided you are sticking closely to your diet).
Here's a tip--never fall into the trap of thinking that because you're hitting the gym, you can eat more calories--that's how you get into a true stall or end up gaining weight. Adding calories with exercise only applies to certain types of athletes and bodybuilders (which should exclude pretty much everyone on this forum--myself included!!).
Another tip is to keep your cardio to a reasonable amount, but don't over do it. Most experts and trainers would advise that a non-athlete do no more than an hour of cardio a day at a moderate to reasonably intense level (spending most of your cardio time getting your heart rate into zone 3 or 4 (your BPM changes with age, so you should look into this for yourself using this Target Heart Rate Chart. Also, you may want to increase your weight training from 2 days a week to 4. Even better, you might want to try doing something like a boot camp class or orange theory, which combine weight training and cardio into a one hour class so you're doing both at the same time. This is called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and it's probably the most effective and time efficient way to get fit (and lose weight). Don't let the name scare you, what's high intensity is always relative to your age and fitness level so anyone can do it.
[P.S. I worked as a certified personal trainer for about 4.5 years when I was in my 20's--seems like a lifetime ago. I know what to do, just haven't been doing the right things for myself for a long time!].

Hey guys. Just checking in on my fellow December 2018 sleavers. I am chugging along on my weight loss journey. I am down. I was a low BMI patient so I lost most of my excess weight in the first 2.5 months post-op. Since the end of March, it's been slow going with the scale. I have only lost about 7 pounds since March 7, but I did lose about 1.5% off my body fat 1.5" off my waist since. I am pretty happy with where things are at the moment. I would like to lose another 5-10 pounds--but that would only be to give me a little cushion against regain (maybe?). I still have a healthy appetite, but nothing like I did before surgery. That said, I probably eat more than most bariatric patients at this point--but I am very careful about what I eat. I don't cheat at all--not even a little bit.
Yesterday was a tough challenge. My daughter had her 8th birthday party yesterday and we served pizza and an ice cream cake from cold stone creamery (dark chocolate fudge and salted caramel ice cream with angel food cake. I realize that it's very easy to fall off the wagon--it's how ended up starting to regain after every diet I was on before in my life. I can't have "just a little bite of this" or "a taste of that". Sure, I could a few times, but one little bite can become just a little piece and escalates from there. Even though I am thin and in really good shape right now, I am never going to be a "thin person" like someone that is naturally thin his/her whole life. The potential for me to become heavy again is always going to be there. So, I am going to always have to be that much stricter with my diet and exercise. So, I came up with a plan to deal with my daughter's party. First, I made sure to eat before her party something healthy (salad with grilled chicken and bolthouse low carb/low cal dressing) and I promised myself a yummy snack after the party (pumpkin seeds, pecans and a piece of ChocZero dark chocolate (very yummy)). It may not be as exciting as ice cream cake, but it's still yummy to me. I was able to get through the party without taking even the tiniest bite of anything. You have to have a plan and stick with it to make this process successful. As an added bonus, I felt no guilt today.

Thanks Steve ! Yes very happy ! About 5-6 lbs to goal !

Take renee, here’s a current pic - almost to goal ! I am in blue !

Lolo you looking great ma'am [emoji7]

Sent from my SM-G930VL using BariatricPal mobile app

@Lolo2020 Sounds like you're doing great!!! Only five pounds from goals is pretty awesome!!! That's pretty much there if you ask me. For weight, I set my goal at 174 so that I would be under 25 BMI. When I set that goal, I figured that's the weight I would need to be to wear a size 32 pants and to have a body fat% under 15 (which were my real goals). I already hit those goals so I am not sure my goal weight is realistic at this point, but we'll see. I am about 11-13 pounds away from my goal weight (depending on the day). I still may be losing weight but it' snot like it's a steady stream of weight loss every day. It just seems that my heavier days are less heavy and my lighter days are a little lighter and it's just trending down a little bit at a time (maybe a half pound a week for the past few weeks). I'll take it.

