ribearty

What a fun topic.
Now how to explain my profile name ribearty. My husband shortened everyone's name in our family to the first syllable of their name and added bear behind it. My first name is Rita so I was ribear. At the time we were buying ty beanie babies which explains the ty.

I am in my 50s, had the sleeve with 70 pounds to lose to my goal. If I went by my doctor's goal. I had the surgery with 50 pounds to lose and a starting BMI of 35.
I wanted this to be permanent and I knew I couldn't do it on my own with my past history. I also wanted a better quality of life and to enjoy the years I have left.
I truly believe it is worth it.
Good luck with your weight loss journey.

Not this girl, like Miracle Whip lite. I tend to not follow the crowd. LOL. Patti, thank you for the recipe. Sounds great. When I make mine I used powdered mustard. Just like the flavor better.

What a fun topic.
Now how to explain my profile name ribearty. My husband shortened everyone's name in our family to the first syllable of their name and added bear behind it. My first name is Rita so I was ribear. At the time we were buying ty beanie babies which explains the ty.

What a fun topic.
Now how to explain my profile name ribearty. My husband shortened everyone's name in our family to the first syllable of their name and added bear behind it. My first name is Rita so I was ribear. At the time we were buying ty beanie babies which explains the ty.

I'm in. I finally can exercise again. Now to get the remainder off. My goal is 12 pounds between now and September 1. That will put me 10 pounds from my goal. I plan to ride 350 miles on my bicycle too. I am just excited to be able to exercise again. For a while, it seemed that was no longer going to be possible.

Yes, I did. I was 24 days post surgery. I had no problems and the ball I used is 12 pounds.

Congratulations on your surgery and welcome to Bariatric Pal.
If you are having problems with powdered Proteins, try some ready to drink I used Premier a lot. I thought they tasted good, were not chalky and did not have an aftertaste. You might try them at room temperature or refrigerated to see if one works better for you than the other.
Good luck to you.

Take measurements prior to surgery because they can be a benchmark measure when the scale is not moving.
Take pictures of yourself prior to surgery. Get a front shot and a side shot also. I did not enjoy looking at the pictures, but look at them along side pictures you take six weeks out and you'll be amazed at the difference.

I finished the month at 168.5 miles. 38.5 miles over my goal! My best month so far. Great job this month everyone. Thanks for participating.

I felt really good about meeting my goal of bringing it every day on the p90x, making tho most of even those "slower" days with yoga ( it can be a good challenge, believe me) and stretching (just what is needed on day 7). Really enjoy the program and it is lovin' me back with reshaping the bod. Month 3, o' p90x goodness, here I come!

Just after Easter, I posted this photo of my morning ‘snack’ of carrots, celery jelly Beans and chocolate eggs with a caption, “Does this make sense to anyone?” The responses were funny, truthful, and understanding. Some quickly identified the beans and eggs as Protein and together with the carrots and celery some said that made a very healthy snack! Others noted that there were so few, it didn’t matter. One commented,


