MandoGetsSleeved

I have a box of Quest snickerdoodle and chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies that I keep for those “snacky” days. I probably have one every other week or so whenever I’m feeling the want.

other times (usually at work) if there’s something there that I think I want, usually I’ll just go for it. (Ate a donut a couple of weeks ago and pretty sure I’ll never do that again simply because of the gastrointestinal issues I experienced shortly thereafter.....trust me you DONT want the details!).

In the end, you have to do what works for YOU. I’m finding (at a year out), that I can go off the plan and get back on. For me, I didn’t have food issues to begin with (I didn’t eat to soothe, I was/am a social eater who simply loves food and had no portion control). If sweets are going to send you down a slippery slope, I would advise against starting though. (Even the Protein cookies)

Absolutely amazing! Congrats!!

Absolutely amazing! Congrats!!

About 6 months ago, I started randomly tripping/falling. I've had knee surgery several times (including total knee replacement) so I really assumed it was related to previous injuries. The falls were being caused by a condition called "foot drop" and I was referred for a nerve conduction study (interesting experience!) to see if the nerve was damaged beyond repair. If you aren't familiar with drop foot, it's basically where your ankle/toes are always pointed down and sometimes drag.
The first question the doctor asked me was "Have you recently lost a lot of weight" - First thoughts... RUDE... I figured it was because of my loose skin (which even I don't think is too horrible). When I responded with "YEP, 100lbs" - His next question "Have you been crossing your legs a lot?" - Me: YUP, it's awesome... haven't been able to do that comfortably since I was a little one!" - Doc: "Well, here's your problem: peroneal nerve dysfunction." He then proceeded to let me know that he sees quite a few WLS patients with this issue and wishes that this was something more widely known. Apparently there is a "fat pocket" that protects this nerve. When we lose weight quickly (vs gradually), in some it goes away completely and leaves that nerve more "exposed" to damage.
Looks like I'm going to be a lucky one and it's not too far gone to resolve with some physical therapy and some electrical stimulation. So, if you notice that you start to feel some numbness in the top of your foot and have a difficult time raising your ankle and toes after sitting for a bit with your legs crossed, just be aware that it *could* lead to something more serious.

About 6 months ago, I started randomly tripping/falling. I've had knee surgery several times (including total knee replacement) so I really assumed it was related to previous injuries. The falls were being caused by a condition called "foot drop" and I was referred for a nerve conduction study (interesting experience!) to see if the nerve was damaged beyond repair. If you aren't familiar with drop foot, it's basically where your ankle/toes are always pointed down and sometimes drag.
The first question the doctor asked me was "Have you recently lost a lot of weight" - First thoughts... RUDE... I figured it was because of my loose skin (which even I don't think is too horrible). When I responded with "YEP, 100lbs" - His next question "Have you been crossing your legs a lot?" - Me: YUP, it's awesome... haven't been able to do that comfortably since I was a little one!" - Doc: "Well, here's your problem: peroneal nerve dysfunction." He then proceeded to let me know that he sees quite a few WLS patients with this issue and wishes that this was something more widely known. Apparently there is a "fat pocket" that protects this nerve. When we lose weight quickly (vs gradually), in some it goes away completely and leaves that nerve more "exposed" to damage.
Looks like I'm going to be a lucky one and it's not too far gone to resolve with some physical therapy and some electrical stimulation. So, if you notice that you start to feel some numbness in the top of your foot and have a difficult time raising your ankle and toes after sitting for a bit with your legs crossed, just be aware that it *could* lead to something more serious.

About 6 months ago, I started randomly tripping/falling. I've had knee surgery several times (including total knee replacement) so I really assumed it was related to previous injuries. The falls were being caused by a condition called "foot drop" and I was referred for a nerve conduction study (interesting experience!) to see if the nerve was damaged beyond repair. If you aren't familiar with drop foot, it's basically where your ankle/toes are always pointed down and sometimes drag.
The first question the doctor asked me was "Have you recently lost a lot of weight" - First thoughts... RUDE... I figured it was because of my loose skin (which even I don't think is too horrible). When I responded with "YEP, 100lbs" - His next question "Have you been crossing your legs a lot?" - Me: YUP, it's awesome... haven't been able to do that comfortably since I was a little one!" - Doc: "Well, here's your problem: peroneal nerve dysfunction." He then proceeded to let me know that he sees quite a few WLS patients with this issue and wishes that this was something more widely known. Apparently there is a "fat pocket" that protects this nerve. When we lose weight quickly (vs gradually), in some it goes away completely and leaves that nerve more "exposed" to damage.
Looks like I'm going to be a lucky one and it's not too far gone to resolve with some physical therapy and some electrical stimulation. So, if you notice that you start to feel some numbness in the top of your foot and have a difficult time raising your ankle and toes after sitting for a bit with your legs crossed, just be aware that it *could* lead to something more serious.

