FluffyChix

Please know that people with liver disease may sometimes present with perfectly normal ALT and AST.

Do you have any idea how many people would give their left nut to have the opportunity you have right now? I'm not making this stuff up. THIS ^^^^ is what I based my responses on. Sorry, but I don't do "martyr" posts. There was a reason I unleashed and told you the king's new clothes are his birthday suit. This is tooooo serious a surgery to go in with this attitude. Everyone and their brother has anxiety about the surgery. BFD! We deal with it and move on. But I don't know of many who actually adopted a laissez faire attitude to the pre-surgical diet (and I'm talking about the actual PRE-OP diet, not the pre-six month weight loss diet--we all have cheated during that and lived to tell about it--and moved forward through surgery. It's far too dangerous and irresponsible IMHO to not take the pre-op diet seriously.

I was hungry the day after surgery. What are you honestly gonna do then? You CAN'T eat or you will buggar your surgery. That is what I mean about being prepared. I "get" stressed. We're all stressed leading up to surgery. It's a scary stressful, NORMAL time. But if you have any doubts of having the intestinal fortitude to muscle through after surgery to keep from injuring yourself until you are at least healed, then that's when I would call the ball, talk to your team, get counseling, and proceed after they tell you you're ready. Cuz you DON'T wanna be only 50% at 5 years. F that! You want to maintain for life, don't you? I know I do.

This is so wrong. I think the statistics are that at 5 years more than 80% have regained on average of 50% of their weight. THAT's the real risk. I don't know about you, but I just spent the last year of my life preparing mentally and physically to change my life forever and to cut away 90% of my tummy and resect 2m of my bowel in order to do this. I can assure EVERYONE and their brother, I did not do this to cavalierly cheat like crap on my 2week pre-op diet, and have a 50% of excess weight loss at 5 year. I can get those statistics with WW or IF and still have a normal anatomy that doesn't require strict adherence to a daily vitamin regimen. She readily admits that she's so blase about the surgery, that she has not fully "bought in" to the whole surgery thing...that either speaks to someone still so fat addicted, she doesn't want to re-organize her relationship with food, or is too emotionally immature to grasp the risks and long-term consequences of surgery. She would have a high risk of being one of the ones who come and tell us "I ate pizza as I was leaving the hospital." Sorry...but dayum! Her post is very alarming. (Go ahead. I'm wearing asbestos granny panties today--so release the Krakken!)

You will regain. But in my honest opinion, if you aren't 100% on board mentally? I wouldn't do it. Cuz in the end, I think it's the people who are do-or-die that keep it off without regain. And this is a golden shot. The surgery is the best it will ever be (effective) the first time around. Any revisions are much harder to lose weight with -- or so I hear.

A blender is so big--unless you have a bullet or Ninja cup size blender. You can get a stick blender (Cuisinart) for somewhere around $20. It's very versatile. That's about all I use and I have a sh*t ton of equipment.

Oh sweetie. ((hugs)) and hang in there!! Do you have any peanut butter powder? It helps the yogurt and cottage cheese be more filling. And I absolutely think the Walden Farms Blueberry Pancake Syrup was a life saver. I added that to both the y/cc after mixing in peanut butter powder and adding about 1/2-1oz of PP shakes to them.

Hehe! Maybe you should POST piccys of your new do? We piccys! I bought a new "hair bump" to make my messy bun/updo super easy peasy. I also bought a new lipstick. me=big spender

I know girlie. It helps when you can eat full textured solids though. I'm getting my 60g of protein in and eating my 1/2c per meal and am having on average about 475-525 cals depending on if I use 1/2oz of avocado at dinner or not. LOL. It does get easier! And lol, I believe that "Better Living Through Chemistry" is my mantra. So if there's a low cal/low fat/low carb sauce out on the market, I will find it--embrace it--use it to my advantage! What is your diet like this week?

((hugs)) Yeah. I hear ya girlie! Try to just keep putting one foot in front of the next and don't let it derail your progress. It's one trying baby step after the other.

Yeah pretty much it sounds like your 3 week is hitting. They can hit anywhere from 2-4 weeks usually? Here was my progression so you can compare: 210.4, 210.4, 211.2, 211.6, 210.6, 210.4, 209, 208.4, 209.4, 207.8, 207lbs. So it's def not "linear" but you can def see that there was a see-saw where before I was losing about .5lbs day, every day from the 221.2lb area. ((hugs)) Oh it so sucks for you right now. My heart goes out to you. Please come rant here with us and let it all out of your system!!

Be prepared for it to be 6 months. Mine did that too and we submitted at 3 months only to be told--shocker--I need 6 months in Texas. :-/ But the good news is that now I'm 5 weeks post-op!

How beautiful! You are SO talented!!!!

