Orchids&Dragons

Wow, that's impressive. I never would have made it through the meatball alone at 8 months.2-2.5 oz of protein is my limit. I have separate meals of just veggies or I wouldn't get any at all. (OK with my NUT)

Are you eating the dense protein first? If so, 8 ounces sounds high. If you're eating other things before the protein, like sliders, your capacity is almost unlimited.

They are giving you the averages. Some people don't lose much weight, others do very well, far beyond "average". They just can't predict ahead of time where you will land and they don't want to give you unreasonable expectations. My doctor said he would consider my surgery a success if I got down to 191 lbs. in a year. I'm at 168 after 8.5 months, and I am a post-menopausal woman. Your success depends on a lot of things: how well you stick to the post-op diet, how well you hydrate, how much you exercise and, of course, your own body. Good luck!

My favorite website for recipes is skinnytaste.com. She re-creates traditional recipes in a healthier way. The site is not bariatric-centered, however, the recipes are great and she includes all the nutritional info.

Wow, you can really see the difference already. Congrats!

Welcome to the site and hoping your insurance approval comes through quickly!

I've thought the same thing. I think they do their taste testing on diabetics, who tend to crave sweets.

Wow, what a difference. You look great! Congrats!!

Katie, so sorry you're struggling right now. One thing to know is that our bodies store estrogen in fat cells and as the fat is released, so is the estrogen. It creates the emotional rollercoaster. Come on to the site and vent. We're happy to support you because we know your pain. If there are support groups in your area, try them out. I find them to be very beneficial. Good luck.

Liquids are a b!tch, no doubt about it. But, day-by-day, it does get easier. And estrogen is stored in fat cells and gets released when we lose weight, that's why we turn into emotional messes for a while. It will all smooth out. I get you on the crackers. CheezIts are the bane of my dieting existence. I can't have them in the house. Once you move on to more solid foods, there are some excellent protein crackers that will help satisfy that craving. Check out Kay's Protein snacks online. As a snack, they can get 15-20g of protein into you, guilt free! Good luck!

I love this one!

I'm in Texas, about as far from England/Ireland as you can get. I may have posted someplace that I'm 100% Irish, though. That's the reason that I'm about the only person in Texas who doesn't tan!

There are a lot of Texans here. Make sure you check out support groups in your area. I find them to be extremely helpful. In my area, it doesn't matter where you have your surgery, you can go to any support group in the area.

I'm just south of Fort Worth.

Oh, and welcome from another Texan! What part of the state?

You really just have to wait it out. Your body is resisting your efforts to burn fat UGH! So, it wants to slow down your metabolism to fight back. Are you cold right now, too? I could literally feel my internal thermostat shut down for a while. But once your body converts over to fat-burning, your energy will pick up again. And congrats on your progress so far. It looks like you're doing well.

Welcome to the site! It's a very friendly and supportive community. What surgery are you having done? Oh, and congrats on your losses so far! Spectacular!

You look absolutely amazing! Congrats and thanks for sharing your inspiring story!

OMgosh, girl! You are nearly at goal! CONGRATS!!!!

I think most of us have regrets in the beginning. This is a lot harder than we thought. I mean, what's the big deal about sipping water, right? And definitely, the fact that this is a permanent alteration to our bodies hits us like a punch. But, have faith, it gets better and easier day by day and then week by week. If cold liquids give you cramps, try warm herbal teas. They can be very soothing. Good luck!

@Frustr8 You sure have been given more than your share of challenges. Praying they get some solutions for you soon.

Totally get it. I think in their heads they still see the "fat us", and haven't processed the new look. I'm getting called "Skinny Minnie" at work, and at 168#, I am definitely not skinny. And, yes, being asked, "You don't want to lose MORE weight, do you?" Ummm, yeah, I do!

I'll give it a go! Like Fluffy, I'm not great on follow through! Challenge Starting weight: 168.8 Current weight lost: 103.2 Losing or maintaining weight: losing Fitness/exercise goal: To get back to walking 7 days/week Total weight loss at the end of challenge: (Post January 1st 2019): ??? Check in: Tell us how you are doing - (How is your diet and exercise plan going? Any struggles? Stress level? What have you overcome? Any strategies that have helped) Well, had my sleeve converted to a bypass 2 weeks ago, so I'm pretty much starting over with all the food stages, ugh! Finally got off full liquids yesterday. Yeah! At least I can have a few bites of mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving.

Frozen popsicles and frozen protein waters help to give you more of a sense of eating. Also, if you are allowed sf jello, that helps, too. Good luck. It does get easier as you go forward. And I totally agree with Hrsnjs about the restriction. You're doing fine, nothing to worry about.

You ate all that for under 600 cal? Holy cow, woman!