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wow!!!! good to know! that's crazy...but now that you point it out, it makes a lot of sense.

I've found that if I eat a salad as a snack and not with a lot of Protein (maybe a few almonds or pecans and some blue cheese), I can eat a LOT more than if I have it with a protein meal. Yesterday I ate at least a cup of romaine lettuce, but I think it might have actually been more like 1.25 cups. I cut the lettuce really finely and chewed it very well. My surgeon told me I would be able to eat a lot more volume of lettuce than other foods because it is mostly Water, and this makes sense. I can only eat about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of more fibrous veggies (which I also often eat as a snack rather than with protein, which my RD said is fine). Just a thought. I understand you were just giving an example of your mourning of a certain food, but for me, this has really been the only thing I missed and I'm so happy to have a good solution.

Have you been on liquids for 2 months???

I have been thinking about this a lot! I have crazy, sporadic deadlines for work and my sleep really suffers. Sometimes I only sleep 2-3 hrs at a time, get up and work 4-5 hrs, sleep 45 minutes bc I am so miserable--etc. I don't necessarily have more food cravings, but I SWEAR I do not lose weight no matter what when I am not sleeping enough. I think sleep is when our bodies repair themselves and that restoration supports weight loss. sometimes I also retain some Fluid in my ankles when I am at my desk too long working or don't walk enough during the day, which causes a temporary weight gain in fluid. I seriously have a resolution right now to get 8 hrs of sleep a night.

You look great, and that IS a pretty dress!

I'm glad the spider went well for you! It is a pretty cool concept.The only incision where I felt pain was the large one where they took out the stomach, and it was managed pretty easily with morphine on the first day and mostly liquid Tylenol after that. It was like the smaller ones were nonexistent. My scars from the laparoscopic incisions are already very faint. The worst scar is from where my drain was!

allergies! 'tis the season

I think there are 2 possibilities 1) you are keeping your body out of homeostasis by varying calories and types of food periodically or 2) you would have lost even more weight when you see a drop (like 2 or 3 lbs instead of 1 lb) and the splurge day made it less. But, I am not sure if there's any way of knowing what the answer is!

Good for you for stopping the situation in its tracks and getting back on the good health wagon. Wishing you all the best!

Congratulations! I would wish you luck, but I have a feeling that you will make your own!

Congrats on your losses, and best wishes to your wife! How great that you can do this together.

congrats--celebrate both!

Totally agree! And if this surgeon is only doing the lap band now, that means the surgeon isn't even experienced in laparoscopic gastric bypass, which is at least a bit more similar from a technical skills standpoint. If this surgeon only does the lapband and is starting VSG in September, I would definitely seek out someone experienced in laparoscopic VSG.

Glad your surgery was successful! In my first post-op appointment, the PA observed the dent in my exit site and said that meant that the internal stitches were still in there. She said that sometime within the next 4 to 6 weeks or so, I would probably move a certain way or bend down and might feel them pop (I did--but not everyone does). As soon as that happened, the indentation went away. You might want to ask your surgeon if they use internal stitches and if that might be the cause of the dent.

Fyre, are you feeling better? I miss your posts, especially the Fyre-Laura-Dean banter!

would they accept a medical note from your doctor?

I think one of the reasons that people who are actually losing weight fairly quickly (e.g., 5 lbs a week) think it's slow is that people who lose abnormally quickly--like 80-100 lbs in 3 months--tend to be more vocal and post about their successes more than the slow-ish losers. So it gives us a skewed perception of what "normal" is. I thought it would be helpful for some of us slow-ish losers to post how much we have lost and during what time frame. Since it's my thread (lol), I'm going to say that a "slow-ish" loss is no more than 0.5 lbs to 3 pounds per week (maybe a little more in the first month). Even 3 lbs/week is above average for nonsurgical patients, but I think that it might be average to slow-ish in the VSG world. Maybe we can help inspire each other and offer support! Please post: * number of weeks out from surgery * amount you have lost so far--post surgery only--do not include pre-op losses, or if you do, break them out * if you want to include starting and current weight or low or high BMI, you can (not required) * whether you exercise and average amount of calories/eating plan I'll start: * 11 weeks out from surgery * have lost apx 30 lbs from 2/5/13 surgery date--that puts me at about 2.5 lbs per week on average * lost about 20 pounds pre-op in a 6-month diet/exercise plan (big difference in rate pre- and post-op!) * higher BMI (above 50) * exercise--walking, Water aerobics, swimming, bike, will be starting strength training this week * 600-800 calories/day, relatively low carb ("good" carbs only, from veggies and occasional berries) * always get in my water and protein! take supplements

Low testosterone--he should see an endocrinologist to see if he is a candidate for testosterone replacement. Not only is low T a cause for lowered sex drive, it can also predispose men to certain medical conditions. I would talk to him about the no hugging/cuddling/kissing, but maybe he is frustrated about a lowered sex drive and that has subconsciously affected how much he would show you any physical attention? So sorry you are both going through this. Maybe some counseling would be helpful if you would both be open to it. Hang in there. Hopefully some replacement therapy will help.

Sometimes I get Mexican restaurant carry out, which is just as fast as a drive-through if you call ahead. Personally I am a vegetarian and just get an order of refried beans and some fresh salsa to put over them, but my husband likes steak or chicken fajitas, which would be a good VSG-friendly food with no tortillas. Would probably last a few meals, too.

Hang in there--sending you positive thoughts. Tomato soup was the one thing that I could not tolerate during the liquid phase. One time I had some, and thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest. It was seriously scary. And then I had heartburn. I guess it makes sense, because tomatoes are so acidic. So maybe that is the issue even moreso than the cheese.

I put silken tofu in my smoothies and it's really good! And I don't even live in California like Laura-Ven. I also even like cottage cheese in smoothies, and I would never eat that by choice!

I would adapt it for a new way of eating by eliminating the rice and corn (simple carbs--and corn is one of the last things to add to your diet bc it can get caught in your staple line) and adding some Protein and veggies. You could do a sweet veggie like red or yellow bell peppers for the same flavor profile as the corn. You can eat this whenever your surgeon puts you back on regular foods, including veggies. Probably somewhere around 6 to 8 weeks. I would skip the chips while actively trying to lose weight (maybe add a few back in at maintenance), but that is just my personal preference and my doctor's recommendation. Your mileage may vary. I thought I would miss a lot of foods that I really don't miss! The feeling you get from getting healthier every day is something that can't rival previously favorite foods. I have all kinds of new favorite foods or adaptations of previous favorite foods, too.

My doctor says 4 months (16 weeks) for nuts and seeds. I am 11 weeks out and this is the one case in which I now eat them in moderation before the recommended timeline but chew very, very well. I am so by the book, but I am a vegetarian and knew that being able to eat 1 100-calorie pack of almonds and a little bit of chia seed every day would give me another much-needed food/snack option (not cheese! and not processed!) and keep me from having cravings while keeping the digestive system moving. I'm going to tell them at my 12-week checkup that I started early. I saw lots of people here eating them at 6 weeks. With that said, I recommend following your surgeon's guidelines and not advancing yourself.... I will wait the full 4 months to eat something like half of an "everything" bagel thin--which would be a rare occurrence, anyhow.

"Ch-ch-ch-ch-chia!" They are tasty, good for us, and even decorative on a clay figurine. Seriously, though, I love chia seeds sprinkled on my Greek yogurt. Pre-op, I would eat oatmeal, topped with Greek yogurt and then Chia seeds. Now I don't eat the oatmeal, but still very good.

Also, it could be hormonal--especially if you are perimenopausal. Weight loss throws off all kinds of hormones!