lisafrommassachusetts

Congratulations! That is a great BMI. I'm curious about what exercise you have found enjoyable, and whether you have a "go to" meal or snack that helps keep you on track. The 30 minutes after eating is hard. I have only had alcohol a couple of times (I am only 7 months out), and I find I can't tolerate beer, or vodka with seltzer. The bubbles I guess, but I did enjoy a nice glass of Prosecco the other day! We have not been able to go out to dinner really since my surgery (Covid) and instead are either sitting in other people's yards, or they're in mine, so we are usually chatting and I'm picking up during that 1/2 hour, so that helps. 4 drinks in a half hour is some serious speed drinking!

@Donna1966 myfitnesspal has a wonderful recipe converter. I use it all the time both to determine portion size for me and to track protein, calories and carbs. Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

Congratulations! Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

I just tried siggi's almond butter and vanilla skyr (Icelandic yogurt) and it is delicious! Very filling. Add a small salad and you have lunch. It is 19grams of protein! 260 calories. They also have mixed berry with almond butter which does not appeal to me, and Apple & Cinnamon, which does, but it was not in my local grocery store.

@PSquared_vsg...You are a beautiful bride! Continued success and happiness!

Shoulder pain can be gas. Per WEBMD: Belly surgery. If you have laparoscopic surgery, which is done through a small cut, on your belly to remove your gallbladder, make your stomach smaller for weight loss, or for other reasons, you might get shoulder pain afterward. That happens to up to two-thirds of people who have the surgery. Laparoscopic surgery can make your body hang on to carbon dioxide in your belly area. That can irritate your spine and nerves, which can trigger shoulder pain.

Lots of people have very bad gas after the surgery; Walking seemed to be the only thing that helped. I also had trouble with constipation for a bit after surgery, and I ended up having to use Miralax. If you can't get fluids in I, however, I would not wait very long before reaching out to your surgical team.

Wow! That is an impressive amount of loss! I hope you are feeling energized. People will barely recognize you! Congratulations.

Siggi's yogurt, especially the vanilla and cinnamon and pumpkin spice. 15 grams of protein! and it satisfies my desire for "a little something sweet." Kibo's chips (I get mine on Amazon). 7 grams of protein; I bring them for lunch frequently to eat with tuna salad or chicken salad instead of any bread. I usually eat 1/2 the bag at lunch, and then save half for a mid day pick me up, with a piece of fruit.

You look great! Your journey is very inspiring. What's your favorite change so far? Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

I had my 6 month surgery mark on Sunday, and my tele-doc visit with the PA and the Nutritionist yesterday. Everything is on track, which is good to hear; my blood work is all good as far as vitamins, macronutrients, protein, etc. Because I use Myfitnesspal to track food, the nutritionist was able to review my diet with quite a bit of detail, and thinks my carbs are a bit low; sometimes my carbs are as low as 20-25 (but sometimes they are 85!); she suggested I monitor to see if I am tired on the days my carbs are below 40, and adjust. I can't believe it has only been 6 months...February seems a lifetime ago, given all the ways our world has changed since then. Thought I'd share a before and after (during? Because I hope I'm not "done"): Before is from a wedding in 2019; After is from a hike/walk on Sunday.

It can be so frustrating when it is not dropping off as fast as either you believe it should, or compared to other people's experience. I am older (61), have crappy knees and a long time thyroid condition, so my expectations going in were tempered by those realities. I'm 6 months out and have lost about 50 pounds since the surgery, 60 including the pre-op. I found when I hit about 40 pounds down people really started to notice, and that gave me quite a little lift! (Even though I told myself and everyone else "I'm doing this for my health", it is still nice to hear, lol). I just went through a 3 week stall, I only lost 1.5 pounds in the entire month of July! However, I was getting smaller. I have never been big on tape measures, but I noticed my new clothes were getting looser! I've now lost almost 5 pounds in a week, so there you have it. Water, water, water, walking and some weight training is what I tried to do to keep sane during the stall. Everyone is going to lose at their own rate. If you are like me, the sane part of you knows that with your calorie and activity level you are going to lose weight, but it almost seems impossible! I have a friend who started weight watchers in January, and I had the surgery in February. She lost more weight than I did until March. Slowly her weight loss slowed to a stop, and mine has kept going. She has put back on over 5 pounds. I'm not judging, not at all, I have been on that yo-yo ride for years. I'm just pointing out that we all know you can lose weight without this surgery, and most of us have many times over. I am hoping that the physical restriction, coupled with the mental work I am doing now, will make me successful 2 years and 10 years and 20 years from now, and unfortunately due to whatever makes me tick that did not happen with traditional diets. Sorry for the wordy post, good luck, hang in there, and I'm rooting for you!

@DenverGirl88 I get the lightheaded thing also if I stand up too quickly. It is much more likely to happen if I am behind on my water, and/or it is one of the very, very muggy days we have had here this summer. I'm guessing you are not getting that in Denver..... @ResaRoo...nighttime hunger is my lifelong nemesis. I cannot just force my way through it, so I tend to have a little high protein snack about 1/2 hour before I go up to bed. I sometimes have a hard boiled egg with salt, or some high protein crackers (I like Kibo a lot) with a tablespoon of sunflower butter, a tablespoon of gorgonzola cheese on apple slices, or sliced turkey with salt, pepper and a slice of avocado. I don't want anything sweet at that time, something a little salty seems to do the trick. I'm always happy to find a quick healthy snack for those craving times. Not always, but once in awhile between 3:30 and 4 in the afternoon I need a little nosh, too. It tends to be when I am stressed at work.

