Catracks

You rock!!!!!! I'm so happy for you!!!!!! I'll take your advice on the plastics.

Same with me. My surgeon has only a few sleeves. Most are gastric bypass and they didn't go to the one support group meeting I went to. All the written instructions and nutritional advice (and any other advice) was for bypass patients. It's like we are the red-headed step children of bariatric surgery. (Please no offense to redheads, you are beautiful) My gallbladder is full of stones, but I am asymptomatic. I was afraid of the ducts clogging so I agreed with the surgeon that it should stay. Six months out and no problems so far.

I tweaked two of Eggface's recipes: Almond Roca Protein Ice Cream 1 cup 2% milk 2 scoops Max Protein chocolate 1 Tbs SF Torani Chocolate Syrup 1 Tbs SF Torani Almond Roca Syrup A couple shakes (1 tsp?) of SF Jello Chocolate pudding mix 1/4 cup of dry rosted, unsalted sliced almonds Blend until frothy. Cool in Frig. Put in electric soft serve maker. After 10 minutes, add almonds. After 15, ICE CREAM TIME! sugar free, flourless oatmeal Raisin Nuggets 1 cup Quaker Oats 2 tbs Peanut Butter (or as much as you'd like) 1 tbs butter 2 tbs Torani SF vanilla Syrup 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cinnamon (I always double up on cinnamon, so I use 1/2) 1/4 cup raisins Put small scoops on baking sheet and bake at 350 for ... I would do 10 minutes. The original recipe was for granola, but I didn't have the right nuts. 15 minutes was a little too long as they were slightly burnt on the bottom. I'd try 10 minutes. Make 24 nuggets. You don't miss the sugar AT ALL. Shelly at Eggface is a genius BTW.

My nutritionist wanted me off them as soon as possible. She was perturbed when I told her I still have them occasionally. Absurd. I ignored her. I have one about once or twice a week and even make soft serve ice cream out of them. Made chocolate Almond Roca yesterday. You can get you Protein exclusively from food, but I like them. It's your choice.

I wouldn't take them personally. I was on Phentermine in 2002/2003. They worked. I lost all my weight and got down to 130. I stopped taking them. By summer of 2004 I was up to 165. By 2005 I was up to 210. By 2010 I was up to 240. We need to learn how to eat at every stage from pre-op to post-op to weight loss to maintenance. The pills do not teach you this. They mask your hunger. Once you go off them, you go back to the same old habits.

Been there done that. Sometimes we ignore the lesson. I was out all morning and didn't get Breakfast. By the time I got home it was 12:30 and I was ravenous. I bolted my food and it did a reverse direction. Then I didn't feel like eating so I waited 1/2 an hour and made a Protein Shake. Stupid. I should know better than to not eat all morning (hypoglycemic) then to stuff food down.

Never did take pain meds. Had on shot in the recovery room, felt like crud and had them take away the morphine. Didn't take pain meds at home. I have this huge bottle of Vicoden liquid. Felt tender for about a week. Went horseback riding at two weeks. I was suffering from sleep apnea and it seemed to disappear post-op so I felt the exact opposite of fatigue. Everybody is different.

Trying to save money. There is no way in HELL I would have done this awake. The only reason one lady next to me had to be awake is because she didn't bring someone to drive her home. They were very strict about that. Don't worry. You will not be awake for surgery.

Wow! If you can lose 28 pounds in 8 weeks then you are already workin' it! I can lose 3.5 pounds in a week, but probably not sustain it through 8 weeks. How far out are you?

I know what you mean. I can fit comfortably into airline seats, booth, amusement park rides ... I know you said it felt like first class. I just had a comment on first class seating: NO WAY WOULD I PAY! I'm too cheap and can do just fine with a book and a snack.

The reasons I wont take them: http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/do-ppis-have-long-term-side-effects.shtml If I get excess acid, it usually means that I have not been drinking my Water. I'll drink. If on rare occasions that doesn't help (twice since surgery) I just pop a gas-X. I do realize that some have a condition worse than mine to be sure, but I half to be half dying to take a Tylenol. Issues

That's funny. My dad is Mexican/Spanish and his mom said that the family in Spain were descended from Sephardic Jews forced to convert to Catholicism. I guess it stuck LOL! It could also be hogwash.

I'm in too. I'm exactly 169 today. By Labor Day I would like to be 154. Hopefully this will be my next to last challenge. My next challenge is for October 27th. That is the day my husband and I will sort of renew our vows and get the sacrament of marriage in the church. I would like to be 134 at that time, but who knows? I will be 30 pounds lighter than when we first got married. Is it possible to have a size 14 dress taken in to a size 6 or 8?

Okay. i saw your last post and it's been super healthy eating for you. I think it's just getting harder. I would try lowering the calories and carbs just a bit and see what happens. I personally HATE running. I can cover more ground walking with a long stride and actually expend more calories that I can jogging. I also tend to walk 10 miles up and down mountains. Try walking to some nice places to make it interesting and fun.

