Sajijoma

I have biochem vegan chocolate too(hubby can't read lol) it's got a strong pea taste, but sometimes I like it! ???? I was actually surprised my 365 vanilla actually is quite low in sugars so there's always that! ????

i'mNot the biggest fan of premier. It's just ok for me. I have a very sensitive palette and can't even tolerate eggs or milk that are older. If I can't get it within a day of harvest from the cow or chicken, I just can't do it. Pure protein's ready made is just okish too. The chocolate is too mucusy and tastes like Swiss miss pudding with way too much Splenda in it and the vanilla creme is a good consistency and the flavor is ok enough but again way too Splenda-y and I like Splenda and have used it in my tea for years. I guess I'll just enjoy my happy powder til I can't. LOL

thanks I'll check, just hoping someone had a guideline before I do. it takes me so long to find something I like and I've been a big fan of biochem and 365 so I will be sad if I have to lose those and look for another.

I encourage you to know that loose skin is a possibility but not to fixate on it to that end. I managed to lose over 150lbs once and I started getting saggy skin and it bothered me so much, in hindsight, I allowed myself to put the weight back on because "at least it isn't sagging". I wasn't sad when I gained the weight back because the alternative bothered me more. It's a horrible thing to think saggy skin is somehow worse than being morbidly obese. I find myself even now thinking about how bad it will get and getting nervous, but I keep telling myself that it can be fixed with plastic surgery and even though it seems too expensive to ever afford, there are financing options available to put it right and my insurance at least will cover a pannilectomy as long as the belly skin droops below the pubic bone-which after 7 kids and being overweight it does already so if I got that taken off and financed a tummy tuck at the same time and getting my bat wings clipped and if it were cheap enough throw in some boob implants or if not buy some bra padding to stuff it back up to size and I'd be ok with that. A lot of places give discounts if you do several procedures at the same time and you only have to pay for anesthesia once that way, so it's my goal to just get to where I feel ok in my own skin. I don't care if I have a saggy ass. No one will see that through my clothes and I can't see it because it's literally behind me ????There's also padded underpants. I always laughed at those, but I bet they are awesome! so that's what I think about to get past this fear. It's gonna be bad for me, I already know, based on how it was before after losing weight and how much is hanging now even pre op, but keep positive and try not to dwell on that part to the point of wondering if you even want to go through with it for the fear of the saggy skin.

This is my last month of waiting! I have my last NUT appt at the end of this month and we submit on Oct 5th! It's literally almost here! Now if I can just avoid gaining any weight between now and then!

her YouTube channel is 300lbs down. She is an inspiration and her first video pre surgery helped me explain to my hubby why I need this surgery. you are so welcome!

he doesn't give dates til insurance approves because his practice is so small. It's just him and he only does surgeries once a week. The rest of the week he works for kaiser Permanente. So whenever my insurance approves, 10 days later or the nearest tues. will be surgery day!

It was very interesting. I probably failed. We shall see. I don't know why, but I got very nervous in there. It was like a flashback to my interviews with my caseworker as a kid before being tossed somewhere and I was so nervous that the random sh!t filter apparently broke. He handed me the famous questionnaire and I accidentally referred to it as "the crazy test" to which he gave me the stern "we call it a personality profile quiz". ????. I think it was somewhere around feeling like I was being accused of faking my age because I said 38 and he wrote down 28 and then asked me how old I was when our oldest child was born to which I said 24 and he said that didn't add up. Added up perfectly to me from 38 even though he thought 28. Feel like the whole thing just went down in flames. I'll be surprised if it doesn't end in a referral for mental health care before I can proceed.

Having dealt with the medical field for a long time, I can tell you it's nothing personal. They define "elective" surgery as anything that can be put off and not cause death. So your tumor removal is elective if it's not cancerous, your hysterectomy is elective if you aren't bleeding out at the time it is removed, knee replacements, etc because technically you won't die today if you don't have the surgery even if it will greatly improve your quality of life and extend your years. It's just terminology.

It could be small kidney stones or sediment. High protein can cause kidney stones and the little ones may be small as a grain of sand, so you cannot see it, but your body will definitely feel the irritation. You can either strain your pee to see if you find any sediment using a cheese cloth and a coffee filter or you could try(with your dr's permission) trying to take a supplement to break down kidney stones. I use Stone Break and it has cut down on the frequency of my stones also being hyper vigilant not to get UTI's since my stones are caused by UTI's so I take cram clearance as a preventative which then prevents stones, BUT if you get stones formed by proteins, taking cranberry can actually cause more stones because they are high in oxolate so be aware of that. The best thing would be to strain your urine and find sediment or a stone that can be tested so they can tell you what kind it is and how best to avoid it If it is one!

