rbtnln

LOL! I thought I was the only one who was going to be a poster child for WLS! I'm using MFP too - should I stop?

You all made me smile - thank you! Yes, I've had my thyroid checked and it's normal. So it's just typical stuff. I needed to vent a little. Typically I'm a VERY positive person and I've made the same posts people are making on my comment. It's different when it's you, though.

Yes, have GREAT walking shoes for Disney - you'll need them! Depending on where you go, you can get a la carte items instead of full meals. A lot of the restaurants, especially at the resorts, are more of a cafeteria style and you can just get what you want. The sit down restaurants are like any other restaurant you would go to at home. Make good choices and you'll be fine!

Call them and ask. I would say probably you need to join a gym and prove that you're working out there with a personal trainer. I have Aetna but I wasn't asked to do that so it may be a different policy. But, if you call the insurance company they will answer your questions.

My NUT said 1000 calories/day to lose, 1200 to maintain. I've been sticking to that. Other people say lower calories. Perhaps that's why I'm not losing as fast as I would want. But, I feel as though I need to stay satisfied every day or I'll go nuts and eat everything in site.

Here's my 2 cents if you want it. I had the band and had many of the similar experiences you did. I have been far more successful with the sleeve than I ever was with the band and I'm only 4 months out. The sleeve was developed to be a precursor to by-pass. It was developed for by-pass patients who couldn't be under anesthesia for the length of time needed but needed to get some weight off before they went for by-pass. It became an approved WLS because those patients were so successful with it that they didn't need the by-pass. If you get the sleeve and then subsequently need a by-pass, you've gone the same path that the sleeve was intended to be utilized for. If you get the sleeve and you're successful, and don't have to by-pass your intestines, why not go for it? I'm a huge sleeve fan. Just remember (I saw Dr. Now say this on "My 600-lb life"), getting WLS doesn't prevent you from eating all day. It just prevents you from eating a lot at one sitting. It's very true. You can sabotage your success by eating too often, eating the wrong things, etc. with the sleeve. The same can be said for the band or for by-pass. You seem very motivated and just want to make the right decision. No one can make that for you. Hopefully you'll be able to gather enough information in this forum to come to a decision that you're comfortable with. Good luck and safe travels on your journey!

As far as the B12 goes, get yourself a B12 sublingual supplement. You can either get it in pill form where it dissolves under your tongue or in liquid form which you put under your tongue and keep there for 30 seconds. Just taking it orally isn't sufficient. Your surgeon and nutritionist should also have a plan for increasing your Iron. Good luck!

I just went shopping in my own closet. I've had friends who have lost weight before me and gave me tons of clothes in smaller sizes. I can finally fit into them! Went from a 26/28 down to a 20. I know that's still big, but I'm thrilled to have new clothes. I'm also thrilled to pass my larger sizes on to a friend who is starting her journey. There is so much power in knowing you'll never be that size again and never need those clothes. Our daughter is getting married in June and when we went to get her dress alterations yesterday, she saw a Mother of the Bride dress she wanted me to try on. I got the size 24, doubting it would fit because those bridal shops always have size smaller than what the actual size is. I was FLOATING in the 24! I went to a 20 thinking, "I'll never get this on." But you know what? It fit! In fact, even that was a little large! I was thinking that being in a 16 for the wedding at the beginning of June would be a pipe dream. I'm actually thinking I could make it! I was so excited I just had to share. I know other people have NSV's similar to this and everyone gets excited for them. It's just such a relief after all that time doubting that I really CAN do this. I really CAN lose weight. I really CAN be healthy. I really CAN fit into a 20!

Have you tried deli shaved meats? I've also heard that the little sausages in a can are good (I don't like them). String cheese and cottage cheese are also decent choices. Because your tummy is new, you're going to have that crazy noise coming from it. Don't be surprised.

FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is great!!!! When I get to the point where I say, "I have so much farther to go", I tell myself, "You will NEVER be that weight again!" That makes me feel so much better. When I came out of the 300's I said, "I'll never be 300+ again. Ever." Now that I'm 265, I say, "I'll never be 266 again. Ever." It helps - it really does. Even though you may hit stalls and may even gain a pound or two periodically, when was the last time you were 321 lbs? I bet it was a long time ago! And you'll never be 322 lbs again! EVER! So pleased for you. Keep up the incredible work!!!!

