Fenton

I have had no fills.

Hey, nemesis. You're going to want to be careful with the lifting - at my place, they urged us to lift nothing heavier than 10 lbs for at least 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, the scar tissue has formed and the sutures are pretty solid; before that, you run a (small, I suspect) risk of tearing sutures or causing a weakening in the abdomen wall that stuff can pouch out of (an incisional hernia). If you go back to work, you should explain that you had to have a (minor) surgical procedure, but that you won't be able to lift much for the next month and a half. I'd bet your surgeon would be happy to give you a note. I took a week off after my surgery. I could've gone back to work in less time, but I'm glad I took the time to heal slowly. It's not MAJOR surgery, but all surgery is harder for bigger people, and it took more out of me than I was expecting... Welcome aboard! You've made a great decision to look after yourself and your future. Don't be afraid to as questions, and keep on reading here and elsewhere to learn what to expect...

My ink is private - although I'll certainly share my reward tattoos. As far as piercings go, I had my ears pierced back when I was 17, when I personally invented subculture. It was important to me to be a role model for future young whippersnappers like A-Dub, who would be too feeble to have the first idea of how to rebel appropriately. My other parts are, of course, far too fine to stick bits of metal into.

Annie - I've been shedding hair, too. It happened to me when I did Atkins, too, which is a high Protein diet (or, rather, for ME it was a high protein diet). I think the hair grew back, but I'm not sure. You're wicked young, yours'll definitely grow back. I doubt that rogaine would help, but I guess everything's worth a try. I wouldn't sweat your testosterone - hair loss happens in something like 20% of people who lose weight rapidly. I think it's a straight metabolic thing. Although I believe I read somewhere that male sex hormones are converted to female hormones in fat; perhaps with less fat, the balance gets disturbed. Whatever the cause, it's a common, and basically temporary finding. Don't worry about it.

Yay, Scrappy! That's FANTASTIC! Just keep on going, hang on in there - you're doing it right...

Sweet Jesus, A-dub! I was pierced and tattooed before you were even CONCEIVED!

I just assumed you were wearing the black lycra so you'd look more like your hero Lara Croft, as portrayed by noted humanitarian Angelina Jolie! Seriously, freeze the banana and you don't need the frogurt. What you DO need is a powerful blender, such as the Oster Professional! AND you do need some rain in Kentucky.

I kid, I kid! Your bellybutton lint is adorable! You've done BRILLIANTLY!

Yeah, you really have - your weight loss is really really striking. But, if I were you, I'd have photoshopped out my bellybutton lint for that last image...

A-Dub - why the frogurt? Don't you have enough flavourings in there? I'd scrap the frogurt and the chocolate syrup, and use vanilla Protein powder. I think chocolate plus banana plus Peanut Butter is too much. Flavour-wise more than calories, obvs. The vanilla really lets the banana and peanut butter come through, while the chocolate just competes...

Christine, the trapeze thing is a BRILLIANT reward! My ex-girlfriend did that (down at that place on the Chelsea Piers) and LOVED it!

I do. I connect, watch for a few minutes, then the signal is so weak the thing closes. The connection, I mean. I should watch it tomorrow morning, when all Australians are asleep.

Yay, Christine, you pipe-riding demon! That's fantastic! I really (heart) that story... Well done for persevering, too. I can imagine the trepidation you must have had about whether or not the pipe would have supported your weight, and the fear of crashing in front of these people, and of seeming like a ridiculous fat person who failed - so well done, completely ballsy of you! And I'm SO glad you were rewarded for your courage and persistence. Best N S V EVER!!!

