4me4them

I went to Wal-Mart Mart early in the morning of day 3 out of hospital just to get out of the house...didn't lift anything and only bought some body wash but it made me feel like a real person

Congrats! That is an awesome time...

I weight daily because it was harder to go a week...then see the scale not move. Weighing daily helps me put the scale in context. It is only one part of how I think about my progress...did I exercise, how was my stress...did I manage it...those kinds of things. By thinking broader than the scale I can usually stay focused...although I'm heading over to the "don't sweat the stall" forum cause dang the scale is stuck bottom line...whatever works for YOU is what you should do....

Yikes. Have you discussed with your surgeon? I'm 14 months and I have a few things that make me nauseous...but don't throw up regularly...

I had a nutra bullet...then got the nutra ninja for Christmas. What a difference! Comes with both pitcher and single serve which use the same base. Makes veggie/fruit much less "chunky" than the bullet...and can handle ice. Makes protein shakes with frozen fruit. Really loud though....

I like My Fitness Pal. It has a lot of foods already in the database. I've also used SparkPeople. Both also have phone apps...

Early on I planned my meals/snacks in my food tracker the night before. Then printed it and put times next to meals based on my calendar. Then checked things off. That way if I knew I was in meetings all morning...I could plan 1/2 a protein bar on a break...if I was at my desk maybe it was yogurt and fruit. I'm actually going back to this method this week because I've gotten cocky and haven't tracked the past few months...also haven't lost during that time Good luck!

I couldn't do the chewable vitamins at all. My nut thought it was the iron so I did a drugstore chewable without iron for the first three months. Let your doc/nut know if it happens regularly and hang in there!

Yay! It can be an exciting, frustrating, challenging, awesome, rewarding journey...sometimes all in one day. Be sure to think about and write down all your questions before your appointment...and good luck!

Welcome! I really didn't think I would....but I have struggled with my neck...lol. It's the one thing I can't cover...When it bugs me, and it is getting less often that it does, I focus on all the things I can do now...exercise, walk between tables in a restaurant without bumping into people, fly without a seatbelt extender....I could go on but I have to get ready for work I made the decision early on that I would love my new body for all the things it could do now...and for supporting me till I was ready to take care of it...not how it looks without clothes. I have an awesome husband of 31years who loved me heavier and now healthier and that definitely helps. It's all in how you frame it for yourself. Good luck!

Two things come to mind. First, keep (or start) tracking your food. It will help you manage your overall food intake. Second, if you are able start exercising. For me exercising helps me avoid my trigger foods by making me feel like I accomplished something and reducing my stress. You can figure this out...look how far you've come!

I went through buyers remorse for a few days...it totally sucked. But then as my energy came back I remembered why I thought it was important to have surgery in the first place. You will get through this and in a few weeks it will be but a blip on the screen....

Clothes shopping was definitely at the top of my list. The first time I realized I could shop outside the Womens/plus size section was AMAZING!

First Welcome! Maybe you could try focusing on the things you will be able to do instead of what you are giving up. Your mind can be an ally but sometimes it is a distraction. I made a list of all the things I was looking forward to doing (running with my husband) or or not doing (needing a seat belt extender on airplanes) Ended up with over 20 things. I read it whenever I got discouraged and most of the time it helped.

Work the plan and the plan will work. Not trying to be like Yoda....but I found that I really didn't have to believe...I just had to follow the plan. Start with really small bites, follow the surgeon's food guidelines and you will be great!

Work the plan and the plan will work. I don't mean to be all yoga like...but I found that I didn't need to have it all figured out and didn't even need to believe...I just needed to follow the plan my surgeon laid out. Start with small bites, stick to the prescribed foods and you will do great!

For me the first week was very low energy. After that week I went back to work half days (desk job not a lot of stress) and needed naps in the afternoon for another week or so. Then my energy level seemed to even out.

Welcome! I started by reading everything I could on the internet about the surgeons in my area. The went to a free seminar to learn more about the procedures...but more importantly the demeanor of the surgeon. Once I was ready to go the surgeon's office had some info on my insurance but I contacted the company directly as well. Good luck!

Welcome! You'll find lots of good ideas to consider and lots of people willing to share.

I think for me before I had the surgery I just didn't really believe that I could do it....losing over a hundred pounds was too much to take in. The success of actually seeing results from my work gave me the assurance I needed to do it for the long term.

Welcome to the forums! You will find lots of good folks with lots of experience.

Ok...can't do just one! Awesome refrigerator oatmeal. Mix the following: 1 premier protein vanilla drink, 1 container fat free Greek yogurt and 3 Tablespoons Chia seeds. Refrigerator at least overnight and up to 3 days. My favorite toppings are fresh blueberries, a few walnuts and a bit of honey but you can put anything on it!

Just made this Saturday but definitely in the rotation now...Thai coconut chicken soup! 1. In sauce pan saute in 1/2t olive oil, 4 cloves minced garlic and a 2 inch piece of ginger chopped fine until soft...about 3 minutes. 2. Add two carrots chopped, 1 red bell pepper sliced thin, 1cup shiitake mushrooms sliced and cook for 3-5 minutes. 3. Add 4 cups chicken stock, 1can coconut milk (I use the full fat kind), 1Tablespoon fish sauce, and one pound boneless skinless chicken breast, bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. While chicken is cooking, zest 2 limes. 4. Remove chicken, let it rest for 10 minutes then shred and return to pot along with the zest. 5. Serve topped with fresh Thai basil cut into thin strips.

You can spruce up chicken broth with some curry powder or some Italian seasoning...makes it taste less like canned soup.