desertmom

Hi,do I have to wait till saturday? My weight is down to 175 since I posted on the 11th. A great 9 month post-op and pre-holiday gift!

Hi,I am 175 today so will revise my goal again.I like this...lol Am going on a big family holiday reunion in South Africa so I dont want to set too steep a goal.If I can lose 3 pounds in the next 3 weeks I wll be more than happy!

Very happy!

DanaInNewOrleans,I am not strictly low carb though.I am between 30 and 60 carbs a dayI use way to much milk every day,some days my carbs from that is over 30.It just seems that when I go that low calories I have to get a little more carbs and fats.Not too much but some. But then,some days I am very low carb and some days not.Maybe the very fact that I am not consistent also helps as the body is never deprived of anything for too long.But then,who knows!

Well,this morning I weigh 175.5 pounds.I am soooo happy. Ive started thinking about a couple of changes I have made over the last month and it must be these that has started speeding up my weight loss. The most important one is I started taking high doses of probiotics.I really couldnt reconsile myslef with the idea of taking stool softners an dlaxatives for the rest of my life.I had to try a few different ones as some gave me heartburn but found one that I dont even think is multi strained it is just acidophylus.2 caps 3 times a day and when I forget during the day 3 and 3 when I remember.i open them and drink the powder with water.My constipation has all but vanished.I also eat more spicy food and whereas my tummy still complains when I do this too often,I think this is helping too. Then,I have stopped using low fat products.I have 2 kids and I know they need fats and wasnt getting it.I have started adding generous portions of olive oil when cooking (dont measure and I use enough) every day.I have also started aming basic dishes like beef and chicken,cut into strips,rolled in flour with some parmesan cheese fried in a little oil.Now I was a bit scared in the beginning of the flour as I use to not add any carbs to my diet for the past few months.But because I dont put egg on the meat before I dip it in my flour mix,just a thin layer of the flour sticks to the meat and chicken,The thing is it is somsoft and tender cooked this way that I just kept on doing it.For the past 2 weeks this,along with wok fried onions and capsicums of all colours (a lot ot these) have been my staple.I have also not limited myself in the amount that I eat and I know I eat way more than 9oz per day.When I am hungry I have a few pieces.The carbs cannot be enough to trigger cravings as I have none. Having said that I have eaten out about 5 times in the past 2 weeks.Thai pumpkin and chicken fritters,Indian curry,roast beef and gorgonzola,ect ect. i of course dont eat much and I am satisfied. I have lost loads of weight just recently and I think the reason is I am satisfied faster because of the fats in the food.It does fill you up fast.I dont have cravings for anything.Added bonus my skin is not dry anymore and my energy levels are up. Just one thing that is not the best thing...I also often drink cappucinos.This darned dolchi gusto machine is just an evil little thing,I cant resist the coffee.I have read just this week where a lady that posted about her 1 year post op said she found early on that caffine makes her lose weight.This is not why I am drinking the coffee though and I have started limiting myself again,some days. Exercise,nothing for the past 10 days.Stupid but thats the way it is with me.I have an irrational fear of losing the weight while exercising way more than what I will be doing for the rest of my life and then regaining when I start doing less exercise again.I havent ever discussed this on here as I know everyone will differ with me about it but this is exactly what happened to me before.I will lose this weight as balanced as I possibly can and anyway,the moment I start running longer distances,this stupid fear really sits in the back of my head all day every day,thats why I stop every time.Crazy,yes,stupid,yes,real,for sure.But I do play squash and go to some pilates reformer classes,which is way less than an hour every day. I am now 5kg's from my dr's goal weight for me and a BMI of 25.Seems unreal to me.

9 months tomorrow.Lost 121.5 pounds.10 to go!

Well,178,7 tonight with clothes,heavy pants.This morning it was 177,9 and I decided the scale must be wrong.Weighed just now with all my clothes after a gr8 dinner (a bit carby though) and it was still down.Went inside and decided to strip off the heavy clothes (I always weigh before having a bath after undressing) and low and behold,it is 177.5. Who will ever understand the way we lose? 12.5 pounds to goal even though I still seem to have a lot of fat all over.Will get down to 154 where I know I look "not fat" anymore. Now,we actually weigh in kilograms.This means I am 80,7 and the long awaited 70's,just around the corner.This will be a huge huge milestone for me.In 1992 I doubled my body weight in one year.(lots of trauma and depression that followed,coupled with an addiction) I completely missed the 70's and ended up 120kg's before I knew it.I was way too thin at 60kg's and had a BMI of 17 at that point. Now,a BMI of 23 seems perfect to me as I look good at about 72kg's. Boy,I would just love to be under 80 before we go on holiday the 18th. I still cant believe this sleeve works so well and sometimes really wish the sleeve could just stay this size and I could never eat more food,ever again.

