DUBrookie03

Ok so I have lost over 60lbs since I began this journey last May. 51 of those have come since surgery on Dec 24. It's crazy because I know I am much smaller, I've gone from a size 22 to a size 14/16 but I still look the same when I look in the mirror! And what's crazy is I never thought I looked that big before. HAH my body image is clearly off. What I really wanted to document was the fact that I just went and picked up some stuff that I ordered from Lane Bryant. I'm proud to say that this order will be the last time I shop there. Even the size 14/16 stuff that I ordered is really too big for me! I walked past NY&Co on my way to LB and wondered when I will be able to fit into that stuff. I think I might be there! Granted it will be the biggest size they carry vs being the smallest size they carry at LB but hey, to have the joy of shopping in a regular size clothing store....PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!

Made a delicious smoothie tonight for a snack, and I didn't use any protein powder (GAG) It tastes like a buckeye! HAHA for those of you who dont know what that is, it's like a reeses cup only shaped like a buckeye nut. Makes two 2/3 cup servings: 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (I use trader joe's brand b/c it has the lowest sugar content that ive seen) 1/2 cup skim milk 1/3 cup sugar free chocolate pudding (made ahead of time with skim milk) 1 TBSP of PB2 (PB2 is a peanut butter powder sold in the organic or health food aisle, it's awesome!!!) Each 2/3 cup serving has 10.5 g of protein!

So today was a mini milestone day for me. First, I woke up to see that I was at 250.0 lbs. If I'm lucky, tomorrow I will cross a big goal off, which was to be under 250lbs! I gotta admit I am so freaking happy! Second, I started the blended foods stage. While it's not THAT much better than liquid, it's an improvement! I made a big pot of chili last night, I used cuban black beans as the base, and pureed them, and then added beef broth, some canned tomatoes and onions, and 1lb of 96% lean ground beef. Once it was done cooking I took some out for me and threw it in the food processor. OMG it is amazing. Third, I think I finally found an acid reducer that works. My Dr switched me from pepcid to prilosec, and I took it this morning, and was able to eat chili (for breakfast LOL) and then tuna salad for lunch, and it's been a good 2 hours since I finished lunch....STILL NO HEARTBURN!!!!! And lastly...today was the first day when I really felt like not only was this the right choice, but that it's really truly getting easier. It was a big emotional pick me up. One more bit of random before I go.... Sex has always been pretty good for me. Even when I was at my heaviest I was 100% confident in my body and never ever had sex unless I was 100% naked. I took a 2 week break off after surgery to allow my body time to heal...well that 2 weeks off ended yesterday... WOW Seriously...I had read a few posts about sex being better, but it wasn't just the feeling of my body being able to feel more without a belly in the way, the actual orgasms are intensified by like 1000% Just to make sure it wasn't a fluke, I checked with my vibrator this morning....DEFINITELY NOT A FLUKE!!! LOL

1. Lose first 25 lbs Accomplished 01/05/13! 2. Get below 250 for the first time in 3 years Accomplished 1/12/13! 3. Join a gym 4. Weigh less than my boyfriend (242) Accomplished 02/06/12 5. Weigh less than when started College (232) 6. Buy a pair of pants smaller than a size 20 Accomplished 02/01/12 7. Get below 200lbs for the first time in about 14 years 8. Buy clothing that is not in the plus size section 9. More to come as I think of them!

When you say liquid, there are 2 types, a clear liquid diet and full liquid. Not sure which you will be on but typically ppl are on clear first then full liquid. For clear liquid I had: Chicken/Beef Broth G2 or Vitamin Water (for the electrolytes) Jello Herbal Tea (Chamomile did wonders for my stomach) Once I progressed to full liquid (the liquid should roll off spoon like milk) 100 calorie greek yogurt that has been thinned with skim milk and strained to remove fruit seeds/bits Cream soups (potato, cheese, broccoli) that are made with skim milk, and then thinned with skim milk and strained I made peanut butter bananna smoothies using skim milk, greek yogurt, banana, and PB2 (powdered peanut butter) IT WAS DELISH (just strain first) Also Trop 50 OJ cut with 50% water has been a great way for me to get a big old scoop of protein powder down in the morning. I've also had Coco wheats made with skim milk, thinned with skim milk and a little sweetener. Don't go out and buy a ton b/c you are going to be shocked at how little you can actually consume!! I'll be moving to puree/soft foods in about a week so I'll let you know what stuff seems to work well for that stage

Hi Kelly! I hope you get your date soon. I had been having knee issues also, years of sports haven't helped. I got sleeved Christmas Eve 2012 and so far I'm down 13lbs in 5 days. There have been ups and downs but the way I look at it, the aches and pains of healing are much easier to handle than the aches and pains associated with being so heavy. I wish you lots of luck, this site is AWESOME for advice. Keep us posted on your progress