mczoo33

Great Job,I am on day 7 of my 30 day preop....a few things I have figured out works for me, I keep a drink or several around me of different kinds all day long... I have 3 protein drinks at meal times, a pre-made one in the morning, then I usually make one for lunch....then add some protein in what ever soup or broth I am making...I have found if I don't let my self get major hungry growling pains then I can manage it and feel good. Along with the protein drinks I have a cup of like crystal light, or Gatorade or v-8 juice. Seems a warm broth or tea helps to when feeling hungry. I also got the koshi miso paste, its the broth like Japanese soup thats given at some Japanese Restaurants. Got the paste at a oriental store. that helps cause chicken and beef get so boring. Also have made a sweet and sour soup broth. From water, terriyaki sauce and vinegar and some chili peppers. I believe its all about finding what works and you can live with with out breaking the diet and trying to have some what a variety. Also been making my Popsicle from like the crystal lite. that way I have the crunch and feel like I am actually eating to at times. Jello if I can keep it made up and others dont eat it. I found in beginning I was only getting in about 800 calories and felt starving all the time, now I keep it around 900 to 1000 an that helps a lot. Yes use the myfitnesspal religiously and that helps me really see what I am doing. mczoo33 is my name on there if you want to add also. Its getting close for so many of us...hang in there we all can do this

Brianna there is a great group of August Sleever's with a great list compiled of peoples surgery's dates and the doctor there going to mine is Aug 14 so a day after you. will be great following everyone's progress http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/38113-august-sleevers-where-yas-at/ Also I think it varies from surgeon to surgeon on the catheter, I know mine doesn't do it

I use myfitnesspal.com to record everything it really helps me keep track of what I am taking in.

Congrats timetochange, there is a rollercoaster of feelings with this but it will all be worth it in the end. there is great forum and group for august sleevers at http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/38113-august-sleevers-where-yas-at/

Question of the Day: Well In my head I was hoping to be under the 300 mark for my birthday Oct 31. I never dared say or think it till the other day when I felt it might really be possible. Started May 1st at 379, in horror that I was at that weight, I remember seeing the 300 mark and panicking then, and the last two years with depression from my fathers death sent me ballooning up and I didnt even pay attention. So I am now at 357 and still on pre-op liquids, surgery on Aug 14, (don't know why my ticker wont reflect that date I have changed and saved and deleted it a dozen times and it still shows the 13th) So I am in hopes of then being down another 100 lbs by my 50th birthday in a year. Its been so long since I have been under 200 I cant even remeber being there and it was only a short time as I was always big in school too. Trying to imagine my self in smaller clothes and looking hot and feeling sexy would be so nice but seems so very hard to imagine being that way. Most of all I want to be able to shower without being out of breath, shave my legs and the down unders easy, paint my toenails and clip them, play with the kids in the yard, work in the yard and besides hubby again, fit in seats any where let alone amusement and plane rides, be able to walk through a grocery store without being in major pain for 3 days after, Mostly live again and not be so embarrassed being in pubic. My Goal weight is to be healthy and get off meds for high blood pressure and so many more

Welcome to all the new August Sleevers

I had not told anyone and hadnt weighed myself in over a year so I wasn't even positive how much and was mortified when I seen. My doctor told me if I didnt do something I had maybe 5-10 years the way I was going and would end up like my father who passed away. I sat family down after researching for a few weeks and told them what I was facing, still wasn't gonna tell no one what I weighed...then my family was amazing and all said they each had so much to loose and we needed to do this as a family and together to support one another, so we decided to do it and get real about it. So I mortified told them what I weighed and do so now along the journey as we have weigh dates each month where we report whats we each are....its still hard and all but with there support this is a lifestyle journey and I so happy now its happening like this. Its making me be more accountable for it all and not shrug past it....I still cant handle public pictures of me at all and am crazy when they take one and post it some where, like as a family photo. I think we have to do the hard parts like that to free ourselves even more instead of keeping things inside....

