barbannn

Deb, How are you! I am great. I have had virtually no complications from my surgery and am really pleased with my weight loss. I have lost about 50 pounds and that puts me very close to my goal weight. Who would have thought a year ago, I would be here? I am maybe 5 lbs from goal. I do have a bunch of lose skin. I am having a tummy tuck on Friday and am as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof about that. I hope this finds you well! I amlost hesitate to say it, but it has actually been way easier than I thought it would have been, you know? I SO HOPE I KEEP IT OFF THIS TIME! I do worry all the time about gaining it all back...., but that is a problem in my head and the surgery doesn't fix that, right?

I have my 6 month checkup on 6/23 at 10ish and was wondering if any of you might be able to meet for lunch in Dallas.

Would love to see you and catch up. I am doing fine, seem to have not lost any in about a month or so, but hanging steady at 146. I am losing hair like crazy . I have lost like 50% of my hair. Do you guys have any advice? I figure I'll ask Dr. Nick on my visit.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Barb

I have my 6 month checkup on 6/23 at 10ish and was wondering if any of you might be able to meet for lunch in Dallas.

Would love to see you and catch up. I am doing fine, seem to have not lost any in about a month or so, but hanging steady at 146. I am losing hair like crazy . I have lost like 50% of my hair. Do you guys have any advice? I figure I'll ask Dr. Nick on my visit.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Barb

I am just rocking along. I have sort of stalled, but am at a really good place. I am right at 150, and my goal is 145, so I am getting there. 150 seems to be my stumbling block. I am 48ish pounds down. Woo-hoo! I feel better than I have in years. The only thing I notice is I seem more gassy - still well worth it... How are you doing? I am so bad to not get on here as often as I should too. Looking forward to hearing from you and hearing about your loss!

Tiffykins - remember this La Fogata, super yummy Mexican. My favorite. I am in SA for a conference this weekend and it is on the to-do list. Worth every calorie. I ran a 10K yesterday - I certainly couldn't have done that a year ago. Who showed up in DFW Annak4, TwoBlueCats, Linda, Deedee?

Is it wrong of me to have my fingers crossed for San Antonio? Austin is soooo close to SA. I mean we could meet at the Outlet mall just any ole time......

How did the DFW get together go? I am so sorry I missed meeting you!

Linda,

I won't be able to make the Dallas get-together. Bummmer! But I will make the next one. Maybe we can shoot for the summer months? I hope this finds you well. Hope to see you next time!

Anna,

I will not be able to make the Dallas get together. I would love to see you, but hope to make the next one! I will definitely be up in the summer months. Hope this finds you well, friend!

Tiffykins,

I don't think I am going to be able to make the Dallas get-together. I am bummed! My kids are both coming home for Easter, and we will celebrate it on Fri. and Sat., because my son will be on shift at the firestation on Sunday. I will definitely be at the next one! Thanks for including me! Had a recent celebration. Had blood work done and I am totally normal in all counts. I cannot even remember the last time my chloesterol and blood sugars were in normal ranges. Way better than before the surgery. Have fun!!!!

Happy (almost) Birthday to YOU! I hope you have a spendid bday! I do not think I will be able to make the Dallas get-together on 4/3. Both of my kids are trekking to Austin for Easter, so I guess they will expect the "mom" to be around. I will be with ya'll in spirit! I hope there is another get-together in the summer. Hope you have a terrific birthday!

14 days - you are golden, girl. The worst is definitely behind you now. Take it easy and it is smooth sailing! I am doing splendid. This week I had a great moment. One of my pre-surgery "bad" days was when I had went into the Gap and I couldn't fit in a pair of their jeans. The 14's were too tight, and they did not have a 16. So I left realizing I had become too big to shop at a "normal," non-plus size spot. Yesterday, I bought a size 8! Size 8! I am wearing a size 8 jeans tomorrow on casual Friday - does that rock or what! You are gonna be right there too, before you know it!

Deb,

Good to hear from you. I think we are at about the same place. I have lost 30 pounds so far, which is good for me. I still have about that much to go. I have been feeling fine. I think a little "too fine." Tonight I ate pasta which is awful, but now I just have to let that go, and try and have a better day tomorrow, you know? I am not having trouble with ANYTHING I eat. I kinda wish I did have a bit more of a signal. How about you, girl?

I am just rocking along. I have been doing good - infact maybe feeling a little too good. So far I have lost 30 lbs, which is fab! But tonight I had Fettuccine Alfredo - what the heck was I thinking? IT was super yum. My first time with pasta, I feel really decadent. I guess I just have to move on... I didn't eat 3 servings, bread and dessert - which was certainly the case before the sleeve, but still I have to try and be a bit more in control tomorrow. How is it going with you?

