amandaRN

Mixing up the routine always helps me blow through a stall. I tweak my carbs, protein and exercise and it has helped each time so far. You are doing very well, so don't get discouraged and good luck!

Yes, Miralax works GI miracles...lol.

I can honestly say I think my life has finally adapted to having a sleeved stomach. My food anguish is gone; my depression is resolved; I have embraced the freedom I have to know that I can eat whatever I want because I can't eat enough to "blow" my diet. The funny thing is, I don't WANT to eat all the junk that was my primary diet prior to the surgery and that is amazing. As a matter of fact, life has become so normal I am once again busy busy busy. Struggling to get all my structured exercise in because I am so busy. I am 8 almost 9 weeks out now and feel like things get better everyday. Now, I find myself eager to look at pictures of myself because I can finally see the difference. My hubby and I booked our Cozumel trip yesterday and I had a passport photo done and loved it!!! We are going the 2nd weekend in December and I hope I can lose 20 more pounds before then. I have lost 38.8 pounds so far and have been losing an average of 3-4 pounds a week, so hopefully that will continue just long eneough I can be comfortable in a bathing suit instead of ridculously large! I also have a family golf tournament coming up the 23rd of this month, and it is so nice to play unencumbered by my large chest and abdomen. I ahve a lot of practicing to do to make up for not playing this summer because of the heat, my weight, and then surgery recovery; but I am still very excited about how much more fun just playing is now. IF I COULD JUST GET OVER THIS SUMMER COLD NOW!!!

Thanks for the feedback. if I make the investment I will post an update.

I have always wondered about this piece of equipment...if it is wortht the cost and storage demands and how well it works for weight loss. I live within a few miles from a gym I get to use for FREE but I feel like I would use something at home more than actually having to parade myself in front of other fit people to get exercise. Was wondering if there are any who own it and how satisfied with the treadclimber they are????

<BR><BR><BR>No, fortunately I did not have sleep apnea. I hope the surgery helps and I'm sure it will! Good luck!

Don't have a whole lot to say today,just thought I really needed to update my journaling. I will say me perspective has gorwn more positive by leaps and bounds in the last week or so. I am loving my VSG...LOVING IT!!!!! YAY!!!!!! I have rediscovered my joy in exercise and what it does for my sleep and mood patterns. I have also recommitted myself to eating better. I am doing a 2 week low carb induction diet because I didn't stay low carb after my srugery--mysurgeon's advice--ao I had to go through 2 days of starch withdrawl again with headaches and lack of energy, but all is well now AND it doesn't even BOTHER me that I am limiting starches, thanks to my sleeve. I even ate at Red Lobster and passed up the cheddar bay biscuits...wow. And boy is my scale moving again. Have lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks...CRAZY!!! But I am loving that too! This is morbid, but I have found that I like watching other people eat large quantities of food---and think OMG, I am so glad I have a sleeve and can't do that anymore!!! I don't say it, of course, but I think it and it reinforces my decision to have taken this drastic measure. Never in a million yers would I have been able to make it on so little food without tis surgery and now that I can, I think it has saved my life!!!!

You are weighing too often!!! Put your scale in an inaccessible place and weigh once a week. Period. At least until you break through your plateau. Plateaus are NORMAL for everyone, even us VSGers. Try playing with your diet and caloric/protein intake and increase or change your exercise routine and taht will ususally reset your metabolism and get your scale moving again. But DO"T get discourgaed. 88 pounds in 5 months is HUGE and something to be VERY proud of!! I, too, have had severe issues with constipation. As the commet above pointed out, MIRALAX is your friend!!! It has worked miracles for me...miracles. I use one capful daily in one of my beverages. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before your drink it afteryou stir it in, an you would never know it was in the drink. My surgeon reccommended it as safe for daily use. My youngest daughter also happens to have renal issues and her nephrologost and urologist both have her taking Miralax daily as well. You buy it over the counter anywhere, and the generic works just as well for us. I would start out using 2 capfuls a day until things get moving so to speak and then maintenance dose of 1 cap daily should suffice.

