SpaceDust

Good for you! Hopefully everything will be a bit less intense on Monday Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Hang in there. Hopefully you have the weekend to finish getting acclimated to the diet. I'd probably go take a short walk if you can - sometimes a little air and time for meditation helps! Good luck! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

I confess, I'm a geek. Shhhh, don't tell anyone! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

I don't think it's a myth. All other things being equal including exactly matching diets, someone with high BMI would lose faster than someone with low BMI. However, it's only one factor - all other things are not equal. There are variations in each person's metabolic rate,. There are variations in diet, both in calories and in the balance of Proteins, fats, complex and simple carbs. Activity levels can vary greatly, as well as types of activity (cardio vs strength training, for example). Are there health problems in play? Gender plays a role in how quickly weight is lost. So, while I don't think it's a myth, I do think it's over-emphasized as the driving factor. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

I am not secretive about my plans to move forward with the surgery, and I will quite comfortably tell anyone who needs to know. If I see a reason to open up to someone about it, I don't have a problem with it; I'm not ashamed of the choice to do this. I also have no intention of lying about it. However, that doesn't mean I'm telling everyone who asks about my weight loss all the details. I am somewhat of a private person. If I think someone's just being nosy I will probably say I found some ways to improve my portion control, I'm focusing on a diet that's higher in Protein, and I'm getting more exercise. These will all be true - in fact, they are true even now. That said, if someone asks me straight out if I had surgery, I won't deny it. Nor would I hesitate to discuss it with someone with a genuine interest. I am just not the type to feed the trolls by giving them more info than they're entitled to. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Depends on the diet your doctor recommends. In my case, I will be able to start introducing real foods at 29 days. Others may be on puréed foods or soft foods at the one month mark, or they may be on a plan that very gradually adds in real foods a few at a time in the order they are most commonly tolerated. There are a few who are still on full liquids at one month. There are even some who will have been on real foods almost from the start. I'd say that in general, real foods start being introduced between 4 and 8 weeks. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Many doctors and nutritionists say no, stay away from the stuff altogether. My NUT was willing for me to use my Sodastream to make *very lightly* sparkling water with a little citrus essence and no sweeteners after a minimum of 6 months (and she warned me I might not be able to tolerate it until even further out). I know there are people here in the forums who have had soda with no ill effects at some point after their surgeries, and hopefully they'll chime in!

I've started to adjust my diet by incorporating more Protein shakes (flavored with 1/4 c. berries, half a banana, coffee, or a tablespoon of PB2) as Meal Replacements - right now I do at least one meal a day 6 days a week, sometimes two meals. Either Saturday or Sunday I let myself off the hook a little (I'm still 3.5 months out from my pre-op diet, at least, so I'm not going to be super strict with myself just yet). I'm making a conscious effort to rebalance my plate so that starchy carbs are a small bit player on the dish, while protein and non-starchy produce take the leading roles. I hope to be fairly close to my pre-op diet by the end of June, although I will likely still be at 1000 calories a day, more or less, until I start the diet for real. I actually have planned two splurges after July 1, though - I will have BBQ on the 4th of July and I won't feel guilty about it, and I will have a nice birthday dinner without worrying about calories, protein, carbs, or fat in the middle of the month, probably a few days before I start my diet for real. With those two events planned, I think I will be satisfied to live within the confines of what I need to do for that week before the surgery, and I suspect I will have dropped a few more pounds between now and then if I stay on top of things now

Don't go there. As Lander said, you'll still be healing, and alcohol is pretty rough on the system. Have water with a twist of lime to be festive.

I know when I had abdominal surgery a few years ago, the only real answer was get up and get moving - I did a LOT of walking to get rid of the gas. Some people swear by GasX strips, so I will probably be trying those when I have my surgery in a few months. It may help to ease the pain a little to use a heating pad, too, but mostly its walk, walk, walk.

Hmm, it seems like it wouldn't be a good idea to add any more stress to your hair follicles with harsh chemicals right now. I'd talk to someone who is a trained and certified hair stylist that you trust, and also talk to my doctor before I did anything. My guess is that the best bet would be one of the semi-permanent colors that don't have ammonia. Let us know what you find out!

Way to go on the weight loss! As for why you fell like you broke the law, well, you know you just spent what is probably around 10% of your normal day's calories on empty sugary stuff. The good news is that it was a pretty restrained splurge in the overall scheme of things - you didn't go eat a box of chocolates or a whole big bag of potato chips. Savor the flavor, count it in your food tracking for the day and don't make a habit out of it Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

I know for me, it's actually the carbonation I truly want. Over the last 5 months I've mostly stopped drinking my beloved Coke Zero (I've had three in the last two months). Water, unsweetened iced tea and coffee are my go-to beverages. However, when I really want some fizz, my usual choice is soda water with a touch of some citrus flavor and no sweeteners. We have a Sodastream so I can make my own to taste and preferred fizziness, from barely bubbly to next best thing to Pop Rocks going off in my mouth. I won't say that I'll never indulge in any sweet or diet sodas after I'm several months out from surgery ("never" and "always" are pretty difficult absolutes to live with!), but I will say that I think that unsweetened lightly sparkling water with a twist will be a more healthy compromise when I'm tempted. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

If you have any Krogers stores near you (around my area, that's QFC and Fred Meyer stores) they are starting to carry PB2. You might also try nutrition stores - if they don't carry it, someone at the store may know who does.

smoothies like that can be tasty and get a lot of Vitamins in. Just be mindful of the amount of fruit you're putting in - even fruit sugar is bad for you if it's not in moderation, so of you're having more than a serving of fruit you may want to back off just a bit. Take it from a diabetic who has to be really careful of fruit intake or watch the blood sugar going crazy... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

If you have the time or desire, you can roast fresh beets in your oven. I like to lightly coat them with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. I usually go for a moderately hot oven (400) if I'm doing them by themselves, but you can generally go at whatever temperature other stuff in the oven is going. Just check them periodically until they are your desired doneness. I usually cut mine in halves or quarters and check them starting at about fifteen minutes to turn them. You can get the other colors of beets and mix it up for variety, and they are so tasty freshly roasted! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

You may not technically NEED a passport to drive across the border, but if you have time and opportunity I would suggest having either a passport, passport card or enhanced drivers license. It definitely makes things easier if there's any question or issue. (Note that a passport card or EDL is only good for land or sea travel - a full passport is required for air travel into another country.) Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

The other plus is that it looks like a lot of the weight is coming off the danger zone around your waist! You're looking fabulous! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST