thesuse2000

I never had the taste issues you're dealing with, but early on I did really like the injury chicken broth. It's salty but very thin and I found it fairly innocuous and unoffensive, and there's 20g protein in each cup. Might be worth a try. I would usually put 1/2 scoop each if the chicken broth and unflavored into puréed soups just because I found the unflavored by itself to make things taste slightly yucky and unappetizing.

unjury is the only unflavored Protein powder I've used. You can't heat it beyond 140 degrees F. I see you're in BC - not sure if you use Celsius there, but you could find a conversion... But 140 F is pretty warm, but not hot, so I don't think you could cook with Unjury at least. Not sure if other products can be heated more. I think overheating Unjury causes it to change consistency and become gelatinous. Not sure if it also destroys the protein, but I'm guessing it does. Since about a month or so post-op I never use protein powders. I get all my protein from food. I know others continue with them longterm, but it's just not my bag. But on liquids they were essential. Hope that helps!

I haven't ever had to deal with this, but I've thought that if anyone tells me their reasons why they think WLS is bad I'll just say (whether they're overweight or not) something along the lines of "Well it sounds like you definitely shouldn't have this surgery then. I have no doubt that it was the right decision for me." If they continue after that I would have no qualms about walking away from them. Not sure if this applies to you, but I could also go on to say (if escape was not an option) that I've suffered with obesity since childhood (I'm 46 and have been overweight since I was 8 or 9) and tried every diet in the world. I've lost large amounts of weight several times, only to gain it back. No one can tell that I didn't try other options.

Wowsers! So inspiring that you're finding and doing the things you love!!

Camarolegend - please repost with your current weight and the specific goal weight for the challenge - thanks!

The link to the spreadsheet is on Susan's first post on this thread

You've made the decision to have surgery, so you've got a plan to deal with your weight issue. I think you should try to love and accept yourself more. Don't let your feelings about your weight color your whole life. You're going to need confidence and self-love to get through this journey - why not start now? Hold your head high and know that you've got a lot of wonderful qualities that don't have anything to do with how much you weigh.Hope you can find a way to have fun.

I've been seeing a personal trainer and he says that I should do cardio - at least 30 mins 4 times a week - and also do strength training 2-3 days a week. I'm still getting into the rythm, and frankly my work schedule hasn't allowed for that much gym time, but I try... I've been doing strength a couple days a week usually and cardio three days - but usually do both on the same day so no more than 3-4 gym days a week. If you do an intense leg workout (strength) you shouldn't do cardio afterwards, but if you just do upper body arms/abs, and/or just a little legwork you can do cardio right after.

holy crap - that's a lot of squats!! I did 50 on Monday (my personal trainer made me do it) and I was suffering for the next couple days. I just can't imagine doing more than that, and almost every day... but I'm sure if you can make it through it your buns and thighs will look pretty darn good by the end!

Wishing you the best with this next surgery! I hope this resolves the issues for good.

I've been, um, stall-y, lately, so not sure what to pick as a goal... okay, going for 1.75 pounds a week... Start weight: 189 Goal weight: 175

Too bad sleeve isn't an option. I agree with everyone who says to go with what feels right for you. The bypass feels a bit extreme to me too, and if you already have iron issues, that's a real concern. The good thing about the band is that you may be able to revise to something different down the road if needed. Although insurance coverage for revisions is often a little harder to get. I wish you the best in choosing what's best for you.

I know there are people who love their bands, and I'm so glad for them, but so many people do eventually have issues with the band. I had complications that made it impossible for me to keep the band tight enough to have the intended effect - and after having lost 70 pounds I gained it all back. My sister got banded the same day as me and she had a completely different experience. She lost less than me initially, but kept off about 40 pounds since 2008. But recently she's now starting to have issues and can't tolerate the band being tight either. She's going back and forth with fills, but is now starting to think about revising to the sleeve as well. The best thing about the band is that it's the least risky, and that's an important factor. But I've now had three surgeries, which has overall put me more at risk than just having done one, so in hindsight I wish I'd just done the sleeve initially. Is the sleeve an option for you? It's less risky than bypass, but may be more effective longterm than the band.

I use MFP too. I find it pretty easy - maybe it's improved since you used it? I love that I can save meals and it remembers the items I eat regularly. I find it to be super quick and easy to use - and so many foods/products are in there!

Ugh - that sounds awful! I'm glad your surgeon was able to schedule your surgery soon!

I would google the 5 day pouch test. I've seen lots of references to it, but don't have a link on hand. I think it's mostly going back to liquids for a few dats, but not sure of the details. But I've seen people say that it helped them, so worth trying!

Oh - so you are getting the sleeve - good! Hang in there, in the long run it will work out well. The sleeve is kind of awesome!

Wishing you the best peachie! Are you getting another band? Or revising to the sleeve?

It's good that you can see the positive side - that you've kept so much weight off! Without knowing your weight/height it's hard to say for sure, but if you're really only eating 1000 calories a day and exercising regularly, there may be something else going on that's affecting your metabolism - like thyroid issues. Or - is it possible that you're letting calories sneak in? Might be a good idea to do a couple days of liquids (or the 5 day pouch test) to reset your restriction. Maybe you can give yourself a fresh start. The beautiful thing about the sleeve vs the band is that you can eat veggies and dense Proteins without worrying about getting stuck - and they fill you up nicely. I wish you luck in achieving your goal in time - or the peace to accept where you are, which sounds like a pretty decent place to maintain!

Hi there - I'm a band-to-sleever too. The band worked for me at first (lost 70 pounds in the first year) but then I started having night reflux issues and ended up having to leave it pretty much completely unfilled in order to avoid issues - and I gained back all the weight and then some... So when I got sleeved I was almost like a virgin sleever since the band was unfilled and not doing anything for me anymore. That said, versus my memory of the band when it was working - I definitely love the sleeve SO much more. I like how Bearhugs described the full feeling - that's totally right. Sometimes I did feel full with the band, but often I felt stuck rather than full. With the sleeve it really is a normal full/satisfied feeling with a small meal. I think my cravings are more under control now too. Recovery from sleeve was a little harder than the band, but for me anyway, it wasn't too bad. I took two weeks off from work, and was glad to have the time to focus on getting all my fluids and Protein in, and rest and heal, but if I really had to I could have gone back sooner. I wish you the best!

I'm not done yet - but feeling good!