MINI-Me

Thanks Feedyoureye. I did realize that I haven't been very accountable to this thread as I promised. So here's my deal ... My 10 pound gain is now down to 4.7 more pounds to get to my "feel good weight" which is around 127 (right in the middle of my bouncy-bounce). If I get there & feel that I want to lose more, I may go for the additional 4 pounds & get to my ultimate low from January 2011 of 123. But, 127 sounds good to me! In fact, my husband would probably freak if he knew I was shooting for 123. He says 125 is as low as I should go. LOL!

I am so sorry.

It's not easy ... I charted everything I ate at the beginning. If I was feeling hungry, I looked at what I had eaten that day. Then, I carefully considered whether I "should" be hungry. Had I had enough Protein? Was I really craving a certain thing (if it was a craving for something like chocolate, probably head hunger)? Had it been too long since I had eaten? Etc. It takes a while, but you will figure out what true hunger is for you. And sometimes, it's ok to give into a craving. Track what you ate & see how it impacts you. If a little bite was all you wanted & it didn't get in the way of your calorie, carb, or protein goals, GO FOR IT! I do that with my white wine today. I love to end the evening with a small glass. I plan for it & it's my little "indulgence".

If you get the turkey pepperonis, a quick low-fat pizza recipe I used from my old Atkins days was: Line an Iron skillet with pepperoni (overlap them a bit if you like). Put in hot oven for 5 minutes or so. Lightly pat with paper towel to remove any excess grease. Put sauce on top of pepperoni "bread" and add your pizza toppings and cheese. (I liked to sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of the mozzerella cheese.) Put back in oven and cook until cheese turns a nice golden brown. Remove from oven, cut into slices and enjoy! (# of slices is dependent on how big your skillet is. I had a very small personal size that I used & could probably eat the whole thing.

At two years out, I do experience hunger now. When I first had surgery, I would sometimes forget to eat because I had no hunger signal. Now, I do - but very different than before. I get a tired/weak feeling or maybe my stomach will growl. It is very important to figure out (the earlier the better) the difference in your head hunger vs your real hunger!

You are COMPLETELY normal. You won't feel a lot of restriction (if any) with liquids. All the diet plans seem to vary from surgeon to surgeon. Just follow the "rules" given to you and see what happens. You are closing into the 3 week stall that almost EVERYONE has. You will get through this!

I'm struggling to get 10 pounds of "Holiday" and "New Baby" weight off from the later part of last year...So we can't go on what I am doing now. But, when I was still losing, I ate between 1200 and 1500 calories a day to lose 1 pound a week. It was more than the charts said I should be eating to lose that amount of weight based on my height, but it worked for me. I still don't know what I think about the "starvation mode" and too few calories, but for me, it seemed to take most days of being over 1200 calories to lose the weight. I've been focused on those "new" 10 for a few months now. I tried not tracking and just eating Protein first & eat whatever in the amount of space I had left over. WRONG!!!! Good for my maintenance, but not for losing. For the past month, I've been tracking between 1200 and 2000 calories a day & seeing some loss. I am down to needing 4.7 more pounds to get to my "feel good weight". If I get there & feel that I want to lose more, I may go for the additional 3 pounds & get to my ultimate low from January 2011.

Thanks for keeping this topic alive. I'm still struggling with the last 5 pounds, but I am on track! I even joined the gym. I've been 5 times since signing up less than 2 weeks ago. No one who knows me can believe it, but I'm doing it. Nothing fancy ... just 30 minutes or so on the treadmill. My husband was already a member & I added myself. The deal included childcare so the little one can be there with us & I peak in on him. Those 5 pounds will be history soon!!!!!

Sorry guys ... I am over 2 years out ... The weight has redistributed some, but the skin on my tummy (upper and lower) and upper legs is terrible. You can't see it much with clothes on & I bought swim shorts to wear at the pool. But ... sigh ... Guess I will keep saving the money for a tummy tuck. (The thighs will just have to stay as they are - I don't want to trade sagging skin for scapel scars.)

