Soup-a-Woman

I'm 15 months out... if I'm eating soup (and I most usually am) I can eat close to a cup now, compared to a half-cup for the first 9 to 10 months. On other foods, it's still between 1/2-3/4 cup. Last night I had about 2 square inch piece of salmon and 1/4 cup of couscous w/feta and pine nuts.

I served this yesterday for Thanksgiving and everyone raved. That's a pretty nice compliment from "regular" eaters. If you're sick of pureed foods this soup has just enough spice to wake up your taste buds. http://soup-a-woman.blogspot.com/2011/11/thanksgiving-traditions.html

Soup. It has all my favorite flavors, it's nice and brothy which my sleeve loves, and it has 2 sources of Protein. YUM!

Happy Anniversary to me and my sleeve. Best decision I ever made and the best $$$ I ever spent.

Someone here asked me to post a blended Soup recipe... sorry, I don't remember who that was. But today I got into the kitchen and messed around and am REALLY happy with the results! Creamy Edamame, Lime, and Coconut Soup

I haven't made any pumpkin Soups yet because I was thinking about how to add Protein to them successfully. If I made a pumpkin (or butternut squash) soup I would definitely have to bump the protein up... there's just not enough in the pumpkin itself. However, recently I've come across some recipes for pumpkin soups that also have Beans that seem like they have potential. The New England Soup Factory cookbook also has one with Cannellini Beans that sounds yummy. I actually like Cannellini beans quite a bit, so if I were to start experimenting, this would likely be my jumping off point. NE Soup Factory Pumpkin Soup (pg 3)

Maybe I'm not normal in the head but my BMI is freaking NORMAL this morning!!!! Holy schlamoly! From morbidly obese to normal in less than a year. Nor.Mal. Starting weight 305 This morning 159 BMI 24.2 Starting BMI 46.4

Everybody thinks it's sooooo cool that I have to get all new clothes, but let me tell you, it has been one of the worst things about losing 150 pounds. NOTHING you own now will fit. The concept of getting an entirely new wardrobe, from underwear, bras, and up is mind boggling. Not to mention you have to do summer wear vs. winter wear. It's a LOT. I bought a few things on my way down, because you just don't have a choice. I pulled a pair of pants on one morning and the minute I let go they fell right back down around my ankles. Seriously. My advice is to spend as little as you can while still looking decent. It's nice to wear things that fit because they show you're losing weight. But save the big guns for when you're closer to goal. On the upside? I LOVE shopping now. And after hating it for the past 20 years (I'm sure you've been there... crying in the dressing room) it feels damn good to try on normal clothes and feel HOT in them!

From reading the forums, it sounds like different doctors have wildly different pre-op diets. My stateside doc (Washington State) had me go very low carb for 10 days or so before my surgery. I was not put on any kind of liquid diet, just had to restrict my carbs. I wish I could remember how many I was allowed, but it was really low. I could eat what I wanted, just not carbs. I ate a lot of bacon, pepperoni, meats, etc... I wouldn't want to do it as a lifestyle, but I didn't feel deprived at all during the 10 days. And I lost around 20 pounds during that 10 days!

I couldn't take my chewable Vitamins... I actually just stopped until my bloodwork busted me. My nutritionist then recommended Rainbow Light Women's One multi-vitamins. They are swallowable, but big, and have solved my problem. If you're far enough away from you surgery and you can swallow a fairly largish pill, it could work for you, maybe? I buy them on Amazon.

A.MAZ.ING!!!! Congrats on your healthier you... you are doing great!

I have a few posted on my blog and am working on more. Keep checking! Soup-a-Woman Blog

I still eat a lot of eggs, just in different ways. Remember you can poach, fry, scramble.... not to mention egg salad or deviled eggs. Each one tastes very different. Try some blended Soups as well... I have an Thai flavored edamame posted in the recipes section. But you can make white bean with rosemary or a nice butternut squash. The flavors are so different that you can't get bored. I like to freeze my soups in 1/2 cup portions in the freezer and just grab one out the door when I go to work.

I'm a year out of surgery and I NEVER have a Protein shake. I freaking hate those things. I stopped drinking them like 2 weeks after my surgery. I, too, take my B12 in a sublingual form, it's seriously no biggie. Ask your doctor some more questions. Why shots? Why protein shakes the rest of your life? Basically, the only things I "had" to give up was carbonation and drinking with a straw. I eat normal food... and I'm now only 8 pounds from my "goal." The surgery may or may not be right for you. It was the best thing I ever did for myself, but you need to ask more questions... lots more. Good luck! Soup-a-Woman

Good for you!! Keep rockin' your sleeve, girl!

I had a two-week pre-op diet... but it was simply eat as few as carbs as possible. I ate a lot of bacon. I actually lost 20 pounds in the 2 weeks before my surgery, which was crazy... but my doc was super happy with the shrunken state of my liver. This pre-op and post-op diet part is just a tiny little bit of the rest of your much improved life. I'm a year out of surgery, down 146 pounds, and living a very normal life. Stick with it... it's nothing-but-a-thing and it will ALL be worth it!

YAY for YOU!!!

Yay for YOU!!!! I find myself posting new pics of myself alllll the time on facebook. It's funny how my old pics (when I would tolerate them) were only head shots. No full body shots, please! Now I'm posing anywhere I can!

I made this Soup yesterday and it turned out really well. If you've been craving Chinese food but don't want all the starch that comes with traditional take-out, give it a try! With both chicken and peanuts in the soup, the Protein is around 10 grams for 1/2 cup serving. Kung Pao Chicken Soup