November Surgery Buddies!!!

[Spinoza 1,125]

Just now, Spinoza said:

It's so hard to say what is a stall and what is the end of the line for weight loss, isn't it? Are you sticking to your program? If you are I suspect it might be one of those horribly long stalls and I really hope it ends soon. NOW in fact! I have a year in my head too to reach my goal but there are loads of people who keep losing at a lower rate well into the second year.

[Neubian60466 12]

Spinoza sounds like you’ve been doin great! I haven’t done anything differently except i’m not drinking nearly enough liquids. I’m thinking that might be the key to my stall. I’ve slipped up a few times and had a sip of something to drink before I should but my appetite is still the same and i’m still eating very small portions. Hopefully by next week i’ll be writing about how I lost some pounds

[DaisyAndSunshine 301]

So the last 2 weeks or so, I was extremely busy and didn't have enough time for cooking and eating, more sedentary except for my daily 45mins of walk.

I kinda was eating around 500 to 700 calories (making sure I get more than 60g of protein) AND weight still came off 🤷🏻‍♀️

So @Spinozawas saying, stalls are really not proportional to how much you eat. I guess it's all about how your body processes the input to lose the weight.

Edited July 15, 2022 by DaisyAndSunshine

[Spinoza 1,125]

Hi guys - we've done 8 months now, how are you all doing?

I like this thread because I can look back and see my journey - never did a thread all to myself.

All good here - I'm 8 months and a week post op, current weight 173 and total loss 103lbs. BMI 25.5. In the last month I have averaged a loss of 1.25lbs a week, which I'm thrilled with. Ideally I would love to lose another stone but that's in the lap of the gods. Either way I'm extremely happy to have had this procedure.

Eating a bit more (volume-wise) in the last few weeks as my hunger has properly returned now - it never really left, but I had a few weeks of what I called full-hunger, when I had eaten what would have filled me up before but it just didn't any more, even if I waited 40 minutes or so, so I've been upping the portion sizes - just a little - and I'm feeling properly full again. I suspect this is going to be a pattern until I reach my new weight.

I'm eating more or less all foods now - still Protein first veg second most of the time but I have had occasional bread, no Pasta no rice but a small slice or two of pizza etc. and it's all sitting well with me. Trying to average 1200 calories a day still but at weekends I go over that and I'm not beating myself up about it.

Would love to hear from you all - or at least the people who are still visiting this board 8 months on. Hope you're having the time of your lives - I certainly am.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Spinoza

[Lilypop 8]

Been 3 years out from my 2019 surgery, I lost originally 109 pounds weighed about 147 pounds and that was after my skin removal surgery. Then I peaked up back to 169 now currently and I am very comfortable at this weight. I don’t look like I’m dying since I was soo skinny looking because I’m super tall about 5”11. I do occasionally eat pizza and some rice here and there but I’m back to normal eating. I don’t have big plates but I don’t much often and if I do I weigh the Snacks and use the calories to the T. It’s true what they say that you gain about 20 pounds or so after a few years but again I’m healthy and have managed my weight consistently around 169ish for the past two years now so I suggest people don’t beat yourself up because of it. Doesn’t help I’m over the whole 30 years old and your body starts to slow… that’s very very true. But even with it I’m okay.

It was not always rainbows though… I do have days where I will experience dumping, and my nutritionist said that gaining the 20 pounds was better for me because after surgery for a whole year I had been in and out of the hospital for low blood pressure, fainting and my heart rate would drop below 50 bpm so since then I have yet (thank god) to be back in the hospital. So I would say it’s really a mind set for how you take this tool your given and use it to fit your life not anyone else’s. mentality it is a challenge because I wish the surgeries didn’t leave huge scars which I would show if anyone wanted to see how the fleur de lis surgery looks like. But in all I look at it as I can fit my clothes, look good in them and I feel amazing most days 😁 I hope I wasn’t too all over the board with my experience lol

[ForMyOhana 63]

8 months in. More days that I feel good than bad. Weight loss slowed, probably due to summer vacations and not watching what I'm doing as well. Some days I feel like I "don't hit my limit "... in other words, I feel like I ate a lot today and the last few days. That scares me a little. I feel like I need a good reset.

