101 Pounds Gone FOREVER & some new issues......

I am sooooo excited....this morning I got on the scale--after a three day "stall" and had lost a couple pounds, which means....

I HAVE LOST 101 POUNDS SINCE MY SURGERY 4 MONTHS & 3 WEEKS AGO!!!!

Wow---such a great feeling.  I had to do a 2-day pre-op diet & I weighed 293 pounds the morning I started that...today, I weighed 192......so, 101 pounds gone forever!!! 

AND....my BMI is now 29....so, I am "just overweight".....and not classified as "obese" (or morbidly obese) like before...that's also a wow moment for me!!!!  Whodda-thunk I would be celebrating being "obese"??? :)!

My next goal will be to get to 189---because that is what I weighed the day of my surgery....then, Dr. Houston's goal for me is 155--that's 37 more pounds...I'd like to stay between 145-155....so, somewhere between 37-47 more pounds to goal & then I will have lost all my excess weight!

I am so happy about this....there are  a million things I should be doing right now, but I just wanted to post this.....I am so thankful.

I have, however, had some new "issues" creeping up that I am concerned about.  It's funny...I watched "Ruby" last night--I don't know if anyone follows that show, but she is a woman who lives in Savannah, Georgia who weighed 700 pounds &, as of last night, weighed in at 333.....she has not had weight loss surgery....she is doing it with diet and exercise, but, last night she touched on a few subjects that made me think.  First, her fears about gaining the weight back & the times she had failed before.  She didn't want to let go of her "big" clothes, because she was afraid she would need them again. 

Now, I have no problem getting rid (quickly) of my big clothes...in fact, I have said g'bye to 24s, 22s, 20s, 18s, 16s, 14s &, soon, 12s.....that is a great thing for me.....but, I have, just recently, started having some fears about not being able to lose any additional weight....of course, today was a relief, because the two pound drop made me feel better, but I am starting to have to change my focus on getting to goal & staying there.  First, it was all about getting approved....I was so focused on that & getting the insurance company to pay for my surgery.  Then, it was being able to follow the plan after surgery & getting all my protein in & my fluids, supplements, etc......

Right now, I am battling a little bit of a sweet tooth and fears that this weight loss will not be long term.  This scares me because sweets were definitely my downfall before surgery....I was a complete sugar addict.  I am not caving into the sweet tooth, because I am terrified of dumping....and I want it to stay that way. But, I notice that instead of eating a piece of cheese or lean protein, I will have a teaspoon--or more--of sugar free cool whip...and I really look forward to it.  It hasn't hurt my weight loss, but, still, I worry that I am going back to bad habits.  I am getting my protein in, for sure, and my fluid & supplements.  But, the other night I even had a sugar free pudding & it was so so so good.......then I wanted another one.  I am worried about that, a little bit.  This is the first experience I have had since surgery where I am actually "craving" things....and especially, since a lot of protein (chicken, etc) still gets "stuck" and I do have to deal with frothing & throwing up a bit....especially if I don't chew enough.....I enjoy things that go down easy....like Crystal Lite Decaf Tea w/lemon (which is fine) and sugar free cool whip & that dang pudding.  I have also had nuts---pistacios, which are high in fat---they are small & I like the salty taste, so I do eat those---not a ton, but sometimes...it gives me a little protein, but it does add quite a few calories to my 600 calorie/day limit & fat, too. 

So, what do I do?  I have already said no more pudding in the house----even if it is sugar free....and I am battling with outlawing SF cool whip---but I haven't been that strong yet---part of me doesn't want to b/c it is really just sugar free cool whip (in the big picture, it's not Cadbury Cream Eggs or cup cakes & I'm not baking Toll House cookies and eating 12 of them in a day)......but, I don't want to slip back into old (bad) habits.....I am trying to think through this all & work it out so I can make good decisions....I guess that's a good place to start.  I'm just starting to realize that I am going to get to goal & I wonder if there is some underlying issue that is making me add things that might hurt my weight loss or if I am just naturally starting to want more/different things because I am 4.5 months out.  If I am sabotaging, I wonder if I should seek therapy...I will admit that I have never, ever been a big believer in therapy-----I feel like I have a great support system & I am able to see problems that I might have & find ways to resolve them on my own so that I have a happy, healthy life.  But, what if, like Ruby, there is some deep underlying issue that is making me want to eat sweets......should I go talk to someone about that or should I just tell myself to stop eating sweets & be done with it....hummmm???

