Soon2BMiniMommy

I'm sitting here all nervous for you right now, knowing where you at!! Can't WAIT to hear from you on the other side, Wishes! Please post as soon as you can!! Warm thoughts and hugs from us all!:hug:

LOL @ Anakin.....no kidding! I don't even think I can wrap my head around that right now!!!

Oh, I LOVE that reply, 5!! Heh heh..... HibblesMom, I also can totally relate. I am 5'10", 300 pounds, with a 55" waist and skinny little legs and arms. An apple on toothpicks!!! Also a severe PCOS'er. I have got this comment more times than I can count! I really can't blame people, though. They aren't trying to be rude, and my body shape IS extremely deceiving..... I'm going to start using 5's reply above until I lose my Buddha-belly. I am so with you, Sweets....so with you!

I haven't had mine, yet, but I gotta say, don't get Protein shots. You need protein drinks/mixes. Protein shots have the wrong kind of protein in them (collagen), not whey, and they are not what we need after surgery....they're pretty bad. Other than that, I am going to buy myself a warmer, now, too! What a GREAT idea!!

LOL! I love this one, heh heh. Too true. Can't wait for that day! There are so many on here that have me laughing....unfortunately, I'm not where everyone else is, yet, but I will be! I have a list of 100 reasons why I want to lose 100 pounds, and I just added two things off this thread

Way to go, Diva!! You just keep on going Girl!! How tall are you???

Whoooo hooooo, Girl!!! Oh my gosh....SO, SO close!!! Oh, man, I have butterflies in my tummy for you!! :Dancing_wub: Let us know as soon as you know your surgery date!! Oh, I'm so excited for you!!

Hey, Irene....sorry if you've been asked this before....how tall are you?? You looked damn good at 199, lol!!! I'm 5'9" and wondering about where I'll be during my process - know everyone's different, but height sure matters....

Thanks for the update, Cay!! I live for info like this Keep us posted as you truck along.....

That is interesting! Keep us posted to let us know if it helps!

Slow loser??? Dang, Girl...that's over 20 pounds a month!! Sheesh!! Halfway to goal in three months! You are burning, it's not slow at all!! You are amazing and keep it up. It's mentors like you that I look up to and can't wait to emulate when I have my surgery!!:cheer2:

Aw, Suz.....Happy Birthday! What a wonderful gift you have now! :present: It's so nice to hear how you have your life back and you are happy and healthy! :woot:

HOLY MOLY, WOMAN!!!! Dang! I don't think I've seen that kind of weight loss so fast!! :cheer2: Good for you! You are amazing!! I would be happy to lose HALF of what you lost in 6 months, lol!!!

So I just posted this on another thread in response to a question, but wanted to repost here in recipes. I haven't even had my surgery yet, but this is one of my favorite recipes. It's quick, easy, tasty, filling, just so yummy! It's PERFECT for the pureed stages, and even later with more goodies mixed in. I have to give credit to Amy W at the Land of cheese and Sunkist blog for this one a year or so ago. You can also make a batch, freeze it in little containers.....that's what I'm going to do right before my surgery date. Enjoy!! Creamy Black Bean Soup 1 onion, diced 2-3 cloves garlic 1 Tblsp oil (canola or olive) 3 cans black Beans, drained 1 can Rotel tomatoes (if don't like spicy, sub regular diced tomatoes) 3-4 cans chicken broth (depending on how thin you want it) 1 Tblsp chili powder 1-2 tsp cumin Salt and pepper to taste. Saute onion and garlic in oil till soft. Add all other ingredients and simmer together for flavor to meld, at least 20 minutes. Puree soup with immersion blender, or regular blender. Serve with sour cream and cheese, if tolerated, melted in. Later on add some corn chips, green onions, whatever on top! Yummy!!! My FAVORITE!

LOL, oh, yeah! I remember your taco meat episode!! I replied to that one cause I've often woken up to that same thing....scary and horrible, and painful!! Burns, huh??

Oh, Monica!! Keep us posted! I'm submitting to BCBSIL on the 9th, so I love hearing how long everyone else takes! Thanks for the update!!

Amen, Kelly - you said it. You do really need to get off the laxatives, Miters, really. Our bodies and colons get dependent on them and then can't function normally. Once you stop taking them, it will be a couple of weeks for your bowels to become 'normal' (your normal, anyways). Then be sure to do what everyone else has said - Water, fruit, benefiber, water, fiber, water, did I mention fiber? Water? Oh, I see that I did As for gaining a pound or two from morning until nighttime, that IS PERFECTLY NORMAL!!! Everyone's weight fluctuates during the day. If you look online for weight fluctuations during the day, most everyone fluctuates between 2-4 pounds! I know you say this is not normal 'for you', but remember you have lost 88 pounds! You don't know what your 'normal' is anymore. Your body is going through huge, huge changes and adjustments and it won't level out for a long time after you hit your goal, or set, weight. This may be your new normal. As stated above, it is physically impossible to gain a pound or two of fat in one day, especially with the amounts of food you eat after surgery. So, just relax on this one....only weigh once a day, same time, DON"T obsess. You may hit a plateau, but don't worry, you will move again. I know I haven't had the surgery yet, but I can't tell you how many 'plateaus' I have read about on here (HUNDREDS!) and everyone eventually moves past them. Oh, did I mention get off the laxatives!! It's heroin for your poor colon!! Good luck, Sweets.....we're here for you!

