feedyoureye

Ms.S, I do a lot of my own cooking. My husband cooks for himself most of the time because we eat so differently, and I cook for him once in a while. Cooking can be fun, and you don't have to make a big meal or sometimes I make enough to have left overs for lunch or dinner the next day. (Then I dont have to cook then!) I make stir fry, non pasta lasagnas (using stips of yellow squash). When its hot, I just make it on the stovetop in an iron skillet... in winter I turn on the oven. It tastes so good! I am a vegetarian, and really, if your not eating a lot of pasta, bread and carbs, then it makes it hard to eat out or get stuff to go. I have to cook if its going to be healthy, at least most of the time. I have found a couple of websites and cook books that get me going in the right direction, and really, I make the same things for weeks on end, then switch to something else if I get tired of it. Salads, soups, stir fry, layered skillet casserols, crock pot dishes....oatmeal based dishes (sweet or savory) I also have snacks around that wont kill my diet... walnuts, genisoy crackers and a variety of cheeses... pickles... I just made Yuba (soy skin) BBQ ribs... they are pretty dry, like jerkey, and high in protein, veggie, and a great snack. They are as close to junk food as you can get without being junky! I just pop them in a lidded jar and have one when I really want something not so good for me. Even if you just cook once a week, and eat from that, with planing it really works well. Make it fun, a new hobby!

Cutie pies!

OD, there is some flexibility, but mostly people "fast/rest" on Monday and Ths... but whatever days work best for you.. NIght before, when you get done with dinner (the earlier the better, but I dont always eat early...) finish up and just consume water, tea, flavor waters... sleep.... fast day- no more than 500 calories regular exercise if you have a routine, you can eat a small breakfast or skip it, small lunch or skip it... the rest of the calories for dinner, then only drinks, sleep. Next day (feast day) eat regularly. The plan calls for TDEE, but most here are eating like they would regularlay... 1200+ a day. Regular exercise(if you do it) until you get to your next fast/rest day, and repeat. It is supposed to be good to do exercise during the fast, then eat after. I have a protein drink mixed in a decaf over ice on fast days, veggies and maybe a laughing cow for lunch/snack and a 260 cal dinner, heavy on the veggies. Keep it low glycemic index on fast days. Try to get in 50 gms of protein on fast days. More on regular days. The best tool in this box is "I can have what I want tomorrow" If your hungry. This is called the two sleep or 36 hours fast.(aproximately 500 cals between when you stop eating on regular day and start eating the next regular day-36 hours) Making time for long stretches of non eating/resting/repair is the key....as well as the reduced calories. You can plan a more strict plan where you only eat in a small window later in the day on fast day, and only have liquid the rest of the time. There is some thought that non sweetened whey drinks are fine (do not break the fast) during fast time... especially after exercising, but count the calories. Hope that helps! Do read the links and such, it helps alot, and I may be full of s*it on one part or the other!

I figured if I was out, who cares, as long as they get the job done right!

You have done so well T! It may take a while to figure out maintenance, and even that may change in the future, just don't panic, even if maintenance is harder than losing, its still a HUGE accomplishment, and you can beat the next phase too!

If you are back where you were on June 11th, you can start over again... but really, If you hadn't done this, you would be higher than June 11. You are a winner! Vacations are for cutting loose a little. If its salt weight, it will be back off in a couple of days. My meeting up with my hubby is not going to happen this time, but I still took time off from work and am going to the coast for some wetland and beach time, take the dog, and a girlfriend who wants to talk philosophy, Sounds great to me! We have a history of eating/cooking, and eating some more, so I will try and fast the morning before she gets here (Sunday so a day early) and keep it moderate for dinner, then let the wind blow where it may until I get back, only a couple of days.

woohoo! I had bounced up two pounds (can you spell salty mexican food?) , now down to 1/2 pound over my lowest this year... so can't complain!

Sounds good BBBarbie, you are doing great! Just let the sleeve work for you at this point. If you need this 5:2 after a year or so, we will be here with the lowdown on doing it for a while. We are your guinea pigs! Most of us here have never reached goal, or reached it then started gaining and needed something to get back on track. I never reached goal at 2 1/2 years, so that is why I jumped into this and it has gotten things moving. Come back when you really need it, you are doing fantastic now! Time will fly and you will be at a year sooner than you think!

for those who want to know about the 5:2 but don't have the book

The British Journal of Diabetes and Vascular Disease Intermittent Fasting A Dietary Intervention for Prevention of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease? http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/803740_1

I'm thursday too. decaf and an ESA carb control over ice. Its going to get to 111 here in a couple of days! 98 today. Salad with Brussels sprouts and cucumbers (hows that for weird!?) Then the other half calories for dinner. It must be hard being out... We work so hard to stay in the groove, being out of the cumfort zone makes that hard. However traveling to new places is all about being out of your comfort zone. The Toboggan ride looks so fun! I did one of those before I lost weight while in New Zealand... it was a blast. Have a great time.

Cowgirl, love your adventure photos! Way to go Jane! Life is change and you have seen a lot of change for sure. Best of luck on your new adventures and relationships!

