katonaboat

I'll be 1 year out tomorrow and starting at about 8 months, my loss became really, really slow- sometimes losing and gaining the same 2 lbs for weeks. I took a hard look and realized that although my carbs were still low, I had become lazy about getting my protein in. I've never exercised much, but now I've started walking for 30 minutes before work and during lunch. Between the increased protein and the added exercise, things are looking better. I've lost 2lbs per week for the past 5 weeks and hope it will continue for a while. I know to reach goal I'll need to get more serious about exercise and it has always been an issue for me to find the energy and motivation!

I went back to work after 10 days. I have a desk job, but it was a little more difficult than I anticipated. You really notice how often you get up from your chair when your stomach muscles are still healing! Although I was tired, I think going back to work quickly helped me adjust to my new eating program. PLUS, I was able to save my vacation time and treat myself to a nice, lengthy vacation one year out! For the first time in many years, I actually enjoyed shopping for shorts and sundresses, and (gasp!) didn't feel like crying when I tried on swimsuits!

I have struggled with this as well. It's frustrating to buy fitted clothes that look good, then have them become shapeless on you within a few weeks. Such a waste of money! I used to never wear dresses to work, but they have become my go-to work wear. They can go through several size changes before they become too large and can be belted, or worn with a jacket, cardigan or shrug to give them more definition. At the same time, I like to have one fitted outfit at each size, because nothing helps keep me motivated as much as hearing one of those "You look great/small/thin/etc." comments from a co-worker. I've gone from a size 22 to a size 14 since June. Ebay has helped me keep things affordable, especially since I've been able to sell a lot of the things from my closet that I never got around to wearing when I was bigger.

I was sleeved 06/12 and hit a major stall in November that lasted for a month. I thought I was doing everything right, but I will admit my protein intake had fallen off a little, and although my carb intake was low, it had definitely increased. I wondered if this might be contributing to my stall, so I decided to go back to the beginning and spend a week on my old standby of protein shakes, tuna, eggs, etc. I don't know if that triggered the weight loss to start again, or it was just coincidental, but I lost 5lbs that week and although I went back to my "regular" diet right after, my weight loss has gone back to 2lbs per week for the last 3 weeks. I'm going to try it again next time I hit a stall and see if it works again. My weight loss has been fairly slow and I seem to hit more stalls than many others on here. I usually hit a one week stall after every 2-3 weeks of weight loss.

I've also had slow, but steady weight loss since my surgery June 12th. For the longest time, I didn't really believe I would see onederland, but this morning the scale read 210- and I can see it coming! I'll be so happy when that number on the scale starts with a 1- and just think we go to the doctor and they no longer have to slide that bar over to the 200 mark!

I had a follow-up appointment with my surgeon's office yesterday. I've struggled with stalls since my surgery date (I seem to stall about every 10lbs.) and mentioned that to my nurse. She said "let me talk to the doctor". She came back with a prescription for phentermine and said it would help me get through the stalls. I was shocked- one of the reasons I chose surgery was because I didn't want to take pills that might have adverse side effects. Although I was complaining about stalls, I didn't think my results had been poor enough to warrant such a "drastic" action. I have lost 37 lbs since my surgery on June 12th. I've lost 47lbs total since my weight loss journey began in May. I know I don't lose as fast as some, but I AM losing! My gut is telling me something doesn't seem right about this and I'm losing faith in my medical team. Is it normal to be prescribed weight loss drugs after surgery?

One of the campus police at the college where I work stopped in my office this morning to chat. He mentioned that someone had turned in a bag containing a "suspicious" white substance, found in the hall outside my office. I reached into my drawer, pulled out a bag of white powder and said, "Did it look like this one?" His shocked look answered my question. "It's just my protein powder, I swear! I mix unflavored protein powder, that I bring in a plastic sandwich bag, with greek yogurt every morning and I lost the one from yesterday. It must have fallen out of my purse as I was digging for my office keys. I never thought about my little bags of white powder looking suspicious to others. I may have to rethink my protein powder transportation method. Imagine one of those bags falling from my purse if I'm pulled over and have to dig for my license! "It's just my protein powder, officer, I swear!"

