Whatcha Eating Today VSGers? Thursday 1/11/18

Good morning!

I'm in a great mood today. It's over 50 degrees here in Buffalo NY so we finally get a break from the 1-5 degree polar vortex. Only thing on the agenda today is work till 5. Maybe some house chores later. Fun wow!

B: coffee, greek yogurt

L: 4 chicken wings, baked

S: string cheese

D: leftover night. I've got my heart set on the 2nd half of my NY strip steak from yesterday

Happy to be back! Hopefully being back will help with accountability and keep me on track.

Good morning! We are supposed to get a glaze of ice and an inch of snow tomorrow when the temp drops to 28, so the townsfolks are already shutting everything down. I jest, but we are typically vastly unprepared to deal with even light winter weather here, so the schools will probably be closed tomorrow, which means a 4-day weekend for ME and DW! Sometimes people complain, but a lot of our buses have to go down backroads out in the country that are mostly gravel or citizen-paved concrete, so it can be unsafe. If we DO get to come to school though, I'm surprising my heathens with pop quiz! Yass.

QOTD: My dad signed me up for Curves when I was in middle school, which is when I really started to put on weight. I didn't mind going, but it irritated me because everyone else was so old and always tried to talk to me. I didn't want to be exercising. In retrospect, I think I would have done better with some type of sport or other physical activity. I was a shy kid with a lot of anger, but I'm the complete opposite now thanks to some awesome friends and experiences. I tried Weigh****chers for a couple of months in my very early twenties, and it worked fine. The best diet I ever did was a restricted calorie diet I tried about 4 years ago. I took in 1,800 calories a day and stuck to mostly low-fat foods. I walked 2-3 miles EVERY SINGLE DAY in my neighborhood by using MapMyWalk application. I lost about 40 pounds in two months, but I had a tonsillectomy and afterwards it was like my willpower had shot out the window. As soon as I couldn't walk every day and prepare my typical healthy foods, it was over. I am going to try and reflect on this often, as I was successful before and it was so easy to stop being successful. I will NOT let this happen with VSG. I'm doing so well and I want it to continue.

My stall is still going. I'm only down to 327 now. It's okay, I'm staying positive and continuing my healthy eating habits. Darn 3 week stall! I've discovered that food is so much cheaper now! I can make a pound of lean ground turkey or chicken tenderloins last for 4-6 meals if I am just prepping for myself! If DW eats with me, I make her a slightly bigger portion, but I am enjoying that we are both losing weight so I have not prepared any carb-heavy meals at all.

B: babybel cheese and 1/3 premier shake from yesterday that I didn't finish

L: 3 oz. curried tilapia (OMGERD, it's so good) with an ounce of steamed squash

D: 2.75 oz. lean Turkey "burger" patty flattened and seared and topped with half a stewed tomato

Snacks: premier protein shake, Oikos Triple Zero Strawberry, ounce of lowfat cheddar

kcal: 700-720 Carbs: 24-28 Protein: 100-108 grams

Your experience with surgery and not getting back on the bandwagon is one reason I'm terrified for PS at the end of the month. I'm afraid it will change everything with my eating. Though logically I know it will probably only make me eat less.

I lost a bit after TT PS because at first I wasn't hungry (opioids slowing down digestive system then terrible constipation), then I did well later because I didn't want to wreck my TT "investment ".

Right now I'm a 20 BMI and my husband wanted me to put on 5lbs before surgery so that when I inevitably couldn't eat, I wouldn't lose. But, I haven't been able to let myself do it. $26k is certainly plenty motivating isn't it?! lol.

Yep! I wouldn't worry about putting on more beforehand - whatever you lose will likely come back on its own (mine did). Here's my weight log for the first few weeks after TT. I had the surgery on 1/11 and lost 1 pound of skin. The weights in italics were days I didn't actually weigh (they are either a guess or the weight from the next time I did):

After my LBL, I had zero desire to eat and the tightness in the abdomen was like a brand new VSG :P I stuck to protein shakes with a straw since I knew I needed the protein. Definitely lost weight during healing. So I think the recommendation to gain a few pounds so your body has something to cannibalize is a really good idea.

I bought a bunch of premier protein and I have a grocery list together with other soft foods (yogurt, ice cream). I'm hoping I can at least get those in. I'm pretty bad at just not wanting to eat because of the anesthesia alone!

How exciting that you're so close to PS though!

Good morning! I am sooo sore from Pilates, but so glad I did it. I must repeat to myself daily, trying new things is good, trying new things is good.

QOTD: My first diet was Jenny Craig sophomore year in high school. Looking back I was only 25 or so pounds overweight, but my parents made me feel enormous! I got to goal, gained it back and then some and continued gaining for the next 10 years. Second major diet was when I was 29. I lost 120 pounds lowering my calories and walking. I remember eating a lot of Lean Cuisines. Got to goal, promptly began to gain it all back and then some. Third big time was mid 30s. I lost about 100 pounds lowering calories and walking, never got to goal and gained it back and more. 4th big time was at 40. I lost 170 pounds lowering calories and walking, got to goal, gained back 115 before deciding I didn't have it in me to lose that much again knowing my chances of gaining it back were so high. Hence WLS.

B - coffee, yogurt, berries, grain free granola

L - ?? Out

D - smoked pulled pork

S - cheese, eggs, Triscuits