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Yup.....very bariatric friendly food can be found in airports.......

well. I consider you an awesome success because you probably learned a lot about yourself and your triggers during those little side trips. and for long term success? that is a key component. 5 years from now I doubt it will matter to you if it took 12 months or 18 months, because I would hope and expect that your new normal will be a normal healthy weight. every day. I have learned a lot. Not all of it good.......but I've learned. Side trips were necessary to get me back on track. Thank you for your vote of confidence.......the new normal is what I'm looking forward to.

I stick to high Protein for the most part: eggs, tuna, salmon, Greek yogurt, and some veggies. On a not so good say I might add some rice or Pasta. I also have a drink from time to time. How bad do u think that affects weight loss? Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App I'd say that the "drink from time to time" is as wide ranging in impact to your weight loss as rice and pasta. Rice and pasta have zero value to you now and will certainly keep you from achieving ketosis (if that's a state you hope to get in). drinks, on the other hand, may not keep you out of ketosis for long. Depends on the type of liquor and the macro content of the mixer. I've got out for an evening and had vodka or tequila with a low calorie mixer in a 2-4 drinks......and used ketone strips the very next morning and found that I was still in ketosis and chugging along. You have to find what works for you and you have to establish priorities. For me.....my overall priority is to lose the weight that has been a burden to me. I am doing this to be healthy and enjoy my life. I can go out and have fun without losing sight of those priorities. I've learned that if I have the skinny margaritas or vodka and diet mixer.....then that is done in absence of any type of eating. Since the alcohol is empty calories....then I have to ensure I've chosen carefully earlier in the day and met my protein goals and also made some room in my calorie budget by burning some off in the gym. No longer do I go out....pound down beer and then order something horrible to eat later. My actions have to align with my priorities and have some fun times within reason. You have to find what works for you and figure out what you value. For me....it's to let pasta and rice go. I haven't missed them at all. I found spaghetti squash makes a great substitute.

I've had a couple knee surgeries and a couple abdominal hernia repairs. I had another abdominal hernia repaired at the same time as my sleeve surgery. The pain that I felt post op from this surgery was best described as minor and very easily controlled. While my IV was in I could simply press the button when I needed a shot of pain medication. It was removed the next day and I was released that afternoon. I had been given a prescription pain med (liquid) that I took the first two days at home and then I didn't need anything beyond that. The hernia repair was where I was experiencing the mild and easily controlled pain. It was so much less than what I'd had with the two prior repairs. Way, way less. I questioned my surgeon more than once to see if he'd even done the sleeve as it was never a source of pain. I'd have to say that this surgery was about on the same level as my vasectomy a few years back. No kidding....very minor. Had it not been for the hernia repair I'd have been able to return to work in just a few days. My sleeve has been a medical miracle in my life. I've lost a large chunk of weight that I wanted to lose....and am 10 months post op. I feel in control and confident to face the rest of my life with my sleeve and my newfound nutritional knowledge of what my body responds to. I am off the prescription meds for: blood pressure and pain (back issues). I now take Advil on days where I feel my back and knees need it.....but not everyday. I can't begin to describe the incredible way that feeling better physically translates to improved outlook on life. It is a side effect of the weight loss surgery that I didn't anticipate.....but it is occurring and I'm grateful for it. I did'n't realize how grumpy and miserable I'd been in that last year or two prior to my VSG surgery. Once the burden of weight began to lift.....so did my spirits. Truly a case of free yer ass and your mind will follow, lol. My low pain results are not uncommon. Most of us have strolled through this process with supreme ease. I can say this and I hope that it sinks home........it'll seem counterintuitive when it occurs for you.....until you take that leap of faith...it is this: When you are laying in your comfortable hospital bed.....waking up after surgery....warm blankets on you....pain meds in your system....comfortable and sleepy......and they tell you it's time to get out of bed and go for a walk......they mean YOU....yes YOU, lol. Gert yer ass up and do a few laps. It gets easier every time and it'll do wonders for your recovery rate. Keep on walking every few hours. There are lots of hurdles you have to get over in order to have your surgery.......insurance requirements.....financial concerns.......scheduling time off from work.......the logistics of getting to/from hospital.....etc. Do your part to get these nailed down and taken care of. Rock the pre-op diet. Don't let "pain" be a hurdle you think you have to deal with. The professionals at the hospital will take care of your pain management and it'll be a non-issue. Go forth and kick ass !!!!!!!!

