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Oh no, I hope the group works out but it sounds like it might not. It sounds like everyone is doing well. I feel the same way as Supersweetums - I am hesitant to think this could be working but if it continues I might try to get even lower. I mean, I was never able to get below my goal weight before (or even really maintain that weight consistently, let's not lie) so I kinda walk a line between hoping this will work but also not wanting to get my hopes up too high! Yesterday was a fast day and it was hard but I managed. I've got regular days for the rest of the week. Monday is my three year anniversary, crazy! I'll go scope out the group and see how things look over there. I hope everyone has a great day! I'd fill you all in on what I'm baking/cooking but it's unfair to those that fast and I think it's counter productive to set people to drooling. I guess because I'm just used to it all it doesn't bother me. ~Cheri Oh, and I'm down from yesterday for a total of 1.8 for the week so far. We'll see how this goes. I never lost 2 pounds a week with any consistency last time I was slowly slugging to goal. I was more like a fraction of a pound each week most weeks. And I'm used to only losing one week per month, too. 5:2 has been really amazing for me.

There are a lot of us that focus on a moderation based approach. My opinion is that for at least the first six months your primary focus should be Protein. After that point, start incorporating a more moderate approach with more carbs and good fats. That does not mean start eating processed junk (SLIDER) foods. Start with good grains, fruits and veggies and work into "normal" foods until you can identify the foods that will sabotage your success. Many people have addictions to white flour, white sugar, processed foods, soda, etc. Those are the foods we need to avoid for the most part. But good, well rounded choices are important. This isn't a diet. If you diet your way to goal by making the sleeve Atkins part B and restricting yourself in a way that you cannot maintain long term, you are going to have a struggle ahead of you in maintenance. Maintenance is forever, so finding a way we can eat well, be satisfied and not fly off the rails is critical to our long term success. Good luck - I agree that you probably just need to put the scale away and weigh weekly for now. Loss is tricky, especially for women. I only lost one week out of the month. The other weeks I either stayed the same weight or gained. ~Cheri

I'm not sure why, exactly, (meaning, if it's due to an allergy or just 'cause) but in the past O.T.R. Sleever has given some really great advice/suggestions on non-dairy shakes or mixes. You might be able to search out his posts and find info that way if nobody else can chime in. You may also find additional help on the food/nutrition board - there are specific threads there dedicated to protein sources and you may find something of use there. Sorry I can't help more but my experience doesn't compare. I do think that the dangers of soy are when it's the sole source of protein for an extended period of time, so I'm not sure if that will have a negative effect on you or not. Good luck, and I hope you can either find something here to help you out or that someone with similar experience will chime in. ~Cheri

That's what works best for more people. It may be that you need more time, it may also be that you're one of the unlucky ones that needs a prescription strength medicine. Good luck on Monday - and congrats on that new sleeve, by the way! ~Cheri

Yes. Take another PPI and consider switching brands. What are you on? Prevacid is notorious for not working well. I had to switch a couple of times before I found one that worked well for me. Also, sleeping with your head slightly elevated helps a lot of people, and remember not to eat within the hour before going to bed. Liquids in = liquids out, so that will improve as your diet changes. I hope you get some relief! ~Cheri

Oh no! I hope no worries about pre-eclampsia - wishing you a healthy (and quick!) delivery. I know you're stressing about the weight but it's within that "normal" window of women who have babies. I'm sure that the bulk of it will fall off quickly and you'll fiddle with those last ten to fifteen pounds like the rest of us. That's meant to be reassuring, by the way. It falls off more slowly the less you have to lose. I suggest you join us on the vets board once you deliver if you find yourself having a rough time transitioning from maintenance to loss again. I won't lie - I had a helluva time with that this go! But once you remember the basics it's just a matter of plugging away and you can do it. I'm doing it! Good luck, any day now we'll see an update from you (with pics, right?!) about your healthy baby! ~Cheri

Set a timer if you're really bad about eating. I got to a point where even though I'm not hungry (physically) there's no way I'd forget to eat a meal. You'll feel sick otherwise and your body will tell you to eat. It helped me to log my calories during the early months when I worried about my intake. An extra shake here and there will dispel any worries about nutrition. My daughter was born pretty small but then, we have small babies in our family so I have no idea if that's the sleeve or not. I was induced a tiny bit early due to fears of IUGR but she was absolutely fine, just small, as I said. Congrats, and here's hoping you have a healthy nine months! ~Cheri

