Hello fellow sleevers,

just thought I would start a thread for all those who want to get to goal in 2012, regardless of where we are in the process.

I posted it the 'Slow Loser' thread, because that is what I am!! (I am not complaining by the way, just pleased to be a loser...lol)

For me to get there, I know that at 18mths out I need to be strict, accountable and have support from those in the same 'place', who understand that the sleeve isn't a miracle but a tool.

I have done well so far, but the weight hasn't 'melted' off me and since 6mths post op I have had to fight for each and every pound. At first it made me a little bitter, frustrated and I started to get into a 'dark place' about it, now the scale victory tastes sooooo sweet!

I have taken the month of December 'off'... I needed to rest from the constant worry of food, cals, water, carbs and protein... my head was spinning and I was starting to feel very frustrated and overwhelmed at not being at goal again. I needed time out!

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas period and I have eaten what I wanted and when I wanted it; this includes ALL foods, no food was off limit and I let my sleeve do its job! The quantity was low but I still enjoyed every mouthful. Interestingly, I found that my cravings were satisified very quickly... 1 or 2 biscuits/sweets, and so on, hit the spot, instead of 5,6,7,... you get the picture. Subconscious damage limitation? I don't know but I like it!

I have learnt a lot by doing this. I now know that I can eat a little more if I 'try'... I know that I can enjoy food again without feeling guilty and I know that food doesn't have to be the enemy. So, with all that, what was the outcome? Yep, I have gained 2lbs above my personal bounce! Oops!

I am not, in the slightest, worried about this because I KNOW what is the cause... sugar and salt! And this time, I am sure it will come off as quick as it went on!

So, what is the plan?

Per my surgeon's instructions: I am going back to basics... yep that ole one...lol

• 3 meals a day - no snacking.
  
• Weighing my meals between 6-8oz depending on what is on the plate.
  
• Protein first, followed by veggies.
  
• Plenty of water.
  
• A limit of 1000 cals a day.
  
• Continue with my exercise - boxing twice a week, gym in work 1-2 times a week (depending on work load) and walking my dog (just over a 2 mile circuit). The exercise is the only thing that I have stuck to in December... I actually enjoy it now!!
  

As a side note, and I ain't sure if my American friends can get this, but here in the Uk, on SKY there are a few fitness channels. I have recorded some aerobic workouts that are really good... they're free and can be done at home... this is saving me some money on classes and DVDs and if I don't like the workout I can delete and look for another!! Bonus!!

Ok, who is ready to join me on the final stretch to goal... hope on board and enjoy the ride my friends...

Wow, nice work everyone! Coops, can't wait to hear how your appointment goes.

Hey...Just a quick update... the open evening was really good. It wasn't a 'sales pitch' but more of an informative chat. I was impressed with the surgeon and his 20 yrs experience... had a chat with him afterwards and I liked his vibes. Felt relaxed. So, I've booked a consultation for the 21 Feb and a provision op date for the 23 March ... that is just two months away. After the consultation which will cost £150, I will have a secure figure of the procedure(s)! I am starting to feel a little excited by this and it is all starting to feel real!

Oh and I saw the lower end of my bounce range too.... please let this continue downwards as I am working so hard on eating clean, good food! And as a side note hubby has lost more too... down 10lbs now! Jammy bugger!! lol

Hope you are all well...

Coops, that's very exciting news on all accounts! Congratulations!

Hi everyone, I'm just checking in. I've been on track for a whole month (woohoo!!), the scale has not rewarded me for my good behavior (booo!!), and I've had a really hard time with that. Basically I've been up and down (a lot!) around 2.5 pounds over the past 3 weeks. I know the up and down is just normal for me - Water retention, saltier food, monthly hormonal shifts, whatever. But it's the complete lack of progress that I'm struggling with. That probably has plenty of normal reasons too. I did lose a little more than 10 pounds the first week of being on track. I figured most of that wasn't real loss, just losing the bloat from eating carbs and sugar, but it may be that my body just needs a break, I don't know. I'm confused, because a year ago I was at this weight, eating the way I am, exercising the way I am, and I was losing at a pretty steady rate. I truly believed that if I could just get my eating back in line and stick to it, and stick with the exercising, the scale would reward me. Not so much.... I didn't experience real stalls during the months after WLS - if I saw a stall or a slight gain, it was clearly attributable to slacking off and eating the wrong things. I know I was just really lucky that way, but it means I'm feeling completely unprepared for it now.