Oh, man...BEST site ever!! There are many, many of us on there!! Come and join! There is a whole thread on here with all of our handles, etc. You can see and share food diaries to see what others are eating.....give each other encouragement and updates....it's awesome, Jackie!!

My insurance specifically states that it uses the BMI recorded at the beginning of the process as the actual criteria. Every insurance is different, though, you'd have to call them. That being said, I have had to wait 6 months for my diet plan (changed from three in the middle, gggrrr ) and honestly, it has helped me in so many ways having to wait. More research, more soul-searching, more reading in these wonderful forums on what I need to do to get my head around all the lifestyle and habit changes I need to make. All the possible pros and cons as everyone is different. The list is endless. I honestly feel sorry for those who look into this, go to a seminar, get approved right away and have their surgery two weeks later. You will see these are often the patients that are scared, confused, regretting their decision, having the most problems coping with the loss of food , etc. I really don't think they were mentally, or physically, prepared! These six months have actually gone by pretty quick and while it is hard waiting, it has helped me try to change the way I think about food and how it will all be different next month Oh, and I have only lost 5 pounds in 6 months *snicker*. Didn't bust my a$$ as both my doc and NUT said the goal wasn't to lose weight, just make damn sure I didn't GAIN any as I would have to start over. It's mainly to show you have received the education on nutrition and exercise and that you can conform to changes and maybe lose a little in the process. As for the whole defeat/failure thing, I can't even relate to that, but many on here can. I have failed at so many diets and plans over my ENTIRE life (Mom had on WW at 12 ) that this to me is my chance at SUCCESS and LIFE finally!!! Obviously, I can't 'do it on my own', or if I did, it certainly didn't stay gone!! That being said, I am keeping my choice VERY private but only because of all the nasty, judgmental people out there who just love to knock people down when they're successful. People always try to minimize and negate success in any way they can...'oh, sure he drives a nice car, but his inheritance paid for it', or 'Sure they bought a nice house, but Daddy Warbucks supplied the down payment', or 'Sure, she lost 12 pounds, but she had weight loss surgery'. Dammit, even with the surgery, we have worked out butts off (literally) and no one should discount that and my life is too short to deal with ignorant, mean people who love to throw stones. Phew, sorry about the rant! Good luck, Sweets!

Just a note on quitting cold turkey....I have been on Omeprazole 40 mg delayed release for years and it is not good to quit cold turkey. It's been documented in studies that patients often suffer from 'rebound acid production' if stopping suddenly, which only lasts about two weeks, thankfully. This rebound effect of over-production can be lessened if you wean off your PPI's. After two weeks of quitting, your acid production returns to your own baseline 'normal'. One thing I can't seem to find in all my hours of research, is WHY we have more issues with acid AFTER the sleeve? Our stomach is much, much smaller, many of the proton pumps that created and distributed the acid is gone, etc, etc, why more issues? I have had severe GERD for years, in addition to a hiatal hernia (to the point where I aspirate acid in the middle in the middle of the night) and I am terrified that it will be WORSE after my surgery. Doc is repairing my hernia, but my valve is still completely shot.

I plugged it in as a recipe on MyFitnessPal and this is what it comes up with: Calories: 200. Carbs: 35. Fat: 2. Protein: 12. Fiber: 11. Sodium: 1364 (chick broth, Beans - get less sodium with plain black beans and not flavored). Serving size is for 6 servings out of the whole pot, so if you have 12 servings from the whole pot, cut everything in half. I get about 10-12 cups from a whole recipe! Since I haven't had my surgery yet, one of my servings is about 2 cups.

Oooooh, Heather.....cheddar ale soup? Got a recipe? That sounds amazing....

Oh, tuna and egg salad with mayo/Miracle Whip, mushy. Cream of Wheat with protein mixed in. You can puree your shrimp/seafood and make a seafood salad. And God forbid, don't forget mashed taters!!!

Oh, here is an AWESOME resource. Eggface is my idol when it comes to WLS recipes and ideas!! http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html. I also love smashed avocados/guacamole and here is an AMAZING black bean soup/puree that I eat now, before my surgery!! Creamy Black Bean Soup 1 onion, diced 2-3 cloves garlic 1 Tblsp oil (canola or olive) 3 cans black Beans, drained 1 can Rotel tomatoes (if don't like spicy, sub regular diced tomatoes) 3-4 cans chicken broth (depending on how thin you want it) 1 Tblsp chili powder 1-2 tsp cumin Salt and pepper to taste. Saute onion and garlic in oil till soft. Add all other ingredients and simmer together for flavor to meld, at least 20 minutes. Puree soup with immersion blender, or regular blender. Serve with sour cream and cheese, if tolerated, melted in. Later on add some corn chips, green onions, whatever on top! Yummy!!! My FAVORITE!