BZButterfly79

I want to commend you for being so giving even after you have reached your paradise, I feel that it is important to give back, you have not forgotten about the hundreds of people who are right there, sitting at their computers eating a box of oreos(as I was) and too scared to ask for help, the ones who are headed to surgery despite no support from loved ones and who are scared and nervous, and those of us who had the operation and are on the journey. Thank You, there is a true ministry in the bariatric surgery community.

Ouch! Linda eating fast does hurt, has happened to me, the worst is chicken...THAT not chewed well=MISERY meats in general do that I have to sit there and treat it as gum:LOL

My stomach growls but I just ignore it, what is most difficult and annoying for me about drink vs eating is that I used to do both together so now...when my instinct kicks in and I want to have a bite of chicken followed by a gulp of lemonade the horrible feeling has kept me traumatized that I don't even try. I am learning to space my eating and drinking, but for me that's like AMAZING because as long as I remember being alive there has been bread and Water at the table. Get lots of crystal light the flavor you most love for me it is lemonade and just keep drinking and filling it all say. I go through 3-20oz bottles per day on Crystal light and wake up thirsty as heck-what's up with that??LOL

Be glad, and I am glad the crying is done with, I was crying a lot before the surgery;) the way I was managing my body was worth many tears. But now I feel like things are looking up and I am glad I found out about the sleeve before I went with the band...not knowing the sleeve existed!! OUCH!

That is so awesome! I too do not have a loving relationship with sugar...something has definitely changed in that respect. You started at the same size I did, I am still wearing my clothes looser but still the same so I do not feel skinny, my goal is to be able to shop in a Large regular then I will calm down, feel a bit more relaxed. But heck the way I look at it is I am doing way better than I ever did and that means a lot. Have you tried buying a bottle of your liking at Walmart and filling it up with lemonade crystal light etc, I drink crystal light all day not my favorite but I drink so much liquids that I wonder if that's what's causing my stall. Who knows...I just have to grab my board and ride this wave! Good luck!

I have been at a stall for now the last week with the scale going up yesterday coming back down today and it's natural to start to investigate what you could be doing wrong even if it's no fault of your own. This morning a light bulb went off and I want to share in case you are where I am. I tend not wake up not hungry, which leads me to start my liquids and avoid food as long as I can I wake up at 7am like clockwork but my breakfast is not in until 10am...my lunch then is at around 2pm...and then I begin to snack so I can get my protein in...then comes dinner around 8pm I go to bed at 9. My conclusion is that I am packing most of my calories at the end of the day which might be hurting my weight loss. I am going to try to not eat as late and start my foods earlier. Have you experienced this or a stall and if so what actions did you take to remedy the problem?

Here is a quick list I looked for when I came home from the hospital to stick on my fridge and help me with the Protein count, I was shocked at the fact that a 3.5oz chicken breast has 30 grams! I hope this can be a tool for you too. High Protein Foods Link

First, here is a virtual hug. Second, what is he supporting? That you remain fat and unhealthy and under his thumb? I mean when are man going to learn that the more they resist the more they lose, I didn't have support in the beginning things turned around but I will leave you with a question since you are the only one who has the answers deep inside. Say you don't go through with this surgery and remain the way you are for the rest of your life, your life exactly the way it is now can you handle that? I couldn't and told my husband that if he didn't come along and support me he was going to find himself in a bachelor pad somewhere, why such a harsh statement well...I am not here to be anyone's puppet, I am entitled to happiness, joy, liberty, and all the rest that comes with being born. You need to stop so much time trying to convince him, and take a stand for your life if the sleeve is what you need to help you. In the end EVEN if he becomes your cheerleader it is still your own personal project when you get home from the hospital it's all on YOU to make this work for you. If he is acting this way out of concern for you then that can be eased but it sounds like the man has deep rooted insecurities and let me tell you after surgery these will not sleep...they will awaken many others YOU MUST BE PREPARED, mentally and spiritually so that you can become the you that you deserve. We are always here for you, this site inspires me daily.

If some of you are unsure about which procedure you want to have I found I video that might be insightful. Good Luck

People will shock you, pre-op, post-op and just about always. You gotta become like an orange thick skin otherwise people will squeeze the juice out of you-I am serious, I am working on my skin. Here is a toast to us!

I loved your list! You gave me a few items to add to my fridge, such as laughing cow cheese which I did enjoy even before surgery. Cottage cheese sounds good with some SF strawberry jelly. I just finished a chobani for breakfast. I find that in the morning I am not that hungry, I am however on a mission to cooking some recipes that can become a staple in my kitchen. Thanks again!

The only protein drink I can finish is the Atkins vanilla shake(if you leave it in the freezer a little tastes like a vanilla shake) and the one I mentioned above. I tried a powder similar to crystal light but with 20grams of protein and it tasted like I was drinking metal in liquid form...ugh! I am getting into my own shakes more. Another nice treat I have found is freezing 1/2 banana with a popsicle stiff through, tastes like ice cream and packs lots of potassium, no protein however. I can eat and tolerate 1/2 chicken breast grilled with olive oil and I have tried a spoon of spanish rice, don't like the way it feels like a ball of starch stuck. The mushies are the best, you can add so much stuff and then just blend it. I can eat 3 meat balls but honestly the meatballs I bought are not that great. Eggs for some reason are very very filling to me I cannot eat 2 boiled eggs even in micro pieces I always boil 2 and my kids end up eating the other one. Don't know if you guys heard of melba crackers, they are small low cals, low glycemic index, and I eat mine with liver pate, that sounds gross but liver if you look it up has lots and lots of great things in it one being zinc, iron, protein... In my fridge you'll find: Refried beans Cheese(cracker barrel) sour Cream Liver Pate SF pudim Eggs Atkins Vanilla Shakes 1(left)EAS shake chocolate 40g of protein in each(not my favorite) Grilled chicken breasts Meat Balls-turkey and sausage(microwave w/ some cheese on top yummy!) Greek Yougurt-Chobani w/fruit not plain(sorry) Papaya Avocado(which by the way I crave like crazy!) This is how I am surviving!

Joe, I am opposite...I am sleeping like a rock literally but then again I have three kids, when you wake up are you hungry or in pain? Honestly it could be that your metabolism is resetting and burning and that's alerting you at night like a spurt of energy. I know I am burning fat in the morning when I get up to pee it is dark dark even though I drank GOD knows how many ounces, and I check for Ketones always there.