swizzly

Oh man, DS is soooo hard on your body and has so many potential longterm complications, have you tried getting back on track with your sleeve? Many of us have been trying the 5:2 diet lately and I also follow a revised paleo eating approach as well, to control my weight so long post op. I am sorry to hear you've gained, that has to be hugely upsetting. I hope you can find a way apart from DS, though. I do know people who've had sleeve revisions, maybe you could try that? Or even a band on your sleeve is another option, though also not my favorite one. LOL...not that my opinion makes any difference, I'm no doctor! I just know people with DS complications and it is not easy. Good luck to you!!!

They told you to NEVER go over 1200?? Like for the rest of your life? That seems WAY too low, especially for a relatively tall person...? I would worry about permanently resetting your metabolism at a very low point if 1200 is your limit. That said, this is my personal bias showing, and I'm no expert. I deliberately got above 1000 cals as soon post-op as I could (there is no liquid or puree phase here, just straight into foods) and then increased from there so that I wouldn't hose my metabolism. "Starvation mode" isn't something that kicks in over a few days or weeks of low-cal eating, but it will happen over months of super low-cal eating. I ate 12-1500 throughout most of my losing phase, and am now 1500-2000 in maintenance -- with the caveat that I don't eat wheat/grains and I limit sugar, so my calories are low-carb for the most part. (Edit: And I'm doing 5:2 now cos I want to drop a couple more kgs...) I would also worry about hunger catching up with you and making it challenging to stay below 1200 in the long run. But I freely admit my bias here!! I know there are vets who are eating like 1300 on a regular basis still several years out. And having a lot of success that way -- so it's very much an individual decision. I just never lost my appetite and I can't live super low-cal, I am a hungry girl!!

I'm on my seventh week now, first fast day of the week. For whatever reason, my coffee hit me like a brick this morning and I've been all shaky and nervous. Weird how sometimes coffee makes me all wound up, but most of the time I don't notice any difference apart from 'waking up' from it. I think I'm officially the only 5:2'er not to have lost any weight from this? LOL, quite a distinction for me! I think it's got to be because of all the social occasions and wine-drinking, so I should count myself lucky to be maintaining... I'm going to have to start my own austerity program after my holidays in September...

Oh yes, I'm a loyal MDA fan! I read it all the time and feel like I'm constantly posting links to it. So much good info there! Also this one is good for getting more details on the science and new studies, if you're not already reading it: http://chriskresser.com/

I do full-fat EVERYTHING. Always. More whole foods whenever possible! Edit: I eat low-carb in that I don't eat wheat or any other grains, and I limit sugars.

My favorite post-op Mex food was refried beans...mmmm....

Thx LV!

So I've been trying to learn about planks only from reading about them. I thought they were done from the elbows, not from the hands (ie, like a push-up). Am I wrong?

I'm honestly out of touch with American exercise I think. I've learnt what a plank is, I think, and I do it during the floor part of my workout. But I'm trying to work up to two minutes, I can't imagine five! And nothing else you've written makes sense to me, which makes me think I'm doing it wrong. =\ Someone just also taught me what squats are and I can barely do them. I do the girl version of push-ups. I don't know what crossfit means. Argh! Fiddleman, I've only started doing intervals of max intensity with lower resting intervals interspersed after you posted abt it on the Challenge thread. And I don't know if I'm doing it right...? 20 mins on elliptical on interval program means 1:40 of low, 1:40 of high until 20 mins. Is that right?

Huh, I've never vomited at all, nor had slimies or sicked up a last bite. (I'm about 2.5 years sleeved.) Edit - I mean no vomiting apart from illness-related.

What a cute dress!! Looks fab on you! I'm approximately the same color as your dress, so I'm jealous of the nice tan too. :-)

I think I just accidentally requested to join (and 'followed') both of the groups you created, OD. So when you delete one, hopefully I end up in the right one. LOL. FWIW, I can't see a thread in either of the groups (though I know I'm not a full member yet), so even if people 'follow' the group, I guess they won't see posts unless they are actually members. ? OMG, yesterday had to be like 5000 calories in the end, no joke. I got the recipe for the flourless chocolate cake -- it was made of cream, butter, chocolate, sugar and eggs LOL. I had two pretty large pieces, one was 'breakfast' along with a pear and a bunch of coffee with cream. Then my 'book group' (read: wine-drinking, work-complaining, girls-night-out group) was last night and I had beef, tartar sauce, fries, wine aplenty... I have to be better on my non-fasting days if I expect this to work LOL. I'm v. bad, do NOT be like me!!! :ph34r: Re: eating/taking meds, I consider the milk in my morning coffee as 'food' for medication-taking purposes. Possibly I'm fooling myself, but I hate breakfast and almost never eat until at least 11 if not lunch... ETA: Having people over to ours for dinner tonight, serving roast chicken, green salad and potato salad cos it's finally hot-ish here. Tiny Magnums for dessert. Copious wine with all, I'm sure. Sigh. Tomorrow night open-air jazz festival, ditto on the food/drink. Good god, I am going to need to do a 2:5 to catch up...!

