VSGAnn2014

This has become my most entertaining new thread.

I took three pen and paper tests -- 600 items. I passed, apparently because I am not suicidal.

I'm still mad about this!

An electric toothbrush must help a lot, because I didn't notice anything like that. Good luck.

I really like working with my shrink. He's been seriously helpful throughout this process. He doesn't let me get away with s**t.

For the record, I'm almost 11 months post-op, have reached my target and am now 5 pounds below. I've eaten (wisely) caffe lattes, pizza (thin crust), wine, scotch, chocolate, wings, BBQ'ed ribs, pulled pork, and even ice cream. But not a lot at a time (with one exception - ugh!), and I've counted every calorie and macronutrient on www.myfitnesspal.com. You're not forbidden from most of those foods. But you can't eat it like you used to eat it. And you wouldn't want to, right? There seems to be a terrible misperception that all luscious foods are off the table (so to speak) permanently for WLS patients. There's also a dramatic variance in what surgeons tell their patients they can eat post-op. Yes, our prescribed diets for the first few / six / twelve months are a bit rigid. But eventually when you hit your target, you'll have to take responsibility for figuring out how YOU are going to stop the scale from falling and stop it from going up. Suddenly, you'll be in the same situation the skinny people are. Shocker!

Jeez, I give up. Good luck.

Apple cider vinegar can reduce the effectiveness of some Rx medications. Likewise, some people have medical conditions that ACV therapy will make worse. Therefore, please google well / ask your PCP about those meds for which ACV is contraindicated. Every substance we ingest to help ourselves can have OTHER effects than the reason(s) for which we decide to ingest them. Meds, foods, herbs don't typically do just ONE thing to our bodies. Their effects are usually more complex than that.

I don't know how long ago you were curvy and happy about how you looked at that weight. But if it's been decades ago, don't plan on looking exactly like you did when you reach your old "happy curvy" weight again. Also, it seems clear from reading here longer than a year that the maintenance calorie budget varies dramatically from person to person. That seems to be a function of our genders, ages, exercise and activity levels, how little we ate (for how long) to lose all our excess weight, and the degree to which long-time obesity screwed up our metabolism by lowering it significantly below what seems "normal." To your specific question ... I'm 69 years old, 5'5", and set my goal weight at 150. That was 85 pounds below my starting weight of 235. In the last few months I've lost another 5 pounds, putting me at 145 (actually, this morning I was 144, but when I dip below 145 I eat more to get back above that). I don't want to lose ANY more weight than this. I'm wearing sizes 10s (loose) and 8s, but for now I'm not buying a lot of size 8s. I would be happy anywhere between 145-155. My advice would be not to get too invested in the fiction that you can predict everything about how your WLS journey will go or how you will reach your goal. You may have to change your mind and your tactics and even your goal. Reaching goal (by which I mean REALLY reaching it) is new country for some of us. And for those who've weighed this little before, the neighborhood has changed a lot since we were last here. Best to you.

Try http://www.meetup.com/ and look for hiking, biking, recreational and volunteer activities. If you're exercising twice a day, sounds like you aren't spending much time socializing with others. Meetups are a great way to meet new people. If you don't like 'em, don't meet up with 'em again.

Yes, that sucks. But no, you can't change others or their opinions. Only they can do that. Look to yourself and those who DO support you. Stop expecting support from those who have shown that they aren't on your side. Grieve if you have to. But please do NOT let their negativity influence you. If their nastiness upsets you too much, don't be around them. Be strong for yourself. Care for yourself. That's why they call it "self care."

There seems to be no end to the ignorance in this world, even among doctors. Like everyone here, I am gobsmacked that an M.D. does not know that weight stabilization after WLS is 10 times more likely (50%) than weight stabilization after diet/exercise alone (5%). Makes me want to wear a wrist guard so I don't hurt myself when I b***h-slap people for being so f**king ignorant.

To the OP: OK, you vented. Now what do you want to do?

At 11 months post-op my capacity for meat (of all kinds) is about 4 ounces. If I ate any more meat than that I couldn't eat any veggies, too. And veggies are important to me -- for Vitamins, minerals, Fiber, trace elements.

This is some funny s**t, y'all. Thank you.

I do use a scale and found it especially useful in the early days post-op. I still can't tell how much cheese I'm eating if I don't weigh it. And while we're talking about measuring, one tablespoon of Peanut Butter is a helluva lot less than you think it is.

What a fascinating thread. @@ShrinkingPeach ... when they invent time travel I want to go visit your house.

My beloved mother was a wonderful, wonderful cook. Here are just a few of the "wholesome" foods she cooked that I loved: Fried okra with catchup. Don't make that face; it's good! Cakes, fruit cobblers, pies of all kinds, homemade ice cream, and her amazing brownies with pecans. Damn! Goulash -- beef and Pasta with bay leaf and other mystery spices. Biscuits and cornbread with "real butter." OMG! Whole milk. At every meal. Mmm-mmm! And yet ... I was the only overweight kid in our family. And my parents weren't overweight. So strange. Hmmm ....

Hilarious OP! Thanks for the laffs. And you over-sensitive idiots should find a new forum where you can wipe each other's tears 24/7 and virtually braid each other's hair.

I agree! That's the first time I've ever heard of that. Shows great affection.

Dude, pretty much same as you. But we also had weight loss surgery of various kinds -- gastric bypass, lapband or gastric sleeve. After surgery, we're eating more Protein than we used to eat, eating protein first, eating healthy veggies, a little fruit, eventually whole grains -- pretty low-cal. Early on post-op, we eat very low-cal for several months. Then we slowly raise the calories so our bodies don't get accustomed to starvation budgets. We also walk, and just move more than we used to. Many of us use Fitbits or other activity meters. Many of us do strength training. Some run. Some get pretty intense with their exercise, others not so much. I'd guesstimate that most people here who've had WLS average a couple pounds weight loss a week over the course of their weight loss. The first month patients lose a lot faster than that, but over time it all averages out. By the end of the weight loss period as people near their weight goals, most of us are losing only a pound or half a pound a week. We take vitamin/mineral supplements. Most people taking heavy-duty blood pressure and diabetic meds don't have to take those meds anymore. Some of us have underactive thyroids and other obesity-connected comorbidities, conditions or diseases. Others are just "healthy fat people" -- meaning that they haven't YET developed obesity-related diseases. All of us start out as heavily overweight, obese, morbidly obese or super-morbidly obese. And many of us reach our weight loss goals. And then we all have (finally!) a fighting chance to maintain our goal weights. On that front, as a group we do a lot better than we did before weight loss surgery. Good luck to you!

Well, it looks like things are stabilizing. I'm more often at 145-146 than any other weights from 143-148 like I was wobbling there for a few weeks. I'm starting to feel more comfortable and confident about this. And it seems like, for me, I'll probably wind up eating less during the week and more on the weekends when we're a lot more social. I'm not overly hungry during the week either. Last two weeks both modes seem like just what I want to do at the time. I'm still meal-planning and tracking at all times though. I enjoy the feeling of control I get from doing it that way.

Congratulations, Steve. That's a wonderful milestone.

Hubby and I have talked about how my obesity was a disability for us both -- a real "family disease." Mostly, when I was overweight he was so worried about me. He is so relieved and happy for me now that I'm not overweight, agoraphobic, not participating in life, and not feeling well. And naturally, I'm so happy to relieve him of that burden he felt. Aren't some of our husbands just the sweetest!?

Love your story, @@CowgirlJane ... the guy's attention and your girlfriends' joy for you. Just a perfect moment.