Search the Community

Thank you for the great information- I did get to consult with dr before— and got the v-shape as that was what dr preferred as well. I had 4lbs of skin removed from my stomach, and they lipo scuplted arms, waist and back to get the 2lbs of fat to use for the tiny bbl they were able to complete. I am 3 weeks out (as of Wednesday April 10) and am very pleased with the results so far. The back side is not super dramatic, which I am happy about. Surgery went well, although i did have to have an iron treatment because my hemoglobin dropped 4 points ..but after that i felt great. Instead of general they used an epidural and exparel- so I didn't need any major pain meds after. Just had a headache for a couple of days, so Tylenol was solution. Staying in a recovery house for a week was THE best decision for me to not push it and to make sure i could recover well— at home I’d have been doing things when i should have been resting. No real pain to speak of from anything- sore and tight might describe it best—but that eased up at the end of the week. I admittedly have a high pain tolerance, and after previous breast reduction and hysterectomy knew some of what to expect. Now, Im just working from home and living a fairly normal life. Driving, walking, etc with ease. In a few weeks, I will be cleared to start exercising- which I have never done— so slow and steady will be course of action. Ill post some pics when things settle and i don't look too Frankenstein like. Thank you all for the kind words and support! Plastics is a game changer!

Hi everyone, I had gastric bypass on February 27 of this year and I am down 53 pounds. My goal is to lose 100-120 pounds. While I am happy with the weight loss, I am losing muscle just as fast. I started going to the gym and hitting the weights this week. Of course I’m not as strong as I was before (I used to lift weights 10 years ago). I’m concerned that I won’t be able to get the nutrition/protein I need daily to start growing muscle again. Anybody on here bodybuilding months or years after surgery? Any tips or suggestions? Thanks

I will definitely get onto the team and surgeon! Start weight before surgery was 21.9 , 20.9 after LRD before surgery. Lowest after surgery 17 stone, currently at 19. After surgery total loss was 3 stone 9lbs which I think isn’t great surgery was feb 2022 got to 17 stone august 2022. Then gained now stalled at 19 stone for nearly a year.

My maximum weight was 303 lbs. I am currently 133lbs. I got my gastric by pass on May 7th 2019 in Pennsylvania. Since then I have had so many issues and I do not know where to turn to anymore. I feel the dr and I have gone through every option there is to go through and it is still not enough. Immediately after surgery I was having issues with eating. I followed all the rules took all the vitamins and meds I was supposed to. Still could not keep food down. I ended up having to take my gallbladder out in Oct of 2019. I was with a horrible person and she left me because of my issues with my stomach. I moved back to my home town of Peoria Il. I had to go on a search to find a new Dr. that would take me as a patient. I found this to be a rather horrible task as some Drs do not like to do that because they don't know all that the previous Dr did with the surgery. I finally found one and he is a great Dr. He has kept me alive. After the gallbladder surg. I was still having issues with keeping food down. This started in February 2020. The only thing i could tolerate was broth. At this point I had to take all my meds in a liquid form. Finally The dr. sent me to a gastrologist for an endoscopy. It was shown that I had some scar tissue covering the entrance to my stomach so they did a dilation. There was also an ulcer found. I was put on 2 diff acid reducing meds to get rid of it along with nausea meds. To prevent a tear they had to do this several times. I had dropped down to 118lbs. very malnourished. My health was becoming a huge concern. One of the times that they went in to dilate the Dr ended up putting a hole in my intestine. I had to have an emergency surgery for repair. I spent 2 weeks in the hosp. When I woke up in recovery i had a wound vac, drains and a feeding tube. i went home with the feeding tube. This is now Sept 2020. My new Gastric bypass dr was trying to get me healthy enough to do a revision to help me tolerate food. I had a revision scheduled for Dec. 2020. Since this was during covid I had to be tested before surgery. Yes I tested positive. The surgery was postponed until Feb. Finally i had my surgery and was hoping that this was going to be the last and all would be good. The feeding tube was removed and I had to start over from scratch with eating. Clear liquid on up. At this point I am weak and thinking the worst that it is all over for me. I kept up the fight and it kept kicking me back. I was able to eat a little better for a few months after surgery. Then it all started over again. Every time I tried to eat i threw up. I called the dr. He said probably more scar tissue and that meant more dilation like before. So that was the plan more endoscopies. There was also another ulcer found. Upped the intake of the acid reducers and still not going away. I just kept dealing with this and eating what I could. I put up with this for a long time. Then in Oct. of 2022 it got really bad again. I was in and out of the ER for pain so many times I lost track. The dr. went in to check things out and the ulcer was back. There was no Rhyme or reason for this to keep coming back. I was referred to a Thoracic Surgeon in 2023. I finally was able to get in to see him. He scheduled me for a surgery to have my vagus nerve removed. (vagus nerves produce the acid in our stomach and mine was producing to much there fore causing the ulcer to never heal. When i came home I was still not able to eat food it made me sick. I wasn't in anymore pain but still could not tolerate food except for soft foods. Then it would be next to nothing. Somedays i could eat a bit more than others. I was released to go back to work on 4*12*24. I have been to the er once again for pain and not keeping food down. I was given a gi cocktail and felt better. I called the Dr and was told when it hurts drink Mylanta. I am now to the present day and have no answers. Please tell me there is solution for this. I cannot do this forever. I don't wish this on anyone but I hope someone else has been through this and can help.

