southernsoul

If only...

I agree...Team Pokeychic all the way!!

I'm about 10 weeks out & I still have my espresso shake every morning mostly because I like it. However, if I wasn't drinking it I think I would have to work harder on getting enough protein in. Most days I hit 70-80g protein range just fine, but if my shake was taken out of the equation it would be much more difficult to do. You've seen my food diary, so you know I eat pretty decently, but the shake is definitely a crucial protein boost.

Mmmmmm...boiled peanuts! They are wonderful & always evoke so many memories for me. I love seeing the plume of smoke from the cauldron on the side of the road that means you can buy them still warm. Yummy!

I never tried the ones from the convenience store, like Blu. Mu husband quit right before I did & I just used what he got. We order from www.vaperite.com. I use the Clearomizer tanks. You can email them & they'll help you figure out what to order. My fave flavor is Chaibacco, but I also like to mix the Kona Creme, Hazelnut, and a regular tobacco flavor. We use the 12mg level of vape juice. The batteries hold a charge for awhile & can even be plugged into a USB port. By the time my surgery rolled around, I had been off cigarettes for 3+ months & my usage of the e-cig had gone down. I guess by the time I was postop it felt good to not be smoking anymore. I wanted this surgery to be a success & even though I enjoyed smoking, I knew the time had come to leave it behind me. I guess it just boiled down to me wanting surgery more than I wanted to smoke.

I'll just hit on a couple of these. After about 30 years of smoking, I quit back in March for this surgery. I was required to quit 90 days prior to my June surgery date. I used Chantix & a good e-cig...it's refillable & rechargeable & the flavors available are good. I took it to my surgeon & he OK'd my continued use of it. Honestly, after awhile I find that I don't use it very often anymore, maybe a couple of times a week now. Regarding shakes, I never found a premade one that I really liked. They were all way too sweet for me. My regular morning shake is made with Syntrax nectar powders in either Vanilla Torte or chocolate Truffle, some instant espresso powder dissolved in a little warm Water, some nonfat plain Greek yogurt & a cup of skim milk. It mixes up in a Blender Bottle. It's a little bit sweet, but the coffee & the plain yogurt keep it from getting too sweet. Good luck to you!

Good luck on your trip!! And yay for being back at work. Treat yourself to a non-food splurge while you're gone, just for being awesome!

Hey Cathy! I just got sleeved by Dr Macik in June, so feel free to contact me, as well. Good luck!

That is actually one of the mini- goals I listed out before surgery...when I get to the weight on my license, 240. That will be 80 lbs down from my highest weight...and I will get there in 24 more lbs!

My surgeon included skim milk as a clear liquid & that was my protein source at first. I mixed it with some NesQuik no sugar added chocolate powder.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about judgments & why people feel compelled to judge others. People post a lot here about feeling judged by friends and family members for deciding to have surgery, or feeling judged by skinny people for being fat in the first place. Personally, I have been fortunate that not one single negative word has been said to me with regards to having surgery. My family and friends have all been very supportive. Intellectually, I know I am (or have been) judged negatively by other people for my weight, but I honestly don’t usually notice those judgments. If I do happen to notice or feel judged by somebody, I don’t generally internalize the judgment and allow it to continue to affect me. But it seems to me that there is also a fair amount of judgment happening among members of the WLS community. Sometimes it’s subtle and sometimes it quite overt, but it’s all judgmental bulls**t that says more about the person making the judgment than it does about the person being judged. Here are just a few judgments I have observed being made here and elsewhere among members of the WLS community. Some of these judgments have been directed at me, some I’ve observed in others, and one or two I am guilty of making. Everyone who needs/wants WLS has a food addiction or depression or very low self-esteem. If you say you don’t, then you are either lying or in denial. People who go to Mexico for surgery are less prepared mentally and emotionally than those who have surgery in the US. My surgeon does things the “right” way. If your surgeon tells you something different, he/she is wrong and I am justified in telling you to ignore your surgeon’s instructions. People who slip up on the preop diet are not ready for surgery and will likely fail. People who do not follow instructions to the letter in the first couple of months post-op are not committed to the process and will likely fail. People who do not commit wholeheartedly to an exercise plan postop are not committed to the process and will likely fail. People who drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or smoke weed postop are not committed to the process and will likely fail. People who come here posting questions without first searching for the answer are dumb or lazy. People who credit their faith with helping them get through this process are annoying and should not talk about their faith in relation to WLS. People who are atheist or agnostic are missing the most important part of life and should be pitied. People who have plastics after WLS are vain. People who struggle to put their own needs ahead of others aren't trying hard enough or valuing themselves enough. I’m sure other folks can think of more, and there is also a whole raft of judgments that we frequently make against ourselves. The point is that none of these judgments are true and none of these judgments are supportive or helpful in any way. We all have our own path to travel, and I believe we each generally do the best we can at any given time. At various times, my “best” will be better than some and not nearly as good as others, and that’s true for everybody. I don’t know if judging others is a way to feel better about ourselves, or just a bad habit we fall into, but it certainly does seem to come naturally to us. In my opinion, reaching out for support is a healthy, intelligent, and wise thing to do. Let’s try to respect the courage it takes to be here, and check our judgments at the door.

