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I'm with you... the crunching is the only sound that really seems to get to me right now! Would love to crunch into a little salad. I'm on purees/soft foods now, so that's probably why. In about 10 days I get to be on regular foods, so just hanging tight!! The first thing I want to make is homemade kale chips! When someone is crunching in my house, I leave the room and get on my computer to see what's going on here! Keeps my head in the game, for which I am very grateful.

Thanks! hmm...it's really snowing here today, but this might get me out of the house. It's funny how there are certain post-op foods/drinks that sometimes I feel like I just must have...NOW! and then I get them and don't touch them for days. LOL. Thank you to the person who started this thread--it gave me lots of good ideas. I also want to get the Mio orange/tangerine flavor. Someone here recommended SF Hawaiian Punch (on another thread), which I absolutely love. I try to keep it to 1 or 2 a day b/c I feel like I lose better with pure Water and I don't like the HP taste diluted--but it is a GREAT treat. Tastes just like the full sugar version. My mom always got us HP when we were kids when we got sick so it's sort of a "comfort drink" for me.

I really agree with this. I haven't shouted from the rooftops about my surgery, but I also haven't lied about it to anyone. I told a few people that I was having surgery (mostly business contacts whom I needed to let know I would be out--although I was answering business emails from my iphone within a few hours of surgery)--and not one person was rude enough to ask what kind of surgery. If anyone asks at any point how I am losing weight (I'll be so psyched when I lose enough for it to be noticeable--LOL), I will likely say either 1) I decided to make myself a priority; or 2) small portions, low carb, and exercise--all of which will be true. I think it's fine if people want to share the personal details of their life with others, but I wasn't raised that way. I don't judge people who like to do it, but it's just my personal preference not to do it. When I had an office job, on the rare occasions that I was out sick, I would send a note to my staff saying I would be out of the office that day. I didn't need to come back and tell everyone the status of my GI virus or whatever. Yuck. And I have been known to take vacation time and not tell anyone at work where I was going. That's just me though. It doesn't mean I am living a fake life. I really don't think there are many times when anyone I don't know well has talked to me and said "TMI"--and I'm good with that. Again, if it is your preference to be open and share as much as you can about your life with others--I say go with your own comfort level. I won't judge you for it, and I ask that you please not judge me for my choices either. We are all going thru this together and there isn't a one-size-fits-all prescription. I love that we can learn about and respect each others' differences.

Webblarsk, do you buy this at the grocery store? Cranberry and cherry-lime are two of my favorite flavors ever, so I have a feeling that this would be right up my alley. Kind of like a non-alcoholic cape cod cocktail with a little grenadine.

Good for you! That was a wonderful gift that your mom gave you--and a wonderful one that you have given her in return.

I had my VSG on Feb. 5. I have been meaning to mention something to everyone who is pre-op. The anesthesiologist came by and asked if I had ever had a bad reaction from anesthesia. I told her just a sore neck from the intubation and nausea/vomiting post-op from the anesthesia--"but that's normal, right?", I asked. I almost didn't mention it bc I thought it was unavoidable. She said it's not normal and that they could give me something early on (not sure if it was before, during, and/or after surgery) to avoid the nausea. Guess what? it worked! No vomiting post-op and very little nausea...just a little once I was switched from the morphine pump to Percocet 1.5 days post op, but that nausea was from the pain med, not the anesthesia. So I wanted to say, make sure you speak up bc nausea is such a horrible feeling as we all know, and in some cases it may be preventable. She also told me they would be gentle with my intubation so my neck wouldn't hurt as much--and they were.

Can anyone suggest a good Internet site where I can order a few different varieties of the smaller-sized bottles of Torani syrups? (actually it doesn't have to be Torani if you know of another good brand). I want to order lemon, caramel, and SF chocolate. I find the SF varieties are more difficult to find in the stores, and on Amazon, you mostly only can order three packs of the same flavor or variety packs with flavors in them that you don't necessarily want. I tried mybariatricpantry.net but they don't have syrups. I also want to order some unjury Protein Powder, so if you know of one site that would have the syrups and the Unjury, that would be awesome from a shipping standpoint. Thanks so much!

Yum, that sounds good, Lessofmeismore! Thanks for the great idea. I feel like I'm already looking outside to see if my package is here yet...hahaha!

I ordered from Torani (thanks OTR)...SF: lemon, caramel, brown sugar cinnamon, chocolate, black cherry, lime, and I forget what else. Should be fun experimenting.

Thanks Truckerchic!

Thanks guys! I'll get them from one of these two places, depending on what coupons I can find. Need to be ready to make a little Eggface protein ice cream!

