Catyroses

Oh I hear you, Tiffy and Lookinup. My obsession is still there, I must say. Only it is so different now. I still think about food every day. And I remember vividly having dreams about food as I was recovering from surgery in the hospital. Very vivid, very sad, very obsessive narcotic-induced dreams. So strange. But so understandable, given my years-long addiction to food. And now, many weeks later and with a solid and effortless weekly weight loss under my belt, I have concluded that there is nothing wrong with liking food, liking flavors, liking to cook it up. What's different - aside from, the obvious restriction (oh thank you, God)- is that I am no longer STARVING for the damn food. So, also, thank you, Sleeve. And, thank you absence of Ghrelin. So while I think, in most afternoons, that I would like to have a yummy bit of fish or some other moist tidbit for dinner, I am not dying for that meal, racing home for that meal, or cooking two pounds of that meal for me. And on the weekend, truth be told, I really don't care anymore what I cook for my family so long as I can have a small amount of chicken or shrimp or some other thing that goes down easy and tastes wonderful. I love cottage cheese these days. I find beans to be delightful. I am a cheese-a-holic now. Oh thank you, Sleeve. Thank you!

lol!!!!!!!

Dr. Vohra, Long Island, NY, is the Chief of Bariatric Surgery at South Nassau Communites Hospital in Oceanside. Here's a link: Dr. Rajeev Vohra - New York Bariatric Surgeon, Obesity Weight Loss Surgeon Long Island He has tons of experience with the sleeve. Love him and his crew.

Jillian, did I misunderstand you? You had surgery in May and have already hit your goal?>

Me too. But, alas, I suspect there is no complete cure for this, absent surgery.

I love hot dogs too. I don't worry so much about the fat content. I'm looking for flavor and can eat so little of the darn thing that I'm not getting too much fat anyway. And, in case I'm tempted to come back to it later and try to finish . . . my trusty dog Ashley follows me everywhere and is more than happy to remove the offending remains from my clutches!

: ) Way to go us!

I am almost three months into this adventure. I have found several foods that are my new "staples." First of all, I tend to not have breakfast very often. But do have a cup of coffee with some sugar-free hazelnut creamer. Later I may have sliced turkey (one slice) or ham with a slice of swiss cheese (a very small slice) rolled up with a bit of mayo. It makes for a yummy lunch. I really can only do one slice if it's fresh from the deli as those slices are quite large. I also like to have some low-fat cottage cheese or a yogurt for lunch. For dinner, I may have a small bit of grilled meat, chicken or hamburger. I love Trader Joe's Chili Chicken Lime Burgers, but can't finish a whole one. (Thank goodness for my trusty dog, who helps me out quite a bit by finishing what I cannot eat.) I also like to have a few tablespoons of Wendy's chili with a dollop of low-fat sour cream on top. Or a very small piece of salmon baked with a bit of Polaner all-fruit (peach or apricot) on top. And I often take leftovers of this stuff to work with me the next day for lunch, though the servings sizes that I bring in make my co-workers chuckle. Last but not least, pork rinds for Snacks. Such a crunch satisfier. Hope this helps.

I really hate exercising. But I was thinking that joining Curves might be much better for me than joining a gym. Has anyone any thoughts on Curves?

It's such a head game! Can you try to ignore it for just a little while longer? You aren't really hungry. But your head is.

Has anyone ever tried microwave pork rinds?

Ever try microwave pork rinds?

Kathy, on other threads on this site people talk about pork rinds as a good choice of snack because they are crunchy - satisfies that "need" - and chock full of protein. A half an ounce, which is a lot in my new view of such things, has 5 grams of fat and 9 grams of protein.

Has anyone tried these? The regular bagged kind are so dry and bland . . . But I really need something to crunch!

LOL! Though I am quite sure that my neighbor is not having an affair with the gardener! I actually think that friendly chat while going from station to station at Curves may be a very good thing. I am not looking to work out "intensely" or train for an athletic competition. I am a very heavy woman who is now losing weight and trying to find a way to break this cycle of sedentary living. I doubt I will ever be a work-out junky. But even if that were to be me someday, it sure isn't now. Curves seems like a low-key, friendly environment that may be well suited for a beginner like me.

Love that Wendy's chili now. Wthl a teaspoon of low fat sour cream. A small lasts for days!

Shellie, you made me laugh! I did call first thing this morning. Had a chuckle with the office manager, who also does not believe that I have any cause to worry. I left a message with the person who handles such things and haven't heard back. I'll call again tomorrow, and I will let you all know what happens.

I had my sleeve done on May 19th of this year. My insurance pre-approved the procedure and the hiatal hernia repair. Today I got a bill from my doctor. The bill stated that the insurance company had paid zero and that I owed the doc $60,000. Oh my!

I'm glad you were only joking. I was going to say - get yourself to the hospital asap. You have surely done some awful damage. But I do get the "in your head" stuff. I was sleeved on April 19th. I remember having actual and vivid dreams about eating hugee amounts of "real" food just a few days out. And I fantasized about it too for a good week or two. And then, things kind of normalized. Especially when I discovered that no matter what my imagination was holding on to, my sleeve just won't stand for none of that! At least not very much of that anyway.

Sunshine, I lost 19 pounds in 8 days post-op. It is possible!

I am a 38.

I will say that the magic bullet is not great at chopping up ice. That is my only complaint.

Love my magic bullet.

I had mine done on Long Island at South Nassau Communities Hospital by Dr. Vohra. He's just wonderful, as is his staff. South Nassau is a Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery and Dr. Vohra is the Chief of Bariatric Surgery there. Here's a link: Dr. Rajeev Vohra - Bariatric Surgeon, Weight Loss Surgery, Obesity Management, Hewlett Long Island New York Good luck, whomever you choose.

My nutritionist has a straightforward formula: Protein first. Then fruits and vegetables. If there's room after that, then starches/grains. Simple, right?