TakeCareGirl

Made this before being sleeved and in going through my meal planning the other day, I realized it is a perfectly low-carb meal - perfect for the cold weather! So we are off to watch a friend in a gymnastics meet and this is in the crockpot and will be ready for dinner when we get home. Good thing DD7 LOVES spicy!
Calculated in MFP for a total of 8 servings, per serving nutrition information: 128 calories, 6 carbs, 2 grams fat, 27 grams protein! (If you add a little cheese or sour cream/greek yogurt as a topping, that will of course add to the calories etc.)
Tomatillo chicken Soup
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 6 to 7 hours (low ) or 3 to 3 1/2 hours (high) | Servings: | Difficulty: Medium
6 tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
1-1/2 lb. chicken breast halves
32-oz. chicken broth
1 sweet pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced*
1 T. ground cumin
1 T. lime juice
2 t. chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. salt
1tsp. ground black pepper
Chop three tomatillos. Place remaining tomatillos in blender. Cover; blend until smooth. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine pureed and chopped tomatillos, chicken, broth, sweet pepper, onion, celery, chiles, cilantro, jalapeño, cumin, lime juice, chili powder, garlic, and 1 tsp. each salt and pepper.
Cover; cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Remove chicken; let stand until cool enough to handle. Shred chicken; return to Soup. If desired, top with sour cream, additional chopped red sweet pepper or jalapeño peppers, snipped cilantro, and/or tortilla chips. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Source: http://www.bhg.com/r...o-chicken-soup/

I was also wondering what an orange man is?

I had a very pleasant airplane flight yesterday, pulling some slack on the seatbelt instead of fighting for it to fit, and not having to worry about spilling over into the next seat - plenty of room!
I am off my diabetes and high blood pressure meds.
Happy to have purchased clothes at the Gap, since never!

I had a very pleasant airplane flight yesterday, pulling some slack on the seatbelt instead of fighting for it to fit, and not having to worry about spilling over into the next seat - plenty of room!
I am off my diabetes and high blood pressure meds.
Happy to have purchased clothes at the Gap, since never!

I had a very pleasant airplane flight yesterday, pulling some slack on the seatbelt instead of fighting for it to fit, and not having to worry about spilling over into the next seat - plenty of room!
I am off my diabetes and high blood pressure meds.
Happy to have purchased clothes at the Gap, since never!

Congratulations!

I'm sure y'all will think I'm nuts but I'm just so excited. I love wearing boots. Cowboy boots, knee high boots etc. My ENTIRE life my boots have always been right around my ankles and my calves. I never have had that extra space around top. Well tonight that's of the past. I put on a pair of knee high winter boots and I had extra space. They weren't tight... In fact they were almost too big!!!! A month ago I had to leave the tops of this exact pair unzipped a little because they were so tight!! I can't wait for more victories!!!

I really don't like Spanx. They're too tight in certain areas. I don't exactly want all areas to look smaller.

Today was my first post-op appointment with my surgeon. My day kicked off to a great start to find that I had lost four pounds since my weighing yesterday morning. I've been losing anywhere from one to three pounds every day, so that one about knocked me over. That being said, there's a reason I'm losing so much weight. I'm drinking mostly Water and managing an Isopure about every other day. I'm really starting to feel my body beg for something more. Not as in cravings, but as in just pure sustenance. Two weeks is long enough.
My follow-up went great. As much as I was beyond ready to have this drain removed, I was still dreading the actual removal. I literally felt nothing. No pain, not even the weird feeling some people talk about. I wouldn't have even known he was pulling a foot and a half of tubing out of my belly had I not seen his hands doing it out of the corner of my eye. I felt so silly for asking my Mom to hold my hand for that. xD
He cleared me to move to Phase 2, which is full liquids, and to start my Vitamins. I had decided I wanted to try Premier Protein, as I've heard so many people say they like it. Part of me could not wait to start drinking something else, as I could barely stomach the Isopure for another day, but I was also afraid that I wouldn't like it and would have trouble finding one I did. Now, please understand me, I know how to make myself just drink something anyway when I don't like it, but my new sleeve has done a number on me. If it makes me feel icky one time, then it's like my body starts rejecting it before I even try to drink it again. The nausea starts at the mere thought of drinking it. My sleeve really is picky. I think I'm going to have to find a prissy name for it, like Lola, or something. Only the best for her, apparently. Anyway, I digress. I just finally opened up the chocolate Premier and... *angels singing* I love it. It's the first flavored thing I've tasted since surgery that I didn't have to just tolerate. I'm actually enjoying it. It tastes almost identical to Ensure, which I've always liked, oddly enough. I'm so grateful in this moment. I can totally do two weeks of this.
I drove for the first time today since my surgery, and even though I've lost 32 pounds, I am just not feeling it in my clothes yet. I wasn't really expecting to feel any different behind the wheel, but lo and behold, I could totally see and feel the difference. My stomach still touches the bottom of the wheel, but just barely. It's not pressed against it and with the wheel rubbing against it while I drive. I guess that's my first NSV!

