PdxMan

I've tried several RTD and powders. Premier from Costco by far are the best for me. Chocolate or vanilla. I see they make a strawberry, too, but haven't seen them around.

At this point you are soooo early in with your sleeve, I would get rid of the scale. Seriously. What is it going to tell you? You are still healing. Your body is going to be retaining fluids ... letting them go ... retaining again ... it is in a very confused state. If you get on tomorrow and it is higher, what does that mean? That you actually gained fat? REALLY? How many calories are you eating in a day ... and you think you are going to gain fat? Sorry ... I don't think so. What does it mean if you drop a pound or two? Did you really lose fat? Are those two pounds going to come back again? What if they do? Do you see my point here? You could spin your head around this so bad you won't know which way is up. And for what good? Think about it ... you just had 85% of your stomach removed. Do yourself a favor and focus on doing the right thing with your eating and drinking. The scale WILL take care of itself.

Hey Lissa, yes, it made such a huge difference for me. There is just so much to learn and adapt with our new bodies, isn't there? I am amazed at how quickly we can deplete our glycogen stores and how long it takes to refill them with our (relative) meager intake. Glad to hear you found a solution! Keep up the good work! ps I read your post about your date the other night. NICE!!

IMO, overeating and being overweight is the result of something deeper for a majority of people ... not all ... but a majority. So, those issues won't go away just because you eat less. Part of the pre-screen process is supposed to be a psychological analysis into some of our eating issues. Do I have a grip on mine? By no means, but I am working on them, but they're not so far out as to have prevented me from getting sleeved. The sleeve is not a cure all and not a magic bullet. Those who think it is can be severely disappointed.

I do the same thing that 2bsmall wrote. I reduced my portions and increased my exercise. I had told a couple people early on and received so much critism I just decided not to say anything. I didn't need it at that time. But now that I am where I am at, with time, weight and experience behind me, I may change my approach. I've been working on a blog and if I am going to direct friends to it, I am going to have to be honest about my journey.

Well, my definition of what a meal is has changed. When I go out with co-workers or friends that don't know my story, I can eat a whole meal. Now, what does that consist of? A side salad and a cup of soup! Now, if I am out with my wife or her family, who know my story, I usually don't order anything at all. Everybody cuts off a bite and throws it on a salad plate. That is eating a whole meal to me. Everything changes with the sleeve and what we call a meal needs to change, too, otherwise we lament the days of overeating, which can do us no good.

I was in the same boat. Ate Soups mainly as anything solid hurt and didn't feel good at all. It does take time, but it will be better. Like Dorrie, it was at least 3 months before more solid foods were comfortable. Red meat, breads and Pasta ... 6 months. At 8 months, there isn't anything that I can't eat. I still feel restriction, so if I eat too much of just about anything, it is uncomfortables, so ... It will get better.

I agree that trying to quit two addictions at the same time is not advisable, but it is not like we decide to have the surgery and go in the next day and have it done. As an ex-smoker, I know it is difficult to quit. I stumbled more than once. IMO, the day you make the decision to have the surgery is the day you have decided to change your life to a healthier direction. That is the day to begin the process of quitting smoking. I'm guessing we have all kidded ourselves with our eating issues but there comes a times when we say enough is enough. If you really think smoking is OK and not a negative thing while you are healing from major surgery, then ... God bless you and good luck.

Running in the morning is difficult for me. I know it has to do with my glycogen stores ... the amount of energy my body has quick access to for exercise. I run a lot and do races, too. On race day, I usually will wake up 2 hours before and start eating. The day before is ridiculous ... the amount of food I eat ... But, I need it if I am going to be able to exercise at any descent level. I have a blog where I post about my experiences with nutrition and exercise. There is a link in my signature below.

Yeah, I've kinda taken a break from the site lately. Been working on my blog.

I love these stories. Congrats! Having the surgery has changed my life in so many ways, too. It's been great!

I made Lentil/Ham soup with carrots. Let it cook a bit longer than usual to ensure everything was soft and then put it in a blender. Has a great flavor, great Protein and even some good carbs. I think any recipe would do. I also made chicken veggie (no celery) and turkey chili, throwing them into the blender. I basically lived on pureed Soups in this stage. Find any recipe you like and throw it in a blender. Worked for me.

