Inner Surfer Girl

Are you reaching your Protein target? Have you talked to your NUT? I agree with others, if you are exercising strenuously, you might not be eating enough. But, your NUT is in the best position to determine if you are or aren't and how best to reach your goals. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Congratulations! This sounds like one of those milestones where we need to come up with a ritual or holiday celebration it is that significant. For someone who like me went from Sears 6x as a child straight into misses/plus size, hasn't been able to buy regular-sized clothes since age 6. The trauma of shopping for blue jeans at Lane Bryant in high school is still seared in my psyche.

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the weight loss process. Everyone stalls, and just about everyone experiences their first stall about three weeks after surgery. Just follow your program. Get in all of your Protein and fluids. Take your Vitamins and supplements as directed. Exercise when cleared. And, stay off the scale! Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Easy, you log the components and then for each component you put on the portion. For example, I sometimes get an egg mcmuffin with an extra egg and eat half the muffin or sometimes no muffin. Do you at least keep up with your Protein?

This may be an obvious question, but have you been to a sleep doctor?

I credit my years of therapy and OA with a lot of my progress and success since WLS. Things I have learned about myself and my addiction as well as habits and tools I have acquired have been critical.

What are you eating that you are bored with? When I was on soft foods I ate a lot of cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, refried Beans, tuna, grilled salmon, as well as a lot of the liquids and foods from my previous stages which you may think is boring. Check out the World According to Eggface for recipe ideas.

I don't add sugar or sweetener to my tea so it's not that big of a deal for me. If you like tea, try Harney & Sons hot cinnamon spice tea. There is a decaf version and you might be surprised by how good it tastes without any sweetener. It is my go to hot tea for when I want a treat.

The point of the diet is to shrink your liver. Sugar and starches are exactly what you have to avoid. Instead of focusing on what you can't have, work with your NUT to determine what you CAN have.

Talk to your NUT about caffeine. Keep in mind that if you have to go off of caffeine for surgery you may experience headaches and other miserable symptoms of you go cold turkey which is no fun while you are recovering from surgery. Also, it's a diuretic so you can't count it toward your water/fluid totals.

Compared to what? I can only compare my recovery to what I experienced. I don't know what it would have been like if I hadn't exercised as much as I did or if I exercised more. I would guess that going into the surgery as fit and healthy as possible would help your recovery.

To prepare for pre-op, I tried to focus on one change at a time. Over that period I: Weaned myself off of carbonation. Weaned myself off of caffeine. Increased my Water to at least 64 oz a day. Exercised 60 minutes a day. (This was gradual.) Practiced mindful eating. Eating slowly, taking small bites, and chewing thoroughly. Increased my vegetables and whole, fresh fruits. Tracked my food and exercise. Pre-op I was using the Weight Watchers app because I was already using it but switched to MyFitnessPal post-op. Focused on Protein and reading labels. Sampled different protein supplements. Collected my post-op supplies. Took a Multivitamin, D3, and Iron supplement as instructed by my surgeon. Prepared my will and living will. I had moved since making my previous will so needed an updated on for my new state. It's something to think about. Read as much as I could. Started participating on BariatricPal. Journaled. Prayed. Started watching My 600 Pound Life. I had avoided shows like that in the past. It was a big step towards my admitting how obese I had actually become. In addition to pre-op, I was also going through the process of filing for disability and seeking help through Voc Rehab. Although not specifically related to WLS, all of the evaluations I had to go through for both were really helpful, especially as it relates to being rigorously honest with myself about the shape I was in.

My sister gave me a Misfit Shine for Christmas since you are supposed to be able to swim with it and track laps. She also ordered me a band which hasn't yet come in. Good thing, because I can't get it assembled with the existing band. Does anyone who uses one have any insight on trying to get the band to work or am I just better off waiting for the new band?

I am finally using my Misfit Shine. I had to get a replacement because I must have damaged mine when I was trying to open it to put in the battery. I will have to say the instructions weren't very intuitive for me. I have been wearing it for a few days and have swam with it and it seems to be working great. I am still trying to figure out the app, too (again, not real intuitive for me). It does count laps and it does sync with MyFitnessPal which is great,

I agree. Have you talked to your NUT about maintenance strategies? Do you have a therapist? Are you attending bariatric support group or recovery meetings (like OA)? I fully anticipate that WHEN I get to maintenance that it may be just as challenging as weight loss but in different ways. Best of luck and keep us posted on how you are doing.

I agree. The pre-op anxiety and fear was the worst part of the whole process for me. You can do this!

In my non-expert opinion, I think you may be overthinking this. For me, my surgery was delayed due to financing reasons. Pre-op, my metabolism was so broken that it was a battle to just maintain my weight. Post-op, it is like night and day. The work I had to do to maintain my weight pre-op actually results in losing weight. If there isn't a medical or financial reason to put off the surgery, I wouldn't put it off just to lose a little more weight (unless your surgeon deems it too risky to operate at your current weight). Best of luck in your decision.

"The dog's still find me, just different breeds." Love it. My fat has helped me to finely hone my BS meter throughout the years. Sounds like your "girdle" can do the same. At least it helped you to filter out the scum in this instance anyway (to mix metaphors). You look beautiful and happy! I truly believe a great number of guys are just clueless idiots.

Unfortunately, it happens. Have you tried gently reminding them to take their conversation to a new thread? Otherwise, either try to bring the thread back to the main topic or ignore it. Glad to hear you are getting the help you need, though.

Beautiful post, beautiful story, and beautiful woman. Thank you so much for sharing your struggles and your successes. Best of luck with treating your RA, etc. My sister has severe RA so I have a slight idea about what you must be going through. Have you considered trying some Water exercise? Swimming, water aerobics, water walking, etc. I know that exercise is painful for someone with RA, but can also help alleviate pain, too.

I don't know. Why not ask your surgeon? I agree that the statistics are based on averages. I count my loss from my highest weight, not my day of surgery weight. I didn't even weigh day of surgery so don't know what that is anyway.

LOL, I must be a Luddite compared to you guys. I gave my phone to my mom with strict instructions not to give it back to me until I was no longer loopy. I also gave her a list of folks who wanted an update when I got out of surgery so she could send them a text. Then, I just focused on recovery, walking, dozing, etc. My mom was there with me and my sister stopped by that evening, so I had someone to talk to. Since I went home the day after surgery I didn't use my phone until I got home. I didn't miss it and I didn't get bored.

Congratulations!

Congratulations! You look (and sound) awesome. I love to hear about NSVs that involve living life. It sounds like you are doing just that.