katesuccess

Yippee!!!!!!!! So happy for you!

I use a half a quest bar - just right! Also no chocolate coating to melt in the car.

Good idea Jennifer - I would normally jump at the chance but I've not gone public with my WLS and don't want to do anything Facebook-wise that might 'out' me - hah! If I figure out how to keep that ultra private i will though.

Okay - day three done and at the end of week one now. It's really good - I just paid the 2.99 for the full app, and am darned sure now that i can get to the 5k point. Today was the same as day 2 on the app, but i found myself enjoying it far more and finding i could have gone longer at nearly all of the jogging spans than the little voice told me to. I didn't just knowing i'd ramp up in plenty of time, and that there's a reason one takes it slow. So nice to feel like it's doable. It's especially nice since i think all my working out and walking and jogging has somehow helped to stall my weight loss, so feeling this as measurable progress helps a LOT. Ava - how is yours coming? Anyone else enjoying or struggling with it?

Ditto about how great egg face is. She saved me! Also be careful about overcooking things. Overcooked eggs did not sit well - but slightly damp very moist scrambled eggs were nirvana after no eating. Also overcooked chicken thigh was gross and made me gag. But cooked just the right amount of time to tender was wonderful. Use thighs since they're more moist -- at least to start with. cheese worked well, and the lower fat BabyBel Light was great - not too much fat for new tummy to handle! Applesauce, canned in Water peaches, were both good, but even more so warmed in microwave with a little cinnamon (no sweetener needed on those!). I worked up to thin slices of leaner natural (applegate) ham soon thereafter. Deli Turkey was weird for me - either the chemical processed taste or the dry-ness - not sure which. I tossed it. Tuna didn't taste good to me either, but went down fine - canned crab was mild and perfect though, and so were crab cakes. I bought a package of two and reshaped them into three, and then still ate only half at a time. They were wonderful and easy on the stomach. Also I never added more than one or two new things a daddy, and not more than maybe five a week. Any time something didn't sit right - I stopped adding and stayed with what worked for a full day, then tried again. Good luck!

I don't know about the Bariatric pro app - but on my desktop I click on the name of the person I want to contact - the name under the little icon picture they choose (or no-picture for some) and then it takes you to their 'page' even if they've not filled out much info. Then near the upper right hand corner of their page it gives you an option of "Send me a message" and if you click that you can type one and hit 'send'! Hope this helps. I'll check out the pro app you mentioned and see what i find. What kind of device are you each using?

If you are on the mobile app, click on the little blue arrow at the top of the post and it will give you the option of a PM. Good luck!

My waist and hips seem to be slower at losing inches than other areas--and it means pants size is also slow, so pants fit really strangely in some brands. Some I can wear two sizes smaller than my preop size 6 weeks ago, others it's just the same! I know I tend to return to brands that have fit well in the past, but these days I have to be sure to try on different brands and different shapes/cuts/styles -- since as one poster wisely said above, we are shape-shifting!

Way to go Tanya! That is wonderful, and such a great feeling of accomplishment-- not to mention a great view from up there. And you do look fantastic, healthy, and ready for the next mountain. Two am loving hiking since I started losing weight, and it is such a great feeling. Keep it going!

I may have to get a t-shirt that says "I cheated my way to weight loss because I have enough brains to choose damn hard work and WLS over obesity." (and if I were really tacky, --for those who say such nasty things as you've all mentioned above, I'd add "Too bad you can't cheat YOUR way into wisdom and compassion!")

You might ask the nut or doc about upping calories - I was on optifast for a long time and lost pretty well, but every time i stalled we'd have to play with the calories up or down. My preop was three high protein low carb shakes a day plus one lean-cuisine type meal at night, and allowed one cup of non-starch veggies. I lost some, but not as much as I'd thought i would. GOod luck though, and please don't give up! Even doing the plan and not losing weight will likely help your liver reduce, just by having less fatty calories. That's the biggest boost to the surgeon AND to you since it's for your safety during surgery. We're rooting for you!

