katesuccess

I think these are great ideas! I too marked my 100 lb loss with a special purse, but when I finally made the decision to do this and got rolling on a date, I bought myself a Fitbit - SUCH a good reward! I also do: a magazine or trip to the bookstore my favorite hand lotion (Burt's Bees Almond Milk Hand Creme - yes!) a half day off to take a hike somewhere a new backpack because my old one really didn't fit this skinnier new body a Magic Bullet Blender was a great reward, and so much easier to clean than a big blender A small travel scale for trips, just because i'm a little obsessive quarterly massage to Celebrate my hard work, not about number of pounds though (I'm worth it, as @@gowalking says! sessions with a personal trainer new running shoes because not I do! I'm sure I'll keep thinking of ones for the future, especially since these last 22 pounds are proving REALLY hard to lose!

Oddly enough, tuna fish and most deli turkey gives me that 'stuck' feeling in my chest - like it isn't going on down at first. It's an awful feeling and the only relief was sips of warm water, so i've just eliminated those from my diet quite easily. Happily neither are foods i really love or crave!

Hey @Jillian Boose, I'm sorry that happened to you - it's lousy! SO here's my feedback and experience, since you asked -- I also haven't told many people - (two of three sisters, my mom only just before the surgery, and husband and daughters + two good friends), and for me it was the right choice. And as your post indicated, it should have been YOUR choice. That said, it's your opportunity to do some course-correcting for the future. Think about what you know of them and how they've acting, with obvious recent behavior included. Tell them you found it disrespectful and that in the future you'll make different choices about how much you can trust them or share with them. Yes, there was no avoiding telling family you live with about this one, but anything else that arises - I'd just tell them I was having a procedure or appointment and was choosing to keep it entirely confidential (from them!). If they're not up for the drive to the hospital or supportive help under those condition, tell them you're happy to call a trusted friend instead. I'm also the youngest in a family and found I sometimes used to let myself get pushed into a role of letting them make determinations for me or manipulate me to keep me in a role they were comfortable with. Once, after a very upsetting event (like yours), I withdrew emotionally until they agreed to my terms as an adult. (I'll cop to be the youngest, but not the "baby!"). Happily, after a couple years of retraining myself and them, and occasional reinforcing of my expectations of how I am to be treated, it's vastly better. It won't happen overnight though. From here on out remember that you choose what to share with them about how you feel, what you weigh, what your doc/therapist/nutritionist says, and whom you tell. Good luck!

Thanks!!! Saw some great recipes !!! I make mine without the usual carb-flours, using ground golden flaxseed, almond and coconut flour, Protein powder, stevia, egg whites, flavor extracts or cocoa powder, and a bit of butter or coconut oil. SO good, and no digestible carbs to speak of.

Low carb mug cakes rock! Just google them and adjust to taste.

When you head for the restroom in a crowded restaurant and suddenly realize you don't need to scope out the widest path to fit your body through as you weave between tables to get there! Yippee!

Hi there @lfry925 and congrats on getting to this stage! I"m a year out now and losing more slowly now. I keep my calories around 900 and carbs under 35 -- otherwise i don't lose at all. Mind you that includes everything, not just meal-type carbs. I include things like catsup, seaweed Snacks, etc., even though there's only a couple carbs in some of them - they add up fast. And yes, talk to your NUT, but question that person about why s/he advises that way and what guidlines is s/he bound by in giving advice. I found mine was giving advice according to hospital regs instead of my WL surgeon and ADA instead of what i consider more helpful, which is an accumulation of WLS patient outcomes. I know she's stuck with having to do that, but it really screwed me up for a good while after my initial big loss. She had to advise more carbs she said, and higher calories, which meant I had two whole months of trying her advice and not losing a thing! Aurgh! Yes, ask the NUT and the doctor's office, and also do some tracking adn research of your own for what works for you along the way. Good luck!

I completely agree about the healthiness of EVOO and of not doing the low/no fat bandwagon! Even though I was eating low calorie and no starchy carbs, i seemed to have stopped losing. My daughter convinced me to change up the macros in my diet to have more fats like evoo and even lower carbs (no more fruit except occasionally, and fewer Quest bars, etc). My carbs went from about 55 per day to under 35 and my fats went up about 50%. I began losing again after just three days of eating this way, and i feel more satisfied too.

