April 16th role call - who's with me!

[Mschwartz924 45]

Welcome Matt! Hi everyone! My update:

April 10th 251 lbs

April 16th 240 lbs

June 24th 208 lbs

Total loss: 43 lbs

Success: started finally exercising this week!

Struggle: weight is coming off so slowly! Unfortunately my stomach can handle pretty much anything so I'm trying to stay on track w healthy eating! I want those 8lbs off so I can finally get out of the 200's!!

10 weeks gone! Wow!

[Nicey2u 228]

April 23rd

Highest weight: 270

Surgery weight: 250

Current weight: 212

Can not wait to hit onederland!!!!

Getting in about 80 grams of Protein a day

600 to 800 calories a day!

No problem eating anything... Mainly stick to Protein and some veggies!

[mysleeveid13 100]

Melodica - I'm sorry you are having trouble. I don't know if this would help, but I've noticed when I eat with regular silverware that I feel like a few bites in I get a giant lump in my sternum. Almost like the food is stuck. I bought some cocktail forks (which are super cute) and some baby silverware and it reminds me to take tiny bites. I've noticed I am more aware of my chewing when I use the small silverware. Sometimes if something tastes really good and I'm using normal sized, I tend to eat it too fast or don't chew as thoroughly and it feels stuck and is painful. I'm not sure if this helps, but I know when I've hit times that I've been sick or in pain, just one little thing sometimes made a huge difference. As far as upset stomach, I'm not sure if you are talking about nausea or just feeling yucka after eating, but two things really helped me. My surgeon suggested keeping sugar free cinnamon candy with me. I even branched out and got some SF lemon drops and SF lifesavers, but when I start feeling nauseous or just feel gross and don't feel like eating, I will suck on one of them and maybe it's mental, but it seems to help. If it's straight nausea, Zofran worked. I hope you start feeling better. Please don't stop posting because we are all here for you.

[mysleeveid13 100]

Matt - Welcome! Yeah, I have to agree that we talk about it all here, so I'm glad you aren't shy.

As far as differences.....

Before: Stopped going to amusement parks with my children because my wide arse couldn't fit into some of the rides without feeling like I needed a shoe horn to squeeze in.

After: I bought seasons passes to Six Flags and White Water and I ride EVERYTHING with no problems!

Before: Had trouble sitting in booths that were tight at restaurants. One of my "straws that broke the camels back" was when I took my daughter in for orientation at school and they had us sit in the desks that are attached to the chairs. I squeezed in (barely) but when I got up to leave, the desk was stuck around my waist when I started to stand up. I was mortified.

After: Room to spare in booths and other tight seating. With a lot of my belly gone, I have room for both of my boys to sit in my lap at the same time.

Before: This is going to sound worse than it is supposed to, but I had to sit uncomfortably during meetings if there was not a table covering my legs. Couldn't cross them very well and so much fat around my knees, I couldn't hold them together long enough to be considered sitting in a "lady like" position.

After: I didn't even notice, but one of my best girls at work pointed out that I sit with my legs crossed constantly now. Once she pointed it out, I was like, wow, I really do!

Before: I used to hide constantly. Under my clothes. Hide from people I haven't seen in years. I always thought they would say, "Wow, look how much she's blown up since high school!" I didn't even like to get up to go to the ladies room at work because I didn't want people looking at me.

After: I walk all over this office. Speak to everyone. I am happy with myself and cannot tell you when I felt this good.

[matt1912 316]

@@mysleeveid13

Booths at restaurants used to piss me off - there is the rule about no elbows on the table, however there is an unspoken objection to my gut being on the table that i noticed alot. Not good psyche mojo!

So, now - When asked, I say "I'll take a booth please." and slip my ass right in there. Just because I can!

Small victorys are meaning a lot to me now. more so than I thought they would.

Edited June 26, 2014 by matt1912

[butterflypinup 136]

Hahaha , mysleeveI only sit with my legs crossed now. Seems to be the only comfy position. LOL! YAY us. A little NSV that I hadnt even noticed til someone else brought it to my attention too! BAM! We rock!

Edited June 26, 2014 by butterflypinup

[katesuccess 990]

Matt1912, I gotta say I LOVE a man who knows that "no elbows on the table" rule!!! And yes, I'm also a recent inductee to the Booth Please Club. Such a nice nsv!

I'm 5"4" and 53

I was sleeved April 29 at 277

Currently at 246

Goal is 145 (I said 150, doc says 145...we'll see.)

And - I feel like I'm not losing as fast as I'd like to be. Hard to imagine with 800 calories a day, 60-70 g Protein, daily exercise and strict adherence to plan I can't lose at a better rate. Sigh. I'm happy with what I've lost, don't get me wrong, I just can't imagine how i could do more if even this slow rate of loss slows down any more, as people say it does.

I asked my doc yesterday, and he said his only real suggestion to spur it on was either to start working out for two hours a day before Breakfast (Eek!) or go Paleo. (No cheese or chocolate? I don't think so.)

