Globetrotter

The Vagus nerve, really? Good to know! I don't sneeze from fullness, I sneeze from gluten, but my full-cue is the stuffed then runny nose. So, is it the food pressing on the Vagus nerve?

A cavalcade of personal trauma, emotional physical and financial, put about 25 lbs on me. Working on getting it and more off but, sad pants.

... to be wasteful. I was never a member of the Clean Your Plate club, that was never enforced in my family growing up, though at the same time food was considered the only justifiable expense. But I was admonished/critisized/guilted for any act of wastefulness, to the point of being denied access to many things because it was deemed a wasteful expense (including being seen by a doctor but that's another can of worms). So, as part of my WLS journey, I am learning to give myself permission to be "wasteful". Spending 10 dollars on cheap cosmetics at Walgreen's, instead of a trip to Burger King - that's okay!! So I "wasted" my money and an antire can of Coke because all I wanted was that first frosty bubbly sip - so what, it's my money and a small sip is better than 8 oz! It's okay!! It's not as easy as it may seem, the indoctrination of youth is difficult to shake, last year I was unemployed for a few months and had to be on a budget and I found myself reverting to self-abusing habits: Not going out because that would mean a couple of dollars cover charge, but spending that same money on food - because it is justifiable. My enjoyment wasn't justifiable, isn't that just sad? I'm sad -and embarrassed- as I type this. A new lipgloss or bottle of nailpolish from Rite-Aid costs about the same as a fast food meal or drink at a bar, with much more positive results. I struggle to believe that my desires matter, that my having ANY desire for self-care or tenderness is NOT a sign of ego or a$$holery. It is time to wash myself clean of my parent's toxins.

Goodlady - what are you characterizing as "snacks"? Her portions are WLS appropriate but she makes real meals as well as appetizers, snacks, desserts, protein shakes, etc. Explore her site, it is so helpful, you will see people pulling from her again and again here on VST over in the Food & Nutrition section - her Ricotta Bake is the stuff of legend for post-ops in the mushies phase!

Gosh, what would I do if I could tell the world and several people in particular to go take a flying fu** ...

Gonna see the doc today, I haven't eaten since thursday, it's Monday!

And that is why I am such an advocate for plastics + lipo to finish off our journeys, it isn't cosmetic surgery, it's reconstructive and just putting us on an even playing field with the NFs (Never Fats)

I used to do World Market before discovering Cash & Carry, I stocked UP the last time I was there, got sf vanilla bean, brown sugar cinnamon, chai tea ... omg the chai is so FRICKIN good! Actually, it is Da Vinci brand sugar free syrup, not Torani. Torani didn't have an sf chai!

Don't let my profile pic fool you. Sadly, this was taken at the height of my loss and fitness, I am probably at least 25 lbs heavier now and about as fit as a veal. I would change the photo if I had access to my personal computer. I still wear a pre-op work out tee to the gym, and it doesn't even look foollishly large. I look at photos of my face before and now and see only the slightest of changes. Still round.

this website still doesn't show my body, none of the women in my search have pronounced lower stomach pooches. but, it does give me something to work toward, when I put in my goal weight and saw how cute it looks!

I look at my before pics and I look in the mirror now, and I don't see a difference.

I'm a sleeve vet, 3 yrs, and I recommend, plain greek yogurt that you dress up yourself -fewer hidden sugars and cals that way. homemade chicken salad, any recipe from the blog The World According to Eggface, and whatever you do - stay away from prepackaged as much as possible

Burpees are grueling, but not L2H inducing ... for me that would be WallBalls ... *shudder* I hate you, WallBalls! I love you! I hate you, you are pure evil, but so good for my a$$!!

Today is supposed to be an eating day but I've had an intestinal thing the past 3 days, nothing more than a handful of saltines and a piece of toast, so I'm not too eager to chow down today! We shall see ...

Pinky, I am 5'3" and at my lowest (167) I had a pair of size 10 Levi's. With all the extra skin and lower stomach pouch, I wasn't comfortable wearing them with a t-shirt or blouse, but I found light and pretty tunics that hit just at the crotch and those were perfect, let me show off my size 10 legs and booty!

Somehow, growing up and especially in early adulthood, I managed to absorb three completely opposed things: That men would only be interested in me for what they could get from me physically, that I had nothing to offer physically, AND that if any man showed any interest in me ever it would only be for his physical satisfaction. Except, see #2. woah.

Haha, just watch, Swizzly will end up being down a pound the next time she weighs after that food-a-palooza . TMI Alert: As for me, I seem to have caught some sort of intestinal thing because even though I've only eaten 3 pieces of toast and a couple saltines in the last 3 days, I'm in the powder room every half hour. Trying to stay hydrated. As for the rest, I do not have enough sick time accrued to go to Germany, and I simply cannot afford leave without pay so I am stuck for the moment until I think of something.

I actually think that so many people thinking we are just fine or normal is an indicator of the obesity epidemic overall, very overweight has become so commonplace that people have a strange form of reverse body dysmorphia. Just because that may have looked fine and "normal" doesn't mean it was healthy, it just means a lot of people are obese!

end of fast day, coming in at just over 400 cals, full of nervous energy, stupid Click Vanilla Latte Protein Shake, with the equivalent of 2 shots of espresso!! *vibrates off the seat*

I'm going to tack something on to this discussion... Giving yourself permission, to not eat if you don't want to. I can hear the engines revving up now, to flame me for "advocating" not eating, so Hear Me Now: That is not what I am doing. Rather, in this discussion of giving oneself permissions, permission to be wasteful, permission to be oneself, permission to LIVE, I hav found a freedom in saying, "you know what, I don't WANT to eat at this moment and I don't have to!" I don't have to take advantage of every single "treat" or opportunity for indulgence, I am not a 12th century peasant. There is plenty, I will not starve, I am not starving, it is okay to turn away from food, I am not being wasteful if I turn away from food. I can say no. Saying no, now, there's a bigger issue ... I'd wager that is an incredibly deep issue that many of us who have self-medicated with food grapple with. If I say no, will you invite me back? If I say no, will you walk away, thereby proving my deepest fear that you were only interested in me for what you could get? That last one isn't necessarily sexual you know ... This sort of went down the rabbit hole, but I'm kind of glad ...

Edamame is just Japanese for soy, those are just soybeans you are eating, not an option for some of us.

Swizz - I think that is why I like ADF so much, saying no to the goodies on the fast day is easier psychologically, because I tell myself, "don't worry about it, it's not going anywhere, and tomorrow is a feed day." Today is a fast day, which is good because I'm having intestinal pain and not really feeling the food today. I'm getting a good rhythm going again with my ADF, after my next fast day (Saturday) I will weight myself. TMI alert: I have an IUD so I get all the physical and mental symptoms of PMS and a cycle, minus the cycle and right now my bloat is just out of control, my breasts are inflated balloons o' pain, so I'm not real eager to get on the scale.

I've been following 5:2/ADF since mid-June, no loss yet though.

I thought this was the case, but I did not see my report button ...

Can this spammer, Onamic, be banished please?