Kris

My go-to satiety food is beef Jerky. I am particularly fond of Costo's Kirkland Signature Steak Strips; 1 oz (2 pieces of jerky) is only 60 calories. 2 oz. of it and I am *stuffed* for only 120 calories. Also, for a no-calorie tummy filler, I drink a mug of hot tea with Splenda. I like fruity teas a lot (Republic of Tea Ginger Peach Green Tea, and Lipton's Orange Passionfruit Jasmine Green Tea are two current faves). I'm always struggling to get enough fluids in and so now each day before I eat anything I make sure I drink at least one full mug of tea, and when I want to eat but don't have the calorie budget, a mug of tea helps tame the hungry monster.

As I was losing weight, I developed a neck wattle. Not super bad -- I mean, it's not flapping around or anything -- but it is definitely enough to make me self-conscious about my neck. I even got a consult with a plastic surgeon about a neck lift back in December. Basically the news wasn't encouraging; once the skin is loose, it's highly unlikely to tighten up much. Plastic surgery can definitely help, but the surgeon said at my age (mid 40s) it will probably only last about 15 years and then I'll want to do another procedure to tighten up again. Someday I may go through with the surgery (I've decided it's the third procedure on my PS wish list, after a breast lift and tummy tuck), but in the meantime I was kind of desperate to find ways to minimize the appearance of the loose skin. My beloved costco sells StriVectin neck cream, and in November there was a coupon on it, so I decided to spend the $50 or so and see how it worked. It's been over two months and I finished the first jar (at Costco there were 2 jars in the package), and I am now onto the second jar. The cream is super thick, and a little goes a long way (it took about 2.5 months of daily use to go through a jar). I use it daily in the mornings. I do not use it at night, but I am sure it can't hurt to do so. Verdict: I have seen some minor improvement on my neck, but I still have a wattle -- gobble gobble! Use this product daily and you will likely see some results, but not drastic improvement. If I continue to see improvement I'll buy some more, but if not I'll just stick with my Olay Regenerist cream and keep my moisturizing routine simple. I just thought I'd share in case you're wondering whether this product would be worth the money.

Coops, yay on your surgery! Glad it went well!

Gosh this topic is so interesting to me. I'm still 17 lbs over my ultimate goal weight, which would put me at the top end of a "normal" BMI. Anyway, it still throws me when people tell me I'm "tiny" or "skinny" (at a tight size 10P I am hardly either of those things). I know people are comparing me to where I was before surgery, and indeed I am quite tiny compared to then, but still, I don't feel great about my weight and keep pushing to get down at least 10 lbs more. My mid-40s body definitely tells the tale of 15+ years of morbid obesity. My breasts sag horrendously, I have the dreaded loose belly skin (with a map of stretch marks all over my abdomen, to boot) and my thighs are like granny thighs, with loads of cottage cheese thrown in for good measure. Still ... no matter what ... I am thrilled I got the sleeve and am truly grateful for the years of additional life I have given myself. I am sure I would have died relatively young, had I not had the surgery. BTW Cowgirl Jane, I have to second the compliment -- you do look FAB and lovely and healthy!

Hi all, I was sleeved by Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, Mexico in 2011. My best friend was just sleeved last week at a hospital in Seattle, WA (VIrginia Mason) and I was there with her from the time she checked in for surgery to the time she was discharged (I did go home for 8 hours to sleep at night, but the rest of the time I was at the hospital with her). I noticed a lot of differences between what it's like to have surgery here vs. Mexico. I'm not here to flog my blog, but it is a pretty LONG post, so I put it up on my blog rather than here. Here's a link if you're interested. http://curvygirlwellness.blogspot.com/2013/03/weight-loss-surgery-in-mexico-vs-usa.htm If you need to self-pay for surgery and are debating whether to have it here or in Mexico, the post might help you see the differences. I don't know how Virginia Mason compares to other US hospitals but I'm guessing there aren't too many differences. I hope this helps!

