taylokat

Good!
Though I admit I am partial to calling in sick. The conversation might go something like this:
"Hello? I don't think I can make it in today. I have a touch of the Irish Potato Famine."

Do you mind if we change the title of this "What to bring to a potluck" and start adding other ideas as well? I have a feeling this could be really helpful. Here are a few I thought of:
1. A cold cut and cheese platter
2. 7-layer dip (you can make it healthier than you think) or bean dip, with those pop chips or pita toast or something (you don't have to have much of the bread if you don't want to)
3. Three-bean or seven-bean salad, though this might work better in the summer
4. Deviled eggs -- you can find recipes that use other things than mayo. My tip for deviled eggs is buy the eggs at least two weeks before the event. Older eggs are easier to peel.

At the beginning of my body change the sleeve and attending concerns enveloped the majority of my attention. The struggle to get it going, establishing guide lines, noting progress, mourning slow downs, and in the end, rejoicing exceedingly about my new body.
Now, coming up on my second year, my attention is being diverted by life itself. I am maintaining near my low weight and activity is at athletic level as I promised myself at the beginning. I had an empty feeling period when I asked myself the question, "Now what?"
This new body is just a part of who I am. It is no longer a hindrance, it now best serves me by not drawing attention to itself. It has become a vehicle to take my mind and soul to destinations and tasks. I have energy to express my heart and my body no longer blocks my reaching out.
I no longer have my body to use as an excuse for inactivity and introversion. I no longer hide behind shame. Now is the time to explore the other parts of myself and my relationship with those around me and the world in general. I have made a friend of myself and in so doing have deemed what love I have to offer as worthy to be shared. I have discovered that giving love is the quickest path to getting it.
I have a default eating, drinking, and exercise policy. I may step out for a bit but return to default quickly. I don't kick my butt for it, I am my friend now. If I don't have fun being me I won't be any fun to be around.
My grown daughter called me contagious the other day. It was one of the best things my ears have ever heard.

Well I lost NOTHING in the 2 week pre op diet. I am 7 days out now and I have lost 13lbs. The last time I ever lost was 15lbs while on Jenny Craig for 6 months.

For those of you that don't know me, My name is Laura and I have a food addiction.
My addiction it is being managed through the sleeve and hard work, at the moment...
I have/had a food addiction yes, but I also have an addictive obsessive personality..
For the last year plus my life has been about the sleeve. It is my focus from the moment I wake until the moment I sleep.. My "social time" is spent here with others that live the same life now as me. They "get it", well most of them anyway.... There is commonality here and that is huge to me. After all, my food is taken away how else will "I fill the hole"?
Along with my time here, I spend time working on the mechanics of my sleeve life. I plan my liquids, I take great care to get them in. Time meals to come 1/2 hour after finishing a round of liquids. Try and start my liquids up an hour, if I can, after my meals. My meals are thought out to the extent that they are Protein and veg. These are the "rules" I live by.
In the beginning I have referred to the Water schedule as a full time job. And in a way after all this time my eating drinking schedule is still like a full time job. Or at the least a very choreographed dance I do....
If my day includes activities out of the "norm" it can disrupt my dance....
This past weekend life, and I should say one the more challenging parts of it "got in the way" of my sleeved life. It made me realize the road to hell truly can be paved with the best intentions.. My real life and my sleeved life collided with a force strong enough to knock my sleeved life off its axis a bit. I simply could not spend my time dealing with the all important dance of food and liquids and the support of friends..
Did I eat this past four days? Yes. Did I eat enough? To much? Protein? Trigger foods? Timed just right? I honestly don't know and didn't much care.
Did I drink my fluids?
No, that I can guarantee not. Unless you count take away coffees and chi tea.
In fact several days I'd notice that it was afternoon already and not a drop of water had past my lips.
All or nothing... The life of an addict.
But this does not work, it is not realistic if you want to succeed in the sleeved life and life combined. You need balance. I'm not good at balance I realized that this weekend. I am a one trick pony, a one hit wonder.. I will spend my next year trying to find balance.

I learned just how important Water is. Two weeks of fatigue, pain in my side and back, shoulders that felt like I was carrying weights on each, Constipation, headaches, and a 2-week stall in my weight loss. After my doctor told me I was getting dehydrated and all my symptoms were related to that, I started drinking my Water and 2 or 3 days later all my symptoms were gone and I lost 3 pounds.

Just wanted to post an update. In the last few days I have gotten back on track. I am eating healthy, watching my calories and have been hitting the gym. I am happy to say that I am feeling better about myself and have already dropped three pounds! Thanks for everyone's encouragement!

I've lived life, and have the marks to prove it. I 'spect my wimmins will as well...

Update.. again.lol... I drank through a staw all day yesterday and for the FIRST time I hit my Fluid goal!!! Yay me! I just don't get the gas thing?? I feel so relieved (sigh)

Argh! I completely understand everyones frustration. We have been going through issue by issue and knocking them out one by one - there are MANY! The site has only been online for 6 days now. A little patience would be greatly appreciated. We should have the groups issue fixed by this eve. All I'm asking for is a little time and patience from everyone. By the end of the month I guarantee every single issue or bug will be resolved. We also plan on offering a feature which will allow you to segregate yourself from the other procedures. This won't take a day or two to release but should definitely be in place by the end of this month. I can't force anyone to stay but I'd greatly appreciate if everyone would be as patient with me as I have been with you over the last 10 1/2 years.