About 6 months ago, I started randomly tripping/falling. I've had knee surgery several times (including total knee replacement) so I really assumed it was related to previous injuries. The falls were being caused by a condition called "foot drop" and I was referred for a nerve conduction study (interesting experience!) to see if the nerve was damaged beyond repair. If you aren't familiar with drop foot, it's basically where your ankle/toes are always pointed down and sometimes drag.
The first question the doctor asked me was "Have you recently lost a lot of weight" - First thoughts... RUDE... I figured it was because of my loose skin (which even I don't think is too horrible). When I responded with "YEP, 100lbs" - His next question "Have you been crossing your legs a lot?" - Me: YUP, it's awesome... haven't been able to do that comfortably since I was a little one!" - Doc: "Well, here's your problem: peroneal nerve dysfunction." He then proceeded to let me know that he sees quite a few WLS patients with this issue and wishes that this was something more widely known. Apparently there is a "fat pocket" that protects this nerve. When we lose weight quickly (vs gradually), in some it goes away completely and leaves that nerve more "exposed" to damage.
Looks like I'm going to be a lucky one and it's not too far gone to resolve with some physical therapy and some electrical stimulation. So, if you notice that you start to feel some numbness in the top of your foot and have a difficult time raising your ankle and toes after sitting for a bit with your legs crossed, just be aware that it *could* lead to something more serious.

About 6 months ago, I started randomly tripping/falling. I've had knee surgery several times (including total knee replacement) so I really assumed it was related to previous injuries. The falls were being caused by a condition called "foot drop" and I was referred for a nerve conduction study (interesting experience!) to see if the nerve was damaged beyond repair. If you aren't familiar with drop foot, it's basically where your ankle/toes are always pointed down and sometimes drag.
The first question the doctor asked me was "Have you recently lost a lot of weight" - First thoughts... RUDE... I figured it was because of my loose skin (which even I don't think is too horrible). When I responded with "YEP, 100lbs" - His next question "Have you been crossing your legs a lot?" - Me: YUP, it's awesome... haven't been able to do that comfortably since I was a little one!" - Doc: "Well, here's your problem: peroneal nerve dysfunction." He then proceeded to let me know that he sees quite a few WLS patients with this issue and wishes that this was something more widely known. Apparently there is a "fat pocket" that protects this nerve. When we lose weight quickly (vs gradually), in some it goes away completely and leaves that nerve more "exposed" to damage.
Looks like I'm going to be a lucky one and it's not too far gone to resolve with some physical therapy and some electrical stimulation. So, if you notice that you start to feel some numbness in the top of your foot and have a difficult time raising your ankle and toes after sitting for a bit with your legs crossed, just be aware that it *could* lead to something more serious.

About 6 months ago, I started randomly tripping/falling. I've had knee surgery several times (including total knee replacement) so I really assumed it was related to previous injuries. The falls were being caused by a condition called "foot drop" and I was referred for a nerve conduction study (interesting experience!) to see if the nerve was damaged beyond repair. If you aren't familiar with drop foot, it's basically where your ankle/toes are always pointed down and sometimes drag.
The first question the doctor asked me was "Have you recently lost a lot of weight" - First thoughts... RUDE... I figured it was because of my loose skin (which even I don't think is too horrible). When I responded with "YEP, 100lbs" - His next question "Have you been crossing your legs a lot?" - Me: YUP, it's awesome... haven't been able to do that comfortably since I was a little one!" - Doc: "Well, here's your problem: peroneal nerve dysfunction." He then proceeded to let me know that he sees quite a few WLS patients with this issue and wishes that this was something more widely known. Apparently there is a "fat pocket" that protects this nerve. When we lose weight quickly (vs gradually), in some it goes away completely and leaves that nerve more "exposed" to damage.
Looks like I'm going to be a lucky one and it's not too far gone to resolve with some physical therapy and some electrical stimulation. So, if you notice that you start to feel some numbness in the top of your foot and have a difficult time raising your ankle and toes after sitting for a bit with your legs crossed, just be aware that it *could* lead to something more serious.

