Domika03

Hey everyone, I had gastric sleeve surgery back in 2014. I did pretty well over the years coming from almost 240 all the way down to 140 but now about 165. I'm definitely a stress eater. This year has been a struggle & I'm not even talking about COVID. No point in sharing my reasons because they don't help. I'd like to get back on track but I don't even remember how to start. I'd like to ask what you guys are eating on a daily basis; a sample menu perhaps? I'd be so grateful if anyone could give me pointers on how to get back on the right path! Many thanks, Fran

This question goes out to anyone in the north Denver area. I had facilitated a weight loss support group a few years ago & did it for about 2 years before I had to stop. It was non-medically supervised so basically just a bunch of people looking to help & support one another in their weight loss journey. We shared everything from A to Z; talked about what surgeries we had, what worked, what didn't work, the emotional roller coaster associated with weight loss surgery, recipe suggestions, etc... You name it, we talked about it. The one rule was that everything we discussed was kept confidential. I opened it up to anyone wanting to have surgery OR that had surgery. The goal was simply to support one another. Again, I am not in the medical field nor am I an authority in the subject. What I am is an extrovert that enjoys meeting new people & helping provide support. Would you be interested in a weight loss surgery support meeting in the Westminster / Broomfield area?

5/31/19 Oh, the journey I've traveled. It's been years since I last posted but I was such an avid contributor that I thought I'd "check in" again. My weight gain started after a very depressing first marriage & continued on through single parenthood. By the time I met my current husband (of almost 20 yrs now), I guess I was comfortable with myself & my terrible eating habits. I'm not sure I can pinpoint the moment I decided to have the gastric sleeve, but like many, I got to the point where I was so damn depressed that I didn't even want to go out. I didn't want to be seen or noticed. I was incredibly embarrassed with myself. Fast forward, I had my surgery around 2014. Became a weight loss facilitator hosting support meetings for newbies & post surgery. Started a demanding job that took me away from continuing the meetings only to wind up getting laid off 1 1/2 yrs later. Found a temp job but was very unhappy with the commute so I left. Here's where you need to pay attention. I wound up unemployed for almost 7 months. I became quite depressed and, guess what gained 25 pounds back. UGH, how could this happen, right? Easy. I feel back into old habits. I didn't watch what I was eating & I certainly didn't pay attention to portion control. Granted, I didn't eat a lot in the sense of how much I ate, but it was enough. Don't think for a minute that weight loss surgery is a quick fix. It's truly a tool & you are responsible for making it work for you. We all gain weight for many different reasons but I feel it almost always is a result of a psychological journey we're going through. Fortunately, once I was employed & allowed myself to become accountable to myself again, I started Weight Watchers. Yea, you would think I knew what I had to do to lose the weight again but I needed the support & something I could 'share' with others. Here I am, 4 months later & I lost the weight. Pheww... I'm 5'2 and my average weight is around 142 pounds. I may start those support meetings up again in the North Denver area. MIght be a great resource for many as it was when I first did it .

Thanks SO much for your kind words. Sounds like the type of thing I would have said to someone when I was doing so well. I really appreciate that!

I was SO good about watching my weight & proud of my weight loss. I looked & felt great. I averaged around 140 pds, which was good for me. I mean, come one, I went from a size 22+ to an 8. WHOA, me, at 8?! Then, life happened, and it happened hard. I lost my job& was unemployed for 5 months. I gained about 20 pds from simply sitting around looking for jobs all damn day. I accepted the job, because I needed one & it paid OK. However, my commute is an hour+ each way every day. Therefore, when I get home, I'm just not motivated to do anything. My son also had a major incident in his life that left us helping him financially & dealing with major stress. Oh, it's his stress, but affects me directly as his mom. Fast forward to present day... I now weigh around 168 pounds! Yea, that's what I said. WTF people! How did this happen? Yea, yea, I know HOW it happened, but I'm so disappointed in myself. How could I let this happen after being so successful & feeling so good. I'm now in a size 14, and I now hate my reflection yet again. Self image & confidence go hand in hand with your weight. At least, it does for me! Do over~ As the saying goes, every day is an opportunity to start over. As such, I have most recently started to watch what I'm eating by once again monitoring my food intake via myfitnesspal.com. It helps, I guess. I mean, I'm not eating as much crap as before & trying to watch what I eat. I've also started working out, and by 'working out' I mean going on my newly purchased recumbent bike 15 minutes each day. Better than nothing. I've even gone as far as putting a few post-it notes on my bathroom mirror to keep me focused & in hopes of staying positive. The sweet thing is that my 15 1/2 yr old daughter added a few positive, thoughtful notes to the collection as well. :-) Starting over sucks! My goal is to get back to 150. I think I can be happy at that weight as it seems realistic. Yesterday morning I was 165.8 then today 167.4. I'm not 100% sure what I did to gain a few pounds again, but it makes this journey quite frustrating - UGH!!!! Give me strength!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone is most welcome. I also have a closed group called Mission Slimpossible on FB. I made it closed for privacy purposes, so no one can see anything about the group. Hope to see you there!

