Lilee84

I wanted to take a moment to share my experience with stalls, because I see a lot of people getting discouraged because of them and that's simply not necessary and really bad for your self esteem. I was sleeved 1/20 - over the first 4 weeks I lost 40-freaking-pounds! Amazing! I was so excited and thought to myself "At this rate I'll be at goal by Easter!" And then, about half way through my 4th week something sad happened. My scale broke! I mean, it must have been broken because it kept saying 237 every-single-time I stepped on it, so SURELY it must have been broken, right? Wrong. I was stalled. I'd read the posts, I'd done my research, I knew it was possible but like most I thought "HA! Not me!" For the next 2 1/2 weeks I analyzed every bite I put in my mouth, I doubled up my sessions with my trainer, I increased my Protein and fluids, to no avail! A week after my stall started, the scale still would not budge! Seriously, it's digital, how could it be broken? Maybe I somehow saved my last weigh in and it was just showing me that # every time I stepped on. Maybe? No. Maybe this was it. Maybe 40lbs was all I was meant to lose? No. Maybe I'm just built differently and the sleeve isn't going to work for me? No! It was a stall! A point at which the weight temporarily stops coming off and the scale stops moving. A time for my body to try and play catch up after the havoc wreaked on it for the previous 4 weeks. Two 1/2 weeks after my stupid stall started, I noticed something - I was getting a LOT of compliments! I mean, sure people had been commenting before my stall but now, now people I NEVER talked to were commenting how good I was looking and what a great job I was doing. Surely they must be mistaken, I haven't lost ANY weight in the last 2 1/2 weeks. They're crazy. To prove it, I took a picture. As I sat at my computer making my little collage so I could show them just how crazy they were, a gasp escaped my mouth when I added the last picture. Could it be? Surely it wasn't possible! I am the EXACT same weight that I was in picture #2, a fact that I was painfully aware of, but something was different. I actually LOOK thinner! Amazing! And to think I spent the previous 2 1/2 weeks silently stressing because the scale wasn't budging! The whole time while my weight wasn't shrinking, my waist was! So to all of you out there stressing over stalls my message is this - Just because your weight isn't shrinking, doesn't mean your waist isn't. Just keep doing what you're doing and you will be successful - don't sabotage your success just because your scale is temporarily broken

It's my .pleasure! I hope this helps!

Please forgive my ignorance but what's a resleeve

Awesome! Congratulations!

This is quite a list! Thank you! If you can think of any others, or even some commonly used acronyms that I can include, please let me know!

I was in the hospital for 2 days and it definitely should have been longer... I lied about my fluid intake because I wanted to go home - My son was coming home from his weekend at his dads house and I missed my baby boy.

If anyone wants a yummy recipe for turkey meatloaf and mashed cauliflower, lemme know. I think I've outdone myself

Haha! I thought so! OK, so the meatloaf recipe is kinda from memory so some of the measurements aren't exact. 1lb ground lean turkey 1 carrot finely chopped 1/4 large onion finely chopped (I usually toss the onion and carrots in the food processor for a few seconds) 1tbs fresh minced garlic 1tbsp fresh chopped parsley 2tbsp Italian seasonings 1 large egg 1/2c whole wheat bread crumbs 1tbsp olive oil 1cup of your favorite tomato sauce 1 cup parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 400* In a sauce pan, sautee carrots, onion and garlic with olive oil until the onions are translucent and the carrots are tender. Set aside to cool. Once the carrot mixture is cool mix turkey, egg,carrot mixture, parsley, italian seasoning, bread crumbs, 3/4 cup parmesan, and 1/2cup of the tomato sauce in a large bowl with your fingers. Its ooey and gooey but there really is no better way to make sure it's mixed well. Transfer turkey mixture to an ungreased 8x10 baking dish and shape into a loaf. Cover with remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle remaining parmesan on top and bake for 30mins ETA Nutrition Facts: Makes about 10 sleeve servings 157 calories 7.5g fat 7.5g carbohydrate 14.8g Protein Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into large florets (about 8 cups) 3 garlic cloves, peeled 2 (14-ounce) cans lower-sodium chicken broth Salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives In a large saucepan, combine cauliflower, garlic, and broth. If cauliflower is not completely covered by broth, add Water to just cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 12 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid, then drain cauliflower and garlic. Transfer cauliflower and garlic to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, pulsing in some or all of the reserved cooking liquid, if necessary, to moisten mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, stir in chives. Serve warm. ETA Nutrition Facts: Makes about 8 sleeve servings 80 calories 1g fat 12g carbohydrate 8g protein All total the nutrition facts for the meal (if you can finish it all) are: 237 calories 8.5g fat 19.5g carbohydrate 22.8g protein Enjoy!

