Globetrotter

PICS, COOPS - PICS!!!! It takes 6 months for swelling to completely go away and we can't wait that long!

The gas I knew about

No avocadoes available, no nuts. If you read the thread, you will see my odd circumstances.

Before I ever heard of VSG I heard of DS and I researched it for about a year, and had decided that if I ever got surgery, that would be the one. Then (luckily) I heard about VSG and the rest is history but, aware as I am of all possible complications, I never heard of the ones you mentioned! The exception rather then the rule I would think? DSers definitely get to goal and beyong though.

I "discovered" sardines a few months ago and I LOVE them! So good for us, full of MUFAs, omega-3s, protein, not to mention super tasty! I eat them straight, on some saltines, but I found a recipe today that I cannot wait to try - mashed avocado and lemon juice, topped with some sardines, sprinkled with green onion and chli flakes. The recipe has this on toast points but we could put it on cucumber rounds instead, or Kim's Magic Pop or even as the filling to a lettuce burrito. yum!!

BTW creatine is quite the explosive topic, I brought it up to a bunch of my soldier buddies and they scorned creatine and creatine-assisted muscles, saying that it's nothing but Water and as soon as you stop taking the supplement or stop lifting, you deflate. That creatine muscles aren't *real* muscles. Thoughts?

Oh I have plenty of those, I have 3 full boxes! But I cannot live on Quest bars alone, tasty as they are, and I have to make those 3 boxes last me 10 months.

I have worked out faithfully for one month now, taking maybe 4 days off in that entire time. About 10 days ago I started focusing on weight training and cardio instead of just cardio. I feel good, I can feel myself getting stronger, having better balance, but I'm also *up* 4 pounds and when I take my socks off at night I have imprinted ridges and a sock "waist" indentation around my shin. What the??

I started the IIFYM last week, prior to IIFYM I averaged about 800 cals, now its about 1000, and the IIFYM wants me at 1545 cals, 41 carbs, 191 protein (!!), and a whopping 40g fiber! For about 2 weeks now I have really focused on weight training and I have *gained* 4 pounds, don't know what will happen now that I'm throwing higher cals etc. into the mix. I'm nowhere near IIFYM yet but still ... I am so scared of eating a lot!

If you do a search through VST topics you will find some old threads where we really got into the fascinating/revolting world of "vanity sizing" or as we like to call it, "your pants are lying to you". As Americas girth increases so does our desire to be lied to - there was an article in the new york times maybe 2+ years ago where a reporter went to a dozen different stores, from chi-chi boutiques to big warehouse places and got a plain pair of cotton khakis in the same size from each store. There was wild discrepancy between the actual sizes with the biggest lies coming from the cheaper stores, so a men's 34 (the reporter was a man BTW) at Old Navy when taken home and actually measured, was more like a 37!! People make a big deal about the fact that at her heaviest, Marilyn Monroe was a 12, but, that was a 1950's 12, which means today at her heaviest she probably would have been an 8, max. My Mother is fond of telling me that the day she found out she was pregnant with me she weighed 118 pounds, but she has also told me that she was never smaller than a size 8. I doubt that a 5'4" woman weighing 118 pounds today would be in an 8 - more like a 2! So, my point is, it's all bullshi+, and anyway, the really really good clothes are the ones that are custom made for you anyway, whether by haute couture or Grandma

honestly, if I could afford it, I would get a revision.

Oh my God, Fiddleman, I could cry! That would be a dream package!! All of that sounds so awesome, yes yes yes please!! A lot of protein powders make me break out so I try to find gluten free-hormone free, no casein, etc. Tera's whey is decent. No refridgerator sadly, would very much like to try the green drinks we've been discussing. Also, sardines are awesome! I will PM you my APO addy. <3 <3!!!!

Yes, take it easy, I know. I would like to hear suggestions for getting the calories in with my limited food options.

SING IT SIBLINGS!! I am SO joining the chorus of calling bu**shi* on the "I just want to be healthy I couldn't possibly care less about looking adorable in a sweater that's actually too big for me yet is still a small size and leggings and boots that zip over my calves" HA! BU**SHI*!!!! I don't believe we should be ashamed of wanting to look different than we do. I have friends who are 100% happy in their skin and are obese and you know what? Rad! Awesome! Good for them! I just happen to be one of them and people who will criticize someone for wanting to change their appearance by losing weight and becoming fit have something within themselves that needs changing. *edit: I did not express myself well, what I meant to convey is that, of course we are all health motivated, and I was in no way trying to belittle anyone's reasons for having surgery. What I was trying to say is that I am not embarassed, nor will I be shamed, about the fact that changing my appearance was nearly as important to me as the health benefits. that is all

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

Is that sugar free gatorade you are drinking? Because even sugar free can contain sugar alcohols or xylitol which are harsh on your new tum. Isopure is a trustworthy source.

Humans are such predictable basic creatures, we care about food and sex! This thread appears every few months like clockwork, or every few weeks even! Once you start losing a lot of weight rapidly and consistently, estrogen that was being stored in your fat cells floods your system and you become a raging horn-dog, ready to tear into any man within humping distance .

I can't order anything, internet is tricky, have to rely on care packages for everything. I do have a few hoarded tins of sardines which I love, and there is occasionally tuna but too much tuna makes me break out. My daily food options consist of maybe some chicken, eggs, "steak", some over-boiled vegetables, some raw veggies like carrots and cucumbers and onions, and some raw fruit like plums, kiwis and oranges. Everything else is fried, breaded, super high fat/salt/sugar. I brought several boxes of quest bars but I have to ration those out because they are so high in carbs.

Just when you depressed me, pimples into old age, you cracked me up, like a calf at a rodeo! LOLOL!

I have noticed this before, and the last time I posted nobody responded. There are certain protein powders, that give me terribly painful pimple breakouts. Does this happen to anyone else?

It is incredibly difficult for me to get my hands on MUFAs these days, I am in a deployed environment, not a lot of avocadoes or salmon in these parts

To the OP, I might have just thrown it up.

Well, like I said, I have very limited resources and cannot eat my protein powder all the time, but in order to keep my carbs that low and cals that high, that's what I would have to do... I agree those are crazy numbers for fiber, I may have to start chugging metamucil

Yes, LouiseC, ^ this exactly.

So basically, I'm f***ed ... http://www.acneeinstein.com/whey-protein-acne/