aliandrews

I went shopping for some jeans because of course I can't really fit into my old ones. THEY ARE TOO BIG!! I went into the regular area where I haven't been in years and found things that fit. I am wearing a 14/16 top which is fine and a size 18 pants. I feel beautiful. Not trying to brag, but I haven't felt this good in a loooooong time. I can feel the goal coming.

I went shopping for some jeans because of course I can't really fit into my old ones. THEY ARE TOO BIG!! I went into the regular area where I haven't been in years and found things that fit. I am wearing a 14/16 top which is fine and a size 18 pants. I feel beautiful. Not trying to brag, but I haven't felt this good in a loooooong time. I can feel the goal coming.

I went shopping for some jeans because of course I can't really fit into my old ones. THEY ARE TOO BIG!! I went into the regular area where I haven't been in years and found things that fit. I am wearing a 14/16 top which is fine and a size 18 pants. I feel beautiful. Not trying to brag, but I haven't felt this good in a loooooong time. I can feel the goal coming.

I went shopping for some jeans because of course I can't really fit into my old ones. THEY ARE TOO BIG!! I went into the regular area where I haven't been in years and found things that fit. I am wearing a 14/16 top which is fine and a size 18 pants. I feel beautiful. Not trying to brag, but I haven't felt this good in a loooooong time. I can feel the goal coming.

My husband has told me that. It feels great doesn't it.

Yup what Lila said. The stomach is made out of stretchy membranous stuff and has a remarkable ability to expand and contract.
Think of it this way, you USED to have a weather balloon for a stomach, able to expand to incredible proportions, now you have a small party balloon for a stomach, still able to expand but not nearly as much. You cannot possibly put that much continuous pressure on it to expand it back to previous proportions.
Now as to WHEN, seems like at about 6 months you start to notice and increase in capacity and at about 1 year you will be able to eat a good portion of food. It is important at these times to NOT fall back to old bad habits or create new bad ones. If you constantly graze high fat high caloric food then you WILL have issues with NOT losing or even gaining weight.
The sleeve is a tool, a tool that gives us remarkable control over what WAS uncontrollable: our appetites. Another organ can betray us and trick us into the same old bad eating habits: OUR BRAIN. You not only have to keep your diet in order but have to keep your mind right as well. If there is sufficient WILL, or better put insufficient WILL POWER then there is always the possibility of bypassing the benefits of the sleeve. Like I said the sleeve gives us a distinct advantage we never had but ;leave it to us as a species to STILL screw it up if we take advantage of it.
Sticking with a diet is MUCH easier with the sleeve, most of the hunger pangs are gone and you have much more control.

And I haven't gained any weight. I followed the plan and came off it a little bit, but overall did very well since I was around a lot of temptation. I felt great in a bathing suit and in my clothes.

Ok now I HATE Ranch dressing with a passion, but I saw this while looking for healthy receipes and decided to share it.
Healthy Ranch Dressing
1 cup Dannon Oikos plain nonfat greek yogurt
1 packet hidden valley ranch (dressing, not dip)
1/2 cup 1% milk
Whisk together in bowl and chill for 1 hour before serving. As you can see below this filled my canning jar. There is a lot of talk about HOW much milk to use, to get the right consistency and I found this dead on for 'regular' ranch or any other creamy dressing.

Protein. That calculates to 8pts on the new points plus system. For an entire jar of dressing. I would hazard a guess that this would yield about 20-24 servings.


The best part for ME, is my husband LOVES it! Go me!



****UPDATE****



Some of you are accidentally buying the DIP mix instead of the DRESSING mix with pretty horrid results, so I wanted to post the below for you. They are both in little packets, and looks fairly alike, especially if like me, you walk past and grab it as you go. But there is a difference and I'll post the photos below. It usually looks like there are a lot of those little cardboard holders, but really they are all different. I'll post the two below so you know what to look for.


This is what you want. The dressing
mix. Can also be used for ranch chicken
and in hamburgers. This is what you do NOT want.
This is JUST to make the dip
that you use for veggies, like they
sell pre-made in the dairy section.
I hope that helps!!

Hey everyone, I got to the beach on Saturday and have been having a great time. I have been following my eating plan like I should eating my Protein while everyone else eats what is fixed. I have been going down to the beach and the waves just kicked my butt, it was awesome though. Well, today, I decided I was going to splurge a little since I have been doing well and it is mine and my husbands 13th wedding anniversary. We went out to a seafood restaurant and I got broiled fish, clam and shrimp. It was good, but I couldn't eat it all. We then ate ice cream about an hour later and it was good. I felt yucky later, but didn't get sick. After a while I decided to have a few bites of peach cobbler that was made and it was goooood. Well, tomorrow I am going to start anew and will go back to eating the way I should. I am not going to feel guilty about today because I know I can do this. I had fun with the hubby as we ate and did things together.

