LindsayT

I'm struggling so much eating right while on vacation. Tips. So far, I've been able to maintain, but I'm not losing. I'm just over 2 months from rny

I appreciate the kind words. It's definitely a challenge and a lot harder than I thought. But totally worth it!

It's going great. Meeting or exceeding all my goals. I'm down 50lbs since the preop diet, maybe more. We've been on vacation and my scale is all over the place when I use it on the RV floor. I can move it 3 times and it reads 3 different weights, so I need to find a good solid surface to get a more accurate reading. What I am struggling most with is getting exercise in. We walk most days, but I'm still really weak from years of neglect and need to add strength training. Here are my preop and 2 month post op pictures. Hope everyone is doing well!

All my plan said was to introduce slow. I haven't seen my nutritionist yet to get more specific feedback. So, I think I'll pick something and give it a go.

I hit 8 weeks July 1st. So I may try to introduce some more raw vegetables. I have done all kinds of cooked vegetables, fresh fruits, and raw cucumbers and tomatoes with no issues. I miss salads.

That's great! I'm hoping this will be my case as well. I despise that thing.

I usually do leftovers for about 3 days depending on what it is. I usually grow tired of it by day 2 or hubby eats it before I get to it. Though, he's pretty good at leaving me some.

That's great! Keep the momentum going.

Ya, pickles are a big no go. And I'm not overly fond of spicy and I used to love spicy. Artificial sweeteners are hit or miss. I'm still learning what i like.

Variety is nice. A friend of mine gave me a bunch of protein shakes to try before surgery and that helped narrow down what I liked. What I wasn't expecting was my tastes to change so much.

That's great! Shakes can really get old.

Yep! How's the proteins working out?

Maybe it's still air? I know you know, but give it time. My belly does all sorts of weird things too, like protruding in areas on day and fi.d the next. Who knows.

Epic stomach tattoo to cover them?

They usually don't go through old incisions because of scar tissue from the previous cuts.

Stalls suck. I totally get that. But it's a reality of our journey. I've stalled 3 times in 8 weeks and have still managed to lose 50lbs since the start of my pre-op diet. You got this. Trust the process.

How'd it go?

So much this.

In my opinion, losing slower is healthier. I know we should take advantage of the "honeymoon phase" and lose as much as we can, but slow and steady still can win the race, ya know. Happy the reflux has resolved! Non scale victories are just as important as the number on the scale, maybe more so. I also take monthly pictures and measurements, which are helpful when I don't think the scale is moving enough. Seeing the changes is super rewarding.

Weight loss is SO individual. Keep with your program, and you will lose weight. Between my preop diet and 2 months post op (10 weeks total), I've lost 48lbs. And i stall a lot. You got this!

I wear a cpap mask as well. I'm hoping that once I lose some more weight, I won't need it anymore.

Best of luck through everything. So happy this is finally happening for you.

I had lost roughly 60lbs doing Weight Watchers several years ago. As soon as I made it to goal, I stopped. In 3 years I gain back 100lbs because I couldn't control my eating. I'm only 2 months out from surgery, so I can't compare. I just know I couldn't do it again without help...thus surgery. I've tried so many diets these last 3 years and failed every time. I knew I needed to do something different this time around.

Not to change the subject, but they have a vaginal estrogen. Would that work for you in place of your patch short term? Just a thought.

Pinterest is a great place for recipes as well. When eating tuna/chicken/or egg salad, I don't normally eat it with anything. I want to keep the room in my stomach for the protein. To get fiber (and a little extra protein) with it, I like to add thawed frozen peas to my chicken or tuna salad. Maybe talk with your family about keeping snacks and other foods more hidden so they're not so tempting to get into. Another option is to make up your own snack boxes, so you can just pull them out. Maybe some reduced fat cheese and veggies, hummus and veggies, or whatever else you like. Meal planning (even out to eat planning) is so important for us. I have noticed that foods are way more unhealthy than we think. For example, our regular brand of pasta sauce has 16g of added sugar per serving (not to mention the added surger in a lot of food in the US), a small burger patty from a fast food place (no bun or condiments) is 280 calories, and carbs and salt are lerking everywhere in prepackaged and restaurant foods. For example, I got a cup of soup at Penara the other day and just looked at the calories when I ordered, once I tracked it in my app, it had over 2,000mg of sodium. Yikes! (Remember, track first) And I'm not scared of carbs, they just need to be the right carbs; however, they all add up. I try and stay under 60 carbs per day. So, I've learned to track before I put anything in my mouth, unless I know it meets the criteria that my dietitian has put me on. Sometimes, life happens and it's not always possible and none of us are perfect; it's really the effort we put in. Gosh, it's hard though. None of this is easy, I totally get that. And whoever said this was easy....well, I have a few words for them. I look at the surgery as a tool to help us fight back to get healthy and get our lives back, but it's still up to us to use it properly. (Not saying your not, it's more of a reminder for all of us). Again, I wish you all the best.