Life is Awesome!

[Creekimp13 5,840]

Stopping in for a minute to update with information others might find useful:) Don't intend to stay cause leaving the forum was a REALLY good idea for me:) It had become a daily habit that was sort of obsessive and weird...too much time spent here. It was time to refocus on other things, and I'm glad to have done so. I'm rooting for all of you in the trenches, though, and wish you every success!

Hit goal at the end of July, 170 lean mean pounds, eating mayo Clinic Diet around 1400 calories per day. Yep, I eat carbs. Tons of them. LOL. Mostly good carbs, though. I avoid refined stuff for the most part, but I do eat a lot of whole grain bread, Protein Pasta, whole fruit, and Beans.

Went on an amazing cross country camping trip with my daughter in August and continued to lose weight...which didn't make me particularly happy. (the trip, however, was amazing and I loved every minute!)

I look a little like Skeletor past 165 and I'd gotten down to 162...I was not feeling the love for that aesthetic at all....so I upped my calories to 1600. Couldn't gain, so started doing 1800 every other day...and that seems to have worked. I'd rather be 170....but I'm at 166 and holding...and I'm ok with that:)

This weekend I did my first community bike ride. Twelve miles! Hubby rode, too, and was insanely proud of me for finishing with the group. My hips and calves are feeling it today, but getting out in the sunshine and being physically ABLE to do that pretty comfortably was such a fantastic victory. Total freedom. God, it felt good! Also rediscovered my love of canoe river camping with my daughter last month. Sometimes I feel like losing 100 pounds has been comparable to getting out of a wheel chair. There are so many things I can do again. My favorite thing about the surgery has been the physical freedom and health benefits. The smaller clothes and aesthetics are great, but nothing compares to being able to move as much as I want for as long as I want. It's pure freedom and I'm so grateful. My walking obsession has recently turned into a running obsession and even with 46 year old aches and pains....it feels so damned good.

Best advice I can give on this whole adventure..... I think diet is a small part of this equation. What diet you prefer isn't particularly important. The bottom lines is fewer calories in, more calories out. Any balanced healthy diet works. Limit junk.

I think most of the challenge is in our heads......figuring out the crazy shite that made you hurt emotionally and made you eat. Figuring out what makes you ignore your Portion Control and eat when you're not hungry. Figuring out how to fix this stuff and redirect your psychological needs without ending up with another addiction. No one talks about it...and it's the core injury. It's what's wrong. It's what needs to be fixed. All this psychological crap that manifests in self destructive habits...the stuff we love to deny.

I hit a bad stall about month three after surgery. Best thing I did....was start to see the psychologist about the causes of my lifelong overeating. I credit my psychologist with my success almost as much as my surgeon. But mostly, I give myself the credit, because dammit, I worked really hard to figure this out. I'm grateful for all the help and support I was given, but in the end....I earned this:) I did the work. Yay, me, dammit! LOL:)

Will update with pics after the Bariatric Formal Event (as I lovingly call it...the Fat Prom...put on by my group). LOL:)

Best wishes to everyone! There are gonna be victories and stubborn spots.... and times your head pulls some absolute crap on you. Hang in there. Go to your appointments. Get mental health support even if you don't feel like you need it. Don't do exercise you hate...find things you love and enjoy. Don't eat food you hate. Eat stuff you love that is balance and healthy. Eat less. Move more. Gratitude is good medicine. Love your life. You deserve a life you love:)

Edited September 24, 2018 by Creekimp13

[KimTriesRNY 1,853]

Sounds like you are doing fantastic!

Congrats on hitting goal. Good to get an update from you!

[megolego 69]

On ‎9‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 10:14 PM, Creekimp13 said:

Stopping in for a minute to update with information others might find useful:) Don't intend to stay cause leaving the forum was a REALLY good idea for me:) It had become a daily habit that was sort of obsessive and weird...too much time spent here. It was time to refocus on other things, and I'm glad to have done so. I'm rooting for all of you in the trenches, though, and wish you every success!

