outwithbenjiboi

Thank you for this fantastic post, Karen! I'm 50, three months out, and 80+ pounds lighter. I agree, the difference is AMAZING. I'm so very proud of you, me, and everyone else who uses this surgery to change their lives permanently.

Iowa: I do an hour of cardio (usually jogging/running intervals on treadmill 3.5 jog per hour/5.5 run per hour, 0 incline) three times a week, and an hour of strength training (mostly body weight -- pushup, pullups, lunges, squats, some free weights) two times a week.

So, my Nut told me last week to up my calories from 800 to 1,000, focusing on adding protein and carbs, and adjusting my percentage breakdown to 40 protein, 40 carbs and 20 fat (I was doing 40 protein, 30 carbs and 30 fat). I've lost a steady three lbs a week since surgery -- until this week -- when I lost FIVE lbs. I'm not getting the whole 1,000 in -- closer to 950. It's been nice to add in more fruits and veggies for the carbs. I'm eating leafy greens now! Anywho, just wanted to note here that my body responded BIG TIME to the additional healthy calories.

@Seela. Great job!! Yay you!!

Just had 3 month checkup today. Down 45 lbs since surgery (Oct 15), and 75 since first appointment with surgeon in April -- 9 months ago. BMI is 31.6, down from 42, and I've lost 50% of my excess weight since surgery. Nut upped my calories to 1,000 from 800, and told me to eat it in protein and carbs. My prealbimum from my blood labs was a 17 on a normal scale of 17-35, so I'm burning all of the protein I'm eating--thus the increase. I'm working out 3-5 days per week. Surgeon and Nut were both VERY happy with me, and said I was a "star patient!" Hw: 286 Sw: 256 Cw: 211 Gw: 185-165 (we'll see)

I find MFP really easy to use, and a great accountability tool. I have it set to private, and don't use the any of the social features or exercise tracking. I enter my breakfast, lunch and snacks when I'm packing them in the morning, and don't open it again until dinnertime. Sometimes I have to trim the day's input (if I don't eat it all). Then, I figure out what to have for dinner based on what I need to meet my goals. I don't find this difficult, or taxing...it only takes about 30 mins each day. My goals are 800 calories, 80 grams protein, and a 40% protein, 40% fat, 20% carb split. I sometimes call this "prescriptive eating," and I'm totally cool with it. I'm 3 months post surgery, and approaching 80 lbs of loss (30 pre-op). I figure - after a year or so - this will just come naturally to me, and I won't need it any more. But no big deal either way.

I am aiming for 20 lbs shy of my doctor's goal weight. I think 165 at 5'9" is too thin. I'm a butch, and I want a bit more muscle and bulk.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/dining/are-nuts-a-weight-loss-aid.html

Two Flintstones Completes in the morning here! Super cheap at Walmart online.

I chose to go to my division Christmas party, where the group was smaller and the food was not the focus, and completely skip the huge food/alcohol-centric orgy that is our University party. It's just too much. Kind of gross actually. I'm going to the gym instead.

Just weighed in with my nutritionist, and I'm at 219. I weigh weekly, but missed Mon and Tuesday last week because of snow days. That means I lost FOUR lbs in the past FIVE days! I'm just shy of week 9, and I'm 37 pounds down from my surgery date; 67 down from the beginning of pre-op. Only nineteen pounds 'til ONEDERLAND!!!

Well done SouthernSoul!! Smart AND beautiful!!!

I'm at work, can't check my instructions at home, and have a burning desire to have this question answered before I get home tonight!

Ok. Sufficiently scared away from nuts! I'll read my book at home, Laura. And I might try a dab of peanut/almond/cashew butter too. I already use PB2, and really like it!

5'9" and my surgeons goal for me is 165...but I'd be happy with 180. My highest weight was 286, my surgery was in Oct 2013, and I now weigh 226.

Hi 1day! I was on the 90 day pre-op qualifying plan from April to July. Met my requirements/meetings/evals in that time, and lost 30 lbs. I had no co-morbidities, other than snoring (not apnea), knee pain and GERD, and dropped from a BMI of 42 to about 38 in those 3 months. My PCP submitted all of my paperwork to my surgeon the first week of August, and I was approved on the first submission to BCBS FEP before the end of August and given a surgery date of October 15. It all went really smoothly for me. Total bill for all surgeon visits, anesthesia, hospital (2 nights), pathology, home care (2 visits) was about $20,000. I paid less than $500 of that!!

Oooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwww

Easy to solve. We buy "Monk Fruit in the Raw." 100 percent monk fruit.

Another monk fruit fan. Tastes absolutely as goon as sugar, Zero calories, no weird chemicals.

Yep, three barfs and two gas xes later I'm on the mend. It was a small portion, I ate slowly, and chewed it to a pulp...but it didn't make one bit of difference! Crossing that off my list until spring. MAN I miss green fiber!!!!

OK gym rats (Butter, Fiddle, etc.): On all of my whole body exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, planks, lunges, squats) I'm doing 3 sets of 10 reps. Well, not the planks -- I just add time to those. On the rest, do I add more sets, or more reps? On my weight training, I'm doing 3 sets of 12 reps (to fail), and slowly adding weight until I'm actually getting "to fail." I've added about 10 lbs to everything over the last two weeks. Do I add more sets, more reps, or keep adding weight? Thanks!!

She's feeling abandoned. You moved forward; she did not. That tension isn't going to ever go away. Don't stop talking about your decision-making process! Now is the time to encourage, lead, and empower your friend to take responsibility for herself, as you've done.

As of Monday, I'm 60 lbs down from my highest weight in April (286) when I started pre-op, and 30 lbs down from my surgery date (October 15). I'm very happy with this, and am averaging 3 lbs per week. I'm making my goals for the most part, but am really starting to HATE food. What a chore!!!