BLERDgirl

No you go at your pace. Listen to your body.

That used to be the case, but honestly most of the makeup companies are own by conglomerates now and they often manufacture in the same factories both their drug store and retail products. You'd be surprised what companies Estee Lauder owns. Like I said, I judge by pigmentation and durability. The exceptions to that for me are professional level products like Ben Nye, Kryolan or RCMA cosmetics. In my own personal kit I have a healthy mix of both.

@@MichelleTN - I haven't used that in years! I played around with it in high school/college. Unfortunately it's not very brown gal friendly.

MAC is an okay mid-range product. The product is not as good a is used to be prior to being acquired by Estee Lauder but it is very popular and easily accessible. I still like MAC for their eye shadows, but for foundation prefer Coverfx, brows I like NYX, MUFE, Anastasia. Drugstore brands I like Revlon, ELF, NYX.

Biotin pills and Jamaican Black Castor oil. Also decrease the frequency of your retwist. I only retwist every 4 - 6 weeks. Make sure you are getting in all your Protein as well.I actually have some Jamaican Black Caster Oil. Started using it a few days ago. Not a good smell. Yeah the smell is not that great. I use it at night and sleep with a satin bonnet on. The smell is usually mostly gone by morning.

You lost 22lbs in 2 weeks and that's not good enough? How much more did you expect and why? Well i thought it was good and im so glad ive lost anything. but ive seen many other people post there down alot more so i started beating myself up about it. Please don't diminish your accomplishment by comparing yourself to others. Think back to the last time you lost that much weight in such a short period of time. For many the answer is never. There are too many factors to consider; people are different heights, different starting weights, men tend to lose faster than women, higher starting weights lose rapidly at the beginning, some people were on pre-op liquid diets and count the weight loss pre-op in their totals, old vs young, other health conditions, etc..... Be proud of what you have lost. Focus on YOUR program. It's nice to chat and share experiences here, but remember you paid a surgeon and his medical team to help you monitor your weight loss. They are the ones you ultimately need to consult with.

Sounds like you'll have to wait a few months to see how your body adapts to the synthroid. My sister takes syntrhoid and it took a few months to get the levels right.

@@Butterfly512 - That's a head game. Changing that thinking is matter of self examination and being brutally honest with yourself. Who would willingly cut out a portion of their bodies if there was another way? Who thinks anesthesia, and surgery is easy? Who thinks completely changing how you eat and think about food is easy? I had a really easy hospital course, no pre-op diet and no post-op issues, no even gas and I *still* wouldn't consider this easy. I still have to make good food choices on a daily basis. I make sure I get to the gym on a regular basis. I am happy to do it, but there are days I'd love nothing more than to sleep in all day and have a pizza for dinner. As for what friends and family have to say about the surgery. I don't know when it happened, but my ability to give a damn about what they thought left me loooooonnnnng ago.

Your doctor should have reviewed your levels and explained what normal levels are. If he hasn't call him and have him do so.

Too much of anything is not a good idea. I would actually look to address the sweet tooth rather than OD on fruit. (For me eating heavily processed foods made me crave sweets). I eat fruit quite regularly, however I make it a point to limit that to 1 - 2 sleeve size portions. I may have a bit in my morning Protein drink and then again in an afternoon snack if needed. I'm a vegetarian so I also have to keep in mind all the fruits that we commonly think of as vegetables. So if I have a salad that means tomatoes, peppers and avocados.

I eat broccoli no problem, but then again I seem to have the tummy made of steel. Perhaps try something a bit gentler like chopped spinach? I find adding it to my protein keeps me full longer and still satisfies my craving for veg.

You're doing it right. Find something you like and find is fun. Aquafit is my main exercise because it incorporates light weight lifting and aerobic workouts that are easy on my knees, but I also got my bike serviced and ride it as well as trying new things like African dance class and rediscovering hiking. I was always an active person and my increase strength and flexibility from aquafit makes these new venture fun. I will recommend getting an activity tracker. Any kind will do. Just read a few reviews to find one that meets your needs. I find them to be a nice reminder to move and be active.

I find it hard to understand why they have no upped her to a stronger anti-nausea med. Going back and forth for IV fluids is not addressing the issue. I'd be furious and ready to start calling for second opinions and possibly a new doctor.

I'm not sure if it's stronger, but our bodies can sometimes react better to one med versus another even when they are designed to do essentially the same thing. You might be one of the ones who does better on carafate. It appears to be stronger than Nexium and Prilosec. It might be worth it to ask your doctor about it. Are you on a PPI of any sort? I would suggest speaking to your doctor about getting a prescription for omeprazole or something similar. Once you address the acid issue, you can work on walking and moving more.

I was unsure what the carafate was for! I have it too an am taking it four times a day (surgery 4/8)... So it is to coat our stomach? To aid in healing I guess? It's also to prevent acid/heartburn. If left unchecked this can lead to stomach ulcers. Since it is fairly common for bariatric patients to have issues with acid, even if one didn't have an issue with acid prior to surgery, some doctors prescribe it more as preventative care.

I take measurements about every 3 months. I just want to focus on eating well & exercise.

You lost 22lbs in 2 weeks and that's not good enough? How much more did you expect and why?

I personally have never been one who could "listen to my body". That's exactly what got me into this mess in the first place. That's me. Other than the foods I am allergic to, I pretty much have a cast Iron stomach. I have to plan and think about what I am eating because I rarely get sick or throw up food I am not allergic to.

If you are allowed you can add yogurt. or kefir. Honestly the full liquid stage just isn't fun. Just remember it's only a few days. p3aCH3s, on 13 Apr 2015 - 12:57, said: Step away from the scale. Weighing yourself more than once a week will make you crazy.

I filled in a goal weight for my tickler, but honestly, I will be happy to get to Onderland. When I think of that big number I need to lose to be the "idea" weight for my height, it gets really intimidating, so I really don't think in those terms. I think in terms of exercising and making good food choices each and every day. I think about how good I feel when I exercise regularly, or when I drink water. I only weigh myself once a month so my focus in on doing the right thing and not the scale. I take my exercising seriously because I want to be strong and curvy, not skinny and wrinkled looking. As I see the scale steadily moving in the right direction I feel confident I am doing the right thing. I have prepared myself for this phase of my journey to health to be a long run. Losing the weight is just the current phase I am dealing with. Maintaining healthy habits will be my lifelong job.

THIS. I say this in all sincerity. I have a long way to go in terms of weight loss, but I like me NOW. I think I am pretty NOW. When I lose weight I will look different. Not better, not worse, just different. This is the one life I have and I'll be damned if I'm going to spend it hating myself.

The ten thousand dollar question. This gets posted at least once a day. It's okay, you are fine. The weight will indeed come off. Some people are fast losers, others are slow losers. Others are steady losers and some even gain a bit from the IV. Just try and relax and follow your doctors instructions. It will happen.

Nope. Other than getting full really fast everything feels the same.

So sorry to hear that. Hoping things look up soon.

Some people here do have to do clears for quite some time. Why not call your doctor or nutritionist and voice your concerns. You may be able to come up with s compromise or he may give you the okay to advance. This is the person you trusted to remove a large portion of your belly. He needs to have the full picture in order to continue to monitor your care. This way you won't have any guilt either.