Coookies

Hi, sorry i can't help, but have you tried a Goodwill store??? very cheap disposable clothes... or Ebay.. just set the maximum price to $5... tons of cheap cheap clothes on there!!! But Goodwill or a second-hand store is probably your best bet!!!

Increase your Water intake, and even though you don't need a Protein shake to get your protein in, adding one a day will not hurt you!!! Extra protein is always good and it helps to boost your metabolism... I was in a rut for the last 2 weeks, actually gained a few pounds... went back to a Protein Shake a day 2 days ago and increased my water.... well one or both worked for me!! just give it a try!! And 15 pounds in the first month is really good because your starting weight is much lower than most people on here!!! Big losers the first month tend to be the much bigger people (like myself) i started off about 100 lbs heavier than you... i lost 23 lbs my first month.. 34 lbs if i count the weight i gained from the surgery, but i don't like counting that or pre-op lbs lost...

Ummmm... Sorry, but ALL FOODS affect your blood sugar level... not just sugar... Here is how: When you eat, your body breaks food down into glucose, the main sugar found in the blood and the body’s main source of energy: Food is eaten and converted to glucose (sugar); (THIS INCLUDES PROTEIN) Blood sugar rises; Insulin is made by pancreas and released into blood stream; Blood sugar moves from blood stream into cells and tissues; Excess insulin that is not used is stored as body fat. Here is a good information sheet on the subject: http://www.lillydiabetes.com/Pages/how-food-affects-blood-sugar.aspx

OK... this was me 2 Fridays ago, and the Friday before that too... ( so 2 Fridays in a row!!!) Here's the email i sent to my doc: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Last week on Friday, I full on fainted.. I was dancing and felt really dizzy, so, i drank a couple of glasses of ice Water, and some cider, then the room started spinning and i sat down.. tried to stand up and the room spun more and my legs felt wobbly.. sat down again and woke up on the floor with people grabbing me... I blacked out completely because I don't remember anything.. Tonight... same thing.. not as severe.. no spinning just weak legs, then woozy and sat down.. put my head between my knees .. and bam.. woke up on the floor again.... Any idea about what is wrong with me?? Once is not really a big deal but 2 times in 8 days... I'm starting to worry a bit.... HELP!! fyi... good sodium intake and even made a point today to ask the bartender to add sugar to my cranberry/cider (non-alcoholic) cocktail...and drank lots of water... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> So, on both of those days, my hydration was great, but my calorie count was really low.... i would say that it is low blood-sugar... My doctor responded that it is not a big deal, and actually quite normal... 2 reasons... malnutrition and rapid weight loss.. My GP did a full blood scan and it was normal... he thought malnutrition too and recommended I eat a tiny bit of anything every 2 hours... Have done that for the last week and a half and feel so much better!!! In addition i would say it was also because i had been dancing a LOT, the club was bloody hot, and quite packed... Sound familiar?? So, my solution: stay hydrated... one drink maximum and keep some beef Jerky in my bag to snack on... it has REALLY helped... I went dancing the next day, did this, and i was fine... of course my friends are still kinda freaking out, so they make me take a break from dancing to eat.... if you are like me you don't want to eat past lunchtime on days you will go out, but that doesn't work cuz 12 hours without food, plus a LOT of freaking exercise dancing (1 hour at my weight burns 1000 calories)... equals the room spinning and passing out in front of my friends (and the very cute bartender who is never going to ask me out now that i have fainted in front of him TWICE... bloody hell!) What do you think???

I feel you-- I could hardly make it to the afternoon.. for the first 2 months i would get home from teaching and crawl into bed for a minimum of 2 hours.....now I am almost 3 months out, and it is better, but i still need to nap sometimes....

I think all of us have wished at one time or another that we hadn't done it, BUT, I also think that all of us have also wished that we could have done this 10 years ago.. It's not a cake walk, it's hard.. you will regret it at times and you will love it most of the time!! (plus with all of the hormones swishing around in your body for several months after the surgery, you will have all of these feelings plus more... think: PMS on crack!! LOL) ... . BUT in the end you will love it... and love yourself for doing it!

So sorry for your loss!!!

Children's ibuprofen for me... if it doesn't work, i dissolve a regular migraine pill in a shot glass of G2 and take that... hope you feel better!!

That is amazing!! Congrats!! Keep up the good work!!!

