Fluffnomore

If I were to get my boobs lifted (a long shot) I would definitely bring them down to a high B/low C. I have had ENOUGH of the big boobs. Even at my thinnest I was a 32/34G. I have never understood the women who get implants from a regular cup size. Then again, I've had these get in my way for at least 30 of my 45 years and I know the grass is always greener.

I ate too much and ended up my day over. On the other hand, because I controlled the menu everything I ate was just fine. It was too much to the extent that I didn't end up having any pumpkin pie (I had planned to scrape out the innards and have a little whipped cream.) But I was whipped.

I think the answer is that most of us think of ourselves as slow losers, whether that is actually the case or not. For me, I think I'm kind of average. Faster than some, slower than others. At 9 weeks I have had two different periods where I've been bouncing up and down around a 2-3 pound range for a week or more. Then I will suddenly go down an additional 2-3 pounds. If you look at my chart from about Dec 1 until now, I have lost just about 10 pounds. But those 10 pounds were basically in the first week and the last week. Averaged out, I am completely fine with the rate of loss. In the middle two weeks I didn't see how it was going to work. In the end, what someone else's rate of loss is has to be meaningless to me. Unless I know for sure that person has the same stats as I do, exercises the same amount and eats the same diet…oh, and has the same underlying health stuff…how can I say it's apples to apples?

Fat content of my meals matters less than how long it has been since I last ate. The more empty my system prior, the more likely the diarrhea.

I also hate to add this, but I had my gallbladder removed 5 years ago, and my digestive system (aka poops) have never been quite the same. Strangely, the surgery has meant that instead of having liquid BMs (generally somewhat explosive) each day, I maybe have them every few days. Others have said that this regulates further out. I wasn't normal to begin with, so I couldn't tell you. Yes, the fat content of your food may have something to do with it. Then again, maybe not? Mine always seem to hit as the first BM of the day and that is not a time that I have ever traditionally loaded up on fat. Good luck. You're not alone. As Lipstick Lady says, never trust a fart.

Hiccups are a warning sign for me. You might feel urpy (some of the liquids may come up again slightly.) Some people get a runny nose. In general, you will be able to drink more than you will be able to eat once you get to solids. My first couple of weeks I had to learn the idea that just because it was a serving, didn't mean I had to eat the whole thing.

Yes, I use the Premier RTDs almost exclusively now because prior to surgery I was a huge violator of "Oh, I'll toss in a banana, some strawberries, Peanut Butter, maybe some raw coconut…" One and done. I need to "keep it simple, stupid" for my own sake.

Thanks for these. Especially the first one made me say Wow! I used to get so annoyed because there would be something nice in the cupboard and I might get one taste, next time I went back it was gone. He is a real "finisher" and nothing is ever safe if it is open and he wants it. I just never made that connection before. For me, I would typically moderate myself because of guilt. That is, unless it was secret food. In which case all bets are off. So I know he doesn't hide his eating but I never cottoned on to the fact that if it is open maybe he can't resist. I just chalked it up to thoughtlessness and greed. I guess we will see how it goes with those chocolates. It took me a very long time to see the same thing. Any food in the house is kind of a free-for-all. Opened, or not. But while I think it is a bit thoughtless, there is the element of it being out of his control. We had an interesting spat over flavored creamers one time last year. I guess he realized that they taste dee-licious on Cereal. (Ewww.) I use them only in coffee, but I really don't drink coffee without them. And I like my coffee; it's a one cup a day habit. Well, sure enough one day I woke up. There had been nothing else in the house that he wanted to eat, and one and a half bottles of creamer were gone. Just gone. Not even a tablespoon for my cup. Although I normally restrain myself, I was very grouchy and yelled at him. He came home that night with about 5 or 6 bottles, and he hasn't touched the creamer since. I don't really know what the point of the story is. (Squirrel!) Just that it is a combination of things, but I think food/treats that are in the house and plain sight get "taken" much more often. And we, as the moms, as the peacemakers, whatever…we try to be polite about it. But I know I seethe too, and it's not really fair to anyone. It is just food, and it is replaceable. But oh man, is it ever annoying, probably on both sides of the coin.

Here's today's NSV, and I admit it's a strange one. For the first 17 years of our lives together, my husband and I had a lovely, bright red couch. Around 5 or 6 years ago it became "my spot" in the house. Hubs walked by one day and said, "I don't think Couch Potato is right. You're a Couch Tomato." This of course progressed into various tomato-ey nicknames, in particular the German-pronounced "Tomat." Nothing mean-spirited. Today he walked in, saw me sitting on the new couch (a lovely sage green) and said, "I just can't call you Tomat anymore. You do not have the tomato shape." He walked away; retreated into his lair. He returned about two hours later and said, "I now dub thee the Couch Scallion." Beautiful and touching, right?

