mysleeveid13

Oh my gosh, you sound like you live with us! Diners, Drive In's, and Dives...Man vs Food, No Reservations, Bizarre Foods, Food Paradise, you name it, we watch it. I think the strangest thing I'm doing now is buying stuff for my husband to eat....meaning, if I'm really craving something I can't have, I'll get it for him. It's bizarre. It's almost like eating vicarously through him! I just hope he doesn't gain all I lose!

I drank diet soda and super sweet southern tea like an alcoholic drinks liquor. I had one or four with every meal. I felt like I couldn't function in the morning until I got that first sip of ice cold diet cherry coke! I felt like my food couldn't digest without it. I was really worried about it before my surgery. I'm 7 weeks post op and I only drink unsweet tea with splenda. I NEVER could do that before the surgery. I'm down 48 pounds and just returned to work this week and everyone is noticing! I've worked so hard at the gym and followed everything to a T. So the more I lose the less I miss! I don't miss overeating every meal until I threw up or felt my food sitting all the way up to my throat. I don't miss the GUILT that came with every binge meal. I don't miss dodging people that haven't seen me since I gained so much weight because I knew they were going to think, "Wow! She blew up!" I don't miss taking vacation days to get out of team builders at work when they were going to do yoga or zumba because I was too embarrassed to be that big and jiggling around in front of my coworkers. I could go on and on......

Funny, I thought I was the only one looking at food on Pinterest! I would look up bariatric recipes for my next phase and save them. I watched all the cooking shows. I even baked cookies several times in my first two weeks for my family. Even though I couldn't eat them I loved the smell and how they bade my family happy to eat them. So weird! But it will get better. Once you are able to get some variety in your diet, you will realize that you aren't even eating any of these things you have been craving. I was on clear liquid diet for two weeks then full liquids for two weeks. When I got to the 13th day, I had a melt down. I was so sick of broth and sf popsicles! I actually sat there and cried...but once I was able to add something new, I felt much better. Hang in there!

Bluesea - I sent you a PM. Sorry you're having trouble.

1) height / weight starting our wls programs: 255, 5' 7" 2) weight day of surgery: 243 3) weight seven week post op / pounds lost/gained: I weigh 210, 2 pounds lost this week, 45 pounds total 4) goal weight:150ish 5) your biggest success this week: going back to work and having to buy new pants on my lunch. Started in a 22/24 and bought a 16!!! People have been complimenting me at work that I didn't even know that they knew me. 4 people have asked directly if I had surgery and one just assumed and asked how I was healing and if I was tolerating foods well. So long story longer....I guess it's showing! 6) your biggest struggle this week: sleeping and still have horrible reflux. I slept great before I went back to work and for some reason I'm only getting maybe 3 hrs sleep before that alarm goes off at 5. Boo. But...As sleepy as I am, I have gone to the gym and done 45 mins to an hour on the elliptical each day!

Thank you! And congratulations! I hope to be right behind you on hitting the ones!

OH and as exhausted as I was from not sleeping the night before work going over and over in my head if I had my Breakfast, lunch, Snacks, gym clothes, kids clothes, etc packed for daycare, blahblahblah, getting up at 4:30 am and working all day, I STILL went to the gym! I rearranged my work schedule today to leave in time to hit the gym on the way home before I have to pick up the kids. I'm doing it, people! Sorry, I'm a bit giddy.

