joatsaint

After being single for more than 30 years, I've finally found a lady that likes hanging out with me. I haven't told her anything beyond the fact that I've lost a lot of weight and I have to limit how much of certain foods I eat. I've told her that I can't eat a whole bunch of anything if I want to keep the weight off. That seems to be enough info to share with her for now. When we go out, I told her right from the start that I would not be eating much and I was going out, not to eat, but to hang out with her and enjoy her conversation and company. But if you are going to be dating later in the year, that means you'll be further along in the healing process and will probably be able to eat much more than you can now. At 6 months, I was up to eating 1 cup of food per meal. I know that's isn't much, but it's more than 4 bites. As far as scars go, I'm going to try to make a joke of it by telling her that the big scar is where the alien popped out. If she laughs at that, then I'll feel comfortable telling her the rest of the story. But seriously, 4 out of 5 scars I have are faded and look like big freckles. The 5th one is very faded and in low light, very difficult to notice.

Hey guys, just ran across this today and ordered my 2 free Quest bars. I haven't tried Quest bars because I can't buy just 1 or 2 locally. They gave me 4 options (2 bars per option) to try Quest bars - totally free... all they wanted was some basic info - email, name, address, phone number. Delivery is expected in 4 to 8 weeks. http://www.questnutrition.com/freesample/ Keep Pimpin't that Sleeve! I finally got my hands on a Cookies & Cream Quest Bar My Review of 12 Quest Bars.

Out of all the bars Quest sells, these do not have the Erythritol sugar alcohol listed as an ingredient. vanilla Almond Mixed Berry Bliss Peanutbutter Supreme chocolate Brownie Peanutbutter and Jelly Apple Pie

Pre-surgery, my feet would randomly get sore and would swell. Post-surgery, my feet have shrank 1/2 shoe size and have stayed that way for over a year.

I never blended in a banana, but to make my Premier Protein chocolate shakes taste better, I added a scoop of chocolate protein powder. I had an old bag of chocolate meal replacement powder laying around and just tossed in a scoop one day to see if it improved the taste/consistency of the pre-made shakes. I liked the way it made my shake much thicker and boosted the chocolate flavor. It added 70 calories and 10 grams of protein to my shake.

If you were to heat them in the microwave for a few seconds, they would be soft enough to cut with a fork. I wouldn't go for the ones with dark chocolate or brownie flavors.... those bars were much much thicker and chewier. Of the 12 flavors I've tried, the fruit flavors were the softest. In particular, berry Bliss, strawberry Cheesecake, and Apple Pie. But be careful of the sugar alcohols. The Erythritol sugar alcohol used to sweeten SOME of the bars, it's not used in all of them, caused Frankensleeve a bit of stomach upset... but he's 2 years old now and is a bit more tolerant of new foods. I would wait till I was allowed full foods before eating any Protein bars. Or call your Doc or NUT and see what they advise, they are in the best position to advise you. But if you are going to try them, use my tried and true Frankensleeve new foods taste test: Take a small bite... about the size of a teaspoon. Wait 5 minutes Take another teaspoon sized bite Wait 5 minutes If Frankensleeve hadn't grumbled by then, I knew the food was safe for me to eat. If you would care to hear my review of the 12 bars I tried, here is the link to my Youtube Quest Bar playlist http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYoG14FX5FCXliAUJ1C9EZbn_Ls95ZrUr

I have several favorites, but Mixed berry Bliss is #1. I've only recently started eating Quest bars, so I'm being very vigilante to see if they cause food cravings, weight increase or stall. If you haven't jumped on this offer, you should... 2 free Quest Bars. All they need is your mailing address and email. Here's the link. ----> http://www.questnutrition.com/freesample

You may not have a goal weight, but do you have a certain amount of weight you'd like to lose each month? By having some kind of target in mind, I am able to determine if I am progressing or not. I can always reevaluate my goals if I find that they don't suit my needs. Just a thought.

Mine flattened out and got a little droopy. But they're much better than pre-op.

I'm with jen, from the moment I woke up from surgery, I never really felt hungry again. Food just didn't interest me. I was so happy to have lost those cravings.

I've been overweight since childhood. I'd have done it between 25 and 30... when I crossed the 250lb mark.

I know where you're coming from. I too had thoughts of, "what if I'm the one person this doesn't work for?" Trust me, this is completely different from any diet you've ever tried. Now you have a tool that will force you cut back on the calories, and if you stay with the planned food stages, your taste buds and carb craving will be reset. This is your chance for a do-over. You can do it. We were all right where you are, right before and right after surgery. In a month, you won't believe how you life will begin to change for the better.

No tougher than any other multi-vitamin tablet. Just have to take 3 of them either 1 tablet 3 times a day or all 3 at once.

For years I took the generic brand from Sam's Club and never really notice a difference in my energy levels on the days I forgot to take them. Recently, I tried a brand of Multivitamin that has whole food concentrates added. I'm not saying I have amazing energy levels because of it, but I do feel a bit of a boost on the days I do take them. I've tried 2 brands that have the whole food concentrate, and both seem to provide a nice energy boost for the day. The only down side is having to take 3 tablets a day.

