Two or three things in general...Don't know what varieties of grapes you have.

The best time to prune is after a hard frost. Grapevines (unlike most other fruit) have the liquid and nutrients in the vine move backwards to prepare the vine for the next years growth (after that hard frost). So the vine could be pruned after the first major frost. But also doing it in March means you've had most of the cold weather behind you. If a hard frost/freeze occurs in late Feb/March you can prune back the dead canes from that freeze. Also in Ohio it would be nicer to prune in a warmer day than in December. Below is just a video I pulled off of Youtube on pruning. There are a lot to choose from. In California pruning is different that in other parts of the country. In the video she says two buds. Well here it could be 3,5,7 or more buds...Depending on the variety. Check with your local nursery on how many buds to prune. One last things...Leave a small cane in the middle in the front of the plant (1 to 3 feet high). This cane helps with oxygen. I don't know how that helps...But it does. Brian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XThftJ8CAKQ

Late again...Sorry. Sunday I was 199.5...During the week I was 201!! Extra eating and no burning off the calories. Today (Tuesday) 197.5 Much better. I'm not exercising, but I'm doing a lot of physical work (pruning grapevines, fruit tree, bushes)...That helps.

I wasn't sleeping well this past week. So I graze in the middle of the night...Which packs on the pounds. If I cut down on the sugar at night and work real hard (physical) during the day, I usually sleep well at night. This also keeps the weight down. So for me; exercise, physical work, less sugar, helps with the sleep and the weight. Common sense I know, but need to keep doing it. Brian

Yep, What He said and be sure to watch your serving size on ALL carbs...including fruit. 4" of a banana is ONE serving ..per .ADA. adding in fltered water, avoiding bottled water and "city, treated" water... I would go back to the protein and carb amounts prescribed by surgeon until weight loss is complete and limit carbs, depeding on your surgeons instructions. Some people who exercise in irregular amounts..ie heavy one day and light the next - have problems maintaining sugars on heavier days..so being aware of your body response is crucial.

Its your time to finish your weight loss to your goal now. after the first year it slows down very muchmore than in first year.. Determine your goal and press toward those goals now.

I would increase all proteins, including a shake balanced with SMALL CHO amt to balance it..( a serving of fruit? OR maybe one of the organic veggies you normally don't use but have outrageous benefits. (one half serving beets?) Rembember most carb loaded vegs are high in vitamins, if you react to a full serving back it up to 1/3- 1/2 serving and see if that also helps to make you less hungry for the things you really don't need. ie... I often crave foods and later find some other problem has lessened, after eating the craved for food.

If you are having Carb cravings , My surgeon recommended... B complex in sublingual form. I started for 3 days with 2 cc a day then backed off to the one cc day normal dose..

Thank you for sharing this situation! I've been in the same boat although albeit as a female. Sleeved almost a year ago, stalled around the same weight for three months. I am not where I wish to be as far as weight loss goes. I'd say I have another 60 pounds to lose (I've dropped about 110 from my highest so you know I am happy to be able to move more easily, lose the CPAP, bend over to pick stuff up, etc.).

I think I started to freak a bit about the loose skin and flappy arms and somehow I justified upping my carbs... Although I also think I do indeed have an eating disorder that needs 12 Step meetings and not simply WLS and MyFitnessPal. Thanksgiving brought just enough sweets to fire up my addictive brain and it's been exceptionally tough getting back to abstinence from sugar and flour. Having Christmas lie ahead with all the sugary malarkey that comes with that (I'm a grade school teacher) is something I am absolutely not looking forward to.

Plus I think I am bummed to recognize that my "new" life requires that I never eat those kinds of foods again. I think I am having a bit of a rebellious baby reaction to that, even though I was fully warned before the surgery.

Your comrade in the trenches,

LG

195.7 Last week
195.7 Today

Food: D
Water: C
Vitamins: A
Exercise: F

It's getting tougher to keep on track after one year of post op. I started weighing myself every morning. Too many goodies around and will power seems to have diminished. Yardwork basically over for the season.

But I will continue on with the battle! :-) My nutritionist is happy at 195, surgeon says 185, I say 174.

At 5'10.5" the actuaries say 174 is normal healthy weight. I have never held that title in my life that I can remember. It's a goal.

See you all next week!

-b0b