Dragonsloard, I totally agree with you about not getting the surgery done sooner. I wish I had done more research in alternatives to gastric bypass years ago. But, better late than never!

Hey Seattle neighbor! Best of luck to you in your sleeve journey! I truly feel getting the sleeve was one of the best things I ever did for myself, and hope you find that to be the case as well.

Sorry, not sure why the link didn't work! Here is a link to the homepage and it should be the first entry you see. http://curvygirlwellness.blogspot.com/ That makes sense about the bowel prep. I would never have agreed to converting a sleeve to a gastric bypass so glad my surgeon didn't leave that option on the table. I didn't really have many problems with gas after surgery, or a problem with constipation. I guess I'm fortunate in that regard!

Oh, my fellow Costco-lovers: I was there today and a couple of my fave products are on sale. Currently costco has a special on the Pure Protein Protein Bars (18 ct variety pack; 6 chocolate Deluxe; 6 Chocolate Peanut Butter; and 6 Chewy Chocolate Chip). The regular price is $17.49 and there is a $4.50 instant mfr's coupon off. I stocked up and bought 3 of them today, since they are our fave protein bars (20g protein, 180-200 calories per bar). I prefer the Pure Protein bars to the Premier Protein bars, which, although they have more protein (30g vs. 20g) they are just too honkin big for my sleeve and I never finish them ... always get about 2/3 or 3/4 done and then can't stand the thought of another bite, so the rest always gets thrown out. I can always finish a Pure Protein Bar, though. It's just the right size for my sleeve. Also, there's a sale on the Stacy's Pita chips (another of my fave Costco buys). I believe it's a $2 or $2.50 mfr. instant coupon per bag (I think the regular price is $5.79 or something, so that's a big savings). I also stocked up on those. They have a pretty long shelf life. I heart Costco!!!

I just had the Costco salmon with herb butter at a party a couple of weeks ago and was blown away at how delish it was (I'm sure a lot of the flavor comes from the butter, but the salmon was very fresh and tasty). I never bought it before because it's such a large size, but the idea to freeze some is brilliant! Must get some on my next trip there! Great tip!

The steak strips I was referring to are the costco version of beef Jerky (I believe the actual title is Kirkland Signature Steak Strips). They're sold with the beef jerky in the Snacks section of the store (in my store that's right up front near the cash registers). They are way better than the other beef jerky brands Costco sells. Oh, btw, Trader Joe's sells jerky too, and their flavors are pretty good, but not as good (IMHO) as the Costco steak strips.

Costco: Aidell's chicken teriyaki meatballs -- YUMBO! (I cook a few with some hoisin sauce drizzled on top and it is a great easy meal) New to my costco -- Legal Seafood Gumbo (OMG DELISH! Only 160 calories per cup! Very filling and tasty meal!) Chicken Tortilla Soup Can't imagine life w/o Stacy's Pita chips as "croutons" for soup As already mentioned, I'm a big fan of the Steak Strips too (totally addicted to them) And may I just say I luurrve the Costco Buffet on the weekends? By the time I'm done shopping and taking samples I'm usually stuffed! Trader Joe's: Baked Joe's O's (when I need a crunchy snack) Sunflower seed butter is an awesome PB substitute Frozen brown rice. Super easy and fast to nuke and use in stir fries!

I'm not sure if all costco stores do, but I'm guessing they would have it.

OK my fellow slow losers, confession time! What tricks do you do to get the scale to show a number you like? Here's some of mine: 1. Use Saturdays as my official weigh in day, because I get to sleep in and always seem to weigh less on days I sleep in. 2. Move the scale around the floor multiple times to find the spot that gives me a low number (and memorize that spot!). 3. If I have a specific goal for a specific date, the day before my final weigh in I'll drink extra fluids and hope to flush out a few more oz. 4. Record my weight on my ticker when it goes down, but not up (my weight fluctuates a few oz to a lb or more depending on hormones and such). What do you do? Always looking for good ideas, LOL!

Wow, this looks tasty! Thanks for sharing!

