Kindle

Ok, the saddle passed the fit test and a bucking test! Had a great ride with a slight fiasco that resulted in a 4 horse pileup while trying to traverse a decrepit bridge across a boggy area. The lead horse fell through a rotten spot, freaked out, spun and head back down the three foot wide bridge, shoving me and another horse off the bridge into the bog. My horse managed to get back up on the bridge and she decided that bucking, jumping and double barrel kicking was the most effective way to get back to terra firma. We slammed into the 4th horse who fortunately, stood her ground. And I stayed in the saddle! Meanwhile, the second horse had sunk to his belly up the boggy slope. We ended up rolling him back down towards the bridge, where he was able to get back to his feet. Everyone came out unscathed. Other than that, it was an awesome ride to a beautiful waterfall. I'm still fine tuning the rigging, but as for the drink holder, I had a Water bottle sleeve that hooks onto your belt for hiking that worked great attached to the breast collar! I sipped my Syntrax nectar Apple Ecstasy all the way up the trail. And since I'm such a geek, here's a picture of the saddle and a shot of me and my horse after the bog incident...those are splotches of mud on my shirt.

BigCounty007, I don't quite have your abs, yet, but maybe they're coming.... And FYI, I haven't been to a gym in about six years. I have an active job as a vet tech, I ride horse, kayak, and just today did no less than 75 "reps" lifting, loading, unloading and stacking 80 pound bales of hay. Pilates and weight training has nothing on good, healthy country living!

I had my surgery with Dr. Martinez and Dr. Ariel Ortiz at Obesity Control Center in Tijuana. The facility was clean, well equipped, and the whole staff spoke English, had outstanding qualifications and I've had good postop followup and communication with them. At 7 months out I feel great, my 6 month bloodwork was all normal and I've already passed my surgeon and personal goals (and still losing) As for immediate postop, I walked to Walmart twice (about 2 miles total) the day after surgery. Went shopping in the Revolution area two days out, flew back day 3, went grocery shopping and drove myself home 5 hours on day 4 and was back at work day 7. Getting in all my fluids and Protein was definitely a full time job and I was tired for a few weeks, but really no pain. I would have loved to spend more time in sunny Mexico rather than come back to sub zero, snow covered Idaho in December, but I had dogs and cats and horses and work to get back to.

You have to change your eating habits postop anyways, so it is a good test to see if you are willing to do that. If you aren't committed to change, then your surgeon is right to not move forward. Does your medical team have a therapist you can meet with? Maybe working with him/her could get you on track. I was self pay, so no therapist for me. But Cynthia Alexander's book "The Emotional First Aid Kit: A Practical Guide for Life After Bariatric Surgery" really helped me understand what to expect both pre and post op and to get my head in the right place. Being mentally ready is even more important for long term success than all the preop medical tests and insurance hoops you have to go through.

I think all RTD shakes are too thick and sweet. I mix my Premier 1/2 and 1/2 with milk and then they are perfect (and adds 10 more grams of protein)

I take Garden of Life Vitamin Code Healthy Blood. Besides iron, it also contains Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and B12, Folate (which is another nutrient bariatric patients can get low on), and a raw veggie/mineral/probiotic/enzyme blend. Since we aren't supposed to take iron with meals or calcium or other multivitamins, I keep it beside my bed and take it in the middle of the night when I get up to pee. I've never had it upset my tummy. I used to take it 3-4 times/week, but my 6 month bloodwork actually showed high iron level so I decreased it to 1-2 times/week. I do also eat a lot of red meat, eggs and dark leafy green veggies that are all good sources of iron.

You are asking to compare apples and oranges. Whey isolate is available in dozens of different brands and flavors. Premier is a particular brand of Protein supplement that contains milk protein concentrate and isolate, Calcium caseinate, as well as whey protein. From a nutritional standpoint, whey isolate is the most readily absorbed form of protein. It is even better utilized than any real food protein source including eggs, meat, fish, etc. because of that I'm not sure why some nuts and doctors discourage their patients from supplementing with high quality Protein drinks. The milk and caseinate Proteins are absorbed slower, but good for a longer "slow burn" source of protein and energy. This is the type of protein you get from eating and drinking dairy products including milk, cottage cheese, cheese and Greek yogurt. That being said, I love all flavors of Premier if diluted with milk, Muscle Milk powders, Garden of Life Raw Protein and Raw Fit, Syntrax nectar and Syntrax Matrix products. These provide me with a variety of protein sources, including sprouted seeds.

Check out the Mexico and self pay gastric sleeve surgery forum.... http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/486-self-pay-mexico-gastric-sleeve-surgery/ Research like crazy before choosing a surgeon. Look closely at the facility, staff, and followup care, too I used Dr. Ariel Ortiz and Dr. Martinez at Obesity Control Center in Tijuana. Great experience, wonderful facility, no complications and excellent results. PM me if you'd like more info.

I use my hamilton beach dual wave blender. Love this thing!

