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My Awesome Journey



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Thanks so much for sharing your story. Your approach is great and you have inspired me. Your before pic reminds me of who i see now in the mirror. The yucky stories DO leave a bad taste in your mouth so to speak lol, but i'm going to focus on the many people who say they would do it again in a heartbeat and have such great results like you (and hubby) And yes... it is true how much younger you look... congratulations and best wishes.

juwa :tt1:

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Great job, Hestie. You look fabulous. We have similar stories. I had my surgery on Sept. 27, 2007. Our journey began about the same time. I have lost 111 lbs. However, I have only lost about 10 in the last six months. That worries me a little but I am very happy with my decision to have this surgery. I still have 75 lbs to lose. I went for a fill yesterday because I didn't think I had enough restriction. Well, today I have no restriction after the fill. This is the first time that has happened. Have you ever had this experience?

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Way to go! You definatly looke 10 years younger!! Your eyes even look younger :wink: Congrats on a sucessful journey!

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Hestie, I am scheduled for surgery on 4/15. I am starting out at the same height and weight that you did! You look absolutely beautiful, ten years younger than your Before picture, and your lifestyle changes really inspire me. Thank you for sharing your story.

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:thumbup::thumbup:yOU REALLY DO LOOK GREAT! THANKS FOR YOUR POSSITIVE INPUT. I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS. MY CO-WORKER HAD THE BYPASS AND IM GETTING JEOLOUSE. THE LAP BAND IS THE WAY THAT I WANT TO GO, BUT I'VE BEEN SO AFRAID TO DO IT BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE NEGATIVITY THAT COMES ALONG WITH WLS OF ANY KIND. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR INSPIRATION.

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first of all YOU LOOK AMAZING!!!!:) Thank you for sharing your Positive story I get so discouraged by hearing all the negative posts but when I read the postive posts in motivates me. Thank you! you really do look amazing! :smile2:

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Congratulations on your success. My story is similar, though I am a little taller. At 5'7" I began my journey at 252 lbs. Had to do 6 month diet for insurance, lost 10 lbs on that, 25 more on pre-op liquid diet. The rest is post-op.

I exercise almost every day (try not to take off more than one day, two at the most), mostly just walking in a park near home, around 3-4 miles at a time. When I can't walk, I belong to Curves, and I recently joined the rec center gym that has treadmills and weights and stationary bikes. I also have Water aerobics classes to go to at an aquatic center. Fortunately all are on the way home from work (gotta think of gas prices too). Other than a good pair of walking shoes, Curves costs me $29/month, the rec center is $2/month (that is not a misprint--$24 for the year, prorated from when you join--I joined May 1st so I paid $16 for the rest of the year--it is open until 830pm during the week and 1-5 on the weekend, closed when the county holidays occur). Water aerobics are prepaid classes, about $115.00 for 20 classes, around $5 or $6 per class, and they never expire, so I do the other stuff more, but have that to fall back on. I even bought a new bathing suit because my old one didn't fit me anymore--a good thing.

I eat almost no bread at all. I do use fat free croutons on my chicken caesar salads, because they crumble and don't get chewy. Once in a while I will make spaghetti, but what used to be 2 or 3 meals is now 6-8 meals. Pasta is a little hard to get down, but once in a great while it is not so bad. Same for rice. I love Mexican food, and I make a fat free dip that has cream cheese, refried Beans, salsa and shredded cheese, all fat free and high Protein. PM me if you would like the recipe. I also make a crustless pizza so I can avoid the bread but still enjoy the sauce and toppings. I will be glad to share. My posts get kind of long so just PM me if interested so my post won't be even longer.

My weight this morning was 142. I have read several articles recently (in OH and prevention) that say people who weigh themselves daily are having more success losing and keeping the weight off. I will admit, I do weigh myself daily, so I can adjust if my weight is up or down what I eat that day. This advice is counter to what the bariatric team tells us. They say once a week. I may be compulsive, but the proof is in the numbers for me. Once a week would be too stressful for me.

Again congrats on your success and keep up the good work.

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I am new to this site..You look awesome! Your "before" looks just like me NOW! My surgery date is 2/23/10. I am very nervous so I keep reading success stories to keep me focused on the WHY I am doing this.......

Reading your success story gives me inspiration!

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Louise Marie,

I was also very nervous, but here I am almost 2.5 years out and am still feeling great. It is the best gift I have ever given myself. You will not regret it. I am still on my awesome journey.

Hestie:smile2:

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Hestie,

I just read your success story. What a great story. I struggle with my decision - band vs. bypass. I also LOVE my band. Thanks for sharing!

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    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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