Lidreaux

I have maintained my weight for the last 2 years and I haven't even tried to diet. It's been very easy to maintain. I only drink plain Water, flavored water, lemon water, coffee, unsweetened tea and I try to eat my Proteins first. I don't exercise because I have a lot of bone & joint problems (from an auto accident) and I recently had a vertebral fusion, so I am "Sedentary." I think my body has become adjusted to my new weight and doesn't want to let go of any more. Maybe I'm not eating enough Protein throughout the day. I drink coffee in the A.M. and it whets my appetite so I don't eat till later in the day. I know...bad thing to do. I'm thinking I need to cut out the coffee and start eating protein or a shake for Breakfast again. Thanks for all the positive vibes to help motivate me. It also helps to admit what my problem may be instead of keeping it to myself. And it's nice to have others to chat with that are going through the same things. I started my fitness pal and lost 5 pounds in a week but then I got sick and I've been ill for about 6 weeks. Dieting is not fun when you are sick. I am starting to feel better so once the weather stops being so dreary, I will make a haul to the store and stock up on chicken, eggs, fish, & lean cuisine and get back to the basics, using my fitness pal. I will look you up Rovobay. Thanks for the input everyone!!!

I saw a recipe on Rachel Ray this week that looks yummy!!! INGREDIENTS 4 6- to 8-ounce pieces chicken breast, butterflied then pounded very thin (an 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick) Olive oil, for drizzling plus 1 tablespoon Salt and pepper 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 1 teaspoon granulated onion 1 teaspoon fennel seed 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 1/2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, halved A fat handful of basil leaves 1 pound ball fresh mozzarella, very thinly sliced or shredded using a fat-toothed box grater PREPARATION Drizzle chicken with oil in a shallow dish and season with salt, pepper, granulated garlic and onion, fennel seed, red pepper and thyme. Marinate a few minutes Preheat a large griddle pan or grill pan over medium high heat. Preheat broiler as well. Heat a skillet with a lid over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil, a turn of the pan. Add sliced garlic and stir a minute; add tomatoes and season with salt. Cover pan to trap heat and cook to soften tomatoes for 8-10 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Add basil to sauce and stir to wilt. Grill or griddle-cook the chicken a few minutes on each side then transfer to baking sheets. Top chicken with sauce and then mozzarella cheese, as if it were a small pizza. Broil to brown and melt cheese. PRESENTATION

I had my VSG surgery almost 2 years ago and I have not gotten rid of those last pesky 30 pounds, yet. I think I was so happy that I finally got to a normal weight again and I don't have to buy my clothes in the heffer department any more (LOL) that I haven't tried very hard to actually diet. I know what I need to do...I just haven't done it. I need motivation and tips. How much Protein, calories, carbs, etc... would you all suggest for those last few stubborn pounds? And any good protein recipes, too!!! I can eat anything, just need some good protein meals to cook that aren't high in carbs. Any and all suggestions welcome!!! Thanks, Y'all.

I just saw this post and I am so glad you saw a specialist. Staff is nothing to play with and I can't believe they didn't refer you to someone else before you had to take matters into your own hands. Good luck on your journey.

Ya know...Maybe you should confront that person (not in a threatening way, just casual conversation) and ask what exactly he/she knows about the type of surgery you had, and when they start mumbling and stammering, just say "Yeah, that's what I thought... so don't judge me or what I've done until you have educated yourself about it or walked in my shoes." Most people cannot even have an intelligent conversation about it because they don't know anything about it. They don't know that there are several different surgeries done to help aid weight loss and most importantly if someone has a high risk of morbidity and / or they can't exercise, this is the only option. If people want to say we took the easy way out, then they are uneducated as to what we have to go through or what our lives were before surgery. I'm sorry but I would have to say something to that ____wad. Can't stand people that act like they know everything but they are really stupid. I say..."Educate them!!!" LOL