And how or why would that fix the problem?

She is on facebook group for VSG.I think she is one of the founders of the group.She's doing well,baby no 2's doing well.

Hi At 5 and avhalf months out,after dropping weight fast,I had a 7 week stall.My first if I remember correctly. After that I would drop up to 10 pounds in 5 days and then stall for 3 weeks or so then drop a lot fast then stall. I have about 20 pounds to lose to get to my personal goal and I have upped my fats recently but still low carb (30 most days 40 some days) I do count calories and carbs. Since upping my fats I seem to be losing steadily with only about 7 days between drops that of course are now smaller,average about 7-8 pounds a month still though. Bad with Water,I drink loads of tea with milk.Sporadic with exercise,either too much or too little...lol What is important is to keep tracking and keep plugging along every day.This is not the end.Your body is taking time to readjust and you will lose,just not the way you thought you would but the way your body wants. Dont lose heart.Let us know when the scale moves again ok?

179.7 pounds this morning. Eating off plan once every 2 weeks seems to help every now and then.When I was on Atikins if I stalled I would have a plate of spagetti bolognese and voila,the weight would drop.Should just be back on plan immediately the next day though. Happy me!!!!

May I please join your weekly weigh-in? We are going to South africa for 3 weeks and staying in hotels and B&B's.I'm sure having to post my weight weekly will be the accountability I need over the holiday season. I am 181.6 today.

Today I was 181.2 pounds. The holiday starts next tuesday when we fly home.I am super excited as my family havent seen me since July and I have lost a lot since then.now I weigh less than both my mommy and my sister and they dont like this much at all.Will not talk much about weight loss and try to put the focus on them (in July I tried to put them on diet...lol) The kind of foods I eat changes about every 2 weeks.It seems I get something I really enjoy,eat it almost every day for 2 weeks and then get tired and move to something different.I should just list the old favourites so I can start cooking something different that I like every day.It seems like I forget what I use to eat and liked very quickly..lolIt looks like someone else might be using your account To help you—and only you—get back into altadubai@hotmail.com, we need to verify that it's yours. I will take some protein shake for pancakes and some syrup with on holiday.Thank goodness Woolies have some great pre prepared protein that has no added carbs like chicken,meatballs,little kebab scewers ect ect.I will live on it and the abundance of great seafood. I now wear a size 12 top and 14 bottom.It also seems that I will end up smaller than a 12 which I find unbelievable. At the moment I have become quite shy and am way to easily embarrassed when people make a big fuss about my weight loss.And boy,some people have no end and selective amnesia,or they just dont really see me as week after week at church the same people act so surprized about my size and make a scene infront of others.But I shouldnt complain,people are just people.I do avoid some social situations sometimes as a lot of my very overweight friends are so uncomfortable (shame,they act guilty and start talking about their weight and plan when they will diet) that it makes me sad for them. I use to be very outspoken and critical of people that said they'd made new friends and left behind old ones after surgery.The old friends were the ones that loved you and cared about you when you were fat right?But I am starting to understand this now a little better.How long do I expose myself to people that are not spontaneous in my company anymore?How long do I act as if their comments about living long for their kids so they will never do this surgery (they are overweight,joint issues,back ache,high blood pressure ect ect..how wiil they live longer?) dont slightly annoy me?How long do I have to make jokes at my own expense (ah,dont worry I am thin now but when I lift my arm my batwing knocks me unconcious..hehe,not so funny anymore)(ugg,its true,I need boob lift,arm lift,body lift,thigh lift and maybe face and eyelid lift) So,I do think in this wonderful trancient society that I live in,some new friends that dont know that I was ever that big,is on the new years resolution list.Just some people with whom I can relax and be myself.Will still see and love the old ones but they better get over themselves pronto as I am proud of the fact that my sacrificing my stomach and all my hard work after hat has paid off,and one of these days I will have the confidence to say so.In the meantime I am trying to be patient and loving and kind to them. Ok,now for the next 5 pounds,fast..lol

My skin will get thicker Im sure.Just not use to so much attention,be it positive or negative.big people are so often dismissed that I am still a little resentful about the change in some for the attention they now give me after disregarding me for so long and angry at some for not really loving me the way I am now,rhin.We joke and say a bad side effect of this surgery is my personality seems to have shrunk with my body and That is just not a good thing.

