Lanette

While I still have a ways to go, I will say that I am constantly trying to get past this because I KNOW that the mental stuff is what got me to this point in the first place. I can remember being called fat when I was in 1st grade and it continued for years. I was a VERY small child and was NOT overweight. I can distinctly remember beginning to believe that about myself. Throughout the rest of my life, I can remember feeling like the fattest girl in the world and then a year or two later I would look back at pics and WISH I were only that size again. I am trying SO hard to enjoy the way down and change my way of thinking about each step. I have never been a really observant person about other people's looks, but just recently I've been trying to take a closer look. What has been really cool is that when I look around at my son's baseball games I realize that I just look like any other mom......just normal........BLISSFULLY NORMAL!!! I have started noticing that I am smaller than people that I have never once considered "fat"....all these years when I would look at those people they just looked normal and now I'm smaller than them! Now, all that said....I still have huge issues with my "default mode" of worrying about breaking a chair, looking at weight limits, etc. But I am trying to remind myself daily that so much of this is a head game and I have GOT to get that part right this time. Good luck working through it and try to find little ways every day to remind yourself of how normal/small/healthy.....(you get the idea) you are.

Mine was supportive, but VERY uninformed about the sleeve. Best I can remember, they had never even heard of it. Thankfully, I had done a ton of research and was able to tell them all about it. After that, they were onboard and very helpful through the approval process.

Did you ever find out what was causing this? I am having the same issues and we did blood work today. I am confused as to how it could be anemia if my multivitamin has 100%DV of iron. I hadn't thought about potassium and sodium. I hadn't felt like it was BP but if it can happen that quickly I guess it could be. Who knows?!?!

Still holding at 205 so looks like I'm gonna fall short on this one. However I set this goal (to be under 200) LAST July 4th so I'm pretty darn happy to be this close.

You guys are SO sweet! You sure know how to make a girl's day. I have LOVED life since surgery and cannot recommended this enough. I remember how much I loved seeing progress pics prior to surgery so I want to share. I must admit that I cried when I read some of your sweet comments. I think one of the neatest things lately is to look around a room of "normal" people (who I have always considered normal....other moms, friends, etc.) And realize that I look the same size (or even smaller)! All I have ever hoped for is to feel normal ....never set out to be skinniest chick in the room or a super model. Just hope to look and feel like I fit in with the others around me. You guys have just really blessed me today and I am so thankful for your kind words. I'll try to post some more in a few months.

So the last 2 weeks have been pretty frustrating. My last check in was 6/7/11 and I was at 211.4. I lost down to 208 in the days following but have been bouncing between 208-209 for 2 weeks now. With only 2 weeks left in the challenge, I'm not too hopeful on this one. However, either way....I am loving the way I am looking for the first time in my life (bat wings and all!!). We went camping/boating this past weekend and my energy level was great and I could climb up the boat ladder with no problem at all (may sound trivial but it was a heck of a lot easier than when I was 92lb heavier last summer!!). I'm trying to keep a positive attitude and I'm still going to try, but it sure was crappy timing for a stall.

Correction....I always weigh in the morning and I posted this last night. I'm actually 211.4! AND....my goal should have been 199.9 because I am just trying to get under 200 by the 4th. So here are the revised stats. SN................Starting Wt..........Current..........Goal...........Lbs to Goal Lanette.........225.5.....................211.4.............199.9............11.5

You look ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!! I cannot believe the difference in the front facing and side view pics! I hope the emotional stuff eases for you....I can't even imagine. Hopefully you can enjoy every minute of this part of the journey and you'll be back in those super cute skinny clothes before you know it! Hang in there and GREATJOB on taking good care of you and baby!

SN................Starting Wt..........Current..........Goal...........Lbs to Goal Lanette.........225.5.....................212.8............199...............13.8 Slowly but surely! Hoping if I can keep up the 3-4 lb/week that I've been doing I just might make it! This was my original goal I set for myself before surgery. I just never really thought it was possible.

SN................Starting Wt..........Current..........Goal...........Lbs to Goal Lanette.........225.5.....................216.8.............199..............17.8 9 down.....17 to go.

SN................Starting Wt..........Current..........Goal...........Lbs to Goal Lanette.........225.5.....................217.8............199..............18.8

Myfitnesspal all the way! Love my iPad as well. Alex had said that they are coming out with an app for VST. I haven't seen it yet but I can't wait. Just be prepared for not being able to see VST signatures on the iPad.