My surgery was in June and I still have a bruise/discolored area where the IV slipped from the vein. It was hours before I noticed the goose egg lump on my arm at the hospital and alerted the nurses. It took a week or two for the swelling to go down, but no other complications.

That's what I told my mom, too. Before I went to an information seminar, I mentioned WLS casually and she was so negative I decided not to tell her. I even went so far as to tell her I was having the surgery on a Friday afternoon, when it was actually scheduled for Thursday. I was afraid she would insist on being at the hospital that morning. I was released midday Friday, called her on my way home and told her my surgery was rescheduled and I forgot to mention it. I have since "confessed" by telling her my insurance approved the sleeve as a necessary part of my treatment at the last minute. When she brings it up and starts to become negative, I start gushing about how much better I feel now that I'm not suffering from GERD at night. She loves me and can't help but be glad for me when I do that.

I've shared about my surgery at work, but only with a few people in my personal life (I work in another city and my two "groups" are very separate". I have been surprised to find that my coworkers have been more supportive and less judgmental than my close friends and family. They encourage me to walk every day at lunch and have made sure there are options for me at our frequent office potlucks. There may be some unkind comments from the larger work community, but the support I've received from my office mates has outweighed any negativity. Before I decided to share, I had planned to inform anyone who asked that I was on a portion controlled, low-carb diet - and boy is that ever true!

I went in expecting a 6 month wait for approval. Everyone I had talked to had mentioned 6 months of doctor supervised diets, especially with no comorbidities. I work for a public university in Kentucky and have a Humana PPO through the state. When I handed her my card, the med clerk smiled and said "You are lucky, you have Humana State!" The clinic called and said I had received my approval less than a week later. I went in for labs, a psych eval, and an endoscopy less than a week after that and exactly 3 weeks from my informational seminar, I was having surgery. Since my surgery, 2 other employees have approached me to share that they had also had wls (I have been open about it at work) and had a similar experience. They are both doing great and are thrilled with their results. I'm doing well on the program, although I had some minor complications immediately following the surgery (due to a faulty IV) and I've lost a total of 40lbs so far. I'm not unhappy with my progress, I just have some OCD tendencies, normally spend months researching important decisions, and making quick choices go against my nature. My husband is still shocked I went through with it so quickly!

I have some regrets. I was not always overweight, my weight gain happened within the past 8-10 years. I went to an information seminar, really just wanting to find out more about my options. At the end, they asked for our insurance cards. Next thing I knew, the clinic called and said I had been approved by my insurance, was scheduled for tests, and had a surgery date. 3 weeks later, I was in surgery. Besides my weight, I didn't have any health problems, no comorbidities, etc. I wish I had taken more time to make the decision, and spend time on a doctor supervised diet, like so many others on here have done. Of course, without the surgery I might never have put the time and energy in to diet and exercise that I do now. I'll just never know. I think this is a decision that should not be entered into lightly, everyone should do plenty of research and spend a lot of time on these boards before taking this step. I didn't do that and have too many "what ifs" and "maybe I should haves" to put behind me. I bowed to the pressure to move quickly when I should have put the brakes on and given it more consideration.

I have had a lot of back problems since my surgery on June 12th. I thought that I might have injured my back trying to avoid the abdominal muscle pain I experienced post surgery. I'm now experiencing what my doctor thinks is sciatica (never had it before surgery) and I'm seeing a specialist next week. Figures, I lose 40lbs and THEN develop back problems!

My weight loss is slow, too. I've had 2 lengthy stalls already, but I think it is because I don't always eat enough. I've lost 28 lbs since surgery on June 12th. (8 wks) As long as I keep losing, I can handle the slower weight loss, but I sure do wish I had numbers like some of the others on here!

Canned tuna or chicken with a little creamy italian or ranch dressing. Not at all fancy, but always a safe bet for me. Even now, as I venture into regular foods, I stick with that for lunch every day at work. No unexpected tummy troubles, but plenty of flavor.