If loving Richard Simmons is wrong, I don't want to be right.

I think somewhere in my materials it says to aim for no more than 100 carbs per day. That said, I aim for the percentages GG states above, but overall I think I end up between 40 and 60. It's not an exact science if I want any variety in my diet. But what you say is telling: a yogurt can easily be the difference between going above and staying on target in this formula!

It's more expensive…but I don't think there's anything wrong with it!

Because you're so close I would call your surgeon's office. At my one week appointment, the doctor said that one of the things that messes with things internally is coughing, so I don't know if I would take an expectorant without their guidance.

I'm almost out of my Flintstones and bought a bariatric vitamin. I can already tell I don't like the taste much (or the price) so I will be yabba-dabba-doing again after I'm done with the new ones.

My observation is that while it is possible to get the Protein in through food, there's almost nothing better protein-wise than a Premier Protein shake. If I have one of those, the other two "main" meals can be less than perfect protein choices, or be a little more carb heavy. I probably have one at least 5 days a week. I find it helpful. I also am trying to hit at least 80 grams of protein a day, which may be why I find this to be easier this way. I've just spent three days eating filet mignon/beef tenderloin leftovers; those were plenty high in protein too.

Is this in conjunction with a transition to more solid foods? If so, some of the vets have said it's normal to have increased restriction while you adjust. However, given my own experience, I was able to increase my intake with little to no problem, so I would call the doctor.

Great question. I think (thank goodness) that the food stuff is pretty formulaic at this point. I need to incorporate more vegetables but I haven't even tried salads yet. My biggest habit that I am trying to make solid as a rock is exercising 4 times per week. I'd say 5, but realistically that won't always work in my schedule. Ideally though I'd like to be at CrossFit 3x per week and swim two days. That said, my CrossFit coach has always said that nutrition is 80% of body definition/achieving fitness goals. In other words, you can work out 6 times per week but if you don't eat clean most of the time it's an exercise in futility, if changing your body is your goal. So, maintaining these eating habits, such as they are. Exercising as much as I can, given a really hectic schedule. Remembering that panic is futile; planning is key.

This was the easiest surgery in terms of pain I have had. (I've had 4 or 5 surgeries altogether.) I know that I may not be the norm, but I was expecting much worse.

Okay, here are better baby pictures of poor J. And a bonus one of his dad. I want to say the first is at about 4 months. Still not the cutest baby. The second, however, is probably around 8 or 9 months when he was becoming adorable. Just because they're uncanny…the older photo is of my husband as a baby. Both kids have looked at this and said, "Who's the guy holding me?"

That's definitely part of it, Ribearty! I think C was about 5 or 6 months old, and J was about 8 weeks old. However, C was one of those babies who was even cute in the Winston Churchill stage... I don't have a good representation of photos of them on this computer. I pulled those off of Facebook. I'll see if I can get some newer ones. PS, I know I am an unnatural mother, but I love that Mr. Magoo picture. I just think it is so funny, particularly knowing the child that baby grew into. He is completely full of personality.

I still crush mine and break open the capsule of the one extended release I use. I don't see the surgeon again until late January; I'll ask them then.

You guys, even if we all have PPOs with the same insurance company it doesn't mean the requirements and or coverage are the same. Here's a quick primer on health insurance coverage: http://obesitycoverage.com/insurance-and-costs/ I'm not trying to be difficult. I just know from talking with others who have different employers and have had the same surgery that the requirements are all over the place.

I'm 9 weeks out, and for the last 4 weeks I have basically been within about a 3 pound range. Mostly down by tiny tiny increments, but occasionally back up. I'm holding kind of steady now. If I look back, I've lost "only" 10 pounds in the last 5 weeks, but with a lot of bouncing around. My measurements have also gone down another 4 or 5 inches overall since the beginning of the month. I haven't changed anything. I recognize that I might be able to game the system a bit if I took my calories down 100 or 200 (I usually clock in around 900-1000), but I also started exercising again 3 weeks ago, and that is the location of most of the stall/bouncing/whatever. I will maybe reevaluate if I only lose 2 pounds in the *next* 5 weeks, but for now I want to be sure I don't throw my system into shut down, as my workouts tend to be kind of intense. I'd like to see the scale go down, of course…but I am constantly reminding myself that my perspective is wacky. I'm eating 1,000 calories a day and exercising away an additional 400-500 at least 4 days a week. The weight will come off. It has no choice. If I were eating 2000 calories a day and maintaining, that would be a different thing. I feel like I don't really know what my tipping point is yet, but I doubt it's 1000.

I'm not sure what you mean.

GG, they both look like their dad now. But the second child was so different looking from the first as an infant, that I swear my husband asked in the delivery room, "Is there something wrong with him?" Not a pretty baby. At all. He turned into a really cute toddler though. And their faces are somewhat similar now, at 11 and 14.