donna12

Sorry I didn't get back to you last night, I went to bed. I drink GNC's brand Lean Shake already mixed up Swiss Choc. 25 grams of protein. Didn't like the other flavors but the swiss choc was good. If you have a GNC near you and go in ask, they will usually let you sample or at least mine did. The other girls have great suggestions too.

First off let me begin by saying I live with my 74 yr old mom yes partially because she needs me but mostly because I got divorced a yr and half ago and had nowhere to go at the time so I moved in with her 7 mos ago. Ok, on to my happy choice. The other night she was on the phone and I overheard her telling someone "yea I bought these blond oreo's with birthday icing filling with sprinkles" and I blurted out "MOM!" "You didn't tell me, how could you?" She laughed and said oh I hid them from you, we both cracked up. Ok moving on to today, after lunch today I wanted something so bad that was sweet, she got up and got herself 2 Cookies and I opted to have fresh cherries and they were oh so good too. I was so proud that I didn't cave in and eat a cookie and even better I didn't feel deprived or tempted. Happy choice today!

Hang in there, I promise it will get better. days 3,4,and 5 are the worse, at least it was for me. My body was going thru detox of carbs and sugar and I wanted to eat so bad. I had to do 3 protein shakes a day plus all the broth, sf jello, sf popsicles I wanted. Make sure you are getting enough protein in your shakes to stay fuller longer. Cook your kids some chicken noodle soup, homemade and pour the broth off for you. Cook a pot of beans and eat the broth/soup part. Oh girl if I could come thru this computer and get you thru this I would. I'm 7 mos post op and it is so worth it. Just stay focused, think about why you are doing this, and if your friends are hindering your eating choices explain to them what you are feeling. True friends will understand. If you are throwing up on the shakes, maybe find another brand you can tolerate because not only do you have to be on a liquid diet pre op you also have to do it after I hate to tell ya. So its good to find one that you really like. I gagged on the ones my surgeon suggested so I found others I liked. still keep them around for a quick meal. Big hugs to you.

bahaha, you all, I did tell her shame on her. She finally brought them out of hiding and put them in the pantry but I told her if I never try one I won't know what I'm missing and believe me I'm sure I would like them because I love birthday cake icing and I love the regular blond oreos so I told her NO WAY was I gona eat one. Indulged on 1/4 cup of skinny cow ice cream tonight, it was yummy. I see my surgeon tomorrow for a fill, thank goodness as I need the restriction and I can't remember how much I've lost since last month so I'm anxious to see what the verdict is. Not looking forward to getting out tomorrow as it is to be bitter cold and ice is moving in tomorrow night but ready for a fill tomorrow.

These are my before pics and 8 wks post op and 6 mos post op. I am now 7 mos out but haven't taken any pics as of today but I am down 54 lbs today. It took a lot of courage to post these pics and I still have a long way to go.

oh to dream, I can't wait but I've got a ways to go...congrats!

for me, it's my soft stop, I hiccup right at that moment of knowing when to stop eating.

Thank you Missy, thank you so much for your kind words. You know I will be divorced 2 yrs this coming June, wow, how time flies. The hardest part for me is, I still love him, dang him. He just up one day and decided he wasn't happy and left, later I found out it was another woman. Yes, I was at fault too, we hadn't been happy in the last few years but I also want to add that I had watched him become an alcoholic the last 4 yrs of our marriage, not violent, just out drinking every night till the wee hrs of the morning and watched him lose a high paying plant managing job and college education to alcohol. He is a good person and we had many wonderful years, he was good to me. Guess that's why I still love him. Don't know why I got off on this, guess I needed to get it off my chest tonight. When I can let go of him, and the good Lord knows in His time I can feel pretty. But for now, it's time to focus on my weight loss, my health, me time, and maybe someday remarrying, woohoo....heehee. Had to find humor in there somewhere didn't I? Thank you again Missy. Donna

Wow you guys really know how to make a girl feel good however I'm not quite sure how to take all the compliments, not used to it and when you say I'm beautiful, well I don't see it but thank you. I guess being married for 25 years and recently divorced last year and he left I lost all confidence in myself. You guys are building that back up again, thank you.

thank you all so very much for these inspiring words of confidence, it means so much. As I stated before, it took a lot of courage to post these pics as I was ashamed at what I look like. To answer some of your questions, I have not been able to do much exercising along with my weigh loss as for the first 6 months I was pretty much sick due to my gallbladder and then on Dec 3rd I had to have gallbladder surgery and just now am getting back my strength from that. As far as walking, I need to do that but I have a bad knee that I've had 2 surgeries on that hurts me when I do too much so with weight loss I'm sure will come easier on my joints. I just bought an exercise ball to do crunches and various things with at home. someone asked any nonscale victories: well yes, I just had a birthday on Sunday, here's one, I didn't have cake for the first time in 47 years...ha ha ha, yea for me!!! Thanks again to all of you for your kind words. Donna

oh girl stop! lol. thanks

Oh thanks, really I've got a lot more to go but I'll get there.

oh girl, I looked like a bubble butt in mine plus the belly fat, its horrible of my before pic. And yes we are taking this journey side by side! I promise I will try and post pics tonight or tomorrow. My gallery pic is not the before pic I messed that up, that pic was taken in Oct, somehow my before pic got erased or replaced with the October one. duh. lol.

you look awesome, keep it up. I need to post pics of me I guess, embarrassed to. We are the same heigth and were about the same weight, I was 294 when I started June 13 and I'm down 53 lbs as of today, 7 mos out. I see my surgeon this Thurs hopefully for a fill. Keep up the good work.

