i1Linda

Hi Laura and welcome to VST! I hope your appointment went well today!

Longhorn - It does get better as your stomach heals and you get back to solid food. For example, I at 2 oz of pork, some salad and a few bites of augratin potatoes for dinner tonight. Definitely more than 4-5 bites. Totally satisfied. Hang in there.

Yay!!! I'm so happy for you. Keep your head up and stick to the program. It really works. :thumbup: FYI - I'm still stuck at 167 but my pants are getting bigger, so whatever. The laws of physics are on our side - eat less than you burn and eventually you will lose weight.

Tiff is right, once you heal and get back to real food, it gets so much better. I still have to admit, that every once in awhile, when I am REALLY enjoying something, I get frustrated when I can't eat much of it. My stomach says no more, but my head really wants more.

that is funny!!!:frown1: 2250 calories - what in a week??? :drool::lol0:

Congratulations JeepChick! Glad to hear you are doing well. Remember...walk, walk, walk, sip, sip, sip, repeat.

Just remember band size proportional to bust size is how you calculate cup size. The underwire in a 34D is the same size wire as a 36C which is the same as 38B, etc. I started out at a 44DD dropped down to a 34H and now am sitting at a 34F. My band size has gone down faster than my bust and therefore my cup size went UP but the girls are WAY SMALLER. The wire in my 34F is the same size wire as a 38D or 40C or 42B. I too thought they were getting bigger, but it was just because my rib cage was losing the fat faster.

I still count - just my way of holding myself accountable. I spent a ton of $$$ on this, and I am determined to get to my goal weight. With that said, I don't feel deprived or that I am missing anything really. Today I have had 597 calories so far, burned 450 calories at the gym. Part of those 597 calories was a brownie sundae to celebrate an accomplishment of my oldest son. I weighed it out, just a tiny serving because that's all I can eat, added each item into my tracker and here I am sitting just under 600 calories. It was sure yummy. Diet?...what diet? Still low on protein, so probably will need to add something late tonight, or up it a bit tomorrow. My sleeve allows me to have these treats occasionally but helps me control the amount. In the past, I would have eaten 10 times the volume and it would have completely thrown me off the diet wagon. (How on earth do you eat and track a 2100 calorie dessert and say you're dieting?) Basically, my sleeve helps me eat like a skinny person.

Okay - I know I'm late to the party but my favorite is A, second favorite is C. Either would look so CUTE on you. :biggrin0:

Good luck to both you and your mom, Lauren. Lots of prayers and hugs headed your way. Give us an update when you can.

I was back at EXACTLY two week post-op. Like someone flipped my switch back on.

Woo Hoo!!! Don't worry, the weight will come off. If you're anything like me, it will stair step off. I am stuck again and have been for 7 days. But give it a few more days and I will be down several pounds over a couple of days. Happens every time.

Wow, that sounds like fun!! I wish I could run (orthopedic doc says NO RUNNING for me). :thumbup: What a great goal. Tiff is right, we are going to need pictures. Good luck!

Congratulations Kai!! Glad to hear you are recovering nicely. It gets easier each day. Walk, walk, walk, sip, sip, sip. :thumbup:

Hi and welcome to VST!!! There are lots of generous and caring people on here that have lots of great information and wonderful support. Feel free to ask any questions you have. I love my sleeve and love my life with my sleeve. Good luck on your journey!

Good Luck tomorrow!!! Lots of prayers and cyber hugs coming your way. Keep us updated on your progress when you can. :001_tongue:

Stacy, Welcome to VST and congratulations on your surgery date! If you like sugar-free Jello, I would pick up some of that too!

Okay, I now the weather is frigid outside, but I can NOT seem to get warm, especially in my extremities. I am working from home today, fully dressed (long sleeved shirt, pants, socks, shoes, sweater) sitting at the table with my legs wrapped up in a blanket, the fire place on, heat set to 72 and my hair dryer blowing hot hair on my hands as I work on my laptop. My husband says our house is warm - I'm just not. I figure my body has basically decided it isn't generating any additional heat, its conserving what energy it has. It's basically telling me, "you starve me, I'll freeze you" - it doesn't want to use the extra energy stores (aka fat). I have never before wished for 100 degree days in Texas, but I am wishing for them now. Sorry for the rant.

There you are Vegas - I was wondering about you. Welcome back! I hope your mom is recovering quickly.

Under the Food Thread is a sub-thread on protein powders. Lots of good information in that forum. Users have listed their favorite proteins and OregonDaisy has a thread with a bunch of links for sample ordering information. I have found that protein is a personal taste - everybody has their own opinion. I would recommend ordering lots of samples until you find at least one you enjoy (or at least can tolerate).

Tdriver - I completely understand your thought process. However, I know myself and I know my history with dieting and that's why I had this surgery. I am a fantastic dieter (1200-1500 cal /day) for about 8-12 weeks. Then....I always fall off the wagon and can't get back on it. Burn out, boredom, just plain hungry - don't know but always gained the weight back plus a few. I started dieting mid-June and had my surgery just about the time I was tired of "dieting". The surgery took care of that, not hungry very often anymore and recharged the weight loss. I was looking back at different weight loss sites (like Nutrisystem) and looking at my weight loss and goals in diets past. I had set goals like 210lbs, 199lbs, 180lb was my lowest goal. Never would I have considered a "normal" BMI as a goal, it never felt attainable. But it is now. Very attainable. I am currently 13lb from a "normal" BMI and 27lb away from my ULTIMATE goal. Even better, I have no doubts I can keep the weight off forever. In diets past, I have always kept my "fat clothes", just in case. Let me tell you, my fat clothes are long gone from my house, even my old favorites. It's the best feeling. Good luck with your pre-op diet and your surgery. Keep us posted on your journey.

EXACTLY!!!! The sleeve is a tool. We each have to figure out how to best use it for our own body, mind and lifestyle. Find out what works for you.

Well here's my thoughts - you are both right on the money. I track to hold myself accountable for the fuel I put in my body. I don't beat myself for having treats. This is a life long journey and I want to enjoy it. But like Tiffany, I want to maximize my weight loss in the first 6 months. I want to be at goal total loss of 107lbs (27 lbs to go) by May 4th. I have dieted so much over the last 10 years and have never gotten close to my REAL GOAL. I would set higher goals to try to actually get close to them, but didn't do very well at that either. I failed because I wanted the junk, would eat the junk, blow the day, blow the weekend and eventually just say "screw it". I still love food, I still like to eat, and sometimes still want the junk (thankfully less often). But now, I have that cheeseburger when I want it (a bite or two anyway - thanks to my sleeve) and then I track it. I track it because it keeps me focused on my GOAL.

Congratulations Joan! The sleeve is an AMAZING tool. Keep up the good work.

I'm only 5 months out, but I just can't see gaining back any significant weight. Granted, I still have 27 pounds to go to reach goal and the get to live the life of maintenance. I just can't eat that much and just one bite to many makes me feel awful. We made homemade individual pizzas last night (during the Cowboys game) and I made one about the size of a small bread plate for myself. Loaded it with Protein and veggies. There was NO way I could eat it all. In fact, I only at 1/4 of it and a couple bites of salad and I was DONE. Nothing else for the evening except a cup of hot tea and bottle of Water hours later. I know that there are always slider foods (milkshakes, high calorie smoothies) that can contribute to weight gain, but that's just not me. I like to eat real food that requires chewing. With my sleeve, I tend to gravitate naturally now to the protein and just can't eat much of it.