JeffA70

It's interesting about the reflux. I don't have any, but they keep asking about it.

I can relate to that. Try Kim's Magic Pop or Deli Pop. Very low cal. My big vice these days is Triscuits drizzled with a little olive oil. Of course, the drizzling is the killer... Need to portion correctly and accurately. But they give me some carbs and crunch. Butter. Real butter. To me, bread is just a delivery system for butter. I don't crave the bread. I am finding a craving for butter. Again, a portion control issue.

Stick with the plan you were told to follow. You'll be able to eat carbs again, don't worry, just not a lot of them. But you need to focus on loss and the plan right now, and worry about balancing the carb-protein balance when you're ready to stabilize. I didn't crave them at all. Now, a year out, I try to minimize them, but there are some that are "worth it" to me. A nice small ciabatta roll, or the white rice around some sushi.

HAPPY RE-BIRTHDAY, Rock Stars!!!! Hard to believe it's been a year. How is everyone doing?

I appreciate you posting the daily calories you take in in that previous post. I'm finding now, far below my goal but quietly creeping back because I'm not running in the winter, that my normal range of 1,800ish is very hard to stay at. I'm not quite HUNGRY, but I'm taking in more than that now, net exercise, and think I need to ratchet it back. But you're saying you're doing 2,000+, and you're a bit shorter than I am. Have to talk to my NUT about it on my appointment this week.

I basically gained six pounds from November 1 to New Year's Day. Combo of not getting out to run (switched to elliptical, which just doesn't burn as much) and the ever-present cookies, candy, etc. I had been stabilized at 215ish for several months, and got as low as 209 at one point, but now, I'm fighting to get back down to that. The habits of 43 years don't just vanish, sadly.

I bottomed out at 209 in August and am at 220 this AM, so yes, definitely can gain weight if you fall off the wagon. The monkey is always on our backs. I had been doing well with running until November, when it got cold, and I've been doing elliptical since, which just doesn't burn as much. Holiday chocolates, etc., etc. you know the drill. The sleeve is just a tool. My doctor pokes me in the stomach and tells me, "I can only fix this part. I can't fix this part (pokes my head)."

I'm 6'6". A weight of 180 lbs would be too low for someone your height, in my opinion. At my peak in August 1999, I was 362, and at my low (August 2013), I was 209. I felt 209 was really too low for me. I had been stabilized at about 215 for 3-4 months, but stopped jogging because of the cold. I'm up to 220, which is giving me panic attacks (kidding, sort of), but even this level is generating nice comments from people. Pics in my gallery. Videos at my blog.

Hello all! Hard to believe it's been one year this week! Crazy! Wanted to see how everyone is doing. I bottomed out at 209 in August while working on my 5K training (the race was in October). After November, I stopped running, and did elliptical inside more. November and December were my first two months post-op when I GAINED on average! Yikes! I had been averaging 215 in August, September, October...a little up some weeks, a little lower on others. In November, I averaged 216 and then averaged 219 in December!!!!!!! I started off 2014 at 220. It's a little disconcerting to see how it can come back, but not surprising. Work, life, holday stress, etc. Food's been our "friend" for so long. I joined a '365 miles in 365 days' group to recommit to activity (which, truthfully, I never gave up on, which makes the weight gain even scarier!). Now, I just need to focus on the head battle. I'm still far below my own goal, far below my nut's goal, still wearing clothes in the size range from high school, but this monkey never will leave our backs...the modest weight gain has been a mixed blessing in some ways to recommit to this path we've chosen. Rock on January sleevers!!!!

Agreed.

Rock it, man!

Was a 56 at my peak in 1999. Was a 48ish when I was cut. Down to a 38 easy and might be able to get into a 36 now at goal - 20.

Rock on!!!! Rock on!!! Hoping to work my way up to a 10K. Right now, 5's are a nice workout for me. Can definitely see myself doing many more of them.

Hey emeraldeye, Joined you in the running club today. Finished my first 5K, and with a time that was five minutes better than my best practice run! Woot!!!!

At my peak in 1999, I wore a 56. I was a 48 when I went in for the surgery. All of my pants are a 38 now and most feel big. Congrats to you!

I'm on week 8, and it kicks ass. I am not a runner, but it's made me one. I think it will be my goto now for cardio, as I actually enjoy getting out there and just running. My actual race is in October, but I feel I'm ready now. Stick with it, don't push to do more than the guided plan for now, and you'll rock it.

Big ones for me were/are: Run a 5K (on Week 8 of Couch to 5K right now). Race is in October. Doing a pull-up....work in progress. Sitting in a booth in a restaurant comfortably Never breaking another lawn chair Having Mr. Happy get bigger, longer, harder, more long-lasting, etc. Never walking into a Big and Tall again. Except for the pull-up, all done. It's a wonderful thing.

I'd say it's probably early for you to try sushi, but I can certainly have it this far out. The rice doesn't feel great sitting there, but I don't have much.

Butt-kicker!!!! I'm on Week 6 of Couch to 5K. Not considering myself a runner yet.

Interesting topic for me right now. So, let's just politely say that diarrhea has NOT been an issue for me post-surgery. In fact, most days, I'd welcome a bit of it. My old self? Oh, all the time. 3, 4, 5 times a week. Today, however, is a pretty bad day in the plumbing department, and the second time since January 8 that I'm dealing with it. The first day was about a month or so ago, and I never could figure out what prompted or correlated/caused it. Today, though, I'm wondering if it's 'dumping,' which I was told by my doc's office is not really something you deal with much on the sleeve. So, what did I eat in the last day? Well, normal Protein Breakfast, lunch, snack, etc. today. Yesterday, though, I was down at the beach and was 'making do' with New England beach fare. Ended up the day within my calorie range, counting a ton of exercise (run in the AM, 2.5-mile kayak in the afternoon), but ate a lot of garbage. "A lot" is relative, of course, but it wasn't my normal day. Today, not feeling great. Correlation? Causation? That's my guess, given that it's only the second day since January 8 that's been like this, and by far my worst day 'off the wagon' yesterday.

Interesting that my surgeon defers to my NUT when I ask anything about diet. They don't always agree, but he basically says, 'Go by whatever she tells you.'