You CAN do this. It's hard because of the emotions you are going through & the drastic change for your body ... from eating whatever you want to being structured. But, you CAN do it! Just remind yourself that it's only 14 days. Can you call your surgeon's office and ask for substitutions for items you don't like? Maybe they can help. Also, drink lots of Fluid - it will help that "starving" feeling.

I went from a 8.5Medium to 7.5 Narrow/Medium (depending on the shoe). Took about 6 months after surgery for the final size to stabolize.

Congrats ... just remember that the first week is the hardest ... then each day gets better and better. Welcome to the Loser's Bench.

My husband still does & I am over 2 years out. He has a heart of gold, but sometimes I have had those same feelings. I like the spoon idea!

As others have said, it sounds like you are in the normal stall pattern. IT SUCKS!!!! I'm also concerned about the vomiting. That is not a normal issue with the sleeve. Have you talked with your surgeon? If not, you should do it soon.

I sooooo remember that fear ... but you will soon learn that you are losing & losing a lot. (For me, I was just SURE I would be the one where VSG would fail. But, I made it to goal!!!!) The posters above are correct ... your stomach is healing, you are eating "mushy" food and you won't feel the high level of restriction yet. Just wait until you have meat - then you will feel it! Keep your chin up ... Ask your questions ... And stay on track. YOU WILL SUCCEED!

Mine is easy ... I love MINI Coopers (classic and new) and I wanted to be a miniature version of my old self.

Hamanyq8 - There are a lot of opinions and different plans out there for the first 8 weeks or so. And, you definitely hit on a trigger word "carbs". I may have been part of that with my post. Sorry, I didn't mean to be. I just know that when I have too much sugar at one time, my body lets me know it. As long as you feel ok, I wouldn't worry too much about the carbs at this point. Many plans allow carbs such as mashed potatoes, purred mac-n-cheese, etc. It helps give an energy boost. Plus, we are only talking a few tablespoons or so - not like you are eating a whole bowl. That first month or so, the most important thing is hydration. Keep your fluids going in as a priority. Then, work on introducing food back into your life. Take baby steps and learn to listen to your body. If I feel shaky, a great remedy for me is string cheese or a slice of meat. Good luck - this too shall pass!

Welcome to the Loser's Bench!

It sounds to me your body over-reacted to the carbs (a.k.a. sugar) in the food you were eating. Probably gave your body a jolt to have those foods after almost a month of liquid. Take it easy and make sure you eat very slowly next time. If your doctor is similiar to many plans, you should be eating about 1/4 of a cup at each meal right now. Take 20-30 minutes to eat that much. Just curious - what kind of chips were you eating? If "snacky" chips, you should be VERY careful. They could do some damage to a healing stomach. Welcome back to the world of "real" food.

oh Coops. That just, well in a word ... SUCKS. It's so hard to fathom why little ones are taken from us too soon. Take care of yourself. Love, Mini

My favorite meal is steak with a few bites of my husband's baked potato. My favorite snack (right before bed) is light string cheese. YUM!!!!

Funny you should mention the CL ... I was the same way post-op. Took me about a year to start drinking it again. Try other flavors - you may be surprised to find things you didn't like before are now YUMMY! Another trick is to add SF flavorings to your Protein shakes. Hydration is the most important things those first few weeks. Try to get in protein, but don't obsess about it if you can't. I was allowed yogurt on day 3, but some surgeons say no-way. You should really call your surgeon to find out. Good luck ... the future is pretty exciting isn't it?

I don't think it necessarily will be slower. I know several of us "low" BMI'ers (makes me laugh - obese is obese!) had great success and made goal in less than a year. Everyone's experience may vary.

Just keep your chin up. If you follow your plan, it will come off. For me, it came off really fast at first, then slowed waaaaaaaaaay down, and then before I knew it, I hit goal. What types of Protein are you trying? I HATED all the shakes and just could not tolerate them. I ate a lot of Carbmaster Yogurt (low on carbs, high on protein) and drank lots of unjury chicken Soup mix. They were the only things to get me through those first weeks. But, the most important thing post-surgery is to get in your fluids. I see we are located in the PNW. Let me know if you need a "buddy" to help out with any questions. People were great to me out here & I like to return the favor.

No worries Diva. I love having my new little guy. Life has changed, but it is sooooo much better!