southernsoul

Dislike!! Ick...I'm sorry.

Rebecca, this is so awesome!!! Thank you for doing this & yay for your OCD...love it!!

Here's a list that I have bookmarked: http://bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com/p/protein-shake-recipes.html I'm still pre-op, but have been trying out some different combos. Maybe something on the list will sound good to you. Good luck!

Welcome! You'll find lots of good info here & support from some great folks. I am planning for June, and like you I'm both nervous and excited. It will be tough, but I think I'm ready. Good luck to you!

Chelenka, I'm right there with you. I'm still pre-op, but I have started to lift some light weights for my upper body. My knees prevent me from doing much aerobic exercise or weights on my lower body. My ortho surgeon recommended those rubber resistance bands for my quads. You hold the band around your foot & flex the foot against the resistance. It's supposed to isolate & work your quads. Congrats on your progress so far!

Soybeans (edamame) are high protein, as well as lentils and some kinds of beans. I know there are carbs in the mix, but it's not the refined carbs of bread, pasta, etc. Both soybeans and lentils are best when they're not quite mushy, but they can also be cooked a little longer to a point where they can be mashed up. Also, you could always put unflavored protein powder in a veg puree, like from roasted carrots or cauliflower or sweet potatoes. You can also get high protein cottage cheese. Personally, I can't stand the texture of cottage cheese, so I run it through the blender or food processor to make it smooth & add other stuff to it. I'm still pre-op, too, but these are all ideas I've been experimenting with.

Aline, you may have seen one of my posts that Healthier2day quoted just above your comment. I am in grad school now, and I'm scheduling my sleeve for June 19th right between my 2 summer classes. I just turned 49, and like you I never had a chance to go to college earlier in life. I started school at age 44, graduated at 48 last May, and went straight into a masters program last August. In most of my classes I felt like I needed a t-shirt that said, "Yes, I am old enough to be your mama!" but it was also a really amazing experience.

I'm totally with you. I would freak the hell out if I only had 14 days to prepare!! Even though I know full well that things may be way more different post-op than I am anticipating, and much of my preparation may be for naught, it still makes me feel better and more mentally ready. I was submitted for approval last week, but I am planning for June 19th, since that's the best day for my school schedule. I started in November with research and had 1st surgeon appt at the end of January. Good luck to all of the ever-so-slightly-OCD planners out there!

I'm June 19th. There's a June Sleevers group that's really good. Holla at me if I can help!

June 19th

I recently found this website: http://www.proteinpo...npow.com/. The girl isn't a WLS-er, but she's a bodybuilder & foodie who has figured out all these recipes using various types of protein powder. All are really high in protein & she posts all the nutrition info. I can't vouch for any personally yet, but they all look yummy!

You look gorgeous!! xoxo

Good luck to you!!

That's fantastic!! Good for you!

Tell your NUT and she'll say you ARE a nut! Given the extra amount of physical energy you expended, my own pre-op, non-scientific opinion is that you are cra....oh, I mean fine, just fine. I probably would not do the black Beans, though. They are plenty healthy, but if they're not on your list why sin even more than you already have?

Vix, I also just bought some but haven't tried them yet. I bookmarked this page for ideas: http://www.chiaseedrecipes.com/40-ways-to-use-chia-seeds.php

Haha...I am totally expecting that to be the case!

I think they submitted to my insurance company last week, but I'm going to call & check on Monday. They were waiting to get the psych eval & that came through last week. Now I have to get clearances for cardio, sleep/pulmonary, and upper GI & I will be good to go. We thought about seeing Oblivion today, but it's pouring here, so we stayed home & watched Silver Linings Playbook through Amazon Instant. It was so good! I'm not sure why Argo beat it out for Best Picture. Argo was good, but I think SLP was better.

