Debbieduck4

I leave for work every day at early-thirty so for Breakfast most days lately I have at my desk either a string cheese and a few triscuts or a greek yogurt with pecans. Sometimes if I'm on the ball and have boiled eggs the night before I will have a boiled egg. For lunch I pretty much always take whatever dinner leftovers I had from the night before. Here is a dinner idea and go to this website for a ton of great recipes from a bariatric surgery patient who loves to cook! http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/ Lime Shrimp and Avocado salad 1 lb jumbo cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, chopped 1 medium tomato, diced 1 avocado diced 1 jalepeno, seeded and diced fine ¼ c chopped red onion 2 limes 1 t olive oil 1 T chopped cilantro Salt and pepper In small bowl mix onion, juice of the limes, olive oil, and pinch of salt and pepper. Let marinate for 5 min. In a larger bowl mix other ingredients and then toss lightly with dressing.1 jalapeno, seeds removed, diced fine 1/4 cup chopped red onion 2 limes, juice of 1 tsp olive oil 1 tbsp chopped cilantro salt and fresh pepper to taste Directions In a small bowl combine red onion, lime juice, olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper. Let them marinate at least 5 minutes to mellow the flavor of the onion. In a large bowl combine chopped shrimp, avocado, tomato, jalapeno. Combine all the ingredients together, add cilantro and gently toss. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

I felt like you did and didn't tell my boss what type of surgery I was having. I just said I was having a medical procedure. He didn't ask more but if he would have, I had planned to kind of give a sad little face and say it was for "stomach stuff" which is true in a round about way. No person on earth wants to hear more about dreaded "Stomach stuff!" Best of luck to you on your journey

I'm 165.8 this week. Thanks!

I'm 4 months out now and can eat any fruits and veggies that I want. The first few times that I tried salad though it made me really nauseous... I think I was about 6 weeks out maybe? I figured out it was the Romaine lettuce for some reason and tried Iceberg lettuce next time which I tolerated. After doing that for awhile I tried the Romaine again, and it was fine. Other veggies, I tried cooked first and if that went okay, I introduced raw... I never had any other problems.

You go girl! I'm sure you're looking great rockin those heels too!

Fun is all about what you make it! You know that already though... If you are thinking you'll be bored, you probably will be. But, if you go in thinking how lucky you are to have a fun weekend getaway planned with your hubby to a sunny spot and just let him run the show... you might have a blast. I've had some of my best days with my hubby just sitting someplace, drinking coffee, people watching, and talking. Enjoy your blessing... a weekend off, a getaway to Reno, and a hunny to share it with!

I had a sleeve and I had a full work week off with weekends on either side of it, so went back to work 10 days after surgery... It was doable but I was actually more sore from the sitting than anything else. I sit at a desk job and the sitting hurt my tummy. I took lots of breaks to walk around. At home it felt better to lie down or be up walking for the first month due to the incisions on my tummy.

Yes, do! It's my cheaper homemade version of Starbucks iced Passion tea I did okay with the sugar free jello and sugar free Popsicles during clear liquids phase... I don't know if it's because we're eating such a small amount at that time or what, but now I just eat a little real sugar or Stevia when I want a treat. I just keep it to a minimum. Mostly I'm a fruit lover though when I'm craving something sweet, a smoothie made with Greek yogurt, ice, almond milk, stevia. banana, and frozen blueberries is so delish too!

Have you tried Stevia? I also get migraines... and Crystal Light will set one off with just one glass of it! Artificial sweetners for some reason really trigger headaches in me, but Stevia does not. I buy Tazzo Passion Fruit tea bags and steep a couple, then mix with stevia and Water for a really refreshing, tasty drink. Sometimes I add lemon too!

I only took a week off. I arranged my schedule to be at my desk doing documentation and such the week I was coming back and although I did manage it, my tummy was pretty sore from sitting, I felt tired, and to be honest, I wished I would have stayed home a few more days. You might also.

I'm not familiar with Smoothie King but I'm wondering if you could call or go online and look for a sugar free option? Lots of chain places post their nutritional info and menus online.

I'm at 166.2 this week. Thank you!

It sounds like you have identified some options for yourself... going to to the hospital and having outpatient interviews, or waiting for an appointment with your PCP. These may not be your first or favorite choices, but I suggest you get both of those things going until you can figure out something better. As a psychiatric social worker, I can tell you that early intervention is the best thing for both Depression and Anxiety. Also, as for the weight gain that comes with some antidepressants, not all are created equal... talk with your whoever you end up seeing when you have your appointment and discuss this concern. There are lots of meds on the market that do not have this side effect. A good one right now that many people have lots of success with is Pristiq. In the mean time while you're waiting for your appointment (which I'm hoping you will schedule today especially since you've already identified might be a wait), please do some self-care and be gentle with yourself. You're just recovering from surgery. You're body and mind are in transition and that's no small adjustment. Allow yourself some grace. It's okay to feel overwhelmed at times, worried, frustrated, uncertain, however you feel. I'm so glad you reached out here. Keep talking to others!

