moonchild1968

Author: Detoxinista.com Serves: 4-6
A creamy, fruit-based soft serve dessert! Ingredients 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped 1 cup almond milk 1 tablespoon honey (optional, for authentic sweetness)
Instructions To get started, you’ll want to freeze the pineapple chunks. I chopped mine a day ahead of time, and froze the chunks overnight. You could also purchase frozen pineapple, if you prefer. As you can see from the picture below, the frozen pineapple reached the 6.5 – 7 cup mark on my blender pitcher. This recipe works best in a high-speed blender, like the Vitamix, because you’ll need to be able to pulverize the frozen pineapple into an ice-cream-like consistency. A normal blender will most likely not work, but a food processor might. Combine the frozen pineapple with the almond milk and honey, then blend until a frozen sorbet texture is achieved. For an authentic Dole Whip presentation, transfer the frozen dessert to a large plastic bag, and cut off the tip to create a piping bag. Pipe the pineapple whip into 4-6 dishes, and serve immediately! Any leftovers can be frozen in an ice cube tray, and used in smoothies later.

HI, I had my sleeve on April 22, 2013 in Christiana, Delaware. I say that second time worked, because in April 2007, I had the lapband and it had to be removed with emergency surgery 36 hours later because of a tear in my esophagus. It took me 5 years to seriously look at bariatrics as an option again. I am so thankful I did. My weight had skyrocked to 303 lbs in August 2012. Between the classes and the two weeks of Optifast pre-op I was down to 266 on the day of surgery. Today I weighed myself and I am down to 255. My pain initially was terrible along with lot of nausea, I did however have alot of scar tissue that had to be removed and my surgery was twice as long as the normal sleeve. I can tolerate liquids well, applesauce, cream of wheat and yogurt. Trying something new every day. No more than an ounce at a time, but that is fine with me. I didn't believe it in class, but now I am living it.and it is so true. I will continue to post with updates. This will also help keep me on track..

My losses have been excellent - according to my surgeons office exceeded expectations considering my high BMI.
Here is the trick - don't use the lapband tricks you learned to try to trick the sleeve (ie no sliders, no grazying!!!)
Instead use the lessons from the band to reflect on any contribution you might have made to not being so successful. What I mean from that, own up to your part in it and learn from it.
To me the sleeve has been amazing and I have had great success compared to quite poor success with the band.

Thanks ALL! Good looking out! I knew I could count on the VST crew for a quick response. I might have missed this bit of information while under the influence in the hospital, so thanks. p.s. I'm band-free and sleeved!

Wow! Praise God. You look amazing. Thanks for that testimony.

I really wanted to reply to this. Yes, sex is a LOT of work for a big guy. Ladies, all due respect, but most of the time, sex is all about US doing the work -- abs and core, legs, arms. If you're out of shape, as a guy, sex can absolutely destroy your stamina, and let's face it -- collapsing like a pile of Jello halfway through just ain't sexy. So we try REALLY hard to please y'all, but when you're that heavy, it just ain't going to happen!
Add to this the fact that fat converts testosterone to estrogen (yes, estrogen. Look up lipid aromatization for proof...) and you see a real "double whammy" for us guys emerging; not only are we expected to be nearly machine-like in our movements, with no reaction to the sheer strain and stress of moving 250, 300, 400 pounds of flesh around (not counting the lady!), but our testosterone can dip so low that we have a hard time keeping an erection (and what THAT means, ladies, is that ANY distraction can make "it" go away -- slowing the rhythm, changing position, even just worrying that "oh god, I'm gonna lose it!" And when you're panting and wheezing and worried about having a heart attack (yes, contrary to urban legend, people can and do regularly have heart attacks or strokes during sex), that's a pretty serious distraction. So, for a heavy guy, sex really ain't much FUN! We want to do it to keep our lady friends happy, and sure, it FEELS good, but it also feels like we're gonna die, it's a race against the clock with whether Mr. Happy will keep playing along, and a lot of times those negatives outweigh (heh) the positives.
Now, switch to skinny sex. My muscles are MORE than capable of hauling my carcass around and doing ALL sorts of interesting positional things. Sure, I sweat and breathe hard in the throes of passion, but my heart and lungs are healthy and I have a ton of stamina, so I'm not worried some artery is going to explode. And best of all, because my testosterone MORE THAN DOUBLED without drugs, just by losing the weight, my libido is crazy -- that one hormone makes ALL the difference between just being caught up in my head and worrying about how I'm going to "perform" and getting utterly, absolutely lost in the moment. And that is so insanely sexy. Apparently for both of us!
So yes, ladies, if you want a better love life, definitely lose weight, but get your guy to lose weight too. You will NOT regret it!

Well, thing is, I don't feel like I'm some kind of huge stud or something; I just feel like maybe this is what a "normal, healthy" male libido is like at my age when you're near target weight, working on your physical fitness, and are rarin' to go.
In other words, it's not so much "I'm such a stud now!" as "Why on EARTH didn't I get this surgery in my 20's..."

Well there's an ENDORSEMENT! LOL!

