Butterthebean

I agree with you that the "all or nothing" mentality doesn't work for everyone. But neither does the "all things in moderation" mentality. If we could do things in moderation then (quite possibly) we wouldn't be here. Isn't that what the "you don't need surgery, just diet and exercise" crowd think? And all I was saying was that could be a possible reason why doctors give such rules. They may feel the need to "idiot proof" things. I see it all the time. It seldom works, but I see the effort being made. I frankly don't care that you drank a diet coke, only that you got so bent out of shape when several people told you they didn't agree with your decision to drink it. If you have read this forum for any length of time you should know that most people here have been told to give up the sodas.

Have you considered cycling? It's much cooler than walking. I live in the Houston area and I ride 3 times a week. I hardly sweat at all till I stop.

The first week is no picnic. sleep as much as you can. Drink and walk when you're not sleeping. It will get much better very soon. By day 5 or 6 I started to feel human again. By the end of the second week I felt like superman. You will start improving by leaps and bounds very soon. What, if anything are you eating? I was allowed grits on my full liquid stage. I had one bowl a day and it was for sure the high point of my day.

I have the egg beater equivelant of 2 eggs every morning. I also drink 8 oz of Protein shake 2 or 3 times a day and have been doing so since I was 4 weeks out. As long as your calories are where your doctor suggests they should be, I don't see a problem with what you're eating. But just keep in mind, just because you CAN eat 8 or 12 oz of something doesn't mean you have to. Eating till you are full is part of what got you here. Now learn to eat till you're no longer hungry.

Won't they turn into tiny little furry animals in my stomach?

Whew....it's getting hot in here.

Just curious if you ever use a cane to help you out? Might make this transition a bit easier on you. I hike alot and I love using my hiking poles. You could get one of those and you would look sporty.

Here's an interesting hypothetical. What if they had a surgery to cure alcoholism, or nicotine addiction? What if that surgery was available to everyone? Would the general consensus be that alcoholics and cigarette smokers are weak for having the surgery instead of quitting on their own? Would those surgeries have such a stigma?

I think a lot of us struggle with the decision. It's easy to think of this decision as "giving up". But in reality it's more like facing facts. The numbers don't lie, the vast majority of obese people cannot keep the weight off on their own. As for telling other people and what they might think, I've told every one around me and I haven't heard one negative comment. I've asked a few people if they've ever known anyone who had WLS and did they ever hear any negative comments behind that person's back. The answer has always been no. I've read many posts on this forum about people who have shared their surgery with everyone in their lives, and the majority of those people seem glad they did it. My point is, if you do choose to tell people you've had the surgery, I think people will be more supportive than you expect. Most people don't want to be jerks (there are exceptions). Most people want to be supportive. But I also believe a big factor in how well that works out is YOU. If people think they can manipulate you and shame or cajole you into doing things their way, they will try. If you are a confident person and you stand behind your decisions, people will know you cannot be swayed so why waste the energy. But either way, if you believe having WLS is the right decision for you, don't let what other people think about it stop you.

You can have salad as long as you're getting in your protein and water for the day. I've had a few salads, they filled me up real fast so don't eat much the first time.

What kind of healthy carb Snacks are you eating? Congrats by the way. I'm working my way toward where you are now.

Also, what was your starting weight? You may not want to say, but remember the more weight you have to lose, the faster it is likely to come off. How much are you exercising? How much are you eating? Not enough calories could be holding you back as much as too much. High glycemic foods in your diet will sabotage weight loss. If your eating any, stop. I think it's great that you've noticed the difference in inches in spite of the fact that the scale isn't moving. Isn't that more important. Hang in there, it will move again soon. And when it does it will hurry to catch up with all the hard work you've been doing.

Just got through posting this on similar thread, but here's my list. Skim or 1% milk Carnation instant Breakfast Light yogurt (no fruit or nut pieces) pudding Custard Low fat cream soups Cream of wheat Farina Grits Protein shakes SF Popsicles I was loving the grits.

Damn, now THIS may have to be my new tag line. I just changed my sig. You people are throwing out some truth today. I know it's not eveybody's cup of tea, but I like people that tell you the truth, whether you want to hear it or not.

This is what I was allowed.... Skim or 1% milk Carnation instant breakfast Light yogurt (no fruit or nut pieces) Pudding Custard Low fat cream soups Cream of wheat Farina Grits Protein shakes SF Popsicles Hang in there. This phase will be over before you know it.

I loved my diet Dr Pepper and diet Rootbeer. I got a diet Dr. Pepper from sonic every day. Love their ice. Drank diet Rootbeer at home every day. Quit them both cold turkey when I started my 10 day preop diet. It sucked but since I also wasn't eating solid food, it didn't make things any worse. I was so preoccupied with not eating that the lack of soda was just an afterthought. After surgery I didn't want any for a while. Then once I did, I had seen enough good progress that I was motivated not to take any steps back to the life that got me to that operating room. I believe cold turkey is best. It's no fun, but you will never get those addicting chemicals out of your body until you stop drinking them. 2 to 3 weeks is all it takes to kick your body's dependency. Anything after that is all in your head.

This is hilarious. I have to make this my new tag line.

I ordered some NOW whey flavorless protein powder. It made everything I mixed it with smell like my old hamster cage I had when I was a kid.

eggs

Lunges are the worst. They had to be invented by some psychotic personal trainer who hated all of mankind. But yes, they will pump up those glutes.

Does it hurt physically? If not then you're probably in no danger. You're doing what you're supposed to be doing, it's just most people can't do it so early. Good on you for getting in your fluid and protein, you'll heal and lose much faster that way.

I'm here till 530. Since this is my last night I'm going fishing with my brother in law as soon as I get off. I don't like to sleep the day away on my days off. I don't know how I ever managed working graveyards before without the internet.

In a word...yes. You're lifting weights, muscles will grow. But they won't grow forever on those limited calories. Gaining muscle is kinda like losing weight. Anyone can lose those first 10 pounds real quick. After that it gets harder. Same with gaining muscle. Keep doing what you're doing and you will start losing again. You're muscles will be tone and you'll be stronger and healthier than if you didn't do anything.