delta_girl

You looked beautiful before and you look beautiful now!

6 months

Cucumbers, celery, fat free dressing, nuts, fruit, Ostrim, tuna, chicken, carrots, cheese, pita chips, eggs, orange juice (50% calorie reduced), soup, lean pork, avocados, cherry tomatoes, skim milk, whole grain bread, lentils, oatmeal, pickles, pretzels, herbs, hmm....thinking...

I like your thinking.

At 4.5 months I had a huge stall that lasted for weeks. I thought that I was "done." Then I dropped another 10 lbs. Now I've been the same weight +- 5 lbs for many weeks now. I had my 6 month check up last week and blood work done. I was afraid that my surgeon would be displeased with my progress since I have not been as diligent with my food and exercise as before. He didn't seem to be concerned and appeared to be satisfied at where I was. He scheduled my next appointment for 2 months from now and said we would take my "after" photo at that time. My exercise is sporadic and I haven't tracked food or calories or measured anything in months. I really have no idea what my caloric average is at this time. I try to make good choices most of the time, which are far superior than they have ever been before. I do enjoy random and very small servings of not so healthy things. One cookie with my hot tea at night, 1-2 bites of my SO's food, a few pretzels or pita chips, a glass of wine or two, etc. I have been wondering why I am so complacent right now. I have around 25-35 more lbs to go to get in the place I think I would like to be with my weight. My blood work shows anemia, which explains why I'm not bouncing around with energetic motivation. My hair loss is beginning to slow. I'm starting to wonder if the lack of sunny days over the winter has had an impact. I don't really feel defeated as in an overwhelming sadness. My progress has been fantastic with 70 lbs lost in 6 months. At 5'3" will my "set point" be between 148-151 lbs? I hope not. That is heavier than I want to be, though I certainly look and feel significantly healthier than before. I'm doing some reflecting right now. Thinking about doing the pouch test or going back to Protein shakes for a few meals. I'm just in a spot of stasis that feels comfortable lifestyle wise, but not result wise. I'm not feeling incredibly motivated right now so I wonder if I have subconsciously taken a break. I envy those who say that they have been extremely and strictly complaint for extended time periods. I still love food but I eat cucumbers, tuna, and carrots with fat free dressing for lunch, yogurt for Breakfast, have a few coffees with skim milk, and salads. I also enjoy hummus with crackers, an occasional piece of chocolate, steak, a tiny bit of butter on 1/4 of a potato maybe once every few weeks, fruit, and nuts. Is this it? Am I done at 6 months? My surgeon said 8 -18 months. I guess I'm just feeling a bit moody about it today.

My original goal was 115 lbs. I modified it about 2 weeks ago to 125 since I'm 45 years old and really don't "have" to be 115 lbs, it was just an attractive idea. My surgeon's nurse gave me a general target of 128 lbs. I'm still a good bit away from that at 149 lbs of today.

Who does the grocery shopping?

My sister-in-law brought me a very small rectangular pillow the day after surgery. I named it Baby Pillow. It and I were best buds for about 4 weeks. Perfect for just a bit of support or to tuck together with a larger pillow. Don't know what I would have done without it.

I have a friend who had a gastric bypass done at St Francis about 4 months ago. She has lost about 70 lbs and is doing great. She had a great deal to lose so has had much faster progress than I have. Everything about her looks better ..her skin, her hair, her shape, her smile. She is radiating happiness.

I travel constantly between TN, AR, and MS, so it makes participation with established groups pretty much impossible.

I relate to your comment about feeling comfortable. I am feeling very comfortable with my current new normal. I can do what I am doing now forever. Will I continue to lose, just much more slowly? Will it stop? Do I need to do an ass kicking intervention now when I've come so far and have done so well? Am I just slightly depressed from a very dreary, long winter with no sun? And if I kick my own ass (and I certainly can) and drop 25-40 lbs (I've done it SO many times before only to gain it back) will I be able to maintain that with any semblance of normalcy? Or my new normal.

There is a great support group through Dr. Woodman's Club New You out of Baptist East, but I would guess that there are many others out there. I just don't know about them. I haven't gone to any post-op seminars or meetings. I just visit this forum from time to time. It's a good resource and a lot of experiences are shared here.

Midsouth Bariatrics, Baptist East on Walnut Grove.

I had my surgery done in Memphis. Great experience.

I had my 6 month checkup and blood work last week. I told my doctor about how cold my hands, feet, and nipples (hurting) were. He had a thyroid check done as well. It turns out that I am anemic again and my thyroid is fine. He disclosed to me that he is cold a lot, too. He has lost about 45 lbs and maintains a consistant weight now through diet and exercise, but he is still cold. He always wears a long sleeve shirt under his scrubs.

I still enjoy sugar free popsicles. Currently, my favorite snacks are pistachio nuts and orange slices.

Single serving string cheese is a real treat if you are approved to eat it. If you have a small ice chest they make single serving cottage cheese packages that would be a great option, too. Another very tasty option is the single serving Campbell's Soup on the Go. They have around 70 calories for the chicken with Noodles microwavable cup. Again, the downside is that it is high in sodium and doesn't have much protein. It is very filling and delicious, though. http://www.campbellsoup.com/Products/Microwavable/Soup-At-Hand

I chew Tums...well, the cheap store version. Packed with calcium.

One if the reasons I am less active now. The whining, complaints, and never ending new threads on the exact same things posted a week or the day before are tedious. Suck it up. It's not reversible. Put on your big person pants and get to work. It isn't a day spa.

This is something that should be addressed with a health care professional, not this gang of scallywags.

"A person with a well-differentiated "self" recognizes his realistic dependence on others, but he can stay calm and clear headed enough in the face of conflict, criticism, and rejection to distinguish thinking rooted in a careful assessment of the facts from thinking clouded by emotionality. Thoughtfully acquired principles help guide decision-making about important family and social issues, making him less at the mercy of the feelings of the moment. What he decides and what he says matches what he does. He can act selflessly, but his acting in the best interests of the group is a thoughtful choice, not a response to relationship pressures. Confident in his thinking, he can either support another's view without being a disciple or reject another view without polarizing the differences. He defines himself without being pushy and deals with pressure to yield without being wishy-washy." http://www.thebowencenter.org/pages/conceptds.html

I don't recall seeing a rule book about what you can or can't wear (Tim Gunn aside). You wear what makes you feel good. As far as some of the tight, "sexy" clothes that have been shared in some photo updates.....Don't use those as inspiration if that isn't "you." I wouldn't wear some of those things walking around in my house with no one else at home much less outside of the house. I personally have little interest in dressing "sexy." One person's "sexy" is another person's cheap and slutty. Maybe you want to dress to feel sporty or feminine, sassy or polished, trendy or tailored. Write your own rule book as you go.

My former husband behaved like that.....almost all of the time. It didn't get better until he started taking medication for extreme anxiety. He had three wonderful, happy months before he died in an accident. 9 years of marriage like that was tough. It certainly changed me.

I have had several stalls between 2 weeks and as long as 4 weeks. Just keep trucking. It will pass.

I never used anything. It's up to you. You just don't want anything to irritate it.