Orchids&Dragons

If we all had terrible weekends like this, we'd never have met on these forums! I agree that comments like your NUT made are very damaging. It is so easy to become complacent and say, it's good enough. And if that's what your goals are, that's great. But if your goals are bolder, that seeps away your resolve, imo. Even though you've lost a lot of weight and your health is much improved, I completely understand your desire to lose more. Especially with the links that have been shown between fat and breast cancer. Go for it, girlie!

Then you're an artist by nature!

Agreed! If I only ate when I was truly hungry, I wouldn't eat at all. Nonetheless, I eat about 6 meals a day because at my reduced capacity, it takes that many meals to hit my numbers.

I'm totally inspired! Up to 20 minutes in 7 weeks. You rock!

Not weight-related, but definitely lifestyle-related: One of my sons, who graduated in May, got his first job - starting Monday! He accepted the job offer Wednesday night, so this was all a major scramble. Yesterday, we moved him about 50 miles to the far side of Dallas, then spent the rest of the day at Bed, Bath & Beyond stocking his apartment. He lived at home all through college, so this is his first time alone. He's an identical twin, so he even had a womb-mate! He has literally never been alone before. So, I'm praying that he really enjoys the new job and the feeling of maturity you get by handling your own business. That leaves us with 2 still in school who will hopefully finish up and move on in the next year. Empty nest - here we come! Woohoo!

My face was the absolute first place I noticed. When I glanced in a mirror, I saw my mother!

@ALFxRNY Your jawline is definitely more defined as well as your temple area. (I notice that area because I was so happy when my glasses no longer left dents down the side of my face! )

You win! 1/2 a tortilla and 1 piece of meat?

I actually ate until I was worried that I might be sick on the hour and a half ride home. But I stopped before I got too full . . . but just one more bite . . . It's just soooo tempting!

Wow! Aren't you an adventurous soul!

If they're more dried out, they probably last longer. Do you celebrate Halloween (or an equivalent) in NZ?

Thank you for taking one for the team!

It's very good. I forgot to tell them to leave off the tortilla strips but I didn't eat enough to matter, anyway. It's a bit spicy now that I'm a total spice sissy. #$@% GERD!

Are you saying you had severe reflux in the past? If so, VSG may not be your best option. But if you just had bad heartburn on rare occasions, that's different. However, if you had it occasionally, there's no way to predict whether you'll get it after surgery. My doctor is currently trying to decide if I should get a revision due to reflux. I don't think I had reflux before, but I'm not positive and did not have an endoscopy before the surgery. However, due to swallowing issues after surgery, he sent me for an upper GI and I completely impressed the radiologist (never a good thing.) Every time I swallowed, I was refluxing all the way to my collarbones. However, it is a small percentage of VSGs that need to be revised. If I didn't have a real issue with GERD before, it wouldn't be a major factor in which surgery I chose. Have you had an endoscopy to see if you have GERD damage now?

Ok, had to travel to the other side of Dallas yesterday afternoon and didn't want to drive home until after the traffic cleared. So, one of my sons and I went out to eat at Chili's. I had the Southwestern Soup and the Cajun Chicken Pasta. (Yes, it's a ton of food, but it was a $10 deal and I knew the leftovers would be well received at home!) Yes, the picture at the bottom (showing both dishes) is the AFTER! But I did eat some actual grilled CHICKEN!

I am beyond jealous. Wait til you see my post!

Congrats on your upcoming surgery. Hope all goes super smoothly. Definitely get some full-body pics and measurements now. Your brain will play tricks on you later! I thought chapstick and a toothbrush were the most important things for the hospital. Best wishes!

Quite a few people have used shakes before surgery. It's entirely up to you. However, they are very sweet and really easy to get burned out on. You'll see a lot of people complaining how much they hate them post-op because of that. Additionally, not all protein shakes are created equal. Some have a ton of sugar and calories. (Beware, Smoothie King!) Since your stomach is still full sized, maybe try adding a snack of string cheese wrapped with ham, or a couple hard boiled eggs, etc to your 6-month pre-op diet. They're high-protein, low calorie options.

This is the one I used: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cauliflower-soup/ I didn't make a roux, instead I used a suggestion that someone mentioned in the comments and used coconut milk mixed with a little (maybe 1T) cornstarch to thicken. After it was cooked, I used a stick blender to puree it. There were still a few small chunks, but the veggies were very soft, so no problems.

I made a cauliflower/cheese soup that was delicious pureed. I also ate applesauce, Greek yogurt, smoothies, etc. I couldn't stand the texture of pureed meat. I just waited for soft foods for that.

That sounds awful. Thank you for sharing your experience and I hope you get well soon.

I almost did, but let it slide! Especially since I'm the one complaining about laughing at work!

Still ain't gonna happen! For as often as most of you eat soup, I doubt it's an issue anyway.

Oh, hell no! No way do I want to go back 15 minutes later to eat stone-cold bit of veggies! YUK!

Thanks, Alex. It's perfect!