I'm also pre-op & have been looking at shake options. Lately I've started thinking about trying different combos with extracts. For instance, I have a banana creme Protein shake and an Isopure coconut drink. I thought about combining them with some rum extract, or maybe looking for a graham cracker extract. Or trying something mocha-ish with a chocolate shake & instant espresso powder. I also found this site & they have a great list of suggested combos:

I'm still pre-op, but I have been trying to start eating now more like I will need to post-op & forevermore. Of course, the volume will change, but at least I can start getting used to less carbs & stuff like that. I went out to brunch this morning & ordered a beautiful meal...ropa vieja (mexican beef & pork stew) with poached eggs & chimichurri sauce. It's normally served over a biscuit, but I asked them to hold it. I skipped the bread basket, too. The meal came with some lovely greens as a bonus. I always eat slowly, and I found that I was full about 2/3 of the way through. I asked the waiter to remove my plate right away, so I didn't sit there & keep picking. The hubs & I shared an awesome dessert, Chocolate Olive Oil Pot au Creme with sea salt & marcona almonds. I had about 3-4 bites & let him have the rest. Sure, I could've eaten it all, but I made a CHOICE not to...and there's power in that for me. After our meal, I was perfectly happy & satisfied. I don't expect the sleeve to do all the work for me, so I want to start living some of those better choices now. Thanks for the inspiration!

Hey, y'all! Cheryl, I'm glad to hear you're doing OK & I hope you can figure out some do-able exercise soon. I'm going to try swimming & Water aerobics after surgery, but will have to wait 6 weeks or so. In the meantime, I'm starting to lift weights just a little, more to get into a routine than anything else. I can do arm lifts sitting down, but I haven't figured something out for legs yet, except regular leg lifts. Maybe there's an exercise DVD or something for for seniors, or other exercise challenged folks? Sassy, you're right...not much interaction here. Sometimes it seems to happen naturally, sometimes not. I post a fair amount, but often it's replies to a topic or thread, not a group post. My June group is heating up as people get surgery dates assigned, but I assume that will drop off somewhat afterward. Regardless of whether the "official" group keeps going, I will keep up with both of you.

Yesterday was my 49th birthday. As I look back over the past almost-decade, I’m amazed at how much has changed, and how far I’ve come. Since I turned 40, I have gone through a number of big life changes, including divorce and remarriage, job/career changes, and achieving a college education. All of those changes have been enriching and empowering for me. It feels like my 40’s have just been one change after another. I have really come into my own over the past few years, in so many ways that I never anticipated. I am excited about becoming a professional counselor, and inspired by the opportunity to have a positive impact in my small corner of the world. I have been so blessed by supportive friends and family, and I am very grateful for the love that lifts me up each day. Over the past few years, the one major negative change has been my mobility. I can no longer do so many things that I used to do and still want to do. The degree of limitation in my life has become unacceptable to me, and the time to take action is now. So, as I celebrate turning 49, I am already looking ahead to my 50th birthday next year. At that time, I will be 11 months post-op. I have no idea how much weight I will have lost, but I trust that my physical condition will have changed for the better. My plan is to celebrate the beginning of my new decade by doing something physical that would not have been possible at the end of this decade. I don’t know exactly what it will be, but I’ll think of something. It seems very appropriate to celebrate turning 50 by doing something that was not possible for me at 49. I don’t expect to start running or take up mountain climbing; I just want to walk without pain. I want to be able to stand for more than a few minutes, and maybe even to dance again. I want to be able to walk around downtown, or go shopping at the mall. I want to be able to do projects around my house and work in the yard. When we go to the beach, I want to be able to take Tony’s hand and go for a walk in the sand. But until that day comes, I will be thankful to hold his hand as I take this next step, and give myself a gift for next year and beyond.

Preach it, girl!! There is a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt that I have always loved: "Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent." You are absolutely correct that the sleeve is just a tool. I don't feel ashamed for one second that I'm doing this, and I could not care less about somebody else judging me for it. Nobody can make me feel ashamed without me agreeing that there is something to feel ashamed about. There are things in my life that I'm not proud of, but this ain't one of them. Good for you for being proud!

Just amazing...thanks for sharing!!

If it makes you feel better, write your mom an "in-the-very-unlikely-event" letter & tell your hubs where it is. Tell her all the things you'd want her to know & then maybe you'll be more at ease with not telling her before. If something awful should happen, she would at least have that. You have a right to go into surgery with as much calmness and serenity as possible. If she would hinder that, I think you're justified in not telling.