I haven't been on this forum or OH in at lesat 7 months.  Looks like all new faces here, but thought I'd stop in to say hello to my old friends in case they're lurking!

I'm now 8 months post op and 7 pounds from goal.  I'm doing well. I have had no complications. I eat whatever I want, but sweets are now starting to cause some issues. (I like it! :D ) My meal size has grown over the 8 months. I eat slightly less than what a healthy person eats.  I'm still the same ole guy, just a lot smaller and a lot more energetic. I've added some newer pics on my profile if you guys/gals care to take a gander. Still don't seem to find myself in a lot of pics. Probably because I'm always holding the camera.

Some things I've noticed after losing weight:
- You still nit-pick about your body appearance. I still see myself as 330 lbs even though I know better.
- I have 10-20 times more energy
- Moving is much easier
- I no longer feel restrained by my weight. I can do anything without reservation.
- People do NOT treat you differently, but I have been in conversations where I was included in "us skinny guys". I suspect the not being treated differently is because I'm a man. I'm sure women are treated differently.
- The rules of weight loss are different for each person. I've been extremely lucky and haven't had to work hard at all.


Anyways, I'm alive and well.  I wish you all the best of luck with your weight loss!

Because of my great success with doing the Beachbody program Insanity I decided to become an Independent Team Beachbody Coach!!  What is a coach you might ask? Well Im here to motivate people with their fitness plan and to answer health and diet questions!! Mostly for those individuals doing Beachbody programs such as Insanity, P90X, Slim in 6, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, etc. But I dont discriminate!! If you are starting a running program, going to the gym, or just need someone to talk to I am here!!! Oh and before I forget, if you decide to do one of the programs you get special incentives not available to the general public.

All you have to do is sign up to Team Beachbody and request me as your coach, it is completely free!! 

www.teambeachbody.com/JOANSJOURNEY

You can reply to this post if you have any additional questions!!

Hello all,

I am looking at this HCG diet I keep hearing about. A friend did this with the injections and lost tons of weight. I know they put you on a very strict diet, so you can't help but loose.
I am looking at the HCG drops instead of the injections.

I would love to hear any feedback from anyone who has tried it.

I have had wls and it seems to be working well. I have been on the protocol for 2 weeks and have lost 10 pounds...I have about 10 to go. I dont know if it has change where I have lost weight at, seems just like any other time I have lost weight so not sure if it targets particular areas although I can understand what he is saying since one area may be "more fatty" than another. I was hungry up through day 8 then it seemed to change, not too hungry at all now. It is somewhat hard to stick to the strict structure but it was what I needed to get back into my "groove". I had wls 4 years ago and the last year got out of my eating well hence the weight gain. This has helped but i know it is just a short term fix. I need to continue to eat right to maintain this.

Just to add my .02.  I looked at my calendar, saw that July was relatively "light" in terms of extra stuff, and decided July 2nd was my "start my new life day".  I'd read it takes 30 days to establish new habits.  My husband likes to eat out and loves his junk food, so I asked him to leave for a month!  I realize most people can't banish their spouses for a month, (and I relented and let him come home on weekends - which, btw, made it harder to establish new habits, but sometimes we have to compromise).  I eat 200 calories every 2 hours from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.  Easy peasy.  That's it.  And I aim for 7000 steps a day, with the idea I'd increase as time went on.  Sadly, I have not done that, and still don't hit 7000 each day. 

The results?  So far, I've lost 25 pounds in the three months.  Nothing fancy, just sticking to healthy foods.  If you can only have 200 calories, you don't want to waste it on junk!  I am never hungry, and have only binged 2 times since I started.  Once I was going to have 2 tbls of peanut butter for my 8 p.m. meal, and soon I was digging in the jar!!!  I got the worst acid reflux that night, and haven't wanted peanut butter since!  The other involved pie, but we won't get into that! 

For the record, my husband still gets to eat out.  I've learned to just order a side of veggies (or two) and maybe have a bite or two of his entree.

I have come to be convinced that everyone has something that will work for them.  My plan might not work for anyone else, but it has changed my life.  If eating every two hours is not for you, something else will work.  Just explore your lifestyle, likes and dislikes, and you can figure out what will work for YOU. 

Not sure if my story can be considered a success yet or not, but I'm happy to be 1/4 way to goal at 3 months! 

Wishing you success!