Baconville

Hi Mel, I just sent you a friend request. I think I am Carol B. On Fit Bit. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Don't know who the picture is on my post.. she looks great, but she is not me!

Hi Mel! I would LOVE to add you. Are you under Mel3620? If you want to look me up, I am under Baconville.

I love the workout once it's done! It's is an hour of high intensity exercise. The cardio just about kills me, and yesterday we did an ab workout that I got maybe half of. But it is something to work toward, and I am doing better now than when I started, so I just keep trying to improve a little every week. I turned my Force in for a Flex, and miss my Force. But the Fit Bit is still a huge motivator for me. Most days I get my 10,000 steps. It's nice because it does seem to register the movement I do in either Zumba or Turbo Kick. Sounds like you are staying very active and you are doing GREAT, so your Fit Bit numbers don't give the real picture. Stinks when work gets in the way of exercise! And who would have ever thought we would have said that a year ago!!

WOW RJ!!! Way to go! I do a turbo kick (kick boxing) class on Saturday mornings. My hardest workout of the week by far! Today the Fit Bit registered over 16000 steps, a new daily record for me. There are days I amaze myself at what I can now do! You have it exactly right-WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!

Sounds to me like you are doing exactly right! These first few months you will get full very quickly and will not really feel hungry. It comes back over time and you will be able to eat more as time goes on. Keep up the great work!

I am nearly 11 months out. I only ate about 300 - 400 calories a day in the beginning and I worked out everyday. I have lost weight every week and am currently down over 190 pounds. I never went into starvation mode, have never had a stall. Follow your clinics plan and get your exercise. It really does work! Carol

Happy Surgery Day! I hope everything goes well your life is about it change in ways you can't imagine right now, but you will soon be a much healthier you! Congratulations! Carol

I just sent you a friend request. Hope to see you on MFP soon! Carol

I really like Premier Protein chocolate shakes. They are available in 12 packs at Sam's Club and costco. You get 30 grams of protein for only 180 calories. I also use Pure Protein Chocolate Deluxe Bars for my lunch. They have 20 grams of protein, only 2 grams of sugar, and are just 180 calories. I get these at Target. Both are ready made and easy to take when you are in a hurry or if you travel. I have a shake every day. The bars I typically eat for lunch at work. I know that the powders are sometimes more economical, but convenience is also a factor for me, and these products make getting my protein in every day very easy. Good luck! Carol

And this would be an example of how very different eating plans are between clinics. I also had the Roux-en-y and I live in Minnesota. The test to be able to leave the hospital was to be able to drink a Protein shake without issue (a sip at a time over several hours). I went home on full liquids for one week. Weeks two and three were soft / pureed foods. At week four I graduated to a regular soft diet. Portions were very limited for the first three months. Only 3 tablespoons of protein and 1 tablespoon of a fruit,vegetable or starch. Up to six months my protein intake was under 60 grams per day. It then slowly increased to where I am today, 80 - 90 grams per day. I should now be eating about 1 cup of food at each meal. I will be one year post op on June 25th. Call your clinic tomorrow for clarification. They should be able to explain the rules of YOUR plan. Carol

To give you the other side, if you are not in a good place mentally before surgery, post surgery will be even more difficult. You MIGHT want to think of postponing until life calms down a bit. Only you and your team can decide what is right for you. This journey takes a great deal of emotional stamina. You have to be ready to deal with the ups and downs. This is why most clinics require seeing a psych. Listen carefully to their recommendations. Best wishes and I hope you will be good to go in three weeks. Life is amazing on the other side!

Congratulations!! You are going to love the new you! It is truly like being reborn!

Every plan seems to be very different, however I think you may be getting protein and food amount mixed up. At two weeks I could have about 2 ounces of soft food per meal. My daily intake of protein was between 40 and 50 grams a day. Check with you clinic, but two ounces of protein at a meal seems VERY low. I am approaching 11 months out, and am just now able to eat an entire Turkey burger.

Hi Mel, 12 MINUTES!!! That's amazing!! At this rate you will be doing Boston next year! You are a runner! I bet you wouldn't have said that a year ago! Keep up the great work. Carol

If you are feeling well, increase your walks. At about a week I was walking around the block several times a day. I think getting out and walking was a big reason I did so well post surgery. Listen to your body. If you begininng to feel sore, take it down a notch, but if you are feeling well, go for it!