Hang in there girl, your half way through this insane liquid junk and your new body is awaiting you at the end of it all....you have been so strong but its darn well ok to hate it and us struggle with it...but I keep reminding my self its no where near as bad as the extra weight I am lugging around that makes so much of life impossible or a horried task....pretty soon we can sit on a beach in a nice sexy bathing suit and live that life we want...ok really dreaming there but we all will make it....and i will have to reread all my pep talk on day 15 to cause i am already sick of it...but managing and not failing at this very important milestone in my life this time hugsss tight to you Icandothis and all the others starting this phase of the journey....its only a moment in time

Actually I have been going through a bad start of menopause already, about 5 months of bleeding most the time, I dont want to do drugs and want to try and do natural first and deal with it as long as possible...plus focused on all the other of this surgery and fixing that part of me first before I can or will deal with the other parts broken on me...I keep thinking it will get better and just stop but for the most part it hasnt...doctor said we will try it several months before we will have to look at other options.

I am having like muscle bones aches from being on this liquid diet, I am drinking skim milk with my protein, its more milk then I normally drink, and been taking calcium, but it is a different feeling then feeling like a lack of calcium...its all over but mostly in my legs, and have had some really tight cramps in like ovaries that I haven't ever had before. Anyone experience this and what did you do?

I talked with Susan and asked if I could blend fruit in my shakes, the answer was no as natural sugars and guess trying to cut that down and is high in carbs some etc...even many veggies is...she said I could make my soups with a veggie just not starchy ones like potatoes and I figure orange veggies to...also first few days was hard ...I wasn't doing like 3 Protein Shakes and wasn't getting enough calories, she really suggested to stay at 1000, not under or over.. Also was getting headaches etc she really suggested like gatorade cause of a little sugar ya need...I am not crazy about gatorade but trying...the other thing i was told was v-8 juice, i did that and added some unjury unflavored and that helped to.... yes I have 30 days cause of my higher bmi and was told to lose 30 lbs to so working on both. Questions of the day: Also my costs is self pay, was 8700 but higher BMI was another 500. I had also checked with and got a quote for Dr Lopez and it was 4700 & also 500 ore for high BMI, I just never could find much on him bu he seemed like a good doctor. Decided on Dr. Alvarez as he seemed the right fit for me and I felt very comfortable with him, watching all his videos and all the comments was always very good.

Welcome Barb

Ok so on my preop diet its liquids for 30 days, I called the doctors office to see if I could blend and puree veggies in chicken broth and make my own Soup. I think most those cream of Soups is nasty tasting and all. She said if that was my one soup an not to use starchy ones as much like potatoes, so here is what I made tonight. a general recipe I will try with other veggies. I cooked in fry pan with no oil, just a spray like pam, with some fresh basil, just to give them a grilled like flavor. then added a cup of Water with the chicken broth granuales then added the flour to make a rue, then added skim milk, let it thickened some, then pureed in the blender. also added some unjury no flavored Protein powder (not added in to calculations) Summer Squash Soup Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Chol Spark - Grilled Yellow Squash, 0.5 medium squash 44 3 4 1 3 0 Zucchini - Grilled Zucchini, 1/2 cup (57g) 11 2 0 1 5 0 Great Value - White Flour, 0.1 cup (2tsp). 40 9 0 1 0 0 Wyler's - Instant Bouillon Chicken Granules, 2 tsp 10 2 0 0 1,480 0 Great Value Skim Milk - Fat Free Milk, 1.5 cup 135 20 0 12 195 8 Total: 240 36 4 15 1683 8 Per Serving: 240 36 4 15 1683 8

