Food, Exercise and my experiences so far!

Hello OBH family!! Ive missed you guys...I promised myself I would not be part of the gets-her-surgery-and-now-shes-MIA crowd. I gotta say tho that I have bitten off more than I can chew. So far its been about 2 and half months since I had surgery and about a month since Ive posted. I was taking three summer accelerated courses and I am too pooped to puff, I had to drop one because I was just too dang tired. I thought after losing 50 pounds I would have soo much more energy! Boy was I wrong!

So to the title of my post...I have lost 50 pounds so far which to me is absolutely amazing...down from 285 to 235. I am having trouble with eating slower, I work in retail and I barely get a 15 min break, I am also used to going from work to school and vice versa so meals were usually conducted while I drove lol. I am also having trouble remembering to eat, once I saw a kraft cheese commercial and realized it was 1 pm and I hadnt eaten...craaaazzzyyyy! I dont get any of the weakness that some people get when they havent eaten in a while. I am also still having trouble getting my fluids in. I dont like cold, Im tired of tea...my fave is I love lemon by bigelow...cant have coffee yet since im not getting in the amount of water I need...docs orders, so I had to get IV fluids a few times in the past months, I cant stand plain water, and I cant stand sugar free drinks, although Ive taken a liking to crystal light, I know Ill tire of it soon....sad. Most importantly tho I have to slow down, because I am always uncomfortable after eating, even yogurt. I am still only eating 600 calories on most days...some days less. 

Now for what totally blows my mind...In weeks that I exercise I do not lose a single pound!! My car was totaled last month so Im back to taking the train and bus for a while til I get the funds for another one...so until I get into a good schedule with work and summer classes, my gym time is sporadic, dont go one week, go two or three times the next etc,. It doesnt fail tho, every time I go to the gym I dont lose weight that week and I usually lose 4 to 5 pounds a week otherwise...which I know will slow down eventually.

I am stuck in a stall this week, not because of the gym but just because this happens...its not the first and it def wont be the last. Im still not tolerating anything but eggs really or it could be that im eating too fast and thats why the food just sits in my stomach. I have vomitted occasionally, like when eating something to greasy such as a baked chicken thigh, they create soo much oil...I cant tolerate beef yet, and I had a spoonful of rice that made me vomit instantly...lesson learned...I also will admit to having a few licks of frozen yogurt which also made me vomit after like 20 mins...another lesson learned. As they say, this surgery is done on your stomach not on your head, both times I wanted those things and both times I was kicked in the a$$.

I havent figured out how to put pics in the messages lol so Ill post some progress pics and a poster board I made with those pictures to keep me on track...ill be taking a pic a month for my board!!

***edited to add: I have successfully posted my pics if you guys would like to see them!!***

Thanks for listening guys...enjoy this monday!

~B

Congrats! 50 lbs is amazing!!

Best of luck as you continue your journey!

thanks a lot burberryplaid!! no one said this journey would be easy

~B

I still struggle with eating too fast and I'm over a year out.  It was helpful for me to get a tiny little egg-timer (the kind with sand in it that you just turn upside down) and use it to wait in between bites.  It's tiny enough that I can carry it in my purse.  

As far as your weight stalling out when you go to the gym, it will do that...but only for the first couple weeks of consistent exercise.  Once your muscles get used to the regular activity they will release the excess water and you WILL see the number on the scale drop.  But rest assured, you ARE losing even when the number on the scale isn't moving.  It's just that your muscles are hanging onto every drop of water (especially if you aren't drinking enough) and a quart of water weighs 2 lbs.! 

You're looking wonderful - keep on working hard and steer clear of rice, greasy food and anything with sugar in it. 

Hi Tracy...finally someone that understands me. This is the one thing I didnt work on in the months day and weeks leading up to surgery; eating slowly and boy do I wish I had. Should I stay away from chicken thighs, then since they leave so much oil after baking? I do clean them, but I still end up with oil in the pan. The breast take me too much time to chew lol, so I stay away from those. ill have to look into one of those timers...like the one you get in the game charades the hour glass. im just gonna have to trust that my sleeve is working for me as long as im doing the right things....it is frustrating though not seeing the scale move after working out every week.

Thanks for replying and for the great advice!!

~B

Matbe try removing the skin and cooking them in the crockpot. I wouldn't cut them out entirely.   

Congrats on your hard work so far!

Thanks Gwen! I am trying so hard...and its definitely not easy!! I know it will get better!

~B