Thanks, all. If you have a smart phone, you can find a C25K app for it. I have an iPhone, so there are several out there, but I don't think it is required. There are many others out there. If you go to runnersworld.com, they have some programs. Just do a Google search and follow the routine closely. Don't do more than what is recommended as that can lead to injury. Before starting any running (or serious walking) I recommend going to your local running store and get fitted for the right shoes. They can recommend the shoe that will work for your gait. You don't have to buy their shoes, just find out if you pronate, supinate or have a neutral gait. Google those terms to find out what they mean. Having the wrong shoe can cause injuries which will take you out of exercising completely, so I HIGHLY recommend doing this first.

Been there, done that and highly recommend it. Especially if you are pre-sleeve. It will help your endurance which will translate into an easier healing experience. I ran my 5K in December and since then I ran an 8K in Feb and a 10K the weekend before last. I am doing the Shamrock run (8K) this Sunday. I am signed up for another 10K April 1st and a half marathon on the 4th of July. I have replaced my eating addiction with running and it has been GREAT! I am building a blog about my experience over here, but it is still under construction: http://vsgrunner.wordpress.com/

Oy, Irene, I'm sorry to hear all of this. Let me know if I can help in any way or just need to 'chat'.

It was about 6 weeks before I dropped a pant size and that was around 50# down. But then it was rapid after that. I think I was in the next size for only 2 weeks. Don't worry, it will happen. Just think about it. It has to. You can't lose this kind of weight and not change size.

It took me about 6 weeks and 50 pounds before my jeans started loosening up. And then woosh!! I was shrinking fast. I was in 38s for about two weeks. It was crazy.

I, as well, went from a wide to medium.

So, many of you know I ran an 8K this past Sunday. I summarized the prep and event here: http://www.verticals...keep-on-trying/ What I didn't mention, though, is right after the race, my wife and I had to go pick up the Girl Scout Cookies for my daughter's ENTIRE troop. 77 cases. Oy! We back our Expedition into the loading area and get out to help load. OMG!! I'm talking hundreds of cases of cookies stacked on pallets everywhere. I was laughing and crying at the same time. Thin Mints are without a doubt my favorite and my heart started beating as fast as it was during my race as I stood next to two 10 foot stacks of cases. How crazy is that? I had to take a picture and all the helpers just laughed. Not sure if they were laughing with or at me. The other picture is in my dining room showing just a small fraction of cookies the little demons *cough*, *cough* will soon be standing at your door with, if they haven't been there already. Before anyone gets on me, I love my little Girl Scout and think the scouting world is great. I'm just kidding.

I love those Cadbury eggs. Either cream or caramel filling. I had totally forgot about those. GS Cookies are more tempting for me, though. Those eggs are so sweet, I bet I can't handle them this year. Yea!

It was an amazing scene

Do a search on this site for Ketosis. You will find your answer there.

Protein intake is very important, that is for sure, but don't abandon carbs. If you're in puree stage, I had a lot of cooked veggies in soups that I blended. It helped me get my energy back.

I use myfitnesspal as well. So far, there hasn't been a single food missing from their database that I have searched for. Brand name stuff I would expect. But they have the entire Trader Joes catalog and specialty cheeses from Tillamook and ... it's amazing.

Oy, As someone who has battled smoking, alcoholism and food addictions, I can honestly tell you NO ONE could MAKE me help myself. As a matter of fact, if my wife tried to, it would have backfired and I would have fought her on it. Just my pig-headed-ness, I suppose. I'm not saying that you are ... I hate a nag. If you want to make sure I'm NOT going to do something ... nag me to do it. H3ll would freeze over before I would do it. For me, to work on my personal issues, I had to hit MY bottom. I think the best thing you can do is be an inspiration. Walk the walk, and don't nag him about it. He will see how your life changes. It will take a spark within him to make the decision. I know you want to light it, but you can't. As far as I can tell, my wife doesn't battle any addiction issues, and she is a skinny mini, but I would love for her to be more physically fit. I suggest things she can do, but try not to nag her about it. I work out like crazy and talk to her about how great it makes me feel. When she is ready, I'm confident she will join me, but it has to be her decision. Not mine. This isn't a husband issue, it's a Christina issue.