jhansen71

So I can't weigh today because I am at a beach house with no scale. However, I weighed Thursday and made it to 198.2 down from 202.6 last Saturday. Finally to Onederland and out of my 3rd stall-Woo Hoo!!! I've been really good this week working out, drinking lots of Water and getting alll my Protein in. Even drank water all night while others drank liquor. Yay me! SW: 243.6 CW: 198.2 (maybe less since I haven't weighed since Thursday) 45.4 lbs lost so far since pre-op March 1st

I was still so weak 3 weeks post op and did not really start exercising until about 5-6 weeks. I think you are doing great, but listen to your body. Remember if you have a c-section you are not released for exercise until 6 weeks and this surgery is more invasive so if you can't really ramp up your exercise until 6 weeks post op this is normal and understandable. Your body is still in shock and in recovery from surgery. Your weight loss will come soon enough, but take care of you first.

A few things... I was stalled 9 days post op for 3 weeks. You talk about disappointed, but the 4th week I dropped 4 lbs and had consistent weight loss until the next stall (I am 12 weeks post op and on my 3rd stall). I've lost 44 lbs so it will happen for you too. You just need to prepare yourself mentally that stalls ARE going to happen and be ready to ride them out. The other thing I wanted to share (and I consider this my 3rd stall) is that my body has wanted to hang on to the 200 mark. 5 weeks ago I weighed 204.6 and like you I have been working out, eating Protein and even drinking a ton of Water and I finally got under the 200 mark yesterday (barely at 199.8). I would lose a few ounces, then gain a pound, lose a few ounces and gain back some ounces, etc. for 5 weeks this was happening. I still may go back over 200, but at least I know it won't got to 204.6 as I have slowly been losing ounces. We all go through stalls at different times and for different lengths, but hopefully hearing other people's stories it will show you how similar our journeys can be and seeing someone further out than you will give you hope and understanding that this is all normal. Good luck to you and the rest of us losers!!!

At 10 weeks I had lost 41 lbs. Now 12 weeks and have lost almost 44 lbs. I started at 243.6 lbs. I hit Onederland today, but barely at 199.8. I'm not going to celebrate too much until the scale reads 198 or 197. I could breath in air at this point and teeter right back over the 200 lb mark. it might also help to know heights, I'm 5'5". Keep losin' everyone.

I agree, you always motivate me. Thank you!!!!

So you lost over 5 lbs??? AWESOME!!!! Great success, looks like you'll make goal. 4 more weeks...

Great job BrandiMarie! I'm glad to see you set a new goal and I can't wait to Celebrate your victory when you blow the doors off this one too! Woo Hoo!!!

WOW!!!! You rock! Congrats!!!

I would also like to add: SW: starting weight (some people also use this as surgery weight) CW: current weight GW: goal weight

Just posting to keep this fresh. Anyone want to join our July 4th Challenge? Please feel free to join us...

July 4th ends on a Wednesday so do we want to weigh in on Wednesdays?

I also forgot to put the healthy food issue in my reply. I found that I could not eat, chicken, most vegetables, eggs and a lot of fruits. Where did it leave me? Processed foods! 11 weeks out VSG I can eat anything so far including veggies, fruit, chicken and eggs. Again, hard decision to personally make. Good luck with your choice.

Um, let's see...I was banded in 2009 and the most I lost was 40 lbs. I never found the supposed "sweet spot" and had multiple fills. Food always got stuck and i vomited often. I had the fill removed to go through fertility and gained all the weight back and then some. My port area hurt all the time and I was frankly tired of paying $300 every time for the fills, never to reach the right amount of restriction. I had my revision surgery on 3/13/12 and have already lost 42.6 lbs and I'm only sad I didn't do THIS surgery in 2009 rather than the band. I would never recommend the band to anyone because of my own experience and frankly I just haven't met many people where it worked for them. Good luck with your decision.

So far we have 18 people in this challenge. It will be fun to watch everyone's success. Thanks for joining and good luck to all of us and I pray we all gain our "independence" into healthy living during this challenge.

It's called "July 4th Challenge" if you want to search for it. Please join us. The more, the merrier.

REVISED!!! Now that the Memorial Day Challenge is officially over, who wants to join me in the July 4th Challenge? We have a little over 5 weeks in this challenge so I will make a few goals: 1. Get to Onederland 2. Lose 11 lbs 3. Work out 3-4 times per week 4. Track all my food in My Fitness Pal 5. Get to week 5 of Couch to 5K My starting weight for this challenge is 201 lbs. Good Luck to everyone!

I just started a new three for the July 4th Challenge. Please jump on there if you want to join. Good luck us!

This might be a dumb question, but if I eat 800 calories a day and burn an additional 500 through exercise (not including my resting calorie burn), then aren't I considered to be in starvation mode? I do not understand the calories in vs. the calories out. Can someone help me understand this? I have yet to start working out and want to be sure that I am not sabotaging my weight loss by adding in exercise. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I have had some pretty big stalls due to low calorie intake (when I previously ate lower than 800 calories), but I really am aching to get back to spin class. Any guidance is appreciated.

Thanks, I can't wait to be able to tell it.