shelly85

I'd like you all to meet my handsome kitty, Floyd!

Hello everyone. I am on here frequently.. Reading posts.. And I have to say there are three complaints/attitudes that I can't stand hearing about on here. Sorry for the rant but sometimes you have to tell it straight.
1. The "oh I just got sleeved a few weeks ago and I've stopped loosing weight.. What's wrong with me??!" Well first off obviously you did not read the hundreds of other posts from people complaining about the exact same thing! Stalls are normal and they will pass. If you think the weight is just going to fall off overnight you are sadly mistaken.
2. The "when can I eat pizza/drink pop or other *insert obviously unhealthy meal item here*??" Really you must have missed the part about this being a lifestyle change! If you continue your same eating habits you are going to get your exact same results. Just because you have WLS doesn't mean all those empty calories you choose to consume are just going to disappear. Your setting yourself up for failure.
3. The "I've stopped loosing weight.. Oh by the way I DON'T excercise" ok now this one seriously bugs me. I am pretty sure EVERYONE was given the same information about adopting some form of physical activity after getting sleeved. It's required to help you loose weight, tone that saggy skin and maintain your weightloss when you get to goal.. If your telling yourself "I just don't love exercising" then you are FOOLING YOURSELF. No one loves excercising! It will get easier after a while and more enjoyable sure. "But my bad knee/shoulder" oh boo hoo everyone can do some form of excercise even if its just walking or even chair excersises. If a 30 year old man born with NO ARMS AND NO LEGS can find it in him to play golf, swim, and play soccer then I'm pretty sure you can do some form of excercise! (See attached inspirational video)
So to sum up my rant.. NOTHING WORTH DOING COMES EASY! It takes work and the right attitude to be successful!
http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/How-Nick-Vujicic-Triumphed-Against-All-Odds-Video

I'm heading to see Dr. Aceves on Monday too!! See you there!

From smoothie Girl Eats Too Blog
http://www.smoothiegirleatstoo.com/2010/11/moist-low-calorie-microwave-protein-fudge-muffins/
This is seriously AMAZING! I use the applesauce instead of the pumpkin and use 1 TBSP of coconut flour and 1 TBSP of Protein powder. I also have added a TBSP of sugar free pudding. I have made the chocolate below, vanilla using vanilla Protein Powder and SF vanilla pudding (adds 25 calories), and cheesecake using vanilla Protein Powder and cheesecake SF pudding. With the coconut flour, they are so light and delicious! I also just use a whole egg instead of egg whites (70 cal vs 30 cal), but that is just me.
With my changes the stats are a little higher: Per Serving: 194Cal 23g Carbs 9g fat 15g Protein 5g Fiber 6g sugar
Note that I am 2.5 years post op. I can eat one of these, but it is VERY filling. Newer post ops might be able to do half if lucky!
Ingredients:
2 Egg whites (**If using liquid egg whites use 1/2 cup and add 20 calories)
1/4 cup pumpkin (3 T applesauce or other starchy carb works well too!)
2 T coconut flour* (1 T also works, and results in 40 fewer calories)
1/2 tsp baking powder
stevia or other granular sweetener to taste
1 T. cocoa powder (Hershey’s Special dark cocoa is best!)

*(Edited to add: Hallie asked if whole wheat or peanut flours could sub for the coconut flour. I decided to do a test for those two and they both work. The whole wheat is not quite as moist; it’s a bit more chewy, but the peanut flour is very moist. All taste great. My fave is still coconut flour, but obviously you can use whatever you have on hand!). Also, some other subs for pumpkin or applesauce are bananas or yogurt which are quite good too. I love all the reader feedback!
Method:
Spray a Soup bowl with a very light layer of oil to prevent sticking (not even necessary but makes cleaning up a bit easier).
Mix ingredients well with fork, whisk or spatula
Microwave for 2:30-4+ min on High (depends on your microwave, altitude and the whim of the cupcake gods.)

A walking group would be great!! However a little boy in a stroller may accompany us women
I'm sure we could think of something

I'm going to Dr.Alvarez. I did my research and just found myself feeling comfortable with his credentials, other peoples feedback, youtube posts and the receptionist Susan. I think about it most days to.... Sometimes scared and other times extremely excited. I have a little 18 month old and am worried about how it will be once I get home, since we aren't supposed to be lifting.
My email is jrstein@hotmail.com. I would be more than excited to have someone to go thru this with.... Ups and downs...

I would like to answer your lecture about lecturing but I'm afraid I might lecture.
Edit:
Oops, I think I just did.

I've used the words blender and balls in the same sentence but I'm pretty sure it wasn't in this context! What is a blender ball??

I'm so sorry, but don't fret. I'm thinkin' the boys will be standing in line for your attention sooner than you realize!

