Lisa :)

I started out using RunKeeper....then tried SEVERAL others including (map my run, nike+, iSmoothRun...just to name a few). I came full circle back to RunKeeper. I think it has the best interface and I love that I can enter and edit my activities (including the maps) on the RunKeeper website. Several apps also sync with RunKeeper.

I also like MANY of the eggface recipes. I have her protein cake with protein ice cream about 3 times a week. The ice cream really doesn't do well once you put it in the freezer...it gets ROCK hard!!! So, I make a small amount and throw away whatever I don't use.

Check out some of Jamie Eason's recipes on bodybuilding.com. I love this one: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/livefit-recipes-chocolate-peanut-butter-protein-crisp.html

I had knee pain...now, it's gone! I had plantar fasciitis....now, it's gone! I had hip pain...now, it's gone!!! I used to be a couch potato....now, I do triathlons!!

I know how you feel, congratsl!!!...I weigh less than my 6'1",19 year old son!!!!

OMG...I would have been mortified as well!!!! I've learned that the whole "going out to dinner" thing is just not ever going to be the same and I did have a few "mishaps" after dining out early on (nothing like yours though!). Luckily, my partner had bypass about 6 months after I had my surgery so I don't have to worry about that anymore....we NEVER go out to eat!!!

I considered the band but opted for the sleeve because of the high complication rate with the band as well as knowing 4 people (personally) that have all stated, in hindsight, that they wouldn't choose the band again. One of them lost 65/160 pounds and can't seem to lose any more, one has lost no weight at all and the other 2 had to have their bands removed due to slipping and have gained all their weight back. These were really the only statistics I needed to make my decision and I could not be happier!!

I kinda went through this. My employer dropped our Blue Shield *** (a month before my appt) and I was forced to switch to Kaiser. I decided to keep my one year follow up with my surgeon and pay the $40 office visit and then I just went in and had my labs done a month early (since I already had the order). I still plan on seeing my surgeon at my 2 year follow up (along with the Kaiser NP).....the $40 office visit is worth it!!

I liked them up until I was about 4 months post op. Then I tried Nectar and was never able to go back to Premier b/c of their aftertaste. I tried several Nectar flavors from a sample pack I ordered and have been using the Cappucinno flavor since month 5. I shake it up in a Blender Bottle and pour it over ice....it's like an iced coffee (to me anyway)!!!

My B-12 levels have been "normal" since surgery (Nov 2011). My insurance just changed and I'm now inside the Kaiser machine. I went to see the bariatric Nurse Practitioner and she put me on monthly B-12 shots. I have no idea why???

I have not been super secretive about my surgery but I also don't shout it from the roof tops. I guess I'm somewhere in the middle. Everyone in my "inner circle" knows about my surgery as do many of my peers at work. But my staff at work don't know (I manage a department of about 25 people). They are always commenting on my weight loss and want to know how I've done it. So, I tell them the truth....I train and compete in triathlons!!!!

If you want to take your guac to a whole new level....add 2 tablespoons of finely grated cotija cheese....makes it OH MY GOD good!!!! As a California native, it's hard for me to believe that some people have never had guacamole!!!

I second the EatSmart. Great scale...superb customer service. My first scale went haywire after about 8 months and they sent me a new one....I didn't even have to send the old one back!!!

I'm almost 16 months out and, at 4 days out, I was a little sad at the thought of not being able to eat the way I used to....probably because I was four days without food!!! It all passes, you heal, you get through the food stages and eventually settle into whatever your new "normal" will be. Like Amazon13 says, you will eventually be able to eat around 6-8 oz depending on the food and your sleeve's tolerance to specific foods--everyone's different!! I don't go out to eat anymore unless it's to join someone for a specific reason....and I'm truly okay with it!! I actually enjoy my rather routine way of eating. If anything, take advantage of where you are right now and the tremendous weight loss you'll have over the next year or so....because at some point, you WILL be able to eat more and your weight loss will slow down. Good luck on your journey!!

I'm actually out right now, but I believe it's 20 or 22 grams. The Chobani, I believe, is 22 grams as well. I just buy the TJ's becasue I eat A LOT of it....and it's less expensive.

Well said!!! For my friend, it was not really the nicotine either...it's the behavior and physical part of smoking that she loves. Vaping has allowed her to continue that without the harmful effects of smoke and nicotine. And although I don't "get" smokers...I do get the food stuff (which is why I try not to judge!). Another close friend of mine has a 20 year son who is very overweight and she (as someone who's never dealt with food or weight issues) can't seem understand why he doesn't just stop eating. But I "get" him!!! And you're so right....it's easy, when you don't have an issue, to give people advice!! I even told myself, for years, that I should be able to lose weight on my own. I knew what I NEEDED to do...I just never had success at maintaining because my relationship with food was so dysfunctional. I'm greatful for my sleeve (my tool) everyday!!

