gamergirl

I love reading this thread. It really inspires me and I can't WAIT until I can participate in one of these. After hurting for over a week, I was able to walk a mile today and I cannot tell you how good it felt. Feeling hopeful

Peggy I am just very sure you are going to be one of those that will come out of this stall with all guns blazing. You're doing what you should and are being thoughtful about all of it. It will work. Just in its own time. Hang in there. I will be careful not to say "I told you so!" When you start losing again (((hugs)))

I see MFP diaries of vets who are doing just fine and some of them do manage a piece of toast. I cant imagine being able to eat a 6 in sandwich esp given how dense bread is, but I suspect there will be some open-faced sandwiches on thin bread or whole-grain crackers like wasa or ryvita in my (distant) future.

I only lost 8 lbs in two weeks of liquids. Freaked me out because I was sure I wouldn't lose anything post op either. And of course all around me were people losing 15-20 lbs so I worried even more. Yeah shouldn't have

I saw my rheumatologist today who is very happy about the weight I lost. But he says he doesn't recommend the surgery to patients because he'd rather they do it on their own, since the results from bariatric surgery are not that great long-term. Not that great? how about better than without the surgery?? This from a physician who should know better. Then he says "ALL the surgery did for you was restrict your intake." I looked at his skinny body and thought of asking him how many people did he know that could eat 600-700 calories day after day with an intact stomach, and then thought ..... Meh. I don't care what he thinks. He has no idea what I live through. Whatever. And so I moved on and stayed happy! You may have to do the same thing.

This seems to be a very popular topic. You might enjoy joining some of these threads: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/94866-sex-after-sleeve/page__hl__sex http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/83559-so-is-sex-better-now/page__st__40__hl__sex#entry999076 http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/94588-loss-of-sex-drive-during-liquid-diet/page__hl__sex http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/94226-sex-before-surgery-and-after-surgery/page__hl__sex

So here's some new information from my rheumatologist, with whom I met today. He said that my chances of remission due to weight loss were close to zero. This is because I test positive for both Anti-CCP as well as Rheumatoid factor. He almost never sees remission in these cases. In contrast, amongst those who are seronegative, he says he ROUTINELY sees remission due to changes in lifestyle, including weight loss. So the key appears to be to find out if you are seronegative,or if you have osteo-arthritis, because both of those seem to remedy with weight loss. In contrast, sero-positive RA apparently is something we will just have to grin and bear. HTH

Sometimes the very things we fight are the ones that are good for us. I've been fighting taking meds for inflammation for a week now. I spent the weekend almost shut in bed, in pain everywhere and unable to do much. I was hungry and I hurt. So I gave in and took my RA shot last night and today, I have ants in my pants! I can NOT sit still. I was able to join my husband and our dog for a half-mile walk which doesn't sound like much, but when I tell you I was struggling to walk into the kitchen from the bedroom this weekend, you will see how huge that sounds. I have thoughts of getting on my stationary cycle and putting in 20 minutes just to amuse myself. Really. And I wonder now WHY I fought the meds so much? You know what I've concluded? I fought them because I don't want to see myself as someone who has RA, who needs medication, who sometimes needs to restrict her activities because of it. I want to see myself as healthy, as strong, as fit, and someone who can live life without worrying about pain. Of course, I refused to do the ONE thing that could get me to my idea self--which was take my shot. I see many of us doing this on the forum. We know we should track, but we don't want to be that person that has to track all her food, so we fight it. We know some of us can't eat carbs, but we have just a bite. We know we shouldn't keep Snacks in the house, but sometimes we do because we want to feel in control. I think our ideal selves often fight with our real selves, and sometimes, our ideal selves are what stand in the way of getting to our ideals, if that makes sense. Oh all the ways we find to self-destruct. I'm curious what your self-sabotaging behaviors are? Things that you KNOW you should do, but struggle with?

Thank you!! My 13-year old took it. All my good pics are ones my kids took

My dream is to be able to wear a white shirt and TUCK IT IN to my jeans, and wear high, high heels with it. I'm a simple girl with simple dreams

I've been thinking about that a lot since yesterday. I suspect that you could use coconut flour which would get nice and toasty. But it would change the taste I suspect. I've also been thinking of trying one with almond flour. We have four left to cook today and I think I'll try both those options and see how it works. Any other things you've tried for coating/breading?

