Some call them WOW moments, I call them WHOA moments!

So didn't feel like cooking since I feel like I've been cooking for 10 days straight through the Holidays so my husband suggested we go out to a little local dinner in our hometown, so I thought sure, why not.  I ordered a small side salad, my husband ordered a giant burger and fries and I ordered chicken strips for my daughter.  I ate maybe a cup of my salad, was so happy they had kidney and garbanzo beans, tasted great and maybe about 5 bites of my daughter's chicken strip that I stripped all the breading off of (too greasy for her and me!)... and I was driving home and thought... "WHOA! I use to eat a WHOLE dinner salad, maybe a few appetizers AND a full meal." And maybe be hungry later in the evening, amazing! And I feel so content (actually a little on the full side) and felt no jealousy of the giant burger!  Thank you GBS, I "heart" you!!! :) :) :)

Would love to hear anyone else's WOW moments! :)

Amanda

Thanks for your wow moment, Amanda - I haven't had any and am quite depressed at this time. No weight loss for 3 weeks, and no reason for it, am regretting surgery and anything to do with it. I need a big time attitude adjustment, and it is always good to read other's successes, knowing it should be and may someday be mine. We had surgery at the same time, and I have still lost only 20 lb since surgery - and I don't think that is much. How are you doing?

I was right where you were.  I literally lost no weight for over 2 weeks & since then my weight loss has been really slow.  I had surgery on 11/19 & I've lost a total of 21.2 lbs.  But, I just checked my measurements & I've lost 13.5 inches. 

Did you take your measurements prior to having your surgery so you could check to see if you're losing inches vs. pounds?

Are your clothes fitting any differently?  Even if you may not be in a different size yet are things starting to fit a little looser than they did before?

Did you take any before pics of yourself that if you took some pics of yourself now you could compare the 2?  Even though we've only lost 20 lbs. if you take a pic of yourself you may be able to compare them & see if you can spot some differences (like I can tell my double chin is almost gone & the rolls on my back have gone way down).

Do you feel like you have anymore energy, or are you able to do anything different now, 20 lbs. lighter, than you could before?  I can tell I don't get quite as winded going up & down my stairs as I used to.  Perhaps things are different or easier & you haven't even thought about it or noticed.

Looking for any little WOW moments, however big & small they may be, will help with not feeling depressed.  And just think, you're 20 lbs. lighter than you were before.  Those are 20 lbs. gone forever, so that is an accomplishment in itself!!

My doctor told me that WLS people lose on average 3 pounds a week (some lose up to 5 per week).  So, if you take your weight & divide it over the amount of weeks since your surgery are you pretty close to the 3 lbs/week amount? 

I know how very frustrating it can be to get on the scale & see it not move, but if it's at all possible can you hide the scale away for a few days & try to only check your weight every few days or once a week?  Not sure if that's what you already do or not, but I know I'm one of those daily weight checkers & it's hard not to get frustrated when the scale doesn't move or even goes up a little. 

And I would definitely express your concerns with your surgeon/doctor.  Maybe they can offer some suggestions on things to try to get the weight loss moving again.  I have heard that the 1st couple months can be slower with the weight loss while our bodies adjust to the huge change we made & the small amount of food we're taking in.

And definitely keep posting so we can be here to support you!  We're here for you & completely understand what you're going through, so if you need to vent or are frustrated come here & post & we'll respond. 

I haven't had any major WOW moments yet.  But I am feeling a little better because I have started losing weight again.  I lost 24 lbs. the first 2 weeks after the surgery and then NOTHING..well, a 1/2 a lb. actually but it felt like nothing.  This weekend I started losing again and am now down just over 30 lbs total in 6 weeks! 

Looking forward to the next few weeks to see what they bring.  The biggest change for me over the time I was stalling to now is my fluid intake.  I was having trouble drinking the 64 oz. my doctor wanted me to but now I am exceeding that and think that might be why I am losing again!

:)

That is an amazing WOW moment!  I had one like that on Saturday evening when I went out to eat with my hubby.  First I had a really hard time finding something healthy to eat on this menu of the restaurant we were at.  I finally settled on this super healthy sounding salad (ahi tuna, fresh asparagus & green beans, potatoes, & hard boiled eggs) with the dressing on the side, while my husband ordered this fried walleye sandwich with fries, mashed potatoes, & coleslaw (those are all the sides it came with!).  I get my food, and it's not the greatest (no real flavor), but wow was it soooo much more healthier than what my hubby was eating.  I ate til' I was full (which was barely any of my salad...just some meat, some asaragus & bean, & 1/2 a little slice of potato).  Watching my hubby & all the food he was given my jaw just hit the floor.  Even he was like 'Whoa, this is a lot of food'.  He couldn't eat it all, which is probably a good thing since most of it was pretty unhealthy.

My hubby said my surgery is starting to have a positive effect on him too.  He sees how little I can eat, and the kinds of food I can eat, and it's starting to make him analyze all that he puts into his mouth.  We've now made a date to work out together at the gym on Mon & Tues evenings (I also plan to work out Mon, Wed, & Fri mornings as well with a friend).

Even though my weight loss has been pretty slow (21.2 lbs. since surgery 6 weeks ago) I measured myself this past weekend & found I've lost 13.5 inches all around my body.  I've lost 3 inches off of my chest & hips each!  So, even though the scale is moving slowly downward, I am also losing inches & my clothes are fitting differently.  I am no longer in a size 28 pants (I'm now in a 26 and those are starting to get a bit big so I'm looking to see if I have some size 24s) & I packed up all my 5x (30/32) shirts! 

I'm trying to become less scale obsessed, or at least I don't let it control how I feel about myself.  I used to let it frustrate me & sadden me so much everytime I'd get on it & find that the number was the same.  Or I'd see what others who had surgery around me had lost & would get super frustrated with myself, thinking that I was being a failure.  But, if I look back, I've lost 21 lbs. over 6 weeks which averages out to be more a little more than the 3 lbs. a week my surgeon told me most people lose.  So, I'm really doing ok, and even though I thought I would've lost more by now, I'm happy with all my other WOW moments & I'm not letting a number on a scale rule me anymore!!!