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You're welcome! I'm glad you liked it. I'm now at the stage where I can eat roasted cauliflower (without making it into soup) without feeling guilty. Maybe this weekend I'll make some.

My desire for a drink made with real sugar is great. Something delicious, like an icy cold Mexican coke. I want it like a junkie wants ... whatever it is a junkie wants. Really NO drink has made me happy since the surgery. Occasionally, I get a glass of unsweetened iced tea (with Splenda) that hits the spot momentarily, but after a few drinks, I hate it, too. Sigh. A real Dr. Pepper or Mr. Pibb. Lemonade with sugar. Heck, even Kool-Aid would be good. But I won't give in. I won't.

Made do with sugar free popsicles.

Well, heck. My son is too busy. What does he mean he has to study for a college class? I have NEEDS!

That might do the trick. I wonder if I can bribe my son to go to the corner store to see if they have them. I'll let you know, thanks!

Lila, congrats! UHC is also my insurer and wanted the five year documented weight history. While I've been to the doctor every year for five years, there were a couple of years that I refused to be weighed! I was really worried that this would count against me, but they approved me anyway. I'm pretty sure it was because my BMI was over 50.

I just thought of another one. When someone parks their car a little too close, I don't want to have to suffer the embarrassment of not being able to squeeze into my car.

My pre-op diet was full liquids. On the first night, I was making roasted cauliflower soup and I made the mistake of tasting a piece of the roasted cauliflower and then I couldn't stop. Ate it all. No soup for me! I still did fine and my liver was in good shape for the surgery.

1. To be able to go to weddings and funerals without trying to hide from people I haven't seen in years. 2. When I hear that someone has died, to react appropriately to the situation, and not with, "Oh shit! How do I get out of going to this?" 3. To willingly have my picture taken, and to stop saying to people who've taken my picture, "Don't you dare post that on the internet!" 4. To shop for clothes in real stores, and not just online. 5. To wear clothes that aren't fat lady clothes. 6. To feel good! 7. Cute shoes. 8. It's too late for me to ever expect to wear swimsuits in public, but maybe in my own backyard swimming pool? 9. To be able to sit in a booth, comfortably. 10. To be able to be seated in any chair in the room.

Congratulations! This gives me great hope!!

That's an unusual turkey chili recipe?

Turkey Chili with Beans 1 lb. ground turkey (or more) 1 can black beans 1 can red kidney beans 1 can diced tomatoes (Rotel, if you like the kick) 1 bottle dark beer (optional, didn't use it post surgery) 1 cup chopped veg (combo of onions, green or red bell peppers, garlic, celery, any or all) 4 cups chicken stock (beef stock if you're using ground beef) 1 T. medium hot chili powder (I like heat, so sometimes I use a little more) 1 tsp. ground red chipotle pepper 2 tsp. sweet paprika 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. Mexican oregano 1 tsp. cocoa 1/4 tsp. cinnamon Salt to taste (sorry, I don't measure it, and generally, I use a seasoning blend called Tony Chachere's, which has salt in it) Brown the turkey, add the chopped veg near the end of browning and let those soften up a bit. I usually measure my spices and put them in a small bowl together and then add them all at once. However you want to do it, but add the spices. Add the diced tomatoes, the stock and the beer, if you're using it. Simmer on a med low heat for a couple of hours. You really want the seasonings & spices to marry, so be patient. The color should darken and deepen as it simmers, and the body of the chili should tighten and thicken. *Optional - I had some chicken sausage that needed to be used up, so I also added it to this batch of chili. Italian sausage (removed from the casing and browned with the turkey) is also a good choice.

Smoothie King is a chain store. They're coast to coast. I hope you don't mind, but I looked at your profile to see where you're from. There is one Smoothie King in San Diego, which I realize might not be convenient to where you live, but you can find it here: Smoothie King in San Diego

It seems like a million! But I haven't figured it out.

The only bread I eat is a toasted sandwich thin (multi-grain) for breakfast, topped with a couple of deli ham slices and cheese. The sandwich thins come 8 to a package, so be prepared for the package to last a while, since you're only eating a half of the "sandwich" at a time. If I don't have that for breakfast, I will sometimes stop at McDonald's and get scrambled eggs & a sausage patty. Not very economical, though. I got tired of Wendy's chili really quickly, so I make my own. I recently made turkey chili with black and red Beans and it was awesome. Should've frozen some of it because I've been eating it for MANY meals, even for breakfast on occasion. A couple of nights ago I went to a Chinese buffet and packed a to go box. Had 4 meals from it before throwing what I couldn't finish away. My rule for Chinese food is nothing fried and/or battered, nothing with rice or noodles, and nothing with sweet and sour in the name. That still allows for many good choices. I'm seven weeks out and I know I can have more variety, but I'm still feeling cautious about what I try. I did have apples a couple of times this week and those were the most delicious apples I've eaten in my life! (I didn't eat the peelings, when should I be able to do that?)

Not face, yet, but neck area. I'm getting a wattle.

As long as I don't pay attention to the other people paying attention (cross fingers that it happens someday), I don't think it will be a problem. But I've been married forever.

Smoothie King has the best protein shake I've tasted. Their Gladiator has 45 grams of protein in a 20 oz. shake! I buy one, divide it into five four ounce servings and freeze. Delicious. I always get the vanilla and you get to add 2 fruits. I choose strawberry and kiwi or pineapple. Ask them to rinse the fruit before making.

You really look gorgeous! Thanks for posting, I need some inspiration.

Suddenly, nothing tastes right. In fact, most things taste pretty disgusting. It wasn't this bad just a few days ago, but now, I can hardly drink or eat anything. Saltines are about the only thing that taste normal, and that doesn't help me with Protein, and it certainly hurts me with carbs. Not that I've had very many. Is this normal? I can't function like this.

I've lost 23 pounds in the five weeks since surgery. It doesn't seem like much compared to others. Tonight I ate some red Beans and sausage and it tasted fine. Popsicles still taste fine. I'm hoping tomorrow is better.

I'm five weeks out and I crave sugar free popsicles. It might be related to the fact that I'm not taking in as much fluid as I should. Is there anything wrong with having more than 2 of them in a day? I can get them down so much easier than I can an equal amount of liquid.

I haven't tried the Crystal Lite ones yet, but I will. But first, another popsicle.

I can relate to the Peanut Butter cup story. My college aged son came into my office one afternoon. He'd stopped at the vending machine and bought a Snickers bar. After half of it, he said he was full. He offered the second half to me and when I turned it down, he threw it away. I WAS SHOCKED! Who throws away half of a candy bar? Who, for that matter, even considers stopping before the candy bar is gone????? People who don't have weight problems, that's who. Never me. :-( He actually did the exact same thing again very recently. It gives me great hope that he'll never suffer from the kind of eating and weight issues that I have. What about real hunger? Everything I've heard says that the hormone that makes us feel hungry is cut out of the 2/3 of your stomach that is removed. I am almost four weeks out and I still feel real hunger (as well as head hunger). Does that mean it didn't work for me?

You are gorgeous both before and after. Only now, you're gorgeous and healthy! I don't know what I'll do for before pictures when it's time to post comparisons. I tend to threaten people with their lives whenever a camera is in my line of sight.