Is anyone out there like me? I had VSG surgery feb 2022. Started at 21.9 stone pre LRD diet. 20.9 stone after LRD , lowest after surgery 17 stone.  I lost weight the first year and then gained 2 stone currently sitting at 19 stone. Since jan 2023 the scale has not moved once , up and down by maybe 1 or 2 pounds but the scale is not moving. At all. I can count calories for a whole month and nothing. I can eat **** for a whole month .. and nothing. nothing makes my scales move and hasn’t for over a year. You can only imagine my frustration. is anyone else having this issue and if so PLEASE tell me how I can start losing weight and making the scales move again.

I unfortunately only spent a few months following surgery without being overly hungry, but after about the three month mark it came back with a vengeance, so I decided to do some research. I now consume Non digestive or Resistant meladextrin. Its a corn fiber that your body can't digest so; no calories, good fiber and probiotics purported to help with the following: Resistant maltodextrin is believed to enhance gut health by [19, 29, 30]: Promoting the growth of good gut bacteria Improving stool weight, consistency, and bowel movements According to some researchers, resistant maltodextrin has potential against obesity, diabetes, and heart disease because, in various studies, it has [31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39]: Reduced belly fat and body weight Decreased food intake Increased satiety hormones (glucagon-like peptide-1 and peptide YY) Lowered the production of the “hunger” hormone (ghrelin) Reduced blood sugar levels and insulin resistance Blocking the growth of cancer cells and tumors ** hasn't been proven** Decreasing endotoxins, inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers (TNF-a, IFN gamma, MDA) Increasing protective antibodies and anti-inflammatory substances (IgA, butyrate, IL-10) In clinical studies of over 200 people, resistant maltodextrin enhanced the growth of good gut bacteria, including [19, 29, 44, 47, 48]: Bifidobacterium Ruminococcus Eubacterium Lactobacillus Lachnospiraceae Bacteroides Holdemania Faecalibacterium As a resistant starch, this type of maltodextrin will help keep your blood sugar level stable after meals. In a meta-analysis of over 900 people, resistant maltodextrin blocked the increase of blood sugar after meals (postprandial glycemia) [37]. resistant maltodextrin decreased blood glucose and insulin levels. It increased a weight-loss protein called adiponectin that blocks glucose production. 3) Obesity In several clinical studies of over 300 overweight people, resistant maltodextrin reduced body weight, body mass index (BMI), and body fat. In one 12-week clinical study of 30 people with metabolic syndrome, it decreased waist circumference and belly fat [31, 55, 35]. In clinical studies of over 160 overweight men, resistant maltodextrin decreased feelings of hunger, increased satiety, and reduced and food intake. In another study on 32 healthy people, it decreased levels of the “hunger” hormone (ghrelin), lowered feelings of hunger and improved satiety [31, 32, 33, 34]. In rats, resistant maltodextrin reduced body weight, belly fat, and suppressed excess food intake [56, 6, 50 I found numerous research studies that pretty much said the same things above..so I figured I'd give it a try. It has no flavor and desolved completely so I just add it to my water plus it has no calories and helps regulate Ghrelin (hunger hormone). It really seems to help! I just make sure its non GMO etc etc. Perhaps it can help you, I figured it couldn't hurt and I do feel less hungry...still by try but less.