I just thought it was ironic that one of the reasons I had the surgery was to be able to walk more comfortably!

About 6 months ago, I started randomly tripping/falling. I've had knee surgery several times (including total knee replacement) so I really assumed it was related to previous injuries. The falls were being caused by a condition called "foot drop" and I was referred for a nerve conduction study (interesting experience!) to see if the nerve was damaged beyond repair. If you aren't familiar with drop foot, it's basically where your ankle/toes are always pointed down and sometimes drag.
The first question the doctor asked me was "Have you recently lost a lot of weight" - First thoughts... RUDE... I figured it was because of my loose skin (which even I don't think is too horrible). When I responded with "YEP, 100lbs" - His next question "Have you been crossing your legs a lot?" - Me: YUP, it's awesome... haven't been able to do that comfortably since I was a little one!" - Doc: "Well, here's your problem: peroneal nerve dysfunction." He then proceeded to let me know that he sees quite a few WLS patients with this issue and wishes that this was something more widely known. Apparently there is a "fat pocket" that protects this nerve. When we lose weight quickly (vs gradually), in some it goes away completely and leaves that nerve more "exposed" to damage.
Looks like I'm going to be a lucky one and it's not too far gone to resolve with some physical therapy and some electrical stimulation. So, if you notice that you start to feel some numbness in the top of your foot and have a difficult time raising your ankle and toes after sitting for a bit with your legs crossed, just be aware that it *could* lead to something more serious.

About 6 months ago, I started randomly tripping/falling. I've had knee surgery several times (including total knee replacement) so I really assumed it was related to previous injuries. The falls were being caused by a condition called "foot drop" and I was referred for a nerve conduction study (interesting experience!) to see if the nerve was damaged beyond repair. If you aren't familiar with drop foot, it's basically where your ankle/toes are always pointed down and sometimes drag.
The first question the doctor asked me was "Have you recently lost a lot of weight" - First thoughts... RUDE... I figured it was because of my loose skin (which even I don't think is too horrible). When I responded with "YEP, 100lbs" - His next question "Have you been crossing your legs a lot?" - Me: YUP, it's awesome... haven't been able to do that comfortably since I was a little one!" - Doc: "Well, here's your problem: peroneal nerve dysfunction." He then proceeded to let me know that he sees quite a few WLS patients with this issue and wishes that this was something more widely known. Apparently there is a "fat pocket" that protects this nerve. When we lose weight quickly (vs gradually), in some it goes away completely and leaves that nerve more "exposed" to damage.
Looks like I'm going to be a lucky one and it's not too far gone to resolve with some physical therapy and some electrical stimulation. So, if you notice that you start to feel some numbness in the top of your foot and have a difficult time raising your ankle and toes after sitting for a bit with your legs crossed, just be aware that it *could* lead to something more serious.

About 6 months ago, I started randomly tripping/falling. I've had knee surgery several times (including total knee replacement) so I really assumed it was related to previous injuries. The falls were being caused by a condition called "foot drop" and I was referred for a nerve conduction study (interesting experience!) to see if the nerve was damaged beyond repair. If you aren't familiar with drop foot, it's basically where your ankle/toes are always pointed down and sometimes drag.
The first question the doctor asked me was "Have you recently lost a lot of weight" - First thoughts... RUDE... I figured it was because of my loose skin (which even I don't think is too horrible). When I responded with "YEP, 100lbs" - His next question "Have you been crossing your legs a lot?" - Me: YUP, it's awesome... haven't been able to do that comfortably since I was a little one!" - Doc: "Well, here's your problem: peroneal nerve dysfunction." He then proceeded to let me know that he sees quite a few WLS patients with this issue and wishes that this was something more widely known. Apparently there is a "fat pocket" that protects this nerve. When we lose weight quickly (vs gradually), in some it goes away completely and leaves that nerve more "exposed" to damage.
Looks like I'm going to be a lucky one and it's not too far gone to resolve with some physical therapy and some electrical stimulation. So, if you notice that you start to feel some numbness in the top of your foot and have a difficult time raising your ankle and toes after sitting for a bit with your legs crossed, just be aware that it *could* lead to something more serious.