Snowkitten, that sounds really hard - and while I'm glad you're close to your boss, you are right to self-protect with anyone who wouldn't be supportive of your choice to have wls. I told people at my work that "my doctor had recommended some gastric surgery to correct a long-standing health issue." Since I had a hiatal hernia corrected, I would usually add that i was most excited that he believed it would correct my anemia. I often added that I'd had three subsequent docs suggest doing this, but i hadn't wanted to take the time off work - but now I agreed my overall heath was worth it. Saying that nearly always shifted the conversation away from surgery and onto my work load or how we'd manage the time off. You ARE having gastric surgery, and it IS to correct a long standing problem. You could even add that piece about being the best chance at correcting the immune problem, and when anyone presses for details you can sort of roll your eyes and say, "It's sort of complicated (or personal) and not terribly pleasant, but thanks for your support." That also signals them that their appropriate response/role which you EXPECT is support. And always ALWAYS have another topic on the tip of your tongue to switch to, even if it means a simple compliment on something they're wearing and asking where they found it. Even people who care about us will still slide into talking about themselves fairly easily if redirected. Good luck - I know this one's hard, and for what it's worth I think you're right to keep in control of who and how much you tell pre-op. Afterwards, sometimes it feels different. You'll know as it comes.

Great job miss mojo! And everyone else too! Yes, slowing down is really hard. My worst rapid eating tendencies, out when I am not paying attention and trying to multitask with something busy while I eat--like doing work email. I know it's better not to do anything while you eat, but if I read a novel I find it actually helps me to slow down since I read a half page between bites usually. Pre-op I was 289, surgery day (April 29) I was 277 and today I am 247--today also looks like it is the beginning of breaking my recent ten day stall, thank goodness!

JSC2014 you look wonderful! Congratulations and well done, pretty lady!!

Thank you - that sounds like wonderful advice, and I will be continuing to alternate between my five 2K outing and alternate days at the gym with the plan from my personal trainer. I have to say I was surprised as all heck to find myself kind of enjoying the walk/jogging day before yesterday when I get it, and not just the release and pride of "thank God that's over"! I will be mindful about getting dehydrated, as I've learned the hard way that I can get bad leg cramps if that happens hiking. One of the pages I read about beginning to learn to jog/run if that side stitch pain means you might need to slow down and concentrate on the doing, not the speed or distance. I have not tested that theory firsthand, but I suspect I will by accident! It's again for chiming in on this folks, it helps more than I can say to know I'm not so alone in this endeavor.

I did Day 1 last night too! I'm going to do Day 2 today. Kudos on the first step, Kate! And back at you Ava! I was all set to do it again today, but the last thing the little voice said was "See you in a couple days" and i checked with the trainer who told me to alternate it with resistance training if possible. I figure at this beginning stage I will, but then further out i'll do it daily, since i know LOTS of people who run every day quite happily and healthily. Let me know how that goes doing it back to back. Good luck!

So this morning I got my Breakfast ready, and it wasn't my usual fare since I have an odd day today (and my hubby used up the eggs). The plate held half a Quest bar, half a banana with half a tablespoon of Justins' natural Peanut Butter. All within my plan and good foods. I sit down to eat while I read my favorite website posts (here of course!) and quickly realize I've eaten the banana first...and I'm feeling kind of full. NOT good! I know full well I must eat my Protein first, and then fruit, etc after that if there's room. Duh. I started to berate myself, as in "You're so stupi--" and that's as far as i got this time. "No, you're just learning! Now you've learned first hand what can happen if you don't do it that way. Incorporate that learning henceforth." SUCH a different approach and felt so much better. What "aha" learnings have you all had?

Welcome to the club on this one! When you're stalling at this point it IS frustrating, yes. Take your measurements right now though, and set up a calendar reminder to do them every month and you'll see a difference there even if not on the scale. That sounds so 'pat' but it honestly helped keep me from getting too depressed about slow loss and stalls during those first weeks. Hang in there - this DOES work. I'm on my second stall and coming out of it now I think, and it's only been 7 weeks since my surgery. When you're frustrated and worried, it also helps a lot to read this site and cruise specific support groups for amount to lose, age, etc. because you'll read about people who either toughed it out, made bad eating choices, or other coping techniques, and it'll help you choose good ones. You will lose the weight, just not quite how you thought I'm learning!

