I just wanted to get in a thread on the veterans forum before it gets inundated with threads by new people. Nothing against them, I haven't forgotten where I came from. Just saying...we need our own clubhouse once in a while. It's like a family....we all need each other, but sometimes we need some space too.

Best of luck to all sleeve vets and rookies alike.

I so needed this thread. Think minus Susan I'm the "oldest" so far. Really takes a dedicated person to come on here a couple times a week when I should be living life. Feel that need to pay back the support given to me in those early days of the sleeve. VST was my lifeline.

So' date=' confession here. i just started the 5 day pouch test since I gained weight beyond my normal up/down stable weight. Still below surgeons goal, barely. Today is day one on pouch test. Feel like the first day of my preop diet...except slightly easier. Not than I am happy unable to chew on anything. Maybe this extra lbs is due to head hunger and emotional eating.

Can you encourage me to follow the advice I so freely dish out to others, please? I need your help. ARGH - I have seen the enemy. She looks remarkebly like me. Help, I'm not going back.[/quote']

You can do it Legal! You can do it! You're a stark example that for some of us the "battle" may never be over, but you've maintained for a long time below that goal. You clearly know how to win the battle. The 5 day pouch test will go by before you know it and help you get back to basics....back to the beginning. Nothing wrong with a little reset. In fact it's a nice tool to have. Kudos to you for recognizing it and using it.

Thanks Butterthebean;

Day 2 of pouch test. So here sits one of my children next to me munching on Veggie Chips/hummus (as I type this), eating a HN hot dog and it smells delicious. I choose to make my sleevie wonder work. Going for a walk once I finish this post. Resolved to follow through on test.

Tomorrow, eggs for Breakfast, chicken for lunch. dinner, well - that will be tough since I have a standing dinner date with friends and my DH. Wish me luck!

Oh - looks like I am down a pound too.

Thanks Butterthebean;

Day 2 of pouch test. So here sits one of my children next to me munching on Veggie Chips/hummus (as I type this)' date=' eating a HN hot dog and it smells delicious. I choose to make my sleevie wonder work. Going for a walk once I finish this post. Resolved to follow through on test.

Tomorrow, eggs for breakfast, chicken for lunch. dinner, well - that will be tough since I have a standing dinner date with friends and my DH. Wish me luck!

Oh - looks like I am down a pound too.[/quote']

I am a recent convert to the hummus world. I haven't found a flavor I don't like. I dip those sweet banana peppers in it. Yum. But you can't have any just yet. 3 more days. You got this.

I am a recent convert to the hummus world. I haven't found a flavor I don't like. I dip those sweet banana peppers in it. Yum. But you can't have any just yet. 3 more days. You got this.

Have you tried the spinich artichoke one yet? It's heavenly.

Have you tried the spinich artichoke one yet? It's heavenly.

Sadly, no because I'm allergic to spinach. I always thought it was a blessing in my old life but now I wish I could eat it.

You guys are all doing really well. Iegal, congrats on getting back on track. Reading about Vitamix's sounds so delicious I am keeping my calories down to 1300 and am working on adding healthy carbs. Sometimes I find myself just wanting to eat. So got to stop those thoughts. Keep it up guys!

My lil sis is super slim, real gym junkie, but even she gains a little weight every now and then. Her help in this department was to provide insight into my future life: you can't always be "perfect". The point is to recognise that your habits have become less than optimal, analyse how this is affecting your health/appearance, and act accordingly.

This seems normal but i usually "slip" and then ignore the slip and just keep bingeing for as long as possible... Now those slips become less important, they last a couple of weeks over chrissy rather than months or years!

I hold to the basic things I can pre-sleeve- NO SODA!!! To even choose a glass outside of a very very special occasion is to choose extra calories that really aren't worth it to me personally! I'm not addicted to soda, it's not my favourite beverage and so slipping into routinely drinking it is just something I have to catch early and stop. No judgement, just recognise - and act! (I've already analysed how much it's not worth it to me).

Post sleeve and for you guys, these things might be snacking/grazing, emotional eating, sugars or flours that tempt you too often, etc...