Since my surgery in 2017 I've lost my weight loss powers. I'm a mere mortal when it comes to weight loss. That being said I do the following: 1- Weekly weigh in and log it in 2- Stop eating at 7PM and start again at 7AM (I usually go to 9AM) 3- Eat the same thing every day. For me, Breakfast greek yogurt and hard boiled egg, cup of coffee Lunch, tuna fish, sardines or salmon from a can (no additives such as mayo) dinner broiled or baked seafood with a salad. I will also eat a costco protein bar if I need it. 4-Excercise, for me 3x at gym nothing too strenous just 30-45 on treadmill 5 degree incline with a brisk 3.5 mile speed walk Very Very difficult to stay within 5-10 pounds of goal weight then try to get back down. Vigilance and sorry to say obsession are my keys. It's a struggle every day.

Hi @Beljer72 How are you getting along? I had mine 10 days before you. I'm generally fine but have very dry skin, am still quite tired and have had horrible cystitis for the past few days ...

My 3 week stall happened at 2 weeks. I was so discouraged! I lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks, then...crickets. But I found all kinds of information here about the infamous 3 week stall, which apparently can happen from 2 weeks to 4 or 5 weeks post op. It broke after 2 weeks and I have been steadily losing since, although it is slow. My surgeon said that since I didn't have a lot of weight to lose it would progress more slowly. I'm not thrilled with that, but as long as I'm losing (and honestly it seems effortless at this point), I'm happy.

Good Afternoon, This is my firs posting so excuse me if I am a little rusty at this. I had my Gastric Bypass on March 19, and my Surgeon said to drink the Clear Liquids for the next 2 weeks. I go to him tomorrow for follow-up. Yesterday my Nutritionist said I should start today with "Stage 3/4" eating solid foods. My Surgeon had told me before my surgery that I would do the following: 2 weeks before surgery - clear liquids 2 weeks after surgery - clear liquids up to 3 months after surgery - thicker liquids after 3 months - introduce solid foods Now both my Surgeon and Nutritionist have conflicting statements. My Nutritionist states Phases. Does anyone know what phases you consume what? I thought It was - Phase 1 - clear liquid, Phase 2 - thicker liquid, Phase 3 - soft solid foods, Phase 4 - easier to digest full solid foods. Any clarification would be Greatly Appreciated. Yes I will be asking my Surgeon tomorrow also. Thanks, Terri

Hi Everyone! I’m having my VSG surgery tomorrow, april 3rd and i plan on documenting my journey here. I’ve searched and read countless threads to try and anticipate what tomorrow will be like so i thought i’d create this topic to document and be able to look back on how things went. I’ve been in the pre-op requirement journey since october 2023, my requirements were pretty flexible: 10 days of nutrition, psychological and art therapy as well as physical activity classes in a specialised facility - there were also mandatory support group meetings to attend during the past 7 months. I also did not have any pre-op diet as my surgeon doesn’t require any weightloss before performing the surgery. I’m happy with the team i have working with me, and the clinic has a great reputation. But, obviously nerves have started to kick in and for the first time i’m actually scared. What if something goes wrong during surgery ? I guess these are normal thoughts, just trying to get through the stress and get to the other side of the surgery so i can concentrate on the long road ahead :) I’ll report to the clinic at 8.30 am tomorrow, and my surgery is scheduled for 10 am. Hoping everything goes well !! Fingers crossed.

He said after "You're a big fella" which translates to me he had a little trouble with scaring after 10 yrs and the port needed to be cut out which is the only pain I have. Huge scare on belly. Came out of anesthesia better then ever, I believe not asking for pain meds helped with recovery. I did take them to rest at home after. May start a new thread about pain level after sleeve as in do you feel the stable pain of just incisions.

It honestly depends on your clothing budget but I would want to have at least a couple outfits that truly fit at each size. Consignment shops and thrift stores are your best bet (the church ones tend to have better prices because they price each item based on brand and condition rather than making all jeans or all tops a set price. Im sorry but a worn out camisole shouldn't be the same price as a silk Michael kors blouse with the tags still on it. Yet at goodwill, you will find them next to each other both marked $4.99 (or whatever price they have on tops). This is great if you find the nice top with the tags in your size but I usually don’t. lol. I would rather go to another store that prices based on quality and pay $10 for the nicer blouse. I wish I had more consignment stores near me because that would’ve been a great option. They would most likely buy back everything as it becomes too large so you would always have a credit to apply to your next visit. Plus, consignments stores tend to sift through and not take that really worn out camisole plus they organize the clothing by sixes a bit better. Tjmaxx, Marshall’s and Ross are good too. Especially their clearance sections. Clothes shopping becomes so much fun as you begin to really lose and I is not deny myself that but I did keep my real big splurges to accessories so they wouldn’t be too big in a few weeks. Whatever you do. Don’t forget to budget for a couple overhauls of your bras and panties. Because as mentioned before those will need to be sized down a few times as well.