SN................Starting Wt..........Current..........Goal...........Lbs to Goal Lanette.........225.5.....................221.5.............199............22.5

I've been scared to set too many because I didn't know how quickly I would lose. However in the back of my mind, I always wanted to be in Onederland by July 4th or at the latest July 23rd for my son's birthday party (backyard pool party). I am at 225 today, so that would be 26lb in 8 weeks. Not sure if I will hit it, but at least it's within reach! I joined my first "what will you weigh" challenge on here for the July 4th challenge so I guess it is my first "official" goal. My 'true' first goal was to weigh less than my husband but I never told him that. I have already hit that one.

I have been trying to do "protein first" for years and it's not necessarily because of the plan that goes along with VSG. When I was preggo, I had Gestational Diabetes. I remember my OB explaining to me that our bodies process the carbs so quickly that we need to let our stomach get busy working on some Protein so that the carbs break down appropriately and do not turn to sugar so quickly. NOW, add to that the fact that in order to come even close to 70 grams of protein, I have to eat a lot of it. To answer your question though, I will have a small "treat" every now and then with my family. Example.....We went to yogurt shop after dinner the other night to Celebrate my sons Baptism. I made sure that a) I had protein in my tummy from dinner I looked at nutrition facts and chose lowest carbs possible c) had a very small portion. One thing I really had to learn about myself was to get rid of this "well crap, I fell off the wagon so if I'm gonna be bad I might as well be really bad" mentality. I have REALLY been trying to "think like a skinny person" and mitigate the damages when a treat is inevitable. (eating with protein and making best choice I can) I am trying really hard to be like 2bslimKim and eat almost no carbs and drink a ton of Water. However, I wanted this surgery to feel "normal" and I'm finally starting to. I want to take full advantage of this first year, but at the same time I want to enjoy the journey. I think it is going to be a daily balancing act for me. Just trying not to beat myself up over the small (tiny) treats that are few and far between and when they do happen try to make the best choices possible. Good luck with your balancing!!

My first challenge!! SN................Starting Wt..........Current..........Goal...........Lbs to Goal Lanette..........225.5...................225.5.............199............26.5

I SWORE to myself that I was not going to let the 3 week stall get to me, but it's starting to. Mine started in the third week and I haven't lost anything in 3 1/2 weeks now. I'm really getting discouraged. I wanted so badly to be a sleeve rock star and it's just not feeling like it's gonna work out that way. I have seriously struggled with getting all my Water and Protein in, but have done well at keeping the carbs low. I would say I am getting about 50-65 grams of protein daily (from food b/c i am SO sick of shakes) and about 50 ounces of water. The last few days I have increased both hoping to jump start things, but still nothing. I'm even sitting here drinking my shake as I type. Just wanting to know how long other people's stalls have lasted and if this still seems normal. I knew it would START around week 3, but didn't know it would LAST 3 weeks plus. Trying to make sure I have included everything people normally ask. My stats are: sleeved 3/28 at 252lb. As of 5/5, 229lb. All of that 23 lb loss was during the first two weeks. I appreciate any feedback/ wisdom you guys can provide. My greatest fear going into this was that I would be that one person it doesn't work for and while rationally I know better....today it's feeling like that might be the case.

My favorite before was the Mediterranean pizza from Papa Murphey's. I bought the stuff and made my own version. I used a Flatout flat bread for my crust. Topped it with a drizzle of olive oil and minced garlic then spread it around. Then put mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and Feta. I put it in the toaster oven. I SWEAR it tastes just like theirs! Even my kids and husband love it.

Congrats!!!!! So happy for you!

Oh heavens no....I've only lost 23 in 5 1/2 weeks. All of the rest of that was pre-op. I was sleeved on 3/28 at 252lb and today I am 229. I was 270 at my consult visit, 290 when I started my 6 month requirement with my PCP....that's where the 61 comes from. Sorry for the confusion.

On my 3 week stall now and it has been 3 1/2 weeks.....really needed to hear this today. Thanks for sharing. When you went back to liquids did you stop losing when you went back to solids? I just posted about this earlier today because, like you, I have been scared to death that I'm going to be that person that it doesn't work for.