Thanks so much for your email. It gave me a couple of ideas! I am swamped at the work today, so apologize for this being short - but YES, yes! I will be at the meeting on 2/10!

Midwest,

So good to hear from you. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I had been out of town for a couple of days to attend a funeral. I feel like I am just rocking along. I am not the queen of losers, by anymeans, but it is all going down. That is good for me. Inch by inch, right? I am really liking the mushies, I still really prefer soups, and soft foods. I am kinda "done" with fish. I have been slacking about my protein the last two days, so I am sipping on my EAS right now. I really cannot get it in w/out supplements. I hope this finds you well. Can't wait to hear from you! Hope you are losing. BTW, family that I saw at the funeral, said I was "wasting away," which is their way of saying "good job, kid!"

FUN! Hope you had a great time. Did you have energy and could you manage your food ok while traveling? That is a big accomplishment! Hope to see you on the 10th. I am pooped today, went to the UT basketball game yesterday. What a game! A really busy day still takes it out of me, just woke up from a 2 1/2 hour nap and feel better!

Anna,

It is so good to hear from you. I hope you can make it to the 2/10 support meeting, I am planning to attend. I scheduled my 6 wk. w/ Nicholson on that date. If you can't I completely understand, I know it is a drive. I am so sorry to hear you are anemic. I am a tad worried about that too, I posted that I know we aren't suppose to begin calcium or iron until soft solids - is that the same as mushies? I don't know and am not sure if it is one or two either, I might just start w/ one and see how you tolerate it? I love those Viactiv chews - they are my 10;00 snack each day. I hope to see you soon and think of you all the time.

Barb

Theresa,

Where is the meeting on 2/12 - is it where the info meeting was held?

Midwest,

I am officially mushie! I had some beans with cheese and a tail of an avacado. Soo yum. It is funny, I put 1/4 c of beans, and was only able to eat about 1/2 of it. Before surgery, I do not know if I ever would have quit eating nachos - like I could eat 2 huge plates. Hope this finds you well. Have you made it to mushies, yet. I still like soup a lot. I may stay here a while!

Rachel,

Just wanted to check in on you? Any scale movement? MY FINGERS ARE CROSSED! I have not had any scale movement for 3 days, and it has me stressed, so I cannot imagine 3 weeks! Just wanted to tell ya you were on my mind. Off to Target for a new printer. HUGS! Barb

Renee,

It is so good to hear you comment about losing without a lot of obsession. I totally agree with you, I had my surgery only 2 weeks ago, 12/29, but one of my big hopes was that I would NOT be on a diet in 2010. I want to be aware of what I am eating, and I want to not be out of control as I was pre-surgery, but if I want to have a small piece of pizza down the road, so be it. Have you had your success without a lot of worry about calories, carbs? I am making sure I get 60 g of protein and 60 oz of water. I am just moving to mushies this week. I guess I want to be sure and get off on the right foot....

What tracking tool are you using? I want to start tracking on Monday. I am doing fine, but I need the accountability and I want to be sure what I "think" is within my goals. I have my 6 week follow-up with Dr. Nicholson on 2/10, I know it is a Wed. Is that a meeting date? Maybe I could meet ya'll at it that evening?

Linda,

I am like you. I am OK with my losing, but I think I might ought to start tracking with something, just so I have some hard data on the food going in. I really have only be worried about making sure to get at least 60 in protein & liquids. I have lost 16 lbs so far, which is just great! I know that cannot keep up! I want to eat healthily, and guess one of the things I was hoping after the sleeve was to lose some of the "diet" mentality. I do not want to have "forbidden" foods, and such. I finally want for food to be what fuels my body and enjoyable, but not monoplizing my thoughts and "out of control." Like, I think it is fine to have a piece of pizza, before I would have eaten the WHOLE pizza. I might like to add a salad for more fiber & vitamins, but I take heart that you are having such great results and eating pretty normally! Thanks for always being there Linda!

Linda,

I wanted to bounce off you what I am eating, and tell me what you think - HONESTLY. [i told Anna and Theresa (2BlueCats), I feel like you are my sleeve Mama, and they are my sleeve sisters.] I guess I have read some recent posts, and I do not really "count carbs." Wonder if I am messing up? Just don't want to get off on the wrong foot. Today I had some really thinned grits for bkfst, a protein shake at 10ish (23 g ptn, 3 cbs), for lunch I had 1/2 c of butternut squash soup (V8, so yum!), for dinner I had some Keifer drinkable yogurt w/ 2 tbsp of cottage cheese, and 2 spoons of hummus. Then at 8 another protein shake and 2 spoons of sf jello. I know it is WAY less food than I used to eat, but those are carbs. I am not sure Tiffykins would approve? What do you think?

Worried duck,

Barb