North Denver Bariatric Pal Support Meeting Hi everyone,I'm trying to get our group "back on track" again. Let's reflect on on our journey: why we started the process, what surprises we may have encountered along the way, and how we can maintain a healthy lifestyle! Please join us: Date: Wednesday, April 5th Time: 6 - 8pm Location: Broomfield Public Library, pin Show Map 3 Community Park Rd, Broomfield, Colorado 80020 As a reminder, our meetings are open to anyone considering surgery, scheduled for surgery OR is post surgery. Our focus is to stay motivated, give back to others, and support one another as best as possible! Hope to see you there!!

LET'S GET BACK ON TRACK Hi everyone,I'm trying to get our group "back on track" again. Let's reflect on on our journey: why we started the process, what surprises we may have encountered along the way, and how we can maintain a healthy lifestyle! Please join us: Date: Wednesday, April 5th Time: 6 - 8pm Location: Broomfield Public Library, pin Show Map 3 Community Park Rd, Broomfield, Colorado 80020 As a reminder, our meetings are open to anyone considering surgery, scheduled for surgery OR is post surgery. Our focus is to stay motivated, give back to others, and support one another as best as possible! Hope to see you there!!

Like I said above: Weight gain, yea, it's real! I'm 3 yrs out (next week) - band to sleeve revision. I had done a pretty good job staying focused & losing weight. My start weight was around 245 pounds & my average weight was around 138 to 140 pds. My lowest was 135, but that didn't last long. I'm about 5'2. I know, a giant. So, my struggle started slowly but surely, a few months ago. So, most sleevers can't really eat a lot, which is good, because our tool is working. HOWEVER, it's up to you to eat the right foods. Well, I'm married to a BIG snacker! Hubby eat crap all the time. We're talking things like chips, crackers, chocolate, etc... I used to be able to ignore his snacking, but due to work related stress (hey, that's my excuse), I started to munch. Then, it happened. I was laid-off mid November. Yup, right before the holidays. Guess what happens when you're searching for a job, while sitting on your butt, day in / day out, for hours & hours..... You eat anything because you're frustrated / stressed / bored.... you name it. I know these are only "excuses" but I genuinely feel over-whelmed. We've been able to sustain ourselves, and should be able to hold on for another month or so, but after that.... shits going down. I only got 5 weeks severance as I was only there for 1 1/2 yrs. Thankfully, I had around 150 hours PTO that I never used. But, I did have to cash out some 401K funds to sustain us a little longer. The stress, yea, it's real!!! OK, what's the point of my post? IDK, I guess I'm looking for support. For anyone that's several years out, how do you keep your focus going, and avoid the stress eating? Yea, I know, being fat is NOT an option... but I am. I feel it. I'm almost 150 pounds. How did I let this happen? How on Earth do I get my mojo back? I was doing so well... Now what?

Hi there, Where northwest are you guys located in Colorado? I started a support group & ran it for 1 1/2 hrs in the Broomfield area. Had to stop it beacuse of work hours. Sadly, I am now unemployed & looking to re-start it again while I can. Let me know if you're looking in our area. Best of luck! Fran

ROTFLMAO - now that was funny !! Thanks for the laugh!

I like the idea about taking over the cooking. But, if for some reason you can't, then "pre-plan" your own meals. Decide what you can eat & plan for it. Prepare it & toss it in the fridge until you need it. I'm not sure how successful your partner was with her surgery, but perhaps she's feeling as though you may do better or look better? As hard as this journey is, we all need support. Talk to her about it & see how she reacts. Let her know this is how you feel & remind her why you're doing this for yourself.

Waiting is the hardest part. I remember those negative feelings all too well prior to having my surgery. Stay focused on why you decided to do this in the first place. You want to be healthier & feel good about yourself. I promise it'll give you more confidence & the reward is worth the wait. Hang in there. You got this, really!! Second time I'm actually saying this tonight ~ "No one said it was going to be easy. They just said it would be worth it!"

chicken or beef broths. My husband made chicken & beef soups (with the meat in them) before surgery & froze them. He strained some of the liquid from each so I'd have a flavorful meal. This way, the rest of the family can eat with the Protein & I could get the liquids down. For what it's worth, I'm almost 3 yrs out post sleeve & my lactose intolerance has actually gotten worse. It's a daily struggle because I love yogurt & cheese!