Hit goal at the end of July, 170 lean mean pounds, eating mayo Clinic Diet around 1400 calories per day. Yep, I eat carbs. Tons of them. LOL. Mostly good carbs, though. I avoid refined stuff for the most part, but I do eat a lot of whole grain bread, Protein Pasta, whole fruit, and Beans.

Went on an amazing cross country camping trip with my daughter in August and continued to lose weight...which didn't make me particularly happy. (the trip, however, was amazing and I loved every minute!)

I look a little like Skeletor past 165 and I'd gotten down to 162...I was not feeling the love for that aesthetic at all....so I upped my calories to 1600. Couldn't gain, so started doing 1800 every other day...and that seems to have worked. I'd rather be 170....but I'm at 166 and holding...and I'm ok with that:)

This weekend I did my first community bike ride. Twelve miles! Hubby rode, too, and was insanely proud of me for finishing with the group. My hips and calves are feeling it today, but getting out in the sunshine and being physically ABLE to do that pretty comfortably was such a fantastic victory. Total freedom. God, it felt good! Also rediscovered my love of canoe river camping with my daughter last month. Sometimes I feel like losing 100 pounds has been comparable to getting out of a wheel chair. There are so many things I can do again. My favorite thing about the surgery has been the physical freedom and health benefits. The smaller clothes and aesthetics are great, but nothing compares to being able to move as much as I want for as long as I want. It's pure freedom and I'm so grateful. My walking obsession has recently turned into a running obsession and even with 46 year old aches and pains....it feels so damned good.

Best advice I can give on this whole adventure..... I think diet is a small part of this equation. What diet you prefer isn't particularly important. The bottom lines is fewer calories in, more calories out. Any balanced healthy diet works. Limit junk.

I think most of the challenge is in our heads......figuring out the crazy shite that made you hurt emotionally and made you eat. Figuring out what makes you ignore your Portion Control and eat when you're not hungry. Figuring out how to fix this stuff and redirect your psychological needs without ending up with another addiction. No one talks about it...and it's the core injury. It's what's wrong. It's what needs to be fixed. All this psychological crap that manifests in self destructive habits...the stuff we love to deny.

I hit a bad stall about month three after surgery. Best thing I did....was start to see the psychologist about the causes of my lifelong overeating. I credit my psychologist with my success almost as much as my surgeon. But mostly, I give myself the credit, because dammit, I worked really hard to figure this out. I'm grateful for all the help and support I was given, but in the end....I earned this:) I did the work. Yay, me, dammit! LOL:)

Will update with pics after the Bariatric Formal Event (as I lovingly call it...the Fat Prom...put on by my group). LOL:)

Best wishes to everyone! There are gonna be victories and stubborn spots.... and times your head pulls some absolute crap on you. Hang in there. Go to your appointments. Get mental health support even if you don't feel like you need it. Don't do exercise you hate...find things you love and enjoy. Don't eat food you hate. Eat stuff you love that is balance and healthy. Eat less. Move more. Gratitude is good medicine. Love your life. You deserve a life you love:)

Congratulations on hitting your goal and all of the amazing things you have been able to do and continue to do!

I love your dog by the way-reminds me of the beautiful blue-eyed Siberian Husky I had growing up

[Creekimp13 5,840]

Everyone loves before and after pics:) Figured I'd throw in a teaser for my reveal pics at the Fat Prom..lol:) It's been suggested I might be dishonest. Nope, I have not lied about any of my stats or my eating plan. Here's a little proof, as requested:)

My surgeon group is doing research on regain after bariatric surgery and the best way to prevent it. Part of the study I'm involved in included pushing us to eat 1000-1200 calories per day at 3 weeks post op. I can honestly say I have not eaten less than this since the third week after surgery. (this scandalized many people..lol. how dare I eat that much? and eat carbs! OMG! LOL)

