INgirl’s Posts

Hi all!

I don't pop on much anymore, been focusing less on weighing/tracking food etc- and have been able to take the wheels off for the most part and maintain fairly easily eating my normal intake (high fat/mod prot/low carb.) Nice wearing the same size jeans year after year :)

A friend is doing a study on quality of life, post-op.  If anyone would like to take it- it would be appreciated.. So far, RNY and DS  are well represented, VSGers and Bandsters are lagging (about equal in responses.) To get a better accounting, more need to respond. 

Please see below- 

A research study is being conducted through the department of Psychology and Counseling of Georgian Court University, Lakewood, NJ, on quality of life (QOL) outcomes in long-term post-operative bariatric surgery patients. If you have been living with an adjustable gastric band (such as LAP Band or Realize Band, RNY gastric bypass, gastric sleeve or duodenal switch for at least two years, please take the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WLS-quality-of-life .

If your current surgery was a revision, you're also welcome to participate as long as your revision was at least two years ago. 

Your responses will be treated with strict confidentiality, and you will have an opportunity to sign up to receive a copy of the results after you have completed the survey. 

If you would like more information about the study, you may email the chairperson of the department of Psychology and Counseling, Susan E. O. Field, Ph. D., at [email protected] or by phone at (732) 987-2643. If you have any questions or concerns regarding confidentiality, ethics, or the nature of this study, please contact the chairperson of the Institutional Research Review Board, Cheryl Resnick-Cortes, D.S.W., at [email protected] or by phone at (732) 987-2366.

Happy Thanksgiving! Going in light rocks, planning on riding it out through the entire season- have a warm, fun, and gratitude filled day all~

I'm pretty much like MacMadame, I don't deny a bit of worthy treat year round.. but if I know there's going to be said treats beforehand, I go in light, and if it's a surprise- and at work during the holidays, there's a lot of them- I just plan on being light around those times/afterwards. I also try hard to stick to the "have a taste or two, then be done with it and move on." Not eat half the turtle cheesecake over three days time.. Work treats are the downfall, I never have that crap at home, but being in a medical office- we get a lot of high-end food gifts thrown at us around Xmas. 

No need for the photo finish bonking pic! :)

I just was curious as I do not do anything like what you do.. and only read about it, so no first hand here :) 

I personally have no dog in the fight over carbs, save for the idea that pushing much over 150-200g/day unless you are doing what YOU do is overkill.. for the vast majority of us desk-jockeys keeping under 100 is prudent.. I know I fall well under that mark most days just by default of my food choices.

Thanks! 

Could never have done either pre-weight loss. I always loved those sexy ultra high heels- but never in a million years were my feet and knees able to handle it when I was heavy.. now, no issue! Spent an entire evening in nearly 5 inchers, and did not come home with raw hamburger toes. My feet WERE definitely done by the end of the night for sure. Despite an open bar, I also remained upright and didn't take a spill in them either .

Woke up today at 144 & change, feeling great, life is good!

Pic of me outside pre-wedding, and pic of my awesome & cute husband inside later.. and a pic of me and the gorgeous bride at the end of the night.. feeling no pain at that point!

144.7 was the weight today. Had a day at work, but redeemed by a fun Raku class this eve.. followed by not so stellar eating/drinking after. I can feel my feet swelling as I write.. seriously. Expecting a bounce for a few, but other than a planned indulgence tomorrow (tonight was unplanned, totally blaming PMS.. legit or not) as we are heading to a farmers market where I will order a crepe (savory) and eat mostly the insides, as well as may have a small sweet treat.. then off to wander an art fest, then pick up my fish order.. mussels for dinner. Sunday is a long drive, to a longer hike with Todd. Should be a great weekend.

Thinking of Candy, I know she's not having a good recovery at this point and has a long road ahead.. 

Judy, just saw your post from earlier, so sorry to hear of your loss. Please take care of yourself, be kind and gentle and know you have many people who care. 

Yay for Friday!

147.5, eating clean and slowly ditching the excess.. belly is def flatter (in a relative way) than it was right after our last trip to the land of beer & squeaky cheese. Heading out to the bird sanctuary tomorrow for a quickie camp alone with Todd. I love this place, NO ONE else ever camps there.. 700+ acres of woods, ponds and trails and we are alone to enjoy it, unless our friends go too.

Hey there!