Okay the crab cakes recipe is up! http://sleevers.wordpress.com/2013/09/23/417/

I tell myself to eat the Protein first and then, we'll see. By the time I eat the protein I'm too full for anything else anyway.

i had hoped to have started this by now since I am officially 6 weeks out but have been waylaid by pains and sprains, which brings me to my concern. If you can't get through one of the days they have, what do you do? Do you just go back and do it again the next day until you get it? Sorry if this is a stupid question, my ignorance about it is unblemished, but I am worried that if I get an RA flare-up or something and can't exercise one day, that I will never be able to go through it in the manner in which I am expected to. I also want to get my younger son doing it with me, and since he is only with me 4 days a week, if he skips a day while at the other house, I want to know how to accommodate that. Thanks for patiently asking silly, newbie questions.

I'm 7 weeks out and I am so hungry this week! I'm eating 700 calories, mainly Protein with between 60-80 gms of protein. I'm being good about not drinking too soon before and after meals. I eat about 2 oz of protein at each meal and am eating about 5 times a day. I know some people don't feel hungry but I have felt real hunger at mealtimes since the second week. But over the last week or two, I have been so hungry. I eat my 600-700 calories and go to bed hungry almost every night. My husband says this is because I'm losing weight again and not stalled. I have been losing half a pound a day as my hunger has increased (although my intake hasn't). Is that possible? This is not head hunger. I would eat a dry piece of chicken or something completely boring just to fuel myself. I will take a PPI starting tonight just to ensure its not acidity but I have zero heart burn. Surely if it was acidity, I'd feel some burning, right? I've lost 30 lbs so that's good, but I'm wondering what my calories should be right now? I'm now at 199 lbs. I'm just wondering if 700 cals are too low or just right for this time post op.

Well, here's a lesson learned. 200 calories used to sound like nothing in the old days. Now, it's a fourth of my daily allowance. Yes I understand this but when it came time to decide whether or not to have a Protein bar, I looked at it and said, oh, it's only 200 calories. Yeah. 200 calories that did NOT go thunk, that tasted like sugar, and now I am still very hungry. I am obviously not one of those that will feel no hunger. Every day at meal and snack time, I get hungry. And I have to eat right THEN otherwise i get nauseated and light-headed. So here we are, no dinner yet, and I only have 137 calories--and a very hungry tummy. Almost 5 weeks post-surgery, I still hadn't hit the 800 calorie mark. Today, it appears I will go over. (Insert sarcastic font here). Should REALLY help with the "no weight-loss over 10 days thing". I'm bummed because it feels a little like a slippery slope from the old days, where I'd go over my calorie limits "just that one day" because of something. I guess we all have to learn the hard way what our sliders are, but for me, Oh Yeah Protein Bars appear to be sliders. Of course, I now have a whole box full of them, but I guess I won't be eating them. I mean, I expected crackers, sweets, chips, donuts, popcorn, simple carbs etc. to be sliders, but it hadn't occurred to me something with 15 gms of protein would be a slider? Does that happen? Are there other things that are sliders for you that are not simple carbs?

Wow!

Just barely but I’m there. This is a term I learned from hanging out on various online forums. Onderland. That magic place when your weight starts with the number 1. I have to say, it’s less exciting for me than for some others because I didn’t start that much above it, and only had to lose 30 lbs to get there, but it’s a nice, mini-milestone. But here’s another way to look at it, and this does indeed excite me. Today, I have lost a third of the excess weight I need to lose. A third of the way there! Now that’s something to celebrate. It’s also a good way to know that the surgery is working, or rather than I am working it. Once I came off the stall, I seem to have lost .4 lbs, .2 lbs, .6 lbs, but it’s still a wonderful downward trend, and I think I’ll take it!

I've used senna and had no cramps. I think as long as you don't make a habit out if it, it's not bad for you.

Yay! Thats flattering my husband is trying a new crab cake recipe today that will simplify and post later tonight.