TakingABreak

I also love using my Emerson blender. I've noticed, I don't feel any nausea or discomfort when eating the soy meat. It's worth a shot.

16lbs is a great success. Honestly, my surgeon said between 2-4lbs per week. I can't see your stats or anything, but imagine if you continued to loose 3lbs per week, at the end of a year... you would be down 152lbs.... Now, its unlikely you'd loose that amount every week, nor would you loose every week, but you have to consider the long game!

Well you've just gained an entire community of "real" friends, and I know we can't hang out in person, but we will be there for you in any way we can. I shut people out too. There were certain people that I avoided seeing or hanging out with for YEARS. There was only a very select inner circle that I still saw regularly leading up to surgery. I'm afraid I became somewhat of a recluse, and as a result, my husband turned into one too. Our friendships ended and we became even less active. I agree with your dietitian about the dress! However, please take another piece of advice. Please establish with a therapist before surgery. Someone who's been punishing themselves by wearing the same thing everyday may struggle with the emotional hurdles of stalls, timing of weight loss, and internal expectations. This is the biggest mind game I've ever played. And I think you need more people in your corner, so to speak.

You should highly consider getting a Vitamix. There are so many AMAZING soup recipes you can make. The prep work is virtually nonexistent. A lot of the recipes you could make without the Vitamix, and use a regular blender. The benefit of the Vitamix is that you can put raw veggies in without having to boil first, and it cooks it while mixing. If you do the extra leg work, then you can use the regular blender. Have you tried soy meat? I love the Gardein brand. It tastes just like what it looks like, chicken, fish, ect.

I can't wait until I can shop anywhere. Regular women's sizing will be fantastic. It's so hard to find fashionable, reasonably priced, plus size women's clothing without shopping online. Sometimes you don't have time to order!

This is so insightful! A lot of people assume insecurity in overweight people. Weight doesn't dictate personality 100%, it may mold us to a degree, but an introvert is an introvert.

I feel like I'm taken more seriously.

I like this a lot! I feel like true authenticity is so hard to achieve. Congrats!

Sugar isn't in everything. Stear clear of dairy, fruit, processed foods, and you will eliminate 90% of the sugar in your diet. If you eat yogurt, choose Greek yogurt with less than 20 carbs per container. Fruit and other dairy products are not necessary for nutrition. Don't get me wrong, I eat those things, but I don't have problems with loosing at the moment. Simply put, eat lean meat and non starchy veggies. It sounds boring, but it works! Meat---->Veggies---->Repeat. As far as the fiber goes, you can add a soluble fiber to your water intake. You can find some that are tasteless.

Amen! This is priceless.

The last picture ^^^ was this right before your tummy tuck? the reason I ask is, I wonder sometimes if my stomach is a lot of skin, or if it's still a lot of fat. I don't know how to tell. When I think of loose skin, I think that it wouldn't be firm like fat is. Your opinion is appreciated.

This is very interesting to me, how you describe your dumping symptoms. I feel like this has happened to me before and I didn't realize it was dumping. Hmmm, I will def keep better track next time.

I still eat very quickly, but just less. I know this isn't recommended, but I always found it impossible to spread 2-3 oz out over 30 mins.

I wouldn't recommend stocking up. I have WAY too many boxes of SF popsicles and things of bone broth.

I think it was @Creekimp13 suggested to me sugar free Kool-Whip.

Everything @allwet said. Also, your protein drinks and other liquids count toward your water intake goals. I could never drink straight water, so I drank bone broth, crystal light, and tea. I also did Protein Water and shakes. Remember, when you are on liquids, you don't have to worry about stopping drinking 30 before, 30 after rule. Its not until you get to the purred stage that you need to stop drinking before and after. Which, it sounds like you may be there now. I would add unflavored protein to your soup or baby food. It will help you hit the goals for the day. And drinking is a full day challenge. You have to sip ALL day long. Even when I would go take a shower, I would leave my water bottle on the bathroom counter.

AWWW such a good story! What-a keeper!

