FluffyChix

BTW, @James Marusek have I told you lately that I you? I love when you post studies and articles! I adore debating this stuff and love that you make me think analytically. I learn as much from the replies as I do about the study or article! Thanks James!!

You rock dude! Congrats and keep it up! So happy to hear about the pain alleviation! I'm praying for that for myself!

See I look at this a different way...I just do not believe you can draw conclusions from this kind of study. We all know association never proves causation, so a cohort study can never prove that premise. Also, it's a 3 day, self-reported (from memory) recitation of meals--an activity rife with errors. It's just as likely that a predisposed group of people: inactive, poor lifestyle habits, obesity-prone people evolve into making lazy, hedonistic food choices rather than...you take a healthy adult who decides to stop eating breakfast, starts gaining weight, quits exercising, and picks up smoking. It's a chicken or egg argument. I'd argue that if you chose a different subset of people who don't eat breakfast: ie Intermittent Fasters who eat paleo and you will find, better health profiles as a result of skipping breakfast. They exercise (usually crossfit or HIIT) in gyms. They are rabid anti-smokers...and getting healthy is a priority. You could not draw the same conclusion with this subset of people. That's why I think cohort studies are impossible to tools cuz you can never eliminate out the variables with any degree of certainty nor correct for the level of error--which is likely exponential. Cohort studies might have the advantage of being "large," but I'd rather have 20 subjects in a double-blind, controlled environment and read statistical, empirical evidence...

Honestly? I'm doing this pre-op and anticipate this will continue the rest of my life. I pick my most important meal of the day (happens to be dinner for me), and that's the meal that I will put a little effort into. (Like 10-15 minutes of effort. ) That means, the other 2 meals, 3 snacks are pretty repetitious, crazy easy, and boring--designed only to fill my piehole with protein and veg/fruit. If I get tired of a meal, I'll take it out of rotation and put something up in its place. If it were me, and I was a truck drivin' man (thank you Toby Keith), I'd do the following during the week cuz I could make and package stuff ahead: Breakfasts--I'd rotate 3-4 of them: 1. Egg "muffins (portable, soft, easy to digest, dense protein). You can make these any flavor you want. They're essentially just crustless quiches (and real men DO eat quiche) !!! 2. Breakfast taco made with low carb tortilla. 3. Mixture of cottage cheese, yogurt, blueberries, Fiber One, toasted slivered almonds. 4. Green protein smoothie (frozen blueberries, frozen spinach, scoop of banana protein powder, peanut butter powder, unsweetened vanilla coconut milk or Fairlife Milk for more protein) Lunches--I'd rotate 3-4 of them: 1. Turkey or ham roll-up(s) + grape tomatoes (1 oz Boar's Head lunch meat + 1 string cheese = 1 roll-up)--eat 1-2 + 3-4 grape tomatoes 2. Little containers of leftovers from previous dinners that are pre-measured. Stop to pee at a truck stop, nuke 'em and enjoy with a spoon and a smile. Works great for things like chili, Eggface's Ricotta Bake, layered enchilada casseroles, etc. 3. Lettuce wraps (lunchmeat, sliced cheese, romaine leaves/curly lettuce leaves, cucumber spears, onion slices, etc) 4. Little containers of a meat/seafood/egg salad (tuna or canned salmon or shrimp, mixed with boiled egg, cottage cheese, green onions, dill pickle relish, low fat mayo, Dijon mustard, spices) + sliced apple or jicama or carrots. 5. Smorgasbord: 2oz leftover meat, 1oz cubed cheese, 3-4grape tomatoes or 2-3 strawberries or 1/4 c blueberries or blackberries. Snacks--KISS (Keep It Simple Sweetie) 1. Hard boiled egg 2. String cheese and beef/venison jerky 3. 1oz nuts 4. sliced apple/peanut butter or almond butter 5. My favorite trifecta satisfies me for 3-4 hours: 1 string cheese, 1.75oz GS apple slices, 8-14g of toasted almonds. So dang yummy!!! Dinner--Make something lovely for yourself and make enough to freeze 2-3 meals of leftovers in small containers. Label with tape: I make lots of "base" meats and buy pre-made/low to no sugar/low cal/low fat sauces and freeze them in ways that I can measure out an ounce or 2 into a container. I portion sauces in ice cube trays or small freezer containers. Then it's so easy to grab things and mix and match like Garanimals for food! Never a dull meal! Name of dish Qty of the Dish Date frozen (if possible, then put the nutritional information on it)

How did it go!? Excited for you girl!

