whataloser

Yeah, this and those goofy gowns at the doctors / hospitals. I thought I'd never fit ! You, my friend are awesome. Seven pounds to go??!! What you've accomplished is incredible. And yes, I can hardly wait 'til I have to put a doctors' gown on -- and be able to tie it!

Watermelon was my first fruit. I mainly sucked the juice out of it and spat out the fiber at first. Sometimes we have to listen to our bodies.

You're doing a great job. Carry on!

Very happy for you.

And may I just say that last year at this time I hadn't even considered bariatric surgery. Now here I am, schooled, sleeved, and down 50 pounds to date. I am one happy girl, whether it comes off fast or slow -- at least I know it will come off!

Just finished a three-week stall myself, followed by a 10-pound loss. So don't give up, it WILL happen.

I thought I was having gall bladder issues for several days, but realized that the shoulder pain was from hauling firewood and shoveling snow... first time this winter!

Everybody just try to hang on. It does get better, they're not just saying that. And sip Protein whenever you even think about food... it does kill the urge of the moment. I think I compensated for the lack of food in the beginning by watching the Food Network nonstop. It didn't bother me, somehow it comforted me. Weird, huh.

What does this acronym stand for?

I thought I figured out that "onederland" meant getting under 200 pounds??? Is that right?

Glad I asked! I never would have figured this out... Thanks.

And by the way, I substituted roasted chicken breast, turkey breast, canned tuna, white fish, FF cottage cheese, FF Greek yogurt, tofu, egg whites, etc. for the protein drinks. I don't have any trouble getting between 60-80 grams of protein daily this way.

I didn't have a BM for over three weeks and like you, thought I was going to end up in the hospital. Laxatives and stool softeners just seemed to make it worse, as I aggravated my hemrrhoids so much that nothing COULD work. I decided to try the natural route. I ended up stopping the costco Protein drinks -- was drinking two a day. (Each one has 25% of your daily Iron requirement, and iron is extremely constipating to me). I started with Sunsweet prune juice or Martinelli's pure apple juice (3 oz, first thing a.m.). I also stewed some apples and ate those without skins. Once I incorporated fruits and veggies back into my meals everything slowly started moving along on its own. And I'm sure that stopping the Protein Drinks helped greatly. Also, make sure you get 64 oz plain Water daily too.

As Doggz109 points out, there are 13 (well according to Starbucks Customer Service at 1-800-23LATTE there are 14) grams of carbs in a tall Skinny Vanilla Latte and 100 calories and 9 grams of Protein. So yeah, don't go crazy, but enjoy if you want. I have one or two a week and I only finish half so I am going to start ordering the "short" instead of the tall, as emily_0192010 mentioned.

Wow, just had a 100-calorie Skinny Vanilla Latte and when I entered it in my food diary, it shows as 9 grams of protein???? This is great! Couldn't finish it, of course, but sure enjoyed what I did have!

Sleevemaster, I think you would say "I'd like a grande skinny vanilla latte, decaf, no diary, with an extra scoop of Protein." They may have dairy alternatives, but doesn't the extra protein come from dairy??? Other Starbucks fans who are more familiar with their menu, please chime in . Thanks.

This is excellent news about adding extra protein... gonna try one today. Thanks!

I'm gonna be working that Starbucks gift card!

And remember... some of us who have lost weight quickly at the beginning will undoubtedly experience slower weight loss and stalls as we go along... I'm trying to prepare myself for that, so it was good to read your post.

42 pounds and I'm seven weeks out.

I was sleeved Oct. 14th at Scripps in San Diego. My experience to date has been wonderful... Haven't had any "urps" or urges to throw up, not once! No pain at all from surgical incisions, which are all nicely healed. Here's what I've done so far. I've followed the guidelines religiously. I don't have more than 1/2 cup of food at a meal. And I only have three meals a day. I'm working hard at getting my Protein in, but I use the website cheese, roasted chicken or turkey breast, and tofu to achieve this. I got off the Protein drinks (I was using Premier Plus from Costco) a week ago, at six weeks out. I also eat soft-cooked broccoli, cauliflower, green Beans, carrots, etc. And fresh fruit! My fave is watermelon, well-chewed, but I've also had soft pears. Prior to fresh fruit, I used canned peaches and pears. I needed to add fruit because of severe constipation problems, which I've attributed to the protein drinks. Didn't realize they each contained 25% of daily requirement of Iron and I was drinking two a day. I'm sure that contributed to the constipation problem! Sorry if this is too much info! I also realized early on that I'd have to work really hard to get 64 ounces of Water in, so I fill four 16.9 oz water bottles and make sure that I drink one between Breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, dinner and bed, and bed and morning. As of last Friday, I'd lost 41 pounds. The weight loss has slowed down some as I've added more calories, but according to Kaiser guidelines, at 7-12 weeks I should only be having 400-600 calories a day. I have to say that this seems low, and I mostly exceed it by about 150-200 calories. I also exercise (walking, fast-paced, 25 min daily) and lots of gardening and yard work. On Thanksgiving, I took a little bit of everything, tasted it all, and then stopped when it got uncomfortable. I've been out to breakfast, even dinner. I just eat some and take a lot home. My dogs are loving it. My motto is, if it fits in a Jello cup, it's a meal! I just wanted to post this to encourage anyone who is having doubts about the surgery. I also have health issues (am in permanent atrial fibrillation) and I was very nervous about the surgery. Thank God it went well and all seems to be well to date. PS, I'm no spring chicken. I'll be 64 in January!