[KatieG]

So am I the only one who is not a little nervous and intimidated by the holiday season coming up? We've got Thanksgiving in two days, which I LOVE! I love being around my family and the smells and food of Thanksgiving, but this year will be different. I can't pig out. I think that has been the hardest thing about this surgery - I love food. I am having trouble figuring out how to take away the stress of daily life without it. Before, if I was stressed, I ate. If I was mad, I ate. If I was alone, I ate. Now if I eat too much, I just throw it all up. I am nervous about this week and what I will and will not eat and how I will handle the stressors that come with being around a big family for four-five days straight

[Perfesser]

Enjoy the family. Enjoy the smells and memories. Enjoy your new life and the knowledge that you have taken control away from some lifeless carb lying on your plate. There will be lots of things you can eat. Be thankful that you aren't on purees!!

This is something you will face next month, too, and every holiday for the rest of your life. Be positive. If needed, take along an emergency food pack with something like a protein bar, cheese stick or shake that you know will be safe.

You're off to a great start!! You're doing well! Enjoy the compliments you will most certainly receive. Be prepared for a certain amount of jealousy from some who may not have your level of control. If you haven't shared the surgical information, and don't want to, tell them that you are on a medically supervised weight loss program. Tell them about portion sizes. Tell them why you don't drink with your meals. Tell them about protein first, fruit and veggies second, carbs if there's room.

You have so much to be thankful for this year. You can only be under the stress you choose to accept. Have a wonderful time!!



CT

[DocSanae]

Use a small plate.
Don't heap your plate, leave spaces so you can see the plate between the foods.
As for stress, exercise can help burn the calories, the fat, and the stress away. If there's any hobby you wanted to do before but couldn't, now's the chance to start one, and add that to your coping mechanism as well.
(((HUG)))

[KatieG]

Thanks so much for y'all's encouragement and advice. It has definitely been rough the last couple of days. Thanksgiving at my parents - Thanksgiving with all 30 of us at my aunt's - Thanksgiving at my husband's parents. Everything has looked delicious and, not gonna lie, I did give in a little bit. But just a little, because honestly, that is all I could do. I don't know if I have lost any weight this week because of not being at home and no access to a scale but I do know that I have been out and active. We'll see Monday!

[Sampooky]

Hey Katie dont beat urself up about the holidays I kinda gave in a little bit too I did get sick one time though but I just wanted to be normal like everyone else and I had to go to 3 family members houses for the holidays and I ate each time but it was in a 2 day span lol... I didnt lose any weight this week but I didnt gain it either lol... Now we have to face CHRISTMAS food lol... Im very discouraged myself because I had my surgery on Oct 3rd ( like 7 1/2 weeks ago) and I have only lost 54lbs

[Perfesser]

Sam, you had surgery 53 days ago and have "only" lost 54 pounds?? C'mon, lady, let's have a bit of perspective here!! Have you ever in your life lost a pound a day for a couple of months? Heck, at that rate, you'd be at goal by Memorial Day!! (Of course, with no stalls, your skin would fit you like a cheap suit, and there'd be other health effects you wouldn't like.)

Really, if that's not good enough for you, just what are your expectations??

CT

[Sampooky]

Perfesser... I AM VERY HAPPY WITH MY WEIGHTLOSS AND UR SKIN WILL FIT U LIKE A CHEAP SUIT REALLY???? I think I am doing good I dont know what u r trying to say by ur comment but it is kinda rude how u put ur comment. I just thought I would have lost more weight thats all, cant I have BIG GOALS??? I am not trying to lose everything at once just trying to do my best thats all. What did u mean by my skin will fit me like a cheap suit?

[Perfesser]

Sam, please forgive me if I came across too harsh. I was responding to your statement that you were discouraged at your weight loss. You are doing remarkably well. That's all I was trying to say. Everyone loses at a different rate, but the important thing is that you are losing.

Many people suffer from excess skin. The faster you lose, it seems the more hanging skin there is. Some of the ladies here have opted for plastic surgery to remove it. It seems that a steady gradual loss, plus the stalls when your body is readjusting itself, is best. You cannot keep your present rate of loss going all the way. It will slow down. There will be stalls. Some may last for weeks, or even months, while your body shuffles things around and gets ready for the next round. Be ready for them, and accept them as part of the process.

That's all I meant. I sometimes put things quite frankly, and sometimes my intent is lost in the process. Face to face communication is a whole lot better than typing into a screen, because you have verbal and visual cues you don't have here. Please know that if there's ever any way to interpret what I say two ways, one helpful and the other hurtful, that I never mean to be hurtful.

Still friends?



CT

[Sampooky]

Perfesser... STILL FRIENDS LOL... I have had several stalls one lasting for like 1 1/2 weeks which killed me and then I got put in the hospital the week of thanksgiving and then that added 7 lbs of fluids that I had to work my butt off to get that 7 lbs back off and now I have that weight off and I am 315 lbs as of this morning so 55lbs so far, I guess I had the wrong idea of this gastric bypass I was thinking that I would lose like 20lbs a week or something. But is it normal to lose like 2 or 3 lbs a week?? Is it suppose to come off that slow, I thought with this surgery that it would just fall off ... I get discouraged easily and I get down on myself alot, that is something that I have to work on. My skin seems to be shaping up good better than I thought, so stalls comes in weeks and MONTHS?????

[tcgc0114]

Originally Posted by Sampooky

Perfesser... STILL FRIENDS LOL... I have had several stalls one lasting for like 1 1/2 weeks which killed me and then I got put in the hospital the week of thanksgiving and then that added 7 lbs of fluids that I had to work my butt off to get that 7 lbs back off and now I have that weight off and I am 315 lbs as of this morning so 55lbs so far, I guess I had the wrong idea of this gastric bypass I was thinking that I would lose like 20lbs a week or something. But is it normal to lose like 2 or 3 lbs a week?? Is it suppose to come off that slow, I thought with this surgery that it would just fall off ... I get discouraged easily and I get down on myself alot, that is something that I have to work on. My skin seems to be shaping up good better than I thought, so stalls comes in weeks and MONTHS?????

I don't know anyone who has lost 20lbs a week - that's just crazy. Think of it this way, you didn't gain 20lbs a week, right?

You've lost 55lbs in 7.5 weeks - that's about 8lbs a week, or 32 lbs a month. I think that's pretty damn good. I only lost 64lbs 3 months out and I was extremely happy with it. I think you're doing your math wrong, to say you've lost 2 or 3 lbs a week (unless I have the wrong numbers to work with). If you're really losing 2-3 lbs/week, than sit down with a food journal for a couple of days. If there is still a concern, than talk to your surgeon!

This is not an overnight fix! Slow and steady wins the race!

And, please I mean this with utmost respect and sincerity - if talking to your surgeon doesn't help, please look into talking to a psychiatrist - they can help get your mind cleaned up of old ways and negative thoughts. You really are doing great!!