gamergirl

I want to learn how to scuba dive and visit beautiful waters with my family. I want to not worry about the strain and stress I am placing on my cartilage-damaged knees. I want to know that my husband and I will live long, active, lives together and that I'll get to see my sons living happy, honorable lives. I want to never worry about whether people see me as someone who has no will power. I want to have the same success at weight loss that I have had with everything else that I have been driven to achieve. I never want to see MYSELF as less than, because no matter what I do, I can't win this weight battle.

Congratulations!

I don't have the time and experience that you do, but I realized today that "breaking up with food" is a lot like breaking up a guy who is bad for you. You do it, but at first, you miss the loser! He wasn't the nicest guy and he was really, really bad for you, but there was this something cute about him...and those flowers he used to bring you...awww! I don't know why I didn't realize it would feel similar to breaking up with someone (something) that you loved.

It's too early to say anything from my personal experience, but one of the (hundreds of) diets I followed, said to lose weight, keep carbs under 50. To maintain weight, eat between 100-150. To gain, eat above 150 a day. I will tell you that my surgeon, Dr. Alvarez has lost SO much weight from his youtube videos, and photos etc. that I almost wondered if he had the sleeve himself! So being a nosy-parker, of course I asked how he lost it. I was told that he has been working on a book for the past year to help sleevers who can't lose the final bits of weight. So what he did was he gave up carbs. The coordinator was horrified that he was eating no rice and beans! (So was I. You can take a girl out of Asia, but you can't separate her from her rice). I verified that with him, and he said that was true. That he found that if people were stalling and struggling with the last lot of pounds, that he strongly advised cutting carbs. His old book also says quite clearly that he finds that those who are not losing as they should are invariably eating too many carbs. The corollary here of course is that if you can lose weight with eating too many carbs, then go ahead. If you can't, then don't eat too many carbs. Too many carbs. How many is that, exactly? And I think this is where art and science have to merge. i think some of us (me) are VERY carb sensitive and cannot lose weight when eating more than 50 gms of carbs a day. Others, not so much. So I'd say we may each have to find our own "sweet spot" (pun unintended).

Sending healing thoughts. What a rough journey

If that doesn't work, look up tasty bites and get theirs. It's quite good too and I want to say Amazon sells it? not sure. Tasty bites Bengal Lentils are to DIE for, and they're ready in 90 seconds! 90 seconds! *I*'m not even ready in 90 seconds and I'm pretty fast!

You and me both! Yes I look fat but I may not be as disgustingly fat as I think I am. It's always nice to see those instead of stick thin, airbrushed models anyway.

I I love love love their mint chocolate chip. What else is good?

Here's another site I have used a lot to stare at: http://www.cockeyed.com/photos/bodies/heightweight.html

Loved what you had to say. Thank you! I said a similar thing about raising kids. You do your best and it's quite possible they will complain because you were mean, because you weren't mean enough, because you got divorced, because you didn't get divorced, because they were an only child, because they weren't an only child.... You have to have conviction don't you?

Oh yes. I just wrote to someone else about this today in a PM. I don't think she'd mind if I shared it here. "We did pre-ops. R was told to do 14 days, I was asked to do 7. But I did the 14 days with him. To prepare, I cut my calories down to 1200 the week before, gave up sugar, and substituted a shake for one meal. I lost two lbs that week. In all, I lost "only" 6 lbs and R. lost 8 lbs. but honestly we were eating very clean even before the pre-op. I say "only" because that's more than I have ever lost in 2 weeks, but compared to what you see others report that doesn't sound like a lot. I didn't care I was happy the first week. And then I lost nothing the second week. And then the panic set in. Only 8 lbs?! On less than 800 calories for two weeks?! I was never going to be able to lose it after the sleeve. After all, I was already following the post sleeve diet! Wtf?! And on and on. I reached out to Susan who said everyone worries they won't be able to lose weight but they do. I was so concerned I asked Dr. Alvarez about it pre-surgery. He said, rather unflatteringly, "At your weight, you will lose weight, don't worry". :-D I was delighted to hear that. (I'm 5'6 and was 222 DOS) He was right. I have lost 10 lbs this week because I can't even eat 500 calories. Now, I believe I will lose it. Maybe slower than others, maybe faster than some, but for the first time in my life, I feel I have found something that will actually WORK. It's a wonderful feeling." It's still early days, but I hope I never forget that I have NEVER in my life lost 18 lbs in 3 weeks before, no matter how little I ate. I think faith plays a part in the final decision--and I say this although I am trained as a scientist and I am a devout agnostic. But whatever deity it is you pray to or whatever you believe, at some point, it's a leap of faith AND the understanding that although we think we are unique/special/different, we're not that different from other fat bodies around us. It will work for us just as it has for all the others who have worked it.

Oh that's perfect. I'm 5'6 and started at 230 and want to get to 150 but was wondering if that would still be too high. After seeing your pics, I'm realizing that might be just fine, depending on how my weight distributes. Thanks!

Curious about this. Does it taste different? Why did you choose this over other types?

Not bad? Fricking amazing!

I can relate. I always am concerned about the plight of children in the world. But when I can't stop thinking about them, and I start crying over them, and I worry about them constantly is when I know I need to get on happy pills for a while