Sleever here - I can eat bacon with no issues (but I limit to 1-2 pieces when I do)

I just thought it was ironic that one of the reasons I had the surgery was to be able to walk more comfortably!

I wanted a way to track bowel movements with Baritastic so that I can better tell when I’m ok vs constipated. I couldn’t find anything in the app so here’s my workaround. 😂

I just record it as strength training!

So again, this is a tool to use. It is not a quick fix nor is it an easy way for you to lose weight and still keep your bad eating habits. It changes your physiology to make your weight loss chances more permanent. The rest is up to you. Now this is going to sound harsh but it is on YOU to do the research about any procedure before you have it. It is on YOU to do what is required to make a procedure like this work. To proclaim it bullshit because you don't want to put in the work is not placing the responsibility where it belongs.
What are you eating? Is it fried food? Carbs? Cookies? chips? Are you getting any exercise? Because if you are still eating garbage and sitting around on the couch then, yeah, you're screwed.

Crossing my legs!

OK, trying to be honest AND hold myself accountable... First Thanksgiving post WLS- I feel like a WLS Pilgrim!
So I started the weekend with a 52lb loss since surgery ... YAY! And then.... yeah... then... I gave myself "permission" to indulge - OOOOPS - That was a slippery slope. Now it's Saturday morning and thankfully (it works for me..), I'm a slave to the scale. Up 3.3 lbs in just two days of indulging. I kept telling myself that I wasn't eating and drinking too much (because lets be real.. we CAN'T eat much at one sitting - but we can damn sure graze..) so I ignored the obvious - I WAS EATING AND DRINKING TOO MUCH.
Some harsh realities morning:
1. I'm just NOT good at moderation (hence the reason I NEEDED this surgery).
2. I need to learn to give myself "permission" to succeed rather than to FAIL.
3. Holidays will always be food focused at my house (I'm the cook), but I need to find better options for me.
4. Once the meal is over, the food needs to be put away to avoid grazing (but damn was that ham and cheese slider yummy!)...
5. Alcohol - I've just got to say "NO" - Socializing with family on holidays all day around my house generally involves lots of wine and laughter - I need to find a better substitute than Gatorade Zero because somehow it just isn't the same (suggestions welcome!).

All in all - I wouldn't trade the time with family for anything. I enjoyed cooking, drinking, laughing, and eating BUT I need to find a way to do that AND keep on track during this journey. Beating myself up a little, but unlike previous WL attempts, I'm determined to make this a success and I'm back to basics now.

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday!

Crossing my legs!

Crossing my legs!

@Octalmist37 - I can COMPLETELY relate to the mind set part. I'm only a year out, but regain is a HUGE fear as I've progressed through this adventure. My thoughts - be brutally honest with yourself and do whatever motivates YOU to get back on track. For me, it's shame - I HAVE to weigh myself daily. Otherwise I tend to play mind games on myself (my clothes still fit, so I must be fine, right?) - Yeah, **** stretches!
Another thing I tried (that really did NOT work) was to "allow" myself 5 lbs gain - Nope, too easy to let those 5 become 10.
So, my advice for you is really to just suck it up, realized you screwed up, and get back to basics - One day at a time. If you screw up one day, just start over the next. Don't let it turn into a bender.

So... what happens when you stop checking out the forums every day and quit tracking? Well, for me it means weight gain. Hit my low of about 165 and then... well... then, essentially have been on a bender since then. It's been about a month. I know what I have to do, I just have to actually DO IT. I'm up 4lbs and can't seem to shake it. I'm NOT going over 170 again, but I have to find that happy medium between starving myself and gorging myself.
My solution: start holding myself accountable. I'm starting over today. Tracking, posting, and weighing daily. For others out there in the same boat, don't give up or give in. Take it one day at a time and don't let setbacks get you down.

