Daydra

I was unimpressed with the fitbit. I have used a Bodybugg for several years and just upgraded to the newer Bodymedia Link. It is a sensor that is worn on the back of your left arm with an armband. I'm extremely confident in the accuracy of the monitor (except for sleeping. It's way off for sleeping, but I would expect anything would be off for me, because I have a sleeping disorder and I spend a lot of time reading in bed at night waiting to go to sleep.). It is a triple axis accelerometer with skin temperature, galvanic skin response, and heat flux sensors (just sounds sexy and technical, doesn't it?). I love the amount of data that it provides. I could tell you for any 6minute segment of the day how many calories/minute I was burning. I was using the bodybugg (which is basically just the older version) while I was really dedicated to weight loss and triathlon. The data, tracking, and interface helped me to lose 115 pounds. I knew every week what my weight loss was going to be based on my downloaded data and my food log long before I ever stepped on the scale. I have 2 complaints about the Bodymedia: 1 - it's not invisible, so I sometimes have to explain that thing I'm wearing (but that can be fun sometimes, because people think it's cool) and 2 - it's not waterproof, so I can't use it to measure calories I burn during a swim. MyFitnessPal interacts with the Bodymedia interface. You can link your accounts and use MFP to log your food if that's what you're comfortable with and it will be transferred to your Bodymedia interface so you can look at all your other data. I can't say enough good things about the Bodymedia... but I guess I'm a bit of a geek...

Wow, I wish I could help, but I envy you your ability to stick to a mostly unprocessed diet. I've always had this ideal of sticking to whole, unprocessed foods, but inevitably at some point it just seems like too much work to fit into my lifestyle. Best of luck, I expect it will take a significant amount of research to figure out what recipes and products will give you what you need after surgery, but I know you can get it worked out! It takes a lot of determination not to become complacent and let processed foods into your diet. Best of luck to you! I would love to hear what strategy you decide on!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Thank you so much for making this post. Your success is absolutely awesome and will be an inspiration to all. There are so many people here that seem to be frustrated with wherever they are in their journey, whether they don't feel like they are losing "fast enough" or whether they are in a stall, or whatever. I know that reading your post and seeing your photos will inspire them to keep going! (Myself included, I'm sure, as I begin to lose after surgery this month! I was once a 30/32 as well.) Really, congratulations and great work!

That response would be a red flag for me... I don't like either of the possible things I can think of that a response (or lack thereof) like that would signify: Either the surgeon has had patients die and doesn't want that information widely known (worst case, obviously), or simply is reluctant to give you ALL the information you need. Neither of which would be acceptable to me, personally. Best of luck

So, how do you respond to the following? "You could lose this weight if you really wanted to...you just need to have more discipline, not surgery!" You just need more discipline to stop wearing those hideous shirts... Ass. "You shouldn't mess with what God gave you - he gave you a big stomach - that's what you should keep!" Pretty sure this 49" waist size didn't come out of my mom's va jay jay... "It's all just a fad....hopefully, you'll 'come to your senses' before the surgery!" You're an idiot. Do you even read? Oh, you've got a little drool right there... "Why would you want to do that - you could just go to Weight Watchers and get the same results!?!" You ever been to a Weight Watcher's meeting? It's like a freaking class reunion! Every few years all the same people are back to try again because this time it's going to be different. I've had some strange comments thrown at me in the last few weeks - I need some decent responses to shut these naysayers down!!! **reposted from "Deal with what God Gave You and Other..."

I've decided too many people SUCK... I deleted my FB page months ago because I decided I like people a lot better when I DONT know what they are thinking all the time. Seriously, though. I am so sorry both to all of you that have had to deal with negativity from the ignorant and hateful folk and to those of you that feel inclined to "hide" it because of your expectation of receiving negative responses. I was fortunate to only have to deal with my dad's negativity, but he's negative about everything ("Hey dad, I get to go waterskiing with some friends today!" Initial response: "Don't let the tow rope get wrapped around your arm. It will get amputated!"), so I was fairly well prepared to roll my eyes and move on. All of my friends and coworkers have really been super and supportive. They've all known me for years and watched me start doing triathlons and lose 115 pounds (then gain 65 back...) and know that I have definitely busted my rear working on my weight for my entire life, so they are just happy for me at this point. There is another post similar to this one that I responded with some fun snarky comments. I'll try to find it and repost it here.

It's the Roid Rage talking...

unjury products are at www.unjury.com Most of them are reasonably palatable. Even their vanilla isn't terrible (why oh why is vanilla sooo hard to get right???), though I haven't found a vanilla that is actually good. BJs Bariatrics www.bjsbariatrics.com has a sampler pack for the Syntrax Nectars that is only about $15 for 11? packets of flavors you get to choose. They try to make shipping as reasonable as possible. I prefer the fruit juice flavors to the sweets personally. I really did not like the apple flavor in particular, though. I found the unjury chocolate splendor to be too sweet. I would have rather had it with 12 or 16 oz of milk instead of 8. I haven't tried the classic chocolate yet. I imagine I will prefer that to the splendor. But, who knows which I will prefer if mixed with Water instead? Good luck!

