cartmansnj

I LOVE to cook and am just wrapping up the pureed stage off my diet. Here are some of my favorite concoctions - enjoy!
Egg salad - couple eggs, 1 tsp of mayo, 1/2 tsp of spicy brown mustard, salt & pepper - puree until smooth
Buffalo chicken - can of chicken, 1 tbsp blue cheese crumbles, 2 tbsp ranch dressing, 1 tsp. of buffalo sauce, salt & pepper - puree until smooth - MY PERSONAL FAVORITE!
Squash casserole - 1 can of squash with vidalia onion, 2 tbsp of cream cheese, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, salt & pepper, 1 tsp margarine/butter, 1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese - puree until smooth, pour into dish and microwave for 90 seconds or until heated through and bubbly
Pintos and cheese - 1 can of Pintos with onion - puree until smooth, pour into dish and cover with 2 tbsp. of shredded cheddar cheese - microwave for 90 seconds or until heated through and bubbly - stir well to combine the cheese - optional: add a bit of enchilada sauce if you are looking for more flavor.
Lemon Ricotta Creme
Take one 15 oz. container of part skim ricotta cheese, add the zest of one lemon, juice of half the lemon, 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 4 packets of splenda - puree until smooth - AWESOME!!!!
You can do variations on this should you choose - substitue orange zest and 1 tbsp. of orange juice with orange extract or keep vanilla extract for a dreamsicle taste. chocolate ricotta creme is easy too by substituting 2 tbsp. cocoa powder instead of zest and juice, same vanilla extract and splenda to sweeten.
Perfect sweet tooth item instead of the same old pudding and/or jell-o and it has a high concentration of Protein due to the ricotta cheese. Enjoy!
Parmesan Garlic Cauliflower (tastes a lot like mashed potatoes, but very low carb!)
1 bag of frozen cauliflower florets
1 tsp butter/margarine
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of milk
Blend until smooth, pour into a casserole dish and top with another 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese and microwave for 90 seconds - enjoy!

Starting the 2013 new year off right. I stepped on the scale this morning and lost another 2 lbs since Sunday which puts me at 60 lbs lost! I am 11 days post op and have gone from 445 on 11/23 (start of pre op diet) to 385 on 1/1, 60 lbs in 40 days!! Hello new life!
I am overwhelmed at the responses that I have gotten in this thread, especially the ones that said that my story has inspired them! I am so humbled, thank you! I am seriously changing my entire opinion of this surgery after this thread. Let me tell you a sad story. A few days ago, about 7 days post op, my wife asked me if I would do it all over again. I told her no. She asked why? "You have had such an ideal experience." I said "yeah, I was VERY LUCKY." There are tons of people that have complications based on what I saw on the sleeve site. If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't have taken such a big risk, after all, we have a three year old son. I also WOULD NOT recommend this surgery I told her. I couldn't live with myself if I advised someone to go through this and something bad happened to them. That is SERIOUSLY what I thought.
After seeing this thread, there are A LOT of success stories out there. I will say what a lot of other people said and say that this surgery DOES change your life for the better. If you are as heavy as I was you WILL NOT live a long life. Period. How many 6' 3" 445 lb old people do you see walking this Earth? I don't see many that's for sure. If you are considering VSG surgery, JUST DO IT! Don't think about it and procrastinate like I did for two years. JUST DO IT! I wasted two years drinking and eating when I could have been rolling around in the grass, wrestling with my son. Believe me, we WILL be doing that this summer! 2013 is going to be my best year ever!

Hey Frank. It sounds like we had very similar starting stats. I was 401 when I started my 10 day preop diet. Almost 8 months later I'm 236. That will be you my friend. Best of luck.

I posted my success story over here:
http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/67034-here-is-what-the-local-paper-had-to-say-about-my-success-story/
I was 437 and now I'm 185. You can read the article in the link and listen to the radio round table I did here if you have any questions. http://www.knpr.org/son/archive/detail2.cfm?SegmentID=9672&ProgramID=2699

I think if you did a search with the word "regret" or "leak" you would see a lot of people that are not happy for whatever reason.
But if your looking for everyday down sides..
Well I wish I could drink with my meals.
I sometimes wish I could eat and enjoy food like I did before, I know that sounds weird but what can I say.
Oh and the constant battle to not get constipated. That's always a fun one

My wife could be in trouble cause I am huge now!! I dont know if he can get any bigger!! LOL!!!

Asses of Water? Not sure about that!!!

That's true about the sodium. Thats why I cook my own food. I have a great and easy chili recipe
If you want it.
I would also be careful with the sugars and carbs in the fruit.. And carbs in potatoes oatmeal and such..
Yes about needing the carbs but Protein is very important with so little room in our stomachs..
I make an easy chili for my family:
1pound ground turkey
I red bell pepper chopped 1 green bell pepper chopped
1onion chopped
I small can Tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans black Beans
1 can chicken stock
a handful of chili powder to taste And garlic powder, salt, pepper..or if I'm feeling even more lazy I just use a packet of chili spices and disregard the directions on it! Brown the turkey I'm a big pot Dump the rest in and cook until peppers are tender

Asses of Water? Not sure about that!!!

Asses of Water? Not sure about that!!!

Had one scrambled egg for Breakfast. I dont think it gave me any problems. I am afraid to eat anything!!

You really do need to drink your Water. That is key. If you cant do it with just water, add it to crystal light or something sugar free and low calorie that you like.

I actually make this and like it. If you want you can add a little unflavored Protein powder to it to give it some more Protein. But not a lot or it gets too thick.
Low carb BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
1 c Tomato Sauce
3 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 T Cider Vinegar
6 packets Splenda
1 T Chili powder
2 t Tabasco Sauce
2 t Garlic Powder
1 t pepper
1 t liquid smoke
Directions
Combine and cook over low heat for 10 minutes
Makes 8 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 47.6
Total Fat: 0.3 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 270.7 mg
Total Carbs: 6.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g
Protein: 0.8 g

Thats funny. I was never cold before the surgery. I was always hot. Turning down the heat and wearing shorts and t-shirt inside in the winter. After surgery, I am always freezing. My hands and feet are like ice. I wonder if it is because we are not eating any calories?

Great work. Congratulations. Keep it up. That is amazing.