This week I had my 6 week postop appointment. I am down about 43 lbs total, including my 2 week preop diet. After hitting 40 lbs down at 4 weeks, I went up & down the same pound for about a week. After 3 or 4 days, I stopped weighing myself every day & just waited about 5 days or so before weighing again. When I did, I was down 2 pounds & another one came off before my follow up appointment. I think my body was adjusting to having more solid food. At week 5, I was finally able to start cooking again & enjoying the kinds of food I love. I'm still focusing on softer foods, but being able to cook good food & start sharing dinner with my husband again has really boosted my outlook. In addition, I can tell my clothes are getting too big & I'm starting to pull out clothes I haven't worn in years. I found a really cute knit pencil skirt online at Target & I bought both a 3X and a 2X (Target stuff runs small on me). The 3X fits great now & the 2X will fit before too long. It's perfect for somebody with a bountiful booty & the hubs loves it. A new cookbook I am exploring right now is called Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan. It's a paleo cookbook, and Melissa also has a great blog called The Clothes Make The Girl. The paleo style of eating seems to fit in really well with our postop guidelines, so I decided to check it out. So far, I have really enjoyed everything I have tried from the book. She includes a sections on staples of a paleo pantry & ways to cook ahead the simple parts of a meal (meat, veggies, etc) that you then can use over a whole week with many variations. I found Well Fed on Amazon, along with several other paleo cookbooks I'm thinking of trying now. Over the last couple of weeks, I have had several social things to go to, plus a couple of times where I have had to be away from home for a whole day or overnight without much access to decent food. I've had to plan ahead for eating properly, and I've also had to get over my nervousness about social or party eating. I've been surprised at the things I've been tempted by & the things I have NOT been tempted by. One party was hosted by a friend who is a very good baker, and his parties always include some yummy cakes. I expected to be pretty tempted to have a bite of cake, but I wasn't. It was so weird, but I was happy with cheese & some olives & hardly looked twice at the cakes. However, last night we were at another friend's house they put out some Triscuits. OMG, I absolutely HAD to have a damn Triscuit. I was actually distracted from the conversation because I kept glancing at the Triscuits. Seriously, I'm obsessing over a Triscuit?? WTH??? I ended up eating 4 over the whole evening & they were yummy. I also had a little wine, but I didn't even finish one glass. I have noticed that I am starting to feel hunger again. A couple of times, I have been very hungry & my first 2 or 3 bites have been either too big and/or taken in too fast. Each time, I have thrown up right away. I need to do better about keeping it slow & small no matter how hungry I am. I am also struggling to take in 64 oz of water a day. I carry my bottle around, but forget to drink from it. The most I usually drink is 36 to 48 oz, and I know I need to do better than that. The other thing I'm noticing is that I'm "hungry" to get out and do more stuff now. My knees are feeling much better, and I am so much more enthusiastic about going shopping or to the grocery store or to a party without worrying about pain from standing or feeling like I am stuck in a chair while everyone else is mingling. Call it hunger for life, but that's the other hunger that's coming back & I am so grateful to feel it. Life is for living, and although I was never a person who withdrew from life, I certainly felt restricted in what I was physically able to do. My next NSV outing will be to go to our big farmer's market on a Saturday morning. Maybe next week? We'll see!

For chicken salad, I used a little extra chicken broth to thin it just a bit. Tuna is already pretty moist, so I just used all the liquid from the can, instead of draining it off like I usually do. I didn't use celery in mine during puree or soft, which I would normally add. I think you could also water down the mayo a little, or combine the mayo with a little plain Greek yogurt.

So proud of you & all you have accomplished. Your life is wide open to all kinds of wonderful new possibilities, so enjoy every minute of it!

I'm in Athens & I was sleeved in ATL on June 19 by Dr. Macik at Northside. I'm down about 54 lbs (inc the 2 weeks on preop diet) and I feel great!

You look beautiful, and I agree with the much younger comments, too. You & I are almost identical in our pace...my surgery was on June 19, I'm down 34 lbs since surgery, 53 lbs from highest weight just before preop diet. I can't always see the difference in the mirror, but photos definitely help. Congrats to you on great progress!