It's all messing with my head, and I hit a serious bout of depression. But I'm determined to keep on keeping on, and struggling for patience. I took myself off to my favorite beach spot for a few days - COLD, but beautiful, and the wind seems to blow some of the negativity out of me and clear my head. Best of all, I'm managing to eat right, even in my favorite vacation spot where I have all the "treat" foods memorized. There are SO many temptations, but at the moment my head's in the right spot, I'm feeling motivated, and staying on track is more important than any of the goodies. I also have a bad habit of letting exercise be my excuse to eat too much and the wrong things. Sure, a couple hours' walk / jog down the beach and back burns a good number of calories, but not nearly enough to justify eating EVERYTHING that tempts me. I decided before I went what I was going to eat, and how to stay on track, and I feel really good about sticking to my plan. I continue to weigh myself daily (though not at the beach, I did leave my travel scale at home - seemed counter-productive to getting my mood back where I want it!) I often think about not weighing, I've gotten so I step on that scale with fear in my heart every morning, and get off again feeling despondent (yeah... I'm a little overdramatic!) I wonder why I don't just take a break from weighing, but I sort of feel like I want to track and see what my body's patterns are, and learn to cope with it better, not just avoid it. Does that make sense? As long as it's not actually derailing me, I think I'll stick with it. I've definitely had times in the past when bad news on the scale became a reason to declare "it's not working anyway, I might as well eat what I want!", and I'm keeping a watchful eye out for that attitude. I have a fat girl inside me struggling to get back out, and she's a sneaky witch!

So, on to month two of staying on track!

Escape pod - I am with you 100%! Really, I understand your frustration as I have been and am still there... I too have been eating really clean and passing up 'treats' and so on and although I am sitting at the bottom end of my bounce range there is still no movement below. Remember I said hubby was now eating the same way, well he has lost 13lbs now! I am really happy for him but so frustrated that I am not getting the same rewards on the scales. I do feel better; not so bloated and cranky, less moody, sleeping better, more focused etc, but I really hoped that this month of clean eating would show on the scales.... but I can't get below 165! My ultimate goal of 138- even 140 seems like a distant miracle. I am only 5 2, and some days I feel really 'heavy', like I used to!

Over the last couple of days I have had a proper pity party - you know: 'it's not fair, others are losing weight easily and I am not' - I've even been moving more - gym and walking (not ready for the boxing gym yet) and although I feel great when I've done it, when the scale is stagnant I wonder why I bother!

I really have to try and get my head in a better place. I haven't turned to junk food yet... I have been so close though.

I know I have said it before, but it just seems like my body wants to stay here and that is the part that I find really annoying - why has it chosen this set point when I am still medically obese! GRRRRRR!!!

Coops -- keep hope alive!! I think you can outlast anything, be stubborn!!!

ETA: My damn husband has lost over 7 kg from eating clean too.

Hi everyone, I'm just checking in. I've been on track for a whole month (woohoo!!), the scale has not rewarded me for my good behavior (booo!!), and I've had a really hard time with that. Basically I've been up and down (a lot!) around 2.5 pounds over the past 3 weeks. I know the up and down is just normal for me - Water retention, saltier food, monthly hormonal shifts, whatever. But it's the complete lack of progress that I'm struggling with. That probably has plenty of normal reasons too. I did lose a little more than 10 pounds the first week of being on track. I figured most of that wasn't real loss, just losing the bloat from eating carbs and sugar, but it may be that my body just needs a break, I don't know. I'm confused, because a year ago I was at this weight, eating the way I am, exercising the way I am, and I was losing at a pretty steady rate. I truly believed that if I could just get my eating back in line and stick to it, and stick with the exercising, the scale would reward me. Not so much.... I didn't experience real stalls during the months after WLS - if I saw a stall or a slight gain, it was clearly attributable to slacking off and eating the wrong things. I know I was just really lucky that way, but it means I'm feeling completely unprepared for it now.

It's all messing with my head, and I hit a serious bout of depression. But I'm determined to keep on keeping on, and struggling for patience. I took myself off to my favorite beach spot for a few days - COLD, but beautiful, and the wind seems to blow some of the negativity out of me and clear my head. Best of all, I'm managing to eat right, even in my favorite vacation spot where I have all the "treat" foods memorized. There are SO many temptations, but at the moment my head's in the right spot, I'm feeling motivated, and staying on track is more important than any of the goodies. I also have a bad habit of letting exercise be my excuse to eat too much and the wrong things. Sure, a couple hours' walk / jog down the beach and back burns a good number of calories, but not nearly enough to justify eating EVERYTHING that tempts me. I decided before I went what I was going to eat, and how to stay on track, and I feel really good about sticking to my plan. I continue to weigh myself daily (though not at the beach, I did leave my travel scale at home - seemed counter-productive to getting my mood back where I want it!) I often think about not weighing, I've gotten so I step on that scale with fear in my heart every morning, and get off again feeling despondent (yeah... I'm a little overdramatic!) I wonder why I don't just take a break from weighing, but I sort of feel like I want to track and see what my body's patterns are, and learn to cope with it better, not just avoid it. Does that make sense? As long as it's not actually derailing me, I think I'll stick with it. I've definitely had times in the past when bad news on the scale became a reason to declare "it's not working anyway, I might as well eat what I want!", and I'm keeping a watchful eye out for that attitude. I have a fat girl inside me struggling to get back out, and she's a sneaky witch!

