TStew

Down 30 lbs and 14 inches from day of surgery and I'm happy with no regrets whatsoever! I have just over 100 lbs to lose now and I'm wondering if July 19th (birthday) is a realistic goal? That would be so unbelievably awesome even though I think I'll have an amazing b-day and be happy with my progress even without reaching goal.

It's so worth it! Good luck!!

I started with him but my insurance would not pay for the sleeve so I ended up self paying in MX. He was nice; I liked him! When I told him that I was thinking the sleeve was right for me he told me straight up that this was a very important decision that would affect the rest of my life and not to let my insurance dictate the right tool for me. I did not do a ton of research on him because I realized that he was right and that the bypass or band were not even an option for me and I was not up for a long drawn out fight to try to get my insurance to pay. I went to his seminar and met with him twice. I had a good feeling with him and also with the others in the office.

I have some sugar free chocolate sweets on hand... I have Atkins low carb PB Cups (which are AWESOME) and some York Peppermint Patties and believe it or not - it's really not hard for me to eat just one and satisfy that craving. I take tiny bites and just let it melt in my mouth. If I do eat one of them, it gets logged and I sure don't want to run up the numbers with empty calories. I'm a chocoholic and small amounts like that aren't going to hurt anything. I'm hoping that I'm going crazy for chocolate right now because of PMS and that in a few days the craving will not be so bad.

Yeah, I suppose it's a bit obsessive.... lol BUT, if you're stuck in a stall this might be the way to get out a lot faster....(?)

I remember reading about a diet last year that focused on calorie cycling to avoid plateaus and lose more fat and preserve muscle. You get the same amount of calories every week but some days are low and some days are high in order to trick the metabolism. I just Googled it and here is an interesting and easy to understand description: http://www.answerfit...g-fitness-nerd/ Most of us are already learning to be disciplined and counting calories and such so this really wouldn't be that hard for us. I'm going to do some more research and may give this a shot!

My nutritionist told me that your brain only knows that sweet is sweet and it doesn't matter if it's sugar free or a piece of juicy fruit. He said that your body and brain reacts to the sweetness and not necessarily the source of the sweetness. Of course some sweeteners are much healthier than others but when it comes to cravings and the brain it doesn't really make a difference. He suggested a book called 'Licking the Sugar Habit' by Nancy Appleton and it was REALLY interesting. Well, at least for me because sugar and carbs are my weakness. I've noticed that my Protein drinks don't cause a lot of problems for me (I don't add anything but the powder and open up some Vitamin capsules in it) but if I eat sf pudding or sf chocolate I start craving like CRAZY and it takes all my will power not to eat all I have (like I would have done pre-surgery). I'd rather not throw those obstacles in my path so I'm trying hard to stay away from all that stuff and maybe have one cheat day a week (on the weekend) and prepare myself mentally and physically for the negative effects. Maybe after being so conscious of the effects I will someday not want this stuff at all.

So unfair, isn't it? If your body is smart enough to realize you're starving and hold on to fat then why the heck isn't it smart enough to dump the extra calories that we eat and don't need so we don't become obese and die of a heart attack or something?!? lol

Thanks! But I'm still on mushies and my surgeon said no meats so I still have 4 or 5 days before I can start adding it in. I'm eating tons of cottage cheese though but it seems like one of the things I can eat too much....

I hope that proves true for me but I can put away a whole cup of yogurt - no problems. No problems with cottage cheese either.... The only thing that makes my stomach say "OKAY, STOP NOW!" is the refried Beans and hummus. I can't wait to add meat just so I can get my Protein in easier!

