Jaye W

14 hours ago, GradyCat said:

I've been doing really good, 90 minutes a day of cardio, since Jan 1st but decided that I needed to incorporate some weight lifting and strength training into my daily routine.

My gym membership is free under Silver Sneakers, so I don't pay for it and they have trainers that you can pay. I've never used a trainer before, but I decided to give it a try. It's $30 for a 30-minute session if you sign up for 12 sessions, so I did. The first session was free to get to know the trainer, see if you got along, describe your goals, set a plan, etc.

I've done 3 workouts with her so far and it's WONDERFUL! Not only does she show me how to properly use the dumbbells, barbells, and cable machines, but she encourages and supports me and directs me what to do. She mixes it up so I'm not doing the same muscle group all the time or get bored with the same routine.

I don't know how long I can afford it but I like it for at least these 12 sessions. I'm doing them 3x/week. Maybe I can do 1x/week for the next month and then after that just incorporate everything I've learned and do the exercises myself.

Have you ever used a personal trainer? How'd you like that?

Great to hear! keep up the good work. I have worked with a trainer in the past but prefer to just do the workouts on my own. You will learn the exercises and how to mix it up on your own. I go to Planet Fitness- only $10/month and personal training is free if you want it. I have been consistently weightlifting at least 5 days per week since late Summer/Fall of 2021 after fully recovering from gall bladder removal and I think it has made a great difference in how my clothes fit, how my arms/legs/stomach skin looks and how I feel overall.

On 12/04/2021 at 17:45, Somgstress said:

Hi there! I am feeling a little disappointed because I am 3 weeks after surgery and have only lost 3 pounds. I feel like I am doing everything right, walking 3-4 x/day and eating less than1000 calories. Disappointed. Has anyone else had slow weight loss in the first month?

I like dive bars but they are not that high in Protein

I am 5’6”. 49 yo
HW. 264 ( 10/30/20)
SW 235. ( 2/24/21)
CW 147 ( 12/4/21) - been around this weight since 10/31/21
Total lost so far 117#
Size went from 3x shirts and 22/24 pants to S or M shirt and size 6 pants

Congrats Betty!

I assume you do some cooking?
If you roast chicken then divide it into 4 oz portions you will have a lot of options. I found G Hughes sugar free sauces - many different flavors including bbq, Polynesian, teriyaki, honey mustard - shred the chicken and add 2 tablespoons of a sauce. Microwave some green Beans or broccoli or cauliflower with it or grab an apple or strawberries.
I also use balsamic dressing Italian dressing, or Catalina dressing on chicken with a cheese stick and a few cherub grape tomatoes. The same can be done with a piece of steak or ground meat.
Tomato sauce and cheese on chicken or ground meat also works well.

I don’t see how people can expect to be successful early on without tracking Protein and Water. As most of the folks that have had successful weight loss have noted if you meet the 64 oz Fluid guidelines and 60-80 oz of protein daily the tool works. If one was not willing to do that I am not sure why surgery was considered a good option for the OP. The surgery team needs accurate data in order to help you so there has to be some sort of tracking to measure what one is eating. Protocols were developed for a reason. The bullshit is expecting results with little adherence to the recommended protocol.

I made sure to go to the gym Thanksgiving morning like always, ate my usual Breakfast and had a Protein Bar for lunch so I could enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with my family. I had turkey and a little portion of everything else ( mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, gravy, roll and butter) as well as a small piece of apple pie and a few chocolate chip Cookies. I stayed off the scale on Friday and returned to my tracking, gym/ exercise as usual. When I got on the scale today I was down 2#!
This is my first Thanksgiving after surgery. I think it went well and plan to do all holidays/ special occasions in a similar way. I work hard to track and meet my macros normally so I feel it is ok to relax for a holiday meal.

I agree with everything said above and when I try to sleep on my side I can’t keep my bony knees together. Have to use a pillow between my knees or put 1 leg in front of the other

Stay the course. I am 8 months post VSG and 9 lbs from goal. Been bouncing up and down between 147-149 for a few weeks now.
HW 264
SW 235
CW 149
GW 140

I lost 117# and don’t sweat anymore either. Even in tropical climates.

I just keep mixing it up to break a stall. Changing protein/ fat/ good carb intake up and down seems to do the trick. It is definitely slowing down though since I am 8 lbs from goal.

9 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

I had one. It was very helpful. I weighed 146 lbs at the time and wanted to see how much more I could lose. The tech said - "none - you're already at 22% body fat - so you're already there!". I wouldn't have known that otherwise since i had a lot of excess skin that I assumed was fat - but nope!

Luv buying cute leggings now ! Happy Halloween

Has anyone gotten a dexa scan to start measuring body fat percentage and look at body composition? I am thinking about it as a new way to set goals and keep making progress as I think I am pretty close to my maintenance weight. Looking for pros and cons.

Hey Studio54 we are surgery twins! Must have been a good day because I am down from a size 20/22 to a size 6/8 too. I seem to be slowing down now and not sure how low I will go. Are you talking to your Nut about maintenance yet? I am not, I am instead focusing on building muscle to improve my BMR in preparation for maintenance.

I often make an omelet with 1/4 cup of liquid egg whites, 2 oz of breakfast ham, 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of pico de Gallo

Maybe you will be one of the lucky people like I was and actually feel energized and have little to no nausea or fatigue after surgery. I don’t have little ones anymore, but had a very easy recovery. Good luck, think positive!

Hard work paid off. You look great!

It can be frustrating when the surgeon/Nut do not give caloric guidelines. I did not get any either. I was told to just watch Protein and Water. I need more structure than that so I watch my carbs and fat intake too. I just keep my macros where they should be- and the calories seem to fall in the 900-1200 range for me most days. I am 7.5 months post vsg. If I go lower than 900 calories I seem to hit a stall. My protein goal is higher than 80 per my Nut due to my exercise/activity level.

I mix greek yogurt with FF cool whip and freeze it- .

3 hours ago, MistySkye said:

I just spent 2 weeks at Walt Disney World, go home tomorrow. I’m only 4 months out, so the restriction definitely kept things in check. But I did try various things while still focusing on Protein. Some foods “sit” heavy, but I did not have any reactions overall to the different foods. I’m sure the scale will show an increase Monday, Water weight due to eating carbs & the humidity. But, I’m hoping for a drop the following week because I did a tonne of walking that more than counteracted the food I ate. (I still tracked best I could - mainly to keep on top of Protein intake)

Sounds like you have it under control. Safe travels back home!

yes. Once I was cleared to eat ground meat. basically a lasagne without noodles. I do it all the time.... and add zucchini

7 hours ago, Dtrain84 said:

I had only one problem area with loose skin with all my weight loss. The lower abdomen area and it's not going anywhere unless I have surgery to remove it.

I have been working out too- am seeing a difference in my arms and legs- but I think my stomack is going to be like yours.

Update… I have lost the 5 vacation lbs as well as 2 extra this week. This breaks the stall I was on before vacation. I am so grateful. Hoping to continue on towards my goal. Getting closer, yay!