lsereno

I ate cooked and non-acidic veggies early out, but like Fiddleman, it was quite a while before I could eat salad. I have Fiddleman's recommended salad dressings on my list. Currently, I use light dressing or make my own. I like greek yogurt with ranch dressing mix. I make a honey mustard dressing by thinning honey mustard with Water or OJ. One of my fav salads is snow peas, edamame, sliced almonds, lettuce, green onions, chicken, and mandarin orange segments, with Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing. Yum! McDonald's used to offer this salad, but it's no longer on the menu.

I agree that keeping that hands busy helps. That's why TV isn't on my list. Harder to ignore the call of the wild food when watching TV. Last night I had to resort to the trick my brain thought that the food is plentiful and will be there later. It worked though and I'm happier this morning for it. Instead of a snack I had a cup of Sleepy Time tea right before I went to bed. I wanted a snack, but I knew I had already eaten enough and I was full. Lynda

Being dehydrated can make you nauseated. Up your Fluid intake pronto. Are you taking an acid reducer? Early post-op I had a very picky tummy. No dairy except Fat Free Greek Yougurt, no acidic foods, and no spice. No bread, Pasta, or grain. I ate lunch meat, moist chicken, greek yogurt, soy milk, anderson split pea Soup (most other cream Soups bothered me) and GNC Gold Standard whey Protein in vanilla, unjury Chicken Soup protein. I had the occasional saltine cracker. For veggies, I ate a bite of mild veggies, such as zucchini or carrots. Only fruit I could eat was applesauce, bananna, and watermelon. I recommend calling your doc ASAP if you can't up your fluid intake. Lynda

I went to Pescardero and Santa Cruz. Just got home. Had some Fried Smelt in Pescadero and Crab Cocktail on the wharf in Santa Cruz. Lynda

You're welcome! I still remember it seemed like forever and them Wham! It was time. Lynda

I've been in maintenance for a year. I love my treats and I do drink now. I can eat pretty much anything. I have to limit it to stay in my weight range. I cannot tolerate as much alcohol as I drank before. My limit is two drinks. And I drink 1-2 times per week. For example, this week I had a glass of wine on Saturday. I am going out today and will have two cocktails before dinner. For treats this week, I have had a 1/2 cup ice cream twice, a couple of mini candy bars, 1 T. Peanut Butter on a graham cracker, and a couple of blueberry muffins. Generally, I have one small treat a day. Lynda

Kaiser Fremont (NorCal) schedules post-op appts at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, six months, 1 year and then annually. I'm looking forward to my two-year post-op appt in a few weeks. I'll also be stopping by the support group meeting while I'm there. Lynda

Goal is very personal for everyone. I wish I had a nickle for everyone who said don't lose more. I had a goal in mind and I got there. I've been maintaining within 5 lb.s of that goal for over a year. Lynda

Pack your Protein powder and plan out what foods/drinks you will buy when you get there to keep yourself on track. Also, I always took colace with me because I really suffered with constipation. Early post-op, I carefully tracked all I ate and drank. I used a little notebook. I recommend doing that while travelling, even if you don't at home. If you are still eating with a little spoon, bring it too. I enjoyed eating out, even early on. Shrimp and crab fit in my soft food stage. Lynda

I bought the least I could get away with. I bought pants snug - one or two pairs at a time. Just a few shirts here and there. I shopped at Walmart, Target, and Ross. I waited till clothes were pretty baggy and then bought snug. Lynda

Check with your program manager about losing weight pre-op. For my program, once I qualified it didn't matter if my BMI was too low to qualify by surgery date. I started at a little over 40 BMI. Day of surgery was 34.9 BMI. I also had a 6 month waiting period. I kept myself busy: Researching how others did post-op by perusing this board and others and going to face to face support group meetings. Getting necessary tests and procedures. Cleaning house from top to bottom (so glad I did because it took quite a while to get my strength back post-op). Buying things I would need post-op, such as new nightie, slippers, measuring cups, and a little spoon Stocking up on non-perishibles so I didn't have to shop for as much the first few weeks post-op. Organizing smaller clothes in prep for post-op weight loss. Practicing eating slowly and chewing more. Practicing drinking slowly and getting in 64 oz. over the course of the day instead of loading up on Water later in the day if I didn't drink enough earlier. Giving up coffee about a month pre-op so I wouldn't have to deal with caffiene withdrawal post-op. Trying out Protein drinks. Buying recommended Vitamins and taking them as recommended. Stepping up my exercise regime so I would have more muscle going into surgery. Getting personal appts out of the way (hair cut and color, mani-pedi, etc) Getting things ready for post-op healing (extra pillows, books and movies to while away a few hours). Paying bills. It goes by quicker than you think. Lynda

I went from 44 to 36 in band size and stil wear the same cup size, but it is a little big. Not big enough to go down a cup size though. It surprised me I didn't lose more because when I was young and thin in my 20s, I wore a much smaller cup size. Lynda

One more: I do like Sleepy Time Tea with splenda, sugar free hot apple cider mix, 15 calorie Lemonaide by Minute Maid (I cut it 50/50 with Water post-op), and now that I can tolerate fizzy drinks again, I like diet 7-up with a bunch of lime juice added. Lynda

