Christinamo7

thanks you two! I am very encouraged by everything else. I am so pleased to be loosing the weight. that has to help with the other, I'd think.

how far out from surgery are you? everyone goes through these feelings. We're here for you too!

my boss certainly thinks they are superpowers! I don't have a lot of opportunities to use it in my current position, but people act like it's magic.

you are crazy organized! I should do something like this just to keep up my excel skills.

I still have some of my old clothes from the 80s because my mother made them - and I look forward to getting small enough to see how they fit then. at least I know they haven't changed size on me. ha. in 87 I was about 135 and a size 6 petite. no idea what that would equal in today's sizes.

my plan allowed it but cautioned that we might need it to be more thin than normal. they also recommended using fairlife milk or adding Protein powder to it.

I am on that blame thing all the time! ha. but Monday morning is the "official" weight - but also I consider my weight at doctor's appt. official. so I update my ticker usually on Monday if my weight has changed.

I had the sleeve - but I do have dry skin since then. my favorite is to use melted coconut oil on my skin after I dry off post shower/bath. really keeps my skin nice for a long time.

congrats! I was too! let us know how you are doing this week!

oooo! here's what I do. at work we have a vending machine (coke) with a curved front. It makes you look a lot skinnier from the front and sides. I'd say it shaves off about 50 pounds. I've been going back there to stand in front of it a couple of times a week for the past year, to envision my progress. I'll have to stop soon, as it will take off more than I want to loose this can be a great motivator! Also I have been looking at some pictures of myself before I put the weight on. Now, I know I won't be YOUNG like that again, but it is helping me to mentally reacquaint myself with my smaller body.

it is completely normal for both of you to be scared! this is a MAJOR life change. keep your eye on the prize. You'll be in my prayers this next two weeks as you go through this. please don't worry about the scale in the next month. things will be crazy. you may loose weight you may not. you may retain fluids from surgery, you might not. The program works, I promise. just follow your surgeon's plan and it will be good. Please let us know how you are doing. there's a lot of support here, and even though I do have a very supportive partner I couldn't do this without my peeps here who are going through or have gone through the process.

I have a vitamix. I used to enjoy green smoothies, mostly veg, some fruit. I hope to enjoy them again in the future. right now? it's all I can do to get my Protein in. I was allowed unsweetened applesauce at the full liquids stage and would add my unflavored protein to it. I still do once or twice a week as it helps my bowels.

I hope it works out alright for you! let us know how it goes this week. I am glad you didn't have carbs.

for me it was about a year, because the bloodwork uncovered a problem that needed to be dealt with.

honestly, 30 pounds in that time frame is pretty good! what is your starting weight? as to the runs, are you on a probiotic? that can help. are you using a Fiber supplement or getting fiber? if it keeps up and you are not happy with the clinic's answers see your primary doctor. they can refer you to a specialist.

@@Dub for me at work how this works out is I have 3 places I can eat. the break room if it is quiet (not usually) my office with the door shut and the big light OFF. soft music playing (most of the time) but if it is one of those days when I know I will be hunted down in the office then I go out to my car, sit in the back seat (more comfy) and play quiet music. I have a little lap desk that serves as a table. Do whatever you need to do to make mealtime a pleasant, quiet place for you to hit the reset button. At home I have had to get mean and ugly with the family from time to time. it doesn't hurt them to pipe down long enough for me to eat my meal. I do an awful lot for all of them and really don't ask for much. but I also have three spots at home where I can take my meal so that I can find peace and quiet. The kitchen table, I have a table in the living room and the outside deck table. at 3 months out they have all mostly learned to save the drama for a half hour after I am done eating.

I was pretty nervous when I was where you are! but honestly, once I got on soft foods it hasn't been hard. I don't really want the bad foods much, and it is all I can do to eat what I am supposed to. one word of advice - in the first month do not pay attention overly much to the scale. they are going to pump you full of fluids and I know I had some steroids - and who knows what. you will have swelling inside and it takes a while to heal. Just follow the plan and trust that the weight will come off. easier said than done, I know.

try to find something different you like. in the past I went from drinking coke, to drinking sprite (not nearly as tempting) and then lemonaid. Vitamin Water zero makes a lovely lemonaid, and I enjoy the other flavors as well. and one of the lousy things we have to learn in this process is to tell ourselves NO. it may help to make a list of all the reasons you want to give it up, and refer to that list when you feel like you need one.

I only struggle with this if there is a lot of craziness going on (hub yelling at video game, teenagers arguing that sort of thing) I can no longer eat and watch the news. I find I am eating fast and then feel sick.

bah! lard does make me happy.

you're probably fine. in the beginning everything inside is swollen. that swelling goes down at different rates for different people. do what you can, and don't force it.