920amy

I see we have more pickle cravers here I had pickle fever BAD right after I was first sleeved. I don't know what it was about that delicious vinegary-brine...YUM! I also found I hated bacon and any kind of seafood! Very weird to see how my tastes changed literally over night. Things have mostly righted themselves now, but I still don't like overly salted foods whereas before surgery I was a salt fiend!

the protein can curdle if it gets too hot, just like milk. It's not bad, it just has a funky texture. I found hot/warm beverages were much easier to stomach the first few months also. do what you have to do to get that protein in! Welcome to the losers bench

You wont They will shrink. They will probably sag, but you won't lose them. I started out a 44DD, went to a 42DD, then a 40D, and a 40C, then a 38D, and now I'm a 36DD. They are not as 'firm' as they once were, I've had to go bra shopping quite a few times in the last 10 months, but I am happy to say that they still look great, and they fit my body well still. If you do lose them, you can always get them filled again Don't worry, all of us go through breast changes. There is a really good topic thread about them if you search the powder room for 'boobs' I think it's about 6-8 months old now. It is many of us talking about our breast experiences. Just think of how good your body is going to look as you lose the weight

Here you go http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/70822-boobs/page__hl__boobs

There is an excellent boob thread in the powder room, it's about 6 months old, I'll try to find it and link it to your post here. We all have different experiences, but I'm pretty sure it's safe to say...there will be major droopage

I made what I call Thai Bastard chicken soup: carrot, red bell pepper, crimini mushrooms, shredded white meat chicken, swansons Thai Ginger broth, coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce and cilantro. Makes a huge pot (8 quarts), MORE than enough for dinner for 8 plus leftovers to freeze. About 270 calories per (12 oz) serving, which is about 2 times more than I can eat, so really only about 135 calories per serving, but you can also cut calories way down by cutting out the coconut milk or cutting the amount used in half. I mix 1 scoop of unflavored Protein powder with mine to keep the protein up, but for the family, I serve as is.

Laura, Maple Almond butter is crack...except they sell it at Target, GET SOME! 12 weeks out, I think too early it will definitely sit hard in your tummy.

...That's a fat comparison I want to EAT with my morning coffee Although I'd probably get one bite of each in, then try to drink the coffee, realize it's not happening and have to run around with that 'stuck' feeling for about 45 minutes...

Here you go, Laura-ven

daadelishopeful, not sure where you are located in AZ, but LeeLee Asian Market, they have locations in Tucson and Phoenix, have the green peanuts, they are located in the produce section, just ask someone. Many of the ethnic markets have them, they are used a lot in African cooking, so are in high demand. I just picked some up about 2 weeks ago. They were REALLY fresh.

Not sure what you mean, I have a scale that is just like that one, but not a biggest loser scale, I wrap the top in saran wrap that way I don't have to clean the scale every time, and is good if I'm weighing powders, I just weigh on the wrap, unwrap and toss in my food. There should be a 'tare' button, so you can put a container for your food on the scale, tare or zero it out, then you will only be weighing the food itself. Myself, I always have a protein shake for breakfast. I have a Rockin refuel or a Premeir protein premade shake. Both are about 30 grams of protein and only 190 calories. For lunch and dinner I mix it up, but I always stick with the protein first, veggies second and then carbs rules. Hope this helps you!

Angry, Don't stress this!! Many (if not all) of us had trouble getting everything in early on. The main thing to focus on right now is keeping hydrated. Yes, getting your Protein in is important too, but number one, hydration, number 2, protein, and if you can't meet number 2 all the time, just be sure you are good on number one. Your sleeve is very enflamed right now, and it's perfectly normal for you to not be able to get as much in as you've been directed. My best advice for tonight, wash the rest of the drink down the drain and get some sleep, tomorrow is a new day!! Drink your Protein drinks slowly, allow at least 30 minutes to get in the 8 oz, sometimes it would take me up to an hour. Then with your pureed food, try to get Protein powder mixed in with whatever you are eating if it's not protein based. The potato salad might have been a bit much for your tummy to digest yet, so try something else tomorrow. Even now at almost 10 months out, my tummy still ahs some foods that it doesn't liek to digest sometimes and then I feel overfull for much longer. Don't stress, relax, and just know it gets easier everyday!! Good luck, and welcome to the losers bench!!