Hey Fellow Feb Folks! Coming into our 6 month mark! I have been in a big stall..no weight loss at all for 3 weeks! Finally the scale moved and I am in ONEDERLAND! After many disappointing trips to the scale over the last few weeks, it felt like a miracle.... Hope you all are doing well. I am feeling strong and my energy level is good; I've been trying to include more hills in my daily walks and doing some light weight work for my upper body. I'm eating between 850 and 1000 calories per day; given that I am walking so much I am happy with that. Still need an occasional protein bar or shake to make my protein, but I can mostly do it through diet. Since we have been sweltering here in Mass getting the water in is not too hard. With everything going on in the world, I am enjoying the peace that comes from taking walks in the woods, and I am grateful that I am healthy enough to do that. I hope you and yours are healthy, happy and safe. Lisa

I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder. I continued my sertraline through surgery. I am 61 and have a moderately severe thyroid issue...5 months today and I've lost steadily... about 55 pounds down. These are tough times... you sound very mindful and I'm betting you can resume meds and maintain your weight loss. Our mental health is part of choosing to be healthy! Good luck to you! Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes, just the crust. I've loaded it with veggies and sugar free tomato sauce with low fat mozzarella and parmesan. I have never tried the turkey pepperoni, but some people have given it good reviews. It is half the crust, and is very filling.

I've never tried that brand; the calories and fat are higher than I personally would want. I have been happy with Outer Aisle. See nutrition information, below. outeraislegourmet.myshopify.com(1).download

I ordered caulifliwer puazza crusts from outer aisle. A bit pricey' but much healthier and higher in protein. I also make vegetarian tomato sauce with veggie crumbles.... my adult daughter is vegetarian and it's a staple when she's visiting. I serve it with spaghetti squash and since it's very low calorie I'm generous with the parmesan cheese. I had this in phase 3 and had no problems with it. Don't worry too much about the "go see a therapist" comments.... whenever you mention a craving some people think you're about to dive off a cliff... let's face it, most if us had some level of disordered eating and I guess that's what works for some people. Good luck! Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

Congratulations!!! Your weight loss in 4 months is impressive. I find it sobering that I've lost 50 pounds, and I'm still so far from where I want to be. The sane part of me knows that I'm 50 pounds further than I would be without the surgery, of course, but boy this is a long hard road!! Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

From your profile it appears you are 18 years old. Speaking strictly from my experience, I was much more self conscious at that age than as I got older. I was an average weight person then, but was self conscious about probably a million other things. In our weight obsessed culture it makes sense that you aren't shedding negative body image thoughts as fast as the pounds. My hope for you is that through this process, with or without the help of a good therapist, you find your power, claim your voice, and nurture a healthy self love. Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

I realized early in the process that I felt shame over "having" to have surgery, rather than doing it "on my own". I owned the shame, and I chose to be open about the decision. The first few times I told someone other than close family and friends I felt myself flushing with how nakedly vulnerable I felt. Other than one sister in law, and 1 colleague, everyone has either not deemed fazed at all, or been supportive. People also aren't speculating on why I've lost so much weight in 4 months. When people who don't know see me and mention my weight loss I tell them I had weight loss surgery. If they have questions I answer them. This works for me. I also totally respect people's decision to keep it private. Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'll have to ask my nutritionist about the vitamin with biotin to stop the hair loss... I'd love to get my normal volume back. While I appreciate the support, I don't feel like I need to "get myself together". I was being honest about where my journey is right now. I put the work in every day. As for whether I'd act on lusting after someone else's man, I guess that would depend on the man just kidding.... happily married for 35 years and he's still plenty of man for me. Take care.

I get CVS brand fiber and stir in a tsp every day to my first glass of water. Sometimes I feel I need a little more, so I'll do it twice in a day. And yes forcing the water intake helps.

Great to hear from so many folks on here! I'm plugging along, I'm down a little over 50 pounds including the pre-surgery loss. I'm losing about a pound to 2 per week now. I've been walking a lot, and have started doing some more rigorous walks, although not anything that counts as "hiking"...My knees feel so much better, my stamina is up, my lung capacity is better. I try to make sure I get up and move for at least 5 to 10 minutes every hour, not so much for the calorie burn but to keep my metabolism up. It's been hard at times not to fall into grazing...We are home so much because of the pandemic, and at one point I was working from home 4 days a week. I try to keep hard boiled eggs, tuna or chicken salad ready in the fridge so if I need a snack I can have some protein. I also found I love sunflower butter, and a tablespoon of that with a half an apple, or some protein crackers is a great little snack for me. Frozen shrimp is also a new staple for me; I often have a salad with 6 shrimp for lunch, or make up a shrimp salad with reduced calorie mayo and lemon juice, red pepper, onions and celery. I am completely off the protein shakes, except I use Premier Cafe Latte in my coffee. I have a protein bar once or twice a week, but mostly because I like them. I eat between 800 and 1000 calories per day, which the nutritionist was happy with. Downsides: hair loss! Which is really bad right now, don't know why, maybe because I've lost enough weight to trigger it; Extra skin, especially on the upper arms, and boy head hunger is real. Also, I think the novelty is wearing off, I find myself thinking stupid things, like "I could eat just a quarter of the jelly donut" or "1 piece of pizza would be ok". So basically I am lusting after other people's food! I keep telling myself in maintenance I can try an indulgence once in awhile. I miss having a couple of drinks. My daughter is coming for a visit this Saturday, and we will socially distance out in the yard, and I would love to mix up some sangria (I make mine with rum and red wine....). Cucumber mint water will have to do! Stay well everyone! Nice to hear from folks!

Thank you everyone! I just ordered the year's worth for $99.00. Great bargain!