That said, I'm down about 125. My clothes are still feeling looser... to clarify, my new replacement pants are getting too loose. My ring is almost falling off. My arrhythmia... the reason for the surgery is nearly completely gone. So, good stuff.

My bellybutton gets irritated and seems to weep... gross... I'm not sure why. Will be talking to the nurse tomorrow. Need to just refocus and reset though. I'd like to lose another 10 in the next month which will require me to get back on track... I'm in a wedding.

I have 2 more vacations coming up, so I gotta be good. I should be able to get more activity in which will be a plus. Walking and hiking.

Good luck everyone!

[Spinoza 1,125]

125 down is just amazing! I do get the occasional day of bad eating - not too many - but I try to get back on the horse the next day with Protein first, which has worked so far. Vacations are difficult - eating goes all topsy-turvy. Good luck with the 10lbs this month - that was almost my maximum rate of loss right after surgery!! It's about a pound a week now but I'm happy with that. How much more would you like to lose in total @ForMyOhana?

Edited July 28, 2022 by Spinoza

[Terrybelle 9]

Hi Buddies!! Happy to say, I'm still trucking along. Eight months out and 80 lbs down from 245 to 165, pushing for 145. My energy is so much better as is my health. Loving this journey and still cannot wrap my head around how my body is shrinking. I never ever thought I'd be approaching single digit sizes again at my age. I'm so happy to be a part of this amazing group. xoxo

[Spinoza 1,125]

Fab to hear you're doing so well @Terrybelle

Onwards and downwards

[DaisyAndSunshine 301]

Back on a stall for the last 2 weeks - Le sigh 😭

These last few pounds need to come off given most of it being in the belly area. I feel now's the time to get a trainer or something ...

[Spinoza 1,125]

Stalls are the absolute worst. They shake your faith in EVERYTHING! Keep the faith @DaisyAndSunshine if you're sticking to the programme then you might well lose those last few pounds, even if it takes a while. You have done so so very well.

I really want to lose about another 10 lbs although I accept that may or may not happen.

[DaisyAndSunshine 301]

16 hours ago, Spinoza said:

Stalls are the absolute worst. They shake your faith in EVERYTHING! Keep the faith @DaisyAndSunshine if you're sticking to the programme then you might well lose those last few pounds, even if it takes a while. You have done so so very well.

I really want to lose about another 10 lbs although I accept that may or may not happen.

Definitely - At it still everyday.

I would have been content if my belly fat wasn't sticking out as much. Plus I am quite petite so it just looks not very flattering on short stature. So will try my best to get the last 20 down and see how it goes.

Now I think I am alright putting in extra workout routine and see if it helps with definition. Let's work at it together as always 😂

[geilli1048 1]

My surgery was 11/1/2021. From 217.5 (245 at my highest pre-surgery weight) to 157. My goal is 140 (I'm short at 5'3"). I'm starting to panic because I am noticing my restriction less and I'm hungry more lately. Starting to think about food like I did pre-surgery. Has anyone else dealt with this? I'm trying to keep my cravings under control by sticking to plan. It is getting harder. I need to stay positive and deal with my head hunger....protein, Protein, protein. Would love your input fellow VSG's!

[Spinoza 1,125]

I'm heading the same way @geilli1048 I've already maxed out on my usual calories today and I'm hungry again so I'm going to have to eat more. Yes I agree we need to be extra good at Protein first and everything else will hopefully follow! Lots of people say losing the last 10 - 20lbs is really difficult and can take months. I think we've got this and we're gonna make it to goal!

Edited August 10, 2022 by Spinoza

[Pete-TheTimeIsNow 48]

On 8/9/2022 at 12:30 PM, geilli1048 said:

I am noticing my restriction less and I'm hungry more lately. Starting to think about food like I did pre-surgery. Has anyone else dealt with this? I'm trying to keep my cravings under control by sticking to plan.

Same boat. Sometimes I work really late, and around 8-9 pm, the hunger monster attacks.. :). I started having a fat free, Protein yogurt, this didn't cut it. A bit later, I started adding some granola, because "I don't eat enough carbs during the day"... and it went downhill from there.. :), weight loss went down to ~1 lbs / week.

Had to stop, and go back to basics. Now, when hungry, and still have some ways to go before bedtime, I eat an omelet (even if it's 9 pm). After I started doing this, weight started going down again.