Mantar

sure.. if you wanted grp together.. I could pretty much answer everyones questions, options, what I did right, what I did wrong.. and if I had to do it all over.. what I would do different. My Dr. I went too was not in NY...

"but have heard that it is the drs decision.. is that true?" NO... this is false It is always your choice of what you want I am 1 1/2 year post op... and can answer your questions... if you like we could meet for coffee.. PM if your interested

I'm not sure I would like to lead... but maybe co-lead a support group. I will be 1 year post op in August 2014 with a weight loss so far of 85lbs I would consider myself very knowledgeable on the subject and would be happy to share my experience pre/post opt. with anyone interested Also, I didn't have my surgery done the conventional way... I was a self pay and got the surgery in Mexico and I would love to answer any questions about that and talk about all the fears and prejudices people have about getting the surgery outside of the US. And if people are looking for a post-op walking or workout partner, let me know... I would love to start a group !!! lets get those pounds off !!!

O M G I'm making this !! hehe

I'm about 3 months out... I made Philly cheese Steak with peepers and onions mini egg bake https://www.dropbox....20 17.02.32.jpg I was able to only eat one of these.. https://www.dropbox....20 17.57.45.jpg Some grilled fried baby shrimp... was only able to eat 1/2 of these https://www.dropbox....25 18.11.56.jpg

I had Dr. Fernando Garcia - and went through Ready4Achange http://bariatricweightloss-surgery.com/ My cost was $4700 and that covered everthing but airfare... and I had a great experance My insurance didn't cover the operation... However I do have a Healthcare Flexible Spending Account and I was able to get reimburest $2500 from the money that was in it,,, so for me.. out of pocket it cost me $2200 plus airafre any questions about Dr. Fernando Garcia and my experances feel free to ask Good Luck

have you gone to The World According to Egg Face? WOW.... what a Great resource !!! thanks for that link PattyGee

Hi, I am day 6 post-op and can start on pureed Soups and strained cream soups. The question I have is under the foods to avoid is all fresh vegetables… and I think that is because there shouldn't be anything “chunky” in the Soup. I have a high power Vitamix blender that I was going to make the soup in.. and believe me, after it is done, it is pure liquid !! no chunks lol One soup I was going to make was Cream of Asparagus Soup 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) asparagus spears, cooked (Steamed) 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) chicken broth 1/2 cup (120 ml) half and half – I might Skip the half and half Does anyone thing this might be a problem ? Another one I wanted to make was this…. Butternut Squash Soup in the Vitamix http://www.food.com/...-vitamix-477635

wow that does sound good !!! going to try it this weekend

Wow... Thanks you guys are so helpful !! ok then... asparagus is out !!! lol and really at this point I still don't want or have a desire to eat anything yet... still just doing Water, sugar free juice and Protein drinks @gamergirl yea I saw those shrimp bisque, lobster bisque, I'm definitely going to be making those !! and thanks for the info for tofo... going to try that @PdxMan - THX FOR THOSE TIPS !

Just a quick note about coconut water…. Not all coconut water is equal, once the coconut water is heated for pasteurization it loses a lot of it’s benefits.. Here is a good link explaining it… http://gnowfglins.com/2013/08/05/the-benefits-of-coconut-water-plus-how-to-ferment-it/# The highlights of the link…. In short, if it comes in a can, if it comes in a tetra pac, or if it comes on the shelf and not refrigerated, there’s a 99% chance it is pasteurized, dead, and not worth the money. It needs to have been packaged in a way that it was not heated. Anything shelf stable is going to need either a preservative, or have been pasteurized. In the end, I found two sources of coconut water that appear to be entirely raw and preserved properly. They are Exotic Superfoods and Harmless Harvest. My personal favorite is Exotic Superfoods because it comes frozen. http://www.exoticsuperfoods.com/ http://www.harmlessharvest.com/100-RawCoco I’m ordering Exotic Superfoods today !! I’m day 6 being sleeved and almost passed out walking through Walmart today… With the symptoms you had, so it sounds like I am dehydrated too. Good luck to you

