Baconville

I do attend my clinic's support groups when my schedule allows. I think they are very important to keeping me motivated and connected. We have two - one is for pre-op and recent post op patients, but vets are encouraged to attend. It is let by one of the clinic psycs and normally has a speaker. I always learn something new, and it is nice to be able to offer advice to those just beginning the process, so I really like to go. The second is for vets and is led by one of the clinic nurses. There is always a topic that is relevant to vets and I always get a lot out of the meetings. We cover everything from nutrition to exercise to keeping motivated. This group is much smaller, but I also find it very beneficial. We were told that the long term success of patients that participate in support groups is significantly higher than those who do not participate. I am determined to give myself every tool for success. It is therefore worth to me to spend the couple hours a month to attend. Carol

I am a 49 year old female. I am 5'2" and my high weight was 331. I was able to lose 40 pounds prior to surgery (RNY on 6/25/13), so my surgery weight was 291 pounds. I had the exact same concerns and my goal weight was 150 pounds as well. The surgeon told me that he thought I would "bottom out" at 180 and that anything beyond that would be up to me. I was determined to make this work, and get to at least the 150 mark. I am happy to report that my weight this morning was 127 pounds (my range is to maintain between 125 - 130). I have a normal BMI for the first time in my life!! It has taken work. I belong to the YMCA and work out nearly every day. I also do about a 2 mile walk nearly every day on my lunch hour. I have followed my clinic's plan as carefully as possible. I use MyFitnessPal.com to track everything I eat - even now that I have reached my goal weight. I also have a FitBit Flex that helps me track my activity and I really try for at least 10,000 steps every day. On my off days I still try to hit at least 5000 steps. I am not a work out fanatic - I actually hate exercise! I love to eat, love my carbs, love ice cream - non of that has gone away, and I have indulged on special occasions. I have lost a total of 205 pounds. I feel FANTASTIC! I had my one year visit with my bariatric doc a couple of weeks ago and she said that I can count myself as being among the 5% healthiest Americans. I take no prescription medications. My point is that if I can do this, anybody can do this! I NEVER dreamed I would reach a normal BMI and would have been thrilled to stop at 150 pounds, but the scale kept moving for me, so I kept going. Set the goal YOU want and go for it. You just don't know where this journey will take you, but I guarantee if you do the work it will be at a better place than you are at now! Carol

My rule has been that if I think I am feeling hunger and it is not meal time, I drink first. We have to wait 30 minutes after drinking to eat so it really helps to make sure that it is food I need. 45 minutes is not going to kill me to wait for my meal or a snack. I have actually rarely needed to eat, normally drinking Water takes care of it. Make sure you are getting your recommended Protein at every meal, that will help too. It sounds like you are really working your plan. That is key. Keep up the good work. Carol

I am a bit over a year out (RNY 6/25/13). I have lost 205 pounds and am currently at my goal weight. I would be happy to help you in any way I can. What are your questions? Carol

Carol, you can do a 5k! It is so gratifying to go across the finish line.I do not run the entire time. I do more of a walk/run. I basically start walking and then look ahead and say to myself "you can run to that mailbox (or whatever)" then, I always try to push just a little further. Thanks Mel! I injured my right foot a couple of weeks ago, so I have been trying to keep exercise low impact until it really heals - still feels a bit bruised. Jogging scares me - I am so afraid that I will injure myself and then not be able to exercise. It is my biggest fear because if (or when) it happens, I fear that it will be the beginning of regaining my weight. So far, I have had a lot of success with maintenance. I am keeping my weight right where I want it - but I put in a lot of time walking and at the YMCA to keep it there. I know the next step would be to start jogging during part of my walks. I just need to my foot to feel completely healed and then work up the courage! That is why your posts are so great - keep them coming. Knowing that you are out there and doing it, lets me know that I can too! Carol