So, on to month two of staying on track!

Escape Pod I'm right there with you. I've had a month and my weight has also fluctuated up 2 to 3 lbs and then down to the same #. I have also seen that my appetite has increased and I can eat more which scares the pants right off me. I had 1 day where I ate way too much and was totally feeling horrible. Then the next day I got back on track...... Just recently I did get down into the 143's. I'll take it, but this is totally hard work. I started back at the gym 1 day and then got sick with a really bad cold and haven't been back since....Tomorrow I start up again. I do reckonize that when I eat carbs by weight goes to it's highest bounce. I know it's water retention form the carbs and salt. So this past month I have switched to checking all labels and getting rid of the products that add sugar to the ingredient labels. I believe that has helped a lot in losing a couple of ozs..... I am working on planning my meals and sticking to it.......Good Job!

Escape pod - I am with you 100%! Really, I understand your frustration as I have been and am still there... I too have been eating really clean and passing up 'treats' and so on and although I am sitting at the bottom end of my bounce range there is still no movement below. Remember I said hubby was now eating the same way, well he has lost 13lbs now! I am really happy for him but so frustrated that I am not getting the same rewards on the scales. I do feel better; not so bloated and cranky, less moody, sleeping better, more focused etc, but I really hoped that this month of clean eating would show on the scales.... but I can't get below 165! My ultimate goal of 138- even 140 seems like a distant miracle. I am only 5 2, and some days I feel really 'heavy', like I used to!

Over the last couple of days I have had a proper pity party - you know: 'it's not fair, others are losing weight easily and I am not' - I've even been moving more - gym and walking (not ready for the boxing gym yet) and although I feel great when I've done it, when the scale is stagnant I wonder why I bother!

I really have to try and get my head in a better place. I haven't turned to junk food yet... I have been so close though.

I know I have said it before, but it just seems like my body wants to stay here and that is the part that I find really annoying - why has it chosen this set point when I am still medically obese! GRRRRRR!!!

Coops this is frustrating.....to be at this set point......and our DH's eat clean and lose weight on the same diet.....I do believe that your weight hasn't moved but your physical health and moods have changed and that's a big bonus point. Your body is being very stubborn right now by holding on to that weight. I have been attending a diabetes class and the one thing that stuck out for me was that the RN instructing the class said that if we don't eat enough food, our body won't let go of the weight. So I am so tempted to eat more veggies (if I can physically) and test her theory. She said that she had stopped losing and talked to her dietician and the dietician told her she wasn't eating enough. She reports that she's lost 5 lbs since and has 5 more lbs to lose. I do admire and love eating clean.......

thanks ladies...

Swizzly - I was born to be stubborn ...lol... I've been reading Mark's daily apple and the best advise on there is to be patient and wait until your body turns into a fat burning machine - hahahaaa! I am still waiting! I've been here for 16mths now so what is another couple fo weeks - months! I just can't let it go!

I really want to be at least over weight if not a normal BMI!

And Skinny, you are right! Benefit other than weight loss is a good reason to keep on keeping on! I am just getting frustrated again!

I wonder if I am not eating enough too - but like you say, the restriction is still there and keeping me in control of my portions. I don't want to eat more than 4 times a day 'cos I know that is the slippery slope to grazing, something that I have got control over now, I do eat nuts every day - macadamia with cranberry are my choice at the moment and i know they are calories dense but good for me. Should I keep eating them or get rid....??? *sighs*

I just finished reading an article in the Los Angeles Times discussing the benefits of not eating wheats....... So today, which isn't hard for me, I will not be eating anything that has wheats in it. The person it will be hard for is my DH, bc he doesn't read labels, he thinks he just has to give up breads.......so we shall see.....I will look further into marks site. I do eat a lot of nuts.......I love them......It's just that I can eat a couple of hands full without constriction. I'm so anxious about whether my stomach can stretch or not.....heard so many different stories from so many so I really don't want to take a chance....Now it's up to us....I don't really plan on getting rid of the nuts, they are my go too...... Happy Sunday everyone.......