Congrats! I gained a similar amount (32 pregnant, 3 pounds on hormones prior) and the bulk of it fell off in just a few weeks. I'm still fighting those last four pounds but that's how it goes when you only have a few to lose! I can't wait to see pictures (hint!!!) and I hope you have a smooth recovery. Enjoy him, they grow up way faster than I remember. Elisheva is already 16 weeks old and I swear I just had her yesterday. ~Cheri

This makes me angry on your behalf. Honestly - you're being denied the opportunity to delve into the "why" of your infertility because of your weight...as if there aren't just as many skinny women with infertility or fat women with plenty of babies! It took four years and several doctors to finally get someone to listen to me - weight is only a factor in infertility if you're not ovulating properly due to PCOS. If you can prove that you ovulate normally and your hormone panels come out within the norm, they're just putting you off. In my case, losing 100 pounds wouldn't have made the difference because after all those heartbreaking appointments that ended in referrals to the nutritionist so I could "give it another try" it turns out that my husband had the problems, not me. In your case, they already know that there might be another issue but won't check into it because of your weight? That's crap, I'm sorry. I'm glad you're having the surgery and I do hope it resolves your fertility issues. But it makes me angry that doctors are allowed to use weight as a blanket excuse for EVERYTHING. Do you know what hampers fertility for sure, even more than theories about weight? AGE. The more these doctors push us off the older we get and the lower the quality of our eggs. I'm sorry...I shouldn't hijack this for my personal vent. I hope that all of you ladies posting here get the chance to have children of your own. It is possible. PCOS and insulin resistance will definitely be helped by losing weight and it's true that a number of women report increased fertility after losing weight. And if all else fails, there is a world of medicine out there specifically to help people like us have babies. Good luck! ~Cheri

Oh, and Laura. my hormone surge is actually around ovulation - two weeks out from my actual period. I just want to eat and eat and eat. I go up on the scale around my cycle but my eating is under control after the first day, usually. ~Cheri

Oh MFP, you make me giggle. Sure, it's kind of a mean, cynical snort more than a giggle, but it's there nonetheless. I logged in today's plan - looks like I can just squeeze in with 550 today and that's close enough for me. Not really mentally prepared for this so we'll see how it goes. But MFP told me I'd weigh 132 in five weeks and it made me snort up my coffee. As if! I was also chastised with the fine print for eating less than my daily calories but that happens all the time. How do you guys feel about the MFP exercise tracking? As in, their calorie estimates? Because I seriously wonder if it's really possible I burn so many calories doing housework for two hours straight. Maybe I should attach those sand weights to my arms while I fold laundry so I can have those rockin' arms I dream about. ~Cheri

Hormones, Laura? If that's the case, they get me all the time. The only time I feel like I could (nay, MUST) eat all day, every day is when I'm hormonal. I'd peel paint off the walls during this time period. It's pure misery. Add in that my capacity seems magically doubled during this time and I can find myself in a heap of trouble. I'm down for a group if someone would rather set that up instead of keeping a thread going here. Just make sure there's a clear post here with a link if we do that so nobody gets lost! Bounce! That's the sound my scale made this morning. I'm okay with it because I expected it yesterday. What did I say? That I'd have a great day and get socked? Yep, guess my body doesn't care that I had Protein Shakes and high Protein meals yesterday. I'm up from the day before, but still down 1.2 pounds for the week so far. Today's a normal day; tomorrow I'll fast. Crap. I should have fasted today. Tomorrow is Shabbat dinner and it's hard to fast on Fridays in this house. Maybe I can tweak today's plan and make it into a fast day. Shoot. That's what I get for letting time get away from me. I already had a slice of the cinnamon raisin bread I made yesterday but if I slowly sip a protein coffee through lunch I think I can make it. Dang...fast days that aren't structured stink. Anyone else notice that their feelings about fast days are affected by the weather? Seriously, the dreary weather gets me down and it makes everything harder, even fast days. I haven't seen the sun since Sunday. Hope everyone else is doing well. I know we have a couple of other gals fasting today. I guess I'm one of them. I need a calendar stapled to my forehead. Every day is the same when you're a stay at home mom. ~Cheri

YES! Not that I eat/keep a lot of junk around. But just being distracted by life and doing what everyone around me does I was eating upwards of 1,800 calories a day. Not gaining on it, no, but definitely not losing. Now that I'm tracking in loss I'm focusing on Protein again and feel quite full many days well before 1,200 calories. Many nights I need a snack to pad my calories! I definitely get carried away with mindless eating and can easily consume an extra eight hundred calories in a day that way. ~Cheri

