Fiddleman

My wife and I are considering going on an all-inclusive vacation to Mexico where basically eating is buffet style. I am a little hesitant to take this vacation because I know my eating patterns now don't jive very well with this type of eating. I feel like I would be wasting money by going because my eating would be fairly limited. Also remembering the last time I took a similar trip on my honeymoon about 12 years ago when my weight issues really started to climb and get out of control. Basically, we need to use it soon because it is a promotional trip we bought a year or two ago, before I even considered this surgery. If we don't use it soon we will be out a good chunk of change. I want to go primarily for relaxation and force myself to recharge. I know I can count on my VST friends for some advice. Thanks!

It is probably with how I view myself. I have a much more healthy and positive outlook on life now.

If anything, my relationships with others have improved.

Ok, I went and bought some chia seeds for the first time from a natural health store. They are pre-ground. I haven't tried them yet because am wondering about a few things, when is the best time to et these with respect to someone who eats every 3 hours? I don't eat pudding or jello, so what is a good way to eat these? I do have a protein shake every morning and evening. Should I mix some in with the 8 oz shake? One is mixed with milk ( morning) and one is mixed with water (evening). Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!

Well, I can't say I hate eating, but it certainly is not as pleasurable as before. The reason it sometimes feels like work is that we need to eat when not hungry in order to fuel properly. I eat every 3 hours and most of he time my food choices are pretty plain, however, they do fill me up and leave me satisfied. I would rather have a good working relationship with food then the master-slave relationship that existed before. Being out of control with food messed with so many other aspects in my life. I hated it as i would et and eat looking for it to fill a void in my life, sometimes that meant a whole box of donut holes or a whole row of Oreos. i kept eating, looking to keep the sugar pleasure going. however, in the end it just led to feelings of guilt, hatred and self loathing. Now I feel free and am no longer a slave to eating. You might consider looking for pleasure from other things. For example, a good workout, reading a good book, friendships, hobbies, watching a movie, spending more time with significant other, etc.

It was different for me as well. I sat there with my 2 oz of turkey and 1 oz of green bean casserole, watching everyone else with full plates. The interesting part is that no one went back for seconds this year. There were a number of people who were loosing weight or have lost weight this year and I am glad that my success is having a positive influence on others.

Thanks for the techniques. I may try those, but for now a daily regimen of Miralax seems to do the trick. I like how it dissolves in water not leaving any flavor or texture. I usually take a serving of miralax with about 32 oz of flavored water.

I am 5 months and am getting better with plain water. I could not stand it for several months post op. Now I add crystal light, mio or Propel to all my water to make it easier to drink. Remember we need to be drinking water all the time. Out of all the products, I would say Propel is my favorite because it has the least amount of artificial taste and not too sweet.

Love it! That is a good positive spin on things. Can you believe that dec 21 is about 1 month away? It seems so surreal that it is so close, yet life chugs along as usual. I would recommend that everyone have an emergency supply kit at home for earthquakes and extreme weather and whatnot. Who knows what is really coming, but a little common sense preparedness is always a good idea if you are not able to leave your house, use the internet, etc.

Thanks for the suggestions to get help.

Oh, good suggestion! costco sells a lot of different liquid supplements such as Multivitamin and d. The only negative about these are that they need to be refrigerated after opened.

Have any of you gotten back or neck aches since the surgery? Back ache is in the middle of back. I think this is a direct result of my posture and not adjusting it to account for loss of about 150 lb. I am looking for some suggestions because it is achy all the time. I am thinking about visiting a chiropractor soon to see if some adjustments will help.

Hey, that is a really good milestone. Good job. I bet you feel great!

I stopped using my cpap machine about 3 weeks after surgery. It was just not helping me anymore even though I turned down the setting. Now it sits under my bed gathering dust. What an expensive 2 month utility. I bought it in preparation for the surgery; It cost around $1600 and is almost brand new. I don't think the medical supply place will take it back. However, I am thinking of keeping it around in case my wife needs in the future ( she is a sleeve candidate). Now I sleep just fine after almost 5 months. My wife tells me I no longer snore which was a problem when I was heavier. I wake up rested most of the time.

I did not start and coffee until about 5 or 6 weeks. Now I drink about 1 cup of cappuccino a day with nonfat frothy milk and Splenda. Love my Starbucks verismo to help me make it. It is so easy! Some have also said they like the nexpresso machines. Both are around $200 and turn out cafe quality drinks with only 1 or 2 button presses. My older latte machine is now lonely and might go on ebay or Craigslist. Sometimes I like aso to have a few squirts of Mio energy before my workout because it helps me last longer ( try to hit at least 40 minutes of around 700 calories per exercise). But be careful. You can overdo the caffeine and then it makes you feel a little too wired or a little frazzled. The right amount of caffeine for m is usually a single or double shot cup size cappuccino.

Hi. I hope you feel better soon. Being sick right after being sleeved does not sound fun. I read your comment about protein shakes and how you are struggling with them. What brand do you currently take? I have found the Syntrax Nectar and Matrix sweet flavors very tasty. My favorites are any flavors that taste like cookies and creme! I guess that has always been a favorite of mine. I mix it with light soy because me and milk have a not so good working relationship. It may be better not, but I have not tried. I used to be a big peach and banana flavor guy before surgery, but cannot stand them now. Go figure. It takes some time to find out what works individually for you. Everyone is different. Good luck and hope you feel better soon.

That is really a great accomplishment. Great job. I hope to be there with you by New Year.

Wow, you have done really well! What an inspiration to us all. Keep up that awesome progress.

I'm in. Having not reached my Thanksgiving goal, I hope to reach the New years' goal! Start of pre-surgery diet: 360 DOS (7-2-2012): 335 lb CW (11-20-2012): 212 lb GW (1-1-2013): 199 lb

That is a great loss!

I can't point to any one specific incident to blame my obesity issue on, but have been overweight, unhappy and with a low self-esteem as long as I can remember. I always equated being a healthy weight would solve these issues. Decades of dieting did not solve any of those issues. So i said enough is enough and decided to research weight loss surgery. It is one of the best decisions I have made ( first is getting married to my beautiful wife). Now I have a much better self esteem and am not constantly depressed. I feel great physically and mentally. I do not think that losing scale weight is the only reason;rather, it is being free from the wicked grasp that food had on me. And loving life really for the first time.

I guess my view is the opposite. I like the structure that comes along with following a more strict diet. As my diet is so Protein focused, cravings are a thing of the past. That being said I could not develop these healthy eating habits without the sleeve and the 2 months or so following the surgery. Now i definitely feel empowered to make the right decisions that lead to an optimal body. I don't miss the carbs and love the transformation that has occurred not only physically, but mentally as well.