I mix about 1 tbsp of instant espresso powder (dissolved in a little warm water) into my protein shake every morning. I add 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup of skim milk & a scoop of either vanilla or chocolate protein powder & shake it up in my blender bottle. It's yummy!

I'm currently training to become a licensed therapist. I would suggest searching for a therapist that specializes in eating disorders vs weight loss therapy specifically. Eating disorders is a much broader category, so you'll find a wider pool to pick from. A lot of the emotional challenges that can lead to bulimia or anorexia are pretty much the same as for overeating, along with body image, depression, anxiety, and self-esteem issues. You can also call a therapist & leave a message about what you're looking for. A good therapist will call you back & discuss their experience in this area. If they feel they do not have enough experience they can refer you to a colleague who does. If you work outside the home, check to see if your employer offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that would allow you a certain number of therapy visits for free. EAP's are completely confidential and many employers offer them now. Congrats on your surgery & best of luck as you continue along the path!

I don't use a pump with them, so I just kind of eyeball it. Maybe a tablespoon or so? It might depend on the flavor you're using, too. Start with a little & taste it...you can always add more.

I made a sweet potato protein pie last week & used the caramel in that. I posted the recipe in the Food & Nutrition section. I use them when blending shakes, as a sweetener in plain yogurt, cottage cheese, or ricotta cheese and add fruit or nuts, and when cooking sweet things, like my pie.

Totally agree with you on the over-sweet point. Bleh! I was on clears for 2 whole weeks & then fulls for another 2 weeks. I loved Better Than Bouillon Lobster while I was on clears. It was a nice change from chicken or beef stock simmered with fresh herbs. When I moved to fulls, I made a stab at a bisque-y soup, but mine wasn't as yummy as yours sounds. Great idea!

Liz, I do the same thing sometimes. Usually when I'm feeling overwhelmed or stressed or sad, I will issue out a wish/plea/hope for strength or calm or patience. Is that a prayer? I guess so. I'm not directing it anywhere in particular, except out into the universe. The last time I can remember feeling absolutely moved to pray in the traditional way I had been taught was on 9/11. It was such a horrific day, and the images were so overwhelming to absorb, I think my mind just needed to shut down & revert to the simplest form of comfort stored in my memory banks. I guess it can be called a form of programming from childhood, if your childhood included that. In the mental health field, we would call it a self-soothing behavior. But no matter what you call it, if it's calming and/or strengthening for you, then it's a good thing & a healthy behavior.

I agree completely, Butter. If responsibility goes to a god for the good stuff, then it seems like the responsibility for the bad stuff should, too. I lost one of my closest friends very unexpectedly last year & was in complete shock when he died. Although he & his partner of 15 years had split two years prior, they had remained very close and both he & I were totally devastated. The visitation and funeral were held in the very small town my friend grew up in. I attended the services with my beloved friend's longtime partner, who also just so happens to be a very large black man. My friend's mother & stepfather adore both of us & were very welcoming, but you could see everyone else wondering who we were. The comments about this being God's plan and that God had called him home made me just want to throw up. As a gay man, he was unwelcome and reviled in this community, so it seemed to me the height of hypocrisy to observe his passing in this way. A couple of people actually introduced themselves to me & commented how much they had liked my friend, "despite that he was...you know." If I hadn't been so grief-stricken I might have slapped somebody. He would have hated the service, even as he understood that his wonderful mother knew of no other way to lay her son to rest. I also volunteer as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for kids in foster care who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. I have encountered a stepfather accused of molesting his stepdaughter who told me he would pray that God would show me the truth of the matter. (God didn't, but DNA sure did!). Another parent who beat her young son told me that she was only trying to make sure he grew up to be a good Christian man who did right every day. Neither of these things could possibly be part of a loving god's plan. Soon I will become a licensed therapist, and I think I will struggle with helping a client who's faith is a critical part of his or her life. It is important to be respectful and non-judgmental, but since I do not share such a belief, I think it may be a challenge for me to incorporate a client's faith in the counseling process. In order to help a client I need to be able to meet them where they are, and the faith thing will be tough for me.

I was missing my coffee, too, so I decided to incorporate it into my morning shake. I use instant espresso crystals (usually Pilon or Cafe Bustelo), about a Tbsp or so. I stick that in a blender bottle, add just a little hot water & swish it around til it dissolves. I add about 1/2 cup of plain nonfat greek yogurt, 1 scoop of either vanilla or chocolate Syntrax Nectar protein powder & about a cup of skim milk. Shake it all up & I'm good to go. It's 250 cals, 45g protein, 18g carbs, 0g fat, and it's delish!