Territravel

Let's try a different approach on a response to this question, as it is asked a lot ...
To find out what you are "doing wrong", tell us ... what are you doing right?
What instructions have you been given and are you following them?

Yaah! Welcome to the losers club!

I was told to wait two weeks, and I did that easily (mostly because my husband was 800 miles away for most of that), as I did not exactly feel......sexy.....
7 months later, however, is a WHOLE "'nother" story!!!

I honestly had the BEST recovery. I was at home, walking, and driving within 3 days of being home. I just kept positive that I WAS going to heal fast, and I did.

WLS Do’s and Don’ts

DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!!

DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next:

DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op.

DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can.

DO Celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it.

DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own…

DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples:

DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do!

DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go.

DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses.

DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!!

DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now.

DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!!

DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences.

DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc…

DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could!

DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life!
DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true that the further out you are and the closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the many years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out.
DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility.

And finally…

DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance.

DO look for solutions to your problems. Otherwise they will just become excuses.


DON’T EVER GIVE UP! I don’t think any explanation is necessary here.

DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to.

DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid.

DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!!



Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind.

Add-ons by other experienced sleevers:

DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and

"DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!" -- Southern Sleever

DO: Keep a food diary of what you eat and drink. This is a great learning tool as to which foods have what amounts of fat, Protein and carbs that add up to your daily intake goals. There are many ways to diary your food - from old fashioned pen and notebook to many options via smartphone apps. Keeping one is the important thing - however is right for you. I use mine now to look back for meal ideas when I hit a blank as to what to prepare for a day or a week.

DO: Realize this is not a diet to be followed for a while then set aside. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, the amount of food you eat will increase as time passes, but your relationship with food will be forever altered. How you Celebrate your joys, successes and holidays will be different. How you mourn your sorrows will be different. Some people need outside help to get through the sometimes overwhelming mental changes this process brings. If you need help with this part of the deal- reach out and get it. -- SKCUNNINGHAM

DO roll with the punches!! -- fern

The general consensus from docs and nurses that I have seen seems to be whenever you feel like it (though most hospital nurses prefer that you wait until you get home!)

Two years ago today I was sleeved. You can follow my posts through the last two years to see that yes, I struggled but I never once regretted my decision.
Feel free to contact me directly if you ever want to discuss what life is like "after VSG". I am amazed still. Thank you to my many supporters on this great support site, my surgeon and my SoCal Support group.
Hugs - I have no regrets.
IEGAL

Sorry, I'm sure you can find a creative way around it that will taste almost as good.

13 weeks out and I eat salad and steak with no problems. It's normal to be nervous, and have second thoughts about surgery. And the "Regrets" section would scare the bejezus out of anyone. There are risks involved, but the good outweigh the bad for me. I haven't been the biggest loser, but I could be the poster child for a good surgery experiance!

Looking great! Don't wear those pants anywhere, they'll fall off!

Exercise has not been easy for me and I've been having a really hard time with it...well, today I started Couch to 5K!!! I did the whole workout... I feel so good and I'm proud that I was able to do the whole workout!!!
I've also challenged myself to do 100 crunches a day and every week I'm going to add 100!! So far I'm 2 for 2!!!

I know that I've lost weight since surgery because the scale shows it and because I have found new clothes to wear in my own closet that I had forgotten about! But, sometimes you just want to hear someone say it. I think I'm at that stage where people are staring and saying that I look good, instead of saying that I look like I've lost weight. But, the true test of weightloss all of my life has been my direct, blunt parents. So, I walk into their house today. They haven't seen me in a month. My Dad yells to my mother, 'Come see her, this girl is getting skinny!' LOL! That's my true weightloss test!