Ha ha! DANG! Well, you just go with your bad self!

First real "encounter" since the surgery (lots of fooling around, but yesterday was... the full meal deal). And... guys... wow. GET THIS SURGERY.
Before the surgery, I was a real "one minute wonder" (if I could even get lucky; at 338, it doesn't happen much). I would be panting and wheezing and see spots, and I was lucky to even be able to finish. I was used to the woman not... finishing, either.
Yesterday.
SEVEN. HOURS.
She had more... moments of joy than I could count (maybe 12? 15? 20?), and I had... THREE.
THREE. In one night! Guys, I'm 42. That just doesn't HAPPEN to guys my age.
And it certainly never happened before the sleeve.
Good god, men, if you have ANY problems in that area at all and are pre-sleeve, RUN, don't walk, and get the surgery.
UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE. I thought that stuff only happened in porno movies...
Ok, I'll shut up now. But... wow.
Sore... exhausted... and happy
Edit: uh, it wasn't seven hours continuously, I should mention... 8pm till 3am, but not all, uh, action. Even at my current fitness level, that WOULD kill me. Seven hours of go... rest, chat, laugh... go... rest, chat, laugh... repeat until too sore and exhausted to continue! And NOW I WILL shut up.

I had to have my band removed prior because it was herniated and had to heal before I could get the sleeve. I gained I think like 20 plus lbs, but the food was grrreat.

Thanks ALL! Good looking out! I knew I could count on the VST crew for a quick response. I might have missed this bit of information while under the influence in the hospital, so thanks. p.s. I'm band-free and sleeved!

I PROMISE it will go away. Lots of internal suture there, and you'll have internal scar tissue there. Mine went from going WAY in, to going out (when the scar tissue got very firm), and then back to normal as it softens up. Totally normal.

I have one as well....13 day out from surgery now....just had staples removed. The dent is from the internal stitches and will go away with time (per my doctor).

Glad your surgery was successful! In my first post-op appointment, the PA observed the dent in my exit site and said that meant that the internal stitches were still in there. She said that sometime within the next 4 to 6 weeks or so, I would probably move a certain way or bend down and might feel them pop (I did--but not everyone does). As soon as that happened, the indentation went away. You might want to ask your surgeon if they use internal stitches and if that might be the cause of the dent.

Yes I had the dent too! Doc said inside is where they tie up the sutures into knots. Due to tightness your skin looks pulled in hence the "dent". It'll eventually go away

My band to sleeve (all in one) surgery went "great" and the pain is becoming more manageable with each passing day. I'm sip,sip,sipping and working on getting my intake up. I'm just wondering what this indentation on the right side of my stomach is all about. It is the source of my remaining pain and it is just below where my port was for 5 1/2 years. The dent is also just below the "exit" site for the sleeve so it "took a beating during the surgery" (all quotations indicate surgeons comments). When I lie flat on my back, the indentation is hardly noticeable. It's only when I stand and look head on and certainly from an angle. Of course, I mentioned the swelling to my surgeon (Center of Excellence) in the hospital, but I was on morphine and hadn't really noticed the indentation until I began standing more when I got home. What he saw in the hospital he was "not worried about it". I called the doctor's office to go over my concerns about how my stomach looks. It looks like we will discuss it at follow up on Friday 4/26. Can any body offer some insight? Anybody heard of this?

I had my lap band done Oct 2010 and lost 80lbs. I was so happy with the weight loss but was disappointed when it stopped and came back. I felt like a failure, and to ashamed to see about other options. But after finally talking with family and friends they convinced me to and see about my options. I'm so happy I did, I found out that I wasn't alone. That there are a lot of people getting the revision. So here I am 6days post-op. Getting better and stronger everyday, and already done 12 lbs.

I was unfilled in December 2012 because I was having such a hard time with adjustments, again. I've always had a hard time getting the right fill. My surgeon unfilled me because he knew that I was leaning towards a revision and the since the band wasn't working for me anyway......
My sleeve date is April 18. I have zero restriction and no intolerances. So, I've gained a lot. I'm ready for my 2nd chance at permanent healthy weight loss with the sleeve.

Relax.......breathe.........rent a movie, go for a walk........ chill.......Go to your happy place........you're gonna be in and out.....no issures....and feelin the weight dissappearing with every passing minute. .......Besides, you've been there, done that.......You'll be fine.

Thanks, y'all (Georgia girl)! I will take everyone's advice and try my best to stop wringing my hands and just chill. WOO SAA!

I also went from band to sleeve on march 19th and u will be fine the first day and a half was hard I will not lie to u but it is true each day u will start to feel better I have not been cleared to excerise yet but I keep feeling im ready. Best wishes and see you on the otherside soon on the loser bench

I received my sleeve on April 10th and like many of you, I'm so ready to chew something! I don't recall it being like this with my band either. I need some more full liquids/creamy Soup ideas. My full liquids are for 3 weeks and 2 weeks if pureed. Lord give me the strength!! But I'm already in love with my sleeve. Havent had a "stuck" feeling! #priceless