I just don't want to fail & gain this weight back.....
Okay......101 pounds....gone forever!!! xo, M.

I am so happy for you.  I only hope that I have had as much success as you've had at 4 months.  As for the sweet tooth demon, just look at how far you've come and there is no way that SF pudding or cool whip could EVER make you feel as wonderful as you have to be feeling now.

Keep up the great work!  

Heather

Thanks Heather.....you are on your way to great success!!!  And you are right....SF pudding & Cool Whip are so boring compared to the excitement of losing this weight!! :)..xo, M.

You are doing awesome!!

Just remember we all get tempted now and then. At least you ate something SF and not a whole pie or something.

Gratz!!

Sher

Thanks Sher....I guess it's normal to be tempted by these things...and, it's a whole lot better than what I ate before...lol!!!  xo, M.

I was a HUGE sweets eater also.

I still have a "sweet tooth" also, but I use the alternates that are available.  i eat the SF pudding, or jello, or even Carbmaster yogurt.

I need to not deny yourself some of these cravings, because they will continue build and then you may be sorry.

If you cannot control yourself with a whole bowl of pudding, or a whole package, make a little at a time and just eat that.  I buy both the premade Hunt snack packs for lunches, and the singles that you can make of the Jello brand SF pudding.  I only eat one though.

Find other alternates and try those.

I hope that this helps.

Michael.

Michaela, I have found the Fiber One Key Lime Pie yogurt!  I like to put cool whip on it, stir it all together and its a key lime pie alternative for me!  It tastes great...  protein isn't that high but I wasn't eating it for the protein necessarily... just when I really have THAT CRAVING for key lime pie.  And, only 50 calories for the small yogurt container...  plus whatever the whip cream is..depending on how much I use.  If I get REALLY desperate, I have some graham cracker crust crumbs in the baking cabinet and I will add just about a tsp on top for "effect".  If your husband likes something that you like, make a good alternative and let him have half of it.  That way you get a taste and its forced portion control

I also do something like this with vanilla pudding, banana and make simple banana pudding.  I got that idea from Amy though... that one's not mine!!  LOL

Yummy advice...thanks, but, like I said, I'm a little afraid to "go there" with sweets.....xo, M.

Thanks, Michael....I LOVE Carb Master Yogurts...I have one every morning w/my supplements crushed in it....yum!

I just wanted more than one SF pudding---but I refrained....lol.....I still am not that brave....but, it is good to know that I didn't totally blow it & that someone else has eaten one of those & it's not that big of a deal!!!!

OK I have a different opinion, not better just different. 
First I don't think there is many of us that doesn't cross our mind. 

Mine as I stated before was bread so at 17 months out I still will not eat bread or pizza.  I know I'm allowed but until the time comes that I'm 100% sure I'm not opening Pandora's Box I'm leaving it alone.

  The one fear I have for you is that slippery slope of trading off bad things.  There have been several that have come and gone that started with a bite or two of SF what ever and it became such a problem they started gaining back a lot of weight.

  Of course we all know SF doesn't mean calorie free unfortunately.  So I've stayed with the SF Popsicles and my low fat low sugar plain yogurt that I mix my cinnamon and blueberries in.

  Now maybe I'm just not as strong as a lot of other people?  But like I said I haven't had bread or any fried food sense WLS and the longer I go without I hope the safer I'll be.

  This a very difficult mind/habit problem good luck and remember we are here for you.
C'ya Bob