Toward the end of hitting my goal, I was eating 1400 calories per day (sometimes 1600). I'm maintaining pretty effortlessly at 1600-1800 calories per day these days. 1600 is an extremely generous and comfortable daily intake limit for me, and I don't journal anymore...just kinda keep estimates in my head of what I'm eating....and as long as the scale looks good... I figure, Meh, close enough:) I do weigh every other day. If weight goes up, I pay attention. Honestly, I'm having more problems keeping it up than down. 1600 calories is a LOT of pea salad and oatmeal. It's a lot of stir fry and fruit. It's a lot of whole wheat toast and almond butter. It's a lot of complex carbs and Protein and veggies and tofu chili! I can afford to thrown in a Protein Bar AND have a Burger King Veggie Burger for lunch! (Ok, I can only eat half...and a few fries...but still! That's only like 300 calories and I'm stuffed)

And I do follow mayo Clinic Diet for the most part...because I love it. I bank my "sweets" calories and eat a treat here and there...and I'm allowed. I eat ice cream cones cause they're wonderful and require measurement. Though, I've gotta say, my tastes have changed. Refined stuff no longer sings to me. Love my complex whole grains! Lentils, Beans, chickpeas and brown rice? Don't mind if I do! I crave fruit. I am a watermelon addict. Would prefer it to candy, cakes and ice cream. And since fruit is fair game on my diet I eat my melon most days and feel pretty smug about it not even eating up my "treat" calories.

Time will tell when all the research comes in (I might be an anomaly), but it really looks like the folks in this study are doing well and are able to eat pretty normal balanced diets three years out without much regain. The whole idea is to not set yourself up for a starvation set point by restricting calories or carbs too long. Again, time will tell what we learn from the data...but I'm grateful to have my cake...and eat it (in moderation)...too:)

I feel like there's a terrific chance for lasting peace in my war with food. Sleeve surgery was a life changing, wonderful decision. Gratitude to my surgeon, to diet researchers at Mayo Clinic, to my psychologist, and to my incredibly supportive family. Thank you all.

PS...to all you ketovangelists...you do you! If it gets you where you want to be, that's awesome. Fight the good fight and do what makes sense to you. I've got no answers for anyone...except me:)

But I've gotta say....I like my diet better than yours..because...ya know...I can eat stuff. Neener, neener, neener:) LOLOLOLOL:) (I am SO teasing...) Best Wishes!

Myself and hubby in August of last year. Myself and the hubby in August of this year. Damn, it's nice to be the little one:) And yeah, I'm kinda hiding in this shot...but it's a teaser. Waiting on the formal wear for the full reveal:) So glad my hair is finally growing back! Whew!

[Creekimp13 5,840]

Lastly......if you have not tried the Flapped Jack Mighty Muffins at the bariatric store? You are missing out! chocolate Tart Cherry...Yum!

[summerset 5,265]

On 28.9.2018 at 6:56 AM, Creekimp13 said:

My surgeon group is doing research on regain after bariatric surgery and the best way to prevent it. Part of the study I'm involved in included pushing us to eat 1000-1200 calories per day at 3 weeks post op.

I personally think living or not living on 500-600 or 800 cals for a prolonged period of time has a major impact on how much you can eat in maintenance without gaining.

All the crash diets involving reducing calories to this level make people gain back in the end (or so we were told, right?) but with WLS everything is supposed to be different then?

Sure, there are metabolic changes that come with surgery that seem to at least partly prevent that infamous drop in metabolism when losing weight but do they reach as far as completely cancelling out metabolic changes that come with extremely low calorie dieting? I somehow doubt it because if things are too good to be true, they probably are.

So in the end people are in the same trap they know only too well and that comes with low calorie dieting, WLS or not. The worst thing about this is: too many WLS teams seem to encourage exactly this restrictive low calorie dieting!

Quote

I can honestly say I have not eaten less than this since the third week after surgery. (this scandalized many people..lol. how dare I eat that much? and eat carbs! OMG! LOL)

[Metgirl256 15]

Brilliant post and Brava!!!! So happy for you and see lots of wisdom in what you say.

[Frustr8 7,886]

A very nice posting, isn't it?