I lost 70+ lbs. before I had my surgery. I've been eating healthy for a while now. But, it starting going into overdrive back in October. As of my weight today I've lost 25 pounds since my surgery. I had a 10 day stall and started to worry a bit because it was the time between my surgery and when I started soft foods. My surgeon and Dietician told me that would happen. I expected it, but it still had me second guessing at the time. One thing I've taken from all of the stories everyone has, nobody loses the same. I keep that in mind and then realize I'm only 7 weeks post op. I try to walk a 1-2 miles at least two days a week or more. I would like to walk more, but I have a torn meniscus that's going to require a full knee replacement (bone on bone). So, I'm limited without being in a lot of pain. On the days I don't walk, I use my rowing machine or I do some resistance training with a band or light weights. Thanks for your advice and story of what you've been through. I hope you're able to get where you want to be and I wish you the best!

Not jiving in my mind. I was ALWAYS thin and active. Once I got pregnant with my son, my PCOS really kicked in. I gained almost 100 pounds and only lost 35 after I had him. Nothing I did worked, but back then, doctors didn't know much about PCOS (this was April of 1998). I worked out, ate fairly healthy, did a lot of swimming, and still nothing worked. Because of my PCOS, I then had 10 losses (and gained weight with each pregnancy). I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2005 as well as insulin resistance. I was put on Metformin, which helped me drop down from 322 pounds to 301 pounds. I got pregnant with my daughter and had her in Sept 2006. At that point, I was 355 pounds. I stayed on Metformin, worked out, improved my eating even more than before, and went down to 340 pounds. And never lost another pound. At all. I also was never able to get pregnant again. Through the years, my weight ballooned up to my highest weight of 421 pounds. I ended up getting type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, painful joints, mobility issues (needed a cane to get around), and I was wearing size 28/30 (4x/5x), size 10 rings, 22"-24" necklaces, no bracelets (none fit me). I exercised so much for so many years, but the PCOS really did a number on me and stopped me from getting healthy. After a while, you start to feel defeated and give up. Why kill myself dieting, working out, doing everything right to, at best not lose weight, or at worst keep gaining?

Good morning! I'm 10 months and 19 days Post Op (Gastric Bypass) after the 8 Month i started eating more than 8oz per meal to feel satisfied, I'm literally eating almost a normal plate of food and now I'm worried that my pouch stretched. Is this normal? Right now I'm not gaining weight (thankfully) but I'm scared i might mess my surgery up later on. Thanks in advance for your replies!

Aaah, vanity sizing. They’ve been slowly making clothing bigger for years but don’t change the size on the tag. No one wants to admit they’ve gotten bigger & need a larger size. 😉 I had an aunt who swore she’d always wore size 7 shoes but ignored that fact she was much, much larger than she was when she was young so her feet were larger too. She’d rather squeeze her feet into a too small shoe than admit she needed a larger size. Though I’m an Australian dress size 4 or 6, I wear size 10 knickers & my bras are a 10 band. I believe underwear is the only clothing items that have remained the most true to & consistent in size over the years. But then I do recall bra manufacturers making band sizes larger some years ago because women were getting broader across the back. Mmmm?? And don’t get me started on size guide measurements. With some brands, using their measurements I would need 1 or 2 sizes larger than I actually wear in the brand.

i've been buying creams, lotions, botox, masks, fillers, microneedling, morpheous8, light therapy, RF treatments for the past 4-5 years. i apply moisturizers and sunscreen and masks like its going out of style. honestly, i probably could have had 2 face lifts with the amount of money i've dished out so far. nothing stops the effects of aging (nor weight loss) permanently, and few things effectively pause it. surgical face lifts are the most effective (and longest lasting) defence against aging, sagging, wrinkling skin. i'm seriously contemplating getting one, but i scar horribly so im hesitant. long story short, creams and moisturizers will do little for damage already done, but can assist in keeping future damage at bay. microneedling, morpheous8, light therapy *may* work, but you require several sessions to determine if it will even work for you. botox and fillers have immediate effect, but don't last long and require ongoing treatments to keep up. face lifts are expensive (and surgical!) but will probably make you look 10-15 years younger for about 10-15 years...but then you'll need another one for touchup or upkeep. ....or we can embrace our aging faces (something i personally would love to do, but honestly am not ready to do yet hahahhahaha) ❤️