Love yourself vets, you have a great tool but even thin people need to exercise extra self control sometimes too and that involves being kind to yourself!!!

I think for you vets self control and willpower are something foreign to your pre-sleeve selves- it's not about starvation or privation or failure- it's about adjustments, alterations, improvements...

Be positive! Peace

iegal, you can do this! Hang with it, lady. Find distractions when you get frustrated. How's today treating you? Congrats on the pound but remember that the big success here is in regaining control.

Speaking of hummus (that iegal can't eat yet, sorry), I finally found garbanzo Beans (and tahina!) at a Turkish market here! I was so happy to find them as I've been scouring every market stall and grocery shelf for them for more than two months. I had to soak and cook them, but man, I had the BEST chickpea salad for lunch today and made up a yummy batch of hummus for Snacks. I added roasted red peppers and extra garlic to mine. Yummy, and YAY for Protein.

~Cheri

Thank you for encouraging me everyone.

Today is day 4 of pouch test. With the exception of dinner out with friends last night (I knew about this before my pouch test and gave myself a hall pass) I have done exceedingly well. Down 2 pounds also as a bonus.

I have:

• felt restriction again on my sleeve
  
• starting watching the clock to ensure I wait 30 minutes before eating or drinking
  
• found that this really is head hunger (Telling myself now...you are just bored not hungry)
  
• know I can control my eating habits if focus
  

Yeah sleeve! As just a tool for restriction, I shout..."the sleeve works."

Hugs. I love my sleeve and have no regrets.

I've never had much luck with the pouch test. I lose weight, but I gain back exactly what I lost as soon as I go back to solid food.

It's hard to have so much willpower when there are so many good things that I love to eat.

Gee, reads a little bit like a dear John letter to the newbies...

Just seeing the humor in it.

I LOVE this thread!! Maybe I need to keep quiet until I'm 6 months out? That will be on 2-21-13, so that will be soon enough!!

Wow, my one year surgiversary is in less than a week. Time flies! I have been very blessed. I love to read what those further out have to say. Maintenance is a new beast. I love this thread! I am so excited to have a forum for those who can relate to me. I will be regularly coming back to VST if this forum doesn't get inundated. I don't mind posting to newbies but it does get kind of old sometimes. We need a place for us. I mean, newbies have their spots. Us too, right? To those of you over 2 years post op, KUDOS! I am very impressed with your diligence to keep your weight under control. Some of my favorite youtubers adopt the 5-10 lb range plan. They have a lifetime maintenance range and if they see themselves heading to the higher end, they immediately go back into watching every bite that goes into their mouths meticulously. Just like freshly post op. That is what I am doing now. I only allow myself a 5 lb. range. I haven't had it go to the top yet, but I keep an eye. Christmas was a doozy. I had more carbs than usual in the form of stuffing and had to make sure to throw it out after a couple of days because I loooove stuffing. I even ate my protein first during the holidays but that damn stuffing was calling to me. I can see how it gets harder as time goes on. I have noticed it's MUCH easier to hit 1000-1200 calories now than it was 6 months ago. I remember when it was a struggle to get in 600 cals. Times change.

Some of my favorite youtubers adopt the 5-10 lb range plan. They have a lifetime maintenance range and if they see themselves heading to the higher end, they immediately go back into watching every bite that goes into their mouths meticulously.

This is exactly the approach I used (prior to baby) and can honestly say that once the habits of choosing better foods and not grazing or eating emotionally were under control I almost never had to track my food. I stayed very easily and comfortably in a four pound window and had no real troubles regardless of what I was choosing to eat. I could "afford" a splurge like dessert because I chose good things 90% of the time. The challenge comes in when you love food and are surrounded by tasty but not so healthy choices all the time. I imagine a long vacation would hurt me, especially eating out all the time. But there's no reason that "maintenance window" can't work.

I think most of us do that, don't we?

~Cheri

I feel like I am at the early end of belonging to this group. Still looking to lose but starting to feel like an "after". Just a question about how many months you veterans found your losing months or " honeymoons" were? Cheers!