southernsoul

I'm June 19th. There's a June Sleevers group that's really good. Holla at me if I can help!

June 19th

I recently found this website: http://www.proteinpo...npow.com/. The girl isn't a WLS-er, but she's a bodybuilder & foodie who has figured out all these recipes using various types of protein powder. All are really high in protein & she posts all the nutrition info. I can't vouch for any personally yet, but they all look yummy!

You look gorgeous!! xoxo

Good luck to you!!

That's fantastic!! Good for you!

Tell your NUT and she'll say you ARE a nut! Given the extra amount of physical energy you expended, my own pre-op, non-scientific opinion is that you are cra....oh, I mean fine, just fine. I probably would not do the black Beans, though. They are plenty healthy, but if they're not on your list why sin even more than you already have?

Hey, everybody! I just stumbled on this awesome-looking blog that is 100% about all things Protein powder related & recipes made with all kinds of protein powders. When I am post-op, I really want to use Protein shakes only as a backup when away from home, and not as an everyday thing. That means I needs lots of recipe ideas incorporating the powders, so I was thrilled to find this blog...and of course I wanted to share with all of you! :-) http://www.proteinpow.com/

Vix, I also just bought some but haven't tried them yet. I bookmarked this page for ideas: http://www.chiaseedrecipes.com/40-ways-to-use-chia-seeds.php

Haha...I am totally expecting that to be the case!

Yesterday was my 49th birthday. As I look back over the past almost-decade, I’m amazed at how much has changed, and how far I’ve come. Since I turned 40, I have gone through a number of big life changes, including divorce and remarriage, job/career changes, and achieving a college education. All of those changes have been enriching and empowering for me. It feels like my 40’s have just been one change after another. I have really come into my own over the past few years, in so many ways that I never anticipated. I am excited about becoming a professional counselor, and inspired by the opportunity to have a positive impact in my small corner of the world. I have been so blessed by supportive friends and family, and I am very grateful for the love that lifts me up each day. Over the past few years, the one major negative change has been my mobility. I can no longer do so many things that I used to do and still want to do. The degree of limitation in my life has become unacceptable to me, and the time to take action is now. So, as I celebrate turning 49, I am already looking ahead to my 50th birthday next year. At that time, I will be 11 months post-op. I have no idea how much weight I will have lost, but I trust that my physical condition will have changed for the better. My plan is to celebrate the beginning of my new decade by doing something physical that would not have been possible at the end of this decade. I don’t know exactly what it will be, but I’ll think of something. It seems very appropriate to celebrate turning 50 by doing something that was not possible for me at 49. I don’t expect to start running or take up mountain climbing; I just want to walk without pain. I want to be able to stand for more than a few minutes, and maybe even to dance again. I want to be able to walk around downtown, or go shopping at the mall. I want to be able to do projects around my house and work in the yard. When we go to the beach, I want to be able to take Tony’s hand and go for a walk in the sand. But until that day comes, I will be thankful to hold his hand as I take this next step, and give myself a gift for next year and beyond.

I think they submitted to my insurance company last week, but I'm going to call & check on Monday. They were waiting to get the psych eval & that came through last week. Now I have to get clearances for cardio, sleep/pulmonary, and upper GI & I will be good to go. We thought about seeing Oblivion today, but it's pouring here, so we stayed home & watched Silver Linings Playbook through Amazon Instant. It was so good! I'm not sure why Argo beat it out for Best Picture. Argo was good, but I think SLP was better.

I'm also pre-op & have been looking at shake options. Lately I've started thinking about trying different combos with extracts. For instance, I have a banana creme Protein shake and an Isopure coconut drink. I thought about combining them with some rum extract, or maybe looking for a graham cracker extract. Or trying something mocha-ish with a chocolate shake & instant espresso powder. I also found this site & they have a great list of suggested combos: http://bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com/p/protein-shake-recipes.html Good luck to you!

I'm still pre-op, but I have been trying to start eating now more like I will need to post-op & forevermore. Of course, the volume will change, but at least I can start getting used to less carbs & stuff like that. I went out to brunch this morning & ordered a beautiful meal...ropa vieja (mexican beef & pork stew) with poached eggs & chimichurri sauce. It's normally served over a biscuit, but I asked them to hold it. I skipped the bread basket, too. The meal came with some lovely greens as a bonus. I always eat slowly, and I found that I was full about 2/3 of the way through. I asked the waiter to remove my plate right away, so I didn't sit there & keep picking. The hubs & I shared an awesome dessert, Chocolate Olive Oil Pot au Creme with sea salt & marcona almonds. I had about 3-4 bites & let him have the rest. Sure, I could've eaten it all, but I made a CHOICE not to...and there's power in that for me. After our meal, I was perfectly happy & satisfied. I don't expect the sleeve to do all the work for me, so I want to start living some of those better choices now. Thanks for the inspiration!

Hey, y'all! Cheryl, I'm glad to hear you're doing OK & I hope you can figure out some do-able exercise soon. I'm going to try swimming & Water aerobics after surgery, but will have to wait 6 weeks or so. In the meantime, I'm starting to lift weights just a little, more to get into a routine than anything else. I can do arm lifts sitting down, but I haven't figured something out for legs yet, except regular leg lifts. Maybe there's an exercise DVD or something for for seniors, or other exercise challenged folks? Sassy, you're right...not much interaction here. Sometimes it seems to happen naturally, sometimes not. I post a fair amount, but often it's replies to a topic or thread, not a group post. My June group is heating up as people get surgery dates assigned, but I assume that will drop off somewhat afterward. Regardless of whether the "official" group keeps going, I will keep up with both of you.

Preach it, girl!! There is a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt that I have always loved: "Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent." You are absolutely correct that the sleeve is just a tool. I don't feel ashamed for one second that I'm doing this, and I could not care less about somebody else judging me for it. Nobody can make me feel ashamed without me agreeing that there is something to feel ashamed about. There are things in my life that I'm not proud of, but this ain't one of them. Good for you for being proud!

Just amazing...thanks for sharing!!

If it makes you feel better, write your mom an "in-the-very-unlikely-event" letter & tell your hubs where it is. Tell her all the things you'd want her to know & then maybe you'll be more at ease with not telling her before. If something awful should happen, she would at least have that. You have a right to go into surgery with as much calmness and serenity as possible. If she would hinder that, I think you're justified in not telling.

Hmmm...OK, thanks. I was thinking of what I do when I make hollandaise or something that needs to stay liquid-y, but I can keep heating once the eggs are in. Never measured the temp, though, so it's probably not that high.

Congrats!! You go on with your overweight self!

I haven't tried this with Protein powder, so it might not work, but what about tempering the powder first? A general cooking technique when adding a food that will clump (like beaten eggs) to a hot liquid is to take a small amount of the warm (not hot!) liquid & mix it with the clump-prone ingredient. You use only enough liquid to make a paste consistency. Once it is well-mixed, you can safely add the paste to the rest of the warm liquid & not get any clumps. You can even continue heating, if needed.

Yikes! That's awful...I hope the new place works out!