Robyn Owens-Miille

Try adding flavors to your shakes. Sugar free jello powder (a tablespoon or so) or some crystal light can add variety and make them more tolerable.

I have been moving toward a vegetarian lifestyle. Not ready to fully give up meat yet but definitely want a cleaner, less-processed food lifestyle. Well, until I got my labs back and my doctor told me that I absolutely HAD to keep eating meat. My ferritin level came back at 4. Any lower and I have to have iron infusions. My b12 is on the low side and d3 is very low. I've been eating meat but incorporating other sources of protein the last few months- beans, quinoa, amaranth, tvp, etc. I feel I am eating healthier than I ever have. I don't want to supplement with oral iron (I am so freaking constipated from it!). Why is my iron so low? I'm wondering if I don't absorb it for some reason. Can I continue to move toward a vegetarian lifestyle and have healthy iron stores? Do any of you struggle? I'm almost 11 months post-op. Any advice is appreciated.

look up the thread entitled, "sex, oh my god sex." :wub: found it! http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/48846-sex-oh-my-god-sex/page__hl__%2Bsex+%2Bgod+%2Bsex

I gained 10 pounds on the pre-op "Tour of Foods I Will Miss." You're not alone.

I am super picky and the Premier Vanilla is the only shake I can tolerate. I love to "play" with them and doctor them all up.

Thanks Ladies. I'm just going to keep working at it and see where I end up. Plastics are hopefully in my future. My insurance requires a 20% weight loss for 2 years. I'm far beyond the 20% and rapidly approaching a year. I just pray they don't change the coverage before I get there!

I had my 9 month post-op visit yesterday (just shy of 10 months). I'm -106 since surgery, -121 total. We started talking goal weight. I weighed in @ 219. He feels I can hit goal weight by 15 - 18 months post-op. His number for my goal is 161 lbs. His basis for this is that my lean body mass of 124 plus 30% body fat (37 lbs). However, that puts my BMI still in the "overweight" range. He said that my bones are going to be much heavier than the average 5'3" woman because of my lifetime of obesity. He feels that 140 lbs, which is where I would have to be to have a "normal" BMI, is simply to low for me. Thoughts? How did you set your goal weight?

I have symptoms of dumping if I over-indulge in sweets.. flushing, tachycardia, sweats and about 30 minutes later cramping. I do not have diarrhea with such an episode. Now, I have a goofy GI tract which is one of the main reasons I did not want a roux-en-y procedure so this could just be my crazy gut. I prefer Stevia or Truvia these days.

As long as you are cleared for surgery by your pulmonologist, I don't see why. I'm assuming that you've tested positive sometime in the past or did you actually have an active infection?

I have not tried the voltaren gel. I will talk to my PCP about it. My surgeon strongly encourage me to NOT do any knee surgery prior to one year post-op. He said it's a major killer for weight loss. I'm just focusing on walking right now. My goal is at least 45 minutes a day. I think right now, I'm just taking it easy- trying to be reasonable. The family had chicken and dumplings last night. I had chicken stew (1 chicken breast, 1/2 can green Beans, 1 cup butternut squash cubes, 4 baby carrots and 1/2 potato, chicken broth.) I really wanted the chicken and dumplings but I only had the one bite to taste seasoning before I served it and that was just the broth. Hopefully I can just keep being reasonable with my food and walking and not get set back until I can get my head back wrapped around weight loss. I did hop on the scale yesterday and was pleasantly surprised that I had lost 2 pounds. Maybe I can do the "reasonable" life style now that I never could do before.

How many calories does shoveling snow burn??

I'm 8 1/2 months post-op. I've done well @ 114 pounds lost. From a size 30/32 to an 18. I've gotten rid of all prescription medications (blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol) except allergy meds. The only medical condition not significantly improved is my knee pain. Because I'm more active, they actually hurt worse than pre-op. Unfortunately, I've lost my momentum and just don't care if I lose any more weight. I want to eat everything in site (I'm drinking my Water and taking my PPI). I don't care if I exercise right now. How do you get back on track? How do you care again that you're still overweight and have 75 more pounds to lose when you've already lost so much?

And note the bald spots in my recent pic!!!

I would say not to waste your money. It's normal. http://bariatricslounge.blogspot.com/2008/01/hair-loss-after-weight-loss-surgery.html

I order a beef fajita quesadilla and just eat the guts out of it (cheese, beef, onions and peppers)!