I don't recommend cutting out all carbs, because at least for me, that's a recipe for a binge. Instead, look for "good carbs" to satisfy and make you feel full. For instance, when I make sandwiches, I use sprouted bread. It really doesn't taste bad, and it's more nutrient dense than fluffy white bread that gives no nutrition. I use sweet potatoes to make a mash instead of white potatoes and instead of drowning my salad in my favorite dressings, I opt for a nice vinaigrette or sometimes I just go commando(the salad not me exactly) and add no dressings at all! Also, if I'm craving something like chocolate, instead of having candy per se, I'll have some dark chocolate covered almonds. They scratch the itch without falling off the wagon because almonds are good for you and nuts in general are filling. My NUT has me aiming for 20 grams of protein per meal with a starch and a veg and then to aim to eat 30% less. So put less food on the plate and leave something behind and that usually gets it there. I notice I absolutely can't eat a lot with my new constraints of no drink 30 mins before a meal during or 30mins after, and 1 minute between bites with utensils down and mouth empty and 20-30mins per meal. Some nights I'm kinda pissed because I'm still hungry but my time limit is up, but I have to leave it, but it has been working for me. As for exercise, when I first started, I couldn't walk far. I could go pretty much around the grocery store and by the time I was done I was fatigued. So knowing this, I started out walking laps around my kitchen island pushing my desk chair so when I get too tired, I'd sit down and rest til I could get up and go some more. I watched an inspirational lady on YouTube who had gastric bypass and started out around my weight and she said that if you can only do 2 mins, then 2 mins is all you need to do and to just do what you can. It's true. I've lost 22lbs as of my last NUT appt and I'm up to walking 2 miles a day when my body allows-fighting a Lupus flare up right now so not every day right now, but I do what my body can do and then I quit. Some days I can't walk no further than the end of the block and some days I can walk the full 2 miles. I also have some light hand weights(started at 2lbs now using 5lbs) and just sit in a chair and work your arms. Do bicep curls or cross body punches holding the weights. Anything that gets the heart pumping is good. I started out doing 1 set of 15 of like bicep curls and lifting weights over my head, and then cross body punches and now I can do like 40-50 before I even break a sweat or feel like I've done something. Just challenge yourself to do 1 more than yesterday or 1 step more or 1 lap more or whatever. It adds up!

sorry I just saw this! I haven't tried the soups, but I've heard good things about them. I have a very trained palate(nice way of saying I'm a picky brat LOL) so I have trouble with a lot of mass produced things. I'm thinking of making my own soups and broths closer to time.

You look beautiful! Keep up the good work!

Oh dear I haven't had surgery yet, but I am totally laughing at the idea of licking a hot dog. My biggest fear is my hunger will get the best of me and I'll lick my baby's face clean after he eats. I hope it doesn't come to that! ????

I'm sure they probably noticed but just didn't want to say anything. A lot of people realize it's embarrassing to be told "hey you lost weight!" So they go out of their way not to say anything. I'm sure as you lose more and more people will ask what I always asked "how did you do it?!?" Which isn't because I want to be judgemental, but because I have always been looking for the diet, exercise routine, pill, etc. that is finally going to help me beat my weight problem.

When I read your original post I thought, "that sounds like what would happen to me every time I would try to exercise on a regular basis" and then I kept reading all of the posts and came to this one and said, 'ah', it is the same thing." I, too, have lupus. It sucks to have your body betray you every time you try to do right by it! I know what you are going through.Let me tell you though, it will get better after you have surgery and the weight starts coming off. I have been on a very low maintenance dose of prednisone since surgery and it has not affected my weight loss at all. I would suggest that you just listen to your body and rest it as it needs. If you can't exercise for a few days in a row, or even for a few weeks in a row (you know how it is), don't get down on yourself. It is your disease. You understand that. It's frustrating, I know, but what can you do? Just eat right and like you did previously, just do the hand weights while sitting. Like my mom always says, "it beats a blank!" Bless you! thanks! I didn't know that wls could actually make the lupus better. God that would be amazing! I left today going damn! It's all coming crashing down. I just want to cry, but at least I know what it is and we aren't in the guessing game phase. It took me over 5yrs for it to be diagnosed. That entire time I suffered and listened to people just tell me I was lazy and looking for excuses or not doing xyz correctly and that's why I'm in such a shape. I forgot how bad it feels mentally and physically. I've had a good solid 9yrs in remission, but like I said, the only way to keep that up is to stay pregnant(for me some people get it worse, but my goes into remission)band my baby days are behind me now(7 is enough). It's good to know that on the other side maybe it won't hurt so much! ????

