is the Grass always Greener

or it part of our nature to wonder what if ... The past 10days i have been in a funk  i have not lost a pound, the weather has been gray and rainy  and i think i let those things get into my normally cheery head. I was analyzing everything an i weighing and portioning correctly, am i exercising enough,  is my sleeve to big,  am i absorbing all the protein and vitamins correctly, generally making my self nuts (cause who wants to have gone through this and fail)  Then today at the dentist the hygienist and i were talking and low and behold she was sleeved 4 yrs ago in India. She has lost 130 lbs and informed me she didn't know if she would do it again because she can still only eat 1/4 cup of food at a time and has to eat alot to maintain and not lose more.

She took a bit over a year to get to goal, and the people in the group i belong to seem to have been in that 10-12 month to goal group as well. So I'm gonna give my self a yr and not make this more stressful then it has to be, because reading on this board has made me feel like if I'm not pretty close at 6 months I'm failing. I don't know if any of you have felt this way but if you have what helped you to keep your head in your game and not let the stalls and hiccups get you down?

You need to focus on your accomplishments!! I saw your ticker and wow - I think you are doing great! Focus on you and don't compare yourself to anyone - we are all different - if we weren't we would all be scarlett johansson walking around :)

 
I am eight months out.  I have been stalled for the last 2 months.  I have just started to lose again.  I have lost 65 lbs.  Not a tremendous amount compared to most of the posters on this site for that amount of time.  I could get discouraged, very discouraged.  But I refuse to.  I don't know how much I will lose in the end or if I will ever get to goal.  I do plan on continuing my efforts to reach goal.  But you know what its just not all that important.  I surely wouldn't want to have those 65 lbs back again.  It has made a big difference in my life.  I don't need a cane anymore and I can get out of a chair with out trouble.  I just keep doing what I'm supposed to do and I hope for the best.  I know that I have a larger sleeve.  I saw it on the machine when my leek test was done.  My surgery report (I had my PCP request one and she gave it tome) it says I had a 32 bougie.  That is not the smallest but it is relatively small.  Well on the screen my stomach looked like a coffee saucer, not a banana at all.  I can eat more than I expect I should be able to.  But I'm happy with that as I have more of a normal life.  I can eat 1/2 a piece of chicken and about 2 tablespoon of two side dishes before I know I am full.  I do believe its making me eat more and loose slower.  But that is OK.  Some people here have related that it has taken them over a year to reach goal.  Really what difference does it make?  Take each day as it comes and try not to be too hard on yourself.  Enjoy your accomplishment you have the right to do that.

It's hard to understand and deal with these issues when you first have the surgery, but what you (and all WLS patients) need to realize is that stalls are PART OF THE PROCESS. The body takes time to re-adjust periodically. The sooner you accept it, the easier it is to deal with. That doesn't mean that things come to a grinding halt. It doesn't mean you failed in any way. It is normal, happens to just about all of us. Many things are happening behind the scenes that people either forget about or don't realize. Such as - when the scale isn't moving, you are likely losing inches, your BP is coming down, blood sugars should come down, you become healthier in general, you have other NSVs, like being able to run or other exercise that you couldn't before, etc. The number on the scale is just a part of the big picture. Stick to your program and the weight will come off! Relax, and good luck!

I agree with you 100%.  When you start comparing your own journey to others' progress, you can really question yourself.  I know a lot about anatomy and physiology, nutrition, metabolism and weight loss.  I know that what I'm doing is the right way for me to do things.  My surgeon and her staff are thrilled with my progress. 

But especially when I'm in the middle of a stall, which happens every two weeks for me, I start questioning myself...  just a little bit. 

I think that your one year plan is exactly right.  This is not a race.  I don't believe there is as much of a "honeymoon" period for the sleeve.  While a sleeve may "stretch" a little, I have a lot of faith in my level of restriction.  I have a little more capacity than others on this site may have, but that is a good thing for me.  I want to eat healthy, nutritious food, not just 2 oz of protein at a meal, or depend on shakes and bars.  I do eat fruits and veggies and whole grains with my extra capacity and never fail to get my protein in.  I do not want to struggle to maintain weight when I'm in maintenance like your aquaintance has to.  I want to eat like a normal, thin person, and I believe that I will be able to do that after I reach my goal.

We all seem to compare ourselves to the fastest losers, without being grateful for our own progress and lack of complications.  I am losing at a good rate, but I tend to lose 10 pounds in two weeks and then stall for 2 weeks. When I start to question myself, I just remind myself that eating less than 1100 calories a day and exercising is not going to cause me to gain weight, and in the long run will undoubtedly cause me to lose -- this is a fact of energy consumed/energy expended.  I focus on my process and all the great things that I have made happen in the last year, including WLS.  I would bet that I'll be at goal somewhere around 8 months out, and that's okay with me. 

