songsmith

My surgeon's practice sells vitamins. I give them (the vitamins) the side-eye. I haven't checked out the prices but wonder if they are significantly more expensive to similar vitamins I can buy elsewhere. I'm also interested in the replies here!

It's perfectly fine to keep your surgery to yourself. You are not your friend's keeper. I'm sure she's aware these surgeries exist. Now she's armed with more specific information. The ball is in her court. You may change your mind after your surgery. If so, you can mention it then. If not, still good. It's your life. You cannot live for someone else. (I still haven't decided whether to tell my only close relative before my surgery or wait until I've lost a significant amount for the very reasons you mentioned.)

My thyroid came out last year at this time. It took my PCP ten years of arguing with various ENTs and sending me for consults and tests--inconclusive. She could tell there was something wrong by looking at the way I swallowed. Guess what? She was right. My little butterfly had grown into a 9 1/2" Mothra! It's good your physician wants to keep an eye on this. I am pre-op, but I have successfully lost weight while taking synthroid. You might say I'm the most "hypothyroid" you can get! As I understand it, medication will make your hormones act correctly so you may even see an improvement in ease of weight loss. I know I did. One thing I did read (and which I have adhered to) is to not eat right after taking your thyroid medication. Have no idea if that's valid, but I have always waited at least an hour. I found that advice online, so definitely take it with a grain of salt!

You don't need to eat to have fun Holiday times with your kids. It's the togetherness you love, right? As others have said, there's plenty of fun traditions to do with your kids. How about make a special ornament each year so your children can have them when they're off on their own? Think of the memories they'll have! Far better than the fleeting taste of a cookie. I'm pre-op (I always offer that as a disclaimer) but I have seen lots of blogs from people who enjoy cooking who post recipes adjusted for post-WLS meals. One of my favorites is Welcome to Egg Face's (Michelle Vicari) Pinterest pages.

@@Daisee68, can you provide a name or link to the place that accepts donations? I think that's a fine idea! I have some very newish bras I know I won't be able to wear for long after surgery. I've promised to treat myself to at least one Stella McCartney bra when I hit goal. Her stuff always looks so fun. Hopefully I'll be able to wear them.

Seriously. I'm pre-preop and am sampling Protein drinks/powders so I will know which ones I like when the time comes. I went by my doctor's specs and from there ratings. unjury always had a lot of good ratings, so I ordered my samples. Ew? This is on the vanilla. I find there to be a super strong during taste. If there's an aftertaste, the during completely blocks it out! Anyway, to each her own. I won't be investing in Unjury for my diet. (Just, blech. Had to share.) For those who wonder, Syntrax (only tried the chocolate so far) and Isopure (plain) have been the best.

My nut classes taught me nothing as well. Basically, she said, "What have you been doing this month?" and I told her. No advice. Nothing. Not even a handout. I found it really frustrating. Their class is basically surgery prep: what will happen, what you should be eating and how, etc. It's the final thing (other than the endoscopy).

The important thing is that you're getting back on track. I'm not sure since I've never been a regular size but I suspect this is what people who don't have a weight problem do. They Celebrate, they look at the scale, say "oops I gained a bit there. Time to watch what I eat for a couple of days!" So don't be mad at yourself. You're acting like a thin person! That extra will come right off.

@@Daisee68, sometimes bras don't fit correctly because they're the wrong style for our shape. Boobs can be close together, splay apart, be fuller in different ways. If you spill over, you might want to try a different shaped cup. That's harder to do when you still wear a larger band size. Bra manufacturers will make cup sizes all the way up the scale, but 90% of them won't scale up larger band sizes to match those cup sizes! Maddening. I am not looking forward to bra replacement. I just know the retailers are singing that Pink Floyd song. (Money, money, money~)

Same. I don't have my final 3 hour class until next week. Hope to know by then!

Good bras are expensive, ladies. Please make sure you fit yourself properly. A 10" difference in band and cup means you should be looking at a J-cup. Anyplace trying to sell you something smaller than an I or J has not measured you right. (Don't let them try any of that "upper bust sizing either. Ridiculous.) A J cup may sound huge, but cups are sized according to the size band they're on. A 34-E is far, far smaller cup than a 42-E. For example, my daughter wears a 32-J. I wear a 44-J. The cups on our bras are two very different sizes. (Victoria's secret tried to put her in a 34-DDD, btw.) Even specialty stores used to tell me that I could just "shape" the underwire and tried to sell me DD or DDD bras in larger band sizes. I wore the wrong cup size for so many years and always thought my bras didn't fit like the ones depicted in ads due to my weight. No. They didn't fit because cup size was far too small. 80-90% of women wear the wrong bra size. Yes, this is one of the things I will rant about, but I hate to see women spending money on ill-fitting bras. Band should be comfortable. You should not show any back or side boob/fat. The center should fit flat to your chest between your breasts. If the band pulls up in back, it is too large. Straps should never dig into your shoulders because 90% of the support should come from your band. On the sigh side, I'm pretty sure my girls will point due south once I no longer have a belly to hold them up!

Nah. I reread what I wrote. It was all in "professional voice" because at 2AM I could barely manage words. That does come off snippy on the reread! (Once you get to know me, it'll be blatantly obvious if I ever decide to let loose!) Anyway, I am all for butt kicking--especially when it's this extra weight I'm carrying around's butt! I feel bad that I misread the original article and frightened some people. I didn't think I had any real fears/worries about my upcoming surgery, but it only took one misunderstood article to send me running here wringing my hands and asking for reassurance.