Love this post! 23 Days Post Op 1. I still feel hungry. Almost all the time. Yes, I take my Nexium every single morning. I had this sort of discomfort feeling (not like growling or anything) all the time before surgery and it's what made me graze so much because the only time it feels better is when I eat. I don't have any ulcers or hernias or anything so I'm not sure what is causing it.... I hate it. I even had a complete gastro work up last July and he didn't really find anything wrong other than signs of acid reflux (which I have not experienced since surgery). 2. I feel like I'm eating more than what most here say they can eat. 3. I used to LOVE Water and drink about 80 oz a day (it was the only thing I drank). Now I'm having a REALLY hard time getting 60. For some reason, it causes discomfort whether it's cold or room temp (I hate it warm). However, shakes do not cause this discomfort.... Weird. 4. I'm also cold all the time which is sooooo weird for me! Also, I need to start working on my tan because my skin is more transparent and you can see what looks like honeycomb veins. (maybe not veins). Could be some Vitamin deficiency I suppose.... GOOGLE, here I come! 5. I'm having a hard time with mushies because refried Beans and such have so many carbs. The first two days I spent most of the day in bed with absolutely no energy. That food seems to suck the energy right out of me but my surgeon does not allow meats on the mushy stage I'm thinking that it must have been a blood sugar issue and I'm just not even sure what to eat anymore... It seems impossible to get your Protein from mushy foods that don't include meat! 6. I'm feeling good for the most part. No pain, no vomiting, very few digestive issues, and my clothes aren't so tight and that is a WONDERFUL feeling. 7. I lost a lot of weight the first two weeks and then stalled. It's picking up again and it seems like the carb fest (start of mushies) got the scale moving again. But then again, it could have been the extra calories. 8. I'm very afraid of having to have my gall bladder removed. I'm getting pains and had an ultrasound and I don't have stones but my doctor said that other things can go wrong with the gall bladder to raise your liver enzymes. I did some research on the med that prevents gall stones but it isn't good for your liver and I'm more worried about that than I am the gall bladder. 9. I still eat too fast and need to follow some others and just put the fork down and time the next bite. I now know what the 'foamies' are.... I was thoroughly confused by that term but now I know exactly what it is and I have to admit that I was laughing the first time I got them because it was such a weird feeling!! (I've only had them a few times and I'm sure it's because I'm eating too fast.) 10. I dream of reaching onederland and can't wait! I would really like to be at goal before my birthday in July but I'm not sure if that is a realistic goal and I'm not sure if I can be that disciplined because I'm hungry all the time.... I need to figure out a way to work this sleeve better!!

Are you using milk or whey Protein in your shakes? Could it be the dairy? I read someplace that many overwieght people have no idea that they're lactose intolerant because they eat a lot and have no idea what is making them gassy and I also read that some people who were not lactose intolerant before surgery can be intolerant after surgery.... My nutritionist told me (way before surgery) that you really shouldn't be eating things that cause you to be gassy and cause digestive issues. Most people think it's 'natural' but it's really a reaction to something you're eating or drinking. He recommended cutting out dairy and gluten and I did and no more digestive issues after only a few days.... Of course, I couldn't stick to it but it made it easier to indentify something that didn't agree with me. Granted, things change after surgery and maybe it's part of the process and will get better as you heal?

You're welcome! Actually, The Carlson lemon flavor is Cod Liver Oil. Not sure if that makes a difference to you....

I only have my oldest sister here and the rest of the family is out of state. I told her when i was just thinking about it and she was not supportive at all. She thought I was crazy, especially for considering to MX and she flat out told me that she wouldn't go with me and that I was on my own. We had our annual Christmas get together with some of her work friends and one of them just happened to bring up her coworker who had WLS and looked terrible because her face was all wrinkled now. I have no doubt my sister was gossiping about me and I'm sure she had already told my nieces and other sisters so I just stopped talking about it. When I had the surgery, I just told her I was home with the flu and not feeling good for a few days. Then I told her about my recent blood work and the liver enzymes being high and that I decided against surgery but I'm going to do a 21 day liquid fast (which I've done a few times in the past) and totally change my eating habits because I'm scared about the sudden liver issues (which is totally true). And she knows I'm beginning an exercize plan and she also knows that I'm an 'all or nothing' kind of person. She witnessed me lose a lot of weight before so she might not suspect. She might catch on when I start to lose a lot but I don't think I will lie about it if she confronts me. I'll just tell her that she was totally unsupportive and I didn't want to be the subject of her gossip so I did it without telling her and I went alone. I would rather not tell my family and coworkers at this point. I'm looking for a new job anyway so hopefully the timing will work out to my advantage!

Wow, sorry you guys are having these problems! I'm 17 days out and I'm still not supposed to eat yogurt for another few days and I didn't start on cream soups until day 11. When I added the cream soups and the pudding I did have some discomfort but was careful and only had a few bites here and there and now I'm fine with them. I foresee the same when I start adding in cottage cheese and yogurt and things like applesauce. Maybe you're skipping some healing steps? Just FYI, here is the stages from Dr. Aceves: Days 1-5 Clear Liquid Days 6-10 Thin Liquids Days 11-20 Full Liquids Days 21-30 Soft Foods (mushies) Days 31 - Regular food I know it's a bit conservative compared to some surgeons but this seems to really be working for me. I took a tiny bite of applesauce around Day 10 and there was a lot of discomfort (from a tiny bite) and I got scared! After that - I stick to the above schedule! And I'm hungry all the time too! Don't know if it's 'head hunger' or real hunger but it sucks! I was told it will get better when you start eating regular food because you get full on such a small amount.