thanks CG. I don't know how to attach a photo of me in this text box and when I go to gallery I screwed that up the last time because the pic of me in there was taken this past Oct not my before pic, grrr, so tell me how to attach a pic on here and I will put one on here taken 3 wks ago?

tomorrow is my 47th birthday and I, yes don't judge, told my mom (since I live with her) asked for 1 cupcake and we'd share but yesterday I made a low fat 5 cup fruit salad with fat free sour cream, coconut, mandarin oranges, pineapple and a cup of mini marshmellows so I informed her this afternoon that I would eat a half cup or a couple of spoons of that for my birthday instead of your traditional cake as in years past. We are going out to eat tomorrow after church and will share a meal, my fav, Longhorn, I love their Salmon. Yep, here's to a new year! No cake and happy about it!

thanks Missy, I won't lie, cake does sound yummy but to be honest, I'm in this for the long haul and I know I'm down 53 lbs in 7 mos and that is great but many out there are down more in that length of time, maybe its because I can't exercise yet I don't know but I will get there eventually I know I will but the more fat and sugar I can cut out of my diet the better for me at this point. I seriously really wanted that cupcake up until today and I thought "no Donna, no you don't, you didn't have this surgery to go and gain a pound or two for one cupcake" so it isn't really worth it when I enjoy the 5 cup salad just as much. My mom stopped off at the grocerty the other day and brought me in a skinny cow ice cream to try, an individual serving size, I took a bite of it and it was really good, I think it was strawberry cheesecake. I've got that in the freezer to take bites out of when I feel the urge for something sweet but not to make a habit out of it. I'm still learning my new life and learning to eat healthy even 7 mos out, yes I will admit, I miss fried rice, pasta and bread but again, I had this surgery to get healthy so to sacrifice those foods and lose weight, yes, I will not eat them, well my band won't let me...

I eat cereal with a fork so that the milk drains off and no drinking during or after for an hour but all dr's are different, mine says one hr after eating.

Don't remember the calories for this one but I alternated between GNC's Lean shake which had 170 cals and I know that is too much for you but the other one I drank was GNC's Isopure grape flavor, it was I think 25 grams of Protein also, it had an aftertaste but tolerable, kind of like sf kool aid. Again, I will stress to you, I was eating upwards of 3000 calories a day before surgery, I was literally eating myself to a slow death and didn't care, I was recently divorced and eating my sorrows away. My surgeon saved me, this surgery saved me, to date, I'm down 53 lbs, feel great, with that said I've also had a 2nd surgery in the past 7 months, gallbladder surgery so I've had a time with all of this. If I can do the 2 week pre op diet anyone can do it, trust me. It was nothing for me to drive thru McDonalds and get a super size Big Mac meal, sweet tea and 2 pies and sit down and eat that for 1 and I repeat 1 of my many meals of the day. The more protein you take in, the fuller you will feel. As others have stated if you can eat solid protein, good, i.e., egg. Greek yogurt is good but watch your sugar grams if you get it with fruit in it and watch your carbs. I have it for dessert a couple of times a week. I know you can do this. unjury makes protein shakes, google that, I'm not sure of the websites, sorry. Just stay focused, we are here for you anytime and oh, I'm a night owl so I'm on till wee hrs of the night...lol. Take care Donna

First of all take a breather, you'll be fine. Find a Protein shake that is packed with protein, one that is at least 20 to 25 grams of protein that makes you fill fuller longer, there are a lot of brands and flavors out there. I personally used GNC's brand Lean Shake Swiss Choc in a bottle already mixed up, it had 25 grams plus Vitamins. Like I said there are a lot of other brands out there. I had to do these 3 times a day plus all the chicken broth and sugar free Jello I wanted and believe me if I can do it you can too. Just keep in mind that it is mind over matter and why you wanted the surgery in the first place and keep that mindset, don't binge. Head hunger is an evil thing. Distinguish head hunger from real hunger. There is a reason your surgeon and many other surgeons want us to do the pre op diet it is to shrink the fatty liver so that they have room to operate in there. Keep that in mind. You can do this. We are here for you. I am by no means an expert on all of this as I'm just 7 mos post op but have learned a lot on here and made friends on here and read lots. Good luck, and remember YOU CAN DO THIS!!! Donna

you're right, I'm just scared to get a fill is all. Thanks for your insight.

I still lack 1cc being back to my complete fill from having gallbladder surgery and I see my surgeon next week and I'm sure he will want to do a fill as I am hungry more often but tonight I got stuck. It's been about 2 months approx since I've gotten stuck, all was going well and then bam all of the sudden. I was eating a salmon pattie and my mom was eating hers and had baked sweet potatoe waffle fries and I had 2 on my plate and had taken a bite of that so I'm not sure what I got stuck on. Let's just say I don't want either of those things for awhile after getting sick. Kind of scared of getting a fill next week as I know that will make me tighter. When I had that 1cc in prior to surgery I was getting stuck all of the time so I'm not sure what to do. The salmon pattie was warmed up in the oven and was kind of dry so maybe that was it.

I won't sugar coat it, it's not a pretty sight. I've been stuck several times. At first learning my band and what foods I can and cannot eat, haven't been stuck in quite a while. For me, I salivate something terrible, I mean it just drips out of my mouth and then comes the slime, this thick slimy mess that you spit up and then if your lucky a PB (Productive Burp) where the food will automatically just come up without effort and then sometimes not and you throw up which you do not want to do a lot. I yet have tried steak, scared to and can't stand the thought of chewing a piece of steak that long, ew! Rice isn't my friend either nor is bread but toast is ok. Most of my stuck episodes were eating in a hurry, taking too big of bites and not chewing well. Now my bite sizes are the size of my pinky nail and I chew chew chew. Good luck.