I'm not a smoker but a very close friend of mine had gastric bypass surgery in April and quit about 3 weeks prior to her surgery. Once she got home she was okay for about a week but soon found herself craving a cigarette. So, she got herself a cheap e-cig and "cheated" that way. Then a couple of months after her surgery she discovered "vaping" which is basically a more sophisticated version of the e-cig. She has a variable voltage device that she adds liquid to and she absolutely loves it. She started out using a juice on the higher nicotine level and then weaned herself down to zero nicotine over the course of a few weeks. So, now she still gets the "pleasure" of smoking without any nicotine or any of the harmful effects of smoking. She was a pack and a half a day smoker for 30 years that NEVER thought she could quit....nor did she want to because, in her words, she "loves smoking". As a non smoker, I don't really understand why it's so hard to quit....but I've watched her struggle and the struggles that other friends and family members have had with quitting. It's my understanding that nicotine addiction is more difficult to overcome than most drug addictions. For people that just can't seem to kick the habit "vaping" (even with nicotine) is a safer alternative (once healed from surgery).

The Trader Joe's Organic Light Whipped Cream Cheese has 4.5 grams of fat per 2 tbs. The regular Organic whipped has 10 grams. I get two servings out of it, so it's less than 3 grams of fat if I use light and 5 if I use the regular (which I like more). I make it a point NOT to try and cut too much fat from my diet. I am a firm believer that our bodies need all 3 nutrients (Protein, carbs and fat), so I try to eat 5-6 small balanced meals (about 250 calories) throughout the day.

Carbsmart is made by Kroger (Ralph's). My FAVORITE way to eat greek yogurt is to whip up 2 tbs of Trader Joe's Organic whipped cream cheese with 8 oz of 0% greek yogurt (my personal favorite is Trader Joe's b/c the Protein content is so high). I add a few drops of vanilla extract as well and I sweeten with Splenda. Tastes like cheesecake!!!! I add blueberries or strawberries and then I sprinkle with 1/2 of a crushed graham cracker. It's AMAZING!!! i can never eat it all so I usually split into 2 servings.

I'm in the South Bay and had Dr. Aileen Takahashi with the Association of South Bay Surgeons. My surgery was at Torrance Memorial which is a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. Dr. Takahashi is the Bariatric Director at the hospital. I could not have had a better surgery and recovery.

You are merely a figment of your former self!!!! What an amazing transformation!!

I'm pretty sure a year from now you WILL NOT feel the way you do today!!! So much changes once you get past the 6 month mark. I also think it's important to remember that stalls are part of the process. I used to get super discouraged when my weight would stall. Now, I focus on the ways in which my life has improved that have nothing to do with the scale or my size!! I FEEL so much better. I have more energy. I'm a triathlete now!! Even if I don't lose another pound....I'm living the life I've dreamed about for the past 15 years!!! Hang in there!!!

I am 15 months post op and have been in a stall for over 3 months now. I know that the reason I'm not losing right now is b/c I'm snacking way more than I should be. What's great is that I haven't gained ANY weight!! I'm also at, what I believe, is my "set point" (the weight my body wants to be at). In the past when I've gotten to this point, I give up and I gain it all back. Now, that doesn't happen!! My only regret is that I waited so long to do it!! I would do it all over again in a heart beat!!!

I can totally appreciate your perspective but I didn't have surgery in hopes that I would NEVER eat non nutritional food ever again!!! My objective was to develop a healthier relationship with food. It's been a process, but I believe I've done that. I believe it's "normal" for ALL people to indulge every now and then. It's also "normal" to overeat now and then. I'll also add this....food addiction is unlike any other type of addiction where you are required to abstain from your vice. I think the goal here, for most of us, is to change our relationship with food and this may mean something different for everyone.

At 15 months out I've had a few "I'm never eating that ever again!!!" experiences. At about 6 months out I was craving a Shamrock shake. So I got one, drank the entire thing in about 20 minutes and had my first, and only, dumping incident. NEVER again do I think I will ever WANT a shake. I also thought, at one point, in that first 6 months that I was "missing" Jersey Mike's Subs in my life. So, I ate 1/2 (which was 2 inches) of a Mini Sub. Not a good idea!!! I lost it all soon afterward! So that's a No Go on Jersey Mike's from now on!! Lastly, I thought I wanted Nachos Supreme from Taco Bell. Nothing horrible happened after eating 4 bites other than coming to the conclusion that Taco Bell tastes like dog food....or what I imagine dog food to taste like!!! No more Taco Bell for me (which was my favorite pre op)!! One of the greatest gifts my sleeve has given me is an aversion to fast food!!! I have no desire for it anymore because it tastes so processed and artificial!!! Now, if only I could develop that same aversion for Pirate Booty!!!!