Not good, not good at all.... Please people don't do it, and please stop suggesting for other people to do it.
First, this behavior is the first steps of bulemia and getting into the habit of chewing food and spitting it out can lead to a very serious eating disorder. After WLS we are already dealing with changing the way we relate to food, so we want to instill good habits all along the way and avoid the bad ones as much as possible.
Second, there's a biological reason not to do this too. When you smell food and when it enters your mouth and you begin to chew, the body goes into Prep Mode to receive food. Your salivary glands produce saliva, your pancreas produces insulin, your liver produces gastric acid and your brain begins to calculate how much nutrition you're about to receive from the food you eat so it can keep track of it's daily needs/calories --- the body is a well tuned machine and it knows how to deal with food when it knows it's coming. But then you spit out the food. Your body still has excess saliva, insulin, gastric acid and it can't figure out why it didn't get the nutrition it thought it was going to get so the brain accountants go nuts.
Excess insulin in your body causes your appetite to increase so you'll eat more food to soak up all that extra hormone. Excess gastric acid in the stomach -- now released at the Y of your common channel -- can cause indigestion or heartburn or ulcers. And those brain accountants are now doing some creative math to recalculate the nutritional value of food because it thought it was going to get a certain number of calories, but none came, so next time you try to eat that same food the brain thinks you need twice as much to get the same nutrition as it thought it should have gotten last time.
So not only is the whole "chew and spit" habit a training ground for bulemia, it's also a way to tease your body into thinking it's getting food when it really isn't. Bulemia is a very serious illness and not something you want to play around with.
From the unknown sleever.

I'm skoop85 if anyone wants to add me!!

Please if you want to follow me please do...Alicia Capranica DeLong...I think it is a total help...I love pinterest!

I'm sorry she was denied. However, she probably knew that she would be (or had she read/asked about the insurance coverage policy) and was just hoping for the best.
Here is the thing. You cannot control what other people do, only your reaction to it.
While your first instinct is one that I bet most of can identify with, take the high road. I would ask her nicely to not blab your personal business to anyone, but if she persists, then this is not really someone you want as a friend. I realize she is a co-worker, but you can put some distance there and not associate with her anymore. if she is this angry and bitter about being denied, heaven help her when you start shedding the pounds and looking fabulous.

My wife saved a short and halter top outfit that she wore when we were honeymooners. She brought it out on occasion with the picture of her in it during her many failed diets to motivate herself. She never lost enough.
40 years later, she is finally back into it, thanks to weight loss surgery and her own discipline.
She be lookin fine!
Edit: Here's the pictures:
Age 22:
Age 58:
Age: 62

If you have any doubts (outside of the usual nerves and excitement of surgery) - I would hold off until you are absolutely sure this is for you.
This is not an easy process and you need to start from a strong place to help cope with the rapid weight-loss, surges of energy, hours of new clothes shopping, fending off members of the opposite (and same) sex, enjoying the gym, vacationing, and photobombing all your friends pics.

As we all embarked on this journey we go through a whirlwind of emotions. Happy then scared. Anxious then thrilled. Hesitant then super sure. Prepared then not prepared enough. But we are READY! Ready to be healthy. Ready to love our bodies. Ready to be free. Ready for the OMG moments ahead. Ready for that wow factor when we see old friends. Ready for the new me. Ready to get this show on the road.

Hey! I'm from saskatoon how are you ?

I'm June 25!!

Vancouver, bc

Hi ladies,
I am in Alberta and will have a summer date shortly. It's nice to see some fellow Canadians. :-)

Hi ladies!
I am from Saskatoon and am booked for surgery June 21st with Dr. Aceves!
So excited and nervous!

Originally I was going to keep my surgery a secret, but I really dislike secrets and I was inspired by Angelina Jolie to share to help reduce the stigma. I posted the following to my Facebook friends and emailed it to family and friends who are not on Facebook. I don't think this is the right move for everyone but it was the right move for me.
----
I really dislike secrets. That's the reason for this post. I am typically a very open person, especially when my experience might help someone else.
You know how Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy before she got breast cancer, as a preventive measure? Well, last week I had surgery for a similar reason. I had a weight loss surgery called the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). This is a different procedure from the lap band or the gastric bypass. The purpose of the surgery is to allow me to eat small enough portions to lose a significant amount of weight, while feeling much less hunger.
I wasn't originally going to disclose it beyond my very closest family and friends, because there is a huge stigma about weight loss surgery. The stigma of weight loss surgery is almost as bad as being obese itself. But I think the stigma is wrong. I had the surgery to address my diabetes, which was extremely manageable before the surgery but is already in remission, only days afterward. I did it to prevent sleep apnea, arthritis, high blood pressure, and heart disease, none of which I have yet.
I also did it because being fat in this culture is very hard, emotionally and psychologically. People are cruel to fat people. I've been told by family members that I caused my diabetes, that I would never find love or marry as long as I was fat, and that I'd look so much prettier if I lost weight.
I probably won't talk much more about the weight loss surgery or the weight loss itself. While compliments are nice, compliments about weight loss make me feel very uncomfortable and feel extremely personal. The "losing phase" will probably last a year to 18 months, and then I will be in "maintenance" for the rest of my life, which will hopefully be long and healthy. I won't be crowing about how much weight I have lost. It's a personal issue and I have no idea why people think it is appropriate to ask.
But I want to do my part to end the stigma about weight loss surgery because diet and exercise alone don't work for 95% of people who are obese. If it has worked for you, I'm happy for you. If you've kept the weight off for several years, you are quite an outlier. Surgery works in almost every case.
Please don't send me your friend-of-a-friend anecdotes or other negative opinions. I am not a doctor and I will not give you medical advice. If you have a friend or loved one considering this route, please educate yourself so you can be supportive to them. If you want to know what I can and cannot eat now, that information is pretty easily available too.
It's not an easy decision and it is certainly not the easy way out. Thank you in advance for your support.

I'm June 25!!