This thread has made my morning. Big ole grin here. Well done @@SoExcited101 You are gonna blow away those that were negative about your decision. You will get be laughing at their reactions when they each see you again.....and again after various time intervals. You will continue to progress and get to the exact place you want to be. What a killer smile you posted. True joy at being in control of your health.....powerful !!!!

I started my bariatric program at 478 lbs. I'm down ~185 or so now at 10 months post-op. I've clearly got another 50+ pounds to lose. Doubtful I'll make by the 12 month point......but I WILL get there by the end of 2016. I don't consider this awesome success because I know I could have lost more. There were times when I strayed off course and learned to find my way back. Had I stayed true and on plan.....I would have made the goal by 12 months....easily. My tips are to weigh often......know where you stand.......know what corrective actions that you can take to get to where you want to be. Measure your food & drink caloric intake on myfitnesspal or similar. You have to have accurate ideas of what you are consuming. Exercise as frequently as you can. On occasion, make that exercise on either a treadmill or elliptical machine where you can input your weight and it'll calculate your calories burned during that session. There are some powerful thoughts generated when you see and feel how hard it is to burn 750 calories......how much you had to sweat to do it. This knowledge will come to the forefront of your consciousness when you are faced with snack food and garbage calories.......you'll be more likely to kick that crap aside. Keep in mind your ultimate goals and let your daily behaviors be driven by these. Learn to have fun along the way and find comfort in your progress and new abilities......not find comfort from food.

Thank you......and yes...feeling much better. Pain was a powerful motivator for me to have wls......and is a sweet blessing to have diminished a great deal. That is supercool !!!! Oh.....and I can flip a jig into an opening in the brush pile.......or skip a topwater plug under a boat dock and make it walk the dog back to the boat.................but I'm lacking any surfcasting skills and won't even try to upstage a maestro. I'd look foolish doing so. Better I know my role and take the lessons as they are offered. I don't think it gets any better than this, sorry. That's the main reason I had this surgery.....to live long enough to see my future grandchildren and to spoil them rotten. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App Amen to that !!!! Lookatdat sexy grandma right there !!!!!!!!!!!!! Being an active grandfather is one my biggest goals in life. Getting this weight off......and keeping it off....is crucial to achieve this goal. Thank you. That is very sweet and I am glad to be on this side of the Loser's Bench and holding down a spot for the remainder of my days. Got a ways to go.....but not as far as I've come. It's been an surreal experience at times. Being around motivation like you've demonstrated.....is what keeps my fire lit. I thrive off the motivation that others put on display.....it makes me want to push myself and get moving. You have been a source of such motivation, drive and determination. Well done, young lady......well done.

I detest cottage cheese. Always have. Probably always will. Also.....I didn't trust myself during the puree stage.....didn't like the idea of returning to foods that I'd already learned to abstain from since pre-op......didn't want to have to start and stop 'em again. As a result.....I bypassed the puree stage by simply staying on the Protein shakes for 4 weeks and then advancing to soft Proteins. It's all about implementing the strategy that will work best for you. You hit on something, too....with the spicy foods. I avoided them for the first three months....then slowly tested the waters. All was well. Now I enjoy hot sauces and jalapeños quite often. The key to the whole diet is realizing that it's broken down in phases that coincide with the stages of weight loss we are targeting. As long as I keep this in mind things went well and I never felt like I was having to give stuff up....simply delay it for a while as the weight is coming off and I'm learning more about what I can enjoy later on within reason.

For me....I had questions about: What will my maintenance diet look like.....once the weight is lost and I'm living lean ? What are the complications, if any, that may occur and how are they typically resolved ? What type of weight loss can you expect to have ? Will I be able to take meds afterwards ? Will I be allowed coffee? What type of ongoing support is recommended ? Which procedure seems to be a best fit for me ? What are characteristics of your most successful patients ?

Outstanding results. You have done great.

Yup......don't do like I did, lol. Once I lost a bit of weight (a few years prior to my wls & the regain that occurred ) I transitioned from cardio to lifting hard on free weights. I simply went back to the routines I'd done in high school with some added isolation work on certain muscle groups. I was overly enthusiastic and soon had the injuries to show for it. My form wasn't strict and it was dangerous. The isolation work....on top of the other lifts....were a very bad idea. I should have stuck with a basic 5x5 routine and gradually built from there......gradually. My advice is to use the machines for lifting. Use a weight that allows you to get at least 10-12 repetitions of each and limit it to 4 sets per. The machines have the safe range of motion built in...so long as you properly adjust it for your height. Form us virtually assured. Keeping the rep count up will mean that you are not overloading yourself with too high a weight. It is very important to go at this smoothly and with long term vision. You want to allow your tendons and connective tissues time to develop and strengthen....if you shortcut this just to get the "muscle pump" feels....then you run the risk of serious injury. Long term vision. I lacked that....and dumbly thought I'd simply pick up where I left off.....25 years prior. Bad strategy. Hernias, wrist damage and torn rotator cuff in shoulder were resultant. Now having to work around injuries because I didn't go about it carefully in the beginning.

