Tim H.

Tomorrow, I'll be three months out from surgery, and I'm down 85 pounds since starting my pre-op diet on March 1st, when these before photos were taken. I had my surgery with Dr. Garcia in Tijuana. So far, so good. Lots more to go, though.

I had my surgery done over spring break and I took 2 additional weeks off. Honestly I could have gone back without the 2 additional weeks, but I'm still glad I had them.

Next Sunday night, June 23rd, Food Network Star will feature a Cinepolis theater. From the previews, it looks just like the VIP section in the theater that's just up the hill from the Marriott. Might be worth checking out if you're considering watching a movie while in Tijuana.

http://www.cinepolis.com/_CARTELERA/cartelera.aspx?ic=44 This link lists the showtimes for all the Cinepolis theaters in Tijuana. You want to look for the listings at the Galerias Hipodromo shopping center. It's just about a mile or so up the hill from the Marriott. If the listed movie has "Sub" next to it, that means the movie is in English with Spanish subtitles. Remember that VIP tickets are about 10 a person, but they are very nice, comfy seats. Worth it, in my opinion. The non-VIP would be cheaper, but I'm not sure how much. http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMDZ5Z_Galerias_Hipodromo_Cinepolis_VIP__Tijuana_Mexico This link just has a few pictures and a little info about the theater. Hope this helps. You can probably catch a cab ride for 5 bucks or so if you don't feel like walking.

I'm not sure.

Misty_eyes, how are you liking those resistance bands? I'm thinking of ordering the same set.

Congrats! Very pretty.

I really like Dannon light n fit Greek. Only 80 calories and really tasty, and I can't stand plain Greek yogurt.

I use Syntha 6 vanilla ice cream flavor whey protein. It's pretty good. Kind of sweet, though. I like it better than the Wal Mart brand vanilla I have.

They taste a little like those orange push-up pops we used to eat as kids.

I made these today, and they came out nice. I'd grade them a B. I'd like to try them with a different juice, like orange juice. I think with that change, they would be an A. Anyway, in a blender mix -2 scoops of vanilla Protein powder (I used Syntha 6 vanilla ice cream) -1 container of Greek yogurt with fruit (I used a 5.3 oz Dannon Light N Fit pineapple) -8 oz of light fruit juice (I used some low cal strawberry banana 50 cal) -1/2 tsp of Orange extract When blended, pour into popsicle molds and freeze. I used some smaller molds, and this made 8 pops. Here is the nutritional info: Per pop Calories 64 Protein 7 Carb 5.8 Sugar 2.9 Fat 1.5 [ATTACH]13824[/ATTACH]

Yes catch a cab (or walk) to the Cinepolis theater just up the hill from the Marriott. I highly recommend the VIP package - awesome leather recliners. Less than 10 bucks... can't remember the exact cost. They also have ushers who will bring you a menu and serve you. My guest ate a full meal. I just ordered bottled water. I saw Jack and the Giant Slayer there in March. It was in English with Spanish subtitles. I found a website that listed the showtimes and whether the movies were SPA (in Spanish) or SUB (in English and subtitled). Wish I could remember which site it was. Oh, if you pay with American money, they cannot make change at the theater, so try to take different denominations of bills so you can get close to the exact dollar amount.

I'm also a teacher. I had my sleeve done over spring break in Tijuana with Dr. Garcia. I went through Ready4achange and Alma was my coordinator. I had a high bmi (over 50), so my cost was $5200 plus the cost of my passport, plane tickets, etc. With everything, I probably spent $6000. I highly recommend Dr. Garcia.

Mmm. That sounds great. I could also do a vanilla powder, blueberry yogurt, and a little lemon extract. I think I'd like those flavors together.

The black cherry and chocolate go really well together.

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/82505-double-chocolateblack-cherry-protein-pops/ Hey, check out this thread. I froze some Protein last night, and it was very good. Much easier to tolerate than the shakes. My recipe is there. I mixed in some Greek Yogurt to give it some creaminess.

Last night I made these up. I had one for a snack earlier today, and it was delicious. This is a great way to get some Protein in, especially if you have a hard time tolerating shakes. I'm going to experiment a little with the recipe and change up the flavor of Protein powder and yogurt to see what other flavor combinations work well together. Dannon Light and Fit yogurt would knock about 8 calories off per pop, too. I was just out of that brand when I made these. Double Chocolate/Black Cherry Protein Pops In a blender, combine the following -2 scoops of chocolate protein powder (I used what I had on hand, the Walgreens brand) -1 6oz container of Greek yogurt with fruit (I used Great Value's Greek yogurt with black cherry) -8 oz of unsweetened vanilla almond milk After blending, pour into popsicle molds. Freeze and enjoy. This recipe filled five molds for me. Here is the nutritional information for each pop: Calories 94 Carbs 8 Fat 1 Protein 13.4 Sodium 83 Sugar 5

I can't wait until I can stand in a chair to reach something without fearing it's going to collapse under me.

I also had to take my cpap machine to the hospital. My doctor required me to use it even the first night after surgery

At my highest weight (Jan of 2012) I weighed 380. When I began pre-op (Mar 1, 2013) I weighed 355. My surgery was March 18th. I now weigh 280. I am 5'8" and 34 years old. My goal is somewhere under 175.

Hey, I'm a little over 2 months out. For some reason, I've gained 7 pounds over the last three days. I haven't changed much in my diet. Still under 1000 cals a day. Still 70+ grams of protein. I'm getting in plenty of fluids. Is this sort of gain normal?

I am timh_ok . I am two months out from surgery. Feel free to add me. I have my food diary open.

It's mostly just luck coupled with the fact that I was so big to begin with. I'm eating between 700 & 900 calories a day. I try to eat at least 70 grams of protein, and I'm always sure to get in 8 cups of water. I've logged everything I've eaten for the past month on MyFitnessPal. If you have an account there, feel free to add me. Timh_ok