mistysj

Musashi High Protein is high in protein and low in calories and is pretty thin and easy to drink when made up from water. Vanilla with a tsp of coffee powder is great. This is the High Protein not the Low Carb. Get it at Priceline.

"The balance of evidence thus clearly indicates that Calcium in amounts present in many meals inhibits the absorption of both heme and nonheme Iron. A practical conclusion is that those with high iron requirements (eg, adolescents and menstruating and pregnant women) should try to restrict calcium intake with main meals, which contain most of the dietary iron, and that calcium supplements, when needed, should preferably be taken when going to bed." http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/68/1/3.full.pdf

The suicide rate thing is odd. I bet it is the same as people with obesity! You need to focus on facts and not hearsay. I Celebrate one year tomorrow and would like to lose 5 kg more. For me it has been so easy. I chose sleeve because I wanted "one and done" and my surgeon ( Dr Adib) anyways recommends the sleeve now except for people who have a history of reflux. I have a friend who switched to bypass because of the reflux issues and I know that if my reflux becomes unmanageable with Nexium I may need to revise to bypass in future. I don't remember the total cost of my surgery but I had $6500 out of pocket. I would do it again and pay twice as much.

Here is the pic:

Tomorrow is a year out for me, Here is a very typical breakfast: 4 strawberries 1 chobani yogurt 3 small whole wheat crackers spread with chèvre or cream cheese 1 Americano coffee

Yes to the hair loss. It lasted about 7 months for me. I still have trouble with rice and can only eat two slices of sliced sushi rolls or maybe half an unsliced roll. I love sashimi though!

Don't worry about the pace. The time is more important. I did the couch to 5k more than 6 months ago and I still only finish a 5k in 31.

Traveling in the US and in first week of my new job.

Nice you are doing so well! I remember cheering you on before and during your surgery because you were the next one after me. I just celebrated 11 months last week! This has been an amazing journey. I actually saw 59.9 on the scale last week but it was after a 7km run so it was false. Still, a year ago I never would have imagined. I think you have lost way more than me and I am so pleased for you! My life has been so crazy. I'm in Melbourne this week for a short holiday with my husband and I return to Brisbane Saturday afternoon, then fly to San Francisco for two weeks to start my new job! I will be working remotely from my home but will be traveling to hang out with the rest of the team several times a year. I don't think I would have had the confidence to go for this job or to be so assertive, before the surgery. I keep thinking how people at the new job won't know I was ever obese unless I tell them or they see old photos. I think I will be open about it though. I don't want to have a deep dark secret, you know? But I feel so normal now. For instance my new boss organized a group activity of sailing in the San Francisco Bay. I would have probably not said no before but I would have been so nervous about keeping up and so self conscious about what to wear and how I would look and what people would think of me. I don't have any of those feelings now. I, looking forward to learning about sailing and getting to know my coworkers! I want to tell some of you newbies about eating at basically a year out. I can eat anything. I eat Pasta, bread, cake, salads, all kinds of meat, fried food, candy, Soup, sushi, Chinese food, Indian food, Greek food, street food, pizza (thin crust), whatever. I drink wine and cocktails. I don't worry too much about the WHAT anymore. I pay attention to the HOW MUCH and I balance my week so that indulgent meals are a "sometimes" occurrence. Very little upsets my stomach. Raw vegetables and fizzy drinks are the main things I avoid. I still have great restriction and the way to ensure I don't overeat is Protein first. I can eat as much at a sitting as any other woman close to my size who is a "small eater". There are things I don't eat because I wouldn't be able to eat much of them at all, like sandwiches. So if you are still struggling through mushy foods or you are frustrated because steak still bothers you, take heart. Your life will get so normal. You will get variety back in your diet. You will be able to eat at a restaurant or a dinner party without being the odd one out. You will be able to go on holiday and try new foods or eat at fancy places. You will just be healthier while doing it!

Well done! It's amazing isn't it?

Sausage is soft stage food. You will be fine. You won't be able to eat half a sausage though.

The Emotional First + Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery, Second Edition http://www.amazon.com/dp/0976852659/ This is such a good book. Every pre-op for any kind of bariatric surgery should read it, in my opinion. I read it pre-op and I'm re-reading it 8 months post-op. I might just read it once a year. It is available as paperback or ebook. What would you add to a recommended reading list? We can pin this thread if there is interest.

Learn to hold the water in your mouth and just swallow a tiny bit at a time. This too shall pass.

I have my 11 month anniversary of surgery tomorrow. I have dropped from 98 kg to 61 (I am 4'11"). Went from size 22 to size 10 (size 6 US sizes). No longer have any symptoms of diabetes. I run at least 5 k three times a week, do a BodyPump weight training class every week, and zumba every week. I have energy and look great. Could not be more pleased. I would like to lose another 5 or 10 kg but not stressing. Still losing about a kg a month. I just returned from a business trip to India. I saw these same colleagues in December and in October. They were shocked in October because I had dropped 15 kg, shocked in December because I had dropped another 15. This time I had only lost about 5 more but everyone told me how much less tired and more healthy I looked since the December trip (in December nobody told me I looked tired or unhealthy). Apparently my face looks a lot better and I know my body has changed shape because of the weight training. So if you don't like how you look at some points in the journey, your body will catch up. It is normal to look tired or drained or washed out at some points. It can look like you are losing all the weight in your face, but it does eventually even out. I think that exercise, especially weights, is a very important life-long habit to cultivate. I am starting my new job on 28 April and it will be so weird that none of these people will have known me fat.

All the best for your surgery tomorrow. I had my surgery at the Wesley too and it was great.

Do you have a reference for this?

Still losing slowly at just over 10 months. I'm very close to my surgeons goal of 27 BMI. I would like to lose another 10 pounds and see how I feel. I'm not in a rush and I recognize that it might take several months to get there. But I'm not stressing or trying to hurry it along. When I make good food choices I still have really good restriction. I'm in US size 6. I can now do push-ups! I run three times a week, BodyPump once a week, and Zumba once a week. I don't log my food but will start again if I start to gain. I choose high Protein and veggies most of the time. I weigh daily.

Thanks all. I'm excited. I'm actually moving out of a management role back to an individual role as a technical writer. And I could not be more happy! I've had fun and learned heaps, but it's time to get back to writing and less (or at least a different kind of) stress. Now that I've lost this weight I want to do more with my life than just work all the time! I think I also feel more confident in my judgment and can make the right decision for me even if it is an unconventional one.

I'm excited that I'm still losing (slowly) past the 10 month mark! 61.8 this morning! My surgeons goal is 60 and I would like to get to 55 or maybe 50. I'm not stressed and not even actively TRYING to lose. I understand what Michelle means about living your new life. I'll be starting a new job mid-April that I would never have gone for before. I'm getting a pretty substantial raise and will be removing my stress significantly. So grateful for my sleeve!

That's awesome Bec and you look great! I never stopped drinking coffee either.

They are both high in carbs but optifast seems better. I prefer the musashi high protein. Especially the vanilla with a spoonful of instant coffee in it!

It could be mild reactive hypoglycemia. I get it with carb-heavy meals but more extreme and need to be careful. Try adding a bit more fat and protein to your meal and reducing carbs a bit. You can test your blood sugar using a tester you can get at the chemist. It shouldn't go much below 4. Test when you are feeling worst.

When you are that early out, you should be doing whatever your surgeon says. If you don't feel well, talk to your surgeon.

Probably about two bites each? Size 22 vs 12 jeans.