@@heather5565, Sorry? My reply wasn't meant to be snippy. I misunderstood the article and asked about it due to that misunderstanding. I was agreeing with your statement. /confused

I haven't practiced an all-liquid diet, but I have been sampling various approved protein supplements so I will know which ones I can tolerate and which ones make me want to hurl. I don't want to be down to liquids only and left with a protein drink I can't stand.

@@Cervidae I think @@Inner Surfer Girl was right. The article talked about total weight (e.g,. I began at 265) not excess weight (which for me is 100 pounds or so). 25-30% of 265 is a far higher number than 25% of 100! As I said, I don't math well, but pretty sure that would put the amount on the low to middle end of the projected excess weight loss. At 6 mos. out, there is no way you could have stopped losing! I have not yet had my surgery, but I (and probably you) have lost a lot of weight before and once experienced a 6 week stall. Sometimes it takes awhile for our bodies to catch up. Please, please don't fret. Keep following your guidelines and your body will catch up eventually. @@heather5565, I directly quoted the article. It sounded odd to me because I had been told the 50-70% (and even more!) numbers. I'm also aware that people on average will gain some weight back after two to three years. The trick is to not allow that weight gain to be the excuse to return to bad habits. In fact that was in a series of articles suggesting reasons why some do gain weight back. I don't think the doctor was doing anyone a service by expressing weight loss in terms of total weight instead of excess weight. @Inner Surfer Gal - So right! None of us would be here if previous diets had long-term success rates. @@Babbs, I have turned to the surgery for just that reason--a tool to help me maintain my weight loss.

It really is a YMMV thing. Our tastes and texture preferences all differ. The best thing you can do is obtain samples (don't spend a ton of money!) on Protein supplements approved by your surgeon and try them to determine which ones you can tolerate the most. That's how I knew I didn't take to the unjury (though the chocolate was better than the vanilla). Have you tried mixing the protein with a sugar free syrup like Toroni or DaVinci? A lot of people have had success that way.

Shriner37, we do indeed have the same surgeon! He and the entire outfit have been super informative. I mistook that 20-30% as percentage of beginning body weight and not excess weight lost. Huge difference! Inner Surfer Girl, you have better reading comprehension than I do. I saw that 20-30% and thought they were talking about the weight lost (that 50-70% most procedures mention) and not the percentage of total weight. Knowing that alone eases my mind! Have I mentioned I don't math well?

Now I want one. Or Cthulhu slippers. Wasn't that the episode that introduced Donna? She was my favorite.

What a fun gift! That was one of my favorite episodes. Those little smiles.... You, my dear, have a great hubby.

You are far better off doing compound lifts than using any machine. Use dumb bells and do rows and curls and chest presses. Get someone to spot you and squat using a bar and wheels. Learn how to do a deadlift and a good morning. When you're up to it you can do pull-ups. They work more muscle groups, so you'll get a better workout faster than hitting the machines. Besides, many of the machines force us--especially the out of shape--into poor position. And lastly, every time you think you're lifting too heavy, remember this. 99% of women do not gain muscle. Those ladies you see in the body builder competitions are down to about 3% body fat and many of them use steroids. Women do not produce the testosterone to build big muscles. And if that still makes you turn to those cute little colored weights, ask yourself this. How much does that purse you lug around every day weigh? Sorry for the rant. It used to drive me nuts when I'd see women wasting their time or, worse, some "trainer" telling them to use the 2 pound weights when they could easily handle 10 per hand. Also, squats will give you a lovely butt. ;D (Stay away from Smith machines!)'' ETA (again): Ys vary. The one we had near us in Texas was pitiful. The one where we live now has great equipment.

I love Mexican food. During my pre-diet phase I began to use a lot of black Beans instead of refried. I seasoned them with cumin, chilis and cilantro and top them with salsa. I'd have them alone, in a wrap, sometimes with an egg on top or a bit of avocado. Funny thing, I found I didn't miss the cheese, so I was able to cut out a significant amount of calories. You can find black soy beans which are nearly as good and have far fewer carbs and more Protein. Peanut Butter, now, I had to ostracize from the house. I could eat an entire jar and my brain says, "Oh, hey, it has protein in it, so it's good to eat." Hah. Not the way I eat it! So, yes, you may need to give up some trigger foods or find ways to make the sort of meals you still enjoy but in a healthier and more sensible fashion. Oh, and look at serving sizes. I still remember the day I looked at the back of a Kraft mac & cheese meal for nutritional information and realized one box was 4 servings! Ahahahahahaha. Right.

Some businesses have deals with the Y so their employees can pay less. I just rejoined and my monthly fee was the same (without business intervention) as I was paying--and not using--at 24 Hour Fitness. The Y has instituted a new policy where they would not tell me their fee until I came in. I almost didn't rejoin because of that. Idiotic policy from a PR stance. I never felt right at the other gym. It was full of gym bunnies and people already in shape. I used the Y during my power lifting days. I was still obese, but it never made me feel out of place. I've never been to a Planet Fitness. I say go with the establishment that makes you feel the most comfortable. If you like it there, you're more likely to keep using it. ETA: All classes at my Y are free once you're a member. That wasn't the case at 24 Hour fitness. You might look into that if you want to take classes.

Mind you, I never stopped weighing even though the fluctuations drove me mad! I also do the measurements thing because that helps me a ton during stalls. Like someone else said, I gained this weight partially because I refused to weigh myself. I think weighing ourselves is important, particularly once we hit our goal and want to maintain.