Thought I might get your opinion on this article so here it is:

5 Questions: Diet advice that goes against the grain

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Dr. William Davis is the author of the "Wheat Belly Cookbook," a follow-up to his "Wheat Belly" bestseller. (Dawn Davis)

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by Rene Lynch, Los Angeles Times

February 2, 2013

You've heard about the "Wheat Belly" diet, right? Well, technically, it doesn't exist.

Dr. William Davis points out that the word "diet" does not appear on either the cover of his bestselling "Wheat Belly" book published in 2011 or on the follow-up, "Wheat Belly Cookbook," which was published last month and already tops bestseller lists.

And that omission is intentional, Davis said.

"Wheat Belly" is about stripping your plate of a substance that contributes to heart disease, causes joint pain, inflammation, foggy thinking, bloating and much more, Davis said. Losing weight, he added, is simply a nice aside.

The cardiologist believes wheat is the single biggest contributor to the country's obesity epidemic, in part because aggressive breeding methods and genetic manipulation have turned it into what Davis derides as a "Frankenwheat." One of its most troubling side effects? Triggering uncontrollable carb cravings, the doctor said.

Why do you believe wheat is so problematic?

The advice to cut your fat and eat whole grains is the worst advice you can possibly pass on to people. I say, "Eat more fat. Eat as little grains as possible." Grains really don't belong in the human experience.

I didn't go looking to demonize wheat. I told my patients to stop eating [wheat products] as part of treatment because many were suffering from diabetes or were prediabetic. But they'd come back in three to six months, and they were 25 to 40 pounds lighter. And they'd say, "The pain in my wrist and shoulder is gone." "My [irritable bowel syndrome symptoms] are gone." I only did it for blood sugar. But I thought, "What in the world is in wheat besides its potential to raise blood sugar? Why would their asthma go away? Why would someone's food obsession disappear?" So many things happened. In the beginning I had no idea why. I had to see it thousands of time before it got drilled into my head. We are treating the consumption of modern wheat. Only we call ithypertension. Obesity. Arthritis. Acid reflux. … You take out the wheat, all that goes away. You could argue that wheat is perfectly crafted to exert maximum damage to multiple organs.

Your books make ditching wheat sound like discovering the fountain of youth.

I tell people just try it for 30 days. It's an exceptionally common observation for people to come back to me and say, "I feel 20 years younger!" For one, you'll have a dramatic increase in energy … and you experience what I call "youthful sleep." That's where [someone] can clang pots and pans and you won't wake up. People lose weight, they're more flexible, they're lighter on their feet. Memory improves. Skin improves. The puffy look around the eyes? That improves. When you lose the wheat, you lose several pounds the first week. Part of that is fat weight, but also Water weight.

This is a lot for people to wrap their heads around. We've been told grains are good.

What humans have been doing for 2 million years is consuming animal meat, vegetables, nuts, fruits and the like. ... When we added grains 10,000 years ago, more or less, there's an observation of dramatic downturns in health. ... We are meat-consuming omnivores who made a mistake by this detour into grains. Modern times made it much worse by changing grains on us. [And agri-business] has decided, "Let's just put wheat in everything, from tomato Soup to salad dressings." Why is wheat in tomato soup? When you make tomato soup at home, do you put wheat in it? No. I know this sounds conspiracy-ish, but I've got to believe that at some level some very smart people have realized [that wheat triggers binge eating]. How else can you justify that wheat got into everything?

You say that many "Wheat Belly" followers feel a profound sense of relief — and not just because of the weight loss.

We're told that Americans are diabetic and overweight because we're the most gluttonous and lazy people in the world. But that's not true. Many have just been getting seriously bad advice. They are exercising, cutting their calories, doing all the things they are supposed to do, and there is this destructive thing in their diet that they are told to eat more of. Not only is that advice — to eat more grains — ineffective, it's destructive.

You have people who are saying, "I'm doing everything right, I've cut my fat and cholesterol, I don't eat junk food or fast food. I exercise an hour a day, or an hour and a half a day, and I've gained 18 pounds." … They are doing what appears to be right, and yet they are desperately frustrated. But they have failed to make that fundamental distinction. It's not about calories. It's not about fat. It's not about exercise. It's about this destructive, appetite-stimulating food in your diet.

What is the hardest part about giving up wheat? And what should we be eating?

