MinaT

Added you to June Pooh!

The reason that the last part is harder has to do with the amount of energy you expend with your current exercise or normal routines and your current weight vs. when you were 200 - 180. Someone that weights 250 uses up more calories per minute than someone that weights 150 doing the exact same thing. If every single day you do the same routine, walk a mile, 3, 5 or 10, it becomes the norm. Something usually has to change for the last push and of course you know that there's not just a "three week stall" there are continual stalls. How about switch up your exercise routine, if you usually walk or ride a bike, try step aerobics with weight training, get a tape like The Firm. Sometimes something as easy as switching your routine will help move it along. More muscle you have the more fat you burn. I haven't had surgery yet, but I've been through this myself. I used to run 10 miles a day, lift weights, do aerobics and kick box before I got sick and regained all my weight back. Good luck and hopefully the last 25 will melt off

Good luck to you Sammi, sending my thoughts and best wishes.

Good luck and best wishes and thoughts are with you. As the day creeps closer, I am getting more nervous so I am sure I will be posting the same thing next Sunday night. See you on the other side!

Good luck to you LoriRay also.

Mine has consisted of New Direction Chocolate with Fiber New Direction strawberry Propel 0 cal 0 carb Black Cherry Decaff Peppermint Hot Tea 7 glasses of Water In about an hour I will have dinner.. another Chocolate with Fiber - (chocolate Elmer's Glue) I may actually have a sugar-free Popsicle a little later this evening and another bottle or two of water Thank you to all the men and women who have served our Country, past, present and future.

Here's the list I typed up directly from my Dr.'s office. I had to do a search for the word French Toast lol thank goodness not too many people used the word in their posts on all of the forums lol. pureed DIET - SUGGESTIONS AND EXAMPLES Breakfast 1/4 cup high Protein cooked Cereal 1/4 cup pureed low sodium/low fat meat 1 chewable sugar-free complete Vitamin Snack 1/2 cup pureed fruit lunch 1/4 cup cottage cheese (lowfat) 1/4 cup pureed fruit snack 1 cup High Protein shake dinner 1/2 cup mashed potatoes with low fat gravy 1/2 cup broth 1 chewable sugar free complete vitamin snack 1 sugar-free fudgiscle This sample menu provides approximately 80 grams of protein and 885 caloires - SIP Water throughout the day ------ High Protein Pureed Diet recipes Cheeseburger 3 oz. lean chicken or turkey 1 slice fat-free cheese 2 tbs.p warm beef broth 1/2 hamburger bun Cook meat and drain fat. Add all ingredients except broth to blender and puree on high. Gradually add broth to desired consistency Yield 1 serving Calories 309 Protein 27.0 grams Chicken Stew 1 Cup Chicken, cooked and cubed 1/4 cup rice, cooked 1/4 cup mixed vegetables, cooked 1/4 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup skim milk 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk Blend together Yield 3 servings Calories (per serving) 120 Protein (per serving) 15.0 grams Fish 4oz. Whitefish fillet 4 tsp. nonfat tarter sauce Warm skim milk (as needed) Cook fish by baking or broiling. Place fish and nonfat tarter sauce in blender. Puree on high speed. Gradually add milk to make mashed potato consistency. Yield: 2 servings Calories (per serving) 116 Protein (per serving) 15.0 grams French Toast 1 slice frozen French Toast "I can't believe it's not butter!" spray 3 tbsp. warm sugar-free syrup Warm French toast according to package. Spray with I can't believe it's not butter. Cut into quarters. Place all ingredients in blender. Puree on high until smooth consistency is achieved. Yield 1 serving Calories: 171 Protein 4.0 grams Grilled Cheese 1 slice whole wheat/high Fiber bread 2 slices fat-free American cheese I can't believe its not butter spray 3 tbsp warm skim milk Heat non-stick pan over medium heat. Spray one side of bread with I can't believe it's not butter side down on pan, top with cheese and heat until cheese melts and bread istoasted brown. Fold sandwich in half and cut into four pieces. Place in blender and puree on high, adding milk until smooth. Adjust the amount of milk used for thicker or thinner consistency. Yield 1 serving Calories 146 Protein: 12.0 grams High Protein Breakfast Shake 1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt 1/4 cup skim milk 1/2 small banana 1/4 cup non-fat dry milk Mix all ingredients together in blender Yield 1 serving Calories 125 per serving Protein 12.0 grams per serving High Protein Mashed Potatoes 2 tbsp mashed potato mix 1/2 cup hot skim milk 2 tbsp. nonfat dry milk Mix nonfat dry mil with skim milk and heat to a boil. Add mashed potato mix. Mix well with a wire wisk. Mix thickens as it stands Use Butter buds or fat-free gravy to add flavor Yield 1 serving Calories 148 Protein 10.0 grams Chicken/Fish/Turkey 4oz meat cooked 6 tbsp. low fat gravy Chop meat into small pieces, blend on high speed, gradually adding gravy until desired consistency Yield 2 servings Calories (per serving) 126 Protein (per serving) 16.0 grams Tuna salad 1 6 oz. can light tuna in spring water, drained 2 tbsp. fat-free Miracle Whip 1tsp mustard 1/2 tsp. onion powder 1/4 tsp. celery salt Add all ingredients to blender. Puree on high until smooth. Refrigerate Note: May substitute canned chicken for tuna Yield: 3 servings Calories (per serving): 60 Protein (per serving) 11.0 grams