Just after Easter, I posted this photo of my morning ‘snack’ of carrots, celery jelly beans and chocolate eggs with a caption, “Does this make sense to anyone?” The responses were funny, truthful, and understanding. Some quickly identified the beans and eggs as protein and together with the carrots and celery some said that made a very healthy snack! Others noted that there were so few, it didn’t matter. One commented, “Living on the edge – just don’t overdo it!” Yes, I laughed out loud.
And don’t we all have times when we live on the edge, test fate, and throw caution to the wind? I suppose we do. I just always wonder why. Why do we do what we do, when we know what we know? For myself, sugar is a real challenge for me and something I need to avoid (see Sugar Free Me! article) Yet, still I ate the jelly beans and chocolate eggs on a plate with vegetables, as if that would make it ok, or that the vegetables would counter act the sugar. Yeah, right. Knowing that so many can relate, I thought I would give a shot at perhaps a few reasons why I think we do what we do when we know what we know.
We Want To Feel Normal – Sometimes we simply don’t’ want to have to worry about it! We are under the impression that eating whatever one wants is ‘normal.’ It might appear that our thin friends and relatives can, but it always comes down to calories in- calories out; for everyone! We are normal and like most people will always need to be careful and mindful about our choices, but sometimes, we just want our actions to have no consequences. (But they do)
Others Do It. In support groups, sometimes patients share how they are able to get away with eating “forbidden foods” and how they are still doing great with their weight loss. Well, more often than not I have found that these people are either ‘honeymooners’ or their metabolism is different than mine or they are great exercisers. Eating what others eat hasn’t worked well for most of us. We each need to know for ourselves EXACTLY what our own bodies need – and what works and what doesn’t work for us to maintain our weight loss goals.
Reckless Abandon – My favorite definition of reckless abandon is: “to abandon all sense of responsibility or consequence.” Sometimes we do because we are either too busy to pay attention, or too stressed to care. It is unfortunate that all too often our lives are out of control and when we are too busy, we put ourselves last! The commitment we have made to ourselves must be strong enough to endure ‘come what may’ we must stay focused on our Success Habits. No matter what! It is too easy to get out of control and off track and find ourselves somewhere we swore we would never be again.
A Little Won’t Hurt – That may be true for some but honestly, this is one of my greatest challenges. Some people can do just a little, but for others like me, have trouble stopping at just a little. It’s not that I binge eat or eat too much at once, it’s just that once I have a little, my body starts to crave more, and more and soon I am a slave to my food choices day after day. For me, a little does hurt.
Will I make the choice to eat jelly beans & chocolate again? Absolutely! Will I enjoy it? Yes! Will I stop, and get back to my routine habits as soon as possible? Yes! Why? Because I know what I know.

Hello, I am not going to make my goal to ride my bike 150 miles this month. I have gotten in 87 miles this month outside. I had planned to only count actual miles on my road bike. I still am keeping my long-term goal to hit 1,000 miles on it by the end of October, but I think for the individual month challenges I am going to start counting spin class and indoor bike riding also. I am going to keep count of outside and inside to try to keep true to my 1,000 miles outside.
Weather and work have not been conducive to outside riding. We are supposed to get rain every day through Thursday.

Hi Bonbini,
Welcome to Bariatric Pal. You and your doctor will decide the best option for you. Sometimes you are not a good candidate for a particular surgery.
I, like Laughing Cat, am a revision patient. I had a lap-band and now have the sleeve. With any weight loss it is a tool and you still have to work with it in order to have long-term success.
I have had no problems with keeping things down with the sleeve at all since my surgery. I was able to start swallowing pills a week after sleeve surgery. When I had my band, my surgeon did not allow me to start swallowing pills until 6 weeks post-op.
One thing you will find on this site, is that different doctors have different pre-op and post-op diets and lengths of time before you are allowed to do things. One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to follow the instructions your doctor and nutritionist give you especially while you are still healing and recovering from surgery.

Hi Bonbini,
Welcome to Bariatric Pal. You and your doctor will decide the best option for you. Sometimes you are not a good candidate for a particular surgery.
I, like Laughing Cat, am a revision patient. I had a lap-band and now have the sleeve. With any weight loss it is a tool and you still have to work with it in order to have long-term success.
I have had no problems with keeping things down with the sleeve at all since my surgery. I was able to start swallowing pills a week after sleeve surgery. When I had my band, my surgeon did not allow me to start swallowing pills until 6 weeks post-op.
One thing you will find on this site, is that different doctors have different pre-op and post-op diets and lengths of time before you are allowed to do things. One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to follow the instructions your doctor and nutritionist give you especially while you are still healing and recovering from surgery.

Hi Bonbini,
Welcome to Bariatric Pal. You and your doctor will decide the best option for you. Sometimes you are not a good candidate for a particular surgery.
I, like Laughing Cat, am a revision patient. I had a lap-band and now have the sleeve. With any weight loss it is a tool and you still have to work with it in order to have long-term success.
I have had no problems with keeping things down with the sleeve at all since my surgery. I was able to start swallowing pills a week after sleeve surgery. When I had my band, my surgeon did not allow me to start swallowing pills until 6 weeks post-op.
One thing you will find on this site, is that different doctors have different pre-op and post-op diets and lengths of time before you are allowed to do things. One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to follow the instructions your doctor and nutritionist give you especially while you are still healing and recovering from surgery.

