CaliKat

Rock climbing "date night" with my man!

$24.99 for a case of Premeir shakes at costco... But their advertisement flyer had an $10 discount coupon last month making them only $14.99!!!

Let your hubby pick and just go with the flow. Any resturant will have a soup of the day- usually including vegetable beef or chicken noodle. If you go to a larger or fancier place, they may have french onion- which you can order w/o the yummy cheesy bread. It may help to have a Protein shake prior to going out so you wont be tempted or over-order a bowl instead of a cup. If you are so inclined- you can ask them to puree it or you can just eat around the chunks. Enjoy date night!

My surgeon and NUT actually said daily caffeine (in small amounts) is OK as long as I was hitting my water/protein goals. His reasoning was caffeine is an appetite suppressant and could help w/ head hunger. I told him I do a small cup in the AM and on the weekends a nonfat latte and he said "great"! But.... That's my doc. They all give indvidual advice.

I used to have glorious perky DDD's. Now they are like a baseball in a tube sock. Get used to buying new bras and shelling out a pretty penny. If youre so inclined... start saving for plastics too!

3 months out and yup..... an internal symphony going on. Get used to it and enjoy the company!

i would call to clarify... but it seems you have been cleared for the "things you cant eat with a fork" phase! Things like yogurt, pureed soups (no chunks), protein smoothies, etc. Also- dope your soups with protein powder. Not too hot though- otherwise you have curtled protein soup! I speculate pureed lentil soup is passable as long as its thinned.

You can google many ideas on a homemade icecream maker if your strapped for cash. I bought a nice Cuisinart one on Craigslist for $30 and have been making the egg face Protein ice-cream flavors. Very yummy but I make it with 1% instead of non-fat cause it isn't rock hard then. I also only make it to soft-serve consistency and it's so freakin yummy!!! Certainly worth the $ to pick one up used.... They are always listed on CL for cheap.

Yes, you overdid it. But its not the end of the world. I have found the best coping mechanism in the world is HAVE A PLAN. With a plan...... 1. You wouldnt have arrived hungry and overate stuff should shouldnt have. 2. You would have had a friend, husband, etc make you a plate of WLS friendly food so you wouldnt have been tempted. 3. You would have realized that IF you did overdo it (just a bit) its not the end of the world and you can counteract it with a bit of working out- instead of Peanut Butter with a heaping serving of guilt. Pre-op its kind of like having a car wreck going 100MPH- stuff gets out of control fast. Post-op its a small fender bender going 10MPH- your misteps are easier to correct. Bottom line is you have got to have a plan.

@BizTraveller- I work with many, many Asian clients and do lots of dinner/drinks with them and have been successful sticking to Protein elements and avoiding the alcohol durring business interactions. You are cutting it close with your dates to consume somewhat odd foods, but I suspect that a go-getter like yourself will be able to push though it. and FWIW- my experience with Singapore food is that there is a lot more fimiliar foods than unfimiliar. I started traveling for work 2 weeks post-op and did fine. I always travel with the "sample packets" from nectar and a large supply of Protein Bars. have fun!

my surgeon said that 6mo post op I can do mineral/sparkling water or the rare beer. No soda/pop because its generally bad and can be a "gateway" element.

Start looking for a bento box. Once you are on solids- you will prob want a way to pack a few things in one place. I know you can find them on Amazon or at Whole Foods- but they are about $30. Keep you eye out local for something that can work for you and you may find one for a bargain. A bento will be perfect for a few slices of meat, a bit of cheese, some yogurt dip and maybe nuts/veggiesz.

5'7" Surgeons goal is 130. I'm gonna try.... But I'm very muscular and busty and I looked damn fine at 145 (10 years ago!) so not sure if it's realistic. But...... DOC is the EXPERT so I gotta shoot for what he tells me!

My surgeon doesn't care about the caffeine- so I wouldn't worry about that.... What I would watch are the carbs. With so many other options available, why burn your carb allowance with a drink or two. Save it for the rare occation when you are on-the-go and find something that's zero carb, zero cal and yummy

Godiva Chocolate Gummy bears Red velvet cupcakes It's like cryptonite to my superman will!!!!

Tell them to KEEP THEIR MITTS OFF your food!!! HAHA!! I was so damn annoyed when I was immediately post-op and finally felt like eating and then the super yummy pineapple Jello was eaten by my BF!

I live in Cali.... It's taqueria central and at 5 weeks I ordered ONE carne asada taco. (this made me giggle cause I used to order 5!) I was cleared by my NUT to have beef. I opened it up and tried to eat just a small bite of meat and NOPE.... Wasn't happening. I had a small bite of meat and it just felt kinda wrong in my belly.... Kind of like a ball rolling around. I tried again 2 weeks later and it was all good. Moral of the story is to wait till cleared and proceed with caution!