Good question...I have no idea. I was hesitant whether I was a vet or not too. I think you're a vet if you think you are?

I think this is one of the reasons I adapted to the 'paleo' (my own version of it LOL) so well, because it's not fighting my nature. It's a high-fat diet, no doubt -- but the fat is very satiating and satisfying, where low-fat foods don't do it for me at all. So going with the flow, as it were, has helped me stick with it. When I eat plenty of eggs, meat, cheese, butter, etc..., I feel better -- and I wonder if it is cos I'm ticking the 'fatty foods' box albeit in a healthier way than some crisps or ice cream. Just thinking out loud...I'm an extrovert so I do that a lot.

MFP is always wagging its naggy little finger at me that I'm not eating enough and I'm going to go into starvation mode. Meanwhile it's promising that I'll be super svelte within the next month. LIES ALL LIES. So no, I much prefer to believe the undoubtedly conservative figures provided by my dour swiss workout machines, which are far lower than MFP's... LOL Today's a normal eating day. And by normal I mean I've had two GIANT pieces of flourless chocolate cake. Amongst other things. Oy shoot me...

I kind of have to agree with this in a very general way. In terms of weight-loss efficiency/effectiveness, diet has exercise beat by a long shot. There are plenty of pretty fit but still overweight or obese people out there that bear this out. If I had to list the benefits of exercise in rank order, based on my own opinion and research, they would be... Cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health Physical stress relief -- cortisol reduction / testosterone increase; and emotional stress relief -- increased wellbeing, decreased depression and anxiety Weight loss So yeah, I think it's vital to exercise for so many reasons. But if weight loss is your top reason (general you, not anyone in particular!) for doing so, you might end up disappointed...as many of us who've been exercising for years, but not thin for any extended period, could probably attest... Edit: HUGE caveat is, individual bodies vary soooo much, I'm referring only to very broad generalisations.

Sorry, I was doing a bad habit of mine, which is sort of thinking out loud or continuing a conversation I've been having previously...with different people or on a different day. I m SMRT. What I meant to be getting at, in terms of sort of an ongoing question in my own mind, is -- does walking count as exercise? I mean, I know it's good for you in many ways...but is it actual exercise in terms of the usual exercise benefits? Sure it burns more calories than not walking (LOL), but I never know whether to include it in my 'activity level'. What say you all? Do you count walking as exercise? Or just as healthy activity? Or...? (It's never occurred to me to ask my doctor about this, now that I think about it...seriously, I am sometimes pretty airheaded...)

Here's some interesting info about 'comfort eating': http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2021454/Why-comfort-eating-really-does-make-happy--soothed-fatty-foods.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/25/emotional-eating-science_n_909173.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-susan-albers/emotional-eating_b_2372030.html So it's not just 'bad behavior' or habit, it's biology we're working against! Go easy on yourselves...and try try again.

I did that too, walked a LOT in the hospital, as I was there for six days (no complications, just SOP where I am, so I was bored a lot too...). And if we are counting walking as exercise, then I was doing that since day one post-op and all along (but was doing it pre-op too, just slightly less). I don't count it as exercise per se cos it's my transportation.

I also didn't start formal exercise till nine months post op. that's when I was ready. I lost nearly all my excess weight without exercising. I now go to the gym several times a week. I don't 'love' it really, but I like how it makes me feel for sure. I'm with Lynda, I have to do it first thing in the morning, which I had to really adjust to as I'm not naturally a morning person. But I've been doing it consistently for a couple of years now, so I think I'll stick with my moderate approach. FYE, you look so great! I want to try belly dancing now...

My big challenge was giving up fizzy water, which is my favorite. I also don't have regular access to ice, and I prefer very cold water. Alas. I drink loads of crystal light and mio and just live with the sweeteners. I do like them, but hate that some are so highly colored. Bright red tongue at work? Very professional lol.

I have a couple jars that I've had shipped here from the States, but I don't use it much. Sometimes it's yummy in my Greek yogurt together with some sf choc pudding powder, but I don't do shakes, which is where I could see it really shining. I've tried mixing it with Water but the taste and texture don't do it for me. =\ If I'm honest, I just order crunchy Jif and eat that lol. It's very hard for me to overeat it, as its the opposite of a slider for me. But a spoonful a few days a week has been my go-to soother food since surgery. One interesting use of PB2, for me, is as a flour substitute in some sauces. Adds great flavor and body to some.

Using various inputs (eg, does walking count as exercise?) gives me between 2100 and 2500 cals per day. So if I'm eating 1800-2000, even though it sounds like a lot, it seems like its not too crazy. I guess I'm really surprised by how few cals my fellow vets are eating several years out. Even with my low carbing/paleo, I get a lot of cals in. I'm wondering if a lot of it isn't down to not eating low fat at all? Just thinking aloud here. :-D