Some progress in photos!

[bellabloom 2,467]

I know it's not a huge difference but I'm jazzed all the same.  

That was about a week ago and those jeans don't fit anymore. Sweet!! I'm six weeks out and I didn't lose anything before surgery. My start was 240 and I'm at 200-202 ish. It makes me happy to see my old self coming back. And I feel like I'm walking on air!!

Edited January 21, 2015 by bellabloom

[bellabloom 2,467]

Right before surgery

Progress

[rdelly01 25]

You look amazing .... Can I ask what are you eating?

I'm 6 weeks out and have only lost about 15 pounds.

[catdaddy 232]

You're doing great

[bellabloom 2,467]

Thank you guys!! I have had some ups and down with another health issue that helped me lose about five pounds more than I probably would have, but most of it is just from this new way of eating!!

I follow my plan but I don't do the carbs I am allowed because carbs were a real problem for me and I don't want to slip back into that pattern again. I always keep my carbs under 50 a day. Most of the time they are around 20-30 a day. I believe this is the key.

I eat between 300-500 calories a day of primarily lean Protein and solid forms of it, not liquid. I got rid of the Protein shakes at two weeks. My surgeon encourages me to eat low calorie and not to drink my calories in any form even Protein. He say 400-500 calories a day for the first six months is great. The point of the surgery is for your body to live on your fat.

With so few calories it is vital that I eat mostly protein to hit my protein goal. I don't stress abouthitting the goal though. I usually get about 30-55 grams per day. I am still in early days and I feel confident my protein will go up over time as I learn and perfect my new lifestyle.

I don't agree that eating more calories leads to weight.oos because I don't believe in starvation mode. I agree that protein is essential for our bodies and eating enough of it is very important but I would never increase calories when I hit a stall. I just keep on going and it breaks, I increase my excessive, my Water, have a bowel movement, and it brakes. I don't stress.

I am pretty active with my job because I'm a pro photographer and am alays hiking out to locations. I try to find spots that are a good 30-60 minute walk there and back at least once a week. I like to workout and am getting back into it slowly, but easy on it because I have a back problem. I believe that lifting weights, not cardio is the key to weight loss. It revs up your metabolism like nothing else. It is the cure for stalls and it also makes us lose numbers and inches faster!!!! Lifting weights is my wonder drug.

Right now I do short easy circuit training routines with my weights at the gym or at home. I am building up to more but so far I stated doing it last week, 2 times a week with two circuits, weights about 8 pounds. My arms are starting to look great!!

Here is a typical day for me:

Am

I get up and drink some Water, take Vitamins and meds

I have a very small Breakfast as I don't care for food in the morning most of the time. A string cheese, a sugar free fat free yoplait, a piece of turkey lunch meat, an egg.

I drink water on my way to daycare school and work.

lunch

About 1 pm I get hungry and have lunch. I love sushimi (raw fish) Mexican fish tacos without the rice or tortilla just grilled fish and salsa and Beans, tuna fish salad, tomatoes with mozzarella, chicken chili, Tomato Soup, pulled pork meat, hamburger meat with no bun, omelet with mushrooms and tomato and cheese.

I won't want to eat agin sometimes all day depending on what and how much I had. I like an iced Decaf coffee in the afternoon as my water.

dinner

At dinner I cook for my family and I have a very small amount of what they are eating, or if it isn't appropriate I make food for just me. Think protein, vegetable. I love tofu and stir fries without the rice. Sometimes I let myself have a little bit of brown rice (1-2 tblsp or some baked potato as it's pretty low carb). I have stayed away from fruit. It makes me dump.

If I skip dinner I may have a my meal before bed, meat leftovers or maybe a little Soup if I stay up really late but pretty much I'm done at dinner, if I even eat it. Sometimes I have to skip dinner because I'm still too full from lunch because the protein keeps one full a very long time.

I don't do Snacks, I don't graze. My Snacks are my water/ low calorie drinks and my Vitamins. My dessert is my Calcium chew!! I don't do sugar free stuff much. I don't like the chemicals or the sweetness, and most of it is snack food anyhow. I focus on LEAN WHOLE FOODS that are unprocessed as much as possible.