Good luck Stevibogan and Congrats.

Added you thinmymind Welcome

Added you thinmymind and will change your date Misslorlor

Added you to the June Compilation need2change. BTW, there are a lot of patients of Dr. David Kim having surgery in June. Welcome to the June 2012 Club

Day 8 here of 14 days. Day 3 & 4 were the hardest. Suggestions for you are drink a lot of Water and keep busy. What also helps me is brushing my teeth after the shake. Use a non-drying non-alcohol based mouthwash like Biotene for Dry Mouth. Once you hit Ketosis your mouth gets a bit dry and the breath is pretty nasty. For me the Protein shakes are sticky in my mouth after a while. I exercise and I keep busy. I cleaned out closets, I've cleaned my files on my computer, I have gone through old clothes, looking for clothes that will fit eventually, I got rid of clothes that are already too big. Don't put yourself in situations where you will lose control. Don't go out with friends to eat, keep busy, get your stuff in order, relax and exercise. Go for a walk, keep your mind busy. Keep water at your bedside at night. Realize one thing, if you are doing 3 shakes and getting 80 grams of protein, you are NOT going to starve to death. You are getting plenty of nutrition, plenty of people live on these many calories or less a day. It will suck, yeah, but it will be worth it. Many have gone through it in the past and made it and many will be in the future, be determined you will get through it and you will. Good luck!!!!

Someone asked this last week and I typed up the list of ideas from the doctor's office and I can't find where I posted here. If I find it I will send you a link.

After day 4 he should feel better. I'm diabetic also. I only get 3 shakes a day and it's hard but it's better than going in for surgery and the doctor closing him up and saying his liver is too large and we'll have to reschedule. He'd end up having to deal with a scar, and surgery for nothing. Call the doctor tomorrow. Tell him to make sure he gets his 64 ounces of water in and keep busy, go for a walk or something to keep his mind off it!

I agree, if your friend the trainer wants to help you along with the sleeve, that's a good friend. Hire him? He's a friend, perhaps he can dedicate a few hours a week to help you before and after surgery. If I felt I could do it and keep it off without surgery, I would. I lost almost 70 pounds pre-surgery so far. I've teetered with the idea that I can go ahead and just keep doing what I am doing and do it myself, but I've been there before 330-128 for 5 years. After than I've gone from 200-300 to 200 again. I seriously almost decided to back out of the surgery and continue with healthy4life as a Dr. Supervised program to at least stay accountable. Truth is I will probably lose the same amount of weight with or without the surgery if I continue with the way I have been in the six month pre-approval, but one day, perhaps a week or month a year from now, I will be back on steroids because my inflammation and Lupus will flair up beyond control. I'll end up cooking foods that are easy to prepare like casseroles and potato Soup and getting back to drinking juices and hard to exercise again. I need a permanent solution that will still work when I inevitably end up dealing with a big flair up, so I am going through with the surgery Monday. Good luck to you.