The moment I say my hair is not falling out anymore,hands full come out. The moment I say eating is now stress free and easy,I have a bad day...lol Today was a bad day and counting the caramel popcorn I had at the movies (went to distract myself,ok,not...to eat popcorn) my calories was about 1500 for the day I believe.Wont know as I dcided not to track today. That was at lunch time and of course it did trigger a worm in my head.For dinner I tried to be good,had 3oz of turkey breast and capsicum but an hour later I found some chicken livers my housekeeper had made with perri-peri and onions and I ate about another 3oz of that.Then I was on a roll.But,I stopped myself and have had 3 huge cups of tea with milk since then. Funny thing is Stress really gets to me these days where as before the surgery I was tough.Really tough.My kids nearly fainted when they saw me cry a month or so after surgery as I am not,or was not,the crying type,ever! I live thousands of miles from my family and when things go wrong there with one of them I feel so isolated and powerless.but what bugs me more is that I have physical symptoms that I can only think is stress.I am not sick but have a huge fever blister on my lip.My back and face for that matter have broken out in acne-like pimples...I look like a teenager at the moment. Of course before we go home we always groom ourselves a lot and pretend we always look like this...hehehe.This time though,I am full of pimples,a fever blister,my nails are as short as they've ever been so no nice french manicure and my bras just dont fit.I am now a size 38 C cup but the problem is with a C cup the bit under the arm is too narrow to hide the jelly bits on the side of the boobs and under the arm so I either have to wear a bra that is floppy in the cup or one which makes the jelly bits show.I have gone out and bought an insame amount of clothes just because I am stressed about everyone seeing me for the first time.Stupid isnt it? I have also developed this crazy pain between my shoulder blades and I am sure it is because my boobs are hanging the way they do.My little kid tells me my back looks like a moon so I've been looking for those posture support thingies.Problem is "due to higene issues madam" one cannot fit them and I dont have a clue which size I should buy.Also"due to higene issues madam" you are not allowed to return it. Tomorrow I will smell the roses.My little kid is coming back from camp (was a little lost without her) and my friend from Perth is coming for a quick visit.I have taken control of my overly busy schedule.Have dumped the project of bringing a couple of guys that are on the streets in Brazil since been released from prison back to SA before christmas on someone elses shoulders (I will still donate the tickets) and the women I look after here in prison will have to wait till monday for a visit. I also suppose I shouldnt use this blog as a sound board but should start up a diary again...lol.However,I do plan on reading this in the future when I struggle and posting some stressors on here now might help me handle future stressors and eating issues that might go with that.I will then have no excuses as this have been a super stressful year and people often say,life happened and I started regaining because of stress,yada,yada,yada! No excuses ok? No regains! No slipping back into bad habits because of life.Life is happening now too and one bad day will not kill me as long as I take control again the next day. Should try and sleep more though as it is one thing I am not controlling very well.I almost never get to bed before 2:00am and that is bad for the weight loss.So,gallas,going to bed now.

I knew even before surgery.My fat was never tight.I was very flabby and dimply.Arms,legs,butt,tummy will have to be reshaped completely.But I was a yoyo dieter and lost loads and gaind loads quite a few times as well. Its ok,when I get the courage from somewhere,I will have myself nipped and tucked till I dont look like a 80 old anymore.

No relax and enjoy.Dont do carbs but do all the nice Proteins you possibly can.And there is a lot.Dont worry too much about your fats but do not add visible carbs to your meals.When I went on my first holiday I had batterd calamarie,snitchel,spare ribs,a few glasses of wine.Funny enough I lost 11 pounds in the 3 weeks on holiday.I was relaxed,not worried about eating.Not counting and weighing.Not stressed about the weight loss and enjoying the bits and bops I ate more than ever. Dont let this ruin your fun.Eat enough at meals,drink low fat lattes,have a treat every now and then but all the time and relax.You know what to do.Just enjoy the freedom the sleeve gives you and dont do rubbish,just quality food.

