PdxMan

Just a suggestion ... Let your husband read this thread. It can be difficult to be rigorously honest, but it can be so liberating as well. It's funny how we like to think we have an intimate relationship with our spouses, yet we won't share the biggest issues we struggle with. Then together, as a couple, you can work on whatever the struggles are. Your spouse will also learn it is OK to share deep, intimate things about themselves and you will come to know a whole new level of intimacy.

That is all that is required of you ... When they started noticing a slimmer me, I just said I am eating smaller portions, watching what I eat and exercising more. All very true statements ... no lies. I don't have to explain that I have a tool helping me. Just like people don't have to share they use contacts to see better or inhalers to breathe better, you are not obligated to tell people your life story. Do what you feel comfortable with and don't let anyone here or there try to shame you into doing something you don't want to do.

But to respond to the OP, these days are the most difficult. You don't really get a lot of variety. I was loving the broth from French Onion Soup, broth from veggie beef soup ... things like that.

LOL! I'm guessing you thought you were posting to the ... uh ... other post. Question for you, though, since you brought it up ... how many calories did you burn?

Wow, those are quite the progression pics. You must be proud of yourself. You look great!

Be sure to do measurements. One of the things I regret not doing. Don't weigh yourself everyday, either. scales measure weight, not fat.

I am sorry to hear of your complications. I am one that had no issues post, except maybe I delayed my progression to the next stages just because I was overly cautious and scared of how my stomach might react to re-introducing foods. I will definately be keeping you in my thoughts and following your story.

Did you have a hiatal hernia repair? I did and that can add to the discomfort until the swelling there settles down. This may be a sign you are eating too large of bites, eating too quickly or not chewing enough. Try smaller bites less often. Make sure your sweet potatoes are really mushy or chewed well. Only have a couple bites and stop. Your body is not going to be able to tell you when you are full, so you are just going to have to stop after about 2 bites at this stage.

I told my HR that I was going in for a surgery and would be back in a week. I had the PTO, so it wasn't a problem. They are smart enough not to ask any more details. If a supervisor, manager, co-worker ... whatever ... asks you more, just say, "If you need any more detail, HR can assist us with whatever you need. Thanks!"

Then drop the 100 post requirement ... I thought the point was to give veterans a place to discuss issues and not have a thread hijacked by a newbie.

Just received a PM from someone who joined 3 years ago, surgery date 2 and a half years ago. Doesn't have > 100 posts, though. Should this person be considered a veteran? I am offering no opinions on this topic ... just putting it out there for discussion.

You may be looking for THIS page.

6 months post surgery and at least 100 posts ... Are these settings enforced? I know this will probably make me sound elitest ... whatever ... I have seen a few folks who have surgery AND join dates < 6 months posting in here. Also, do you think 100 posts constitutes a veteran? I see A LOT of folks several months pre-sleeve who have hundreds of posts. Sooo ... I guess my question is, what do you feel constitutes a veteran? Does a veteran always have to be sunshine, lollypops and rainbows? Does being rigorously honest mean we aren't supportive? Even if that means calling you on your ****?

Because I (used to before back surgery) work out a lot and run somewhat competetively, I get PMs about, "What are the differences in the types of Proteins?" "Why should I workout at my target heart rate?" "What are good carbs vs bad carbs?" These are all general questions that can get FAR better answers with more breadth and depth out in the GoogleVerse than from me. I will give my opinion from my personal experience and then give them a link. A few replies to this have been thankful but a few have also been oobstinate ... "I KNOW HOW TO USE GOOGLE! YOU DON'T HAVE TO TREAT ME LIKE AN IDIOT!" Uhhh ... I do not have the power to make anyone feel like an idiot. That comes from within. I'll be the first to admit that I feel EXACTLY like you Cheri and I will take a break from the board for a month or so. And when I come back, I find about half the time when I respond to a thread, I stop, erase what I have written and move on. Otherwise, I just get too invested in the site and other people's struggles to the point where it occupies space rent free in my brain. And that is not good for me.

How far out are you? Have you tried to drink them at different temperatures? Since it is consistency, if too thick, add Water or milk. If too thin, mix in some yogurt. In my experience, after trying dozens of Protein drinks/powders and not liking them, I found Premier the best for me. Early out my tolerance for anything was low, but as my stomach healed, that changed. It may just take some time if you are early out.

I've had two in the past 4 months checking my spine. You know ... that long thing right behind the stomach ... no problems. Felt nothing unusual. I've had them pre-sleeve as well. Nothing different. Titanium = non-ferrous metal

How far out from surgery are you?

I, too, have answered the same PM over and over, or had the PM where there are about 5 "active" threads on that very topic. I usually check the asker's join date. If they are new, I will answer them as completely and honestly as possible. I will also give them links to the search function and suggest they use a non-mobile device for researching this important topic. Mobile devices should only be used to check up on posts and PMs, not researching removing 85% of your stomach. Too much good information is not shown on them. For the asker who has a join date a few months old, most of the time I feel they are looking for me to validate whatever it is they are wanting to do. I don't do that. I will find a few threads that answer their question, tell them how I found them in less than 5 seconds and give them the obnoxious LMGTFY link which always has their answer. Nothing will shut a (chronic) PM'er down faster than giving them a LMGTFY link. (and yes, I wrote the text you find there, it doesn't come that way, in case YOU are not familiar with LMGTFY)

I also drink Premier, chocolate and vanilla. Get them at costco & Sam's Club. From what I can tell here at VST, they are by far the most popular. Just remember your body is going to use both fat AND muscle reserves when you consume less calories than you exert. This means you will be losing muscle mass and not getting your Protein in will not allow your muscles to repair themselves properly ...

Thomas Umbach Without going into it, it was worth the extra $5,000 to have it here in the states. Plus, I had a mini-vacation in Vegas (baby!). It was great. Got to walk around all the casinos indoor, air conditioned ... sat down and played a few hand of blackjack 5 hours after I was discharged. View this page in a web browser to see all my stats in my signature. Highly recommend Dr. Umbach. PM me if you want to know more.

Ha! You should try it for a week. I think you will find that being on a treadmill actually stunts your skill. As you can see from my name, we are in pretty similar climates. I TOTALLY prefer running in a light mist/sprinkle. The cooler, the better (but not freezing, of course) My last race was on the 4th of July and it was miserable. 6 AM start, which helped, but still, eech! When you are on a treadmill, you will be using the same isometric muscles over and over. When you are out on a course, street, trail or track, you will be using everything you will need in a race, for sure. Might be time for you to go to the next level.

Nope, they didn't. Yet ... If you're going to contribute, contribute. So then, Yay, let me state the question clearer for you ... Have you noticed being able to have a big O quicker, whether it be with your SO or solo?

I had a hiatal hernia repair with my surgery and ever since, I have not had any acid issues, so I cannot speak to that. But when I did have stomach "pains" as you mention, it was usually because I either ate too fast, didn't chew well enough or took too large of a bite. Once I got into the habit of smaller bites and putting my utencil down between bites, those issues went away. It made me more in tune with what was going on inside my tummy and stopping before my stomach was uncomfortable.

Just curious ... why not run outside? I, too, trained on treadmills early on, but once I tried running outside, I couldn't bare to be on a treadmill anymore. I got such a better workout.

2 months was suggested to me. You don't want anything getting caught in the staple line while the scar tissue is forming. Could cause issues.