Added you AChristie and soon2bhotmamma.

I'm sorry about the date change Jenz531, I hope that wasn't too disappointing but it will be here in no time! I changed it in the compilation.

Oh BoBann, it's so great to hear from you!!!! I'm glad you are doing well. I think you were the first person that said something to me here, and I've been hoping to hear from you!! I think the left side is the larger scar where they remove the stomach, so I've heard that is the one that usually has the most pain. I'm glad you are getting your Water in and you are happy and doing well!!!! When I joined I was scared and upset and joined because of bcbsil and waiting on approval, and now I'm 7 days into my 3 shakes a day. Hope every day is a little better for you!

edited - i read your post wrong, I didn't realize you just had surgery, my thoughts are with you that you heal up soon MayMay. Lea Anne, congrats to you too. I heard a lot of good things about Dr. Cahill.

Added you lose4good2012 and Thegoddesszili. Congrats and welcome.

Souledout, there is a new crystal light with Caffeine it it, maybe limit yourself to one of those a day for a while, so you can get rid of the carbonation addiction and still keep your caffeine, then switch it up with regular crystal light. It's just a suggestion. I used to love flavored seltzer Water and Sierra Mist Natural and real coffee. Best of luck to you. Thegoddesszili, you should be SO PROUD OF YOURSELF!!!! You quit smoking and now you are on day 7 of shakes and quitting coffee. You are one strong woman, and you need to give yourself some credit for all you are doing for your future, all you are doing for your children by working on your health! We can do this! Here's a link to all the people that are having surgery in June by date: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/39962-am-going-for-the-sleeve-surgery-soon/

Hope things get easier for you soon and my thoughts are with you.

I did it on my own..I weighed 330 and got to 128 and maintained it for 5 years. I ran 10 miles a day, kick boxed, I wore tiny mini skirts and in my mid 30's got asked out by 22 year olds. I got sick and hit 175, then had surgery hit 200. I have gone from 200 - 300 since 2001. I too have a fear of telling people what I am doing, only my parents and husband and son and one friend knows. People can be judgmental and cruel, whether overweight or thin. Tell only people you trust, and for the people at work that now know, let's see who has the last laugh when you are crossing your legs and looking good and they can only talk about how their cousin lost weight. I say someone is a bit jelly Good for you and good luck!

Thegoddesszili, when is your surgery date? June 4th? Let me know so I can add you to the June Sleeve list and I'll send you the link.

I was a hardcore coffee drinker and I gave it up before the pre-op diet. I almost wanted to quit after the six month pre-approval diet, because I didn't want to quit coffee. That's insanity. I switched to decaff and i had a headache for two days then I was fine, you will be fine too, I promise. I thought I wouldn't be able to wake up, I thought I wouldn't be able to go potty without it, it's all fine now. Tell yourself it's fine and decaff is better than nothing and eventually it will be. They have you quit for a reason, dehydration is a biggest reason. You will be struggling to get your Water in and dehydration can kill you. Why take a chance. Also, why go through caffeine withdrawals on top of all the other issues you are going to have right after surgery. It will be some time after surgery before you can have caffeine, if ever, so best of luck on this. I have to cook also for my family and I'm on day 7 of the liquids and I understand what you are going through. We can get through this!!! Following doctor's advice is always for the best. They will want you to walk after surgery to get rid of the gas and other reasons. As far as lifting anything or any other exercise it is usually 4 - 6 weeks out - just listen to what your doctor says. Best of luck