kimbernada

I took two weeks using the FMLA - Family Medical Leave Act. No PTO was used. One week was a necessity, the second week was needed (although I have mostly a desk job, so I could have gone back sooner if I had to).

Check out some of the thrift stores in your area! I've had pretty good success getting NICE clothes for way cheap. I lucked out one day and almost all of the clothes I was buying were 50% off -- at a THRIFT STORE! ($2-$3 for jeans?) One thing that I've made a point of doing is wearing clothes that FIT.

That recipe sounds yummy!

Some surgeons (or facilities) leave a drain in for the first couple of weeks after surgery. (I didn't have one.)

Beautiful! I love the picture of you and your husband!

My signal is a hiccup. However there are some times when I just get a tight feeling in my esophagus.

AND... there seem to always be coupon codes for 50% off, etc., if you just Google Woman Within.

I really like the tank top style spandex.... that scoops below the bra. Have the Secret Solutions ones from Woman Within. I see they have another style there too that is $10 less by Comfort Choice. Anyhow, it works great for the muffin top AND it makes the girls stand out a little more. The Secret Solutions one goes down to where the leg joins the hip, so pretty far - and it doesn't leave a line either.

Well, I do still have hair loss. I started out with thin fine hair. To ME, it's obviously thinner.. I mean, I can see my scalp - but I always could anyhow. I started taking Biotin four months before surgery so that my body would have it in the system before the shock of losing weight. My hair dresser added more blond highlights on the top so that my scalp isn't quite as obvious. But... we do have a gal at work who has REALLY thinning hair and I know my hair isn't as thin as hers. (Or I hope it isn't.)

If you have pain meds, take them. Take them on a regular basis, not just when you feel pain.

I am not able to eat steak. Tender or whatever, it does not agree with me. I wasn't really a fish eater before surgery, but that is now one of my favorite foods to order at a restaurant. Good source of Protein and the sleeve seems to love it. chicken too, if it is tender enough. However ANY meat my mom cooks seems to cause problems for the sleeve... my mom comes from the school of "If it ain't like shoe leather, it isn't done." Seriously, I need reconstitute my turkey or ham with Water... UGH. I've even given her a digital thermometer and showed her how to use it - that when the meat gets to x degrees, it's DONE.

I didn't binge but I did eat at some of my favorite restaurants. The evening before I started the pre-op diet, we went to this awesome pizzeria and ordered a medium pizza - to share, not that I ate the whole thing!! LOL Although I don't seem to have an intolerance to anything but steak. We still have pizza once a week, but instead of eating half a pizza (four slices), I have half of a slice -- 1/16th of the pizza. I'm typically not stuffed, but I am satisfied. I think part of the satisfaction is the thrill when the pizza (or any food at a restaurant) is placed on the table by the waitress... or when opening that delivery box for the first time. Granted that first bite is also amazing... but after that it's just food and I don't need that high of being stuffed anymore. Actually, being stuffed is such a horrible feeling now that I try to avoid that at all times.

I've lost more weight than a skinny 6th grader weighs. I was putting a BIG bag of dog food in the cart the other day... and then realized I've lost over two bags of dog food!

This could also be from low blood pressure. Even before my surgery I had low blood pressure (and a very low pulse). So now that I've lost quite a bit, everything seems to have slowed down even more. I now just try to remember to stand up very slowly.

What suzthebrit said. Just about everyone's experience is normal. I had a three week stall that started at week three. Just keep following your doctor's food plan and the weight WILL come off. I know that, for me, it was hard to comprehend just how "easy" losing weight this way really is. Easy? Well, once you know what you can eat, it really isn't hard - at least compared to dieting alone.

My surgeon told me about one of his other patients who had only had one beer... passed out and woke up when the EMTs were putting her on a stretcher. Granted, this may not be everyone's case, but it's enough for me to stay away. (But I probably only have a couple of drinks a YEAR, so this isn't a chore.)

Oh, and I can't STAND the smell of my urine. (Not that I intentionally try to smell it.) LOL I know that for some people, their sense of smell is heightened. I don't really think that the sense was heightened in general - other than I love the smell of food, even if I am not the one eating it. LOL I just notice *MY* smell.

I noticed that my body smelled different to me after surgery. I don't know if it might have also been from the anesthesia?? Anyhow, I switched to Dial's antibacterial "Fresh All Day" liquid shower soap and I haven't noticed it since then. (Well, I notice it when I use a different shower gel.)

I totally agree. I bought the big bottle of BA chewable vitamins and finally tossed them. Yuck. I switched to adult gummy Multivitamins until I could tolerate the OTC recommended vitamins by 21st Century. This is what I started taking about two months after surgery: Morning: Mega Multi for Women by 21st Century Vitamin D - 2000 IU Vitamin B12 - 500 mcg Calcium Citrate with D Biotin - 5000 mcg Dinner: Mega Multi for Women by 21st Century Iron (Ferrous sulfate) Bedtime: calcium citrate with D Magnesium 300-500 mg

Are you able to eat pudding? Mixing protein powder with the milk and then mixing in the pudding powder works great! That's what I did the first few weeks. Then I found that I could tolerate the Syntrax Nectar chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry protein powder. Those shakes don't get thick when mixed with milk - the shakes are just like you've added Nestles Nesquik to milk. (So chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry flavored milk.) AND the Isopure unflavored protein powder doesn't have a nasty aftertaste, so on the mornings I need a protein boost, I'll add a scoop of that too. It doesn't get thick either. So a scoop of Syntrax Nectar Chocolate Truffle, a scoop of Isopure unflavored, and 8 ounces of light soy milk. (I switched to soy before the surgery because I had heard that some folks become lactose intolerant after the surgery.) That's about 56 grams of protein in one 8 ounce glass of "chocolate milk".

I had absolutely no gas pains at all after my surgery. I planned for it and even had the Gas-X strips in my "entertainment" bag that I packed for my overnight stay at the hospital. My doctor said that my surgery was by the book - and kind of boring. Yay to boring!! I have had zero regrets for my surgery. Here's to a great surgery and recovery for you too!! The only sad thing is that I haven't really had a chance to have a new favorite pair of jeans!! I've also learned that when you do start dropping weight, don't buy too many jeans - unless, of course, you wear them every day. We can only wear jeans to work on Fridays, so having one pair that fits is enough for me right now. I can wear the jeans on Fridays and on the weekends if I need to... the poor things get replaced too often.

Considering that your starting weight wasn't very high, I think you've done a phenomenal job! How tall are you? Are you exercising? Do you track your food intake... and how many calories are you eating a day?

I really like the Syntrax Nectar flavors: Chocolate Truffle, Strawberry Mousse, Vanilla Bean Torte. I didn't care for their other fruit-like flavors. I also recently found that I like the Fit Frappe Mocha protein powder (mixed with water). A good unflavored powder that I use is from Isopure. I like to mix a scoop of the unflavored with a scoop of the Fit Frappe for a good 30-ish grams of protein shake.

Fit Frappe is pretty good too. Amazon has it for $40-something but Sam's Club has the same size container for $24.

I agree... and think how confusing it must be for your husband too.. I know mine has been pretty quiet on the whole weight loss thing... for the first 50 pounds. Now he gives me a compliment at least once a week. LOL I think he wasn't sure what to say.