BBQ Turkey Meatballs Ingredients 1- 1.5 pounds ground turkey ½ cup onion, very finely minced 1 egg ¼ cup breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon Kosher salt ¾ cup BBQ sauce, divided 2 tablespoons oil Instructions Pre-heat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (not totally required but makes for much easier cleanup!). In a large bowl, using your hands, mix together all the ingredients except the BBQ sauce and oil. Mix in 3-4 tablespoons of the BBQ sauce; enough to help it bind and add flavor. If you feel like your mixture is too moist add more breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in the skillet. Roll the turkey mixture into 1½ inch balls and drop into the heated skillet in batches (I cook about 8 at a time) Roll them around after a minute so they brown relatively evenly. Remove the browned meatballs to the prepared baking sheet and repeat until they are all browned. Spoon the remaining BBQ sauce over each meatball and bake for 15-20 minutes, until they are cooked through. Serve with more BBQ sauce if you’re feeling saucy. Notes I usually get about 36 meatballs from this recipe.

I'm on Friday also...... yikes

My surgery is Friday..... and I just entered the "OMG! What am I thinking!" zone....

I have been using myfitnesspal to track my food... and it has some good advice I read on it... Check In To help track your progress, you should record your weight periodically. We suggest once a week because your weight fluctuates daily due to uncontrollable factors like Water. Try to always weigh yourself at the same time of day - we suggest early in the morning before Breakfast. Taking your measurements can be an even better gauge of your progress because when you burn fat and build heavier muscle, your weight may not change or even increase even though your body is tighter and smaller. We suggest taking your measurements every 2-4 weeks.

I loved you food gallery also !!! gratz on the weight loss !!

Not sure if this is a option for you, but many people here that have done self-pay, have had a great experience going to Mexico. They are real doctors performing surgery is real hospitals... I am having Sleeve surgery done next Friday with Dr. Garcia and I'm paying $4700 which includes all pre-op and post-op tests, leak tests, meds, 2 nights hospital and 3 night hotel (5 Star Marriott Tijuana Hotel), transportation too and from the SD Airport. Before spending the last year researching WLS in Mexico, if someone told me to goto Mexaico to have surgery, I would have told them they were out of their minds !!!! lol However... it is really safe, and some of the worlds best doctors are doing WLS in Mexaico. Again, not sure if this is a option for you... But I know I would have NEVER considered of going to Mexico before I researched it.

Did you have to sit in the lobby for 3 hours while you waited for a room ? Wow

it helps alot !!! I'm keeping an eye on your post ! I'll be doing the same trip in 2 weeks. I wish I know about the later arrive time, I'm landing in SD around 9am and I figure I would get to the hotel around 11am... so it looks like I'll be wating Also good to know about the deposit Good Luck tomorrow !

I will be in the care of Dr. Fernando Garcia 2 weeks from today... yikes

Thanks very much ca_medic5, I'm looking forward to it

I'm the same.... with Dr. Fernando Garcia @ Florence for next month... I would like to hear feedback on this

I was just looking into this yesterday.. there are a lot of you tube videos if you search Fitbit Flex vs Jawbone UP This was a good review of them... For me I'm going to get the Fitbit.... now need to decide if I want the Fitbit Flex (wearing on your wirst which I really don't like.... OR the Fitbit One (clip to your belt) which I know I'll always forget to wear or lose it in the first week

This would be a good app for the ipad http://www.sayhitranslate.com/

wow, you look great Liz210... I'm have my sleeve done with Dr. Garcia on 8/16... also on a Friday, if you don't mind me asking... How was it being done and recovering through the weekend ? I was just a little worried I might not get the best care because it being the "weekend crew" And Sadly I don't think Dr. Luna is with Dr. Garcia anymore.... does anyone know who the new after care Dr. is ? Thx all