lsereno

Congrats Gayle! 8 Feet of Fat - Wow! Lynda

Louise C, Love the idea of taking the power back. That's what I do when I visualize how much of that food there is in the world. I really don't have to eat it now. It is there for me when I want it. I am not there to consume all of it so it is not sitting there waiting for me. Lynda

I had dizzy spells too. I was always careful to drink enough Water, so it wasn't dehydration for me. They went away after a few months. I was on high blood pressure meds and my blood pressure dropped enough I stopped taking all meds. It slowly crept back up and I know take smaller doses of two meds. I'm no doctor but I'm guessing the rapid weight loss causes them because you body is used to working so hard to haul around the extra weight you no longer have. I mean, you basically were hauling an extra 80 lbs around all the time and now you are not. Body is like, whoa nellie! Seriously, I could not pick up 80 lbs and carry it around for 1 minute. Lynda

What I want to know is who doesn't struggle with Snacks after dinner? It's sure not me. One thing I have done is move back dinner time a bit so there is less time between dinner time and bedtime. And I also do as others have mentioned: Keep the crap out of the house, have some healthy snacking alternatives, find something else to do to occupy myself. Most of the time, the combination of those things works well. Also, I make sure to eat enough earlier in the day that I am not truly hungry. I do have a snack every night after dinner ,but I try to make it a healthy one that is filling. Last night I had 1 graham cracker and 1/2 cup greek yogurt mixed with a small peach and some Splenda. Yum! ( I am at goal. I didn't start eat many graham crackers till I got to goal.) Lynda Lynda

As for advice, I exercised 5 days a week, got in my fluids and vitamins, and really tried to stick to nutrient dense low calorie foods.

I didn't stall. I lost a little every week till I got to goal. Tiffykins, who is no longer around but was quite active when I first joined also lost without stalls.

I used a demitasse spoon till I could eat bigger bites. And I used a shot glass to sip from. I still use small bowls and saucer instead of a plate at two years out. Lynda

Welcome! There are several of us in the South Bay area. I'm two years out. Live in San Jose and had surgery at Kaiser Fremont with Dr. Hahn. Lynda

Early out the first fruits I tolerated well were no sugar added applesauce cups and any kind of melon. I could only eat a few bites, but YUM! I've always loved my fruit. Next fruit I did well with banannas. Not my fav fruit, but it filled the gaps till I could tolerate others. I was sleeved in May and missed the entire stone fruit season because the acid in the fruit was too much for me. I also did well with adding a couple strawberries to my yogurt shake: 1/2 cup to 1 cup yogurt, depending on how much you can eat, couple strawberries, splash of OJ, bigger splash of Water, and Splenda to taste then whirl in the blender. Lynda

FYE, Love your pic! I can't tell where that 19 lbs is going to come from. You look fabulous! Lynda

For me, some of my go-to stock foods are: Non-fat greek yogurt (I buy the giant tub and flavor it with splenda and fruit and use it as a substitute for sour cream in dips) Low-fat string cheese Low-fat lunch meat Frozen blueberries Frozen veggies (easy to just take out a a few bites) Soy Milk (I'm lactose intolerant now) Canned Split Pea Soup, Tomato Soup, and Butternut Squash Soup V-8 in the small cans For fresh veggies, fruits, and meats I buy the smallest amount I can of most because I just don't go through them that fast. For the meats, I portion it out into baggies and freeze. Lynda

My hair started thinning around 4 months. It grows slow but finally a little over a year later, it was thick all the way to the ends again. At least as thick as pre-op and maybe a little thicker because I am taking tons of Vitamins and eating right every day. Lynda

Proud of you Laura! I know you were depressed about eating bad and then losing, but I want to mention that alcohol is a diuretic, so that may have contributed to weight loss after a night out. Or maybe you body finally took the hint that you want to be smaller! I'm happier with my two lb. bounce range. I don't feel like I will get as out of control with the snacking. Lynda

Alcohol is a diuretic. That may explain it. Lynda

Well in that case, chicken off the appetizer menu :-) Just pull off the breading if it comes that way. Some places have a cheese and meat appetizer plate. Not low fat, but good for a meal out if you don't see anything else you like. Lynda

