kateywills

I am finally on soft foods, I am having my first scrambled egg as I type this!

I was sleeved on Nov 7, today is my first day on soft foods, I've never been more excited to eat a scrambled egg.

I LOVE to cook and am just wrapping up the pureed stage off my diet. Here are some of my favorite concoctions - enjoy!
Egg salad - couple eggs, 1 tsp of mayo, 1/2 tsp of spicy brown mustard, salt & pepper - puree until smooth
Buffalo chicken - can of chicken, 1 tbsp blue cheese crumbles, 2 tbsp ranch dressing, 1 tsp. of buffalo sauce, salt & pepper - puree until smooth - MY PERSONAL FAVORITE!
Squash casserole - 1 can of squash with vidalia onion, 2 tbsp of cream cheese, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, salt & pepper, 1 tsp margarine/butter, 1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese - puree until smooth, pour into dish and microwave for 90 seconds or until heated through and bubbly
Pintos and cheese - 1 can of Pintos with onion - puree until smooth, pour into dish and cover with 2 tbsp. of shredded cheddar cheese - microwave for 90 seconds or until heated through and bubbly - stir well to combine the cheese - optional: add a bit of enchilada sauce if you are looking for more flavor.
Lemon Ricotta Creme
Take one 15 oz. container of part skim ricotta cheese, add the zest of one lemon, juice of half the lemon, 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 4 packets of splenda - puree until smooth - AWESOME!!!!
You can do variations on this should you choose - substitue orange zest and 1 tbsp. of orange juice with orange extract or keep vanilla extract for a dreamsicle taste. chocolate ricotta creme is easy too by substituting 2 tbsp. cocoa powder instead of zest and juice, same vanilla extract and splenda to sweeten.
Perfect sweet tooth item instead of the same old pudding and/or jell-o and it has a high concentration of Protein due to the ricotta cheese. Enjoy!
Parmesan Garlic Cauliflower (tastes a lot like mashed potatoes, but very low carb!)
1 bag of frozen cauliflower florets
1 tsp butter/margarine
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of milk
Blend until smooth, pour into a casserole dish and top with another 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese and microwave for 90 seconds - enjoy!

I had surgery on the 7th, and I came home last night. Lots of discomfort, but doing well.

I had my surgery on Wed, Nov 7. It went well. I came home last night, lots of pressure but its manageable, I just need to work on sipping those fluids.

Surgery was Wednesday, it went very well, doc discovered a hiatal hernia that he repaired while in there. No real pain, just discomfort. Hospital staff is amazing, taking really good care of me, I'm up walking every hour, using my inspirometer, and sipping my fluids. The discomfort gets better by the day.

Im scheduled for November 7th

Hi, Im from Youngstown OH. Im having my surgery on Nov 7 in Cleveland

Hi all....my name is Cara and I am 35 yrs old single no kids from Southern NJ my surgery date is 11/19 at RJW hospital. I have battled my weight since puberty. I know weight has been a factor in my relationship status. I have dated some not so nice guys or guys who couldn't get pass my weight. I am not doing this for them though...I am doing this for me. I want to be healthier (high blood pressure and diabetes run in my family). I want to boost my confidence. Anyway I am glad I found this group

I lost 65 lbs in 4 1/2 months pre-op working with my surgeon's NUT. I did a 3/2 program- 3 low carb Meal Replacements a day and 2 "lean and green" meals. I usually had 2-3 low carb Protein Bars (were more filling and tastier than shakes). It surprisingly kept me full. I liked the Atkins or Pure Protein ones. And then lunch and dinner were low carb meals with lean meats and green veggies. It taught me a lot about cooking and eating in preparation for post-op eating. I also did more Water and Crystal Lite, like the others mentioned.

Are they giving you any Phentermine to help with appetite control? That helped me in the beginning of my 6 months. Also, I did one Protein Shake a day, plus exercise 5 days a week. You can do it Congrats on the decision to improve your health! You will find that the 6 months will fly by. Take this time to try new recipes and see what you like. High Protein, low carb. Buy kitchen supplies you think you might want for post op. I bought a new blender and a toaster oven I found cute little spoons and forks, so I will learn to eat smaller bites. Also found popsicle forms so I can make those yummy protein-cicles from eggface's recipes without using a dixie cup. There is just so many neat things to get...and it gave me an excuse to shop!!!! (The BEST part...lol).

Today is my first appt for my 6 month medically supervised diet that is required for my insuarance. I am so excited to start this journey, I have been reading the forums here and everyone here is so inspiring, you have helped me to come to the decision that thw sleeve is best for me. I look forward to sharing my journey with all of you.

Friends-
Today, I Celebrate one of my biggest moments of bravery. I Celebrate agreeing to be wheeled into surgery despite a healthy dose of fear of both complications and the unknown. I had no idea how I'd cope in life without the crutch of food and failure. I wasn't excited about surgery and possibilities. I was simply scared and resolved. Now, I live a life I truly wasn't sure I'd ever get to enjoy. Life is good. So good.
I have been incredibly blessed on this journey. My approval process was relatively painless. It only involved four months of supervised diet. I didn't even have to do a liquid diet leading up to surgery. My only real complication was a very minor infection on one of my incisions. A round of antibiotics and I was fine.
My biggest memories of life following surgery were trying to figure out how to live without food as a focus and exhaustion. I wasn't hungry but still felt a need to eat but couldn't. I worked hard in therapy to be ready for this yet I wasn't. On top of that, I remember being absolutely exhausted until week 5. My other biggest memory is when I lost about 50 lbs. and realized that I no longer hurt. I had been overweight so long that I simply accepted pain as a part of life. To wake up one day and comprehend than general life no longer hurt left me giddy.
Since surgery, I have dropped 112 pounds, 12 inches (literally a foot!) off my waist, and 6 dress sizes (from 24/26 to 12/14). I have found a passion for running that culminated in running a half-marathon in January. I found the confidence to apply for a dream job that came with a crazy raise and got the job! I've found pride in myself and my appearance. I've become more than what I eat and how I look.
I haven't been the most well-behaved sleever. I feel I should share that in the interest of honesty. When I got the crazy, awesome promotion I started making some poor choices. I have yet to gain weight but I am in the world's longest stall due to poor food choices and a lack of focus on diet. I haven't lost a pound since December. I recognize that I haven't lost the last thirty pounds because of my less than ideal food choices but I am okay with this for now. I know that I will soon be ready to lose the last thirty and I will focus and finish what I started. My goal is to be at or under 175 by 18 months. I feel this is very doable. However, I recognize that this is my journey and I will finish it when it is right for me. Right now, I am enjoying the ride and life in general.
I would like to take a moment to thank all of you for your constant support, opinions and advice. I've found this forum and the people it consists of a lifeline on more than one occasion. Bless you all!
Of course, a surgiversary post isn't complete without photos!


PS- I swear I am not a big drinker... it just happens that pics normally occur when I'm drinking.