161.........only a pound but I will take it!!

WOW so i weighed myself today and i lost another pound!!!! Julie weighing in at 167!!!! J

You always find the most interesting stuff Terri... I need to print that and put in somewhere that I can see it when I'm working out. That's some incentive!!

I agree with everything that's been said, EXCEPT [sorry Terri] I believe that fluids are fluids unless they are caffeine or alcohol. The fluids in a protein shake do count towards your daily intake, as do the fluids in an orange - because each will hydrate you and your insides. Now I don't know how one would measure the fluids in an orange AFTER you ate it, but if I remember right, FitDay does a good job measuring fluids [the on line tracking does it in metric, though, if you spring for the downloadable version it's ounces]. It's probably a lot easier to aim for no less than 64 ounces in actual water [or other non-calorie beverage]. Here's a link to a hydration calculator that does it by weight: http://www.ballygowanmineralwater.ie/lifesource_calculator.asp Most anything other than water is CALORIES so with protein shakes, flavored water, [or in the case of actual food;)] you do want to make sure you're not going overboard and getting calorie laden fluids. Here's an interesting article on water needs:http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/NU/00283.html Being post WLS we're not eating as much food so we're not getting as much hydration from actual food. Water is important to help your body rid itself of waste and can help keep you satisfied [pouch rules]. Also, stay SAFELY hydrated, don't drink all tha****er at once or it can deplete your electrolytes and cause all sorts of problems, even death. Sip regularly thru the day [again, pouch rules - NOT with meals] and you'll be surprised how much you can drink. I think it's a good idea to take the time out for a day or so and really measure your intake. Only then can you decide if you are getting enough protein and hydration. Learning about all of this stuff is easy - it's actually doing the right thing that will make you a continued success! xosm

Julie, I want you to know before you read the rest of this, I'm really proud of the weight you've lost, and you've done a fantastic job. I also want to state for the record (if there is an offical record) that I didn't have the same surgery as you so our long term issues will be slightly different, although some will remain the same. Now for the BUT...lol BUTTTTTTTT..... If you want to be a successful weight loss surgery patient, you really need to track your protein intake for the rest of your life, and watch your simple carb intake. From what I've gathered (floating on the main forum), the most successful RNY patients long term (post op 5 years and over), all have adapted several habits that make them successful. The first habit is that they do not return back to their old eating habits. They consistantly eat protein first, then veggies, and then limited amounts of carbs. Most of them track their eating (some by memory, and others by using fitday or some other type of program), and long term they keep on top of their weight by weighing themselves regularly and adjusting their diet if they gain a lb or two, before it turns into 3 or 10. The second most noticable habit of the successful RNYers seems to be that they exercise on a regular basis. The 3rd habit is that they have regular blood work and medical follow up to make sure everything is ok. So with that said, I'd highly recommend you start mentally tracking your food and protein intake, or using fitday.com. I don't use fitday anymore, but i keep a running tally of my protein intake, and carb intake. Again we have had different surgeries, so I don't need to track my calories or fat intake, but that might be something you want to do. Have you had recent blood work done? Thats the best way to tell if you are low in protein (prealbium levels and blood protein levels etc). You should be getting one year follow up blood work in the next month or so, your pcp can order the blood work since your surgeons are out of country. As for breaking stalls, I'd highly recommend going on the main forum (or maybe someone can post it here), and start the "plateau buster diet". It's just a weeks worth of low carb eating, but it really works for some people, and starts the scale moving in the downward direction again. Scott