There is something to be said for the Quest brand of Protein bars. 21 grams of protein and ~17 grams of fiber.......good stuff. Just like @@LipstickLady said.....avocados are outstanding. I love fresh guacamole....easy to make and always tasty. I'm going to pick up some flax seeds next time I'm in the store. Great suggestion there. They are a healthy add-in for certain.

Considering I remember how big a deal it was the first time I ran ONE whole mile, it's pretty incomprehensible that I will soon be running 26.2! I was doing C25K back when I was 31 years old. I ran a whole mile straight on my treadmill. I called my husband down to the basement yelling and screaming. He probably thought I was dying! And then when I got off the treadmill, I called my parents crying. That's how proud I was of running ONE mile! Powerful !!!!!!

A lot of factors weigh in, no pun intended, on which procedure is best for you. It spent so much time just getting to the point where I made the decision to have wls. It seemed like a whirlwind of decisions made very, very swiftly to decide which wls to have. It is something that needs to be customized to your needs, lifestyle and future way of living.

Yup....had a some times where I'd question myself. Then the pain from my back would remind me that I needed to get serious amounts of weight off my frame very quickly as prescribed that the spine surgeon who would be having to sharpen his scalpel if I didn't do so. I've had great success with losing weight in the past....just never kept it off. This time around I had to get it done. I simply had to. Now....not quite a year later......I'm extremely grateful and glad that I did this. There's been a near immediate relief felt with the weight coming off. Back injury healed.....feeling much better.....now off all blood pressure medications.....feeling much, much better. I have great confidence that this sleeve is a tool that will be around for the rest of my days and helping walk the walk.

I'd thought initially that I wanted a bypass. My pcp was very much enthused about the sleeve procedure and so was my bariatric surgeon. I eventually decided to go with the VSG due to default. My surgeon warned me that it was a bit more risky for me due to him have to also repair a large abdominal hernia. If the repair failed early on....it could involve my newly rerouted plumbing and be very dangerous. He was much more confident with me having the VSG done. The ability to take regular meds was a bonus, as I have arthritis in my knees and back and good old tried and true Advil offer me relief. Now.....10+ months past my surgery I am very happy that I went with the sleeve. Very grateful and very confident that it will provide me with a lifeline tool to combat weight loss.

That is outstanding. I can't even get my mind wrapped around those distances. Great job.

Imagine my shock when I came home from the hospital with an 11 lb gain two days after surgery....... Lots of inflammation and Water retention, I suppose. It flushed out soon enough and the losing began. Be a patient patient and it'll all work out. Stick with your plan and enjoy the ride.

Sure beats the 3-4 Protein Shakes that my surgeon allowed per day. Sounds like a buffet by comparison, lol. You can do it. It's all worth it in the end.

Well....look at it this way.....you are getting your Protein in.......eating low calorie but not silly low......exercising frequently.....all good strategy. About the only thing you may consider is to closely track your carbohydrate intake and maybe flirt around with ketosis for a while......shake things up a bit.

Couple of my NSV's this week.... Took a minute to check the blood pressure......all is well and I've been off all blood pressure meds for two months now. Was also having early morning coffee. Took me a few minutes to actually wake up....realized that in the dark I'd grabbed an old t-shirt that I'd been saving. Didn't think it'd fit as it's an athletic cut 2XL. Well....it would seem that it fit with room to spare. Made my day start off with a confident feeling. This time last year I as wearing 5xl and 6xl shirts. So damn grateful.

So you are 35 lbs away from a goal of 150 and you surgery was ~ 5 months ago............ All I can say is you are making some killer progress, closing in and are sure to make it.

Very cool NSV. I was hugely relieved when I could finally....finally shop in virtually any store and buy clothes. So much more variety and way cheaper than the big & tall stores......or in my case, the bigger & taller stores. No longer have to fear losing my bags on air travel. If it happens.....no worries.....a quick trip to any mall and clothes are replaced. Very cool NSV. Hope you get well quickly.

Good one. I'm so very damn grateful that I truly enjoy Water. I've seen folks talk about how they can't stand it. That's gotta suck. Staying hydrated feels mighty good.