30 Pounds Lost!

3 weeks since surgery and today marks my 30 pound weight loss mark (13 pre-op, 17 post-op). I am very happy with my loss so far. The last few days I have been in the 3 week stall but am not focusing on that.

Things that have already changed:

• I am walking more and actually disappointed when my walking ends! (I walk early in the morning so have to stop in time to get ready for work.)
• My weekends now involve planning for some sort of extra activity such as hiking, trying a new exercise class, etc...
• My confidence level is increasing as I feel better and better in my own skin. I've started receiving compliments on how much thinner my face looks.
• My favorite treat now is roasted chickpeas YUM and I recently discovered how delicious sugar free fudgesicles are! How different from the yucky McDonald's french fries that I used to love.
• I am beginning to change my thinking on food completely. Yesterday I caught myself not thinking about what I wanted to eat but what I needed to eat in order to get my protein in!

So interesting to reflect on the changes so far...Who is this new person! I'm excited to continue to develop and change into my new healthier life!!

congrats!!! that's wonderful...I find myself shifting my focus from food to nutrition. I am also enjoying my walks more than I expected. This surgery and probably all the preparation that goes into it, can really shift your priorities. Loving life post sleeve :)

Congratulations - you sound very happy and you're doing so well.

Great job! Way to rock your sleeve!

Since you like chick peas.........Try Chick Pea's in balsamic with some Parmesan cheese!! They are awesome! They have been a snack for me this week.

Certainly will try the chick peas in balsamic with Parmesan!

That's awesome Suzy! Congrats.

Congrats! I'm thrilled for you. I remember how empowering it felt to have the weight melting away.

As for the three week stall - a few days at the same weight does not make a stall. A true stall is no weight lost for more than a week-sometimes 2 or 3. You're just having a little pause. It happens to us all. Keep sticking to plan.

Reading your mental changes is uplifting! Keep on that path and you'll be sure to succeed. About French Fries. - I don't even like them anymore! Go figure. I may have a couple of really good fries off a friends plate at a good restaurant, but I don't even bother with the fast food crap anymore. They're awful!

Not sure where you stand on carb intake, but while chick peas have a modest amount of protein, a 1/4 cup of chick peas contains only 8 grams of protein and a whopping 29 carbs. They were not recommended on my plan during WL.

I certainly hope this pause doesn't last for 2 - 3 weeks but if it does...oh well! The scale is only 1 small measurement of my success and I've promised myself to get rid of it (at least hide it at my sister's house) if I start becoming a slave to it and/or if it begins to dictate my evaluation of myself and my progress.

I'm afraid to even try french fries at this point but they really don't even sound good. YAY!!

My plan does not call for "low carb" but I try to stay on the lower end. I only allow myself 2 ounces of chick peas which according to MFP is 9 carbs. Still rather high but oh so worth it!

Your reply made me curious about the difference between calorie and carbs on Livestrong and MFP, so I did some searching. Pretty much every nutrition site I went to disagreed with BOTH of our counting tools! Below is what I found on several sites that only deal with nutrition facts (not counting calories or any weight loss tools). Just thought I'd share the stats. I'm one of those who believes power is knowledge. Now I know Chick peas are not as carb heavy as I thought, but they are significantly more than what MFP has listed. Nutrition Facts Chickpeas

Amount Per 1 oz

Calories 46

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.8 g	1%
Saturated fat 0.1 g	0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.3 g
Monounsaturated fat 0.2 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0%
Sodium 3 mg	0%
Potassium 109 mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate 8 g	2%
Dietary fiber 2.2 g	8%
Sugar 1.3 g
Protein 2.4 g	4%

Thanks for doing the research! I agree...knowledge is power and I want to completely understand what I am REALLY putting in my body. I will take a look at the label tonight too.