how do you add the weight you've lost each week? I finally added a ticker. I feel challenged on this site. the actual website is TOTALLY different from the phone app. been searching around and I can't find it. Thought it would be a good way to see what I've done each week since we've been faithful about posting it each week. oh and my first two days back at work have been great. I've gotten so many compliments and a few people have asked what I've been doing. I felt bad for one girl who truly was asking for her own good and I might just have to approach her later and add that I had surgery. She was asking me like she needed advice. You can tell when people are just being nosey. I wish I didn't have such a guilty conscience! But another girl came straight out and said, "Did you have 'the surgery'?" I didn't answer and she said, "Or are you just exercising?" I said, "Oh yeah..." so I didn't answer either question specifically. I just can't believe people are nosey enough to ask you straight up. But whatever. So far, haven't told anyone at work that didn't already know before I went out and those people and I are friends outside of work and two of them had surgery themselves. I think I'm going to keep it to myself.....for now. Oh and a huge NSV! my clothes are literally falling off, so I had to go buy some new pants for work and I went from a 22 or 24 depending upon the size to a.....wait for it......16! I just kept going to the rack grabbing a smaller size in disbelief! Wow. That felt great!!!!!!!!

Oops, guess it attached....but it's sideways.....sorry. (and 3 times....)

Ok so I made a taco casserole tonight (minus the tacos - haha). I put fat free refried beans on the bottom, cooked up some ground turkey with taco seasoning and put it on top, poured a little enchilada sauce over it all and topped with cheese and baked it. Once separated into 4 oz or less portions, there were 24 servings. I took my 4 oz mason jars and put a couple in fridge for lunch this week and the rest in the freezer. In the one I put in my lunch for tomorrow, I included a little 1 oz side of fat free sour cream. I don't know about you all, but I love having already prepared meals to just grab out of my freezer. I'm doing this with each meal we have for dinner so I have quite the variety to choose from. Tried to attach a picture but the site kept crashing.

You look great and your hair is fabulous!!!! Congratulations! I love the analogy about the potholes.

Thank you! I really don't think I want to share either because I don't want everyone watching what I eat, etc. But there have been several people in our office (I work for a major corporation so there's hundreds of people in our buidling) have WLS. Some kept secret and some just told. The newest thing has been to "assume" someone had WLS when they go out on leave and come back losing weight. But whatever. I guess they can think what they want. I really wish I didn't care. I honestly think maybe my boss slipped up and shared with someone and is now trying to cover herself. Oh and I also had someone that never calls me outside of work, except when trying to get personal info, call right before I went out and ask me if everything was ok and why I was going to be out. I just said I had some health issues to resolve. ...which is true.....that's what this is all about, right? Getting off my BP meds and getting healthy!

Dr Macik at Northside Hospital did my surgery. You can research him online. He's done the most Gastric Sleeve surgeries in Georgia.

Oh and when my boss announced to the team that I would be out for a while, I just told them I was taking care of some health issues and that I would be ok...When they asked.

I go back to work tomorrow and instead of dreading getting the little ones up at 5 am and getting everyone dressed and to daycare, I am freaking out about what I'm going to tell everyone. I took the whole 6 weeks off and I'm hoping that my 42 pounds lost are as obvious to everyone else as they are to me.....so I KNOW there will be people asking where have you been are you ok how are you losing weight etc. What did you all tell people? I know I've been this horse until it's dead but I really don't know what to do. My boss is really pressuring me to tell the "truth" and I know she can't do that but she's normally really nice so I don't want to jeopardize my normally really flexible work relationship with her BUT I don't think I should have to tell anyone until I'm ready. My coworkers are mostly really skinny, eat what they want and REALLY gossipy. Any advice from those of you that have gone back and already had these questions?

Keep me posted....I'm willing to get it if it works. Worried about mine, too. I haven't noticed any shedding any more so than normal, but due to the 2 weeks of Clear Liquids then a real bad bout of nausea for a while, I know I didn't get all the Protein I needed in the first month. Question: (I know each nut is different, but just wondering ) I can't find anything saying when I can try cucumber.....I know I probably need to peel them and take out seeds (but usually get the seedless). I'd like to try some with some hummus but scared since nothing I have from my surgeon or nut mentions adding them.....

Here are more.... http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2011/04/got-eggs.html?m=1 This website has all kinds of WLS recipes that have really helped me to avoid getting bored. Just surf around and you can also search by purees or whatever.

