kimbernada

It takes at least a week. For ME, getting my fluids in is still a work-in-progress. Just keep sipping away. In a couple of weeks, you'll be feeling almost back to your old self. (Only you can't eat as much and your biggest concern will be grams of protein.) Well, that's how I was anyhow.

I have to chew, chew, chew... or I get that "rock stuck in the chest" feeling. It takes me quite awhile to eat my food. The hubs will have finished his plate and probably have had seconds and I'm still working on mine. I take small bites and chew the crap out of it. Part of the reason is that my serving size is SO small, eating slowly lets me enjoy the meal. (Savor the flavor...)

I need to have my PCP either order a new sleep study for me OR have the sleep center let use an auto-cpap that records the pressure for them to see if my pressure requirement has changed (or is non-existant). HOWEVER.. that being said, I do still LOVE using the CPAP. It's been such a good friend....but maybe it's time to say goodbye.

I still use my CPAP. Although when we went to Puerto Rico at the beginning of March, I didn't use it. I didn't bring the humidifier to save space in the suitcase and my nose got way too dried out. The hubs said I didn't snore at all. I tried to not use this when we got home and he said I was snoring. Rats. (PR was really nice because the room had two beds... so no CPAP AND a really comfortable bed all to myself.)

I'm still wearing a C cup. Thanks to my stomach getting smaller, my boobs look SO much BIGGER. I went from a 48/50 C to a comfortable 44 C. Granted, I have never been "professionally" measured for a bra, so maybe I was never wearing the right size. I kind of feel like they look like tennis balls hanging in sweat socks, just that they roll up to fit nicely in the bra.

BUT... I HAVE asked co-workers if I could smell their fast food bag. I told them that I promised I wouldn't exhale my germs... just wanted a big ol' whiff of their burger and fries. I do that if someone brings in donuts too. Mmmmmm... sometimes the smell is really all I want.

I've had a grilled hamburger patty... but I still can't eat much for bread at almost 9 months out. (Bread doesn't appeal to me anymore either.)

About 8-1/2 months out and down 114.

I love the Special K multi grain crackers! Actually, I should so I really like them. (I LOVE Wheat Thins and have to stay away from them.) I can eat them and then forget that I even have the box on my desk at work.

Scrambled eggs still do this to me sometimes - at about 8-1/2 months out. There are just some foods that don't agree with Veronica (my sleeve). She's a finicky thing. Steak is another food. Sometimes ground beef does this too. I've made the most AMAZING mini omelettes that the dogs have gotten to share.

They should tell us to stay away from the scale for the first couple of weeks.

I had highlights done the week before surgery. Then I think I waited probably four months. I had her add more blond and, to me, it helps to hide the thinning. You know, with hair and scalp being the same color.. LOL Maybe it's just my perception of it. (Which really IS all that matters, right?!) I had highlights added again the beginning of March as we were heading to Puerto Rico for a week. As for hair loss, my hair has always been fine and thin. I didn't really even start "shedding" until December and it lasted a few weeks. Am I bald? Nope. In fact, I have quite a bit of regrowth now. Maybe I'm lucky?? Who knows. I do take 10,000 mcg of Biotin a day plus I shoot for 80 grams of Protein daily.

Ha... and yes, I'm 13 calories over my 900 caloric goal. I would have stopped at the gym after work today, but I've had a major head ache all day. I was throwing a rubber ball for my little dog while getting ready for work today. Instead of getting the ball to go down the hallway, I hit the wall and the ball hit me squarely in my right eye. HOLY BUCKETS! I never want to SEE something like that coming straight at my eye. (So far, I don't appear to have a black eye, so I sure hope it stays that way.) Anyhow, a head ache and blurry vision in the eye was the fun I had today. Oh well, it could have been worse. Somehow, I'm not quite sure HOW, but it could have been. LOL

Here are the steps in pictures.. Step 1: Log into MFP. Click on Profile. Step 2: Select Find Members. Step 3: In the Username or Email field, enter the username that someone gives you. Click Search. Step 4: Click Add as Friend. Step 5: Optionally enter a brief message and click Add as Friend.

Here's another way to add a friend by username: 1. Log into MFP 2. Click Friends 3. Click Profile 4. Click Find Members 5. Enter Username, click Search 6. Click Add As Friend

Here are a couple of days... My goal is to eat around 900 calories and at least 80 grams of Protein. Nothing is really "off limits" except for trigger foods (Wheat thins, etc.) I have a little fridge under my desk at work and keep Atkins Protein shakes and Greek yogurt available. Plus I like Luna Protein Bars and Quest brownie protein bars. (The Quest ones are AWESOME after you microwave them for 10 seconds.)

Do you have an account on My Fitness Pal? I can friend you and you'll have access to my food journals. I still have a Protein shake every morning. It saves me a little time because I don't have to "think" about what to have. My name on MFP is kimbernada.

And.. My Samsung Galaxy Reverb with Virgin Mobile has BT 4.0.

Looks like they changed it to May 15, according to Amazon today. (3/31)

With the Bodybugg and/or Body Media, do you still have to pay a monthly (or annual) fee to sync your data to their website? To me, that's the big turn-off from the past.

I "forget" that I've lost a lot of weight and sometimes it surprises me when I see myself in the mirror (or a reflection). My mind totally needs to come to terms with the fact that my body looks totally different.

Volume-wize, I eat about 3/4 - 1 cup of food in a sitting. I still tend to think "volume" in general, although I do like to weigh the meat. Chicken seems to be around 3 ounces, fish is about 5 ounces. I just cannot eat steak though. As for vegetables, they just fill me up. Well, actually, after eating the protein, I don't seem to have much room for veggies. Like lettuce, I *love* lettuce.. now I can only have a couple of pieces and have to stop so that I have room for the protein.

I went out for dinner with the hubs at about the same time frame. I had an ounce or so of Bourbon chicken and a couple of bites of a baked potato. Surgery on 7/24 and out for dinner on 8/4 or 8/5. Not a slip up according to my surgeon's book-o-info. Day 1 at home after surgery (two days after surgery), I started on soft foods, all going by his plan. But definitely make sure you adhere to your doctor's plan. As newat52 said, it is there for a reason.

I just don't keep that sort of food in the house. I couldn't control it pre-surgery so I know I probably couldn't post-surgery either. I did find that the Special K multi-grain crackers are okay. They don't call my name... I can take 8 crackers and close the box. I like to use them for the light tuna salad pouches. I have a box at home and even a box on my desk at work, and I don't have any urge to mindlessly snack. Anyhow, get rid of the dang crackers. Throw them out if you have to. If you have a food that is a trigger food for you, toss it. The surgery only changes the size of our stomachs, not our food issues.

I get the 2 lb tubs of Syntrax Nectar for $27.55 - with 35 servings per tub - that comes out to 79 cents per serving for the protein powder.