Don't ever feel like a failure. You are not the only one that has had issues with the band. I've had 2 cousins that didn't lose. They figured out how to cheat with the band & one of them ended up with a herniated stomach. Be thankful you are removing it & look forward to a positive future. I never thought it would be possible for me to lose the weight that I have lost but it keeps falling off & I am so sure that I will reach my goal in less than a year. I am sooooo stoked! I was afraid at first, but I am elated that I got sleeved & I don't regret it at all. My doctor told me that he has never had anyone ask for their stomach back. LOL The only thing that I've had to come to terms with is my relationship with food because for so many years, I've eaten what I wanted, when I wanted. Food is such a big part of our lives. We have to have food to survive & a lot of us have used it as a crutch for a long time and probably didn't even realize it. We just have to adjust our mindset. It's sometimes almost a grieving process because for me, I miss not being able to eat to the point of comfort. It's a different kind of full feeling with the sleeve. I just try to stay positive & keep telling myself that I wouldn't have been able to get healthy and slim without this and it forces me to eat smaller portions. I just have to eat slow and chew, chew, chew. I also stay away from the liquid carbs and calories & the things that are easy for me to eat that can be high in carbs or calories. Focus on Protein & Water. I investigated all the weight loss surgeries before deciding that the VSG was the right choice & all my doctor's agreed that it was the safest. The band is the least invasive but can cause problems down the road. Many people have had issues with not losing all their weight or gaining it back. If you get the sleeve, it will give you the tool to lose the weight and keep it off. Do your research. Don't depend on a doctor or nurse to tell you what you need to know. The sleeve will work...You just need to stay away from liquid calories, bad carbs, & sugar. If you are a sweet fanatic, try the tropical sugar-free popsicles from Wal Mart (yellow box) They only have 4 carbs and they saved me. "Focus on your protein, water, & Vitamins." Opurity vitamins are the best I've found. They are made especially for sleeve patients. I added Krill oil, B-12, & Calcium Citrate to my regimen. When I switched to an over the counter Vitamin, my hair started falling out. Within 3 days of getting back on Opurity, my hair stopped falling out. I will try to add a link that has amazing info about VSG. If you can't open it, let me know & I will email it to you. I have it downloaded on my computer. It has tons of good info. Good Luck to you!!! www.muhealth.org/documents/bariatric/bariatric%20booklet%20vsg.pdf

Congrats!!! I know what a good feeling it is to reach ONEDERLAND!!! I made it to198 this morning. I haven't been that weight since 1996. LOL

I spoke to all of my doctors and they all agreed that VSG was the way to go. It is the safest of all the weight loss surgeries with the best permanent results & the least side effects.

If you have a sedentary job, take at least 2 weeks off because you will be extremely tired after the surgery and it will take a little time to get your energy back, plus you will be adjusting to your new routine of eating and preparing your meals. If you have a job that requires any lifting at all, I would suggest you speak with your doctor because you are having a major surgery and you don't want to stress any part of your body by risking a leak or suture rupture...especially on the inside!!! It could be life threatening.

I am a little over 4 months post op and I thought I wasn't getting enough calories either, so I stopped counting calories and just focused on protein because by the time I ate my 60 gm of protein, I couldn't eat anything else any way. The following is just what I have been doing and I've lost 56 lbs since June 18. My personal choice is to focus on protein, carbs, fluids, and my vitamins. I take a chewable multivitamin by Opurity made especially for sleeve patients. It tastes like a sweet tart and I suck on it, I don't chew it. I also take Krill oil, chewable Calcium Citrate and a sublingual B-12. The B-12 absorbs better if it's sublingual. You can get the liquid or a dissolvable B-12 pill. I prefer the dissolvable pill. The Krill is 1 small gel pill vs. 3 of the Omega that I was taking. I am sticking with the Opurity vitamins as long as I can because when I switched to an over the counter brand, my hair started falling out. I switched back to Opurity and within 3 days, my hair stopped falling out. I focused on protein (at least 60g daily) and carbs (I tried to stay under 20 a day) but it's hard to keep carbs under 20. If you watch your protein and carbs, the calories shouldn't be a problem. I found a wonderful sugar free popsickle at Wal Mart. Its in a yellow box and they are tropical favors. Very tasty, sugar free, with only 4 carbs. They absolutely saved me. It's a nice treat when u want something sweet, but you CAN over do them because they have carbs. I also use products from Walden Farms....especially the salad dressings. No carbs, no sugar, no calories. If they are too thin, you can add fat free non flavored yogurt to thicken them up. If you go lonline and google Phase 1 ideal protein diet, it will show you a good diet plan to follow with low carb veggies and when it says to add the ideal protein that they sell, just add your personal protein. Focus on drinking water & at 6 weeks you can start exercising. I have not because I have bone & joint problems but I have continued to lose weight. I lost weight quickly the first month, then I started with the plateaus. I wouldn't lose for 2-3 weeks, then all of a sudden, I would get on the scale and drop 5 lbs over night. After the first month, the weight loss slowed to 8-10 lbs a month for me. I recommend checking out Dr Guillermo Alvarez on you tube. He has awesome advice & he answers a lot of questions. I searched the internet daily for all my questions & did a lot of research on my own, because my doctor was not very detailed in what he told me before surgery. Just an FYI...I met a lady the other night that had VSG in 2006. She had gained a lot of weight back & when I asked her what she was doing, she told me she ate sweets, especially a lot of cake. So, stay away from that and anything that has liquid calories...forever!!! I am eating protein bars now, instead of shakes, and they have high carbs, but they are good carbs and you should eat them before noon and then try to stay away from carbs the rest of the day. When you hit a stall, increase your protein and water intake and you will lose again. If it's not lbs, it will be inches. Good Luck!!!