I really enjoyed my visits with my NUT. This is your expert - take advantage of their knowledge and put them to work for you. Ask about Protein shakes, what they recommend, what you should try pre-surgery. Ask about favorite meals and how (and when) you might enjoy them following surgery. If you need to lose weight prior to surgery, ask for their help in reaching that goal. Mine encouraged me to begin tracking what I ate and that was how I found MyFitnessPal.com. A great tool which I believe has been critical to my success. Think of a few good questions to discuss. You are paying for the time, get the most out of it. Carol

There are many reasons for stalls, they are part of the process. From what I have seen on this site, a stall at about 4 weeks is very common. KEEP WORKING YOUR PROGRAM! The scale will start to move again. Despite your ankle pain, try to increase your activity. For me that was the sure thing to break the stall - sometimes it took nearly a week, but the increased activity worked. Since you are over a month out, maybe you could try getting in a pool. Even walking in a pool will put less strain on your ankles. In the mean time, there are many other measures of success than the scale. We all seem to focus on that one unit of measure, but take your waist, hip, and chest measurements. I would bet that they are down. Are your clothes fitting looser - another measure. Do you have more energy? There you go. Success is not just a number on a scale, real success is the improvement in our lives as we become healthier people. Keep up the good work! You are doing great!! Carol

You will be AWSOME!! You have come SO FAR!! When February rolls around I am sure you will totally rock that half marathon! I am trying to get up the courage for a 5K this fall - you inspire me to go for it! Carol

I have been using it for over a year and a half and next to my RNY it is by far the greatest weight loss and now weight management tool I have ever found. I am Baconville (email is Baconville@q.com). Send me a friend request. I will be happy to add you. Carol

I will add my vote to Premier Protein shakes from Sams or Cosco. They have worked great for me and I drank one a day for over a year. Good luck! Your life is about to change in ways you just can't imagine right now - and all for the better! Carol

Measuring food is absolutely critical. It is extremely difficult to guess what a serving size is, and most of us over estimate. I got a nice digital scale at Target for about $25.00 and absolutely love it. That said, you can find them under $10.00 and they will work just fine. I will just say, this is something that I use multiple times every day, so having one I like is important. As for recipes and cookbooks, there are many places online where you can find recipes for different stages - you can also make over your own favorites. I use MyFitnessPal.com to track everything I eat. It is free. You can enter any recipe and how many servings it makes and it will calculate the calories, fat, carbs, and Protein for you. Works Great!! I am over a year post-surgery and I use it every day. Next to my RNY it has been the best weight loss and now weight management tool I have every found. I would encourage you to begin using it now. Best of luck!! Carol

I would agree with Chelly. My clinic offers two support groups. One is primarily geared for pre-op and newbies, the other for those that are at least four months out. The pre-op group is led by one of the psych's and the vet group by one of the nurses. Pre-op normally has speakers each month and time for questions. Vet group is a shorter meeting and has a topic that is normally relevant to vets. Vets are encouraged to attend both meetings. I try to make them whenever my schedule allows because I believe that they keep me on track and focused. I get daily support here on BP and I love that, but the in person support I think is also important. I have also gained a lot of knowledge over the past year, and I have had wonderful success. If I can help make this process easier for somebody else that is on the journey, then I want to be there for them. It helps to keep me motivated and to remember why I am doing what I am doing. I find my support group meetings to be very motivational and always leave feeling refocused on what I am doing and why. It a good thing! Carol

You are doing fantastic! Keep up the good work. You can't change overnight - take one day at a time and set realistic goals. You will get there! Rock on!! Carol

Again, it depends on your clinic's recommendations and what the meds are for. I started my chewable vitamins right away. Some of my pills needed to be cut in half at first. I had a nurse and pharmacist that went over my med list and told me what to take, not take and how to take it. If you clinic does not offer to do this for you, ask for it. Then you can be sure what you are doing is right for you.

Way to go Graceann! You look fantastic!

How has the recovery been from the lower body lift? Lord knows my skin is bad enough to need on! Good for you for being able to have it done.