@coexister If you're struggling with carbs, maybe you need to reevaluate whether they should be in your diet and, if so, what kind of carbs should be in your diet. I think the best approach to food is to plan out your menu in advance (the night before or something like that). If you have a plan of what you are going to eat and how much of it (you need to weight things out so you know what you're consuming), then you're more likely to stick to the program and not go off the plan. You can't blame "saboteurs" for screwing up your diet. Ultimately, you're responsible for what you put in your mouth. I have got an 8 year old and a 3 year old, so we have plenty of Cookies and bad things in the house that I can't eat. For me, it may as well be like I am deathly allergic to that stuff--like a peanut allergy type thing. Eating that crap isn't an option for me anymore. Instead, I a make sure my diet has enough volume foods like lettuce, spinach etc. along with nutrient dense foods to make sure that I am getting the nutrients I need and I still feel satisfied (which I really do). I can live on a Keto style diet forever--although I have added more carbs because I need more Fiber (but the net carbs are now kept under 40 a day--I was at 20 or less for the first three months that I was on solid food). As for exercise, you just do the best you can. If all you can do is walk, walk as much as you can and make part of your routine each day. Once you have a routine that blocks out 1-2 hours a day for exercise (walking in your case), then you can add other types of exercise once you're healthy enough. The scheduling change will make that possible so you're still used to a healthy routine. This is the time to fine tune your lifestyle while you're still getting the full benefit of your sleeve.

@lolo2020, I am not sure that the benefits wear off entirely, but it depends on what benefits are really working best for you. If this is just about restriction, your capacity to eat will increase over time. Call it stretching for the sleeve or something else, but it happens to everyone. Your stomach will never go back to the size it was before the operation. I suppose it could if you abuse it, but it's unlikely that will happen. It will get larger though over time. Even if you can eat 1.5 plates of food--you probably could eat 2 or 3 before the operation. That's still a big reduction in quantity--not as much as right after the operation though. However, if your filling your plate with Pasta and fried chicken, 1.5 plates will send you back into obesity quickly. On the other, the sleeve (even at a larger size) will still be an effective tool if you're fill it with healthy foods.
The other benefit of the sleeve (and probably the most important benefit) is the metabolic effects of the surgery. I am not really sure how long the metabolic changes caused by the surgery last. Maybe they are permanent, but my guess is that these benefits also slow up over time. The studies just aren't conclusive on this. I don't think that you're capacity to eat or your metabolic changes ever go back to what they were before surgery, but the effects may still lessen over time. In the end, maintaining this weight loss comes down to how we use our time during this honeymoon period. If we use this time to change our lifestyles and get healthy new habits, I think the benefits will be sustainable in the long run. That said, it's not easy to predict the future and the long turn outcomes for VSG patients 5-15 years out is still yet to be determined.
One thing is certain, if we don't make major changes to our diet and exercise programs, we will not be have successful journeys. I know that no matter how the world sees me (and I am thin now--not just thin for me, but really in good shape thin), I will always be an obese person that struggles with weight. I am doing very well right now and I am 100% committed to this program. I want this to be a lifelong success. I also know that if I am not careful and let things slip, I will end up back where I was eventually--even with the sleeve.
Here's the deal--and I am going to tell it like it is. I didn't get fat by accident. I did it to myself over time--making excuses for why it was ok to eat badly and not exercise. I lied to myself and anyone that asked. I had a great excuse for everything---but it was all BS. I am not going back to being that person. There is nothing cute or beautiful about being fat. I used to joke about it all the time when I was heavy--but it's not funny at all. Being fat sucks!!! Feeling ill and sweating through my shirt just walking up stairs sucked!!! Being too tired to play with my kids sucked!!! Having constant back and knee pain sucked!!! Having to take injections for Type II diabetes sucks!!! I having to take 12 pills every night before bed for all my medications sucked!!! Having high blood pressure sucked!! Everything about being obese sucked!!!! Not being able to buy clothes off the rack in a normal store sucked!!! Being told that if I don't change my eating and exercise habits I may not be alive in 10 years sucked!!!! I am finally where I need to be in terms of weight and health and I pledge to God I am not going to squander this second change!!! No f**king way!!!!! I worth more than that and I have too much to live for!!!!
Here's what I have to live for:

Here's a recent picture of me (I think it's from May 1?)