I think Eggface's protein ice cream referenced above sounds really delicious, and if you don't do the add-ins like nuts (which I can't eat now anyhow), they are basically just the same nutritional profile as a protein shake. Just something different as far as texture and temperature to keep things interesting. I am so interested in trying this that I asked for an ice cream maker for my birthday, which is in about 2 weeks. I will report back!

Amen!

So sorry to hear this, but glad you haven't lost your sense of humor. Sending positive thoughts.

Angela, this was a good idea--but don't be disappointed if you can't get it down right after surgery. I did well to get in 20 or 30 ounces of Fluid for the first couple of days (we couldn't drink for 24 hrs until the leak test, which was the worst part--SF popsicle after an all clear was nirvana!). My surgeon says fluids first then protein for the first week, aiming for at least 48 oz of fluid. I got up to 64 or more pretty quickly and 40-60 g of protein within a few days that first week, which surprised/impressed the RD and PAs.

60 pounds in 6 weeks? that's 10 pounds in a week! Honestly, if I were you, I would just keep doing what you are doing, and if your weight loss slows down, then figure out what changes you need to make.

I have to say too that I was afraid by not telling many people that I wouldn't have a big enough support system. But I have found that the PAs at my surgeons' office and my RD (especially my RD!) have been amazing. My RD is a vegetarian like me so she really understands. I doubt she has ever struggled with her weight but I think that she truly understands my journey. She goes out of her way to email me little ideas and recipes here and there and she is so supportive.

My biggest thing about not telling many people (I told my husband, one friend, and my parents and swore them all to secrecy) was because I don't want to be under a microscope during this journey. I don't want people judging what I am eating or asking me what I'm eating and why or asking me every day how much I've lost so far. I've always been a slow loser and I had a feeling that since I'm hypothyroid, metabolically efficient, and I've restricted my calories for so many years, the weight wouldn't fly off of me after VSG either. That is what has happened, which makes me SO glad I made the decision that I did not to tell many people. I put enough pressure on myself and don't need added pressure from anyone else. With that said, I know that if I can lose even 8 pounds a month or something along those lines, that's almost 100 pounds in a year! I know that I could not have done that without this tool. I really tried to go into this with realistic expectations. Sort of like when I got LASIK--I wasn't hoping for perfect vision, but wanted it to be better than it was pre-op. And it is--much. I've thought a lot about what I would do if someone asked me once it's noticeable that I have lost a significant amount of weight how I did it. I have decided that if it's someone I am close to and they could potentially benefit from VSG, I will tell them. I will explain why I decided to keep the journey quiet. If they are a friend, they will understand.

They are good cooked with Protein drink too (I use Muscle Milk Light)--just don't cook too long or reheat and use the instant Cream of Wheat or oatmeal. Tastes like chocolate Malt O Meal. Don't eat this too much bc of the carbs (my body is very carb sensitive) but had it twice and it was very good.

I'm almost a month out and my PA says no salsa yet at this point. She said it's bc salsa has raw vegetables, and I pointed out that jarred salsa has cooked vegetables--but to me, the other issue is that most salsa has seeds, and seeds are the thing that my surgeon warns against probably the most. We can't have them for at least 120 days after surgery bc they can cause problems with your staple line if they get caught. It's probably a relatively small risk--I'm sure many people eat seeds without an issue--but I'm not willing to take any chances. Anything that I can do that's in my power, I want to do.

Yes, that is the point I was trying to make in saying that "for me," the "easy way out" would have been to not make a change--and I added that I don't judge anyone for any route they choose to take or not take to get healthier. I absolutely agree with your points--one size does not fit all.

This is such a great point. While I feel that everyone truly has their own journey and I won't judge anyone else for any route they take to get healthier (or not), I SO agree that the easy way out for me would have been to not make a change.

Great news--congratulations! You can see a big difference in your pics!

Could be the flu but I would be worried about the possibility of gallstones, with the lower right back pain and abdominal aches plus the lighter-colored feces. I thought this past weekend that I might have kidney stones (and very well may have) due to black specks in my urine and some other symptoms, but the past few days it is feeling more and more like gallstones. Pain beneath right rib cage (so bad this morning that it was impossible for a while to sit in an office chair), trouble taking a deep breath, constant burping, pain in right back, pain down right arm, extreme fatigue. UGH! I'm going to go in and see the PCP at my surgeon's office tomorrow. I know he is a general surgeon also so if I need my GB out, I think he can do it. I am starting to feel like a hypochondriac but I know that this is very real and want to err on the side of caution. I have been taking Ursodiol so maybe that will kick in. Did not expect this at 3 weeks out with an average rate of weight loss. Hope you feel better soon.

so sorry for your loss and the confusing emotions during an already emotionally trying time. Glad that your surgery wasn't postponed. Have you lost weight already pre-op? I believe that can affect the fit of an IUD. You might want to ask your gyn and you should consider using a back-up BC method during your weight loss journey. Take care.