Did the first day of couch25k app tonight - felt good!

I've been stuck in this niche a week to nine days, and hope it's going to break soon! I had another stall at week 2.5 and that was after a twenty pound weight increase from surgery fluids. Too a whole week to lose that!

Hello? You had surgery four weeks ago, and again one week ago...why the blazes WOULDN'T you be exhausted?? It's your body's way of taking care of itself and garnering it's strength for healing. Let it do it's job. Consume all your Protein, take your Vitamins, get some liquid Iron (seriously works - i'm anemic too!) and take walks, but really--REST! That's my two cents worth anyway. I think we figure we should be all healed up when we get released from the hospital, but it does take time. You'll get there. Absolutely!

@katesuccess....nooooo dont compare yourself!! Im ok with being a slow loser, as long as im losing. Im actually at 30 lbs lost! Im losing inches! Im doing what my dr/nut told me....since i work 6 days a week 10-12hrs a day m-f and 4 hrs on sat i have not been able to workout but 2 days sometime 3 a week I never eat over 800 calories and I get 60 or more protein in, im struggling with 640z of Water but im working on it.....no sagging skin and no way I could have lost 30 pounds without my sleeve in a lil over 2 months!! I would rather lose than gain anyday!! Signed Ms slow n Steady Oh thank you! That's good to hear, and helps to know. Even knowing this mostly already in my head, it's like the heart doesn't get it unless it's personal. Part of it is also that i read so many great success stories of big losses from people staying super compliant before my surgery, I was anticipating being that way too. I know i'm losing at an okay rate, but had expected to be further along by month two for some reason. Dumb - and i know comparing is pointless. Not helping either. I'm walking about 8000 steps most days, but give myself one or two slacker days. And it does seem like it should be faster, but like you I know I couldn't have done this well before the sleeve. So SO glad I did this! Thanks for the encouragement.

You guys are all doing so great - I'm not thinking I should compare myself to everyone, but I do seem to be losing slower than nearly all of you. My starting weight was 290, then surgery day (4/29) I was 277 -- today I'm 249 and have lost only 28 lbs since surgery! Help! What are your calorie targets? Protein? I"m sticking strictly to all doc and nut orders, and yet it's so slow.

I"m six weeks out now, and on regular foods, but the NUT told me to avoid anything like a slider food (mushy soft stuff) which I do for the most part. I do four small meals a day of 2-3 ounces lean Protein plus three tiny servings of fruit or veggies but ONLY if I've eaten my protein first. I get a serving of milk in each day too - either in SF pudding or a small skinny latte or milk with a half a Protein shake if I'm not hitting close to 70 grams of protein yet that day. If calls and protein are still low, I add a half a Quest bar (yum!). She also said to aim for about 800 calories at this point, and then the other day she said i might need to up that a bit more just to keep losing weight. That may be true, but I've not yet convinced myself of it! Most days i'm at 800 still. I was sleeved on April 29 and since surgery day have lost 29 pounds. (though I sure wish it were faster!)

The one that got me the most angry came from a GP doctor I'd been set up with on a new insurance policy. I never ever went back to him, and now he's been fired from the practice. I asked him for help with my weight - fighting tears and saying I'd tried everything out there - and he said, "Have you ever thought of going on a diet?" Yup. With a straight face too. I asked if he was serious, and when he was, I said no woman over 50 gets to 290 pounds without trying every freaking lousy diet, pill, and plan on the blasted planet!!! My subsequent doc listened to me deeply, and then gently suggested i might want to look into WLS. When I said 'not for me' she said if I ever wanted to talk about it we could, and happily referred me for a sleep study, wisely noting I was always tired! She was right, and once i was sleeping enough to make sense of the world - I made sense of her suggestion about WLS. I inquired and she referred me within hours of my email to her on it!