@lolo2020, I am not sure that the benefits wear off entirely, but it depends on what benefits are really working best for you. If this is just about restriction, your capacity to eat will increase over time. Call it stretching for the sleeve or something else, but it happens to everyone. Your stomach will never go back to the size it was before the operation. I suppose it could if you abuse it, but it's unlikely that will happen. It will get larger though over time. Even if you can eat 1.5 plates of food--you probably could eat 2 or 3 before the operation. That's still a big reduction in quantity--not as much as right after the operation though. However, if your filling your plate with Pasta and fried chicken, 1.5 plates will send you back into obesity quickly. On the other, the sleeve (even at a larger size) will still be an effective tool if you're fill it with healthy foods.
The other benefit of the sleeve (and probably the most important benefit) is the metabolic effects of the surgery. I am not really sure how long the metabolic changes caused by the surgery last. Maybe they are permanent, but my guess is that these benefits also slow up over time. The studies just aren't conclusive on this. I don't think that you're capacity to eat or your metabolic changes ever go back to what they were before surgery, but the effects may still lessen over time. In the end, maintaining this weight loss comes down to how we use our time during this honeymoon period. If we use this time to change our lifestyles and get healthy new habits, I think the benefits will be sustainable in the long run. That said, it's not easy to predict the future and the long turn outcomes for VSG patients 5-15 years out is still yet to be determined.
One thing is certain, if we don't make major changes to our diet and exercise programs, we will not be have successful journeys. I know that no matter how the world sees me (and I am thin now--not just thin for me, but really in good shape thin), I will always be an obese person that struggles with weight. I am doing very well right now and I am 100% committed to this program. I want this to be a lifelong success. I also know that if I am not careful and let things slip, I will end up back where I was eventually--even with the sleeve.
Here's the deal--and I am going to tell it like it is. I didn't get fat by accident. I did it to myself over time--making excuses for why it was ok to eat badly and not exercise. I lied to myself and anyone that asked. I had a great excuse for everything---but it was all BS. I am not going back to being that person. There is nothing cute or beautiful about being fat. I used to joke about it all the time when I was heavy--but it's not funny at all. Being fat sucks!!! Feeling ill and sweating through my shirt just walking up stairs sucked!!! Being too tired to play with my kids sucked!!! Having constant back and knee pain sucked!!! Having to take injections for Type II diabetes sucks!!! I having to take 12 pills every night before bed for all my medications sucked!!! Having high blood pressure sucked!! Everything about being obese sucked!!!! Not being able to buy clothes off the rack in a normal store sucked!!! Being told that if I don't change my eating and exercise habits I may not be alive in 10 years sucked!!!! I am finally where I need to be in terms of weight and health and I pledge to God I am not going to squander this second change!!! No f**king way!!!!! I worth more than that and I have too much to live for!!!!
Here's what I have to live for:

Here's a recent picture of me (I think it's from May 1?)

You may want to try Naked PB powder. Naked PB Just add a little Water and you can get the PB fix without the guilt. It's loaded with branch amino acids that are really good for you!!!

Hey guys. Just checking in on my fellow December 2018 sleavers. I am chugging along on my weight loss journey. I am down. I was a low BMI patient so I lost most of my excess weight in the first 2.5 months post-op. Since the end of March, it's been slow going with the scale. I have only lost about 7 pounds since March 7, but I did lose about 1.5% off my body fat 1.5" off my waist since. I am pretty happy with where things are at the moment. I would like to lose another 5-10 pounds--but that would only be to give me a little cushion against regain (maybe?). I still have a healthy appetite, but nothing like I did before surgery. That said, I probably eat more than most bariatric patients at this point--but I am very careful about what I eat. I don't cheat at all--not even a little bit.
Yesterday was a tough challenge. My daughter had her 8th birthday party yesterday and we served pizza and an ice cream cake from cold stone creamery (dark chocolate fudge and salted caramel ice cream with angel food cake. I realize that it's very easy to fall off the wagon--it's how ended up starting to regain after every diet I was on before in my life. I can't have "just a little bite of this" or "a taste of that". Sure, I could a few times, but one little bite can become just a little piece and escalates from there. Even though I am thin and in really good shape right now, I am never going to be a "thin person" like someone that is naturally thin his/her whole life. The potential for me to become heavy again is always going to be there. So, I am going to always have to be that much stricter with my diet and exercise. So, I came up with a plan to deal with my daughter's party. First, I made sure to eat before her party something healthy (salad with grilled chicken and bolthouse low carb/low cal dressing) and I promised myself a yummy snack after the party (pumpkin seeds, pecans and a piece of ChocZero dark chocolate (very yummy)). It may not be as exciting as ice cream cake, but it's still yummy to me. I was able to get through the party without taking even the tiniest bite of anything. You have to have a plan and stick with it to make this process successful. As an added bonus, I felt no guilt today.