I have a Fit Bit Flex and LOVE it. I have lost over 200 pounds in the last 18 months. I got the Fit Bit in February and it has helped me so much with my activity level. Great tool. I also sync with MFP. I think any WLS should come with one !

I just tried, but couldn't get it to go through. I am Baconville if you would like to friend me. Carol

Hi Lilly, Mels right. You can't compare to others. We all lose at different rates - no two bodies are the same. As long as you are losing and following your doctor's plan, I wouldn't worry about the how much. I know sometimes I felt like the scale was hardly moving, but a year later I am down over 200 pounds - so it obviously moved! You will get there too. Do the work, stick with the plan. YOU CAN DO IT!! Carol

Iamsoworthit, Thank you!!! You will get there too!! And thank you for posting about plastic surgery. I have the names of two surgeons and need to make an appointment. I don't think I should discount it until I really find out what it would mean for me. Carol

I just sent you a friend request on MFP.

You are doing a lot of things right! You are working with a trainer - a great thing! And you have stepped back on the scale so you know what is happening, you are not in denial. You are seeking help before your weight is really out of control, and that is key! You have only gained 8 pounds, you can deal with that! I do have a few suggestions... 1. If you are not tracking what you are eating, this would be a good time to start. I use MyFitnessPal.com and I really believe that it will be the key to my long term success (RNY on 6/25/2013). 2. Go back to the basics. Are you drinking when you eat? Are you tracking your Protein? How much are you getting? You can get too much protein - so if you are up close to 90 - 100 grams a day, scale it back a bit. Are you drinking enough Water? Boost this up. 3. Call your clinic and make an appointment now to see your NUT. They aren't there to just cheer us on when everything is going well. They are there for us when we stumble and really need to get back on track. They are your best experts, and they know you and your plan. Make use of them. 4. If you have access to a support group, begin attending. Studies show that patients that attend support group meetings do much better long term. The in person support can help you find your motivation and get back on track too. You CAN do this!! You still have this awesome tool you just need to tweek how you are using it. Success takes hard work, dedication, and commitment. It is worth it in the end!! I just hit my goal - I lost 205 pounds to get there. If I can do it, so can you!! Carol

Thank you Lisa. I'm glad you could relate! I just reached the bottom end of the range where I want to maintain. Let me tell you, it is a foreign feeling to wake up in the morning NOT thinking about losing weight! I hope you get here to! Carol

This varies GREATLY clinic to clinic. I was only 40 - 50 grams during the first month. Check with your clinic nutritionist. They should have provided you with what their recommendations are for you and your surgery (I had an RNY, much different from a sleeve). Your team is there to help you - take advantage of them! Carol

Hi all! I just wanted to share that my family and I went to the Black Hills of South Dakota for the holiday weekend. Since the WiFi at the hotel was pretty awful, I was pretty much off the electronic grid for the long weekend. I was able to track my food on MFP, but not much else. It was a very active vacation, we hiked around Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. We even hiked to the top of Harney's Peak - the highest elevation east of the Rocky Mountains. This was something I really wanted to do to celebrate my one year surgerversary. It is something that I would NEVER have been able to do a year ago! I did bring food with me, so only one meal a day (dinner) was eaten out, but I enjoyed what I wanted to eat for dinner, actually had a single scoop of real strawberry ice cream at Wall Drug (and ate the WHOLE thing), and had bites of other things I would normally never eat anymore. I had no dumping. Despite the activity, I fully expected to come home to the scale being up - its the way it has worked all my life. We don't take a vacation often, and we need to relax and live a little too! To my delighted surprise, the scale was WAY down this morning!! My goal is to maintain between 125 - 130. I was at 126, a new low weight! I can't believe it!! I am actually going to have to be careful now to stop losing, and I can't believe I just typed that! I really don't want to drop below 125. What an amazing journey! I hope each of you enjoyed a wonderful Independence Day holiday. This is one I will never forget!! Carol