This is the one I bought about 4 years ago. It's still running on the same batteries. It's only a scale, no bells and whistles like memory. It has served me well. $36.99 http://www.amazon.com/Eatsmart-Precision-Bathroom-Technology-440-Pounds/dp/B0032TNPOE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424191655&sr=8-1&keywords=400+lb+scale

I get head hunger after eating a heavy Protein meal. I think my brain is just craving carbs. I try not to give in and eat junk, so instead I eat sugar free Jell-O mixed with cream cheese or a sweet low carb Protein Bar. That seems to help. I've tried the Quest Peanutbutter and Jelly, and Mixed berry Bliss work well to quiet my head hunger for sweets. My goto low carb sweet is sugar free Jell-O mixed with cream cheese. Recipe is very simple. 1 small box of strawberry sugar free Jell-O. 4oz of cream cheese. Mix the Jell-O according to directions and blend in the cream cheese until it is completely mixed and there are not little particles of cream cheese floating around. I usually use 2 cups of warm Water in the Jell-O rather than 1 cup cold + 1 cup hot. It makes the cream cheese easier to mix in. Put in icebox and let it set up. Serve with some Land O Lakes or Redi Whip whipped topping. Both brands only have 1 carb per serving.

I was in for 1 night. They only kept me that long to make sure my blood pressure and blood sugar levels were stable. After the leak test - the next morning - I was released.

Finally got around to making a video to go with my favorite low-carb BBQ recipe. I was searching for a replacement for my favorite Kraft BBQ sauce - since it has sugar in it and I ran across this one. It had rave reviews and it tastes really good. I'll need to tweak it a few times to get that sweet/tangy flavor I like so much, but for a good low-carb BBQ sauce, this one works well. The best part was, I already had most of the ingredients on hand (you probably do too). 2 Tablespoons is 12 calories vs. 60 calories for the equivalent Kraft BBQ sauce. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Indispensable Almost No Carb Barbecue Sauce This isn't a substitute for the "real thing," it's an improvement. It's so good and I have to keep making more. 3/8 cup vinegar 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce. (1 15 oz can) Don't buy a tomato sauce that has spices or flavorings in it! 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 tablespoon yellow hot dog mustard 3/4 tablespoon Franks Hot Sauce (the chicken wing sauce) 3/4 tablespoon salt (optional) 1 dash cayenne pepper. Go easy!!!! 3 teaspoons lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring 6 teaspoons Splenda or 18 drops of Liquid Splenda ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optional Things I've Tried and Liked: Instead of 6 tsp Splenda, I tried 3 tsp Splenda, 3 tsp brown sugar - it really gave the sauce "body" and flavor and only adds 45 calories to the entire recipe. Toss in 2 or 3 tablespoons of garlic powder Toss in 2 or 3 tablespoons of onion powder Double up on Franks Hot Sauce - I don't find Franks very hot, and I like the flavor Use Apple Cider Vinegar instead of White Vinegar Add 1/3 can of tomato paste ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Add vinegar and all other ingredients except mustard to a sauce pan and slowly heat. Put mustard in a cup and slowly stir in a couple tablespoons of sauce until well blended. Then add mustard mixture back to sauce in pan. Bring to a boil, and lower heat. Let simmer for a 20 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate till cold then serve. Note: this sauce might taste a bit peculiar if you taste it when it is still hot. Don't worry! Something magical happens when it sits in the fridge. And it only gets better overnight!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I loved the fact that my sleeping decreased so much after surgery. I feel just as good after 5 hours of sleep as I used to feel after 9 hours. I chalk it up to not eating so much at night. Now, my body can concentrate on healing and recouperation, rather than digesting 1000's of calories while I'm asleep.

My 1st week, I wasn't drinking 20 oz a day, but I wasn't moving a whole bunch either. I put a priority on staying hydrated over eating. And just sipped sipped sipped as much as I could. As long as I felt okay, I wasn't worried. When I'm feeling exhausted, it's usually a sign that I'm not eating enough carbs. For some reason, I can't convert low glycemic foods (squash, cauliflower, broccoli, lentils) into energy fast enough - even though I'm eating plenty of calories. As a test, you might eat a tablespoon or 2 of Peanut Butter (it has a lot of sugar in it) and pay attention to your energy levels and mood. And let your doctor/nut know your results. Stay positive. Learn from past mistakes but don't let them weigh you down with negative emotions. Use your struggles to get stronger. Develop habits to deal with dilemmas. Focus on progress, not perfection. Celebrate your journey from point A to point B. Make each day better than your last.

Here ya go:

I had it all planned out in preparation for those kinds of questions. If anyone asked, I just told them that I was preparing for surgery to complete my transformation. When they asked what kind of transformation, I told them I was having a sex change, that I was a lesbian trapped in a man's body. That tended to shut them up, cause they couldn't figure that one out!

You will be able to eat almost anything by the end of your 1st year post-op. At 6 months, I could eat most things. But fibrous vegetables like lettuce were still tough, as well as chicken and eggs and whole wheat bread. Processed and sugary foods had never been a problem to eat. It was the healthy stuff that Frankensleeve objected to. At 1 year, my ability to eat anything had returned. My tastes had changed by then, but that's anther story.

You are normal. Your sleeve is going to have different tolerances for different foods. For me, chicken and eggs are still some of the hardest things to digest. Bread will sit like a rock in Frankensleeve. But Pasta, sugary/processed foods slide right on down and don't stick with me for very long. And for some crazy reason, Frankensleeve truly hates the Taco Bell taco sauce, but he has no problem with any other bottled salsa??? Go figure.