Great post, swizzly. I view exercise much the same way. I was working out daily and once again have fizzled out. I know that I'm "supposed" to make this a priority, that I'd get benefits from carving out this bit of time for myself and my body but it always winds up being that thing I don't have time to do. I get more benefit (mentally) being here on VST in twenty minutes a day than I do trying to fit in a workout while my baby cries (she's perfectly happy the rest of the day but as soon as I need to focus on something else she needs me NOW) and my twins destroy things and my older kids bicker over whose turn it is to do the dishes. Seriously. I'm sleep deprived and busy. If I want to work out I have to get up earlier than everyone else in the house (read: 6 am) or stay up later than everyone else (read: midnight) and I'm sorry, it's not that big a priority to me. Perhaps there will come a day when I ALWAYS view my thirty minutes to myself as a huge priority. I don't know. I'd rather go bake something to feel good. No, it won't give me those fabulous strong arms I wish I had, but I won't get sweaty, either. I hardly have time to shower once every other day. Like I need to add in additional workouts and showers. I know, I'm not a good voice of inspiration and I'm not contributing anything useful here. In my defense, I'll add that I walk miles each day (per my pedometer app) just cleaning my house, baking, cooking and chasing my kids around. ~Cheri

It's a big deal to be able to isolate our feelings and get to the root of an issue that's bothering us. Fear is a natural thing and I know that you know that. We've made a tremendous (expensive!) change and it will cause a ripple effect of other changes in our lives. It's a huge thing to deal with and it's only complicated by the fact that we're also afraid we'll be that 1 person that fails miserably at this. Keep up the good work and keep trying to understand the feelings behind your behaviors. I swear that this is worth the time and effort. We still battle these issues on the vet board - it's not as if these parts of us change just because we removed most of an organ. We still have to talk things out and deal with them. VST is a great place to find people going through the same struggles. Good luck! ~Cheri

Hey, maybe I should buy some of that, then, because I'm still barely hitting my levels doing monthly B12 injections! Thanks for the suggestion on the SF Hawaiian Punch - I might try that and see what happens. I, too, find that the hunger/thirst thing is complicated. Now I usually grab a drink before going for food because most of the time that satisfies me. ~Cheri

Chin up. Hugs, because we all get to have a pity party every now and again. It's hard to accept and it's frustrating that we cannot set the pace for our weight loss. It's just a fact. We're all individual and cannot base our success or our feelings on comparisons to other people. Even two women the same height, weight and age will have varying journeys to goal. That's just how it is. I lost, on average, just over six pounds a month. I had "only" 107 pounds to my goal and it took me 17 months to get there. It took six months just to shed the last 20 pounds. And then I got pregnant and had a baby! And now it's taken me several months just to get back to my maintenance window again. You know what? I know we want fast results. We want the surgery to "count" and we view success as reaching goal quickly. But the truth is that it doesn't really matter how long it takes you. You certainly didn't put on thirty pounds in just two months. But you've lost them. And you'll continue to lose. You just need to keep doing the right things and focus on your particular journey. The real goal here is to keep the weight off. Slow and steady with plenty of time to reinforce those new, healthier habits is going to benefit you far more than cutting your calories to nil and dieting your way to goal. In the end, you'll realize that losing the weight is actually the easier part of this process. The hard part is keeping it off. So focus more on how you get to goal and what you're going to do to stay there, instead of on how quickly you make it to the finish line. You're doing great and have nothing to be upset about, I promise. ~Cheri

You look great! I must say, I'm a bit jealous of how well your legs held up! Mine kind of turned into Jello and are only just getting to where I don't mind showing them off again. And my dear, I do believe it's time to update your profile picture to something that shows off your success! ~Cheri

Oh, that's exactly the right way to put someone in their place! I'll definitely need to think about using this one if it ever comes up again. I agree that the most discriminating people have been overweight friends/family instead of those that are at healthier weights. I've had to let some friendships go over it - some people just cannot accept that you've changed and they take the fact that you lost weight as a personal criticism when in reality, it's not about them at all. I still get the occasional reminder that so-and-so lost weight "the hard way" or "the right way" but I let it roll off my back. Whatever, I really don't care. Show me that same person in three years and I'll offer my congrats if they're maintaining as well as I am. I lost weight prior to the sleeve, too...I just never kept it off! ~Cheri

Since I self-paid I have my PCM run vitamins/minerals - it's especially important to check your Bs & D as well as your Iron and Calcium. I also got my A1c run again, but I was diabetic prior to surgery (not anymore!) and had my hormone panel run as well as my thyroid panel. The main concern would be your Vitamins because I put off my labs until shortly after one year post op. I was seriously deficient in B12 and iron and those two supplements changed my life. I went from feeling like a zombie to functioning like a normal person again. ~Cheri