I drink from a straw all the time, and have a blended protein smoothie every day, also drank from a straw. If I'm extra gassy because of that, I don't notice it. I do have gas, but its become a part of normalcy for me.

I'd suggest posting a daily example of what you eat in a typical day. Also, include exercise and activity levels. We can't help by what you've given us to go by. I suggest using a food diary app, so we can see your MACROS, ect.

I use Bio Oil on my face and I love it. There are many vets who can vouch for its effectiveness. You can buy it from Walmart for under $10 for the small bottle. I apply it twice a day.

It does get easier. I was "lucky" to almost have slight case of food aversion from week 3-7. So nothing looked appealing and it was easier that way and even the sight or smell made me sick. However, when my appetite came back, I didn't crave the same foods. I'm over 4 months post op and I actually, had some potato chips over the weekend. I felt so sick, and I threw the bag away. So even when I "indulge" my pouch slaps my hand and discourages me from doing that ever again. A lot of people go through emotional struggles after surgery. I'd recommend establishing with a therapist and talking out the changes to your body. You will inevitably have changes in family, friends, and co worker dynamics. It is a lot to juggle.

Glad you are feeling better Matty and that you are reaching your goals!

I’m weighed in today and I’m proud and humble to say that I’m down 102lbs. It’s been the best 4 months ever. I’m so excited to continue to accomplish my goals. Thanks for being apart of my journey. Xoxo

Here's my top 10 tips! Start altering your diet now. Cut out processed food, or at the very least processed sugar. Practice eating your protein first and then focus on non-starchy veggies. Find something that you like to drink that doesn't have calories. Try different caffeine free teas and water additives. I still can't drink plain water....so you want to have something on hand that you know you like. Cut out caffeine. Most programs allow caffeine back in relatively quickly, but caffeine can hinder your body's ability to heal. You don't want to go through caffeine withdrawal along with the aches and pains of surgery. Don't use protein shakes before you absolutely have to! I made the mistake of supplementing some of my meals with shakes to "prepare myself" for the pre-op diet. Big mistake. You will get to the point where they are DISGUSTING, and you don't want to increase the timeline of that by drinking them before you need to. Start incorporating exercising (even if it’s just walking) somewhere in your daily routine. It will make it easier if it’s already a habit. Practice chewing your food at least 20-30 times before swallowing. Muscle has memory and it will be so much easier if you already have this habit. If you screw up and swallow too soon after surgery, you will pay the price. Set timers and don't drink and eat at the same time. I highly recommend having at least 1 visit with a therapist to establish with someone for after surgery. It’s not required, but everyone seems to have some emotional struggles afterwards. Whether its 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years you may struggle with the changes. I personally wouldn't share with people, unless you know they will be 100% supportive. It is nerve wracking already and you need nothing but positivity. Plus it’s a lot of pressure from people who know you've had WLS, versus people who think you are on the weight loss track. People think that the weight is going to melt off after surgery, and sometimes it doesn't. You don't want the extra judgment. ***Newly Added**** Don’t engage people with people who say “WLS is too dramatic” or “You could just diet and loose the weight” or “You aren’t big enough for surgery” or “It’s the easy way out”. SCREW THOSE PEOPLE, they don’t know. They will never know how triumphant our victory will be. I would also remember that you need to make time for you! Make the time to shop healthy, meal prep, cook healthy, and plan ahead. And I’m talking to all the selfless mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives. We give so much to our families, but NOW is the time to focus on ourselves. We are doing it for them, after all. We are doing it to prolong our lives and improve the quality of our lives. Come up with a reward system of sorts. You want to acknowledge your successes. For my 50lb mark, I went and got pedicures with my girlfriends. For my 75lb mark, I bought myself some new dresses. For my 100lb mark, I already bought myself a really nice full length mirror.

Just because you haven’t lost a lot of weight, doesn’t mean you are failing. At a low BMI, you may have slower loss. Don’t let this discourage you. The point of the preop diet is to shrink your liver and something to do with bacteria in your gut. You are doing the right thing, hang in there!