Walking in the morning. The exercise sets up my day and brightens my outlook. Playing computer games. It distracts me. Applying lotion, lip gloss, or perfume. The smell and feeling is so soothing. Reading the boards to remember that I want to be successful and that it does take work. Calling a friend. Telling myself I can have the treat food later. Reminding myself that there is plenty of the treat food in the world. I do not need to eat it now; it will be there later. Looking at my cute new clothes. Lynda

I'm almost two years out and my stomach continued to relax a bit during the second year. I've heard some say it continues till year 3. I hope not, because I'm really happy with my restriction at year two. At year one, things were much tighter. Now I can eat a small salad in addition to a small serving of starch and three ounces of Protein. At one year, it was a few bites of starch and veggies only. For the OP, I say, follow the nut's advice. Add a few bites and see how that does. Sometimes the change can be pretty small. If you continue to lose, call the nut again. As for me, I do enjoy healthy fats now. A little avocado, Peanut Butter, and olive oil here and there. And the occasional treat. But everyone is different, including caloric needs to maintain. I'm always shocked by how little some people, such as eggface, eat to maintain their weight. Lynda

Mine started thinning around 4-5 months and thinned for a few months. At almost two years out, it is thick all the way to the ends again (just below my shoulders). No need for a wig. My stylist layered it a bit and cut it at my shoulders one time. Lynda

Tuck my top in my pants Wear a skinny belt Layer a tank with a tee and sweater and not worry about the bulk it adds Fit in any chair, anywhere Fit in any booth, anywhere Wear regular sized bracelet Wear a short necklace Cross my knees and wrap my foot around my other leg Do planks and other body weight exercises without feeling like I am GOING TO DIE Lynda

For me, now that I can get all my nutrients without a Protein drink, I never have them. I kept the powders around for a while after I quit using them at home because I needed them when traveling, but now even when traveling I can eat my protein requirements if I am careful where I eat. I do know some post-ops continue using them forever. Most notably eggface, although she had a bypass, not VSG. Lynda

- I have as little junk food around as possible. - If I have a horrible craving, I try to find a low cal way to satisfy it. For chocolate, I drink sugar free hot cocoa. For salty, I eat veggies with salt. For sugar, I drink artificially sweetened cold or hot drink. - For boredom eating, I play a game to distract myself. - For really bad craving, I tell myself I can have it later. Sometimes I tell myself later in the day, or later in the week, or when I am out - not at home. Often, when the time finally arrives, I no longer want whatever it was. - I picture the food in the store and remind myself there is plenty for later. I do not have to eat it now. - I buy myself something else, like a new book, new game, lipstick, or lotion. Lynda

I track my food in a kinda generic way as long as I'm within my weight goal. If I go over my weight goal, I cut back the treats and track what I eat using a whiteboard on the fridge or through meal planning and my scale. Lynda

Webchickadee, How are you measuring your calories? I use a scale for accuracy for most foods. If you are eyeballing or packing in a measuring cup, your calorie count may be off. Also, if you eat out a lot and are using the restaurant guide, you may be getting more calories than you think. For me, I find hunger increases when I eat any kind of non-nutrient dense foods. For example, last night I ate dinner and then had a muffin later. Before the muffin, I wasn't really hungry, but after I ate the one muffin, I really wanted another and my tummy was rumbling for it like a dump truck. The only thing that got me out of a stall was reducing calories. I know that others have found success in increasing calories, but that has never worked for me. I recommend dropping your calories to 1200 per day. To avoid hunger, make them really nutrient-dense. Low fat meats, fat free greek yogurt and milk, whole grains, and fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits. Lynda

Globetrotter, after a year like yours, if you haven't already seen a therapist, I strongly recommend it. Even a session or two can make a tremendous difference. I agree with MG2, goal weight for each of us is very personal. Maybe your happy weight will be more than 125. For me, maintaining my weight means being vigilant about what I eat, how much I exercise, and how much I weigh. I still weigh my food and weigh myself daily. After a year in maintenance, I know that it's on us to keep the weight off. I'll be two years out in May, so I'm a year behind you. One of the reasons I stay on this board is to remain mindful of what I eat, how far I've come, and how hard I've worked to get here. Even with your regain, you are miles ahead of where you started! As for adjusting to a new size, I have consciously worked on that. At first, I had to remind myself to stand differently, walk differently, move differently, and dress differently. It has gotten easier for me, but I'm still shocked sometimes when I see my clothes or catch a reflection in a mirror. Lynda

NSV: Kayak! For me, it was fitting back into the Giant Dipper. Woo-hoo! I've always wanted to go on that airboat tour of the slough. Lynda

My program only requires 55-60 grams per day. I bet it is tough to get 100 grams. I'll be interested to hear what your surgeon/nut have to say. I do see you are not listing any fats other than cheese and nuts. As others having suggested, try cooking the fish or meat with a little olive oil, and adding Peanut Butter or avocado. Perhaps a little butter and lemon sauce for the fish? or a pat of butter on the lean meat? Also, you may already be doing this, but I often eat 6 times per day. Breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, mid afternoon snack, dinner, and evening snack. I get some calories (100 a day) from a Soy Milk Latte that I drink in the morning.

Coops! I am so happy for you! You are an inspiration for long-term success! For us long-term members, we really have been through thick and thin together and I know how hard you have worked to lose that last few lbs. Who knew? Three pounds of skin is huge amount from such a tiny area. I can't wait to see a little picture whoring :-) Lynda Lynda