jess9395

I run 20-30 miles a week (divided over 4 days typically) and go to a yoga class three or four times a week

You look an easy 15 years younger!!! Thank you! You do as well, congratulations, well done!

Do some searches on here for favorite Protein shakes and do some taste tests! There are hundreds out there I'm sure you can find one you like. Took me a LONG time and I don't like most of the ones people on here rave about, but I just kept tying! Personally I like the Syntrax Matrix ones (mint cookie and Peanut Butter cookie are my favorite) and the BSN syntha 6 ones (Mochaccino, orange cream and vanilla milkshake). Keep trying! At your stage I was doing two most days and Greek yogurt to get my calorie and protein count up.

I kept up by drinking protein shakes. No way could I get in all my protein at that stage without them. Are you still drinking them? Heck I still do at going on two years out

Yeah exactly it becomes routine. I just know I have to drink 4 16oz bottles and then I'm done. I drink one first thing in the am, One after my run or yoga class, one in my car when I am shuttling kids here and there and one more throughout the day.

Fair life all the way for me (Lucerne Protein Plus is the same product by a different company). My problem with the almond, cashew, etc milks is the protein is negligible.

Six weeks.

My insurance didn't pay any of mine though we tried to submit. My insurance will pay for plastics for panniculectomy and brachioplasty but has VERY specific requirements including specific measurements like how far the Pannis hangs and it has to be past the pubic bone. With their requirements I could have documented millions of rashes and functional issues and still not been approved bc the measurements just weren't there

Like others here I typically eat them w/o tortilla, but I just found an awesome zucchini tortilla recipie I've been using! I posted it in the food section.

Studies show patients who continue with follow up visits are more likely to keep their weight off long term. Clearly that isn't an absolute, many people have surgery in Mexico and never have a follow up visit and do fine. For me that statistic keeps me going back though. It was one week, two weeks, one month, three months, six months and 1 year follow up appointments and now I will go once a year for life! I pay the higher specialist co pay but feel it's totally worth it (and I often see a nurse instead) because I want to keep that weight off!

quick hi-jack @@Miss Mac haven't talked to my NUT in a llllllong time (she was never helpful) i was wondering about protein shakes i usually do have one for breakfast i love my swiss chocolate protein shake (25 gr of protein!!) why are Proteins in food better??? i have heard to get protein from real food don't understand why shakes are no longer good/recommended to drink for us VETS thanx kathy Kathy I am right there with ya and have a hard time getting enough calories and protein in without my shake or two a day! I think the idea is the same one behind eating clean, unprocessed foods--protein shakes are processed by definition and ideally we would all eat whole clean unprocessed foods. Plus getting protein from dense food can keep you full longer than drinking your calories IF that is an issue for you. My medical professionals are fine with me continuing the shakes in maintenance and I do add frozen fruit or yogurt to them, it's part of my plan and it works for me and meets my nutritional needs well.

I don't think it's that uncommon. I mean I know I hear people on the board say they can't maintain on more than 800/1000/1200 calories and I'm sure that's true for some. But I "wrecked" my metabolism plenty yo yo'ing most of my life and yeah I exercise a lot, but I maintain my 135lbs on 1800+ calories (more on days I run) and during my six weeks of no exercise post plastics I still ate 1600 calories or so and maintained fine. I think those stats are as typical as the others. We are all different for sure, but I think there are many of us who can maintain at that calorie level. I haven't collected any data about how much other WLS patients are maintaining are eating, calorie- and protein-grams-wise. Most of the people I know who are in maintenance don't (and refuse to) count calories or record their food macronutrients. Honestly, it's really pretty weird to see people so opposed to collecting information about their own behavior. But what the hey. However, in support of your thesis, my bariatric PA doesn't seem shocked at all by my maintenance 1700 calories success. She seems to think it's pretty common. Honestly thesis is too strong a term LOL! It just seems to be the common thought on this board that we will never be able to eat more than 900-1200 calories even in maintenance and that isn't my experience with people I know in real life, so I was just trying to throw out there that the 1500-1800 maintenance people DO EXIST and aren't mythical unicorns LoL!

I was very low calorie at first bc of restriction--didn't top 400-600 calories till maybe six months out. Methodically worked up to 900-1000 by then and up to 1200 by nine months. Started maintenance at just almost exactly 12 months out.

@@laneydasilva not sure who you are asking about skin surgery but I had it Thank you!

I don't think it's that uncommon. I mean I know I hear people on the board say they can't maintain on more than 800/1000/1200 calories and I'm sure that's true for some. But I "wrecked" my metabolism plenty yo yo'ing most of my life and yeah I exercise a lot, but I maintain my 135lbs on 1800+ calories (more on days I run) and during my six weeks of no exercise post plastics I still ate 1600 calories or so and maintained fine. I think those stats are as typical as the others. We are all different for sure, but I think there are many of us who can maintain at that calorie level.

When was that? You might be surprised with vanity sizing what size you might wear at the same weight now! We never had size 0 00 and 000 back in my day LoL! They were size 2 4 and 6. So that would make a current 4 maybe a 10! Things have really changedn

My surgeon never set a goal for me. I set mine by where I historically felt for and comfortable (165). Blew right by that and my body just settled at 135. I think your body may just find its own way.

You do know vanity sizing has changed things, right? I am 135 and wear a current size 4, but I have a dress size 12 from the year I got married 20 years ago and it's only barely too big for me!

Thank you! Thank you!!

You look amazing! When did you have your procedure? December of 2013. Reached low weight December 2014 and had plastics June 2015

I searched all over, Mexico, Costa Rica, all over my state (CA, it's a big one!). Interviewed/visited five surgeons in person and emailed back and forth with three. Would probably have done Mexico except I came into an unexpected inheritance which was almost exactly why my favorite CA surgeon quoted me for my three procedures. So I had it done in Santa Barbara, CA.

Thank you! Great job on the pants!!! I was up and about two weeks after surgery, driving and all. Got back to running and yoga six weeks post. Still recovering in some ways now--lots of numbness, a bit of swelling (honestly I'm the only one who can tell), a few of my incisions are still "spitting" internal stitches. But I would say I felt "normal" a month out.

Thank you! A little over 18 months

It will dissipate whether you leave it open or closed really. Just takes a bit longer if it's closed. I use a sports bottle with one of those pop tops that opens to squirt the water and I just leave that open

Wanted to share my most recent pics. My surgeons office wanted to do an article and a new flyer for their new patient info and they asked me to do a photo shoot and tell my story! So I got some great pix! SW 271 CW 135 Body fat 67% current 18% Size 20/22 to 2/4