So happy for you! and so motivational for me to hear your success!!

I'm in! Thanks so much for taking this over Steph! Starting weight is 168.8... Goal weight is 163.

I've been just like you my whole life when it comes to yoga... I've tried it multiple times and each time felt bored, frustrated, and come away thinking that it was a waste of my time. I like workouts with heart pumping music... Then 3 weeks ago a friend asked me to come with her to Yoga before going for coffee and I reluctantly agreed (inside my head I was gagging UgHH!) ... but I went and I'm not sure why, but it was literally the best thing that has ever happened to me! The music was so soothing. The stretching felt ahhhmazing! The poses were difficult enough to build a sweat and I obviously used muscles I haven't used in years because I was actually sore for two days afterwards haha! I came away from that class with a workout, a sense of calm, and a whole new appreciation for yoga. I've been back twice now and plan to keep going! Maybe it's just the right season in my life I don't know... Thanks for the idea of youtube videos... I'm going to check those out too!

Finishing the challenge at 167.6... Thanks once again Susan for doing this for all of us! Much appreciated!

It sounds like your husband may have been using food as an emotional reward before surgery. Many people do. They enjoy it for reasons other than hunger. It often brings us comfort, pleasure, and helps us cope. Now that your hubby has had the surgery he will have to find new ways to achieve those things such as taking a walk, snuggling with you, petting an animal, rocking out to his favorite music, reading, sitting on the deck, whatever makes him happy! He can learn to enjoy smaller food treats as well... My favorite right now in the evenings is a little Greek yogurt mixed with toasted coconut pieces, walnuts, and strawberries. It's a pretty fab desert! Eating out was really hard for me at first too, so I can really relate to that. I missed so much looking over the menu and pigging out on something delicious with my hubby or friends. With my new tummy, my choices were so limited and when I did order, I could only take a few bites so would be done in a few minutes just sitting watching everyone eat. But gradually I learned a few tricks and your hubby will too.... He'll learn to think about not just what he wants to order to eat right now, but what he wants for lunch tomorrow too (because there's always leftovers). And that makes it kind of fun. He'll learn to not dive right in when his food arrives and to pace himself so he can enjoy eating with everyone the whole length of the meal. And he'll learn to save a little room for a bite of your desert! He's really blessed to have you. Just by being on this site and posting out of concern for him, you are obviously dedicated to supporting him. God bless and good luck with this journey.

I'm at 170... Only down .1 Oh well, one more week to go!

Great week for me! 170.1

Does your surgery center offer a seminar on the types of surgeries offered? That's where I started... If not, maybe try to find one at a local hospital to hear more about the differences between the band and the sleeve in order to make the best decision for yourself. It sounds like your surgeon is giving their opinion that either one would work well for you and the choice is yours... so now you will need to do some research. Both have their benefits. The diet they told you to follow is basically what you will be eating later... high Protein. 3 meals, 2 Snacks. Although you can expect direction from your surgeon, it is good to look to other sources for support. Does the surgery center have a support group you can attend while your waiting for your surgery date? Best of luck to you!

Yikes I'm up a pound to 174.8... let's hope its just water weight or something...

I'm 173.8 this week

For your information i researched this procedure for 2 years and my surgeon told me the % of weight i could expect to lose over a course of a year and I also saved £10,000 of my own money to have this done i am simply putting out a question out there to see if 1 pound a day is the norm or were others losing the same amount at the beginning of their journey too. No need to get annoyed It wasn't annoyance Nikki as much as it was disbelief when I read your post... You didn't "simply put out a question to see if a pound a day is the norm." You asked how "to speed things up"... I could not believe that, because you were 9 days out of surgery and surely must be on a dr ordered plan for your recovery, and I wondered when in your life have you ever lost a pound a day (or even a pound a week) for that matter. For me, it's a matter of gratitude. I'm so grateful for this surgery, this new beginning, and the second chance for a healthy life that I wouldn't ever imagine being so lackadaisical about the initial recovery period... I'm sorry if I came across annoyed. I really do hope you will gain a better understanding of how this process is going to work in the upcoming months for you.

I'm so sorry for your loss <3 The first thing I would say is to extend grace to yourself. It's only been 3 weeks. It will take time to heal, to grieve, to find some resemblance of normalcy again. When we go through traumatic events we reach for things that make us feel a little better, and in the past it sounds like some foods did that for you. It might be good to find new ways to cope like listening to music (your's or dad's favorite), petting an animal, taking a walk, taking a nap, calling a friend, etc. What helped me the most when my dad passed though was spending time with other people who also loved him as much as I did, talking about him, remembering funny moments, sharing stories, and just grieving together. It will get easier, and when it does you will get back on track with this weight loss thing. Just try to do the best you can... Sending love and prayers.