I'm still pre op, but I've been working hard walking, doing resistance bands, fitball exercises, and basic floor exercises like leg lifts and pelvic tilts, etc. I aim for 30 mins 5/6 times a wk and I've been at this routine for about 4wks I think. This past week, my body has gone into full rebel! It started with a nagging shoulder that pops and grinds, but I pushed on. Then my knees were getting too sore to stand so I quit walking as long and tried "resting them" by doing short walks around the house when it seemed even walking to the end of the block was causing severe pain. NOW as of last night my feet and legs are swelling up to the knees and I start having leg cramps just trying to do little things. I thought I could do a little floor stretching and it would all be fine, but to my surprise, I can't lift my leg up from the floor. The pain it sends into my hip and knees is insane! What has happened to me?!? I was doing so good and was making some great progress and now I feel like I've been pulled back to square one! I was so desperate to log exercise last night I did my hand weights sitting in a chair! I don't have access to a pool or time/money to go to one for that matter, so I'm super dependent right now on exercises I can do myself from home(for free). What can I do and does anybody know why it's all going to hell now? Weeks ago I would have accepted this, but now it's just not fair! I've worked so hard to get where I was!

I went to the doctor today and he confirmed I'm most definitely having a lupus flare up. My face has the classic butterfly rash and all my joints are swollen and so are my lymph nodes in my neck, and armpits and my eyes and apparently throat are both red and swollen too(I didn't notice the throat, but it's also allergy season and i have post nasal drip 24/7). I also have huge red bloody scabs all in my scalp like a bad chemical treatment. I had those when I first got diagnosed years ago. At this point, I haven't exercised in nearly a week except for 2lb hand weights in a chair. Just lots of Epsom salt baths. The only thing that may be "exercise related" he thinks is my shoulder which is grinding like it may have a tear and he wants me to follow up with orthopedic to see if I have some kind of issue there. I did notice it was getting "crunchy" so probably "something" there that inevitably will be on my "you're too fat for surgery come back when you lose weight" list. As for the lupus, I got a few shots and a sack full of drugs from the pharmacy and told to keep moving as much as I can, but don't overdo because it will get worse if I do nothing or too much(which I kinda already knew). It's like arthritis on crack. It's kind of a damned if ya do dammed if ya don't situation. The fatigue is so bad I had to take a nap this afternoon from just going to the doctor. Hoping that in a few days once everything kicks in, I'll be feeling better. On the bright side, I did buy a new hot pink exercise ball to celebrate my 20lb loss and it arrived today so can't wait to get to use it! (Keep positive, right?)

I don't know anything about this guy or this story really, but at 395, I can't really ride a bike. My balance is so off, but even if it weren't where did he find a bike sturdy enough to hold him? I went to several bike shops when I was "just 300lbs" and they basically laughed me out the door as they didn't sell any rated to that weight limit. Also, if I tried to sleep on the ground for even 1 night my body would be in so much pain I wouldn't be able to physically get up let alone peddle a bike all day before and after said night on the ground. If he is somehow managing to do this at that size, well good on him, but from where I sit, something doesn't add up. I'm suspicious or at the very least jealous!

thanks I have an appt tomorrow morning. I just hope it doesn't come with a huge weight gain. The meds always made me gain and I have been doing so well in my 90 day program and don't want to lose any of that loss.

Has anyone with super thick hair lost a significant amount to where it was obviously thin? I have naturally super thick hair and although I wouldn't mind it going a little thinner(since I pay a lot to the hair dresser to thin my hair anyway) but I definitely would be shocked if I had balding spots.

Yay! That's great news! So glad you are doing so well!

I've noticed that some surgeons require sleep studies and stuff and was wondering what all exactly did your surgeon require before surgery? Does everyone have to get the upper GI thing and stomach biopsies or is that based on medical problems they suspect? I'd love to get as much of this stuff done as I can while I'm still finishing up my 90 days if I can, so I don't have to wait longer than I'd like to between being approved and the actual date picking, but I don't want to go finding problems I don't know about already prior to surgery if I don't have to either. Like as far as I know at this moment I do not have diabetes so if a diabetes test is not required, I don't want to go out of my way to have one and get stuck on a meter and a diabetic diet plan on top of all of this too should it turn up I did have diabetes. Does that make sense? What if anything do you all recommend that I should do now that is like a 99% guarantee that I'll have to get done prior to surgery that I could be knocking out of the way right now?

I know a few people who work with my husband who were back on the job within a week. They are "computer nerds" so the most taxing thing they lift is a reference book on C++ ???? so I think it sounds reasonable IF you don't have complications, although you might want to make it light duty and let the head "nerd" carry the reference books! ????

I see what you all are saying, but honestly, what I am doing doesn't even exert me at all at this point. I've been doing this same routine for over 4 wks with no pains and no squeaks and then literally overnight everything began to fail. I think I've discovered at least part of the reason which made itself more clear this afternoon when the rash showed up followed by fatigue so bad I could even get out of the chair in the school room before passing out. I have lupus and have enjoyed it being in remission for several years while I was pregnant and usually by now, I'd be pregnant again after having a baby so it's just been keeping the lupus at bay and now without being pregnant, my lupus is out of remission and making up for lost time. I put in a call to my dr and hopefully can get back on some medications to keep it under control. Funny thing about Lupus. It sucks!