My weight definitely goes up in the evening - up to 3 pounds higher than in the morning. Your most accurate weight is after you wake up and pee. When you weigh yourself, do it at this time when you do. Put your scale in your partner's trunk (not yours!) and only bring it out twice a week. Seriously. ANYTHING can make the scale fluctuate - weather, monthly cycle, exercising, etc. When you exercise, you build muscle and burn fat. Muscle weighs more than fat. If you measure yourself, you will see inches come down. I just had a non-scale victory by fitting into size 20 pants (I started at 26!). Those are the victories you need to focus on, not the numbers on the scale. The scale will follow when everything else falls into place. I promise.

Like my husband says, "Opinions are like a**holes - everybody has one."

KFC's grilled chicken breast is 220 calories with 40 grams of Protein. It's moist so if you can eat chicken now, it's a good choice. Go for the green Beans on the side vs. the mashed potatoes. They're way over cooked, but that's ok. Jimmy John's is also a good choice. If you go on their website you can create your own sandwich and see what adding/subtracting does to the nutritional values. If you don't have those choices, or some of the others listed above, I would say bypass the fast food. Don't sabotage your success with fried food. There are almost always good choices you can make at places - you just have to look past the crap and ask some questions.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so happy! The sleeve works! I know, I know, why did I have the surgery in the first place if I doubted it? Well, I never did doubt it, just thought I was a slow loser. Then, I read a little on here about counting calories. Now, at first, I didn't think it was important because that wasn't emphasized at my surgeon's office - just the Protein part. Then I realized that I was eating way too much! So, I contacted the nutritionist and she said I needed about 1000 calories a day for the first year. After that, about 1200 calories a day to maintain. Anything less (or more) and I wouldn't lose weight. Uh, duh, I had already proven that theory! After a week of looking at my caloric intake AND my protein intake, I'm down 5 pounds! Now, does this mean I won't plateau? Nope, it sure doesn't. I'm certain I'll do that again. But seeing that scale go down has made me so happy and so motivated! For those of you who think you're slow losers, calm down. Look at what you're eating and your caloric intake. if you're not eating enough, your body is going to hold on to every single piece of fat you have and store it away. If you're eating too much, then you need to cut back. Make sure you're getting your protein and taking your Vitamins as well. I'm certainly not an expert, but wanted to share my experience and my glee with everyone!

Thank you so much for sharing! I'm glad that 450-650 calories worked for you. It didn't for me. That's why I wanted to share what my nutritionist said and what worked for me in a matter of a week. I was so overjoyed that I felt I just needed to share. Like you said, everyone has a journey they need to follow. For me, this was my big "Ah Ha!" moment. Just because it worked for me doesn't mean it will work for everyone. My hope is that by sharing what worked for me might help someone else who was in the same rut that I was in. Bottom line, this forum is to share all viewpoints and let others know what's working, what isn't and share your frustrations as well as your successes. We are all working TOGETHER towards the same goal - to be HEALTHY! Good luck to everyone on your journey. Please continue to share, ask questions, post pictures, etc. This is an amazing community of people!

I haven't had popcorn. But if you eat it without butter I'd say it's probably a healthy alternative. I would imagine if your tummy can tolerate it you should be okay. A friend of mine had a Weight Watchers recipe where she put cinnamon on the popcorn. Holy cow was that good! I had it pre surgery but am thinking that might be a good snack. Another snack that I like a lot is beef jerkey. Packed with Protein and lower in calories. You have to be careful with it and not eat too much. Plus it's high in sodium so if you have any heart issues that could be concerning. But it's my go-to snack if I want something immediate. I also love greek yogurt (has to be plain with some stevia). The already flavored greek yogurt is super high in sugar so my NUT recommended plain. I add some frozen fruit and mix in the sweetener and I'm good to go with that. Bottom line, find what you like and read the label. If it doesn't fit with your nutritional goals, find something similar that does. Think before you eat. And, stop mindless eating. Your nutritionist should be able to help you walk through some good food options. if you don't have a nutritionist, get one. You need one.

No ranch. No no no no no. No ranch. LOL!!! Dressing is just awful for you. If you want some flavor, add a little hummus (I love black bean hummus, but not too much) or salt & pepper. A good trick for salads is to dip your fork in the dressing vs. pouring it on. Or, add salsa instead of dressing. I haven't tried that but heard it's a good solution. Dressing (like Mayo and other condiments) has so many calories in such a small amount. And who only uses a little ranch? It's like alcohol - just not worth the calories. I'll indugle every now and then but it's very rare.