Looking good Tink! I think Alex posted 6 months and over 100 posts, but behind the scenes people were suggesting over a year to qualify as a vet. Some big changes happen after the "honeymoon" is over that a 6 monther has not experienced yet. You will soon enough!

How long are you gone for? One day fast is used for maintenance, so you might be able to stay the same...?

You will be back from vacation soon enough! Just enjoy, and do the best you can. If all goes well, there is a chance I will be going on an adventure for 3-4 days this weekend... classic car road trip from Flagstaff to Sacramento.... 59 T-Bird route 40 and 66...Grand canyon and Vegas stop overs..... I plan on packing my 59 cargirl cloths! Its road houses and casinos all the way... I plan on packing some snacks, but I doubt I will be able to pull off a fast day... I may be one or two days late with my fast... but I will l do it the first day I get back. Ill post pics if I pull it off!

Sometimes I don't care if I eat the cake. I'll have seconds, Ill take the rest of the cake home and eat it the next day. I will even say to myself "Are you sure you want to eat the cake? Do you see that you are in that mood where it doesn't matter the consequences? And I still eat the cake. The things I do to try to keep this from happening are: Write down everything I eat, including 2 pieces of cake. I try to make up the calories the same day, and If I cant, I try to make them up the next day. Sometimes I take a long walk. I try to look and see whats up. Eating carbs for a while and having a carb attack? Try to really feel how rotten it makes me feel physically, while feeling rotten, throw out leftovers or give them away, Have some go-to substitute desert that is closer to plan, sugar free in the wings. I write down what I am going to eat for the day, at least some kind of an outline that can be tweaked if needed. I am following the 5:2 right now, and that seems to minimize the dastardly carb cravings. I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about what I love to do, and what I would love to learn... I have taken up several activities I can be passionate about... that include body awareness, exercise/movement, art, self expression, skill development that I love (dancing, nature walks, photography, bird watching....) When I do these things I change WHO I AM. In a healthy way... my mind is on something new, that doesn't rely on the food drug to be enjoyable and rewarding. I have met people who may not even know I was ever fat. They think I'm sporty and involved with the world around me. This IS the new me I am building. I think that from this new me, I might stand a better chance to act in a way that will help maintain better health....and I have the sleeve, and you guys. This helps too!

There were not as many around... the sleeve was still new 3 years ago when I came here. There were barely any 3 year studies yet(and they said that people would keep off 57% after three years average...), and many insurance companies would not do the surgery because it was still experimental. At my hospital, all the literature was for RNY or the lapband. There had not been many sleeves done before mine (I asked one of the head of departments surgery assistant, and he said he was involved in 4 VSG at that point) This is a major University teaching hospital with lots of research going on.... ) I think this newness, lack of insurance funding, and people slinking into the background if they had problems fed into the look of "This 25 pounds is gone forever" posts all over the place. More people with the surgery, more time has passed... and here we are. My doc did warn me of this early on. I really did not want to believe him. I am different (I hope I hope). There ya go. I'm sure there are perhaps lots of people just living life after surgery, who don't have this regain problem... but maybe not..... just don't know. When I went in for my last check up at the Bariatric office, my nurse was surprised I liked the surgery, she said half the people that had it complained allot about not liking it and wished they had gotten RNY. I did not ask what they did not like....My Doc actually thought I had asked for RNY and I had to set him straight. This is an evolving journey for sure.

Cute!Cute!Cute!Cute!Cute! I hate to tell you this Coops, but you look like a real normal cute lady! Sassy, and curvy! You may want to lose a few more, but you don't have to to look great! You already do.

Thanks for posting this. This kind of frank and revealing post sets a stage for success, not failure. This group of later stage VSG'rs are a force to be reckoned with. If there is a way or 100 ways to get to goal and maintain, they won't be found by being shy and fearful. Don't forget to enjoy life, and do come join us here on the Vets forum. Losts of great support and mature problem solving.

Down another 1/2 pound. The day after fast it seems like I'm eating so much! Love it.

Its working great for me... Im 60 as well... never got to goal.... have lost half of my regain in the last two weeks. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/83317-the-52-diet/ also "want to get to goal?" thread has some posts about it.

coconut and mint!! That would have been the end of me! I did eat about 60 over... but it was all pretty good, and I walked 2 miles today, so I think I'm golden.

Thanks!

Here is his story: http://www.leangains.com/p/my-transformation.html

For Breakfast I have been mixing a esa low carb Protein Drink with a 16 cup of decaf coffee. I then pour it over ice, and that makes about three cold coffees. It really keeps me busy drinking this. It lasts for a couple of hours of sipping and working. By lunch Im ready for my cut up veggies and laughing cow cheese. I like eating with my hands, it keeps me busy too... which helps me keep my mind off of any hunger I might be feeling (not much). Cooking dinner keeps me busy too, chopping veg and layering up with sauce and cheese etc. And I feel full after I eat this meal. When I get feeling "peckish" is later in the evening. I find a tall ice tea with peach Torani hits the spot, along with the "There is always tomorrow" thought. The idea is keep what I eat low carb before dinner. (even dinner is pretty low) to keep the fat burning going.