My desire for food did not go away like it does for some. My physical hunger went away. I am 6 weeks out and only just startting to feel physical hunger pangs. I had very strong emotional longings for food. I kepttorturing mysel thinking when I gwt off of my liquids, THAT will be the first thing I eat... Some people on here refer to it as mental food anguish and that sounds exactly right. I never realized how much I used food as an emotional bandaid-for stress mostly-until I no longer needed it or could even have it physically. I even went through a pretty bad spell of depression and sadness and regret for about 4 weeks afterward. Being well enough to exercise more vigorously has improved my depression. Exercise and sunshine are natural serotonin stimulants, BTW, if you experience this mood issue. I was even prepared, for this by my surgeon. He gave me a book to read preop about the psychological aspect of my surgery and weight loss, but still I thought I would be immune to the anguish. Once I made up my mind that I had to "get over" food or grieve the loss of food as a pick me up, start exercising like I meant it, and getting back into the mentality that my sleeve is another dieter's tool, not a quick fix, things started getting better. I guess I thought I would be lucky enough it wouldn't bother me once my stomach was reduced, but I was wrong. I suppose it depends on what role food played in your life prior to your surgery and for me, it was huge. I will say, I am 6 weeks out now and getting better and fitter everyday. I am so hapy and excited I had this done, becuase even though I couldn't give up my "dieting" mentality, it is SOOOO much easier to diet. It feels like I am changing my life for good----AND I AM!!!!! Good luck to you as well.

I am feeling better lately, not do depressed and eager to get my exercise in when I can. My hubby surprised me aby telling me he and I are going to Cozumel...alone...no kids...in January. That said, I am feeling even more encouraged to use my sleeve to the best advantage to get this weight off as fast as I can and to get in shape. It makes me excited to see him excited about the outcome. Hopefully I will have lost another 30 pounds by January. That's my goal anyway. I would be about 200 pounds and likely a size 12; it will be much easier hitting the beaches at a size 12 than 22! I am just a little unsure how to proceed with my diet. I don't know if I should do a hard core low carb or maybe like a south beach version or just focus on getting my protein and portion control with everything else. Having my sleeve in place makes me feel like th options are endless and I don't really know what to do. I am thinking for now I will focus ongetting healthy low carb sources of protein in and try to eat as wholistically and nutritiously as I can. I was eating my lime Greek yogurt this morning thinking it was good because it had 14 grams of protein and then I realized it had 20 grams of sugar! I am having 1 corn tortilla with a slice of low fat cheese melted in it for lunch most days with a few grapes or berries but I don't know if I am amping my carbs up too much. AAAAH. I feel so confused. I am only losing 1-2 pounds a week and I feel like it should be more but isn't because I don't have the diet thing figured out. I have always had "a plan" for weight loss before and now I feel like I don't...lol...even though I know my sleeve is "the plan" this time. I think I am just beginning to recognize that there is a substantial amount of work involved still and that the surgery in and of itself will not generate all the weight loss I want. At least I am feeling good enough to exercise again!

I am 5 weeks out from my surgery tomorrow. It really has been a challenging but rewarding experience and I do not regret having the surgery. I am finally eating pretty normally for a sleever and that has led to immense satisfaction compared to the liquids. I have been struggling with depression though. I understand this is pretty normal. Any other time I would have been thrilled with a 27 pound loss in a month; I find my enthusiasm over my accomplishment lukewarm at best. I think it is all related to losing food as an emotional bandaid. I knew this COULD happen but never thought it WOULD happen to me. I am getting better every day though. I have found exercise is helping and I know with time my mental dependency on food to release the feel good juice in my body will go away; I look forward to the day when food is merely fuel in my eyes. I am happy that I am at the point where people can really tell I am losing and pretty fast. My MIL saw me for the first time since day 7 postop yesterday and she was pleasantly surprised. It felt good to hear praise like that. It also feels good to be wearing clothes that have been too small for months. The only thing I feel like I haven't really figured out is issues with consitpation. Was taking MOM every other day but my surgeon wanted me to switch to Benefiber. I have but nothing is happening. Guess I will try Miralax daily maybe. I don't know yet. Overall, this has been a good thing in my life and it gets better all the time. I am so glad that if I decide to have a pity party cookie I can eat 1 or 2 and be done rather than blow a weeks worth of exercise with a whole package of oreos!

My energy levels are low too. i think it is related to our bodies running on SOOO fewer calories...or at least part of it. they are gradually picking back up, especially with more exercise...go figure. I still have a hard time getting and staying hydrated but getting better all the time. My scale tells me percent hydration and I get just as excited with increases here as I do decreases in weight...lol. Thanks for the encouragement and the tips and good luck to you!

I have to use a gummi prentatal multivitamin and I suck on a sublingual b12 2500 mcg every other day. Don't need additional Iron yet. I drink tons of milk so my doc said not to worry about Calcium supp now if they make me sick. I try to get all my Protein and Fluid in evryday and I sure feel better when I do. Hope you get to feeling better soon!