stomlin75

I'm 7 weeks post op and struggling with a stall, so I decided to try out Crossfit. What a workout!!!! I am definitely going back. This is a difficult and challenging workout but totally doable. I highly recommend giving Crossfit a try.

I just found myself wandering into the 3rd floor kitchen to see what kind of yumminess abounds. I came upon a basket of left over Panera cookies and had instant mouth water. So, of course, I grabbed one and moved toward the stairway to head back to my office. But then, I stopped and thought to myself - is this really worth the cravings you are going to feel for the rest of the day? So, I went back, grabbed another one and took them to a couple of guys that share an office who love anything baked good. They were happy and I felt so good for making that mental transition. It's interesting how those conversations occur in the head and how many times I find it too easy to give in to the big voice that says, "it's just one cookie". I had to dig deep to hear that little voice reminding me of the longer term impact. I wonder how many other people deal with this same internal dialogue and how they overcome these difficult decisions.

Drink H2O - constantly. This will help more than you can imagine.

I used to be on here all the time - back when I first had my surgery and a few months post op. I've slowly started coming back due to the realization that I haven't lost anything for at least 5 months and it's because I haven't been in the game at all. I am seeing posts from people that had surgery around the same time as me or much later, that weighed more than me at date of surgery, and they have reached far and beyond my wildest expectations for myself. I just wanted to get below 200 and if I had stayed on plan, I would've accomplished this. The thing is, I can eat almost exactly like I used to and I do feel hunger and I am addicted to sugar/carbs. It is nothing for me to put away a donut and not have a single feeling of fullness. This has been the case for a while now and I know that the same obstacles that prevented weight loss for me prior to surgery still exist post surgery - mostly head hunger and telling myself that I will "get back on it" tomorrow. It's a terrible cycle that perpetuates itself over and over as I give in to a craving or deceive myself into thinking that it's ok because I did lose "some of the weight". I just realized that the only goal I set for myself was to get below 200 but maybe breaking it down might make things a little more doable and I will feel less like a failure. To those who have accomplished their goals, great work and let me know if you have any tricks or tips that you could share. For those who might be in the same boat as me, I feel your pain and maybe it's time today to do something about it. Yesterday was yesterday and tomorrow is a long way off so for now, I am focusing on my actions today.

I felt the exact same way going into it and I have kids too. You may get mixed responses on this one because there are some who regret it but I would say that the vast majority here are so very glad they did it. Best piece of advice is to follow exactly what your doctor tells you to do if you go through with it. The hard part is more mental than physical. At the end of the day here, you have to weigh the benefits/risks of getting this surgery vs. staying the way you are. Let the data/evidence provide you with what you need to make a decision and if you aren't ready to make such a big decision yet, that is ok too. All the best to you.

Yep, good example of another way food has a way of filling that void of unpleasantness.

Awww, you guys are sweet. I had a great birthday and stayed very conscious of eating good foods throughout the day and then for dinner, I enjoyed an awesome drink (earl grey infused vodka with lemonade), prime rib, horseradish sauce, veggies, and a slice of vanilla cake. Today, I am back on plan after weighing in and having dropped another pound. It's good to be back.

Yes, yes, yes, today is my birthday and I made it!!! I started my first post on here at 23.6 and weighed in today at 226.8. My goal was to get to my birthday with no sugar/low carbs and I did it! Today, I am sticking to the plan except for a piece of birthday cake that intend to eat this evening with my family and then right back to business tomorrow! I feel fantasticly back in control of things. It's an awesome feeling.

First, make sure you are getting all the Water in. I broke my stalls everytime at that stage with just making sure I drank all the water. Second, no potatoes. There is nothing about that potato that is giving you anything you need right now. Protein and veggies are your friends. The sooner you throw in stuff like potatoes, the easier it will be for you to eat slider foods that are high in carbs and your weight loss will stop. Take it from someone who did exactly what you are doing. You know why you are stalling out (beside it being a normal phenomenon), so get back on plan. It's a lot easier now than dealing with it later when your stomach can handle much more. Wishing you all the best!!

Day 3 is so much better than day 2 - cravings are diminishing a bit and I am getting into the groove. Checked the sale after a lengthy hiatus and I am even down a tiny bit. Good motivation. I am taking the advice of someone who responded on here about 10 pounds at a time and I was 231 a few days ago when I sent my first SOS message - so, here's to 220!

I'm 9 months post op and actually going through a diet cleanse of clean eating right now to get the sugar/carbs back out. We are essentially going through the same thing - cravings galore. What I can tell you is this...after about 3 days, the cravings will stop as you will go into ketosis. You want to stay in ketosis because it is in this state you will feel the least hunger and the most energy. Get used to sipping water all day now. I wish I had done that as it is still a struggle for me. You are embarking on a big deal mentally - much more than physical. Getting yourself into that place before surgery is key. You can do it!!! Good luck with your surgery.

Hey there - yep, eating clean is super hard. I am definitely struggling through the worst tonight with cravings as I type this but coming on here helps. Just reading through the posts and knowing I'm not alone provides the reassurance that I can do it. Hope everyone is having a great day today!

Made it 24 hours with no sugar and low carbs (just veggies and a fruit). No sliders people, no sliders!! It may seem trivial but it was all I could do to force myself into bed last night and turn off the cravings. It probably seems silly that this is where I am at right now but hey, going back to the basics is actually hard when you've totally derailed! On my way to another successful day today - hope everyone else here has a good one as well. Thanks again for the support.

