kimbernada

I just rewarded myself with some great VS stuff. I can now fit into their XL underwear and even their bras fit. Their semi-annual sale started online before it hit the stores and I was able to get five bras and six pairs of undies for around $100. The bra band and straps are quite a bit narrower than I'm used to wearing though. (Skinny teeny boppers don't have much back and side fat.) These are t-shirt bras - so foam cups and wirefree! Very comfy. It all started out with me getting a professional bra fitting somewhere else. I found out I am finally in a normal size bra (40C). Yay! Maidenform has a really nice back smoothing bra with foam cups (no wire) that I really like. I also bought a few of those in different colors. These are SUPER comfortable.

I hear ya! I pretty much only weigh myself on Fridays or Saturdays. (Occasionally I might slip in a Wednesday scale reading, but only for those "big" numbers that a person is waiting to see.) I had my hubs take before and during photos. We did the before, and then 1 month post op, 3 months post op, 6 months post up. I probably should have done measurements too... but those photos are AMAZING to look at. BTW, my first stall started about week 3 and lasted for three weeks. I'm thankful that at least I knew it was normal, so I didn't really let it bother me much. I knew that I was following the doctor's plan and tracking everything. So when I was over that hump, holy buckets! The weight loss continued. Yay!

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

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.

What about checking with the HR department about the Family Medical Leave Act? That's what I did. I think, and I could be wrong, that it helps to keep your job secure while you are out.

My stall started week 3 and lasted for two weeks. Because I kind of expected this to happen, I didn't let it bother me too much. I mean, I was eating 5000 calories a week, I was bound to be losing weight. I know my body was wondering what the heck I was doing to it!!

One other thought, I like to "eat by the clock" if I can. I get up 5 am during the week. I have breakfast at 6 am (shake, egg, etc.). Then at work, I have my snack at 9 am (shake, 15 pistachios, or 1/2 a Luna protein bar). Lunch with my team is typically 11-ish. I have my next snack at about 2:30 (shake, 15 pistachios, or 1/2 a Luna protein bar) Supper is about 5:30 (varies) My last snack (sugar free popsicle or sugar free fudgesicle) And... bed at 9 pm

Vitacost.com has the Syntrax Nectar about $3 cheaper than BariatricChoice.com. And you can get $10 off your first order with free shipping for orders over $20 if you sign up here. I've had good service with them.

Oh... and I'm one of those folks who don't care the Syntrax fruity drinks. (Lemonade, ice tea, cherry, etc.) I like the creamy ones. I wish I could drink the others as that would open up a whole other line of drinks. I need to order the vanilla bean torte.

I love the Syntrax nectar shakes. I have chocolate truffle, cappuccino, double stuff oreo, and strawberry mouse. I mix it with light soy milk. On my pre-op diet, I loved the Bariatric Advantage shakes but, dang, they are way too thick now. My husband likes them though.

Ha... Yeah, I should have been dead... a few weeks ago!

The diet plan I am on is... the morning after the surgery - clear liquids. The afternoon of the same day - full liquids. The next day, day three, at home, pureed foods for two week. Then soft foods for a couple of months. Month two or three, pretty much anything goes.

What works for me at a restaurant is that I portion out what I know I can eat, maybe even a little less. Then the rest is boxed up. It's too easy sometimes to miss those cues about getting full when I'm with my friends or family.

I am three weeks out, surgery was 7/24, and I can eat steak. Today was the first time I tried and I had no problems. I went to Applebee's with my team for lunch. I only ate about an ounce, cut it up really small, and chewed it completely - and about a tablespoon of mashed potatoes. I brought the leftovers home and I had another ounce of steak and a tablespoon of mashed potatoes. The hubs ate the rest. (He told me I should go to Applebee's more often!) Not bad for a $10 meal that fed me twice, and the hubs once.