@newself Wow!!! Congrats to you!!! Love when formerly too small outfits not only fit but give a little wiggle room! I bet your changes were very diff and people were staring cuz you look great. They probably also were afraid to ask you if you were dieting and lost weight. They do that to me all the time. And YEEEEHAWWWW for wearing flannel pj bottoms and long sleeve tshirts to work. I too work from home, so those are "my jams." Hehe! @Sosewsue61 OK, I don't wanna jinx it so won't say anything more until you official pronounce it gone! ((hugs)) OMG. I hate stalls so much!!! You're so cute btw!

Dude. Do. Not. Move. My. Cheese.

Sounds yummy!!! Why are you eliminating the snack? You're still losing like a big dog aren't you? Or am I confusing that you're on a 2 month stall? Damn you chemobrain! Great snack/lunch tho!!! But dang on getting dizzy. So scary!!!! I'm so excited for your vacay. Remember, we demand piccys or it didn't happen! I do think blue crabs are in season girl! But you're in FL so be sure to also try the stone crab claws! YUM!

Update: 5 Weeks Post - 207lbs (-15.4lbs from SW of 222.4lbs--hey, that's 3.1lbs/wk--I'll take it! ) Well it's been a week since I've been applying my RD's rec to add fiber and texture to my food and to ultimate go by volume rather than by weight at this point. I've been keeping foods mostly at 1/2c, but sometimes stretch it to 5/8c to accommodate "fluffy veg" like broccoli and cauliflower. LOL. For the most part I'm satisfied. Sometimes I'm full! But mostly, I'm just, "Meh, I can walk away from the table without cursing everyone and all of their fore bearers and progeny." The al dente veggies are greatly appreciated! I will not miss the mushies and could not bring myself to buy either canned chicken or tuna pouches! I gave 'em the big FU! I'm back to losing anywhere from 1/2-3/4lb per day. I won't lie. It's hugely motivating to wake up, pee, take all my clothes off and step on the scale only to see a drop in weight. HUGELY motivational. And yet, I know I will become an instant little whiny bi*ch the second it stops being my friend and gets hung up. If I can continue at this pace, I will be down to about 205lbs at the end of the month--which was my secret goal! That will be a 16.2lb loss for the month--a personal best! Yip! Yip! Yippee!!! I'm walking an hour a day. Currently it's in two, 30 minute cycles, but starting next week, I'm moving it to a 40minute and 20 minute cycle. I also need to f/u with my arthritis doc about the hip injection so I can go back to PT soon--within the next couple of weeks. So today I'm celebrating another personal best. I'm now officially at 80lbs lost from my most recent highest weight. (I'm 118lbs down from my highest ever recorded weight.) I'm so happy and grateful for all the people on my team who've helped make it rain. Maybe for the first time ever I actually BELIEVE that I will lose all the weight and reach my top secret goal (125lbs--a 200lb loss from my highest ev weight). This is a huge thing for me. I've never honestly believed I could ever reach any goal and keep it off before. And like self-fulfilling prophecy always works--I never have! I love that right now all of my food cravings involve healthy foods. LOL. Can you believe it? I love that I have no anxiety about this coming feast weekend and fun with the fam! I know I won't drink, I know I won't over eat, and I don't worry about indulgences--cuz I don't really want any of them. I don't want to derail my hard work! Tomorrow is my 6-month cardiologist appointment. Not sure if he's going to order another echo or not. I'm still experiencing swelling--especially in my right ankle. He was not a fan of the surgery. I think he's seen too many go out, lose, then regain spectacularly to believe that it's anything more than a band-aid on a festering wound. But, with the good Lord's help, I will prove over time that I can remain consistently at goal weight. Not sure what I'm eating today. I'm having some food ambivalence right now. I just want to put something down my pie hole that fills me up and is healthy. And I don't really care what it is as long as it's easy, and doesn't involve much time in the kitchen. LOL. Such a new and curious "condition." Ok, more later!

The Gatorade is packed with sugar and will fork you unless it is Powerade Zero.

OMG! Sing it my brothah!!!! Sing it loud! One of my personal pet peeves. At the very least get your butt in and do a signature with information in it and maybe a ticker too. Like the rest of us schmoes.

Do you own a stick blender and a tall container? There is no muss and no fuss in purees. If you don't wanna cook, go pick your favorite low carb entree from the frozen food isle. Cook to the instructions. Splash a little unflavored protein powder in it to boost protein and go to town with your stick blender and low sodium stock (chicken or beef). (Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers, any freshly prepared food, etc. LOL) Rinse the stick blender, put the container in the dishwasher. Measure out 1/8c of food and done!

NM, don't want to fork up your thread more than I already have. Sorry!

Hahahaha! OK, but doesn't he look like the old dad too? I'm now running to Sopranos to look him up. Ahhh the things we do when we have wayyyy too much time on our hands and way too little brains. Good times!

LOL, well actually "Nahmie" (channeling Cliff Clavin from Cheers), if you trip on over to google and google "Low Carb Cadbury Eggs," you will be AMAZED at how many peeps have made fairly good facsimiles that may not send you rushing to the throne room.

Ok, so I can get on with life. You are in fact NOT the old guy/dad from the 70s sitcom, Family Ties, masquerading as a short order line cook?

Take the pill. You'll be fine.