I am working very hard to be present in the moment.  I love my life right now, I know I will be successful, and I am grateful for the sleeve that I have.  I try very hard not to worry about the sleeves that other people have.  I take a lot of information from this site, but I leave a lot, too. 

I'm just two weeks out and I have to admit that I've compared myself to others that got sleeved about the same time as I did. My loss is a bit lower than some, but I realized that I"m losing a pound a freakin' day! Sorry, I can't complain about that. I know that I'm sticking to my plan and have committed to that. As long as I stick to the plan, I'm going to lose. It doesn't matter to me any more about how long it takes. Every time I've put a date goal in my head I end up sabotaging myself and never make and then give up. NO MORE OF THAT for me. I'm with you - take your year - develop new habits and create that new relationship with food that we all need. That's my approach. Slow and steady, stick to my plan with my eye on the prize. I'm going to make it and so will you!

You're doing great!  I never averaged 1lb a day, but then you're a guy and don't have to deal with the estrogen devil like us girlie-folks. 

One thing to keep in mind, as well, is the more you lost pre-op, the less of a massive WOOSH you have the first month.  You are already part of the way down the curve rather than starting at the steepest part  at the top.  You lost substantial weight pre-op which is a good thing. I did the same.  I have no doubt it helped my recovery and I suspect it's helping yours, as well.  It's all about the habits.  Once they're ingrained and automagic, it's easy to stay focused and on point. 

 4 years post op and eating a 1/4 cup?  2 oz at a meal NO FRIKKEN WAY! .......she's anorexic, has an EATING DISORDER Im sorry I don't believe what she SAYS! Maybe suggest she get PROFESSIONAL help next time you see her.

As for STALLS....welcome to the club..."classic" ones ~3, weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months  after a year PURELY ELECTIVE!  3 week stall...IMPOSSIBLE to break! I haven't seen anyone here post a WAY to break it YET!  The others...easy peasy...absolutely ways to PROLONG EM...absolutely ways to BREAK EM! 

http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/carmelita/blog/tag/stalls+and+plateaus/

MEASURIN  YERSELF about the ONLY way to keep yer SANITY while yer waitin to go down that next STAIRSTEP ...........

PLAY AROUND WITH IT!! What else have ya got to do but get pissed at VSG, or the scale ,-)

And what idiot says you only have 6 months to lose weight?  Published studies on VSG say people are LOSING WELL INTO 2 YEARS POST OP....twert me! but it ain;t OVER TILL YOU SAY IT IS!!

Don't let this stall **** with YER HEAD now J...hang in there...yer with a whole bunch of US GREAT BIG OLE FORMER FATTIES that just plain ole REFUSE TO QUIT!!

VSG IS GONNA CHANGE YER LIFE......I GUARANDANGTEEE IT!! 

YES I CAN!!


Chin UP!!

she is absolutley very thin and thats why she said if she had it to do over again she may not have the surgery. she did it in india and her restriction is still that tight, she says she has to eat all the time. And she showed me her before pic it was astonishing to go from one extreme to the other. and  thats why i was comenting on the grass beig greener because i worry if i had enouigh restriction and she obviously has to much

 well she's atypical then! Im talking FAR FAR out in OUTTER SPACE...BEYOND THE NIORM!  so don't even go there as far as comparing your VSG to HERS..... (IF indeed she has one!)  Alls it does is cause you to SECOND GUESS YERSELF...TEAR YERSELF DOWN! right now going through the HORMONAL HELL PHASE as you are....ya don't need to BOX YERSELF IN..anymore!!

HANG UP THE THOUGHT! Say out loud...WRONG NUMBER!! Ive done it many a time I SCREAM IT OUT...talk about gettin weird looks! ...GET distracted with sumthin POSITIVE...go outside, BREATHE!! Walk around the house, take a short walk around the block...GET SOME AIR!! Sittin on the computer?...sit upright, suck in yer gut. (exerecise it!) shoulders back, BREATHE with it SUCKED IN...FIDGET yer legs, yer feet.... BUIRN THEM CALORIES!! WORK IT GIRL!  Remember why you DEPARTED on this Journey....a MARATHON...not a SPRINT!

the GRASS is NOT always GREENER......JUST AS MANY WEEDS!!  As yer dental hygienist can attest to.

I GOT LOTSA WEEDS!!  mostly dandelions!! ROAAAARRRRR!!!  I EAT EM!!  flowers, leaves, for salad.. and the roots...I boil em for dandelion TEA!!  (for my gallbladder/liver!!)  YAY!!!
Beats buying dandelion extract ,-) see how that works!

HANG IN THERE J....yer gonna be tootin that VSG HORN...before ya KNOW IT!!