Ok,and in 2 years I really need you to ask the same questions of me! 1.Do you really have to keep gaining? Now here's the thought.Why eat pizza if you can make yourself a healthy sandwich,if carbs is what you have to eat?Does all your skinny friends gain weight all the time and when they do,what do they do about it?You see notmal skinny people look at what they eat as well.They have to or they will get fat.I see with my skinny friends it is just a matter of not making excuses,they just back off and eat less or exercise more or diet like crazy.And they dont start doing that when they have gained 30 pounds.They do it when they gain 5 pounds. 2.Why do you think you should be thin or want to be thin?Did your reasons for getting the sleeve change or go away?Just think about it a lot over the next few days and see what your head comes up with. 3.What is your next option should you regain another 20 and another 20.what are you going to do then? I am not judging you.But I am 45 and know what a life stealer fat is.I would strongly urge you to be tough with yourself now.No condemnation,just strong resolve! You will have the same regrets of missed oppertunities and fun than what I have today if you are not very honest with yourself and take responsibility for your eating now. But above all,I really believe you can lose the 20.Just start somewhere.No excuses.Make your own rules and stick to them.Decide for yourself and do it. Love yourself enough to do this! Ps.I come from a family of skydivers.I've been sitting on my balcony today watching the world championship skydivers and once again I realized what I have missed out on being overweight all through my late 20's and 30's and heck late into my 40's. Now,go and run around the track at the uni,just do it!..lol

Since I've stepped up the exercise again I am stalled and I want more food.I dont know if I am hungry but somehow I want to eat more often. Tonight the grils made Indian food.Popadoms and kadhai chicken.i had to eat some.I did not eat the chapati or rice but I had 2 popadoms and about 3oz of the chicken.It is super spicy so I had some fatfree cream fresh with it.The only thing about Indian food is they use a lot of oil.But I dont think I ate too much as I am not too full,just full. See,this freaks me out about where I am at with the eating at the moment.I still eat like a bird but now I also lose weight like a bird,ounces instead of pounds at a time...lol Maybe I should quit worrying about losing more in the next few weeks and focus on eating to not gain as we are going abroad for christmas and maintaining during the holiday is super important to me. Anyway,183.3 is ok but boy would I have loved it to be under 180 before we leave on the 18th.I just dont know what to do to get there in 2 weeks. Ugg,how do I speed up the weight loss?If I had to go by calories in calories out I would lose 1 pound every 3 days but it just isnt the way it works.

Hi This is a great threat to remind me that even though I'm losing slow,I'm still losing. On the 17th of November I weighed 187 and I am 183 now (in fact have been for about 10 days now) At this point any loss is great! Hope your body re-adjust quickly so you all can lose those last few pounds.

Hi Krissy I felt exactly the same.And with every stall I felt like that again.and now that I have only 20 pounds to go and I am exercising a lot and the weight is coming off super slow,I once again wonder if I am going to be the one whose weight loss just stopped,for no reason,before I am finished....lol Do take it easy for a while and try to just stay off the scale for a while at least. You'll lose it all,you'll see!

Hi 23.49 BMI seems good to me but I can undertand wanting to lose a little more. Post pics (with the head cut off if you dont want your face to be seen) in tight fitting clothes lets see what you look like now.Maybe you just dont need to lose more?How tall are you?

I've tried it and I didnt like it.However,I might take some on holiday as it seems so easy for a lot of protein.Also,I want to try and up my protein to 90 this week to see if it doesnt break the stall so I might just have another go at it.Must say I also dont like shakes...lol

Clearly in the 2 months since surgery you could not have had that much to drink.A few drinks didnt kill you post op but why start this again now just because you can?This was the ideal time for you to get rid of the addiction. Not judging you,I started smoking again after surgery.Its just it feels to me its soo much harder to kick it after surgery.It really is.The crutch is bigger (replaced food for me) and you cannot eat when you try to quit again and like the smoking,the booze will have to be quit if it gets to be a problem again,which it will if it was before. Dont go there.I am feeling very strongly about this as I've quit smoking last week and Im suffering like never before.Dont do it to yourself. We need to get healthy and do exercise and we cant do it smoking and drinkng to much...lol. Go for a run!

Missv2012, Dont smoke now.It is too close to surgery.Healing really is affected by it for some and you dont want the issues this can cause at this point. Just dont!