And to address starvation mode, that's a theory that's very widely debated here. The real answer for how many calories/carbs you should be getting is up to your body and your activity level. It's as many as you can eat without sabotaging your loss. That said, I've seen that people that incorporate a "free day" along with restrictive days seem to have better results. Our bodies can adapt to ANYTHING we throw at them, so getting stuck in a rut and always doing the same thing can yield diminishing returns over time. That said, you're not really far enough out for that to be your issue. Odds are good your body is just adjusting and if you keep plugging away you'll get through this shortly. And don't forget the effect hormones have on women! I still gain several pounds during my cycle each month. ~Cheri

So, a stall is really three weeks at the same weight, no movement. I had two nine week stalls. One roughly six months out and one between nine months and a year out. In addition, my body seems to hit happy weights - perhaps something to do with the set point theory - where weight fell off even more slowly than usual and I'd lose only a fraction of a pound per week. I averaged just over six pounds a month in loss and the last twenty pounds took six months to fall off. Give it time. It's frustrating for all of us, even those of us that hit goal and are trying to lose a few for whatever reason. If that scale starts to get you down, put it away. ~Cheri

Regular day. I'm kinda waiting for the bounce that hasn't come yet. It's Wednesday and I'm down 2 pounds for the week, so far. I didn't have a bounce moving from fast day to normal day this time, which seems odd to me, but oh well. We'll see how the numbers look on Sunday! I really expected to see a higher number today because I indulged in a salty snack before bed. Huh. Weird how that happens sometimes. I bet the next "perfect" day I have I'll see a bounce. And I will probably be frustrated. Why? Because none of this makes any sense and I really like things to make sense. Baking day for me (I usually bake three days a week) and I'm doing sandwich breads and six dozen Cookies for a coworker of my husband's. I'm actually kind of sorry I agreed to do the cookies. They're fiddly cut out cookies with a swirled icing - time consuming and a little aggravating to make. But when he asked how much I'd charge I threw out a ridiculous number thinking he'd say no and he agreed to pay it anyway, so it's my own fault! I don't care what anyone says, all variants of sugar cookies are a waste of time. I'll never understand why people love iced sugar cookies so much. Yes, they're pretty. But they're just..blah. I could have twenty dozen of them in the kitchen and not be tempted at all. I'd rather have ginger molasses any day! Hope everyone has a great day! ~Cheri

The only way I can really enjoy plain Water now is if it's ice cold. I keep a pitcher in the fridge and I add ice to it, too. Otherwise I have to use the fruit infuser pitcher or get out some True Lemon or other flavoring. ~Cheri

I hate tracking, I won't lie. It's a pain in the rear. I've been doing it off and on for three stupid years now. Having real phones and being in America makes it easier because the app is very convenient. But I can't deny that for me, it's that extra measure of accountability. More than one year out it is SO easy to just grab a handful of something here and a taste of something there or to finish my kids' plates and before I know it there's an extra 500+ calories that I haven't accounted for in my mind. I'm a SAHM and I'm a baker and I cater events, too. There's ALWAYS something "not good" hanging around my house and while it's easy for me to avoid sitting down and eating three Cookies, it's undeniable that I do sample almost everything I make. That adds up, much faster than I'd like in most cases! So in maintenance? No, that 500 calories really isn't a big deal unless I make it an every day thing. And the scale is enough to keep me from doing that so tracking is just a way to double-check myself once in a while. I usually use it more to be sure of my calorie window and my protein intake. But in loss it makes a huge difference to me. I have three little kids and a to-do list that takes up the entire fridge. I have to stay pretty strictly scheduled to remain on top of everything I have to do each day, and mentally remembering a calorie count, let alone remembering to eat my meals for the day can be a challenge. In the beginning I didn't really need to track because every meal was protein focused and I was eating every few hours all day long. Now that I'm farther out and my surgery isn't the main focus of my day real life has intruded. I can easily go until two pm without eating and eat far too little, just as I can easily go over my limits with a fast lunch out. And on those days when I'm not busy boredom is also an issue because if I get bored I tend to mindlessly eat whatever is closest. I can eat without even really registering how much I'm eating and that can add up, too. Ideally, you find a method that works for you and you stick with it. I tend to forget those little things - "Oh yeah, I sampled a croissant as soon as they came out of the oven" or "I made ten different hor d'oeuvres today...and tried one of each" - that aren't really so little when it comes to calories at the end of the day. So for me, tracking is absolutely vital in loss. But in all honesty, I can't wait until I'm in maintenance again so I can quit doing it every day! ~Cheri