Maybe you can find a version of the cookie in the sugar free cookie section. :-/
Or a SF mint & SF chocolate Syrup. Don't give up the dream. :-)

This one looks good...Did you notice if the nutrition is posted on this site anywhere?
The Bad Girl
Ingredients & Instructions:
12 oz skim milk
4-8 Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies
4 ice cubes
2 scoops chocolate powder.php" rel="external nofollow">Protein powder

Read more: http://www.projectswole.com/diet/70-protein-shake-recipes/#ixzz26kDxiPPB

...and I gained 8 pounds!!!!
Really!! , this happened yesterday. He was cleaning (yah, he's a keeper) and moved my electronic scale. I weigh myself every monday. I got on it this morning and I was up 8 pounds from last week. Then I noticed the scale was in a different place. So I decided to try an experiment. I put it in several places around my huge tile bathroom. My weight ranged from 212 to 230!!! I had to chuckle. So....if I want to feel skinnier, weigh in this corner....feeling fat today? This corner!!! It was funny....but maybe you had to be there....but, then again I was naked as a jaybird so maybe not. :-).
And yes, i know all the rules. Don't go by the scale only (i don't!). And to really keep things real you need to weigh on the same scale, in the same spot...etc. I just wanted to share my chuckle this morning with all of of sleever buddies. :-)

Sarahcc,
You certainly are a good loser. I have only lost 42 lbs over the last 6 months. I am exercising 3-4 X a week, for 45 min to an hour. I haven't tried rice, Pasta, or crackers since surgery. I get in my Protein and Water. I think its because I'm over 50....excuses excuses. Anyway, I need you to come over here and rub up against me, because I want some of whatever you got! Congratulations, you look wonderful and yes, I am jealous!

Done. Keep the faith and He'll see you through.
We have a lot in common, so I want to give a quick testimony about my lean times. I've been off for surgery for 2 weeks with limited funds from one of my jobs, the other doesn't pay if I don't work. I'm a single mom, and I also have a special needs daughter. I've been using my credit card to get by in between checks until I go back to work. I get paid tomorrow, and I had $3.33 in my checking account. All of these things happened TODAY:
1. My car was giving me problems, so I took it in this morning. I pulled out my credit card, but it was a quick fix so they waived the $105 fee.
2. I had to take my daughter to the doctor, my copay is $25, so I pulled out my credit card, and lady at the desk told me that I have a credit so, there's no charge.
3. I took my daughter's prescription to Wal-Mart, and I usually pay $12, so I had my credit card ready, my insurance company reduced the cost of that particular antibiotic to $3, so I had that in change.
4. The BEST one of all, I got home and went to check the mail for my pay check stub, and saw a letter from the IRS. They sent me a refund check for $97, because they said I over paid them.
God Is Good, All the Time.

I think you will likely need to postpone your surgery.perhaps you subconsciously sabotaged your pre-op diet because of fear, or feeling unprepared. You should talk to someone in depth about what you are feeling

STOP EATING NOW! Can you do liquid only, from now till Monday? Most Doctors want your liver to shrink for surgery. If you've gained there's a chance they wont do the surgery. Is it possible, your not
emotionally ready to give up your food addiction?
Good luck, hope it all works out!

Lifting you and your family in prayers. May God open doors, and pour out blessings!
Keep praying, remain faithful.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

prayers your way... but when you really think about it our sleeve issues seem so minimal then worse things that can happen .. good luck and keep the faith it will all work out.. smile hug

Lifting you and your family up in prayer!
Peacequeen, I had a lot of medical bills too (unrelated to vsg surg). I applied for financial hardship/help thru the various hospitals/medical providers >>>> and majority of my bills were forgiven. Maybe you can get some relief that way too. Just a simple form to fill out (some are online)...i've never been turned down; some places just did reductions. The most they can say is "no". I will keep you in my prayers.

This definitely stinks!!
Here's a thought, do you need Protein shakes? I know a lot of people have shakes that they can't drink. Would you be willing to try people's rejects? I've got Vitamins I can't use from the doctor becuase I'm allergic to Vitamin A. They are really good chewble Vitamins. I only ate 3 of them and then I broke out in hives. The brand is fusion. Just PM if you want me to mail them to you.
Anyway, just wondering if we could help you that way. The world is really hard right now and we need to support those that we can.
Hugs!

Father, I speak peace and provision for this situation. I ask You to do above and beyond anything she could ever hope for or imagine In Jesus Name. amen