There is so much to eat! Real foods. Vegetables, fruit, meats, organ meats and so on. And when you are eating real foods, you can eat all you want. The hardest part for most people is giving up bread. And it's not enough to just go gluten-free. I tell people, "You don't have to give up sandwiches." [The cookbook has several recipes for breads, including focaccia, pretzels, walnut-raisin bread, cheddar cheese biscuits, brownies and pie crusts, made with wheat substitutes such as almond, coconut and garbanzo bean flours.] I tell people just go cold turkey and try it for 30 days. What do you have to lose?

very interesting Skinny.. can I say that since I have given up bread - I must start to check labels on soups now - that my sleep has defo improved; my skin is looking better, as is my hair (still very thin but not so dry and frizzy) but the best thing is I have NO bloating or pains in my tummy after eating! I thought I had a touch of IBS, but I don't think that is the case now... I simply think it was the wheat and grain playing havoc with my stomach and digestion.

Oh and the hubby weighed again today, he has lost 15lbs in total now... I am slowly turning green here...lol! He is looking a lot better for it and he reports the same benefits as me and to add to that, he used to get a lot of acid and it would literally wake him up in the middle of the night... that has now gone! His energy levels are a lot higher and his overall mood is better too!

I really think that this way of eating suits us both.

I gave up wheat products simply because I found eating low-carb reduced my sugar cravings dramatically. I can't say I notice any other side effects of wheat on the very rare occasions when I do eat a few bites of waffle or pizza crust, but I know a lot of people find eliminating wheat to be very beneficial. For most of us, I think the weight loss is more a matter of adjustments in water retention that our bodies make when we change how we eat, but that's just my guess. I wonder sometimes if my husband would find some health benefits to going lower carb, but I don't think he's ready to make that change.

just a quick update from me... I am now back to 164, what I am calling my all time lowest (I did see 163 once, so I am not counting that!). HUbby has now lost 17lbs and is really looking good...he is getting his waist line back! He is also reporting a feeling of well being that he hasn't had for a long time! To hear him say that is amazing cos over the last three years, he has had a really tough ride of things.

This way of eating is really benefiting me and I am starting to feel a little more confident. This is going to sound really strange, but I am 'feeling' smaller. I went out Friday night with the peeps from work and my hubby said that I looked 'tiny'! In all our married life, he has never used that adjective on me.... chuffed!

After 5 weeks of following the primal style eating I am starting to look at sugary foods in a different light... they don't interest me anymore! Here is an example: me and hubby went to the cinema last night... normally we would consider this a 'treat' and associated with that would be lots of chocolate, cola and popcorn. He would have a large bag of M&Ms and I would have a small (which isn't that small actually...lol) bag of popcorn - we would share the drink.

Anyway, last night we shared some dark choc - 4 squares each. I took some macadamia nuts and dry cranberries and he had some dried apricots! Talk about an NSV!! Didn't look for anything else... wasn't interested in the sweets or popcorn shop...Oh and we shared a bottle of water!!!

Chuffed or what!

This, after 2 1/2 years out is definitely a sign that progress never stops.

I am looking forward to seeing my PS now, to see what he says about the TT ... I really think that this will mark the end of my journey, and regardless of what the scales says, I will be where I want to be. I'll keep you all posted!

Hope you are all doing well...

Oh, and thank you swizzy for pointing me in the direction of Mark's daily apple...

Glad you have enjoyed it -- I do love that site! It has changed my life for the better. But like your husband, coops, it has REALLY benefited my husband as well. He's had far fewer migraines and has told me that he *feels* really well, and like a fog has lifted, he's clearly much happier overall. I find it utterly amazing. I haven't noticed this effect very much, so I'm guessing the gluten was impacting him much more than it does me. I'm just happy to avoid the calories I don't need... Super proud of you for getting down to low weight again -- I bet you'll see that number continue to fall, but even if you don't, you will def look smaller...hence the 'tiny'-ness. Go you!!!

My DH and I have switched to cutting out the wheat products and he has lost 3 lbs from it. His blood sugar has also become more normal on most days. We are also reading labels on processed foods and cutting out all products with added sugar. We have gone back to eating things that are none processed. It is so easy to come home, prepare some protein and throw some veggies in the microwave..... For me, I am struggling somewhat..... My niece was selling girl scout cookies and because I wanted to help her out, I bought 3 boxes.... On the way home I was hungry so I convinced myself that I could have just 1 cookie.... Right, it ended up being almost half the box. So I gave the rest to a friend so they wouldn't be in my house. I knew better, I will just give the money and let them have the cookie...Lesson learned. However, I am getting more into Mark's daily apple too.... Thank you swizzly and coops for the info, It's been a great transition for my DH and now I will be more stringent to following his plan....