southernsoul

I made this tonight & it is delicious! We were out of flour, of all things, so I winged it with a couple of cans of cream of chicken soup & only added about 1 cup of milk. The Dijon & the lemon juice are great in the sauce. I also added a layer of chopped broccoli (about 2 cups frozen, thawed in the microwave) above the ham & below the cheese layer. The hubs had eaten a few of the Swiss slices I had planned to use for this, so I added a little shredded Italian blend to the cheese layer. Thanks again for posting the recipe!

Sassy, congrats on finally getting a date! I'm glad that you ended up deciding to stick with your original surgeon. I know his meltdown was awful, but you had learned so much great info about him and it would have been so hard to start over with somebody new. I hope you're able to get everything done before the surgery. I remember also being so crazy busy in those last weeks with class, court, doctor's appts, etc...thank God for Amazon & the Amazon Prime free 2 day shipping. Jean, thanks for noticing the new pic & yes, it's new. That was from last Saturday night. I guess I like posting an "In Progress" more than waiting for the final "After". It's taken 70 lbs, but I am finally able to see the changes in myself. It's very weird how our eyes don't seem to catch up for quite awhile. I knew in my head I was changing...smaller clothes, numbers down on the scale, less pain when I walk, etc.....but I couldn't see it in the mirror for the longest time. I still can't see it in my face, but at least I can see it somewhere.

You look lovely...congrats!!

Wow...simply gorgeous!!!

OMG, I totally love TJ's. My food diary in MFP is covered up in Trader Joe's stuff. Their chicken sausages are great...my faves are the spinach-fontina & the basil-pesto ones. They also have frozen turkey meatballs that are great & frozen turkey "muffins" with spinach & a little bit of mashed potatoes on top. Frozen spinach kale bites are another fave. Plus they have great cheeses, salami, proscuitto, hummus, etc.

I can stand & walk for much longer now before I need to sit down, which is a huge relief for me.

Wow, that is amazing and very inspirational! Way to go!!

Wow, you've done really great...congratulations!! My date was June 19, so we're right together.

I felt the exact same way! I told everybody I was having surgery, so when folks would say, OMG, you look great, I would think they were just being nice because they knew about the surgery. Of course, in my head I I knew I had lost weight...20, 25, 30, then 40, but I couldn't see it. Eventually, I got to where I could see the difference in pictures, but I still couldn't see it in the mirror. I knew my clothes sizes had gone down & I knew I felt great, but I just couldn't look at my stomach or my face & think, Oh yeah, now I can tell! Last week I crossed the 70 lb mark & I'm finally starting to see it in the mirror just a little. I guess it's just something weird about how we see what we've always seen. Good luck to you & I hope you start seeing it really soon!

I'm only 4 months out, so I haven't faced that myself, but I can just imagine how difficult it must be. I don't really have any words of advice, just hang in there & know that you have done an amazing job so far. I can't even imagine 96 lbs yet...wow!!!

Happy belated birthday, Jean. Like you, I'm normally pretty compliant with my dietary guidelines, but I admit I enjoyed about 3 bits of chocolate cake on our anniversary a couple of weeks ago. I'm also wondering about the holidays. Personally, I think the occasional indulgence is fine, but I also know that not everybody feels comfortable with that. Too easy to start down a slippery slope, perhaps. I wonder if the holidays will be easier with physical restriction??

He's so cute!! I know it's hard not to compare...but try not to stab him in his sleep. I think you both look fantastic!

That looks delicious!! I love casseroles in the fall & winter. I'll bet it would be good with some cut up asparagus or broccoli, too. Thanks for posting!

So sorry you're having a rough time, but it does get better. I had terrible diarrhea my first 6 days postop & I still have no idea how I managed to stay hydrated. It was awful & I felt so weak! My doc ended up adding kefir (liquid yogurt) into my diet & it made a world of difference for me. Hang in there...this too shall pass!

That's awesome...good for you!!

Hooray & good for you!! I'm right there with you...sleeved on June 19 in a size 26/28 and now wearing 18's with some 16's ready to go very soon. The other day at Marshall's I tried on a size 14 stretchy wrap dress. It was still a little tight, but it actually went on my body & fastened like it was supposed to. I could tell it will fit just fine in another 15-20 lbs...so I bought it immediately!!