Great post girlie! You go hon. It's a terrific list and I'm sure your friend will find it so helpful! I know I do. Thanks for taking your time to write it! I love the part about knowing now, upfront, that there will be a hard roe to hoe with the post surgery recovery. Knowing that helps set up proper/realistic expectations and knowing there is an endpoint to the suffering, also defines the expectation. It's like for me, learning new things is really tough--especially when it comes to technology. So I know upfront that software updates or learning new design programs will carry serious suckage. But, if I persevere and keep pushing and learning, eventually the stuff becomes ingrained. The learning curve steepness levels out and things go back to feeling "normal." I'm just continuing to remind myself, "Possible rock slide ahead."

You look beautiful, confident and happy!!! Congrats! So glad you have a shining report!

Schedule your appointment with your PCP now, even if it takes time. You'll probably need a referral, but will def need him to sign-off with his support and blessing. Better to know you have him/her on your team now. Also, you'll probably want (for record keeping ease), to have all your tests done within your hospital/care system. (ie If your doc is affiliated with a large teaching hospital, then likely, he'll refer and hook you up with other doctors in his network/hospital system. Then you'll do a seminar with the WLS doc and they will start writing orders for your pre-surgery tests.)

@Introversion Terrifying logic. But oh so true! I sure hope the insurance companies are beginning to embrace this metabolic intervention! The studies coming out these days truly support these surgeries!!

Holy cow! LOVE! Congrats on losing the wides calves and cankles.

Sounds like a greaattttt plan girlie!!! Let's touch base then!!

Dang! Lots of surgeries this week!!! Merry Christmas! Hope everyone's well, sip-sipping and walking!!

@Luisajfc ((hugs!)) I'm blessed by ya'lls friendships!!! (I'm askeered the grammar po-po are gonna come ****** me bald headed and since my hair is falling out everywhere, I don't have far to go!) hehehehe How are you feeling this week?

You CAN DOOOOO EEEEEEEETTTTTT!

I didn't start it cuz it looks like you and I are the only ones who want it and I didn't want to make it all about what I'm eating! It only works if we kibbitz over our daily food log and get support and worthwhile return on investment. Should I just go ahead and do it anyway? What's your vote?

Thank you and God bless you, @Wanda A. You know, being upbeat and supportive towards friends like y'all is very easy. Like, throw me in that briar patch!

Oh damn! So sorry!!! ((hugs)) Just a thought, but while they're in there, can't they do a team surgery where the gyn is there at the same time and takes your cysts while they are also doing your tummy surgery? I've had lots of surgeries where they were a tag team to kill 2 birds with 1 stone: 1 anesthesia, 1 set of laparoscopic incisions...and not all cysts have to be removed immediately. Once you're through this period, you have another 28-ish days to get to it, right?

Gosh, I would so get your internist and surgeon involved @shedo82773!! ((hugs)) " Furthermore, patients who are zinc deficient may experience a metallic taste in their mouths and hair loss on the arms, legs, and groin area. " I found this about zinc deficiency causing a metallic taste, but it's tricky to treat. http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111412p50.shtml

Welcome to the gang! Love your name!

Dangggggg girl! Did I open my trap and say something? You woulda thought I'd learned my listen in the whole Loose, Lose shenanigans! bahahahahahahahaha! I'll just say it now, I'm sorry for globally offending everyone! hehe Confession and apologies are good for the soul!

@Creekimp13 Hope your surgery went well today. Thinking healing thoughts for you!!!!

Congrats on the fill! You can do it girlie!!! Rah rah! Eat meat, don't cheat! Yay!!!

Well the progress you've made in 4months is astounding! I think you will def make the 6month goal or maybe even exceed it. Hey for grins have you plugged in your new weight into any macro calculator to see if you're eating the correct amounts? I know that is skewed for WLS peeps, but just a thought! I'm seeing the RD tomorrow and am gonna talk more with her about calories/macros post surgery to see if we truly are supposed to keep them as low as physically possible in the honeymoon 6 months. Thank you. It's tough. Some days are easy, other days like today, I feel like I'm a Starvin' Marvin' and can't shove down enough protein. I just would pray the surgery blunts some of my appetite. It's come back with a vengeance since I started going to PT! Every day is an interesting walk with compliance. As we all do, I just fear the regain so badly!!!!

Another thought for you...a serious one...you know, magic comes with a price. So when you down size, you also down size sensation...just sayin. Not trying to be a creep!

Ha! So glad! And for the record? You look super tiny in these piccys. LIke you may not need the reduction in your plastics thread. You should see how they "shake out" after a year. But you know, I had DDDs before the mast/recon. And it feels so forkin lovely not to have boob sweat, or the back ache, shoulder and neck pain from lush boobages...