Crab or shrimp cocktail are good for restaurants. Also soup and chili as others have mentioned. I also enjoyed fish items off the appetizer menu, such as scallops and shrimp skewers. I took my Protein powder and a shaker cup and mixed it with Starbucks instant decaf coffee. Fits great in a suitcase and no worries about spills. I also brought saltine crackers, because I was allowed a couple with meals on my plan. I bought greek yogurt cups at convenience stores and ate that too. When vacationing at a hotel with a mini fridge, I stocked up on a few yogurt cups, string cheese, and low fat lunch meat. If I could find a fruit cup with mostly melon, I bought that too. I couldn't tolerate most fruits the first few months because the acid bothered me. Lynda

If you don't want to drink, just put it in that category with other stuff you don't do even if someone wants you too. I went to lots of parties in the first six months post-op when I didn't drink and even now I only drink once or twice a week max so on vacation I don't drink every day and if I go to a lot of parties in one week, I don't drink at all of them. Have a backup plan for getting away if everyone else gets so tipsy that you can't stand another minute with them sober. I say I am tired or need a little rest when I need to get away from my fellow vacationers. Even if they give me a ration, I go hide in my room -reading a book or quietly looking at my ipad. If they are partying in my room, I hide by the pool or someone else's room. Find some non-alcoholic drinks you like that feel festive. I like sparkling Water with a splash of cranberry and a squeeze of lime. If you can't do bubbly drinks, it's good with still water too. That's how I drank it for the first months after surgery. I also like fruit juices cut with still or sparkling water. Then I ask for a garnish to perk it up. In the evening I have a decaf Soy Latte after dinner. Have fun and enjoy your vacation! Lynda

Have to agree that's its not the cookie that's the issue - it's the way you felt before and after you ate it. I still struggle with wanting more than I need -esp. junky foods. I prevent an ongoing backslide by getting back on my clean eating program. An occasional treat is OK, but they cannot be the norm. And, IMO, it's crucial to keep treats at a minimum till you get to goal. Be kind to yourself. What would you say to a friend in your shoes? Then say that to yourself. Yesterday, I really wanted junk after dinner. I had two cups of tea instead. And I pictured the snack isle in the store. Plenty of Snacks, and they are not going to run out. I can have some later! I do not need to have them now. Lynda

Happy birthday!

Hi Cheri, I'm at goal and have been maintaining 15 months now. I was two years out from surgery in May. I maintain by weighing every day and cutting back on Snacks if I am not within bounce range. I had a bounce range of 5 lbs but decided that was too big of a window and have reset my bounce range to 2 lbs. I do exercise, but I do not exercise more to get in range. Currently, I'm walking about an hour four days per week. I walk first thing in the morning because I simply won't exercise later in the day. My basic clean eating plan is: Low fat meats, non fat dairy, non-starchy veggies, fruit, and whole grains. I've outlined it below, but often eat part of the meal as a snack. So for example, I may have a soy latte at 8 a.m., then around 9 have the Protein and fruit. I shoot for: 2 oz. of protein, 1 serving fruit, and 1 serving non-fat dairy or soy milk for Breakfast 1 starch, 1-2 servings veggies, 2-3 oz. protein and 1 fruit for lunch 3 oz. protein, 1-2 servings veggies, 1 starch at dinner 1 serving non-fat dairy or soy milk after dinner. I know we are out there at goal weight. On the OH board there are few long-timers who stay at goal too. For me, one key is staying vigilant. It's one of the reasons I stay active here. When I was in WW I always swore if I managed to get to goal again (which I never did), I would teach, work, or volunteer with WW so I would keep the weight off. Staying active here helps me keep my focus on staying at goal. I do think it's important to lose the weight and get to the goal you want. As far as transitioning my mind set, the fear of weight gain is enough to do that for me. It's why I reset my bounce range too. After this long at maintenance I know that for me it takes continued eating of crap to gain 5 lbs and I'm just not comfortable with that. I probably would need a bigger bounce range if I still got the monthly, but I'm past that! I could always count on a few lbs of Water weight with that for a few days. Lynda

A couple of my fav inexpensive ports are Fonesca Porto Bin 27 and Presidential Ruby. Lynda

Welcome to the goalies bench! There's plenty of room for all us because we are all so skinny :-) Seriously, congrats on getting to goal. Love the pics! Lynda