That's great news, @rhw94123 ! Congrats on that loss and hitting your Dietbet goal. SO happy for you! And i have to say, losing a pound a week is pretty darned good at the lower weight you now enjoy. You're closer to goal so I'll bet it's tougher to lose, yes? I'm still 22 lbs short of my goal, and still having trouble losing anything more than a pound a week. So checking in om my personal challenge goals: + Get all my Water in today -- working on it today - Log my food today - I'll have to log it after the fact (I prefer to pre-log to keep myself on track) since i have to be in restaurants for both lunch and dinner today. Darn meetings over meals! - Back to the gym - sadly i blew it off yesterday and won't have time at all today unless i've got energy around 11pm - not likely. Tomorrow will be a make-up workout for sure. +/- Stop any off-plan eating - doing better here, (most days on-plan lately) but noshed on two chocolate chip Cookies yesterday, sadly. Still lost though - go figure! + I'll redo my measurements... I only do this the first of each month + Continue to pre-make more meals I like - Yes, I now have three different choices individually bagged in the freezer - yay! + Celebrate behavioral successes, not just the scale ones - Yes - feel good for not going completely off the rails after the cookies yesterday, and also nice to have lost another pound this week.

"My weight is not an open topic for discussion." (Unless of course I start it!)

How low? Mine came back last week at 3.5 (4-7 i think being 'normal) and was flagged as High by the lab. The doc said that wasn't clinically significant or even worrisome since it wasn't off the charts and most other things were okay. (I do have genetically high cholesterol, but that doesn't have anything to do with wbci'm told.) The doc did at first ask about nutrients, of which i get plenty and do well, and so in the end she said not to worry unless I felt ill, had fever or any other symptoms to check out. They'll test again in 6 months--I'm currently one year from surgery, just FYI.

I went backpacking three months after my surgery and had NO problems, and it was amazing doing it just that much lighter too! So good for you, and I'm jealous of the freedom to do 14 days at a time. Ours was 4 days, and i took Protein powder (Chike coffee flavor) my morning Breakfast, baby bel cheeses, summer sausage, jerky, packets of natural almond butter and Peanut Butter and some freeze dried foods like eggs and a few dinners. DOing two more trips this summer and will make more of our own dinners since i want more protein than the packaged stuff has. I focused more on protein than carbs, since I've learned i don't need carbs nearly as much as so many exercise gurus say we do, and protein makes the most helpful difference in my energy. I did have 'gorp' (small daily baggie) and granola bars (once) and did really well. Good luck and have fun planning it!

Why would you? Not that it's wrong or anything, but seems like it's a personal preference thing not to share it, so feel free to keep it to yourself if you want to! My hubby of 31 years now has loved me at weights from 128 to 318, and now on my way back down at 169. I"m not at all sure what purpose it would serve to tell him my weight, other than my having an increased sense of shame for having gotten here. I figure that one's mine to carry and let go of, not his.

I only told my family and two friends, so when people noticed my weight loss and smaller food intake, I just said "I'm working hard at eating less and moving more" --and then quickly switch to something like "Tell me about how you're doing/how your weekend was/what's going on in your life" or anything to switch focus, and so far it's not failed me once this whole year. And yes, I agree with @@Bufflehead, people don't notice or stay with it nearly as much as we fear they will!

I need a re-set! I was doing so well being back on plan, etc., and had started losing again even. Then the past three days have been awful! Pieces of chocolate, a cookie here or there, and a glass of champagne today - none of those horrendous but all of them together Sooooo not good! Back on plan tomorrow means i walk to work to jump start the exercise in the morning - easy since i left my car there yesterday to insure I would! I'll make my lunch tonight, so no question about what i'll eat, and pack my dinner too (long day ahead!). Added help is that none of my go-to-junk foods are in the house (or office) any longer, so that's a help. Anyone else fail the 10 Day Challenge and want to restart with me? I"m marking my calendar for May 11-21!

HI there @paulatoney - I"m in the same place tonight. I just fell off the wagon today after an over-busy weekend. DUMB way to reward myself for such a work-intensive weekend! Tomorrow (Monday i'm back on track and i hope you'll find yourself there too. My plan is to log my food, walk to work for an exercise jumpstart, and do NO added carbs (my nemesis). Tuesday i'll get to the gym - one day at a time we can get back on plan. Let us know how you're doing. Kate

I cut mine when my hair loss started to be noticeable (by me) and I didn't want it to look stringy. Since then it's back just fine, but my weight loss gave me the umph of confidence to go shorter, and I love it too! Freedom describes it well.