Hard rock/classic rock are not my thing. I am totally into pop/dance with a fast happy beat. Here's my current top 5: Call Me Maybe (C. Jepsen) Moves Like Jagger (Maroon 5) Domino (Jessie J.) We Are Never Getting Back Together (T. Swift) Get Outta My Way (K. Minogue)

I have a tile floor in the master bathroom and so depending on where I put the scale I will get a different reading. So, I moved the scale to our guest bathroom, which has vinyl flooring, and the scale sez the same no matter where I put it. But, DH is now dieting with me and doesn't want to weigh in the guest bathroom, so today I moved the scale back to the master bathroom and tried to find the part of the floor where the scale read nearest to what the scale said on the guest bathroom floor. I swear, I tried 3 different spots on my master bathroom floor and got a 2 lb. difference depending on where I put it! One spot, let's call it the "sweet spot," LOL, said I weighed 1 lb. less than the scale said in the guest bathroom, and I was soooo tempted to Celebrate my "weight loss" by writing that down in my weight tracking log. But no ... I didn't do that. Seriously tempted to do that, though! Re laxatives, I personally never take any unless I am really constipated. I find that when I take laxatives they seem to take effect at the MOST inopportune times/places, which usually involves me frantically rushing around trying to find the closest toilet and hoping nobody else is in the next stall ... LOL...

I came close ... 12 lbs. over my lowest post-op weight before I slapped myself upside the head and stopped the stupidity of eating junk and grazing. You can definitely "eat around" and "drink around" your sleeve if you want to. A sleeve is NOT foolproof. But fortunately, if you start eating right again, and exercising, the weight will come off easier than pre-sleeve, due to the restriction you get. Take advice from someone who tested the limits of her sleeve and is now paying the price (dieting again) ... don't buy/eat junk food (and junk drinks, like booze/milkshakes/frappucinos) and don't graze. Just following those two rules will definitely help you avoid weight re-gain.

Ah, laxatives. Hadn't thought of that. Usually I don't have a problem in that area, though. I sure did the first several weeks after surgery, though! Glad that passes soon (sorry, no pun intended!).

I've had a sip or two of diet sodas over the past year and a half, but honestly, after you go a few months without drinking any, you will likely find the taste is nothing like what you remembered. Before my surgery I was a Diet Coke fiend, and would have 6-8 cans every day w/o fail. One day about six months after surgery I was on a flight and beverage service came around, and I decided to try Diet Coke. OMG it was horrendous! I swear it tasted like poison. I took one sip, almost gagged, thought something surely was wrong, and tried another sip -- ugh!!!! I couldn't finish it. I've tried Sprite Zero and Fresca, and those aren't quite as awful, but I just really hate carbonated drinks now. Crystal Light is my beverage of choice. I make up a pitcher, pour some in those double insulated tumblers with the plastic straws and carry it around with me everywhere I go. Oh, and the great news is, if you are a soda-holic, you will be saving $$$ over time once you get sleeved. I used to spend at least $40 a month on diet soda. Now one container of Crystal Light lasts as long as a case of Diet Coke, and at 1/4 the cost. Seriously, I think I've saved at least $500 on soda expenses since I've been sleeved. (Another thing I love about my sleeve!)

Hey Alanah, I suggest you check with your patient coordinator; she is sure to know several places to go within a reasonable distance from where you'll be staying. I don't remember seeing a big grocery store near the hotel/hospital, but I didn't venture out very far, either. Congrats on your upcoming surgery, btw!

Woo hoo, glad to see people are in on the challenge! It's been a long time since I participated in a challenge. I never met my goals in previous challenges (they were always slightly too ambitious) but I found just the fact of having a goal helped keep me focused, and it sure was fun to see the difference after a few weeks. It reminded me that progress is good, even if it's not as fast as I would have liked. Current Weight: 152.0 Goal Weight: 145.0 Lbs. to Go: 7.0

Good tip! And a lot cheaper than StriVectin!