Game Girl,
I have to say you look marvelous and are a skinny-mini. Congratulations and keep up the good work.

I have walked 34.7 miles and rode 45 on my bicycle.

We've added the following to our posted forum rules:
Disrespectful and Hurtful Posts are Forbidden

All posts must fit within BariatricPal’s guidelines for acceptable posts. Posts must be consistent with BariatricPal’s core beliefs.
Weight loss surgery can be an effective tool to fight obesity. Our common goal is to fight obesity through a unified voice. No weight loss surgery is inherently better or worse than any other. Each has advantages, and each has disadvantages. Some individuals are good candidates for one kind of surgery, and other individuals are better candidates for another kind of surgery.
No individual is more or less deserving of weight loss and health because of a decision to get or not get weight loss surgery, or because of which type of weight loss surgery he or she chooses. BariatricPal serves as a place where anyone can ask questions about weight loss surgery without fear of ridicule. BariatricPal serves as a forum for open discussion and polite disagreement so that everyone can benefit. Weight loss surgery “bashing” is absolutely prohibited. This include, but is not limited to, statements that a specific type of weight loss surgery is:
Bad or wrong Easier than another type of weight loss surgery or “cheating” when someone is trying to lose weight Out of date or obsolete Doomed to failure In addition, “bashing” of individuals is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, statements that a person is:
Lazy for choosing one type of weight loss surgery over another Unprepared for or undeserving of weight loss surgery because of Deserving of complications or disappointing weight loss because of their choice of weight loss surgery Violations of these rules and consequences will be determined at the sole discretion of BariatricPal and based on individual situations. They may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Editing or removal of the offensive post(s) Warning from BariatricPal staff or Forum Hosts to avoid such posts in the future Temporary suspension of membership Permanent removal of the member’s account These guidelines do NOT forbid disagreement and candid discussions on BariatricPal. Members may discuss and defend their points of view in respectful manners. Please feel free to contact BariatricPal with any questions about these guidelines.

Remember that written communication is different from face-to-face communication. When you post a message on the discussion forum, send someone a text message, email, or private message, or meet in a chat room, a lot of the message is lost. When you are face-to-face with someone, you can use tone of voice, gestures, and expressions to help get your point across. These aids are lost when you communicate online. Your message can accidentally come across as harsh or rude. A good way to reduce accidental misunderstandings is to read your own message before posting it to see if there is any way that a reader could mistake its meaning in a negative way.

I had back surgery and afterwards walking was my primary source of exercise since it was February. Swimming helped with the pain because the Water took the pressure off the back.
I have problems now with my hip so I ride my bicycle a lot and that doesn't cause pain. Try to find an activity you can tolerate.

Take measurements prior to surgery because they can be a benchmark measure when the scale is not moving.
Take pictures of yourself prior to surgery. Get a front shot and a side shot also. I did not enjoy looking at the pictures, but look at them along side pictures you take six weeks out and you'll be amazed at the difference.

Weight loss surgery is difficult, to say the least. The operation takes place after years or a lifetime of being obese and after months of research and preparation. Recovery can be anywhere from “not too bad” to riddled with complications. Nearly every aspect of your lifestyle changes, from your diet to the way you look to your relationships to your mental state. The entire experience is long and challenging, no matter how rewarding.


