Kay__S

Cindy, I love the frankness of your post. I think that one personality trait we all probably share is the ability to live pretty comfortably in denial of things that are right in front of our faces. We find ways to think around our food choices until we get what we want. So stating outright that carb are a goner is a big, big deal for one of us. And your declaration helps make us all stronger!

Hi Beach, I'm sorry to hear about all the vomiting, but I'm glad you're feeling better! Mine is in a few hours. I'm ready to get on wIth it already! Are you on Clear liquids now? K

Hi, I'm getting mine Monday (today!) too. Good luck!

Well, here we go! I am due at the hospital in under 6 hours. I've got about 150 lbs to lose, I never dreamed in a million years that Aetna would approve the surgery. But they did! I'm too excited to sleep; so, Hello 4AM! I am watching a super moving episode of Extreme Weight Loss, and it's reminding me how I have truly taken my health for granted. I'm feeling very lucky to have this chance. I hope I don't screw it up. Hey, there's some positive thinking! Happy Monday to Everyone! K

Thank you for this, Bookworm. It's very helpful information. I am due to be at the hospital for my own sleeving in 6 hours. I'm excited!

FANTASTIC!!! I get mine on Monday, and I was starting to get scared about the post op pain. Congratulations!

Hi! My surgery is scheduled for the same date as yours! Good luck to you! Kay

Hi Holly and Inarakatra, I'm scheduled for surgery on October 7. My surgeon has a 90 day program that I am finishing on September 17.My insurance allows the surgery after 90 days if certain conditions are met during that time, like close supervision by the surgeon and nutritionist. So far, I've had a hard time being consistent in diet and exercise. I've lost weight so many times before that I suppose I'm a little jaded.I just want to get to the surgery soon!

Today's protein shake is too good to be believed. After seeing the recent Dr Oz show about cancer risks from eating too much dairy, I wanted to try making a protein shake without adding yogurt or milk. The following ingredients were put in the personal blender: 1/2 protein scoop (target's market pantry chocolate whey protein) 1 whole peeled lime ice water And that's all. It's GORGEOUS. It's probably a bit too tart and could use the rest of that protein scoop to balance out the lime. But I wanted to break up my protein shake into 2 shakes. EDIT: I take it back. It's WAY too tart. It needed the full scoop and maybe yogurt to soften it up.

I joined Premier Lady Fitness today after looking all over for water aerobics classes. It turned out they were just down the road and for a great price. Tonight I took my first class there, and I'm exhausted. It had all kinds of dancing, but I was safely immersed in water where no one could see me! It was great. I look forward to doing it again. My calves are screaming! I haven't felt proper exercise-induced tiredness in the longest time. It feels so much better than my usual 300-lb-person-having a normal-day tiredness. I'm looking forward to having energy again once the results start appearing.

Spinach works great! I agree.

My favorite protein shake concoction yet occurred yesterday. 1/3 of a large beet, microwaved a bit and peeled chocolate whey powder (target brand) ice 2 tablespoons of ff organic vanilla yogurt All blended up it was absolutely gorgeous!

So I as I'm watching Dr Oz, I am reminded about how excited he gets about peppers. I like peppers too, but sometimes I forget to look for ways to sneak them into my diet. Today's protein shake includes 6 mini bell peppers--2 yellow, 2 red and 2 orange. And it tastes interesting! Well, it's not awful, especially considering how many I was able to get in there. So in all, the shake has 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein powder --Target's Market Pantry brand 1/2 cup of reduced fat organic milk (usually I put in some low fat vanilla yogurt, but I'm all out) 2 tablespoons of pb2 (that's low calorie dehydrated peanut butter) water ice 6 mini bell peppers Not bad, not bad!

I'm so excited for you! I can't wait to hear how it goes. Good luck!

I made some rookie mistakes yesterday when I added fruit and vegetables to my protein shake. I put so much in that there wasn't room for hardly any ice. By the end of the drink, it just tasted like lukewarm beet juice. Today's is much better! 1 scoop of market pantry chocolate protein 3 tablespoons of organic fat free vanilla yogurt 1/2 large organic cucumber 1 handful of organic blueberries lots of ice This is a much smoother taste. And according to the interwebs, cucumber is a natural anti-inflammatory!

I bought organic produce today and added some new things to my protein shake. I put the following in the blender 1 scoop of Market Pantry's chocolate whey protein shake 3 heaping tablespoons of fatfree vanilla yogurt 1/3 of a raw beet sliced 1/2 of a raw cucumber sliced 2 large strawberries 1 handful of blueberries ice It is very good. I deem it a success!

After dropping my daughter off at school, I went by the community gym and walked on the treadmill. I haven't mastered the settings on the machine, and that caused me to pause in the middle of the workout to mess with the buttons. Other than that, it well. I walked for 44 minutes at 2.4k/hr and 2.6k/hour. It felt very, very good from start to finish. I was careful wear good shoes and to put my weight on the inside of my feet, rather than the outside of my feet, because I'm pretty sure that my arch is falling on my right foot. Roll on September surgery date!

Oh my gosh, thank you for sharing your story. I have had those traveling experiences too. I hope they will be a thing of the past for both of us.

After closing for 2 months, the Austin Children's Museum will reopen as The Thinkery in December. I want to take my daughter as soon as it opens. I want to feel comfortable and healthy and able to spend as much time as she wants there. http://thinkeryaustin.org/exhibits/

Hi Rox, Thank you for the note. Congratulations on the progress with quitting smoking. I sure do know what you mean by eating with wild abandon. I seem to be taking it minute by minute, hour by hour.

That sounds terrible. Do you have any other signs of an acidy-stomach? Like hiccups or heartburn?

I am 4 days in to a pre-op diet. But I was here not too long ago too. Since first meeting the surgeon and nutritionist, I actually gained 10 lbs. I've never heard of anyone gaining that kind of weight during the pre-op diet. I was eating like crazy. I really couldn't get enough. (It's ever enough.) So I went from 295 to 305 in about 5 weeks. I'm trying to undo the damage. It's late evening. I'm sitting in the recliner, icing my foot (tendinitis from attempting the treadmill 2 months ago!) and watching The Bachelorette. I've been hungry today and a bit demoralized. The show is on Mediera Island, which is where my grandmother and her family came from to the US. I love traveling, but last month, I didn't take my daughter overseas to visit her grandparents because I couldn't stand the thought of how uncomfortable I would be, from not being able to buckle my seat belt on the plane or in my in laws' car to being hungry and tired all the time at my in laws' house. There was going to be a big party with a lot of family there, but I just couldn't stand them seeing me. There would be pictures. I just couldn't face it all. But I get another shot in December. My surgery is at the end of September; so I'll be a couple of months post-op at that time. Things should be well under control by then. I hope so.

That's great to her, Sue. I hope everyone's goes as well!

This is a relief to read.

You said goodbye to mexican food. I love that you did that! I am nearby in Austin; so I know that eating mexican food is a spiritual experience. But what you've done is so much more amazing!