When I cook I cook very yummy flavorful food because I only eat a little but of it and I want it to be good. The more I eat at one sitting, the less I eat later. It balances out pretty well. I've gotten into a good routine. I love low calorie sauces and dressings with my food. I measure these out though just to be sure I'm not over doing them.

I track with my fitness pal daily and I only weigh myself once a week now because it can ruin my day if I do it too often.

A couple other things: I have been moisturizing my skin with a tightening moisturizer from oil of Olay and it's making a big difference in the firmness of my skin. It's also making my skin look younger and look tighter!! I take extra good care of my skin.

If I do eat a bit on the heavy side one day or meal, I don't beat myself up. I simply make a note of it and try to learn from it and sort out why. When I get full, I stop!!! I have stopped eating from emotions and now eat for fuel and pleasure.

I only out food that is really good in my mouth. Why bother with anything else when I get so little? I don't eat unconsciously. I tune in and I pay attention to the cues my body gives which are loud and clear, and then I put the fork down.

I do struggle with eating a tiny bit fast, but I'm working on it. I find eating things I really have to chew slows me down a lot. So it's a good thing to have to chew.

Gain liquid calories are a huge no no. They don't keep one full and you don't have to chew them. Your body digests them too easily. I would advise no Protein Drinks as soon as you've passed into the soft phases.

My struggles

Getting my vitamins every time. I still haven't gotten used to them and I hate the taste of the multi bitumen but I'm working on it, looking for other options. I can't wait to be able to swallow than!!

Sometimes I don't eat enough in a day. I tire of foods easily and am very busy so it can be hard to carve out time to eat each day. It's hard to get variety and find things I like now. My tastes have changed. I don't like processed food so I have to cook a lot. I believe this will get better as I can eat more fresh veggies and learn new habits. I don't worry about it. One or two 200 calorie days every couple weeks won't kill me. I don't force myself to eat.

I eat out a lot because I commute to work and I have to pack lunches in the morning- it's hard to think about what to pack for me. I like eating out and have found some great options but it's not sow,thing to do daily. I used to eat out almost 100% of the time and I hated cooking. All that is changed. So I'm getting. Microwave for my office and I'll take the dinner I made the night before as my lunch.

And that's it! Simple. Low carb and calorie. (I'm not in ketosis yuck. It's not that low) 500 per day average. When I work out more I will go to 800 most likely. Lean clean protein. Whole unprocessed foods with chemicals and additives. Home cooked meals. Water and vitamins. Workout three to four times a week for 3o min especially weight lifting.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts!! I'd love to hear about you progress and what your doing each day!!

Edited January 22, 2015 by bellabloom

[rdelly01 25]

Thank you so much for sharing your day!!

I am doing the same focusing on Protein however I feel like I might be eating too many calories. Around 7 to 800 a day I'm about seven weeks postop. i'm focusing on low-carb less than 50 a day and I'm also trying to get back into the routine of working out.

I have lost 27 pounds since surgery, I know that's great but I expected more.

Started at 255 and was 247 Preop and I'm now 220. (I'm 5'2)

My day:

Morning - Vitamins and Breakfast usually a Protein shake because I don't really like to eat in the morning and wait a half hour and start focusing on my liquids

Couple hours later I have a snack as I start to get hungry, protein-based cheese, turkey, beef Jerky nuts, couple spoons of yogurt or hummus

Afternoon - more Vitamins and for lunch usually some kind of chicken and wait half hour and focus on fluids

Couple hours later another snack.

dinner - i'm usually not hungry at this point but I eat something small so I don't get hungry closer to bedtime and eat too late. Again it's some kind of Protein like a turkey rollup with veggie and hummus. And I focus on fluids half hour after the meal.

My biggest struggles are eating too fast which I try to slow down but I'm still not eating Sloan off as a couple times I have gotten sick from eating too fast. And going to the gym luckily I have a great support system and they drag me along even when I don't want to go the more I go the easier it gets. Usually go about three times a week although I would like to increase that.

Overall I am happy with the weight-loss I just had different ideas in my mind about the rate I would lose it

[fit_mom_in_training 7]

Bellabloom I am a 240 start weight with no weight to lose before hand as well! I am almost through my program and waiting on one more apt before I can book my surgery date :-) nice to your pictures you look great!