Hey all you pre-oppers! The folks on the losers bench are compiling a list of the most frequently asked questions and we wanna know - what questions do you have pre-op about VSG, the surgery itself, recovery, diets, exercise.. Whatever! All of your questions will be compiled, answered, and pinned for future the pre-oppers who will take your place once you're on the losers bench. So please, be open, be honest, be blunt even! And remember that the only dumb questions are the ones left unasked. So let's hear 'em!

I missed salad so much! I'm so glad I bit the bullet and gave it a shot a couple weeks ago - I love rabbit food

How about: How do I add a ticker to my profile? When do I start mushies/purees? What's the difference? What do all these acronyms mean? What can I have during liquid stage? How long does a stall last?

Fantastic! Keep 'em comin' guys and gals!

It's probably not a good idea, but the only way to know for sure is to try a small piece and see how you do. I know many of us were told no carbs/starches at all but every Dr is different so you could also ask them. Maybe if you get a soft taco and just eat the guts you'll satisfy your craving?

Yes, welcome! There's plenty of room here with all these shrinking waists! I'm compelled to refer you back to one of my previous posts regarding your stall. I hope it's helpful! http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/32956-the-scale-is-broken-a-story-about-stalls/page__fromsearch__1

Those that have been on VST for a while have been around long enough to know that there are some questions that are asked over and over and over again. Grant it by different people who are newer to the boards and are in the early stages of their journey, but still the question has been asked hundreds of times before. So talk to me. Pretend I've just been sleeved and tell me what I need to know.. Pretend this is an FAQ forum and you've been charged with creating a list of FAQ's and their answers.

I'm not sure why this thread keeps moving itself to the General Gastric Sleeve Surgery discussion but here's the link - take a moment to head over and vote for your favorite FFFC! http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/33919-flame-free-fridays-juiciest-confessions/page__fromsearch__1

This weekend I went to the beach and was able to chase my toddler all over without feeling like a beached whale! Oh, and I'm rocking my maternity suite since I refuse to buy a new one until I hit onderland, and it doesn't look like I'm pregnant anymore! For the first time since I got pregnant (2010) my boobs stick out further than my belly again!

It actually didn't taste off at all! It was a little drier that I would have liked, but taste wise, it tasted great!

Impossible! That's what I thought , but I went down to my office vending machine anyway which, since I work at a college, is usually filled with typical unhealthy Snacks most college students live off of. I was hoping to find something relatively healthy since I didn't have time for Breakfast, so imagine my surprise when I found this (Protein, and 1g of carb. The best part is, the portion size is PERFECT for people like us! It filled me up and I don't feel like I wasted food! Must find these in my local grocery store!

Take a moment to cast your vote for Friday's juciest Flame Free Confession - The winner will get a "Juciest Confession" trophy to add to their signature. If you missed the Flame Free Friday Confessions post, here ya go (http://www.verticals...__fromsearch__1) Take a moment to go back and get the full scoop before you vote for the juciest, most scandalous confession. And may I just say, I had lots of fun reading them and putting together the poll

LMAO Dorrie - I <3 u! Steve is my sleeve

Steve seems to be upset at me lately - Thank goodness for SF popsicles

Resent or resemble?