Oh, and I don't know if anyone else uses fitbit but here is my profile in case you do. I would love to connect with others that way too. http://www.fitbit.com/user/23QKKM

I forgot what an awesome forum this is and how helpful it can be. Laura, you look fabulous and your words are so kind and helpful - ringing so true. CowgirlJane - Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a well thought out and inspiring response. Georgia - it is so good to be validated as normal. So, yes, back to the drawing board here - proteins, veggies, water. I am not looking forward to the headaches, the cravings, the frustration, etc... but I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. So, here is the deal. My birthday is Thursday (38 going on 25) and I am shooting to be over that initial 3 day no sugar hell by then as a present to myself. It's a short goal but doable. I am planning to stay much more active in here. You guys are awesome.

I am coming into this super late in the game but very interested in this. I've done crossfit and am familiar with HIIT but my gym charges a lot for crossfit. So, I bought a timer watch so I can do it myself. I am sort of starting at the beginning here after having been in a very long stall resulting from my not really being on plan. I think doing the 12 day bootcamp with the 3 day per week HIIT makes the most sense to get started? Thoughts? Thanks Fiddleman for starting this.

It's been a while since I have posted here but after throwing up following eating an ice cream sundae, I knew I needed to reconnect. It's only been 5 months and I am amazed at what I can eat and how much. I am a sweets addict and am back into a very old and familiar pattern. While I am not gaining weight, I haven't lost anything for a while - over 1 month. This is not due to a stall or a plateau but because I am not eating the way I am supposed to and am totally ashamed. I have a health coach, a gym membership and a supportive husband and yet, I am not in the game. Things were going so well for a while and I am not sure how or why I got off track other than I simply wanted to taste something yummy. UGH!!! I would really like to get reconnected on here with some people or on a myfitnesspal or something. I am super goal oriented but get overwhelmed by long term goals. To the newbies out there, stick to your guns and don't give in just because you can. Follow your doctor's plan because trying to get back is super hard. I'm about to have to go through carb/sugar withdrawal again and I wouldn't have to if I hadn't allowed myself to prioritize instant gratification over my goals.

I remember sort of feeling that way. It gets better, much, much better. In some ways, I think that those initial 6 weeks of feeling deprived somewhat contributed towards my desire to go back to going after everything and anything I could. I noticed you said you are only getting in 20 oz of Water everyday and that is not enough. I used to chug my water too but you can't anymore. YOu have to retrain and this is important because if you don't sip all day long you are at risk for getting kidney stones and YOU DO NOT WANT kidney stones. Water trumps everything else. The other thing you mentioned is the vomiting. If you haven't had your gall bladder out, this may be causing you stones. It's early but not impossible. You may need to get this checked out. As for the relationships, I am sorry. Losing weight can definitely make people change a lot, including those we love the most (or thought we did). I spent over 1 year in therapy because of my fears about how this could effect my relationships - I saw this happen to others. I'm sorry you're sad. I wish I knew you in person because I would be your friend. Hopefully, I can be your friend here. Peace, Steph

Thanks Cathy and Laura. There is a support group here but only meets 1x per month. I did sign up for a personal training group though that involves having the trainer evaluate my diet logs. I do need to go back to what I know works.

Looking good Jersey Girl!!! Woo hoo!

I was sleeved Dec. 7. I feel like I can take in a whole lot more now than before. My calories range from 700-1300/day. It's so nice to be able to drink a bunch of water at once!! Day of surgery, I was 280 (290 before pre-op diet). I am down to 235 right now, so total of 45 pounds since surgery date and 55 pounds since pre-op. It's a pretty fantastic feeling. Congrats to you, you are doing awesome!!

Ok, so I have allowed myself a little too much slack these last few weeks and I am motivated to get rid of my carb cravings. Lil Diva posts a great plan http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/28139-the-basics-boot-camp/ that I want to implement immediately. Anyone else in?

Just an FYI y'all, I was just ending my period when I started this so that gave me a leg up. If I continue like clockwork, I will now stall for a week or more and then drop a few more. It's just how my body loses.

I made it down 4 pounds over the 5 days. Feels great to get back in control. What I like about this is that 5 days is a finite period of time. It's doable and there is an end in sight. I drank a smoothie this morning with fruit in it and it was so nice to have fruit again. What I learned: 1) I do not get enough Water and need to focus on this. Weight drops were significantly higher the day after drinking a lot of water. This is KEY!! 2) Carbs are not evil but it's important to remain in control of my behavior, not letting myself get out of hand. Boot camp is a supplemental tool to the sleeve that allowed me to take back control. I will definitely use it again. 3) Team support with checking in daily on this thread is useful. I want to come up with a better paradigm (online system) for making boot camp easier for folks to join and check-in daily. Stay tuned.... Thanks to everyone for joining me and for those still plugging away or just starting, you can do it!! Stay the course. Much love to all!

I've never has this problem. Watch it with bread though. I don't eat regular bread, only Ezekial bread which is sprouted grain and gets very crunchy when you toast it. I can't usually finish the entire piece. I began eating Kashi Go Lean about 6 weeks out and had no problems at all. I measure it though and don't eat it everyday - just once a week or so. Grains are good for you despite the push for very low carbs, your body still needs some carbs - just need to eat the kind with a nutritional punch to them.