LilMissDiva Irene

That is a completely and totally fabulous NSV!!!! Congrats!!

Get to feeling better soon! Also, you don't have to rush it if you're not ready. Take your time, I did. I moved very slowly through the stages and usually only did one meal a day on the next stage and kept the rest Protein shakes and mushies. *hugs*

I would say PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE start making jeans for women with real figures!! Tighter waist, bigger booty room and a little more slack in the thigh area... tysm. What is your worst pet peeve?

Wow, that was like looking at an old photo of me...

I don't know about y'all but I sure get a lot of fun, humorous or just fantastically inspirational emails all the time. Some I get more than once and many times I think about sharing them here... just in the off chance there is one person who might need to see it at that very moment. I received one this morning that absolutely needed to be shared... so here goes: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio . "To Celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more: 1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. 3. Life is too short – enjoy it. 4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will. 5. Pay off your credit cards every month. 6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself. 7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone. 8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it. 9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. 10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. 11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present. 12. It's OK to let your children see you cry. 13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it. 15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye But don't worry; God never blinks. 16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind. 17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways. 18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger. 19. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else. 20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer. 21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special. 22. Over prepare, then go with the flow. 23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple. 24. The most important sex organ is the brain. 25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. 26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?' 27. Always choose life. 28. Forgive but don’t forget. 29. What other people think of you is none of your business. 30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time. 31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. 33. Believe in miracles. 34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do. 35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now. 36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young. 37. Your children get only one childhood. 38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. 39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. 40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back. 41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have not what you need. 42. The best is yet to come... 43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. 44. Yield. 45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Aww Kathy! I'm sorry you had to go through that. Keep plugging along with your liquids as best you can. It's a must do situation. Big hugs!!!!

Adding a few new entries: DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to. DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid. DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!!

I'd like to mention that I too had a slew of aches and pains all over my body when I was larger. They are all gone now... so I just wanted to put it out there that YES it can be due to being overweight/obese. I think it is helpful to try to reconcile with what our health professionals are trying to tell us rather than constantly pushing them away simply because they are telling us something we don't want to hear. For me, it has turned out to all be denial. I'm NOT saying it CAN'T be something else... rather it IS a possibility it is, and it serves no purpose to deny it simply because it's not what we wanted to hear.

Ok... here I'll hold the window up for you... No crying. This is going to be a long process. I do hope you didn't expect to reach goal by now or even in a few months. Be happy that you have your sleeve and you are on your way to healthier you. Many would be glad to switch spots with you right now! Take a moment to smell the roses on your way to "goal", but be careful not to get stuck by the thorns!!

We were the same way too... always saying this # is enough... then you start collecting 2 at a time. LOL We have 6 now, and we surely are maxed out! But, as I say that we have 4 additional outdoor kitties that have adopted us as well. So I guess that's 10 now.

What an awesome gift!!! And I'm not talkin about your Nae-Nae either. Though, your new sleeve is pretty cool itself. Take care of yourself though it sounds like you're doing fantastic!! Congrats and welcome to the losers bench!!!

Sounds like a little rough start, but thankfully no leaks !!! Welcome to the losers bench!

Yes, it's very easy to feel full so soon after surgery. Perhaps make your portions smaller. Our stomach can get a little fickle sometimes. One day I can eat more than others... and it be the same food. I just stop eating when I'm done, but in the early stages it's better to measure before eating. You will eventually get used to portion sizes and volume. HTH

Every day we wake up is a new opportunity to try it again. Best thing to do is to not beat yourself up... so you enjoyed your Valentines Day with your grandbabies and hubby... it's ok! Just make today a much better day!

How 5 Lbs of FAT measures by volume to 5 Lbs of muscle. So, if you're confused on how you can be working so hard and not seeing a loss on the scale - this could be a huge factor.

I totally agree with PDXman... working out more and weight training will cause lots of fluctuations on the scale. It is not a bad thing... there are many reasons for this. It should never be used as a reason to discontinue with very healthy habits, nor should it be used as a reason to be upset with ourselves. I found this picture on facebook just today and thought this is a perfect forum to share it.

LOL I love it!!! Yes YOU WILL get there if you just keep, keeping on. Only things to remember: Plenty of fluids, get some exercise/workouts, and Protein first, and last but not least... PATIENCE!!! That's it!!

I took a day off yesterday from working out. The day before yesterday and today I'll be burning about 600ish calories. After that it's back to 1,000 a day burn through the end of this month. Next month I'll do 1,000 a day burn 4x per week, 2x per week 600 and one day off completely. Hope everyone's doing well!

Well this is my opinion only but... when I do any kind of weight training I always do a light cardio to "warm up" my muscles. I've always felt my muscles are more receptive this way. Then when finish I do a cool down and stretch. It works for me. AND... I don't know why anyone would think we really need that much protein. Too much protein makes our kidneys work extremely hard, so I would never tell anyone to take in that much. Anyone who works out normally (like you and me... non athletic but good workouts) should be ok with about 80-100g per day. It's not failed me yet, and the last thing I want to hear is that my kidneys are having issues. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50900 "How Much Protein Do I Need? The amount of protein you require depends on your weight and your daily caloric intake. Most Americans consume more than enough protein in their daily diets. A few specific groups of people are at risk for being protein-deficient, including elderly women and people with illnesses or eating disorders. A protein deficiency is defined as eating 50% to 75% of the recommended amount of daily protein, Butterfield explains. Ideally, you should consume 0.36 grams of protein for every pound of body weight, according to recommended daily allowances (RDA) set by the food and Nutrition Board. So if you weigh 170 pounds, you need about 61 grams of protein each day. Protein should also make up approximately 15% of your total daily caloric intake, also according to the RDA. In a diet of 1,800 calories a day, for example, about 270 of those calories should come from protein." Here is a quiz regarding protein consumption from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/rm-quiz-protein-myths-facts Another great source from WebMD: http://women.webmd.com/guide/high-protein-low-carbohydrate-diets "What Are the Risks Linked to High Protein, Low-Carb Diets? High protein, low-carb diets can cause a number of health problems, including: Kidney failure. Consuming too much protein puts a strain on the kidneys, which can make a person susceptible to kidney disease. High cholesterol . It is well known that high protein diets (consisting of red meat, whole dairy products, and other high fat foods) are linked to high cholesterol. Studies have linked high cholesterol levels to an increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Osteoporosis and kidney stones. High protein diets have also been shown to cause people to excrete more Calcium than normal through their urine. Over a prolonged period of time, this can increase a person's risk of osteoporosis and kidney stones. Cancer. One of the reasons high protein diets increase the risks of certain health problems is because of the avoidance of carbohydrate-containing foods and the Vitamins, minerals, Fiber, and antioxidants they contain. It is therefore important to obtain your protein from a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Not only are your needs for protein being met, but you are also helping to reduce your risk of developing cancer. Unhealthy metabolic state (ketosis). Low-carb diets can cause your body to go into a dangerous metabolic state called ketosis since your body burns fat instead of glucose for energy. During ketosis, the body forms substances known as ketones, which can cause organs to fail and result in gout, kidney stones, or kidney failure. Ketones can also dull a person's appetite, cause nausea and bad breath. Ketosis can be prevented by eating at least 100 grams of carbohydrates a day."