It was! A great summer storm, all flashes and booming and FINALLY rain! Run, poor little NYU students, run! For tonight you shall experience a soaking... A-Dub - I'm not sure what's in Optifast, but I imagine it's similar to SLimfast Optima. SFO (the Protein drink, not the airport) comes in premade cans (if you're lazy) 180 cals, a buttload of Vitamins and 12 g of protein. I daresay this Optifast of which you speak is similar - read the label! Adding banana adds flavour and texture (esp when frozen!) - but it also adds calories. Adding the Protein powder adds protein, and a small amount of worthy calories. Adding the Peanut Butter adds flavour and calories, and some protein, but not enough to permit easy rationalization. Adding the salt adds flavour - and sodium, so people who've been told to avoid salt might want to avoid it. But still! It's yummier with salt. So, yeah, interfering with the original drink's nutritional DNA incurs a significant caloric hit, but for me it's worthwhile - after all, I'm still burning 4,000 to 5,000 calories a day. I think it's tasty and filling, and it's nutritionally sound - I get a good four to five hours of Go time after eating it.

Excellent! You should get a Busy gettin' SEXY!! bumper sticker! I had a funny NSV today: I discovered my port! I can actually feel it now!

I can't get the damn thing to load and play properly!

Yay, Lisa! Welcome to Twonderland!!! Congratulations!

Seriously, that shake has become a Zen pursuit for me: as I have consumed it, it has consumed me...

Lately, I've been switching over to the powdered peanut butter a fellow Shamrock mentioned. For me, so far, the jury is still out - the powdered stuff has about 75% less fat in it, but I'm not finding the flavour I liked in the peanut butter. Trader Joe's has a reduced fat peanut butter, so maybe I'll give that a shot (even if "reduced fat peanut butter" seems a bit of a Frankenstein product).

I make a Protein shake inspired by one of the folks here - she makes hers with chocolate SLimfast Optima, a banana, Peanut Butter and Protein powder, I do mine with premade vanilla SlimFast Optima, the low carb stuff. I have that shake down to an art! I freeze ripe bananas, so they'll always be ready to go, and keep the blender cup and blade in the freezer too, so they're as cold as possible. About half an hour to an hour before I'm going to make the shake, I stick the can of SlimFast in the freezer to ensure that the shake will be as dense and shake-like as possible - my goal is for a straw to be able to stand up in the shake, so density is key. I also add a couple tablespoons of whey protein powder, and a big pinch of salt - the salt is key for flavour, I think. It really has been a fun project, perfecting that shake. I bought an Oster Professional Blender ($75 at Amazon) that feels like an outboard motor on my countertop - that thing could blend rocks! But the best thing is the Oster Blend'n'Go cup, an insulated 18 ounce or so cup that you use on the blender instead of the normal blender container. I fill the cup with the frozen banana, SlimFast, protein powder and peanut butter and pinch of salt, then attach the blade assembly tightly to the cup, turn it upside down and plug it into the blender. You blend, and then you go! It's so great! It truly is a miracle of modern science.

I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED!!! Because this is one of my favourite subjects. Actually, I'm going to cut and paste a bit from a post I made in the Men's Room (where, I can't help but note, women roam like free range chickens)!

Scrappy! I see you lurking! How are things going for you?

I also am a liquid breakfast person - my same holy Protein shake every morning, and I love it so. As I've said before (or thought, but not written), I think that the shake is a good thing to do; I have this theory (probably voodoo physiology, but, there you go) that the less your stomach gets stretched, the more it gets used to being empty, and the less hungry you feel with an empty tum. I realize that during these absurdly hot summer days, I've been eating mostly liquids/mushies - today I had my shake for breakfast, some Indian creamed spinach and cheese thing for lunch, some crab chowder with a little fresh basil oil for dinner, and then some yogurt with peach sauce for dessert. I NO LONGER NEED MY TEETH!

I think you should wait for a fill until you REALLY need one. My doc (who is banded) (and an Ozzie, btw) said "When you wake up starving, THAT's when you need to get a fill...", and I think that's good advice. Jack, the Eminence Grise of LBT, often makes the point about learning to tell the difference between "having had enough to eat" and "being full"; it sounds to me that that's what's happening with you at dinner. You know you COULD eat more, but you choose not to, because you're losing weight. And THAT, my dear A-Dub, is the way to lose weight, and to keep it off.

Indeed it does! Smart move. And those of us who had to wait over a year are frankly jealous! At least some of them. At least me.