Creekimp13

There are VERY few things I'll buy at food salvage stores, most of the stuff is out of date or fishy enough to give me pause..... But occasionally, you can find a few things that are decent. I started going to them as part of a wildlife rescue co-op. One particular salvage store carried frozen goat milk for fifty cents a quart. It was out of date, but was frozen when fresh and the rescue used a ton it. We'd go in a couple times a month and buy all they had. I had a diabetic dog for 7 years, and bought all of her test strips slightly out of date at the salvage, too. (would not use them on people, but my dog...meh?...they were accurate enough) There are tons of snack foods and processed crap, but once in a while you find something cool. I got a gallon of Italian Balsamic vinegar for $4. This last trip I found very short dated Mio water flavors for a dollar. I avoided the ones with vitamins, but figured the regular favors were probably pretty stable. If you go...don't expect glamour...lol. They can be kinda rough. But it's a terrific place to get specific things for the rescue...frozen and canned veggies for the lizards and birds, oatmeal for some of the baby critters, dried fruits and nuts on the cheap. Check seals. Check dating. But a lot of diet products end up there. Tons of protein powders and drinks. Slim Fast 20g protein shakes are very common because the company screwed up and bought cardboard holders that broke...so tons of them are in salvage right now with good dating. Wish they had Premier Protein...but it never seems to end up there:) Have seen Premier Protein bars, though.

The stuff that sings to me....gets re-homed. Just takes too much emotional energy to slip up and feel guilty. I'm tired of the food drama in my life. My food at home falls under two categories... 1. Healthy legal stuff. 2. Naughy stuff my husband likes that I find repugnant. Not saying I don't eat treats once in a blue moon. I do. But I make a point not to bring it into the house, or only bring it into the house for a special occasion with a very limited quantity. Lots of steps that make me THINK about the choice. Not saying I can't make that choice once in a while....but it's gonna be my idea and not the singing. LOL:) I want my food choices to be deliberate. (even the occasional splurge) There is one legal-ish item that I struggle with a little. Yasso greek yogurt bars. God, how I love them. LOL. They come in a box of four. I usually get them when I take my mom grocery shopping. I take two home (one for me, one for hubby), and leave two at her house. They have a hell of a time singing to me....from her house:)

I love Protein bars...but as Jess said, be careful. They're a slider, they're carb heavy, and they taste a little too much like a candy bar:) Easy to overindulge. Sometimes food salvage stores have protein bars. I hit the jackpot for my favorite brand recently. A whole pallet of them got caught in the rain and the outer boxes were ruined. The salvage store put five bars in zip lock baggies and sold them for a dollar a bag! (five bars would usually cost about seven dollars here) They had good dating, were individually wrapped and sealed....and were perfect. I bought way too many. Am hiding them downstairs in a giant popcorn tin so they're not quite so handy:) Gonna take some to my kiddo for lunch on the run at college.

I'm 4 months out and drink one Premier Protein daily....in my decaff coffee. 30g of Protein in the bank makes me less stressed out about my 60g+ per day protein goal since my diet is a more vegetarian than most.

Mario, you got some Splainin' to do!

Awesome answer BigViffer! All of that makes a ton of sense. Thanks for responding:)

Crossing fingers for you:) Best wishes!

Feeling nostalgic. Might even pop in one of my ancient "Sweatin to the Oldies" DVDs

I'm really surprised they can schedule all of those things "all at the same appointment" If they do endoscopy in house...doing your EKG and running blood work that day, i could see happening. Sounds like you've already done the first part of the psych eval. Maybe they have a visiting therapist to finish up the day of your other procedures? Have to say, I envy your ability to have "one stop shopping" on this grocery list. LOL. Mine was really spread out! The whole thing can be a little overwhelming at first....but once you get going on your program....you're gonna get so excited:) Best wishes!

Looking SO good, girl! What a difference! I think you're gaining muscle as well as losing fat...which might be why you've been concerned about the scale. Keep up the great work!