Edited June 27, 2014 by katesuccess

[Melodica 64]

Thanks for the boost guys. The scales moved down another 4lbs, so that's about 7lbs this week so far. Not too bad. I'm looking forward to never seeing my weight starting with a '3' again. Only about 3 more lbs to go!

Still frustrated about foods though. I hated cooking before surgery (which is part of the reason why I was fat - fast food is easy). The surgery didn't change my opinion of it either. It's so frickin difficult to come up with meals. And even more difficult to remember to eat something every few hours. I know I don't eat enough and I've been horribly neglectful about taking my Vitamins. I'm amazed that I'm still losing and still have hair.

And welcome to the club, Matt! We could use a guy around here. I actually think it's interesting to see how people react to men having the surgery and how men lose the weight as opposed to women.

[katesuccess 990]

Seriously - trader joe's! Or the meat department of a BIG grocery store. I have a package of lean turkey meatballs - just nuke 2 or 3 and done. Packages of Babybel light cheese, eggs (buy hard boiled by the half dozen at most big stores now - and i make skinny deviled eggs). also in the meat dept or deli case buy a large bag of chicken breast strips and add them to anything. Nice think i noted after surgery is that i'm not so picky and such a glutton for all the rich stuff. So a simple dinner is fine. Go on a seek-find mission at the store and take pics of all the easy things you spot so you can make a list for later trips. Also be SURE to read blog and recipes and ideas on The World According to Egg Face - it's great for this! Hang in there - you can do this. It really takes some and some adjusting, and you're brave to take it on.

[Josh2xh 70]

Mind if I join your ladies club @@matt1912?

I was sleeved on April 25th. Starting weight was 290. Last week was 229. Today is weigh in day (I only jump on my old nemesis, the scale every Friday).

Edited June 27, 2014 by Josh2xh

[butterflypinup 136]

Welcome josh. Melodica I don't really enjoy cooking as most and when I do cook I cook for an army. I'm thinking now that I can actually eat without vomiting this last week to commit to one day a month and making stuff I can freeze and nuke later. Eggfaces blog has a ton of Protein muffin type things you can freeze. Sounds easy enough to me. I also bought 30 minutes or less meals and marked the ones I could eat.

Icouldn't take Vitamins until last week without getting sick. Since I have started to gag them down what a difference! I really started to feel down the last few weeks and the fatigue made it hard to get out of bed. A total omg wth did I do to myself feeling kicked in. The thought of maybe unhealthy and fat was better than vomiting all day long but now that I have concentrated on vits and eating reeeeeeeally slow I'm back to almost feeling like my happy awesome self!

I'm sure you will snap back soon sweets. Just keep telling yourself this is a long slow race. It will not be easy because if it was, we would of never been the size we were but it will be worth it. I for one think I will appreciate it even more since it wasn't easy and I did have so many bumps. Not that easy doesn't appeal still.

Baby steps and baby bites. Have a great weekend!

[Melodica 64]

Thanks for all the advice guys! I'll definitely try your suggestions.

[Desiree323 5]

Hello everyone, been a while again, I was reading a few pages trying to catch up a little. You are all doing so great the weight loss is wonderful!! I copied you guys and made a ticker! Hopefully I paste it correctly...

Sooooo I have a question, I think I am at a lull in weight loss (I can't say more then two weeks because I lose ounces) and usually I am good at this head game thing but I feel a little crazy about it. That feeling of I hope I did not go through major surgery for 50 pounds... I am sure its just a slow down, praying (lol) and jumping into a serious exercise routine, walking is not cutting it anymore...

I will not be all negative I am off my blood pressure medication as of last week!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more sleep apnea machine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I do feel amazing; I guess I just need more positive self talk!!!!

I was just wondering if anyone else is having a slow down and maybe anything you did to snap out of it...

[Nicey2u 228]

I'm in the same boat! Getting discouraged! I will go a week with nothing then 2 lbs then nothing and I am eating 1/10 if what I used to!! Hah I ha my fitness pal set at 600 but have upped it to 800 thinking maybe I wasn't eating enough!?? I wish I could speak to a nutritionist!

[katesuccess 990]

I think that's smart Nicey2u, and you may well not be getting enough. I hit a long lull and talked to both the RN who runs the program, my doctor and the nutritionist (it was a long lull!) and they gave conflicting advice. Doc said move more to an extreme, RN said stay down at 600 calories as long as possible (I'm two months out), and Nut said up the calories and back off the 6 days a week of exercising! SO crazy. I opted for a combination of doc and RN since that's who I'd have to go to if I need an appointment (Nut is out of pocket). BUT - if that's not working within two weeks, I"m going back up to 800 and lessening the exercise, like the nutritionist said. She thinks our bodies go into starvation mode and we need to nudge them back out. Sounds sane to me. Good luck.