VSGAnn2014

@@OKCPirate ... lol! Bitches be crazy! @@Sajijoma, so far, you win! @@CowgirlJane ... I see why you're taking a break. My worst bad dates range from one-night-stand STDs to attempted rape. Seriously, it's amazing some of us keep trying. Spoiler: Twenty years ago I found the love of my life online. He is amazing and perfect for me. We are both so very, very lucky. On another thread, @@Miss Mac said it right: "Love is a crap shoot." But if you find true love, you win big.

Nope, none of those shortages here. I'm 69, at / below my weight goal for 5 months now. Blood panel is "perfect." I take Vitamin / mineral supplement daily, + 600 mg. Calcium and D3, a probiotic, Ranitidine (150 mg. twice a day).

To the OP -- re "snacking" ... Yes, I snack, by which I mean I have 2 Snacks a day, e.g., berries and Greek yogurt, an apple and cheese. What I do not do is "snack all day" -- and that's called more accurately "grazing." When you "graze" you just mindlessly nibble all day, and most people who do that have no idea how much they're eating. Structured, protein-rich snacks - yes. Grazing, no!

Do your medicos have you taking extra B12? Some people have a severe acne reaction to B12. Google it. My bariatric PA put me on it nearly a year post-op, and I started breaking out BAD within a week. I stopped with the B12 -- didn't have any shortage; her Rx was just prophylactic -- and the acne disappeared.

From "The Big Chill" (1983 -- that's 32 years ago!) ... Meg: They're either married or gay. And if they're not gay, they've just broken up with the most wonderful woman in the world, or they've just broken up with a bitch who looks exactly like me. They're in transition from a monogamous relationship and they need more space. Or they're tired of space, but they just can't commit. Or they want to commit, but they're afraid to get close. They want to get close, and you don't want to get near them. Sarah: "It can't be that bad." Meg: I don't know. I'm goin' easy. I've been out there dating for twenty years. I've gotten where I can tell in the first fifteen seconds if there's a chance in the world. Sarah: "Well, at least you're giving them a fair shot."

I still know relatively little about fibromyalgia, but a sister was recently diagnosed with it. She was advised by her doctor to start the Paleo diet / way of eating. And in less than a month, she feels like a new woman. In other words, eating a healthy diet has relieved most of her symptoms.

@@Essence ... I'm so proud of you, too. I haven't been out there yet with a number on my back, but I'm walking longer than a 5k many days a week. You give me courage.

Not sure how big you are, but Talbots does a pretty good job on some pieces. Ditto Chicos -- which now goes up to a size "4" -- which I think is a womens size 20. Eileen Fisher was my fave for a more casual look when I was larger. But they're not cheap.

Do NOT worry about any of this. Your body is going to go through so many changes as you lose all your excess weight. And then when you're through losing weight, your body will still keep changing. Some say for as long as a year after you've started maintaining. There were so many times during my weight loss phases when I thought I looked awful. And then things would settle down, and I'd look better. Then worse. Then better. This is sort of like getting a new haircut -- you just have to wait and see how it's going to look through all its phases.

I just received via email from our local bariatric support group coordinator a short PowerPoint file on food addiction -- a term that gets bandied about with abandon on these boards. But some things seemed very relevant to your situation and challenges. Here are the slides' keystrokes: Biology of Hunger * Ghrelin - Hormone that tells us we are hungry - Produced in the stomach * Leptin - Hormone that tells us we are full - Produced in fat cells * WE CAN OVER-RIDE THIS NATURAL BIOLOGICAL SYSTEM (This next slide was the one that made me go, "Whoa!") Palatability * "Pleasant to taste" * Combination of sugar, salt, fat * "Bliss point" - Point at which we get the greatest pleasure from sugar, salt, fat - Studies show that people overeat when they have unlimited access to a variety of foods with sugar, salt, fat "Conditioned hyper-eating" * Creates the habit in our brains * Mindless eating * Cue - triggers - emotions Planned Eating * Replaces chaos with structure * Just-right eating * Choosing foods that satisfy * Eating foods you enjoy * Identify foods you can control and that are at least as satisfying as those you used to eat Replacing chaos with structure * What is permissible and what is not * Repeatable behaviors that guide us past temptation and towards what satisfies * Sets up parallel food universe while participating in normal social/work activities * Eliminates your mental tug-of-war * Protects yourself from hunger Just Right Eating * Right portion sizes and foods that keep you satisfied for 4 hours * If you are eating beyond hunger, then you are eating for reward, not satiety * Foods that satisfy - More Protein / fat - Less carbs Dunno if this helps at all -- but thought it might a little.