So glad you got checked out, Erika:) And even gladder that you're feeling better. Wishing you good healing and success:)

Am seeing some really amazing differences, girl! Keep up the great work!

Antibiotics can wipe out much of your gut microbiota....the helpful bacteria that aid in digestion. You're probably suffering the consequences of a big bug gut die-off from the antibiotics you had to use. To help reestablish good bacteria, eat lots of different things with fiber...beans, peas, apples, raspberries, whole grain, oatmeal, strawberries, etc. Good bacteria gets a boost from dietary fiber. Also eat cultured products like yogurt, kefir, miso...and pickled things like sauerkraut, pickles, olives, dressing with vinegar. All of these things will help get your gut bugs back in order...with good populations that will help your digestion.

Alternate hours. on even hours, pour 4 little one ounce cups of water. Drink one every 15 minutes. (or more if you can handle it) on odd hours, pour 4 little one ounce cups of protein drink. Drink one every 15 minutes. Sip, sip, sip. If you sleep 8 hours a day, and follow this schedule the other 16 hours each day....you will get in 32 ounces of protein drink and 32+ ounces of water a day. 64 fluid ounces per day total. If you do this...you will feel much better.

Congrats! Well done!

I like Chai tea:) Would be good using the same protocol. Great idea! That said...black tea does have caffeine, so be careful. I have decaffeinated Chia and will have to give this a try.

While I understand your frustration....even worst case scenario....6 months isn't that long when you're talking about a life changing decision. Also, using those six months to lose 30 or so pounds will make reaching goal that much easier after surgery. Lifestyle changes are hard. Working on them hard before surgery pays off. Don't mean to be insensitive....just trying to see it from another point of view. Good luck however it turns out:)

You were lied to. The three weeks stall is infamous. What can you do? Be patient. That's it.

Chapstick. Lounge pants or PJ Bottoms.....your IV will prevent you from changing your top for a bit...so just get some PJ type pants on your butt and you will feel much less breezy roaming the halls with your IV pole. Robes and stuff...don't bring them for the same reason. You'd have to thread your IV's through the arms and depending on the equipment, that's not gonna happen. Your own pillow from home. Comforting to sleep on, and smells like home. Biotene spray. You have never experienced dry mouth like this before. Your tongue will be sandpaper. Bring Biotene. I brought stuff to do my make up and hair and a comfortable outfit to go home in. Think stretchy waist:) Also... Your phone charger. Your Phone. Your approval letter from your insurance company. I brought this one a whim, and was so glad I did. They mixed my name up with another woman with the same name and were trying to bill the wrong insurance and it was getting rejected and people were panicking. LOL. The letter straightened it all out.

I gurgle, too. My husband teases me about it. I don't think anyone else notices:)

Could you please describe what an enhanced recovery program is?

Take a look at the Mayo Clinic Diet. It's based on the Mediterranean diet....which is the diet eaten by the people who have the best longevity in the world...lowest heart disease and cancer rates, too. I have never felt better in my life or enjoyed my diet more....than when I started eating the Mayo Clinic Diet. (have been on it since June of last year) My nutritionist is fully supportive of my continuing this diet. I have no problem hitting my 60+ g of protein goal, and I keep my calories between 1000-1200 a day. Some nutritionists will really push keto after bariatric surgery....but my office serves a population of people from all over the world...many vegans, some following very different cultural eating habits...so they're more open to different paths up the mountain so to speak:) Best wishes to you on your journey.

It sucks and I'm sorry. People will give you a lot of advice on diet and exercise.....and they're both important...but chances are very good that even when you're doing everything by the book...you'll hit stalls like this. Our bodies lose weight rapidly and they put on the brakes. It sucks. The good news is that with patience and consistency...you will lose the weight. Just need to dig in, keep your nose down, and work your program. I know it's discouraging and irritating. It gets better!

Looks delicious, Fluff:)

Erika...please take your temperature. If it's up, call your doctor. Please remember to get your fluids in. A bad headache can be a sign of dehydration. The cough worries me, too. If it's persistent, please phone your doc or get seen today. Please take care of your health. That is the number one priority right now.