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The only one I've found that I like is Premier Protein at SAMs club

Thanks for doing this Bea! The Thanksgiving challenge definitely motivated me & I'm sure this one will too :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!! Beginning challenge weight: 239 Thanksgiving goal: 225 Today's weight : 223 Woohoo!

You guys both look awesome!!! :-)

Totally normal, like you said! I remember distinctly having a very similar freak-out once all my insurance requirements were met and the co-insurance was paid.... Kind of like a "no turning back now" kind of moment. Luckily I had been keeping a blog since I began my journey back in January and I went back to my weight loss bucket list post and reminded myself of all the reasons I wanted the surgery - things I wanted to do - be able to do - and ways I wanted to feel, etc. That got me through that moment. As for now I can honestly, 100% tell you that though emotionally the first couple of weeks were hard, I have never for one single moment regretted my decision and life gets more "new normal" every single day. Hang in there! If you are confident in the reasons you chose this in the first place, then you will pull through and won't regret it!

Some feet shrinking. Not a ton for me. Maybe 1/2 a size. 9 to 8.5. I can still wear my old shoes though. As far as sex drive, definitely increased. I don't know that it really has to do directly with the surgery as much as it has to do with me feeling way better about myself, feeling more confident and sexier than I have in a decade. I actually bought and wore lingerie for the first time in years.

I do specifically remember days 2 and 3 being the worst for me emotionally..... Hang in there.... Once you get past that hurdle the rest goes a lot easier. I will also echo others and say don't stock up on too much before surgery. I went way overboard and bought a ton of Protein shakes, puddings, jellos, Soups, etc and found that I liked very few of them. I ended up throwing out a whole bunch.

I agree with what others had posted. I wish I had known how emotionally difficult the first couple of weeks would be, just so that I could have been better prepared. I also wish I had known that breaking the emotional ties to food would be so hard. There is LITTLE talk of that in the surgery prep classes, etc. And I also wish I had known about the surgery as an option many years ago, because despite how hard it can be at times, it is the best thing I have ever done "for myself"

Definitely take your measurements. I didn't start taking measurements until about 1 month post-op and SO wish I would have started pre-op. Seeing the inches go away will help motivate you when the scale stays the same. :-)

From time to time my girls want to go there and I've gotten a skinny latte with fat-free milk. The tall is 100 calories, a bit higher in sugar & carbs than I would like, but for a time to time thing, I don't have a problem with it. They also have the seasonal peppermint mocha in a "skinny" version too. If you want fewer calories you could even do a "short" for 8 oz. Plus it has a fair amount of Protein (10g), so it's not all bad. :-) Here is their nutrition chart http://www.starbucks.com/menu/catalog/product?drink=espresso#view_control=product I would say planning ahead and knowing what is "safe" for you to get would be the biggest thing.

Current weight: 224 New Years Goal: 210

Starting challenge weight- 239 Thanksgiving goal weight -225 Current weight -224 Ready for the New Years Challenge!!

I am currently .6 under Thanksgiving goal! Woohoo! Highest weight: 278.4 Beginning challenge weight: 239 Current weight: 224.4

So I was trying to set some long-term goals and trying to see what would be reasonable. So I went back and tracked my loss by month. In the first month I lost 27 pounds, in the 2nd I lost 16 pounds. If I was able to continue the 16lb/month loss, I would be well under my ultimate weight loss goal in May, which would be 9 months post op. Do you think that is reasonable? I don't want to set myself up for disappointment and discouragement, but at the same time, I want something to motivate and push me.

Kind of random, but my prescription heartburn meds are in capsule form. The pharmacist told me to take the capsule apart and just take the little beads inside and throw the capsule away right after surgery. I'm 9 weeks post-op now. Do you all know if we can every take capsules?? Or if I will have to always do this? It's kind of gross! :-) My surgeon said I can take pills that are the size of a m&m or smaller, but I forgot to ask specifically about the capsules. What do you all do/think?

Yep, I'm definitely in! I'll post my starting and goal after the Thanksgiving Challenge ends.

My surgeon said that the research is torn on coffee. One concern is that it could be an appetite stimulant, but if that is not an issue, then I could drink it in moderation. Usually I don't drink it though. I kind of enjoy being "free" of my need for caffeine. However, if there is a morning when I am out of my usually protein-shake Breakfast I will get a coffee for that energy boost. Not the best exchange, but it is what it is. :-) To answer your question though, I had my first cup at probably 3 weeks post op, after it was "ok'd" at my post op check up.

My surgeon told me at that point not to even think about calories, but to focus on the liquid and the Protein. If you are getting that, you should be golden. To give you a point of reference, I'm 10 weeks post op and range between 450-650 cal/day.

Oh and the endoscopy was a piece of cake.

When I started with my first consultation back in January 2013 I was certain I wanted the bypass. As I read and did more research, I realized that the part of the process that concerned me the most was not the surgery itself but the re-routing of the intestines, the malabsorption part of it, and the possible complications from those two things. That is not to say there are not possible complications with the Sleeve, but for me, those were my main concerns. I realized because of that that the sleeve was a better option for me, even though I may be able to lose more weight with the bypass. I feel like whichever surgery I had would be an awesome tool. if the difference between what I would lose with the 2 surgeries would be 20 pounds more with the bypass, than I would do the sleeve -which I was more comfortable with -and WORK IT to get those extra 20 pounds or so off. Know what I mean? That's how I came to my decision and haven't regretted it! I would say though, don't depend on anyone's experience....read up, do as much research as you can, and make the most informed decision possible that you feel the most comfortable with.

I think most people have that moment of pause whenever they've completed all or almost all of the requirements and surgery is very close. I know I did. Whenever I had that moment I just went back to my list of all the reasons I wanted to go through with it. As far as the fear of failing, we all had that and HAVE that now (at least I do) to some extent. I think the biggest thing for me is that this really is NOT another diet fad. This is a complete change of lifestyle and a complete change in your relationship with food.

Just be honest, and try not to worry about it! I know I was pretty nervous about mine, just not knowing what to expect. They are really trying to just make sure that you are ready to make the changes that will be necessary for this surgery and that you have some sort of support system.

Thanks! I knew it slowed down a bit at some point, but I wasn't sure exactly when that was, and it's probably different for everyone.

Starting challenge weight - 239 Current weight - 226 Goal weight 225 Gah. I've been stuck at 1 pound from Thanksgiving goal for 4 days now! Annoying!!

Ugh!! I've been stuck at 226 - 1 pound away from my Thanksgiving goal - for 4 days now! How is that even possible! LOL..... Time to mix it up a little today...not sure how exactly!