Adri

Time Sensitive Note: I'm heading to Target tonight to get Zumba for wii, it's on sale til Saturday. (I'm in So. Cal, not sure if their sales are national)

The wii fit doesn't even make me sweat, but biggest loser does. You can really push yourself and get a good workout w/biggest loser. good luck!

I'm happy to hear things are improving, the first few weeks are tough but they are worth it. Take care of yourself and congratulations!

Yup, the band size, cup size ratio is some mysterious formula, huh? I went from a 44C bra purchased in the plus size stores to a 40D in a "normal" store. (I guess when you're skinny, your boobs look bigger, so they up the cup sizes...hahaha) I think...if I don't shrink too much I will continue buying in the plus size stores, their bras tend to have wider bands that give me support on my sides as well. I bought a couple of cheap bras without trying them on and even the $12 each that I paid was a waste of money because they are uncomfortable. So I think bras is one area where you SHOULD spend the money, there's no substitute for comfort! (You can make up for splurging by buying your blouses at Goodwill! That's my plan.)

I lost 30 lbs in the first 4 weeks after surgery. That would be 12.5% of my weight at the time; or 28% of the excess weight I want to lose. We are all so different, I'm not sure we can compare. I think you might want to factor in the very common stall that often starts between weeks 3 and 5. I have not lost 1 pound since July 1st; that's a 3 week stall so far. I need to increase my exercise...ugh! And if you're about my size maybe this info helps (I am 5'4" and more of a big-belly girl than a big-bottom girl: I went from a size 22/24 to an 18 already; some 16s fit, but a 14 is still too small.) As of today I've lost 5" in my waist. Yay!!

Go to the Celebrate (bariatric supplements) website. They have new multivitamin powder packets where you add water and it turns into a punch. They'll send you a free sample. I didn't care for it that much, it did taste pretty "vitamine-y", but if it is a liquid you want they have good quality products.

My dr suggested Bariatric Advantage MultiVitamins, protein and supplements. If you google and go to their website they have the entire list of what they contain. I have the French Vanilla MV flavor and they taste awful. I don't want to buy the other flavors because they are also gritty. I looked up Celebrate vitamins for bariatric patients and ordered free samples, They are pretty comparable to BA in ingredients but the Strawberry Pineapple taste pretty good, no grit. Next time I see my dr I'm gonna talk to him about switching. I think Celebrate is a little cheaper too. My nut has me taking at least 18mg of iron, no extra biotin other than what is in the multi. I also take extra vit d, b12sublingual and calcium (but I hate the calcium too...I'm not taking as much as I should...yuck! I think I'm going to try to take liquids or capsules, most chewables taste horrible to me.

No, I didnt need a catheter. The nurse had me pee just before surgery, and I was able to get up after surgery and go to the bathroom. I was in the hospital two days. I'm only 6 weeks in, but since I have not had any complications, I'd say yes, I would do it again. I took 2 weeks off work...and then took two more days because I caught a terrible cold right after surgey. That was not fun, my incisions hurt when I coughed. I would say that this surgery is more discomforting than it is painful. I didn't even need my pain meds once I came home. Good luck to you and welcome to the site!

It's OK Ashley, we'll get thru this together. Go Team VSG!!

I can eat about a 1/2 a cup at a meal and feel satisfied, then get hungry after about 2 and 1/2 hours; and I'm on my 13th day of my first stall. My NUT said to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day...I've added an extra protein snack to keep the hunger away.

I'm on day 13 of my first stall. And not only have I stalled, I've gained 2 lbs!

"So carry your courage in an easily accessible place." I love that line, thanks so much suzannesh, for sharing your insight.

Oops, forgot to tell you I think it will just take time for those things to fade away. Make sure you take small sips. My bathroom issue ended up being lactose intolerance from all the yogurt. Not sure if this is an issue for you.

Yes to # 2 and 3...you are not alone!

P.S. The strips were coming off of me too when I slept, so I just taped them down with that white bandage/surgical tape. Maybe that will work for you Rootman?

The silicon pads are working great for me. One of my scars opened up a bit after surgery and was forming into a pretty wicked keloid scar. After about 3 treatments with the pad it is very noticeably smoother/flatter.

Allrecipes.com has a great recipe for Tofu Parmigiana. I made it last night and it was delicious . Tasted more like eggplant parmigiana (I used the suggestion of dipping in flour and egg as well; and used a Pasta sauce). I have a recipe for a sandwich spread and Chinese stir fry from the same site but have not tried them yet. Anyone else got a favorite way to use tofu? I'm loving the high Protein count; and it goes down a bit easier than meat. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tofu-parmigiana/detail.aspx

Yes tmela, thanks, I'm gonna have to make a trip to the health food store next! I never thought I'd turn into a health nut! Oh well, stranger things have happened!

Awesome!! I'm happy for you. I might be right there with ya in a couple of weeks!

I haven't seen a whole lot on this topic so I thought I'd chime in... I was lactose intolerant before the surgery and I was told that wouldn't change after the surgery. The liquid stage was fine, my protein powder was lactose free and if I wanted milk, Lactaid to the rescue. But, during the Mushy stage I made some mistakes. I thought since I was eating such extremely small quantities of dairy, I would be ok. The biggest food suggestions from my NUT at this stage were cottage cheese and yogurt. Big Mistake...Big Gas...Big Diarrhea...Big TMI, sorry! It was tough to get variety and PROTEIN in without cheese and yogurt. I SOOO DID NOT want to go back to drinking so many protein shakes at this point but it was inevitable. I was weak and dizzy and probably verging on dehydration. July 4th I move on to soft foods...and just in time...I figure I can eat more meat now and get that protein in without suffering dairy. (Oh, and couldn't take lactase pills just before meals because they took up too much room in my stomach and then I couldn't eat anyway.) So, I wanted to share my short list of non-dairy protein food choices for the mushy stage...and if anyone has add'l ideas please let us know. Thanks! -pureed chicken breast, tuna, deviled ham (watch out for fat content) -scrambled eggs -refried beans, lentils, split pea soup -hummus -tofu (I couldn't bring myself to try it) -soy yogurt (I couldn't find one low in sugar, maybe you'll have better luck) -avocado (not much protein but tasty and good for moistening meat and adding calories)

I want to be in ONEderland! Let's hope my current stall stalls! SW 240 ........ CW 212 ........ GW 195........17 lbs to lose in 8 weeks.

Allrecipes.com has a great recipe for Tofu Parmigiana. I made it last night. Yum! It had the texture of eggplant parmesan.

I just bought Minoxidil for women today (if you get the brand name it is Rogaine). I had extreme anemia a few years ago and my hair got extremely thin. I think at the very least the Minoxidil arrested the hair loss. I read in one of my wls books that the dieting puts your hair growth in the dormant cycle and Minoxidil takes it out of that cycle. But I admit it is costly, you have to put it on twice a day---everyday--for months before even noticing the slightest amount of change. That's why I'm starting now even though I'm only 6 weeks into this. My hair is still a bit thin and I can't afford to lose any more. Ugh!!

Thank you! Your message is such a relief to me! I lost 29 lbs in the first 6 weeks including preop diet time...but have been at a stall for 10 days. Today I lost two of the lbs I gained back, I hope that is my new start in the right direction. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I will keep losing. So far my progress hasn't been much more than any other "diet" I've been on. I wish time would fly...the proof is in the (sf) pudding!!

Thanks for the tips everyone!