Orchids&Dragons

But you do have friends here or at least brothers in the trenches. Everyone who takes the time to respond to questions is doing it out of a desire to help the questioner. Clearly, some are more diplomatic than others, but when they respond sharply, they are acting out of fear for you, not out of meanness. Your later posts let us understand that you have a good handle on this, but on the first initial post, people respond with the limited information they have available. And, believe me, we have seen some amazingly scary posts about foods being eaten by people who should still be on liquids. There are some crazies out there. Wishing you the best!

The thing that is hard to understand before surgery is how easy it is to "eat around your surgery." Kind of like putting a lock on the kitchen door but then you figure out how to climb in through the window. The sleeve (or any other WLS) only works as well as you do. Once you're all healed up, you are perfectly capable of pounding down thousands of calories a day if you so choose. One good method of avoiding regain is moderation. Some people can do that, but honestly, most of us can't. If we could, we wouldn't be here. I know from past experience, for example, that once I hit maintenance, I'll do better with 6 days on/1 day off. That will keep me pretty well in line. There's a thread on here about intermittent fasting. That's a great solution for some. The point is, the surgery isn't a one-and-done for most people. It is something we will have to work at forever. I hope this helps.

I sure hope not, that would be a pain!

There's no denying it, this is hard. Especially the first couple of months where you really can't eat. When you're further out, know that you can have a bite of pizza. Lots of times knowing that you CAN is all that you need. It's all head games. Definitely feel free to take a walk or something when it really bothers you. Not forever, just while you're really struggling. That's not selfish, it's coping. It does get easier, I promise! p.s. I love the Skinnytaste website. She remakes standard recipes in a healthier version and includes all the protein/calorie info. Very helpful.

30 for me, too. I actually bought a couple of cheap kitchen timers at Wally-World, one for home, one for work. I think they were $2.99 each. At first, I was setting the timer on my phone, but that ended up being too much of a PIA to do several times a day.

I like Dannon Light & Fit. Very smooth and 12g of protein in a 5 oz. container, 7g sugar. Avoid the cherry, blueberry, and strawberry in the beginning. They have chunks of fruit. My favorites are the key lime and coconut flavors. The Dannon Triple 0 (Black container) are excellent for bariatrics, too. I didn't care for that texture as much. But that's a personal preference. You may like it better 😊

Congrats on getting to the loser's bench! Hope your recovery is quick and uneventful!

So apparently your creativity does have an "ON" switch with the right incentives.

OK, then! Back to work! (Whip cracks in background!)

Just tryin' to lighten your mood!

Sounds like a nightmare. Creative thinking doesn't have an on/off switch. That's one reason I'm an accountant. We can go to jail for being creative 😉

Seems like "creative writing" and "taxes my spirit and soul" do not belong in the same sentence. It must be about something you have absolutely no passion for.

Congrats on your loss so far. Sounds like you're doing great. It will take a couple of days of the omeprazole before your acid-jets cool down. You might check with the Dr's office and see if you can take a liquid or chewable antacid until then to help cool your throat. In the meantime, avoid liquids that are higher in acid like lemonade.

That is so me, too! If I were any good at moderation, I wouldn't have needed surgery. I applaud those who can, but I'm not one of them.

BTW, did anyone else's article have ads for ice cream on every page? Talk about a mixed message!

Excellent, thanks for posting! I loved the ground zero jump. Will be giving that one a try. Here's a link to the video, my article didn't have a link. https://www.bariatriceating.com/2015/04/low-impact-bariatric-movement-ground-zero-jumps/

The important thing to recognize is that after a few months, we are capable of eating the entire bag again. So establishing good habits, in the beginning, is vital to success. This doesn't apply to everyone. Some people maintain major restriction or minimal hunger for years, but others don't. We can't predict which camp we'll end up in. That said, my treat is wine. However, I only have it on actual occasions: my birthday, on vacation, etc. Times that are clearly delimited from my normal life. I only eat about 800 cals/day. Using 80 of those cals on a glass of wine would be a poor nutritional choice if I did it regularly.

Yup, I've got nothing but a few skin ripples to indicate where a butt should live!

Fluff's trying to get it renamed because it doesn't look much like a hug.

Textbook perfect answer!

I have lower back problems so bridges are a good choice for me. However, I come from a long line of noassatalls, so there's only so much to be done ☹️

Bridges? Check out #3 in particular https://yurielkaim.com/glute-bridge-exercise/

Me, too! And I vicariously exercise through your cardio, kitty! That came out really creepy, huh?

Best wishes for a smooth surgery and a quick recovery!

Best wishes that all goes smoothly!