Hi Liza, yes - I travel quite often for work and travelled a LOT starting a few weeks after surgery. For me, as soon as I could start eating "real" food, it was HARD to resist the temptation to order whatever looked good off a menu vs. what I should eat. For the first few months, I got most of my food to go and just went back to the room, ate what I could in 20-30 minutes and then threw away the rest of it. Why? Because I eat when I'm bored and if I left it in my fridge, I would hav gradually eaten all of it over the course of several hours.
Now, honestly, it's even harder because I can eat what would be considered a "normal" portion to most skinny people (I still have lots of restriction). What I have to watch for at work when traveling is grazing. So often customer have foo or Snacks out and again... if it's there, I'll eat it. I also tend to eat much more salt when I travel (restaurants, prepared food) and find that when I get back home, I'll sometimes be as much as 2-3 pounds up even when I was good. Drink Water for a couple of days and I'll easily drop that and usually another pound. I also seem to retain a lot more water when I'm flying.
So, you're not alone.... What's worked for me:
1. Throw away leftovers if you can't control yourself.
2. Buy the large bottles of water or bring a large water bottle with you - Make sure you're actually drinking it!
3. Grocery stores are great - I love Fresh Market or Whole Foods for their prepared food (salmon and green Beans are my go to there). Publix also sells premade small salads that are the perfect size and have a good amount of Protein.

Over the course of a year, I'm pretty close to my goal weight and probably traveled at least 30 weeks of that. It takes some trial and error to see what works best for you.

First I want to say thank you to so many of the veteran posters on here. I hope you gals and guys know how much your experiences and feedback have helped me and I suspect many others. There's just such a fantastic mix of people and experiences - It's great knowing you aren't alone in this journey.

The first few months after surgery were easy. The weight was simply falling off, there wasn't anything I couldn't eat or drink - And better yet, I couldn't overeat because of the restriction. I felt fantastic most of the time, had all sorts of NSV's and loved my new life. From August until January I lost almost 50lbs - I was so close to Wonderland I could taste it. THEN reality struck - Suddenly I was one of those "slow losers" - It took almost 2 months to lose 13lbs. UGH, I WAS going to be one of those slow losers. OK, fine, I'm 52 and it is what it is, right? From January until May, I "only" lost 33lbs. Again, every week/month I told myself that I would lose the weight, I was just in some sort of a stall and things would magically pick up. Well, they didn't, I would lose 2-3 lbs and then I would gain 2-3 lbs. Again, "it's normal" I told myself.

Fast forward to a week ago - I jumped on here for some motivation (reading stories, etc.) and I took a hard look at what I was doing. Basically, I was being lazy - I was eating whatever I wanted and justifying it by saying "I only eat small portions" - Well, yeah, that was true...BUT I was grazing, I was drinking too much alcohol, and I wasn't tracking. I honetly have no idea how many calories I was consuming (especially on weekends with family and friends). I played mind games with myself and said "As long as I'm not gaining, I'm doing things right." - Well, that was a giant load of (@*$.

This past Tuesday (after a weekend of Mimosa's, Crown Royal, and some really great BBQ), I woke up to a 5lb gain (BTW, yes I realize some of that was Water retention). WAKE UP CALL. 5lbs? Seriously - Time to go back to basics before that's a 10lb gain. For the first time in MONTHS, I tracked every thing I tracked everything that went into my mouth (water, food, etc) - I did 3 days of liquid - In two days, those 5lbs were off. Rather than what I've done in the past, I didn't stop there - I continued tracking, I continued being cognizant of what and when I was eating. I said "no" to many things that I thought I wanted. I lost 6.8lbs from Tuesday to Sunday. What? I'm NOT a slow loser - I'm a LAZY loser.

Folks, for many of us, it's EASY in the first few months, it's EASY to convince ourselves that we're doing OK, it's EASY to compare ourselves to others, it's EASY to ignore signs that you're falling into bad habits, and it's EASY to get lazy. In reality, it's HARD to stick to your plan when you're feeling fantastic and patting yourself on the back for losing so much weight. I'm choosing to be thankful that this happened now rather than 2-3 years into it. I'm glad that reality smacked me in the face and forced me to face the fact that i wasn't doing what I needed to do. Right now it was EASY to get back on track before I let it get out of control. For those of you experiencing the same - Buckle up buttercup, start tracking, weigh yourself often if you need to, and take a good look and when and why you're losing weight and when and why you aren't.

Again, a very special thank you to you old timers for always keeping things real and giving out such fantastic advice.