careya123

Yayyyy!!!!!!!!!

I definitely need to practice this. Thanks for posting.

I didn't grow up poor, but I did grow up with lots of brothers, and I can tell you my eating habits were defined by that. I learned to eat as much as I could as soon as possible; there would be no chance to have any later. Sometimes I would even hide food under my bed so I could save it. Similar idea to the article--I learned to eat based on opportunity, not hunger.

Ugh, what a way to start a vacation! I'm so sorry. I'm hope things have improved since then. I'm with @@Babs about the staycation. Although I do like to travel, my favorite vacation is in my own house with a stack of good books.

I've seen the brand, but I've never tried it. I had no idea it was different. I will definitely check it out. Thx

I haven't had surgery yet; I'm waiting for my insurance company's approval. They don't require an MD supervised diet before surgery, but I wanted to get a head start on my weight loss. Oh, I've been drinking 2%! Definitely 500-700 cals per day. And 50-75 g of sugar per day. Ouch. I've since started drinking 1%, and I think that's as low as I'm willing to go as far as fat is concerned. It's funny how certain foods are eaten together. I love cold cereal, and baked sweets such as Cookies and brownies. By cutting back on the milk, I will be cutting back on the others too. I've tried other 'milks' and they just don't cut it for me. Water it is!

I probably drink 6 cups a day. That's a lot of sugar and a lot of calories. It's amazing what you see when you start tracking your food. On the up side, if I cut down to 1-2 cups a day, that's a lot of sugar and calories out of my diet. And maybe that's enough calcium too.

No to everything. I'll go through my tracker today and see how much calcium I've been getting, and start experimenting with supplements. I just find the whole thing depressing. I think I'm going through the five stages of grief, but I went straight from denial to depression.

Oooh, good to know. Thank you

I always said that if I was thin, I'd break my budget on clothes. I could see that becoming a transfer addiction for me. Any other current or future fashionistas out there? Has it been, or do you anticipate that it would be, a problem for you?

I haven't had surgery, but I've lost weight other ways, and you've got to measure success by what you have direct control over. You don't have direct control over your weight. You can't get up in the morning and decide what weight you are going to be that day. You can decide whether or not to practice good habits. See if you can focus on that as your measure of success. If that doesn't really cut it for you, take your body measurements instead. That is a much better indicator of fat loss than your weight. Good luck!

Someone needs to start a side business re-packaging protein powders into sample sizes, so new patients can have a less expensive way to test a bunch of options at once. I know some companies have sample packs, but I'd like to try several brands.

That's incredible! Are you planning on maintaining at 150, or will you keep going down? 150 was my original goal, but I think I'll try for 140.

Hey, we have the same stats (well, height and 'before' weight) and I'm also in the SLC area. Congratulations on your accomplishment! You look fabulous.

Maybe you are carrying your weight differently than you were back then? Maybe when you lost your weight, it didn't come off in the same way? For instance, maybe your hips are smaller than they were, but your arms are bigger. It certainly is odd. I've noticed that profiles of people who say they are my size 20/22 might weigh 60 lbs more than I do. Bodies are certainly variable.

What was their justification for the second denial? Seems ridiculous.

Hmmm, I'll have to try that. I didn't think about calling them myself. Thanks!

Are they thick like most protein shakes? Or chalky?

Thank you for chiming in, everybody. You give me so much hope. Except for one brief period, I've never been thin in my adult life, so I'm having a hard time imaging this. I was mostly a size 14 in my 20s, and a size 20/22 in my 30s. Just turned 40, and I'd really like to shop in regular stores. On a side note, I just finished all my prerequisites and my file is being submitted to insurance in the next day or two. I'm so excited!

Did you have a lot of loose skin? Enough to want a tummy tuck or other plastic surgery? I'm hoping mine won't be too bad because I'm starting out at a lower BMI, but maybe that's just wishful thinking.

That's what I am expecting. I have a butt the size of TX. I hear this on a regular basis: "You have a big butt for a white girl." *sigh* Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. Well, I'm complaining a little bit about being able to see my ribs, that's gross. But I'm not complaining about being a size 10/12. It's still the smallest size I've worn as an adult! And I do look great in them! I just looked at your pics. You look fantastic! I hope I can look as good.

That's what I am expecting. I have a butt the size of TX. I hear this on a regular basis: "You have a big butt for a white girl." *sigh*

Wow, I can't even imagine. My stats are exactly the same as yours (height and pre-surgery weight). BTW, I love weights too and your profile pic is great.

You've got to track your food. Until you do that, you're just guessing about what to do to speed your weight loss. Sounds like your carbs might be a problem. And is your protein high enough? Track!

I have the smallest wardrobe ever now (pre-surgery). I was telling a friend about a blog post advocating the use of only 33 clothing items for 3 months (333 capsule wardrobe). She said, 'You'd have to go buy clothes.' And she was so right. I have almost no clothing. I work at home, though, so it's okay. But when I was thinner, I bought clothes. Mmmm, I love clothes. I have been cruising J Crew and banana Republic lately, but they seem to have lost something since I shopped at them last (15 yrs ago?). Now I'm looking at Hugo Boss and Brooks Brothers. I've never spent that kind of money on clothes before, but I am seriously considering it for post-surgery. And the time I spend on Pinterest looking at fashion posts is out of control. *sigh*