Way to go! And to think it just keep getting better too. ☺️

What fun! Those are great--so creative. Thanks for posting!

My latest one: "I've come too far to take orders from a chocolate chip cookie!" (My personal nemesis).

Sorry you've been so sick @@Success2013 ! I hope you feel better now - yes? I'm checking in now that I'm at day 9: Still losing weight - slowly of course. (Sigh.) + Get all my Water in today -- Yup, well on my way and did well yesterday too. + Log my food today - Another 'yes'. + Back to the gym - yes, and heading there midday today since i have an evening meeting. (Apparently I'll be the sweaty one at that table!) + Stop any off-plan eating - Yes - except an unplanned Tblsp of chopped pecans anyway, though i was still within allowances. + I'll redo my measurements... I only do this once a month, but doing well not freaking when the scale tells me bad stuff. - Continue to pre-make more meals I like - Yes, and making plans for cooking more of them this week. + Celebrate behavioral successes, not just the scale ones - Yes - not sure how this week though. So, today I'm pleased to be doing well on this plan, packed and brought my gym bag, and pre-chose dinner from the restaurant menu on line. SO far so good!

Too funny! I'll bet a pretty high percentage of us have food triggers with our mums. I know I do too. Maybe it's because they're usually the ones who give us our first food, and often thereafter are the ones feeding us or monitoring our food until we're older - who knows. Hey, nuts and cheese aren't so bad - and sounds like you contained the damage to one day. Good job!

GOod for you @MissLiss for trying to change behaviors! That's what helps me a lot, and when i fall off the wagon those are the behaviors i know i need to return to. Having been successful with them in the past helps them be easier to re-start too. I'm sorry to say though, many of us (myself included) did not lose the cravings, or did so only for a few months. Mine came back fiercely around month 5-6 and have stayed, and I'm learning to manage them. I did notice in your post you said "I saw a snack food at work..." and for me, seeing those things is a prime trigger. I try to either not have to see them as much now, or when i do see them and crave them immediately, try to remind myself that it's a visual trigger and two minutes earlier i wasn't thinking of going off-plan at all! I read a great quote the other day; "I've come too far to take orders from a chocolate chip cookie!" Good luck - hang in there.

Sorry to have slipped offline and off this challenge for the past 6 days - thanks for keeping up @@longtimecoming7 !t looks like you're doing really well staying on track, and really since i'm now a year out i'm finding that is isn't as quickly gratifying in the weight loss, so makes it harder to stay motivated to keep strong. So I'm on day 7 of the challenge and finally losing weight again. Not fast, but steady. Checking in on my plan: + Get all my Water in today -- Yup, well on my way! + Log my food today - Another 'yes' and i've been doing well with it most days again. Funny how that keeps us honest! + Back to the gym - yes, but I missed one of my days last week, and need to be better about this week! + Stop any off-plan eating - Yay! I did manage to stop the first day after starting this challenge - still at it! + I'll redo my measurements and NOT overreact if the outcome isn't good. - I did them, and not too bad, but not great. - Continue to pre-make more meals I like - none lately, but I'm planing ahead better with grocery shopping. + Celebrate behavioral successes, not just the scale ones - YES! Finally having some to celebrate helps. So, today I'm happy I dodged a table full of treats three different times yesterday, chocolate this morning, and remembered my gym bag so I can go after work! --And that i've lost nother 1.5 lbs.

I'm in too - I sure need this! At ten months out my weight loss really plateaued (25 lbs to go) and I let discouragement nudge me towards eating stuff I know I shouldn't eat - mostly chocolate. It was that sense, 'If i'm doing everything I can and not losing, I might as well eat some things I love and enjoy the plateau.' Really BAD logic, I know. I bumped up 3.5 pounds and now am back down 3 of them. In two days I'll be one year out from surgery. SO glad I did this! My plan for the next ten days: Get all my Water in today. Log my food today. Back to the gym today (I've only been away four days) Tomorrow I stop any off-plan eating Tomorrow I'll redo my measurements and NOT overreact if the outcome isn't good. Continue to pre-make more meals I like (just did a freezer recipe yesterday, so I'm okay for the coming days) Celebrate behavioral successes, not just the scale ones. Today I celebrate that i'm still doing well in not drinking with or just after meals, and that I packed my lunch.