Keep thinking for all us going to Dr Alvarez, we need a little secret something, like we can leave, or right or something of code or I was here, for the next person to add to at the hospital

and then me on the 14th whoo hoooo

So my official Preop Liquids started today....I have actually for the last month been having two meals a day usually of protein drinks and then a very low cal low fat dinner or soup....Yet cause its offical my stomach has growled non stop since 4...I have drank so much trying to get it to calm down I feel like I am swimming in liquids....having some major ovay cramps, and a major headache has started....I am hanging in there but I have been so excited for it to start I didnt thing I would have many issues with it, but here I am having issues...I dont think its just mental its physical to....any suggestions from others what to do to help with the hunger pains, I have had 3 protein drinks, chicken broth a huge one, my one can of soup, any sugar free drinks and just water, sf jello, my sleeping has been horrible for weeks already and this adds to it when your stomach non stop growls and you feel so hungry. Icandothis, where are you, it seemed to be so easy for you..ok enough of my rant

Hello and Welcome to all the new August Sleevers think there is some banding to if I am not mistaken, getting so many I cant barely keep up

well just read this to so where we are on protein drinks for medical reasons would this allow us to qualifry with the buets, still might jsut be hassel not worth it to, this is further on from the TSA regulations All prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels, and aerosols) including petroleum jelly, eye drops, and saline solution for medical purposes; Liquids including water, juice, or liquid nutrition or gels for passengers with a disability or medical condition;

Congrats MichT so excited for you...10 years definatly a long time...Happy Dancing with you

Dont think we will be able to take those watermelon bullets, they are 3.8 oz and requlations is 3.4 oz...so might have to buy them after the plane ride down....but I am also confused when you can even use them...maybe it is just incase as they do say bring them so need to find some under the weight, heck even bullets need to weigh lol..... here is the plane regulations.. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be in 3.4 ounce (100ml) or smaller containers. Larger containers that are half-full or toothpaste tubes rolled up are not allowed. Each container must be 3.4 ounces (100ml) or smaller. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be placed in a single, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. Gallon size bags or bags that are not zip-top such as fold-over sandwich bags are not allowed. Each traveler can use only one, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. Each traveler must remove their quart-sized plastic, zip-top bag from their carry-on and place it in a bin or on the conveyor belt for X-ray screening. X-raying separately will allow TSA security officers to more easily examine the declared items.

Yes i just opened one and took a sip of it, my curiosity gets to me, does taste like watermelon kooliaidy type, very sweet, it is tolerable. I just am not a real sweet type drink person but I can stomach it compared to that Six brands protien drink. I wonder if we can take the bullets on plane with us? Does it have to be clamied as the 3-1-1 or how ever that is for liquids. maybe I should leave them hear and buy some once we get into San Antonio...I am thinking of taking a water bottle, empty, till you go through security, then feeling it at water fountain for mixing with the different packets of crystal lite etc, but then ya have to also worry of going to the tiny little bathroom so much also...flying from utah to San antonio....will be so nice one day not to have to think of plane rides and fiting ok...asking for seat belt extensions etc...not fitting great in the seats...thank goodness hubby is going with me and next to me in the seat, the rows is just two seats together so much smaller plane

I had a meleuca vannilla here that my daughter had, i started on it over 3 weeks ago and really liked it....then got one from walmart six star muscle whey vanillia, omg I cant stomach it its so sweet like artifical...i tried it with skim milk, coffee, and blended with some fruit I dont think I will make it through it at all, then been having Darigold Reful premixed chocolate and peanut butter there pretty good but expensive....Also ordered off Amazon the Gold Standard Carmel toffe fudge its pretty good. Have ordered some of the unjuiry samples also and seen some fairly good samples reasonable on someones post that looks like nice samples , Do have the bullets from walmart in watermelon there pretty sweet but tolerable http://www.bjsbariatrics.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=bjb&Product_Code=synSamplePack&Category_Code=syn

Congrats SleeveMe81 its so exciting, A new ife journey for everyone

Congratulations MamaMelly you will do great...it is a rollercoster and wow we get on looking one way and step out looking another way...(and the seat belts might even fit LOL)