OMG, I just snorted up some protein shake. BAHAHAHAHAHA.....

I'm not sure I agree with you about tolerance and withdrawal not applying to food. Our processed foods have crazy amounts of hidden sugar in them (primarily from corn derivatives), so I definitely think that a tolerance can be built up without us even realizing it. For a person who has physiological or emotional responses to sugar intake, it makes sense to me that the person would then need to consume ever larger amounts in order to produce the effect they are seeking. Further, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence about the physical symptoms that occur when withdrawing from carbs and sugar...headaches, irritability, shakiness, etc. So, yeah...I believe that tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal can be applicable to food. When I first started this process, I was extremely concerned about determining whether or not I had a true addiction. I knew that could be the biggest challenge to being successful with WLS, so I really wanted to know if that was my problem. While I definitely enjoy sweets, other carbs like bread, Pasta, and potatoes, were my bigger concern. I ate refined carbs in some form every single day, and I love them. In addition, I drank alcohol every day. I fixed a vodka cocktail every night in a large cup, so it was probably the equivalent of 3-4 standard drinks. Even though I didn't think my drinking was compulsive, I also knew that I could be wrong about that. I knew that if I had addiction tendencies in any area, those two areas would be the most likely to be problematic. I discussed my concerns in depth during my 3 month psych eval, and I even requested some additional substance abuse assessments. All of the results indicated no substance issues. Those findings have been supported by my behavioral changes both pre- and post-op. I follow my dietary guidelines, I haven't experience much in the way of cravings, or found myself triggered by certain foods or situations. When I have wanted to taste something sweet or carby, a small taste has been satisfying and did not leave me wanting more. Over the past 4 months, I have consumed alcohol 3 times, about a half glass of wine each time. I don't miss the daily drink & it wasn't a struggle to give it up. I know I'm not very far out, so maybe some of these choices will get harder for me. I'm trying to be prepared for that possibility, and to guard against complacency. I also know that everyone is different, so what's true for me will not necessarily be true for someone else. My personal experience tells me that genuine addiction was not a factor for me, but that doesn't mean it's not a factor for someone else.

I think it's the employer that picks what the program will cover, not the insurance company. So, some Blue Cross plans will cover it & some won't, depending on what each employer has decided to include. Your insurance card should have a member number on it that you can call to find out specifically what your plan covers. Good luck!

I have caught a lot of flack several times for saying that I do not believe I have a food addiction. As a soon-to-be-licensed therapist, I define addiction according to the DSM psychiatric criteria. I definitely believe that food addictions exist, but I also know I don't meet the criteria that define a disorder. Lack of discipline was more my problem, and that's different from an actual addiction. With the sleeve, I have the assistance I need with portion control. I basically eat what I want, I get my Protein every day, and I don't have cravings for carbs. If I do enjoy the occasional something sweet or carby, it's just a very small amount & I've been satisfied with that so far. When I have wanted something sweet, I've made an effort to make it a "smart sweet", like fruit, or a low carb/high protein ice cream substitute or cookie. I believe in moderation and balance, but I don't eat a lot of junk. I also acknowledge that I only really know my own experience, and that my approach would not work for everybody. As with everything in life, we each have to find our own path. But to answer the original question, maybe it's just that anybody with issues in a certain area (be they true addictions or not), are likely to enable other "users". Smokers minimize the slips of those trying to quit, drinkers can minimize the slips of alcoholics, and people with food issues are very likely to minimize the slips of others with food issues. In all areas of substance abuse, most enablers don't generally see their behavior as enabling...they think they're trying to be nice, or supportive, or understanding, or just patient. And if the enabler also partakes in the substance or behavior, then it's even harder to get them to stop enabling the addict.

How's everybody doing? I know I posted somewhere on this thread a few months ago, but it's been quite awhile. I'm in Athens & was sleeved on June 19 by Dr. Macik at Northside. I hit my halfway goal of 70 lbs down yesterday.

That's wonderful news...congrats!!

The 6 of you are a powerhouse of inspiration...and y'all are pretty cute, too!

Wow, you look amazing!!

That happens to me sometimes & I don't know how to stop it. It usually stops after awhile, but it's definitely annoying in the meantime. I will anxiously await a better answer!