My NUT said per studies with the AMBS (American society of Bariatric Surgeons) successful bariatric patients consume about 1000 calories at approximately 1 year post-op. After 1 year post-op average calorie intake is around 1200 calories to maintain weight loss. Calories needs may vary some based on the age, sex and amount of activity for each individual. If your calories are too low, your m etabolism will slow and your body will go into starvation mode holding onto fat stores. A calorie intake of 500-600/day is simply too low for successful weight loss. WOW!

What do you get all on the subs? How far out are you? I was told not to eat lettuce?? My surgeon told me that I could eat raw veggies as long as I could tolerate them. I have an unwich which is a lettuce wrap. Then I get shredded lettuce in it and tomato. I can't tolerate the skin on the cucumbers so I stay away from those for now. Same for pickles. Then I have them put on salt and pepper. NO MAYO! They're really tasty!

Millergirl314, at this time, just get your Protein in. You're still really early in the process. I'm about 4.5 months out. Wait until you're on solids and can tolerate them.

You're welcome! My key is eating a little bit about 4 times a day. For example, I'll have a Protein bar when I first wake up to get my metabolism going. About 10am I'll eat something with eggs and turkey sausage in it. Around 2 or 3, I'll have a "lunch" like chicken breasts with a side of green Beans, etc. For my 6-7 pm meal, I'll eat something smaller and lighter like deli shaved meat with low fat cheese. Sometimes I'll add a reduced fat cracker to that but I try not to. If I go out to eat, and I do, I look on line first to see if I can get the menu with the nutritional values on it. That way I can plan what I want to have before I leave. No gravy. No fries. I'll get a side salad instead. I have realized that things I "thought" were good for me are really not. KFC, for example, has a grilled chicken that is amazing. The chicken breast is 220 calories with 40 grams of protein. YUM! I get a side of green beans with that which are only 25 calories and 1 gram of protein. If I eat the chicken first I rarely even get to the green beans because I'm so full. But, I know I have them for later if I want them. Jimmy John's has a nutritional calculator on the web site and you can remove things and add things just to see what it does to the caloric intake and protein intake as well as the fat intake. I love JJ subs with no bread (I get a lettuce unwich), no mayo, and lots of protein from the meats. READ THE LABELS. Take a lot of time at the grocery store and read labels. Make sure you're making good choices. It really helps.

Hip hip hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very excited for you! Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I contacted my NUT because I saw some people who ate 500-600 calories a day and others who didn't. She said that according to the AMBS (American Society of Bariatric Surgeons), successful bariatric patients consume about 1000 calories up to a year post op. After the year, post op average calorie intake is 1200 calories to maintain weight loss. Calorie needs may vary some based on the age, sex and amount of activity for each individual. Once I started tracking my calories and I stayed at or under 1000 calories, I started losing more frequently than I did before I tracked it. I would say as long as you're getting about 1000 calories and 50+ grams of Protein a day you should see the weight come off again.

I agree with Big Girl Panties! The fact is this, this is a LIFESTYLE change. I have a friend who has to go through a weight loss program for 3 months before insurance will let her do the sleeve. She keeps saying that this is a "diet" and she doesn't know how she'll get through it. I keep saying, "This is not a diet. This is the first step in your journey." The liquids aren't fantastic, but it's only a very small piece of your journey. You know how they say that once women give birth they forget all of the pain that goes along with it? Liquids is the same thing. It may seem daunting and scary, but it's a small piece of the puzzle. If you look at it that way, it might be easier to get through. Keep thinking, "This isn't forever - it's just for now." When you look at the pounds dropping, I guarantee you'll be happy. I too watch My 600 lb life. I use it as a motivator for myself. Look at some of the pit falls those folks go through and set your mind that you won't do what they did. Then, look at what they do to become successful - and do that too!!! We have a love/hate relationship with food and that obsessive relationship needs to end. You'll grieve, you'll go back, you'll fight, make up......all of it. But, when you determine that food is only a fuel and not a pleasure, your brain will switch. You got this! Congratulations on your first step down the yellow brick road of healthiness!!!!