That is so awesome - congratulations! A wonderful thing to do for yourself and your daughter - who by the way is adorable and looks so much like you!

That is so sweet!

hmmm.... lets see.... the frequent admiring looks from strangers. The getting hit on, for the first time in DECADES. There is the "wow, you are hot" remarks - that can become very burdensome over time.
Uh, the perfect blood work and zero prescriptions, no CPAP etc etc.
Let's not forget my older sister commenting today that I must really workout because my shoulders and arms look great (ok, this was in sleeves, so no visible skin). The horrible side effects of losing nearly 150 pounds... they just go on and on.

Call me what you will, but on my first date (with my eventual wife), I told her that I do not Celebrate Valentine's Day. I am not going to let Hallmark tell me when I should recognize the significant other in my wife. If she has to be told when to recognize me as an important person in her life, then I don't want any part of it.
Buuut ... we recognize each other and our affection for each other throughout the year. I bring flowers home and buy her some "thing" occassionally. I will make her favorite meal in the middle of the week for absolutely no "special" reason other than to see her smile. I try not to have it be on a "special" day so as to make every day special.
I know a lot of people do this, too, and also Celebrate Valentine's Day, and that is great. It's just not for me. This morning, I gave my wife a kiss and said, "Happy Valentine's Day," and that will be about it. I will be taking my daughter out to the fanciest restaurant in town tomorrow. She is looking so forward to it trying to find a "fancy" dress.
Call me an old codger, but this works for me.
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.

I completely can relate. My DD and I went out to Mexican food last night at a highly rated dive in our neighborhood. I had one chip with salsa and then ordered a chicken dish they had, grilled chicken with monterey jack cheese, sauteed onions and peppers. It was delicious and filling all 1/4 of it. I completely skipped the rice, Beans and tortilla as well. Just not into it anymore.

Wow, wow! You look amazing! Congratulations!

395 lbs




220lbs


203lbs

I'm down another 9 pounds since, but this was my 200 pound loss photo along with some headshot differences.
The headshot was cool because it was the first time she didn't do any photoshop tricks to get rid of chins or shrink my face or anything

6 1/2 months post op!
Starting weight 238.8
Current weight 168.4
70 lb loss
My before and so far pic!!

...Mexican Food! (But not my hot dish of a latino partner of 9 yrs)
It's true. Thought it was time to take the true test and take my beloved out for a belated VD dinner. This was going to be a make or break moment for me. For Mexican food was my passionate lover for many years.
Sat down, ate 5 tortilla chips. In my pre-op days, that would have been 2 baskets (at least). Ordered a chicken enchilada expecting explosions of warm waves to course through my body...not so much... It tasted a little like dish soap to me.
The love affair is over and I've moved on!
Thanks for listening

Congratulations!

themilos
glad you've found a way to buy appropriate clothes for work without having to break the bank
congrats on your terrific weight loss too
96 lbs gone, gone and gone - WooHoo!!!!
edging up to enter the "world of the century club" - i'm holding the door wide open for you
i can see you have no problem now walking through

I know it's a first world problem to complain about having to buy clothes to have them fit for about two months (with added alterations costs), but it has been a hassle and huge strain on my wallet since I usually wear suits to work. I've pretty much exhausted the range of sizes in my closet and am in need of a new set of clothes all together. This has forced me to get out and start shopping. Well...around the holidays I discovered that clothes at the big and tall store no longer fit me, but was discouraged that it was hard to fit into the next size down at Target or Kohl's (I refuse to buy at Nordstrom until I'm at goal).
Now things are starting to fit! I picked up a couple of pairs of pants off the clearance rack at Target the other day for 7 bucks each. What's even better is that I've been finding designer dress shirts in excellent condition at the Goodwill...I even found a tux for 20 bucks! I've also rediscovered eBay--- just scored a pair of Levi's for $1.04!!!
So I guess I'm sharing this as both a non-scale-victory and to let folks know to search out the deals; and please, if you have ideas about ways that your are saving money on clothes, share with all of us!

Congratulations!

Martin...I bought you those because I t truly care about you. And you've been getting so small lately, I thought there was something wrong and when I ask you lie and tell me diet and exercise !
I am not a stalker. And I don't have a fatal attraction!
Why would you say that? Is it because I watch you when you sleep?? 0_0

That b***h goddess. My friend from work is trying to kill me. She is in love with me and she asked if I could be her Valantine and I said yes..... She's really trying to kill me. She bought me chocolate covered strawberries, bananas, Oreos, and a bouquet of Cookies on a stick. I ate one strawberry and one Oreo and the rest are going to Dave for our four year anniversary. I'm telling you she wants me to od so she can have her way with me! Has anyone seen fatal attraction?!