Whoa!! I am 6 months out, get 750 calories, I try to not go over 45 grams of carbs. I should probably set that a lot lower because I do tend to lose faster. Carbs definitely make me stall. Granted I do up the carbs on days of strenuous exercise, but my calories are even lower.on those days because all I really feel like doing is drinking and I have to actually schedule times to sit down and eat something. After the 6 hours of hiking (that is my preferred exercise) I get really hungry, but go for the really dense Protein and I'm stuffed after a few bites. It's weird. Maybe it's difference with short, intense workouts. The basic calculation says that you need 2050 calories to maintain your weight without exercise. Granted there is exercise going on there, but I honestly don't think it's enough to offset the calories. I see it says you are burning 3000+, but maybe there is something else going on. My surgeon and a lot of the people here on the boards say the weight loss slows after 6 months and you have to work harder at it. Doing things like switching to leaner Proteins and cutting out refined, process grains, all highly processed foods and definitely sugar will help. I can make sugar free protein ice cream and other Desserts that taste as good as my original recipes. Just some thoughts. You are too close to settle.

I got the dark skin and the brown hair. Sicilian is only a place. There is evidence that my family may have come from Albania to Sicily in the 1400s to escape the Ottoman Turks. For all I know there is some North African blood in there. Who knows?

For me it's still mostly about the food, although I do hike and work out to some extent. Going over 50 grams of carbs a day causes me to stall (on a 750 calories a day). If I gnaw on protein and some veggies all day I will lose fast.

Hmmm, I'm a short Sicilian. I think we just come that way Congratulations on being sleeved. This was one of the best decisions that I've ever made.

The taco bell pintos and cheese is 4.5 oz. and cost .99. A 16 oz. can of Rosarita Beans is .99 usually at my market. The hot sauce and cheese maybe 3 cents more. Rosarita also make lard free vegetarian, fat free, jalapeno and the regular stuff. I'm still sticking to the fact that cooking at home always beats fast food in price, health and taste. How long to heat up a can of beans? I bet I could beat the drive through guy. I know you were asking about fast food, but if time and money and health are factors then I offer this. I always add a little dollop of plain Greek yogurt too. Kicks up the Protein and tastes like sour cream to me.

Yep, do not forget the Joe. Seriously, that man has now sit by my bedside through two surgeries. He walked me around the halls and everything. I'm blessed.

These are the things I actually used. I didn't really bring much more than that. Insurance card and I.D Cell Phone Toothbrush/Toothpaste Deodorant Brush Lotion Lip balm Loose clothing (underwear, pajama bottoms, t-shirt) Book Small pillow Vitamins Heating pad Blue eyeglasses & case Joe (Husband) The vitamins came in handy. When my RBC count was low, I chewed up a couple vitamins for the Iron. I wanted to go HOME! The husband came in handy too!

I look for the value packages of meat and cook in bulk. Since we should be doing mostly Protein and then a little vegetables, it would be healthier and more economical to stay off the fast food. Even the healthy stuff has added salt and sugar. I buy things like tri-tip roasts, chicken breasts/thighs/legs/wings, whole chickens, whole pork loins, etc -- whatever is on sale at the time. Even seafood goes on sale. Talapia and shrimp can sometimes be pretty cheap. We are not able to eat much, so a whole chicken can last a week. You can also make broth from the chicken to use in other recipes. I marinate wings in tapitio and bake them. Perfect buffalo wings! I can only eat two whole wings, maybe 2 1/2. You can freeze for later what you don't use. meats can be eaten with stir fry, added to a morning egg, made into salads ... Endless. If it's gotta be fast food, I found great things at Panda Express. Instead of the chow mein or rice, get the steamed veggies and one of the "wok friendly" Entrees. Wendy's chili is okay, but a little bland. El Pollo Loco sounds friendly. No rice or tortillas. Subway really bites, their meat is substandard and they don't give you a lot. I honestly cannot think of any other fast food places that I'd trust. For what you'd pay for one serving of Beans at Taco Bell, you can buy a couple cans of refried beans (also good with a morning egg).

If you can quit smoking, you will be a very successful sleever I think. I am very excited for you. I was more excited and not really apprehensive at all. It felt more like an upcoming vacation, because it sort of was (3 weeks off, YAHOO!) and the start of a new life. We will be here.

Had upper endoscopy, chest Xray, abdominal ultrasound, blood tests, mammogram, and EKG. Had no drain and no leak test. Would have just stayed overnight, but my RBC count was low, so 2 nights in hospital. 2 weeks Clear liquids, 2 weeks full liquids, 2 weeks puree and finally solids. I had an RX for PPIs, but I did not take them. As a rule I do not take meds and I learned some things about PPIs that I did not like. My gallbladder was full of stones, but my surgeon told me than unless it was symptomatic, then he was leaving it. Good choice.

You would have to watch Rachel Ray. I think she coined EVOO. She bugs me; she's so damned perky.