I did smashed avos 2 weeks after surgery. No spices- just smashed avocados and salt. Sat fine in my belly

Eating out post-op can be pretty easy- just make the right choices. I was PETRIFIED about going out to eat post-op.... and its part of my job to go out with clients, so its not an option to eat at home. I eat out 5-6 times a week. But here is the cool thing.... once you know what you CAN and ENJOY eating post-op just pick the resturants around those items. (If your favorite place is Chillis or Applebees or something.... then this strategy wont really work for you). I focus on QUALITY over VALUE.... since you only eat a bit, it may as well be a good bit! When I go out I eat as much as I need to (and is my limit) and take SERIOUSLY tiny bites so my timing is the same as everyone elses. I have NEVER had someone comment on the lack of, speed of consumpsion or the lack of food I order. Eating just a bit may make you feel self concious, but if you have confidence and can be strong- no one will question your eating. And if they do, have a rebuttal for them- "no, im fine with just that, thanks" or "Ive got an early dinner with my husband" or whatever. If you are nervous about a slip-up or ordering/eating things you shouldnt- dont go to those places until you can make a sensible decision.

if you search for daily meal plan you can find a plethora of goodies to keep at work, on the go or just in the house. Here is the thing about transitioning from mushies to "real" food..... Have a plan. Have a plan. Have a plan!!!! If you dont bring good food to work, on a road trip or make good choices before dining out.... you are gonna end up falling into old bad habits. I do fantastic when i make my bento the night before and take it to work.... but when I dont have food readily available at work.... guess who eats chicken tacos from Taco Bell? Ick. I go out to eat a lot.... a lot. Like 5 times or more a week. Its part of my job to go out with clients- there is no getting away from it. If I dont make a plan (look at the menu online or make a promise to get seafood/fish, etc) then 9 times out of 10... I end up ordering something off the menu that is not a great choice. If I have a plan, 9 times out of 10... I will stick to a good choice! My big plan is to take a few minutes each day to log my food, Water and Vitamins into the sparkpeople app and around 8p at night I look at my log, if im low on Protein or water I still have time in my day to get a shake in or a glass of water. My days are crazy and unpredictable.... and having a rigid schedule isnt my style. But having an overarching plan, one that works for me... helps me hit all my WLS benchmarks. Have a plan that is realistic and works for you and you WILL succeed.

Yes- I have it as a treat occationally. Maybe once or twice a month. I try to stick to the non-fat, no sugar kinds... like watermellon sorbet. But if they have almond or postashio flavored froyo... im gonna cave and have some! As always... I offset my "treat" with some good ole workin out the next day.

Hey there- im in the same damn boat. I had NO allergies pre-op and now I lie awake at night itching parts of me that never itched before!!!! Like you I havent changed detergent or switched up my eating... so this is truly puzzling. I had no immediate itching post-surgery but it seems that its gotten progressivly worse. I slather my skin with Cortizone creme and gel and that provides temporary relief- but not much. I am about to call the doc and see if I may be allergic to the gall bladder meds or the omniprezrole (Prilosec). Have you had any relief from your itching? Did you start taking Zyrtec or something? I hate the thought of going on another med- so I may try local bee pollen and see if that helps.

10 lbs. You can do this. You have a WHOLE MONTH. Start NOW. Today. Make a PLAN. Find something that motivates you. Pictures, new workout clothes, a workout buddy, etc. Browse online for some low-fat, low-carb, low-cal recepies and get to cooking. Make planning your meals a fun activity. Stick to lean Proteins and leafy greens. Incorporate Protein shakes into your life- postop they are your lifeline. Find one that works for you and start subsituting one meal a day with them. Keep a food journal and join My Fitness Pal and make online friends as well as real life friends that know about your goal. Support from others can = accountability from you. Never forget WHY you are loosing 10lbs. To save your life, enhance the quality of your life, etc. You CAN do this.

It would probably be best to wait and be fitted at a specialty shop If you need shoes now and must order online or from a limited local supply get trail running shoes. They have an agressive tread to really keep you stable and a wider base. I have used trail running shoes for years in all types of climates and they are kind of a "all-purpose" for me. I ran in snow & ice in Alaska, mud in NorCal, beaches in Hawaii, etc.... and one pair of shoes really worked. Good on ya for getting out and getting your work-out on!

Careful on the ProForm ones. They have a pretty low weight limit. I have had 2 over 2 years and the "pins" that hold the moving foot parts keep shearing. Many of the less expensive ellipticals on CL or at Play-It-Again are low weight limit. Something to be aware of.