aquitenonnymouse

I would suggest starting with thinned down purees, so for example, try greek yogurt for protein, but with a little milk in it. Put a little water in your applesauce. Try pureed soups (like Moosewood's Butternut Squash and Sizzled Sage soup, which is VERY family friendly, and very tasty). Build up to things like crock pot chicken or beef that is then put in a food processor. I was told that anything for puree stage should be able to be pushed through a fine mesh strainer with a spoon. For other family friendly meals, I really can't suggest the crock pot enough. Everyone else can have the carrots and onions and beef right out of the pot, but you just take the extra step of pureeing them. Super easy, and you don't have to make two meals. Good luck!

I was told to do 3 weeks liquid only, and then ease into pureed for a few days and have pureed foods for 3 weeks, and that worked well for me. It's worth holding off on it. Breaking the routine is so important, and so is not doing anything too fast. I'm 25 also, and it's definitely a change!.

I don't have answers for some of your questions, but I would urge you (if you and your doctor decide surgery is the best option for you) to go to a well-respected bariatric center. My center (Bassett Healthcare) has ZERO deaths, and is well below the national averages for complications.

They didn't let me change into my clothes as soon as I wanted, but they did give me TWO gowns so nothing was hanging out. It took a few hours for them to let me change into my other (loose) nightgown because they wanted better access to drains, etc, but you can always ask! I was able to change into more comfy stuff the night of my surgery.

I never would have known it was there. It was put in and taken out while I was under- no residual discomfort at all. I know it was there because they told me it would be.

You look SO great! Congrats!

I had a bad week around that time. I chalked it up to a transition time for my body. No worries!

You're doing great! Everyone looses differently. You mention "what if I never get to goal?" What is your goal? I think goal should not be a number, but where you feel healthy. Our numbers do not define us!

If you don't mind my asking- how tall are you?

Congrats! You look great!

OH- and I mix Unjury with milk. It gets my calcium in at the same time, and my nutritionist said that I should not be limiting my fat too much while on all liquids because a fat deficiency is bad for health and weight loss. She had me on 2%-whole milk for the first 6 weeks.

I used Now brand (they make vitamins, cooking oil, and whey protein) protein powder because I liked it before surgery, but after surgery, I didn't like it anymore. I then tried Unjury, which my hospital recommended, but I hadn't tried because of cost. It is SO worth the cost. I thought Now was okay, because it wasn't repulsive. After trying Unjury- WOAH I didn't realize that protein powder could taste GOOD. For me, it's worth it- tasty, mixes smoothly, etc. It's a little more than $1 per serving, but it gets a bit cheaper if you subscribe.

I'm sorry that that happened to you! Impatience is hard in this process. Wait to talk to the bariatric surgery coordinator tomorrow. They will be able to help you and tell you your next steps! You'll get there!

Do this for yourself, not anyone else. Also- toxic relationships are toxic no matter what your size is. You deserve someone who values you and makes you feel good about yourself, the way you value them and make them feel good. You don't need saboteurs in your life.

Crab salad- add light mayo, celery, onions, etc. OR crab fritters. Mix the crab with corn kernels, milk, baking powder, and a little flour (add old bay seasoning and sriracha sauce for fun). Yummy!

Oh yeah, I've been there! Once I was into pureed foods, I was NOT satisfied! I would have given ANYTHING to be able to chew something. In liquid stage, at least I knew I could only drink, but puree was not satisfying for me. I occasionally had a shake instead of a meal when I was having trouble. Oh, puree... how I hated you. There are some tasty options, though. And pudding. Lots of tasty pudding.

Oh, I used pretty much everything! My favorite combination is what I had for breakfast almost every. single. morning. (because it was SO tasty). I cooked some sweet ripe banana in a frying pan until it was browned, then topped that with one poached egg, a tiny bit of cheddar cheese, and some Blair's Green Death Wish jalapeno hot sauce. I never liked poached eggs before surgery, but I LOVED them for the pureed stage and still eat them now! I always weighed my food to make sure I wasn't eating more than 3 oz per meal for pureed stage. I also liked doing a 'buffalo chicken' type of thing. Put slow-cooked chicken breast, some bleu cheese, ranch dressing, and Franks hot sauce in a food processor, and chop it up! I ate that for a bunch of lunches along with 1/2 oz veggies (like sautéed peas and onions with rosemary that I had food processed, and 1/2 oz of fruit (like applesauce, or something like that). I also liked making a mini 'lasagna' out of homemade tomato sauce (allspice, maple syrup, onions, oregano, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil) layered with ricotta (mixed with 1 egg, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, oregano, and maybe a tiny bit of mozzarella, but not enough to make it stringy) in a ramekin or small casserole dish. Very tasty.

Another note- I also am feeling like I am self-sabotaging right now. I'm going to start weighing myself everyday again (not the best idea for everyone), so I feel like I have a point EVERY DAY where I think about how I need to be accountable to myself, and that it's worth it to have every day be a 'good day' with food and exercise. I want to succeed. I need to take care of myself.

That is incredible! Great job! I hope I can do that someday! How did you start getting into biking shape? I've done about 3 miles a few times, but there are so many hills, and I get so exhausted.

Good on you for scheduling to get some help! I would urge you to ask your hospital to start a support group, or heck, to start one yourself! The one I go to is an hour away, but still worth it (it's once per month)!

I -think- he's real... I mean.. who ELSE could send those emails! :-D

I have absolutely no regrets and I can't imagine ever having them. This is giving me a life and health and helping with my happiness. NO regrets at all.

I'd suggest an Osprey hydration pack (I prefer them to camelback, as Osprey works with Nalgene and I think has a superior pack and hydration system). You can sip that little by little as needed. Post-op, I can drink about a cup at a time, wait a bit, and drink a little more.

I have absolutely no regrets and I can't imagine ever having them. This is giving me a life and health and helping with my happiness. NO regrets at all.

I have absolutely no regrets and I can't imagine ever having them. This is giving me a life and health and helping with my happiness. NO regrets at all.