I think my biggest challenges are 1. nibbling when not really needed.. I don't get truly "hungry" often anymore, so I eat by the clock.. and I often will use eating as a break from work, and who doesn't want more distractions like that? So, if I don't eat till hungry (5hrs or so since my last meal usually is when I really notice it) I rarely can get in enough, but eating too often leads me to get into the habit of wanting that belly-full feeling. I've started defeating this by loading up on a big rich high cal protein & fat bfast shake then waiting till lunch to have anything else. Skip that and I get a nibble day at the end. I too can eat a "meal" every couple hours, but in reality- I'm NOT hungry every two hours, so I shouldn't do that.. it's a bad habit and I know it.

The other challenge- since about a year out, our social life has changed for the better- more & younger social circles, more nights out, more live music, trips.. all leading to being around great food/wine/beer/****tail fun. My body and alcohol don't get along well. I swell fast (always have) and alcohol really ups the water retention badly on me, plus the metabolic effect of alcohol (instant fat storage, your body will burn alcohol first- anything you eat will get stored) leads me to gain. I can pin the extra 5-8lbs I picked up these last few months directly on the boozy party-fest that was early Spring/birthday/anniversary/vacations back to back to back. If these were one day events it wouldn't have effected me, but the entire month of May alone was one trip and party after another. Not complaining, it was my 40th/husbands bday/friends bdays and I rocked it out the entire time, but I am actually looking forward (sort of) to the calm down I see these next few months..

As of my last weigh-in, I was 3lbs over what should be my highest line, and about 8 or so over the lowest end.. so, I have some work to do to tighten it up in the coming months and get into my comfy spot again. I've been spot on since we got home from the last vacation, and only have one event this weekend where I will have a bit of treats, but nothing substantial since it's a work night and I need to be home early.

Catching it within that range is a hell of a lot better than what I used to do, but the old fears of OMG I'M GETTING FAT!! bounce in my brain, even though in reality it's not an emergency worthy of true panic. I did not wake up suddenly 30lbs fatter overnight. Something that should definitely get attention paid to it, yes. Behaviors need to get tweaked a bit to send it going back the other direction. Working on the mental side to not PANIC (and self-sabotage from the negative mental spirals) at the body shifts also has been a challenge, and a bit harder one for me. My brain messes with me over belly skin issues on top of it, making me want to always get far leaner than what really looks good. Though I really think if I got that fixed I'd find something else to obsess over.. 

Gravity was working for me, the flab is hanging underneath. 

Came back from the trip to N. WI with several mosquito bites, a small contusion above my eye (stupid headlamp accident) and a couple blisters.. Several pics were taken in not the best angles ;) and I noted I'd def like to get down to my lower 140 range.. looking a bit poochy to me at 148, but hell- I can HIKE and scramble over rocks!

Spent a day climbing, doing trails, swimming with fishies nibbling toes, and the rest of the time camping with my husbands family. Drank a few beers, ate too much cheese, but otherwise ate clean save for the late, late drive home last night where tiredness and temptation won and I had a lot of sugar..and felt absolutely horrible.. when you don't eat it, then do.. ugh. Spun out, crashed.. icky. Not wanting to repeat that anytime soon.

Back to my normal today, and will work to get to where I feel like I look good in spandex hiking pants again (is that really possible, ha!?).. a few months and I should be good and down to around 140. No rush, just something I noted along with my BF% getting up over 25% again in the last couple months.. too many parties, and especially too much indulgence in beers to blame for this one. I know what's up, just need to cut out that unnecessary extra stuff so the extra stuff on me goes away. 

148.1 this am after the trip..

Started at lake level:

Went to the top:

Back down for a much needed swim, and treated to toe-nibbling by these guys:

This. I was in that boat of seeing my future.. hell, living it vicariously now through my mother who is living it first-hand.. anyway, afraid yes, but the day of being more afraid of the inevitable future if I did nothing vs. doing something as a self-pay finally won over. It is the harder part. Deferring long-term plans like moving out of a crappy-ass dangerous neighborhood in favor of dropping $$$$ on elective surgery, much less the risks you take, is scary. It's worth it, but still.

And yes, I do watch carts- not so much judging by a person's size, just by sheer nutrition or lack of.. we do a lot of bulk shopping for cheap veggies at Sam's.. cheap flats of mushrooms, avocados.. coffee.. Greek yogurt. Most folks are walking out with snax/prepared foods in boxes.. we buy just bulk veggies, cheese, eggs, and staples like that. It's gotten to the point that we've drawn a comment or two. It doesn't escape my notice though that what's in the carts frequently correlates to the person's overall outward health appearance either.. 

Thanks! :)