DesertRat

Good call, I had forgotten about that. I imagine that it will take a while to get back to the point that an animal style burger, even without a bun, would be doable but it would be something to look forward to. I'd forgotten all about Wendy's chili but that sounds reasonable. Thanks. I've found that Mexican foods can be pretty decent for low-carb. I'm not talking about tacos with deep fried shells, more like chile verde. One of my biggest challenges is that I love spicy foods. Italian and Mexican dishes especially. There are some good, authentic BBQ places round that deal in meat and sauce. I would imagine that this could be a good low-carb meal if the sauce was limited.

Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for them.

I just installed it this morning myself. This is my first day with a new iPad 3 which has voice recognition software so I'm actually dictating with my voice. It's not perfect but it's a lot better than trying to type, in my humble opinion. I was happy with the iPad 2 and hadn't planned on buying an iPad 3, but I won one in a drawing.

Hello Everyone, I am in the information gathering phase but tentatively planning surgery for mid summer this year. I've been searching for red flags but finding mostly enthusiasm from people that have had the procedure. Overall I am pretty healthy but pre-diabetic and have no desire to go there. A year of low carb eating netted no weight loss and my HA1C actually was higher. That got my attention and I spoke to my physician about WLS. He strongly recommended the VSG so I went to a seminar put on by a surgeon and concluded that the VSG made the most sense. So the journey starts. I've been told to expect about 8 - 10 weeks for approval and probably another few weeks to schedule surgery. I am feeling positive but keeping my mind open for as long as possible, I'm not looking for miracles but hope to level the playing field a bit and regain weight control for the first time in a long time.

The surgeon I spoke with is Dr. Burpee. He's been doing these for about two years and seems to know his stuff. I still go through my moments of doubt but I feel fairly good and I think it's going to be a positive choice. I do exercise regularly even now and intend to continue which, hopefully, will minimize complications. Mainly, I think about the long-term implications and the positive benefits to my health. I've always enjoyed walking, bike riding, and being active. The times that I've weighed less it's been a lot easier to do so I'm looking forward greatly to losing some pounds, getting more exercise and feeling better when I'm doing it.

The idea of re-plumbing my insides doesn't sound very appealing. The VSG seems more straightforward. I've been talking to a surgeon on the NW side of town but nothing is carved in stone.