Kathy812

I have the one lipsticklady mentioned. LOVE it!

@@Katnroyal, I am so grateful for your post. I keep trying different ways to tweek what I'm doing to get to goal. Seeing what others are doing really helps. Do you track your calories?if so, how many do you have in a day? I get so excited when I see vets post (good and bad) because it helps those of us who are struggling or not as far along to learn. Again, thanks and you look absolutely stunning! Congrats on keeping the weight off all these years later. I hope to be able to pay it forward one day.

I am told no more than 100G of carbs(admittedly, this is where I struggle, many days I'm higher, my weakness is fruits.) I can so relate w/the stalls , I've been stalled for three months too & just recently went down 1#. I work out 4 days a week but should probably increase it to 5 to see if that helps. The struggle is SO real!!!

Great choices on your menu. Most employers are legally required to give you a break. It is imperative you make the time to eat. Early on, the lack of the required protein can affect your stamina & not to mention weight loss. Many doctor's strongly recommend you get protein from food, but if you must, bring an extra protein drink. P3 snacks (by Oscar Mayer) are full of protein and easy to eat. Good luck!

I will say that many people made it to goal eating quest. Conversely, many people's weight plateaued eating Quest. I agree w/cowgirl, no food is technically bad but there are BETTER choices. You have to see what works for you.

I am 16 months post op and still not at goal, so I'm still in the losing phase. They want me to stay at 1200 cals a day, high protein 80-100g per day and low carb. I can tell you that higher carbs kept me at the same weight. I gave up my quest bars and lost a pound in a few days.

I've thought of you often and thank you for the update. Praying for healing & sending positive thoughts your way. Congrats on getting to onderland! Woo hoo! Glad you found a reason to smile & hopefully there will be a lot more reasons to smile as the days progress.

@@Jeanette1246, I can't add any more to what they all have said (great advice) but just wanted to let you know that there are a lot of us on the site who are supportive (as you can see from the responses) . Please hang in there, you are not alone & I agree...it does get easier.

Your weight loss is unbelievable! Awesome job! Wishing you continued success.

@@llooft,it can be a challenge. I planned very well and took advantage of my last week off to make a menu. I made very simple lunches like deli meat wrapped with cheese & chili. I had about three or four meals and kept rotating it. The key is to remember to get your protein and water & don't over do it. It took about two months before I felt back to myself. Good luck!

Our favorite recipe: cook a few strips of bacon-cut into bite size pieces and set aside. season the brussels sprouts with your favorite seasoning, we usually use garlic pepper only, since the remaining ingredients are filled w/sodium. Use a little of the bacon grease &sautee the Brussels sprouts. Then we add low sodium chicken broth, just enough to wet the bottom of the skillet (I'd guess1/3rd cup). Add back your bacon pieces & simmer for about 5-10 minutes till your desired tenderness. We also make the same recipe w/o bacon & just sautee in evoo & add the chicken broth. Delish!

I didn't start Vitamins until after surgery. However, prior to surgery, my doctor gave me a few Vitamin samples to I try to see which taste I preferred.

Wow! Awesome job! Congrats!

I, too have a thyroid condition and struggled w/weight loss for 17 years, nothing helped. I have lost a lot, not nearly as much as others-can't help but think my thyroid condition plays a factor. I am so sorry you are going through this. But, I've read and heard of a few people who had to have a revision. Please go on youtube. I remember following a young ladies journey who only lost probably 20lbs her 1st year. A year later, she saw a new surgeon and had a revision & eventually got to goal. It is possible, so don't give up hope. On this site there is a subforum, I think it's called complications or something like that. You may be able to connect w/others who are experiencing the same thing. Wishing you success this go around.

To answer your question, no I didn't know this & not sure I agree w/you. I've heard several women say they went from a DD to a C & their band size went down too.

I can so relate. Started at a 42dd, When I got down to a 36 band size I decided to treat myself to Vicky secret bra's during their semi annual sale. I bought ( 4) 36dd's. Loved the style and comfort so much that I ripped the tags off two of them immediately but as the days went on something didn't "look " quite right. I took the two remaining bra's back to Vicky secret to get properly fitted and the sales associate looked at me immediately and said that I was a triple D, not a double! I thought I'm supposed to go down in size, not up?! The triple D's fit like a glove. Glad to know I'm not alone.

I liked all the same veggies I did before surgery but I didn't have my first veggie until three months later (grilled chicken salad). A lot of people have trouble w/lettuce early on, thankfully I never had a problem w/any veggies. But, like someone else mentioned, you will not have much room for veggies after protein. Usually, just a few bites.

Congrats!

Talk about an hour glass figure, Awesome! Your waist is so tiny. Congrats!

@@VSGAnn2014, I'm looking for a high protein bread to eat on occasion, will you share which one you eat?

This is an interesting topic. I do find that I crave more veggies and fruit but based on what is recommended by my nutrionist, these food options comes last. I won't lie, I do enjoy meat, seafood & fish but I want to try to eat less red meat. I've started researching the Paelo diet as well. I doubt I will ever be nor do I want to be a vegetarian, but I do want to find a happy balance. As someone else posted, we each have to find what works best for us while keeping in mind the nutrients that we need to maintain a healthy body.

I really enjoyed reading your post, thanks for sharing and congrats on your loss. Hopefully your chronic conditions will go into remission so you can take advantage of the activities you enjoy. Wishing you a full and happy life, with your positive attitude, I have no doubt this will happen.

I read on another thread where someone substituted mayo w/plain greek yogurt and added crumbled blue cheese and Hotsauce(buffalo chicken salad). It is DELISH. Can't remember if the recipe called for dried cranberries but I add that too. Eat it once a week- off topic, sorry, Just had to share.

OH yeah!!! Let me speak only for myself. I have been stalled since Thanksgiving! I usually eat one Quest bar every day, faithfully. I love them. I work out 4 days a week and keep my calories at 1200. Haven't lost 1 pd. I stopped eating them 3 days ago and it looks like the scale is moving again. I gave them up once before and the same thing happened. I should have learned my lesson the first time but I keep going back for the taste and protein. However,you'll read that many people have not experienced stalls with Quest..

I've complained on a lot of threads that I'm over a year out and STILL not at goal. I log everything in myfitness pal, work out & still can't lose! Recently, I paid attention to the carbs. I noticed I was having 100 grams of carb most days! I was so concerned about the calories but didn't pay attention to the carbs. I had to re-evaluate what I'm eating. I am a crunch person, so I slowed down on my nuts - eat pork skins now and measure it out. I'm trying to give up my beloved quest bars, tried the mug protein cake last night & enjoyed it. Basically it's about finding substitutes for my trigger food. Winter can be so difficult.