BariatricPal recognizes the challenges of being in the weight loss surgery community. You need every bit of support and information you can get to choose the best surgery for yourself, prepare for surgery, lose weight, and get healthy for the long term. The peer-to-peer support that BariatricPal members provide can be among the most powerful tools you have to help you achieve your goals. So please, help build the community up instead of tearing it down.
Potential for a Powerful, Unified Community
Our weight loss surgery communities began as WLSBoards, with four separate forums: LapBandTalk, VerticalSleeveTalk, RNYTalk, and SleevePlicationTalk. Each forum was dedicated to a single type of weight loss surgery. Members could discuss surgeons, diets, complications, and anything else related to weight loss surgery in general or the specific type of weight loss surgery in particular.
Then we merged the four WLSBoards to create BariatricPal, which is geared toward all types of weight loss surgery. This decision was based on the following beliefs.
We are all in this together. We have the same goal of fighting obesity through weight loss surgery.
The surgery types share many common characteristics and BariatricPal members can therefore benefit from having more input on topics such as the post-surgery diet progression, choosing a surgeon, ways to get more Protein, and dealing with head hunger.
As a single community, we have greater potential to be a unified and strong voice for weight loss surgery than we did as separate communities.
Some topics are surgery-specific, and there is a need for surgery-specific subforums for certain topics such as fills for lap-band patients, experience with Protein Shakes for sleeve patients who may not be able to eat enough on a regular basis, and dumping syndrome for gastric bypass patients.

Has BariatricPal Become a Divisive Arena?
Unfortunately, BariatricPal members have had some regrettable experiences that contradict these principles. Rather than being supported, encouraged, and assisted, some members have felt attacked or belittled by other members who do not believe in their choices, whether in regards to type of surgery, food choices, or other lifestyle choices. Rude behavior, while unacceptable in any circumstance, is especially damaging in our community.
It weakens our collective voice.
It prevents some weight loss surgery patients and potential patients from getting the information they need.
It discourages WLS patients from pursuing their healthy lifestyles.

Avoid Destructive Posts
Most BariatricPal members are polite, helpful, and encourage. Occasionally, though, members post inappropriate and potentially hurtful posts that put down one type of weight loss surgery or another individual’s choice. In general, a poor post is one that makes a person feel bad and does not offer any useful information. These are examples of unacceptable posts.
“I didn’t even know they offered the lap-band surgery anymore because it’s so dangerous.”
“Weight loss is easy with the gastric bypass surgery. The rest of us have to work harder.”
“You shouldn’t be asking if you can eat that. If you even are thinking about it, you shouldn’t have gotten WLS.”

It’s okay to offer your opinion, but do it kindly. If you’re not sure if your post is okay, think about it before your post. The rule of thumb is to always err on the side of caution. Think how you would act if you were face-to-face with a good friend who had an opinion with which you disagree. You would listen to his or her position, then acknowledge the reasoning for that opinion. Then you would state your opinion and explain why you feel that way. Remember that feelings are harder to convey in written online conversations, and gentle words of advice can be interpreted harshly.
What We Have to Gain (or Lose)
When we all support each other, regardless of type of weight loss surgery, we have a lot to gain.
Positive atmosphere where everyone feels welcome, so those who need it feel comfortable to come and ask questions
Unbelievable wealth of experience and knowledge…among people who are kind enough to share it
A place where open discussions can lead to brainstorming and generation of ideas and strategies for success
A sense of pride that we are all here, with the same goal through the same means. Let us celebrate!

When rudeness and disrespect take over, we have just as much to lose. Just think about what would happen if you had a question, asked it, and got told that your question is dumb or that you are doing something wrong in your weight loss journey. Maybe you would leave BariatricPal or, worse, you would be afraid to ask your question anywhere else because you didn’t feel comfortable anymore. Nobody deserves to be treated like that.
Take a moment when you are on BariatricPal to appreciate the warm community, and think about what it means to you. The next time you post, ask yourself: are you helping to build a stronger weight loss surgery community, or are you tearing it down?

The purpose of this thread is to get moving more than you did the month before. Try some new activity or work on something you are trying to improve in the fitness area.
My goal for this month is to start on my 1,000 mile bike ride. I made a New Year's resolution to ride 1,000 miles between mid-March and the end of the October. Goal for this month is 75 miles.

I have gotten in 40 miles of riding. We had a break in the weather. I don't think I will get in the full 75 this month due to the weather. I am not giving up. Have to see what next weekend holds. I might get it in this month.

Starting weight 173 goal weight for this challenge is 168