Hi everyone, I had Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy in September 2023. my starting weight (on the day of surgery) was 102 KG and today march 27th 2024 I am 70.6 KG so I've lost a total of 31.4 KG. My height is 165 cm. so I believe I'm almost close to my weight goal. I want to lose maybe 8-10 more kilos and I think that's good enough for me. I took photos of my body on November and yesterday I took photos as well to compare both. however what I'm noticing is that although weight number has gone down, I do see difference in shape of my body (legs, arms, face, back) but I have an issue with my stomach. it has gotten better and smaller, however for someone almost going into 60's I don't think my belly should be looking this big. Do you guys recommend anything to do or try or should I see a doctor about this? please help! I don't want to struggle with reaching my goal weight and having a big stomach still.

Hi everyone, I had Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy in September 2023. my starting weight (on the day of surgery) was 102 KG and today march 27th 2024 I am 70.6 KG so I've lost a total of 31.4 KG. My height is 165 cm. so I believe I'm almost close to my weight goal. I want to lose maybe 8-10 more kilos and I think that's good enough for me. I took photos of my body on November and yesterday I took photos as well to compare both. however what I'm noticing is that although weight number has gone down, I do see difference in shape of my body (legs, arms, face, back) but I have an issue with my stomach. it has gotten better and smaller, however for someone almost going into 60's I don't think my belly should be looking this big. Do you guys recommend anything to do or try or should I see a doctor about this? please help! I don't want to struggle with reaching my goal weight and having a big stomach still.

Hi everyone, I had Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy in September 2023. my starting weight (on the day of surgery) was 102 KG and today march 27th 2024 I am 70.6 KG so I've lost a total of 31.4 KG. My height is 165 cm. so I believe I'm almost close to my weight goal. I want to lose maybe 8-10 more kilos and I think that's good enough for me. I took photos of my body on November and yesterday I took photos as well to compare both. however what I'm noticing is that although weight number has gone down, I do see difference in shape of my body (legs, arms, face, back) but I have an issue with my stomach. it has gotten better and smaller, however for someone almost going into 60's I don't think my belly should be looking this big. Do you guys recommend anything to do or try or should I see a doctor about this? please help! I don't want to struggle with reaching my goal weight and having a big stomach still.

Long rant ahead sorry ... So, I'm slightly angry (understatement). I saw my french primary care doctor yesterday. She's never been great to be honest. I've been seeing her for 6ish years. 5 years ago I gained over 80lbs pounds in a year and a half going from 118lbs (that had been my standard adult weight since my teenage years with a BMI of 19) to 200lbs ( BMI 32.3) after taking antidepressants. I stopped the antidepressants after a year because the weight gain was making me more miserable than I was being slightly depressed and thin. I have been struggling to loose the weight since... loosing and regaining the same 15-20 lbs again and again. As I've mentioned before, I have slight cérébral palsy - nothing too bad but enough to make walking pretty painful on my legs when I hit over about 130lbs and to make me generally clumbsy - I also lack gross motor coordination and don't have the best fine motor skills either... I can't really do any sports that require coordination and can only really ride a bicycle in a flat straight line and it takes a lot of mental effort for me to keep my balance, crowds freak me out because I'm scared of tripping and falling and don't even mention jumpy little dogs, my nemisis as my balance is so precarious. However I've always made do and It's never stopped me having an enjoyable fufilling life and a pretty decent career. My weight gain really really made me suffer, emotionally of course, my self esteem, my self worth etc ( I live in Paris which is the thinnist city in a thin country ... and it's not a place where people are kind to overweight people at all - I checked and the mean BMI of a Parisienne woman is 22.3 - so when you hit a BMI of 30 here you're really a fat outlier and are basically scorned in all public spaces ). It also made me physically miserable and I lost the little flexibilty I had - constant pain when walking - loss of gross motor skills, trouble showering standing up at 30 years old, not being able to put my socks on etc etc. For the last 4 years I have been to my Primary care doctor about 5 times asking for a referal to a nutritionist - she's always refused as told me "but it's simple, you just need to eat less and move more, it's not magic, No need to waste money on a nutritionist if you have no willpower "No **** sherlock! She has no idea the willpower it takes to get out of bed at 200lbs with cerebral palsy when you feel like your legs are litterally going to snap, when your feet are burning with weight stress induced neuropathic pain. In January I finally cracked after a lot of introspection and thought and booked my VSG for February in Turkey. I've now lost 35lbs since my preop diet so in just under 2 months. I already feel a lot better, the pain when I'm walking is lessening, I'm fitting back into the "second round" of fat clothes I got myself. So I walked into her office yesterday ( I had the intention of "fessing up" to having had a VSG and asking her for iron supplement ideas as I'm still being sick when I try and take iron ) She took one look at me and said "ah, you've finally found your willpower, loose another 20kg (40 pounds) and you'll be an attractive young woman again" I had a surge of red rage inside me, I kept my calm, but didn't tell her about the surgery, I just smiled and told her I needed a refferal to a dermatologist for a mole on my face and left. I'm never going back to see her again. I spoke to my physical therapist on the phone this morning and he sort of helped he said "can I be unprofessional ? Honestly, qu'elle aille se faire foutre, (she can go f*ck herself)" Lets find you another doctor." My physical therapist knew about the surgery, as did my orthopedic surgeon and booth agreed that with my CP anything is better than being even slighty overweight and that the surgury was worth the risk as they've both seen me loose my mobilité over the last few years and has seen how its affected me. They said that if I could afford to go private abroad I should because If not I'd have to jump through hoops for years in france because my BMI (32) wouldn't have been considered high enough as a stand alone. So yeah... this weekend I find myself another doctor who's not a fatphobic arsehole and has a minimum of human compassion. And for the iron I'm just going to go and ask directly at the pharmacy what the have to propose. Sorry that was long but I just had to get it out, I'm slowly realising all the **** I've put up with because of my weight these last years and I am ANNNNGRYYYY!!!! Hope everyone is having an okay hump day!

