TES

That's so sad! They should have training in that stuff or something. I noticed you said you could write your weight on a form, though. That is a lot nicer than in my state, where they ask you for anyone to hear if your weight is the same, and if it changed, you have to tell the number out loud so anyone within earshot can hear!

Hmm...could there be a VSG love connection under way here?

you didn't follow it with a shot of tequila and some lime?

my surgeon never restricted caffeine--I got regular black tea (tea bag for hot tea) in the hospital. I didn't drink coffee until after the first few weeks just to give my stomach time to heal, but the surgeon never restricted it. I drink 2-3 cups of coffee a day and sometimes caffeinated tea. No issues.

you shouldn't eat nuts or seeds until at least 4 months out. This is different than a pre-op diet if you "cheat"--it can seriously cause serious and lasting medical issues. Please stick to the liquid diet your doctor or RD gave you. For the first 3 weeks all I had were Clear Liquids, Protein Shakes, hot tea, etc. It was really difficult but my stomach was healing and I knew that wasn't the time to test boundaries. No solid food for 6 weeks.

I like to put pumpkin puree in Greek yogurt with a little SF Torani caramel or some Splenda--really good and lots of Protein.

I like to put pumpkin puree in Greek yogurt with a little SF Torani caramel or some Splenda--really good and lots of Protein.

Well this was definitely an eye opener! No more messing around...just praying I didn't do damage

Ok, I've been grumpy pants about not losing more but I just got into my halloween costume that was custom made for last year & too small!!! I've never worn it til today!
And... I won the costume contest! Against the whole hospital I work at!
Having a great day!
allons-y

you didn't follow it with a shot of tequila and some lime?

Down 96 pounds. Sleeved Feb 25th. Would like to lose 30 more... current weight, 211. Feeling fabulous but not there yet...

you didn't follow it with a shot of tequila and some lime?

Ah makes me too nervous! Please, please run this by your doctor/NUT before making the decision. I will not lie, I HATED puréed phase at the time, but I made it through and it literally seems like such a distant memory that I am embarrassed I was so dramatic about it in my head. I promise, you will feel the exact same way and be like "OK, it sucked but it was only a few days of my life." LOL
Like others suggested, get creative and use those Protein shakes if necessary!

When in doubt, do what your doctor recommended. You don't want to progress to quickly, give your body a chance to heal, you are still swollen inside and may not feel discomfort as easily. What works for one, may not work for everyone and with your health, I would err on the side of caution.
Good luck and congratulations on your surgery!

you don't want to do that. It will hurt! Your stomach needs time to properly heal. Puree is not as bad as it sounds. Be creative. I ate egg salad, pureed chicken and gravy, ff/plain greek yogurt with splenda and chocolate, extracts or baby fruit (stage 1) FF Ricotta seasoned italian style and heated, then topped with sauce, I have a cannoli cream recipe too, if you are interested. Egg beaters, etc.......

This is such a personal decision and everyone has their reasons for telling the people or not telling people.
I have told 5 people - my husband, my mom and dad, my son and my best friend. Right now, I don't plan on telling anyone else. I have a very close inner circle and am a private person by nature. I plan on going to a local support group tomorrow, so the cat may be out of the bag eventually.
There are some that tell everyone including the mailman and that's great if that works for them. I'm just not wired that way.
If you do tell, be prepared for people to have an opinion - right, wrong or indifferent - and they may share it with you.
Best of luck to you. You will know what the right decision is for you.

At 33, I've been struggling with my weight for 30 years now; that's right 30! I'm sure many of you have been struggling for equally as long, so our elation at being able to get this procedure that will change our lives for the better seems like something you'd want to shout from the rooftops to everyone you know, right?
I wish I could. I'm actually afraid of the judgment that may come along with it. I told two friends early on when I was just considering the surgery, even before I went to the seminar, and they refuse to speak to me now. Fellow obese girls who probably feel like I've abandoned them in some sort of fleshy sisterhood, or that my future thinner self might be judgmental of them. Although this is not the case on my part, it does make me worry about sending a widespread message to everyone that I'm doing this.
There is a certain amount of shame, at least for me, that has come with this decision. It is like I failed at something that I should have been good at. I know its my body, my insulin resistance that went undetected probably since childhood that has fuelled the fire of obesity for so long. I know, logically, that for those of us who choose this path it is not that we were lazy, or didn't want to diet, or didn't try. In fact, I find that most of us have probably stuck with diets and exercise plans far longer than our naturally thin counterparts. I know every diet you can think of inside and out. I am a fat war veteran, and this surgery is like my war reparations for battling for so long.
It pains me to think that I can't tell everyone I know without feeling judgment, abandonment, or guilt/shame. Maybe it won't be that way; maybe everyone would be happy and supportive. I just cringe at the thought of telling everyone before I get my surgery date on Thursday and then having to retract that statement if something goes wrong, or the inevitable replies of "Oh, you don't need that! I'll give you a diet that will make you slim, and all you have to do is walk."
I'm just wondering if anyone else has felt this way, has kept this news from the others around them. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and make a Facebook post to let everyone know. Maybe if I just rip the band-aid off, the scab of shame will come with it??

I crave salt so bad that this morning, I sprinkled salt on a plate and licked it off. Really, how insane is that?!

Congrats Sparkle - what a wonderful gift to your children- a heathy and happy mom!
Lynda

So Today I hit 149.2 lbs. According to my BMI I am NORMAL!
I had surgery March 20, 2013 and weighed in at 240 lbs. I have chosen to only tell 2 people. My husband and sister. So when I posted a picture this week it created quite a buzz. I have lost 91 lbs in 7 months and feel better then ever. I could not ask for a better change in my life I can run and play with my son and not get tired. I have been so blessed to have had an easy recovery and a sleeve of steel.
I have attached a picture from February 2013 and from this week.

I eat one Atkins Protein Bar a day, usually in the afternoon when my blood sugar is low. They are high in Protein and contain no sugar. I usually eat the chocolate oatmeal Fiber bar because in addition to protein, I am on a continual Quest for fiber.

I have a Premier Protein bar most mornings for Breakfast. It's a red letter day for me when I end up with the Yogurt Crunch flavor!

They save me sometimes. As I transitioned back to normal life after surgery, I found out there were lots of days where I couldn't take the time to feed myself properly. I keep a couple of good-quality Protein bars handy. I like the Quest bars. They have really good numbers. Many of the others are pretty bad.
Most days I do fine on real food (no shakes or bars). But, someways you can't build your life around your sleeve and thence bars come in handy.
Sent from my iPad using VST

Well I went to my high school reunion over the weekend and on all the rush I forgot to bring myself anything to wear the day after while visiting family so I had to run to Wal-Mart to grab some jeans and a sweater, nothing fancy just cheap and something that FIT. Normally I would just steal my mom's clothes but I'm no where near the right size to wear them anymore. Anyway, I have been wearing 10/8 jeans depending on the cut bit I had noticed they weren't really sitting 100% so I tried on some 8s and they were too baggy so I grabbed a pair of 6s and left without even trying them on since my family was waiting for me. I got back to my mom's and reluctantly slipped on the 6s. They were tighter than I'm used to on my calves as I tried to pull them up so I did what I always have done and started to think of all the reasons why I didn't like the jeans anyway so it wouldn't hurt so bad when I was too fat for them... but they slipped up. And then they defied nature and buttoned... and zipped! And they FIT!
Every day, every size, that passes is new uncharted territory for me. I've never been this small even in high school so it's exciting and terrifying! Lol but I'm enjoying the new jeans.