Great work! Congratulations on your success!

I didn't like the Isopure. I felt like it had a "cheesy" background smell/flavor. So far, my 2 favorite Protein supplements are the Syntrax Nectars Roadside Lemonade flavor (mix 1 scoop or packet with 16 oz Water makes it most palatable for me, most juice-like) and the

Hope all went smoothly!!! Best wishes!

Best of luck tomorrow, I will be thinking about you! Here's to the procedure going smoothly, with no complications, a comfortable recovery, and a smooth journey toward all the wonderful things ahead! *raises glass of nummy nummy protein drink*

You know it! All the best to you! Just a couple more days to go!

I'm scheduled for surgery on 7/24 at NWWLS. I had managed to connect with someone here that was scheduled on the same day at the same clinic and we were planning to show all those other patients how it's done. She was lucky enough to move up her date to next week, so I was wondering who else out there is scheduled for the 24th? Anyone else at NWWLS? Best of luck to all!

Congratulations! I am so inspired!

Congrats and Welcome!

Congrats and best of luck! Good work on the diet!

Thanks, it went well. Yes, Dr. Chock did it. She didn't have to do any biopsies, so all should be well. Throat hurts a bit, kind of like getting over bronchitis or something, but not a big deal. Yeah, I have tried the Syntrax. Most of them are okay, but the ones I actually like best seem to be the lemonade and pink grapefruit. Apple was just weird, the cherry was tolerable, but i didn't like the cookie one at all. I've got a new sampler on order with the ones I liked and the ones I didn't get to try. I'm finding I vastly prefer the juice-like flavors to the sweets. I tried the Unjury vanilla today, it was tolerable, so I can use that one if I feel like I have to have vanilla. Good ideas on doctoring up the powders! I'll have to give that a try! Especially thinning out that chicken soup. Yikes! Good luck on Tuesday if I don't get a chance to tell you closer!!! I'm sure you'll be rockin that hospital gown!

Good work! I thought I'd give it a dry run today and failed miserably... I tried an Ideal Protein vanilla shake for Breakfast. It was absolutely foul, but I choked it down. I managed, mostly by distraction, to make it to lunchtime and had an unjury chicken Soup. That was surprisingly good, but was way too salty. It has 770 mg of sodium. They could easily halve that and still be plenty salty. Then a couple hours later, I tried a Douglas Labs Natural chocolate Almond flavor pea protein formula... that got dumped. After that, I ended up eating a packet of oatmeal. I tried again with an About Time Cinnamon flavor powder... also got dumped. Then, of course, I felt like I was starving to death by the time I got home, so I ate more than I'd planned, but overall, I don't think I overate for a normal day. Clearly, I need to get the protein supplements figured out before I have to do the diet for real. Good thing I have about 3 more weeks to figure it out!!! Good luck! Let me know how it goes! I have the endoscopy tomorrow, so that's my last step before the big wait. Have a good night! dd

I'm going to throw out something of a tangent to this thread and address a small piece of what I noticed you posted. I believe in your OP, you stated that you were stalled, but weren't losing inches as most others experiencing stalls begin to realize. In a later response, you stated that you were afraid to measure yourself for fear of what the numbers might be. Are you so sure that nothing is changing? From my years of experience (like that's a rare bank of experience around here!) in trying to lose weight, I can tell you our brains lie to us. They tell us that we see one thing in the mirror, but the reality is completely different. So, I would suggest that you suck it up and take the measurements and find out for real what changes your body is making. I would further suggest that you do it once a week for the next 6 weeks. Also, have a friend take a photo of you once a week, on the same day, in the same clothes for the next 6 weeks. You don't have to look at the photos right away. Each week won't show you a dramatic change anyway, but over the 6 weeks, you'll really see the difference. Promise yourself for the next 6 weeks while you are testing this, that you will keep an open mind and a positive attitude about what your end result might be. Also promise yourself that you will follow your diet instructions faithfully, if only just to see what happens. At the end of the 6 weeks, go back and review the measurements, photos, and maybe throw in a journal entry each day about how you are feeling and what happened that day as you go along. I think that you will be pleasantly surprised. It will give you something to focus on for the next several weeks instead of allowing yourself to get mired in whatever fears and negative feelings you are having right now. Give it a shot and let us know how it goes. I'm sure we would all be interested to hear the outcome. Best of luck. I think the biggest weapon in all of our arsenals as we go through this journey is an open mind and a positive attitude.

Hear! Hear! (or is it Here! Here!? Good think I wasn't an English major...) Anyway... What she said!

Yeah, I was kind of regretting watching it a little, but I'm the dork that has to see everything before I do it. Usually, it's not a big deal, I'm pretty calm about things and don't usually get grossed out about too many things, but this was a bit much... yikes I'll just be adamant that they give me good drugs when I get to that point!!!

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes!

Congrats and welcome!

Sounds doable. Good luck!!