Even at convenience stores you can pick up acceptable road Snacks and drinks to help you feel "normal" and not a Debbie downer.... Beef Jerky, mixed nuts, Peanut Butter, milk, Sobe/Vitamin Water zero, coffee, etc. Some even have fresh fruit in the cooler or near the counter. I've found Muscle Milk in quite a few gas stations. check out the snack bar section for one you haven't tried before that doesn't have too much sugar. If you end up at a fast food restaurant, you can always get a burger or grilled chicken and not eat the bun. Arby's roast beef minus the bun is my favorite fast food option. Don't worry too much about what you can and can't eat...just enjoy being with your friend and have fun!

This person is either a complete fake, looking for attention and getting a good chuckle at all the hell he's raising..... Or he is for real and well beyond any help from us. He refuses to listen to his doctor, refuses to take his prescribed medication, refuses to even attempt to eat healthy. Why would he listen to and follow any advice on here? He might be one of the the laziest, most selfish and inept young men I've ever heard of. He has a 3.8 GPA and can't manage to read and follow a recipe? He can't find which aisle the healthy food in a grocery store is? How about throwing some precooked frozen grilled chicken (available at Cosco, BTW) in the microwave and setting the timer to 30 seconds?!? He needs to seek help from a professional mental health care provider that specializes in eating disorders. But I also don't think he even wants to try and get help. He obviously wants attention and sympathy but has no real interest in making any changes or taking any responsibility. We are just beating a dead horse by continuing to post advice.

Huevos rancheros minus the tortilla...refried Beans, egg, cheese and green chili. Favorite at ANY stage! (Except liquids) The only problem that I had with tomato soup was that it tasted too sweet to me (really!). I puréed it with Italian sausage to cut the sweet.

Isopure and the Suprep bowel prep I had to drink before my colonoscopy were the only two things that made me gag postop

Fingers crossed for you. I'm not saying to Not take it, I just think the hairloss thing is kind of a crapshoot. It's gonna happen or not. But good nutrition can only help, so you might as well take the biotin along with your other vitamins and protein.

First of all, 35 pounds is not a slow loss....Thats about what I had lost at 3 months out and I was thrilled. As for what to eat......Protein, protein, protein.... Protein shakes, chicken, fish, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, pork, burger, ham, steak, eggs, protein bars, refried beans, edamame, avocados, tuna fish, cheese, Unjury unflavored powder mixed in soups and casseroles. If you are cleared for it, eat plenty of non-carby veggies (after your protein) ....kale, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini, carrots, etc. Also make sure you are drinking plenty of water (minimum 64oz) and taking all your vitamins.

Mmmmmmmm....crab boil... I spent my college summers on the Maryland/Virginia shore as a marine science major and LIVED on crab and shrimp boils. Awesome restraint!

There is 300mg in my multivitamin. I never took any extra. No hair loss at 7 months out, but I always got in all my protein.

I just made sure everything I drank had protein in it.... Premier, Syntrax Nectar, Syntrax Matrix, Garden of Life Raw Fit, drinkable yogurt (very encouraged by my surgeon), and Unjury unflavored powder in soups and broths. For example, I would dilute 11 oz Premier chocolate with 12 oz skim milk, which gave me 23oz fluid and 42g protein. I usually met the 60g protein goal easier than the 64oz fluid goal.

Thanks . Guess I should have put a "crazy horse lady" disclaimer in the post title. But then again, my avatar and user name (kindle is my horse's name) kinda gives it away....

I wish the both of you the best of luck...nothing like being in the saddle!

I choose to eat off plan sometimes because I'm realistic. And human. I did not have this surgery to live a restricted life....I did it to be free. And I am. I'm free to live a normal, healthier, thinner life and still eat the things I enjoy. The difference is I have one slice or a couple bites instead of the whole pizza or 1/2 the cake. I've been doing this since I started feeling "normal" at about 3 months out and I've blown past my surgeon's and personal goals. At 7 months I'm at a normal BMI, my bloodwork is great and I'm still losing. But like I said before, this is not the only way, it's just my way, and everyone needs to find what works for them and what they can live with for the next several decades.

HW 238 SW 216 CW 148 TPL 90 TGP 88 No change this week.

I liked this one, too.

I eat when I get hungry...every 3 hours or so. I don't really distinguish between a meal or a snack. Hungry is hungry and eating is eating. I usually only eat enough to not feel hungry anymore, not necessarily until I'm full. And I drink Water or a Protein smoothie or juice in between. Honestly, if I only ate three times/day I would be seriously undernourished because I can't eat that much in a single sitting. What difference does it make how many times you eat as long as it is good choices and you aren't exceeding your body's caloric needs? The huge difference in rules and guidelines dished out by all the nuts just confirms none of them really has the "right" answer. I've managed to pass my surgeon's goal and my personal goal weight without a single postop consult from a so called "expert". Like squeaker said, you have to find what works for you in order to have long term success.

If it's the caffeine you think you need there are caffeine pills available. If it's the Diet Mtn Dew that you really crave then it's just head hunger. I weaned myself off caffeine about two months before surgery and have never looked back. I do like coffee (and tea), I just do decaf now. Go ahead and take a couple swigs of Mtn Dew. The pain from the carbonation will probably stop your craving for it. That's what I did with beer, which I drank a lot of before surgery! Or you might not feel a thing, and you can go ahead and start drinking it again. You are a grown up and you can make your own choices, good or bad...whatever makes you happy. I'm not saying this to be a smartass, it's just that sometimes you gotta touch the stove and find out for yourself whether or not it burns.