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Be careful in your selection do not choose too young and take only such as have been reared in a good moral atmosphere. Some wives insist on keeping husbands in a pickle, while others put them in hot water. This only makes them sour, hard, and sometimes bitter. Even poor varieties may be made sweet and good by garnishing them with patience, well-sweetened with smiles and flavored with kisses to taste. Keep warm in a steady fire of domestic devotion and serve with peaches and cream. When thus preserved, they will keep for years. This is from Carla Emery’s book The Encyclopedia of Country Living.

Oh!!! I thought you were going to tell me you put salt in the hot tub! LOL!

So, this is my first blog ever! I've been a member of this site since for several months and as of today I am 5 months post-op with a total weight loss of 112.6 lbs. I'm super excited about the results, and wonder if I'm average, behind or ahead in my weight loss. I know it's not good to compare with others, because we're all different, but I still wonder. I am sloooooooowly incorporating new foods into my diet and I still get an upset stomach most of the time when I do. Honestly, I stick with soup, oatmeal, fresh veggies, protein bars and protein shakes. Beef is a definite no-no, turkey and chicken are okay in super small survings and I haven't attempted pork. I miss my diet coke terribly, but Crystal Light is my new best friend. I love it that my patient's notice the difference (I work in out-patient radiology) and I have the absolute best support system in my co-workers. My family is pretty supportive, but there are always issues with family... I love feeling better in general, not getting winded walking up a flight of stairs, wearing my car seatbelt without choking, fitting in a restaurant booth comfortably and seeing my waist and collarbones again. I was always overweight, but I actually weigh less now than I did when I graduated high school 21 years ago! I just wanted to drop a little note tonight to my fellow sleevers. We're all in this together and, from what I read, most of us are overjoyed with our surgical decisions. Keep up the good work everyone!

Dont be scared everyone is different. I myself had no complications after surgery. No pain , just a few days of feeling nauseous..but htats about it. I didnt even need any of the pain meds I was given. You will be fine and the things you go through or what i have encountered were small things and not horrible. But i am finding out 6 weekds post op that your mind and body have got to be on the same page. this is a big adjustment from your past eating habits etc. but at the end of the day i know it will be worth the ride. I pray you do okay and its a new beginning for you as for all of us that need this tool to be healthy.

I needed to hear this. This is day 7 of my preop and I have been so grouchy to my hubby....Tomorrow is another day....getting a little anxious. Effie

Now... get moving! hee, hee.

You can do this! You've already been through the worst. You're obviously very strong, so remember this as you take one day at a time to get yourself back into healthier eating. Let your dad and grandma help keep you motivated --you have some help from the other side now! I wish you all the best and I'm also very sorry for your losses... the death of loved ones can be so painful. Again, I'm truly sorry you're having to deal with this at such a young age. Bes wishes!

If you have ever been around a kid for more than 5 min I am sure you have heard them say why at least twice. I was always the kid who ask why, it just does never worked on me, drove my mom nuts! Well I am still like that, I always want to know why. Since having surgery I am reading about nutrition and fitness all the time, to find out how and why my body works with food. One article I read said a calorie is a calorie and should be counted, while yes that is true, it isn't the whole picture. We all have heard and been told 200 calories from chicken is better than 200 calories of ice cream. But why is that if a calorie is a calorie? Well here is what I have figured out..... We need our protein and fiber- it helps us stay full longer. Some say hey ice cream has protein- I'll eat that, but that is where we need to know more. One of the best things I have learned is I can make my food work for me!! How awesome is that! When we eat foods high in protein, fiber and complex carbs our bodies must work harder to digest them, therefore, our bodies will will burn more calories digesting them. While I guess I knew this, it never really dinged until I read an article about that. When I did WW years ago things like fruit and veggies were hardly any points, yet they do have calories. However, your body must work harder to digest them therefore their calorie counts are almost null and in the case of veggies like Celery it is null. So now what do I do with this information..... Well, I am all about what I eat working for me rather than sticking to my hips. I am upping my fiber, making sure the carbs I take in are complex, and making sure I get my recommended protein in. I can still eat yummy food and things I love and lose weight. Yes, I will have to adjust. I highly recommend going to your favorite resturants website and looking at the nutrition part. Some like Wendy's and Burger King you can adjust the meal to see what calorie counts would be. It is amazing what just leaving off cheese or mayo can do for lowering the calories. Now I AM NOT saying eat fast food daily, but what I am saying is if you are craving that whopper - go get it, but adjust it- leave off the mayo, cheese and pickle and the calorie count will come down nicely. We (I) got to be obese by eating what I wanted and not paying attention to what I was putting in my body, but with a little nutrition knowlege we and ADJUST ourselves and our food to work for us. Holding up my water bottle..... Here's to Success!

Great reading...Im getting one for Christmas and Im so excited !

This may sound silly but i just reized something. A few weeks ago i was doing an abbs class but not only were my abbs hurting but also my butt. I relized that i was no longer sitting on fat but there was a bone there thats what i am feeling. I know it a small thing but to me this was huge it been coved in fat for so long i did not know there was bones there. Then a few days ago i was doing yoga the other day we we doing this thing were you bed your back back and i relized that i had ribs and i could feel them they were not coved in fat they were sticking out. I then spent a good 10 min feeling my new decoved ribs. it funny how small things along this joury make you so excited