The liquid fish oil provides way more benefit than the caps. Check out the nutrition numbers, you have to take a ton of the horsepills to get the same benefit you get from one tablespoon of the oil. Carlson lemon flavored tastes fine and it's pretty easy to get down.

I've been juicing for a long time and even though they don't taste great - I focus on greens. There are certain things - like cabbage, that have really important enzymes but you have to drink immediately after juicing to get the benefit. By the way, I think you're familiar with Dr. Mercola, correct? I have been struggling with my Vitamin D level for YEARS! My nutritionist has me taking 50,000 once a week and then 10,000 IU per day. (I have the Carlson 10,000 IU capsules so it's easy to do). My level went from 12 to 30 after doing this for about six months and I could never get it above 30! I bought this little Vitamin D spray from Mercola - it's 1000 IU per spray and I take 6 sprays per day. I was taking it for only about two weeks and never even considered that I might do something but I had my levels tested last week and I'm at 60!!! First time I've ever tested above 30. Not sure if it's a mistake or if my body is absorbing this spray better than it ever did the other stuff! Amazing! My sister has low levels as well (20s) and I had her start using the spray so she can go get tested in a few weeks so I guess I'll know for sure then.

Yum! Can't wait to try it! I can't believe that cream cheese and egg will make a 'crust'. How was the crust? Was it soft or crunchy?

Baked eggs in Bacon Rings Adapted from Dr. Atkins' Quick and Easy New Diet Cookbook: 6 strips nitrite-free bacon melted bacon fat for brushing tins 4 slices tomato, each about 1/2 inch thick 4 eggs pepper to taste chopped onions (optional) Preheat the oven to 325. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until it begins to shrivel, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Brush 4 cups in amuffin tin or 4 small ramekins with bacon fat. Place a tomato slice in thebottom of each cup. Circle the inside of each cup with 1 1/2 strips ofbacon. Break an egg into each muffin cup and season with pepper. Can add chopped onions. Fill any unused tins with Water to protect them fromburning. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. To serve, loosen the edges of the eggs with spatula and transfer the eggs to plates.

Have not tried these yet but I remember a similar recipe on one of the Suzanne Somers videos about cooking healthy. Her husband's favorite recipe and he made them with crispy fried onions I think. Looked AWESOME! I'm not ready to pull out that video because I haven't even reached the mushy stage and don't want to torture myself more than I already am.... lol But I will pull it out soon and watch it again to get some ideas. I'm not sure what he used to cook them in but they were low carb so probably similar to the recipe above.

Two weeks out today - I live in San Diego.

It is from milk. It says on the container "Great Tasting whey Protein Mix from Grass Fed Cows".

I purchased the 6-pack before my surgery - chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, Peanut Butter, banana, and grape. So far I've only tried the strawberry and peanut butter and they were both very tasty! However, they have like 19g of carbs per serving so I think I'm going to save these for when I get my ice cream maker and just eat them for a treat and not as a meal/shake. It says right on the container "Use this product as a food supplement only. Do not use for weight reduction."

I use ALL ONE Weight Loss Formula and it tastes fine and has a ton of great Vitamins and minerals but only 14g of Protein so I had to find a decent unflavored to add to it. I'm not a fan of GNC but read great reviews on the unflavored Pro Performance 100% whey Protein. I love the taste! I add that to my chocolate All One and it has 21g so I end up with a 35g protein shake that tastes great! The scooper in this is twice the size of my All One and one scoop is a serving size. I've been adding it to 1 of the little cups of sugar free Jello pudding and it tastes really good! I thought it would be horrible because it seems like more powder than pudding but it mixes right in and makes the pudding a little thinner and it's a great treat and satisfies my junk food monster! A serving of the GNC has 21g protein, 110 calories, 2g carbs, 2g fat, and 2g sugar. Nice pleasant 'vanilla-like' smell and taste. No artificial colors or flavors and no preservatives. Can't wait until my ice cream maker arrives so I can start using this to make ice cream!