Spanx does make mens compression garments. Otherwise, once all of your weight is gone, if you don't have any luck firming them up, and still feel self concious about them, you can have them surgically removed.

I loved A Lighter Me. I had surgery 11/03/12. I had a great experience as well. Glad to see another sleever that had a good experience and thanks for sharing so others can read your experience. Hopefully it will help alleviate the fears of some of those who are 'on the fence' about going to MX. Welcome to the losers bench!!!

My understanding is that it breaks down to bioavailability. While collagen derived Protein is able to pack a punch with the amount of protein vs the volume, my understanding is that it is not easy for the body to digest. Here is a good article that talks about different proteins: http://www.nutritionexpress.com/article+index/authors/mark+g+taylor+ms/showarticle.aspx?articleid=896 I would discuss the types of Proteins with your NUT and Dr as well. If you like pea protein and it's giving you what you need, and your Dr/ agrees, I se no reason not to use it, many vegan and vegetarian sleevers use it. Good luck!

Yay, Tes! The funniest thing to me is having to go down a size in your 'drawers'. For some reason I didn't realize my A** would be shrinking also. I knew I'd have to buy new pants, shirts, bras, i was even prepared for the shoes, but it still makes me giggle when I pull out an old pair I haven't thrown out yet and they are baggy and saggy in the rear and the leg holes hang sadly I too try to buy 'one size small' so that I can get the most out of my clothes as I'm still losing. I will wear them tight to too big. It's a great feeling

Fiddle, I couldn't agree more that nothing beats fresh ground! It is super easy to do, I have a VitaMix and should use it more often. THey have an almond butter and a maple almond I agree the plain almond is nothing special, but the maple almond something just hits me when I eat it...yum! Also soaking cashews over night, then puree them, they are a good substitute for cream cheese in recipes. AmBer09- your NUT is probably talkigna bout PB2, I get mine off of Amazon, they have it in regular and chocolate. Both are yummy!

I recommend Justins nut butters. They sell them at Trader Joes, and Target has some of them also. My favorite is the maple almond nut butter. OMG! 1Tablespoon with a banana is like HEAVEN! They have little single packets to try out the butters so you're not stuck with a whole jar if you don't like it, but I haven't had one of their butters that was not delicious yet.

Get a pot of water, add Old Bay Seasoning and a lemon sliced in half, squeeze the juice in the pot, then add the whole lemon. Once you have a rolling boil, add your frozen crab legs. boil for 3 minutes, remove and eat. That is for snow crab (the thin legs, smooth red and white shell). For King crab, (spiny bigger legs), 5 minutes. I usually cook my clusters in rounds, only 1-2 clusters at a time, if you dump a lot in the pot at once, the water will get too cold, it will take too long, and then you will have water logged crab. Good Luck!

You won't go bald. A lot of people find cutting it short helps to hide the thinning. I cut mine before it fell out really bad and donated to Locks of Love. I felt better to go to something useful than down the drain. I hope yours stops falling out soon. Mine fell between month 3-6 now it's growing back in. It is part of the process

Yes, people have complications, just search, you will find them. This is a major surgery, and while the most common complication is a leak, you can and some have died from the surgery. I don't mean to sound harsh, but you should really talk to your surgeon about complications. Most everyone has different types of follow ups. I was a Mexico sleever, so while I don't have a surgeon or local support group, I still see my PCP evey 4 months or so and get my blood checked to be sure I am not vitamin deficient, etc. Every surgeon is different, some will have mandatory appointments and follow ups and support groups, some will not.

I'd love to see the videos, I've heard a lot about kettlebells.

My loss is good so far, it has slowed since the 6-7 month mark, but I'm still dropping. Slow but steady wins the race

It will be the first of many NSV's for you good luck!

The typical rule is 'never', because of the carbonation. You will get many different stories from some people making if flat and drinking it, and others just flat drinking it. Personally, I'm almost 9 months, and I am 100% soda free. I gave it up before my pre-op and now that it's out of my system I don't even miss it. I try to eat a lot cleaner, and even the diet sodas are so full of artificial sweeteners, and other stuff, I don't think it's worth it. It's a personal choice for everyone, but most surgeons label soda as a 'never again', all are different though. Good luck.