Jeez Louise! I don't remember who sang this song (decades ago), but the key lyric and song title went like this: "If you don't want me walkin' on you, get up off the floor!"

I'm down 95 pounds from my all-time high. Just had my annual physical with my PCP, and he is out of his mind and over the moon happy about how well I look and how well I feel and how great all my blood tests and other health metrics are. He said he gives me "an A plus plus plus!" THAT's what a supportive doctor looks and sounds like.

During Months 5 and 6 I was averaging 1,000 calories/day and 75-80 grams of Protein. In months 7 and 8 I ramped up to 1,200 calories/day on average with 85-95 grams of protein (or thereabouts). Everything worked out well for me. I hit my weight target of 150 pounds at 8.5 months post-op and have slowly lost another 10 pounds in the last 5 months while eating 1,700 calories/day on average as my maintenance calorie budget. I will note that everybody's body doesn't need the same thing. You may have to experiment a bit to find out what macronutrients / calories you need to lose and to maintain easily. Best to you.

I don't have any specific advice re "I eat when the kids are too much for me to handle." However, I do think a good cognitive behavioral therapist could help you identify some DIFFERENT ways to respond to that situation. And I do think that cognitive behavioral therapy would be good for you, since you already know that your NUT's 800 calories and no more comments generated some very negative feelings about yourself that you haven't shaken yet. 800 calories, no more, huh? Maybe you'd like to know that eating 800 calories a day and no more is NOT how I lost my weight. My bariatric P.A. told me this instead: After four months, of eating 800 calories/day (which is pretty much all I could eat in those early days post-op), she said: "I want you to get up to 1,000 calories/day before you're six months post-op. And then I want you to get up to 1,200 calories/day before you're at eight months post-op. That way, you will avoid teaching your body how to survive on so few calories you'll have a hard time maintaining your weight long-term." So I did. And by the time 8.5 months post-op rolled around, I'd hit my weight goal of 150 pounds. In the last five months I've gone on to lose another 10 pounds and am now holding steady at 140 pounds. And I now eat an average of 1,700 calories/day. On rare days, I eat only 1,200 calories or go up to 3,000 calories (only twice). But mostly it's 1600-1800 calories. However, please know that most of those calories (while I was losing and now that I'm maintaining) come from highly nutritious foods -- 80-100 grams of Protein (from animal, dairy, plant sources), at least 5 colored veggies and fruits, whole grains (like whole wheat, quinoa, brown rice), 21-30 grams of Fiber, and at or under the recommended sodium levels, etc. I try to walk or exercise daily. I don't have small kids, but my lifestyle is much more active than it once was. I drink 64 ounces of Water and other liquids daily. So why not ditch that stinkin' thinkin' you have been stuck in and recommit yourself to doing all the things you know you need to do. I will add that since I've been in maintenance I do have some treats (wine and dark chocolate, mostly). But those were very, very rare when I was still losing. Since you're not at maintenance yet and want to lose more weight, I would clean the cabinets and get rid of all the things that tempt you. One final bit of advice: The eating we do after WLS is not just to lose weight -- it's to rebuild our health and sustain our physical and mental energy for a lifetime of normal weight and good health. Be good to your body and your mind. Give them both the nutrition they are craving. You know you want this. You can do this. Just do it.

AWESOME! What a lifestyle change, eh?!

First, if you are suffering from GERD see your surgeon / doctor immediately about getting a stronger antacid -- probably a proton pump inhibitor like protonix. Second, if you guys don't know what to eat / drink right now ... why not? Were you sleeved in Mexico? If not and you were sleeved in the US and have access to a nutritionist, a bariatric physician's assistant or RN, call them ASAP. If you were given educational materials or attended classes about what to eat / drink, find those materials and review them. If you can't find them, call your surgeon's office and ask for another set of those materials. Consider re-attending those classes. And yes, stevia will work fine to sweeten your teas.

I was not required to do a six-month diet. But during the two months before my surgeon's pre-op two-week Protein shake diet started I put myself on a 1400 calorie/day diet and lost 11 pounds. I was absolutely chomping at the bit to get started! BTW, I lost 8 pounds on my two-week surgeon's liver-shrinking pre-op diet.

Jeez, there are way more Lean 25 shake flavors than I knew about. Thanks, all.

What's going on with you? When did this start? What do you think is at the heart of these changes in your eating / behaviors?

Why do you allow them to speak to you like this? Why do you even have any contact with them? They won't change. They are 100% natural assholes. Over the last five years, you've let them take away all your power. You need some serious therapy. And I don't mean that as an insult -- but as a real solution for your situation. Of course, you could also leave them all and go build a new life for yourself. And your demonstrably spineless husband might come with you -- or not. You do not deserve this crap. And in your shoes, I could not and would not stand for it. I wish a lot better for you than you're settling for right now.

Mashed potatoes were never allowed on any weight losing phase I went through. They're high carb and have no Protein at all. Strange to think of them being recommended by anyone's NUT or surgeon.

Nope. I'm not suffering from anorexia or other eating disorders that put me at risk of not receiving good nutrition from a sufficient amount of nourishing food. Yes, when we're losing weight, we HAVE to eat less than we'll eat during maintenance. Duh. It's called "losing weight." And early on, our healing, swollen stomachs keep us from eating much of anything. Gradually, over many months, we add more food. Those months are wisely spent not just losing weight, but learning how to choose, prepare and eat nutritious food that will keep us healthy long-term. I'm 5.5 months into maintenance and now eating an average of 1700 calories/day. Most days I get 80-100 grams of Protein, typically 5 veggies and fruits, and 21-30 grams of Fiber. I seldom exceed the daily sodium limits for my gender / size. I walk 1-4 miles a day. I typically sleep 7 hours a night. I take all my Vitamins / minerals / Rxs on time and daily. I drink 8 glass liquids daily. Most days I plan my meals and track my food using My Fitness Pal. I find it a helpful tool. Finally, just because I'm controlling what I eat doesn't mean I'm "restricting" food in the sense that "restricting" figures into the diagnosis of food disorders. I do have treats (wine and occasional carbs and desserts), and I plan for them. These are some of the ways my behaviors (and those of most other WLS patients) are different in type and degree from those behaviors that characterize people who suffer from anorexia.

Yup -- you are losing weight. And guess where else you're losing weight ... uh huh ... your gums.

Definitely, the last 10 pounds of weight loss -- from 150 pounds (which was my original weight goal) to 140 pounds (which is where I've wound up) -- made a big difference for me in: * How much slimmer I look * How much better my knees feel * How much easier it is for me to walk longer distances and to walk much faster * Smaller sizes -- went from a solid size 10 to size 8 and a few size 6s * Better shoe fits -- I didn't really lose shoe sizes through my weight loss, but my better shoes (which I never wore at my highest weights) have become much more comfortable -- and the last 10 pounds made my most expensive shoes finally comfortable * Waist size finally dipped stably below 30 inches (I never thought that would happen!) FYI ... the last 10 pounds took 4-5 months to lose. No biggie. In fact, my 140 pound weight now feels more stable to me than if I'd lost these last 10 pounds faster.

I'm glad for this thread. I was feeling a little weird about still using a salad fork, smaller spoons, smaller plates, etc. But, as someone said, those dinner plates are ridiculously huge. The longer post-op I am, the harder it is for me to imagine how much I used to eat at a single sitting.