Thanks again @Arabesque and @ChunkCat for your advice earlier. I haven't been checking in as much, dealing with continuing health issues. Healthcare providers are difficult to get scheduled with in my area, so I'm just now getting to follow up with them. I've been waiting to get scheduled with a Neurologist since August, but no luck. I've had to burn my days off with work due to Covid at the beginning of the year, so I'm not able to get in with a specialist since the closest one available is about a 4 hour drive from here. There's also no immunologists with availability in 2024 within 4-5 hours from here either, so I'll be waiting on that for a while. I am getting in with a cardiologist to see what is going on. My heart rate is dipping down to 28-29 bpm in my sleep, and I wake up feeling exhausted. I'm on a CPAP and also getting another sleep study scheduled in April to see if adjusting that will help. I'm still just walking about 1-2 miles a day. I walked 4 miles a couple weeks ago, and was hardly able to get out of bed for 3 days. I've never been that drained from that relatively small amount of exercise before. Luckily I was able to work from home and had my laptop in bed with me, but it was a struggle with the 12 hour shifts. I am getting frustrated since I've gained weight back, and I'm 10 lb heavier than I was at New Years, but my primary care thinks whatever issues I'm having is killing my metabolism. I'm starting back on my pre-op diet this week to try to lose a little more. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know, I am open to them. Thanks!

i think it all depends on how much actual fat you still have left when you get plastics. even if you reach "goal weight" you may still be carrying subcutaneous fat along with the excess skin. i've read of folks on here who have dropped 10, 20, 30 lbs after plastics, so it has been done. me, I lost a grand total of 400g (i.e., 0.88 lb), so basically nothing....BUT it made a huge difference visually, so...

Hey there, fellow Massachusetts person! Here are a few options that might work for you for protein: If you like soups such as creamy tomato, butternut bisque, etc., add a scoop or two (10-20g protein) of unflavored protein powder such as Isopure or Syntrax to the soup. Also, if you make a canned soup like cream of chicken, make it with Fairlife skim milk for even more protein. 1/2 a cup cream of chicken with 1 scoop of protein would give you about 17g protein. If you are at a stage where you can have apples, make a great protein dip by taking 1 cup Greek yogurt and adding one serving chocolate protein powder and 1 scoop powdered peanut butter and eat 1/2 cup with 1/2 an apple. This gives you around 25g protein depending what brands you are using and tastes delicious. A great source of plant-based protein is edamame, which they sell already shelled and lightly salted, ready to eat, in the produce section of Hannaford (and probably other stores, I would assume). Also, four of the cracker-sized slices of Cabot cheddar have 8g protein, and if you pair it with Triscuit thins, that's another 3g for a nice 10g snack (when you can have crackers).