KristenVSG2014

I LOVE avocado. They make everything taste better. Before surgery, I used to toast a sandwich thin, add a piece of mozzarella cheese, sprinkle with garlic powder, add pre-cooked bacon, melt quickly under broiler then top with fresh tomato and avocado. It was so dang delicious. Now I add it to any Breakfast, garnish any dinner or make various salsas or guacamole out of it!

I had to write down my trigger foods and 100% avoid them or it leads to a slippery slope downhill. CheezeIts are one. Doughnuts are another.

Very true! 400 calories worth of meat and veggies vs 400 calories worth of cake are very different.

Yep! I have always had a low metabolism. For my height (5'7) I can maintain eating 1,500 calories and I lose when I eat 800-1,200. I have always been overweight and I'm now 4 lbs away from having a BMI of 25! My restriction is great. At 14 months out I can eat about a cup of food and that is plenty. I'm still trying to lose 8 lbs. so I'll be 5 lbs. below my goal weight. The most important part of surgery is following the rules your surgeon gives you (Protein first, don't drink with meals, etc.)

You ladies are scaring me. I was planning on having neck, armpits and eventually bikini line done but I don't think I'll be able to handle it! I've had two IPL treatments (not even a laser) on my face and while tolerable they are still terrifying. It feels like a hot rubber band smacking me in the face. I get really red and a bit swollen the first few days then it goes away. I still have 3 more treatments.

Now I'm 3 lb away from goal weight. I still have the hair on my neck but it grows much slower. I plan on having laser hair removal eventually. ????????

Thrift stores! Those clothes won't fit for long anyway. Might as well waste as little money as possible. Plus you can get name brand stuff for a lot less.

I love C25K! When I started running I couldn't run for more than 30 seconds. Last week I ran for 5 minutes straight. On Monday I ran for 8 minutes straight. Yesterday it wanted me to run for 20 minutes but I made it to 12 so I'll have to repeat this week next week. I'm still impressed I went from 5 minutes to 12 minutes in 7 days!

I knew it may come in handy and help others see the process/progress.

I had Dr. Lopez as my surgeon. Here's my story: http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/320791-Kristen%27s-Journey-From-Pre-Op-and-Beyond

I tried cooked spinach at 6 weeks and thought I would die. It was WAY too fibrous for my new tummy. I don't think I had a salad until about 3 months post op and it was only a few bites. Even now I don't have much room for salad after Protein so I rarely eat them. (I used to be a HUGE salad-lover.)

I agree about the shower scenes. I love this show. I see myself in many of the patients. I related to Nikki by also struggling with my weight since I was a child and I got progressively bigger. I weighed about 240 when I graduated high school and got up to 290 by the time I was 23. Thankfully I lost some after that and was able to maintain between 240-260 for many years. I also used to eat mindlessly or to deal with stress/anxiety/depression. Her story is definitely encouraging. I loved seeing her personality shine through and she started to smile a lot more. On Skin Tight, Lauana's story had me in tears. While my loose skin isn't as severe as hers and I don't hate my body the way she did, I understand and relate to most of what she said. It is so frustrating to lose all the weight and be still be held prisoner by loose skin. You can see how your body looks underneath it all but clothes don't fit right and you have to figure out how to hide it. I'm hoping for plastics later this year. If I can have my stomach done I'll be thrilled.

Are you just not hungry or are you having trouble physically eating? If you simply aren't hungry, that's simple. Make yourself eat. Whether you are hungry or not you still need to hit Protein goals. Make sure you are eating 3-4 small meals a day to hit your goals. Obviously check with your surgeon or nutritionist. If you are having trouble physically eating, eat 5-6 meals a day to hit your protein and calorie goals. Sometime around 10-12 months the hunger returned for me. Enjoy it while it lasts!

While I didn't have regret over the surgery, I did struggle with depression for a few months with it. The more weight you lose and the more you learn your new way of eating the better it gets. Right after surgery you're dealing with after effects of anesthesia, trauma to your digestive system, extreme hormone swings and the loss of your former friend, food. It's a lot to handle. I had a hard time coping without solid foods but it only lasts a few weeks. This too shall pass.

I agree with @@Babbs about reevaluating your intake. Also, set a schedule for yourself. The first year I struggled to hit enough calories. I needed to eat 5-6 small meals a day every 3 or 4 hours. Then magically at 11-12 months post-op I could eat more. So I had to readjust how many times a day I was eating. Now I eat 3 meals and sometimes one snack. The Sugar Dragon will most definitely cause cravings. Make sure to eat Protein first, veggies second and starch only if room left.

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I just want to say THANK YOU for being a decent woman and following "girl code". I'm amazed at women who will gladly and openly flirt with men they know are married. They use it as an ego boost. First, never flirt with a married man. That's wrong. Second, if a married man flirts with you, woman up and call that cheater out on it! It probably won't change him but at least you will make your moral standards clear. I threatened to call a man's wife once when he wouldn't stop making comments despite my repeated, very clear warnings. I guess he liked mean girls. I've also straight up called jerks out on speaking abusively to their wives too. Sorry, I hate cheaters and abusers. It makes me so damn angry.

I started my second round of Whole 30 on January 1 and I signed up for a 5K AND a 15K in March. ???????????????????????? 2016 is going to be awesome. Here are my goals: 1) Get stronger in the gym. 2) Run a 5K. 3) Complete a 15K. 4) Eat as clean as possible. 5) Hit my goal weight of 155.

Glad to hear it has resolved!

I've been feeling "off" the past few days. Not myself. Almost like my brain is a child throwing a tantrum and refuses to cooperate in any way. I've been pushing myself to go to work but I can't focus and I pretty much want to stab anyone who asks me to make any kind of decision. Normally I'm self-motivated but I can't seem to find any motivation. I've still been going to the gym though. ???????? I talked to Mom because she knows me best and she immediately pointed out the obvious. It's our seasonal depression. We get it every year when the days are shortened. I didn't realize it because it's 85 degrees in Florida in December! But yes, it is dark when I leave work. Thankfully I have an appointment with my PCP next month. Maybe he can help. Otherwise I'll be waiting for some sunshine in the Sunshine State. I hate winter.

I had to donate ALL of my shoes. I was quite sad. But then I got all new ones and now I'm happy because I have a pair of knee-high boots for the first time in my life. It was worth it. BTW, I went from a 9.5 (heels)/10 (boots) to 8 (heels)/8.5 (boots).

I got a hysterical mental picture of that, Babbs! ???? Now THAT'S a great NSV. A year ago I couldn't run more than 30 seconds without feeling I would have a heart attack. Now I can run five minutes without any pain.

Wonderful!! Congrats!

I've completed half of the C25K program. I've attempted it before but never gotten this far because my back wouldn't allow me. I've gotten pretty good at putting my SI joint back in place with a foam roller! I also have to take it a little slower. I pay close attention to my body and at the moment running two days a week allows me to recover and still make progress. Slow and steady wins the race, right? I'm also doing some light weight lifting and occasional Zumba. Monday I did legs and could only leg press 50 pounds. When I was on the soccer team I could leg press 400 pounds...I'm not looking to do THAT much again but I was kind of disappointed. The scale went down 4 pounds then back up 3. That usually happens when I begin exercising so I'm not worried. On a side note, my legs are looking fierce! I'm getting my muscular, athletic build back. ????????

I've completed half of the C25K program. I've attempted it before but never gotten this far because my back wouldn't allow me.