Awesome!!!!!! You go, lady! I hope to be next...Although mine will probably be a few weeks from now. I'm hovering around 212. I go back to work on Monday. I'm hoping to keep up the exercising with the long days in the office. It has been easy with the kids in school and being at home alone....but going back to work and having the kids home will be different. I must do it!!!!

I haven't tried tuna yet. I had pureed chicken salad that I made from the canned chicken and it was great. ..but I tried store bought chicken salad and pureed it and the pickles made me really sick. But I went back to pureed chicken salad that I made and it was great.

[ATTACH]44981[/ATTACH] These are the mini crust less quiches or egg bites I told you about.....These are turkey sausage, swiss, and sautéed mushrooms. So far these are my favorite. When I think I can tolerate spinach I'm going to do feta and spinach. Pack them in snack bags in individual servings of two and quick 10 secs in microwave and quick Breakfast on the go! With 3 kids, these have been so helpful!

Congratulations! You look amazing. I'm 6 weeks out today and I just love to see the progress people have made. Good for you, mama! I'll be posting my pics on here one day!

Melodica (well can be for everyone but you specifically mentioned you were tired of meat)- I found this blog "The World According to Egg Face". She was a WLS patient and she has a TON of recipes. You can get lost on her site....but long story longer, I found these egg bites or crust less quiches on there. You can basically put whatever you want in them and once you start making them you won't even look at recipes anymore. You can just throw leftovers in them. You use a mini muffin pan and one batch makes 24. You can freeze them and just grab 2-3 (I can only eat 2 so far) and toast them a little or nuke for a few secs to warm for quick on the go meal. I have made 4 batches so far. One has turkey bacon, mushrooms and swiss cheese (I cooked the mushrooms and bacon then gave them a few spins in the food processor to chop real small) and throw in some seasoning and beaten eggs and bake for 30 mins. Really yummy. And I did another batch with turkey sausage and extra sharp cheddar. Taste great and lots of Protein. Maybe some of those can get you out of the blues.....hope this helps. Oh here's the link...if you scroll to the middle of the page there are a bunch of different recipes for these things (also, you can scroll around on her site and find all kinds of recipes, even for pureed stage) http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/11/party-like-rock-star-post-wls-style.html?m=1

Oops, I missed number 7 what is your goal next week. Honestly, just to keep it together. I'm returning to work on Monday and it's also the 1 year anniversary of my dad's death, so I'm thinking it might be a roller coaster of a day. Excited to feel good about wearing some new clothes to work and thinking I will get a lot of questions since I took the whole 6 weeks off. I only told 2 Co - workers and my boss so I don't know what I'm going to say. I'm pretty excited about my results, so part of me wants to say, "Yeah, I took charge of my health and I had surgery. " But as I've mentioned before, I work with a bunch of catty, gossipy, mostly skinny women who a) don't understand and will say congratulations to your face then talk trash as you walk away. So I hate that I'm even thinking about it. What have you said when you get questions? I know it's been discussed before and I'm not trying to beat a dead horse.....just trying to get some ideas. I'm really bad about the truth just flowing right out of my mouth....As you can see from my long winded posts. ...

1. 5' 7" 255 lbs 2. 243 lbs 3. 212 lbs 2.8 lbs down this week 43 lbs total 4. 150-ish 5. Biggest achievement is getting my energy back. I still crash towards the end of the day but no naps and still functioning properly. Worked out 4 days straight last week! Then walked around a water park and swam for the entire day! Normally, I would have been begging to sit down and wanting to hide in my bathing suit. 6. Reflux!!!!!!! It's really bad. Taking carafate, 2 priolosec and gaviscon and it still feels like my chest is on fire!!! Feels like a huge lump of coals in my throat. Hopefully meds will start helping.

So I just checked my meal plan from my nutritionist and I'm obviously not getting all the food, Protein, or liquids in. I'll try harder this week... here is the pureed/soft stage meal plan. This is just for an idea of what to eat...hope you can see it. [ATTACH]44833[/ATTACH]