This varys a great deal clinic to clinic. I think most encourage protein shakes at least for the first few weeks. I am nearly 11 months out and I still drink one shake a day. I know some people that have more and some that don't drink any now. As time passes you will be able to make many more choices on what you will be eating. Good luck!

Hi Monica, You make a world of sense. We all find our own way on this journey, what works for some, doesn't work for others. It has been a year of trial and error. I do keep to a very rigid plan, it works for me. I fear if I did what you are doing, it would not work for me with your level of success. There are many lessons on this journey, the answers are not the same for any two of us. Keep on learning and improving! I will say that this new life is worth fighting for! Carol

Yes, I am getting it all the time. I am only 5'2" and am about 138 (HW 331). I need to drop below 135 for my BMI to be in the normal range. My goal is 130, so I am close, but the "you are getting too thin" comments are messing with my head! I am still losing weight every week and sticking to my plan (for the most part). I work out everyday and I feel fantastic, so I am trying very hard to ignore the comments, and not let them sabotage me! Stick with your goals!!

GREAT weight loss! You SHOULD be flying high!! I know what you mean about the 'glow' - I am wearing a size 6 jeans today, one year ago I was in a size 26. I NEVER thought I would wear anything as small as a 6. I FEEL great when I wear them, and I am sure the confidence shows in the very way I walk. I have just really kept to myself this week and plan on keeping that going for now. I am losing about 2 pounds a week now. If I can keep it going I will hit a 'normal' BMI by the end of the month. Another 8 pounds and I hit 200 pounds lost. I want to be there for my Surgaversery on June 25 and I think I have a good shot at making it. I am NOT going to let a bunch of jeolous women rob me of the wonderful feeling of accomplishment that this journey has resulted in. I have worked too hard for it! Thank you for your support! Carol

Make sure you are hitting your Protein goal. Eating enough protein should help you feel full I have also found that drinking Water helps a lot when I feel hungry. At this point you brain does not distinguish between hunger and thirst, so often times a 20 ounce glass of water will do wonders to help hold off hunger. Stick with it! It will get better. Carol

you know Baconville I think that has happened to me! My director and I got along with each other well when I was the jolly fat nurse, now that I am slimmer I approached her about some work conditions that I felt were poor and my concerns. Next thing I know I was in a meeting with her boss and hr wth I still the same person, yes I have changed in my appearance so I think that for some that is threatening. Thank you SO MUCH for your post! I am sorry you have also experienced this, but I feel better knowing I am not alone! I went to my clinic's support group meeting on Tuesday, which is led by one of the clinic's psychs. He told me this is very common, yet I have never seen it discussed on here - and lets face it we usually cover every conceviable problem! When you go from being the fattest in the office - the fat jolly secretary - to one of the thinnest - it changes the dynamic in the office. And its not just work, this can happen with your family or your close circle of friends. In my case, I think I may be making the other women uncomfortable because I always eat a light, healthy lunch (no junk food for me!) and I normally walk every day at lunch. I am told especially women can be feel very threatened and/or guilty. I also think that having the surgery plays a role because as much as we know this is very hard work, on the outside it looks like like the weight has just melted away with little to no effort. Most women struggle with thier weight or body immage all thier lives. Having a morbidly obese woman in the office is one person they can always count on to look worse than they do. Now that this person is gone, I have become a social outcast. I am hoping that in time I will become accepted for who I am now. I promise you I will not be going back to my old role as the morbidly obese woman in the office!

I will second the loose skin. My arms are especially bad. I have lost nearly 200 pounds, and at 49, I guess you can't expect it to all shrink back to normal. Not sure what I will do about it. It will be another year before I can even think about plastic surgery.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I know how hard you have worked for this so find a non-food way to celebrate (my fav is a mani/pedi). YOU ROCK!! Carol

If you follow the plan you will not have problems with either your pouch stretching or dumping. I have yet to dump on anything, but I have been extremely careful. Tracking what you eat on a program like MyFitnessPal.com is very helpful. I really believe this is the secret to long term success. Keep attending the classes, this too has been proven to be a big part of long term success. Sept. Oct surgery just means you have that much more time to prepare. Use the time to set yourself up for success! Carol