Thanks for starting this thread Laura... I realize now how out of control I was with food. I ate socially without any hesitation, always the first one finished & also binged in private. Bought the high calorie/carb foods then felt guilty, then would hide them only to eat them all after everyone was in bed. Sick, really.
Last night we had a birthday party for my son & niece. Everyone always asks for this artichoke dip that I make. There was a bunch of it left but the kids ate all the crackers so my husband suggested that we just throw away the rest. Well, I was not going to have that even though I knew no one, including me would eat it. It was like I was having separation anxiety. I kind of feel the same way when I throw away food, like my son's half eaten grilled cheese sandwich. Never even thought twice about eating what was left on their plates. I also notice now that I am aware of eating slowly, how quickly my husband & my two boys eat. I find myself astonished at how they haven't swallowed their food before they eat another forkful.. Never really noticed before. Hoping that my new slow pace has a positive influence. I am so grateful for this surgery - it's really forced me to be aware, to recognize my food addiction and it's effect on my family, and I'm grateful to finally be gaining control of my relationship with food.

Being around other people triggers my impulse to eat.. And sometimes I still find myself mindlessly picking up chips or a snack food just because that was my whole life in social settings.
I will forever be a recovering food addict and this site's more or less my personal support sponsor
*sits back down*

Well I'm at 33% and I don't look like that either. I have skin, belly jiggle, stretch marks from pregnancies etc. AND most importantly, I am not photo-shopped It's good to get a general feel from those but I look at all of it, arms, thighs,met to get a feel for the whole picture--and then I add reality.

The problem with the pics is when I finally get to 35% (which is the one I liked the most) I won't look like that because of all my extra skin

Aldo, I'm an RN in a day surgery area and went back to work on post op day 10, nobody at work knows I had surgery. I've never had a problem with food, fluids or physical demands. Early post op I ate yogurt every day for lunch and threw half of it out when nobody was looking!

I would definitely say to stick with the plan. They didn't go to all that schooling for nothing! LOL Due to your surgery, you are not near starvation levels. Your body is adjusted, therefore its' requirements are adjusted, as well. I hope that you will heed your doctors' advice. This time next year, I believe you will be happy you did.
By the way, I love that you are going with such high protein! What Protein source(s) are you going with and what are the total calories with the products at 90 grams?

when i began to have trouble wiping my as*s

Laura the entire world is full of myths and lies..We except them and believe them all as true.....we are told that obesity is horrid and ugly and yet the people inside those bodies are troubled and in pain and no one cares..I am always confused about how society treats some of us...
We buy into the idea that a sports star is that all beautiful and wonderful..That an actress because she played a role is the woman of the year because of maybe her looks...Hardly any one judges us on the inside or how we treat other human beings..How much we care and where our inward strength comes from...
It comes from within ourselves and those who truly care about us..The rest is all show....If we believe the hype about how and who we think we are because of someone saying it, pounding it our heads and seducing us into thinking we are nothing..we become nothing..
We have to break the mold and love ourselves first before we can love others..Find contentment and happiness within our own souls....
We spend too much time looking outward and believing the lies we are told through the media and large modeling agencies and money makers. We believe that some snotty designer can say that we are nothing because we are fat....Who do they think they are?
But they have been given the power to yield the sword of disgust for anyone who does not fit the mold of what society believes is normal....Piss on them all..shame on them for making us believe we are nothing..
I am somebody...I am a human being who is a tower of strength within myself...I am building my tower with blocks of change and knowledge about who I really am on the inside and outside..
The only way a person can become a power unto themselves is to take it, build it, mold it and stop believing inferior products of belief....
All meta-fores to be sure but really how we see ourselves is in direct line with our new lives and success...Don't you think it is about time you let that person out that you have hidden away in there to be free and see who she is and what good she can do....
I am trying so hard to accomplish that myself....It is a worthy goal....Just to be the real me with no walls or excuses to hide behind....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv8X6H_jLgY
Try this it should help you with the answer...K

No worries, it's all perfectly normal.

Gotta add my experience... I was in a stall for nearly two years; no matter what I ate, how I moved or any diet I could not shift a pound. Disheartened and fed up didn't come close to how I felt. I wasn't at goal and I really felt that my eight loss journey had ended.
The Georgia told us about the 5:2 and how it was working for her. I decided to try it, well, I hay tried everything else!
That was June... I have broken that stall and lost 10lb. Now, that might seem slow to some reading this, but for me it was amazing. I am now 3lb away from my surgeon's goal and when that day comes I will think about going for my personal goal, which will be an extra 14lb or so extra.
This, albeit slow, has worked for me... And even though I don't lose on a weekly basis, I am seeing results in measurements.
Sorry for the long post

LOL I hate the taste of alcohol and I can't remember the last time I drank it. The closest I get is eating chicken Marsala!

Since your weight loss is obvious, it's not unrealistic to say that you lost weight by totally changing your eating habits...no starches, no alcohol, lots of Protein. I eat out all the time and nobody has ever questioned me. (Only my husband know of my surgery) I take tiny sips of Water and take home 3/4 of my meal all the time. I joke and say my 14 year old is so happy I eat less because he always looks forward to my leftovers!

So why do people always want to come and visit when you're sick or have had a surgery? Today my mom, sister, cousin and nieces are coming over. All of the family that doesnt hunt basically. Otherwise no one ever comes over. Just puts added stress on me to clean up extra good when im not feeling the greatest as it is. My family doesnt care but I do. Still dealing with this incredible leg pain which I cant begin to explain. Barely made it through my shower, glad hubby was there to help afterwards. Wish I or the dr had some answers. Dont even know how I will be able to sit in the car to get to their office on Tuesday. Hope this gets resolved soon. Cant live the rest of my life laying on my bed.