Hi Band, First of all, Tiffykins advice is dead on!! I did my surgery on April 14th... I had only told 2 very close friends, just in case.... Just this week I ended up telling 2 more people whom I am very close with because I am visiting their house in another country, and I know that they would wonder about my new eating habits.. I explained everything to them.. I consider them my surrogate mother and sister... The mother asked a bunch of questions and was very curious about my reasoning, but she has been so very supportive.. they even took me shopping for new clothes to shrink into.. Anyway, my point is, you don't need to tell people.. Only your husband and any friend that you can really trust should suffice.. NOT one single person in my whole family knows about my surgery, and frankly I trust my friends to keep it secret more than I trust my family... My friends know how hard I've struggled to lose weight for so long, they support my decision, ask questions often, inquire about how I'm doing with my diet and exercise, and help keep me motivated... They are also vital to have around if you plan on going out to restaurants cuz they can finish my food .. So, tell people who you are comfortable with, and be sure to tell them that you would like to keep this a secret until you are ready to share it with more people. I too am a very private person, and most of the people you tell will judge you and talk about you behind your back.. If you can't deal with that, then just tell your hubby and nobody else. I'm glad your surgery went well and that you are doing fine!!!

thanks for the tip!!!

It's no big deal.. your body is adjusting.. most people stall at week 3 or 4 cuz of the shock of the surgery.. I stalled at week 5 personally.. just follow your doctor's eating and exercise advice, and everything will fall into place at your body's own speed! Oh, and your first week loss is awesome!! That is no small number to scoff at, so just chillax and enjoy the ride!!

my doc said 600 cals max for the first 3 months post op, then 800 for months 3-6, and 1000 for months 6-12... then 1000 to 1200 for maintenance... recently i've found that the less calories i intake, the more i lose, which is not only scientifically proven, but basic common sense.... i'm also low carbing it, but i've increased my carbs a little more.. to around 40 grams per day.... and i'm actually losing more.. Most importantly, i think the key to losing weight is to shake things up a bit... eating around the same number of calories per day, is like walking the same distance each day.. at first its fine and then your body gets used to it and then you stall....

That is freaking awesome!! Congrats!! Maybe you'll run into her again!

Great topic!! Thanks for asking!! I've been thinking about the same thing lately and looking at the 2 surgery options...

Hi my stomach was the same way.. it's all of the swelling from the surgery and the bad news is that it can take up to 6 weeks to go down!!! Mine did... around the 6 to 7 week mark it finally went away... but the good news is that this is normal!!! You are doing great!!

Thanks Everyone!!! @ Thinoneday-- Wow!! That is a LOT!! Awesome!! @ pyt1908--- I WISH!!! When i move back to the US this December that is what i'm hoping Santa will give me!! @ Kelly-- actually i downloaded them from http://torrentz.eu/ ... and i use Bit Torrent as my torrent program.. http://www.bittorrent.com/ its easy to use once you figure it out! .... if there was a walmart anywhere near me, i would pop in and buy all of Jillian Michaels dvds.. but alas there isn't..

So, i'm sooooo careful about charting my weight daily and looking back over the last 4 weeks i've realized that i lose the most on Sunday and Monday, which coincide with the huge amount of dancing i do on Saturday night into Sunday morning... but for the days i'm just walking... zip!! SO... from now on i'm going to forget about walking... it uses a lot of time for very few calories burned... instead i'm going to focus on higher intensity aerobic exercise!!! Videos I've downloaded: - Bellydance Fitness for Weight Loss-- Too Hip with Rania - Cardio Bellydance Workout with Dolphina - Luscious- The Bellydance Workout - Suhaila-- Fitness Fusion Yoga - Yoga Meltdown Level 1 & Level 2 (with Jillian Michaels-- i ♥ her!) - Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred (very hard!! OMG) - Jillian Michaels -- Banish Fat Boost Metabolism - Jillian Michaels-- No More Trouble Zones

That is soooo awesome!!! Good luck!!! I'm going to start Taekwondo and Kendo classes in July (i wanted to start this month, but my doctor said not until 3 months out!)... I'm soooooo excited too!!! as we say in Korea, Fighting!!!!! <--it means good luck!!

Yay!! Congrats!!! Glad you are feeling so good!!

Thinking of you!! You did not come this far to fail now!! Your surgery will go well and you will be okay!! My prayers are with you!!

Wow!! You have come so far!! Great pics!! Love your neck shot!! I'm so envious!!

wow!! my self pay was only $6,000 .. glad i didn't do this in the US!!!

Congrats on your weight loss!!! LOL on upping your carbs and still losing!! Good luck with your wedding and i hope you have a wonderful wedding day! Congrats!!!

i tried popcorn yesterday!! it was good...and i'm still alive! yay me!! FYI.. eat SLOWLY.. like 1 piece at a time and be sure not to drink!! other than burping more than i have since weeks 1 & 2 there were no side effects!