Good for you MsVickee. I am married and he was my first ever. That is awesome.

Good for you MsVickee. I am married and he was my first ever. That is awesome.

Well I am going to wait until I am married! That should be plenty of time to heal ya think??? Lol
J/k
Sent from my iPhone using VST

Hey everyone, I got to the beach on Saturday and have been having a great time. I have been following my eating plan like I should eating my Protein while everyone else eats what is fixed. I have been going down to the beach and the waves just kicked my butt, it was awesome though. Well, today, I decided I was going to splurge a little since I have been doing well and it is mine and my husbands 13th wedding anniversary. We went out to a seafood restaurant and I got broiled fish, clam and shrimp. It was good, but I couldn't eat it all. We then ate ice cream about an hour later and it was good. I felt yucky later, but didn't get sick. After a while I decided to have a few bites of peach cobbler that was made and it was goooood. Well, tomorrow I am going to start anew and will go back to eating the way I should. I am not going to feel guilty about today because I know I can do this. I had fun with the hubby as we ate and did things together.

You know, I have to pity people who would do such an act. Their lives are so miserable they must do some act like that to try to elevate themselves. I am happy that you were able to confront this moment and I hope you realize this was her issue, not yours. For whatever reason she was threatened by you ... your intelligence, your relationship with members of the family, your faith ... something ... This is how bullies behave, whether they're 8 or 80.

I agree with everything you just said. I am 34 and want to live my to the fullest.

My breaking point was when I was close to the 300 lb mark. I realized I just couldn't do this by myself and I was very close to saying just screw it. I was just going to have to live with being fat and in pain. I didn't want to live my life like this because I have 2 children and am married to a wonderful man that loves me and just wants me to be happy. I am very glad I chose to do the surgery because I have lost 74 lbs and don't have any pain except for the minor aches I get after exercising. I feel wonderful.

I was worried about the permanency of it also. It really hasn't been that bad. My stomach is smaller, but I can still eat what I want in moderation. I can only fit in about 3-4 oz, but I am satisfied. I was really scared up to and the day of surgery, but everything turned out great. I have thrown up on occasion. A few times some things have not agreed with me. It only happens sometimes. I can't seem to drink milk anymore. My stomach doesn't like it anymore. I can't tolerate things that are extremely sweet. If I take more bites than my stomach will allow, then I will feel sick. I don't do that very often.

My breaking point was when I was close to the 300 lb mark. I realized I just couldn't do this by myself and I was very close to saying just screw it. I was just going to have to live with being fat and in pain. I didn't want to live my life like this because I have 2 children and am married to a wonderful man that loves me and just wants me to be happy. I am very glad I chose to do the surgery because I have lost 74 lbs and don't have any pain except for the minor aches I get after exercising. I feel wonderful.

No regrets, except not doing it sooner. I want to enjoy the rest of my life, not be miserable and unhappy because I am in pain.

I told my kids what was going to happen months before. THey are 7 and 10. I told them exactly what was going to happen with the surgery. They were worried at first and my daughter was crying and scared, but after it was explained she seemed to understand. I guess the idea of mommy possibly being cut open was a scary thought.

It's taken 6 months, but I am very happy to be out of the 200's. I feel like a totally new person and loving not being in pain everyday. I am going to the beach starting on Saturday and will be in a new bathing suit and will not be ashamed of being in shorts. My goal was to get under 200 for the beach and that has been attained. New goal will be to get to my goal weight of 120. I definitely don't regret this surgery. It has saved my life.

I would be interested in knowing the answer also.

It's taken 6 months, but I am very happy to be out of the 200's. I feel like a totally new person and loving not being in pain everyday. I am going to the beach starting on Saturday and will be in a new bathing suit and will not be ashamed of being in shorts. My goal was to get under 200 for the beach and that has been attained. New goal will be to get to my goal weight of 120. I definitely don't regret this surgery. It has saved my life.

It's taken 6 months, but I am very happy to be out of the 200's. I feel like a totally new person and loving not being in pain everyday. I am going to the beach starting on Saturday and will be in a new bathing suit and will not be ashamed of being in shorts. My goal was to get under 200 for the beach and that has been attained. New goal will be to get to my goal weight of 120. I definitely don't regret this surgery. It has saved my life.

It's taken 6 months, but I am very happy to be out of the 200's. I feel like a totally new person and loving not being in pain everyday. I am going to the beach starting on Saturday and will be in a new bathing suit and will not be ashamed of being in shorts. My goal was to get under 200 for the beach and that has been attained. New goal will be to get to my goal weight of 120. I definitely don't regret this surgery. It has saved my life.