Sleeved in Seattle

So there is, and right near where my husband works. Oh darn, must go shopping. Thanks for the tip!

LOL. Oh the suffering we must endure. :-D

Totally superficial: fitting into smaller clothes.

The mighty Goog. I like that you can get tough love on here, no sugar coating.

Such a difference already - isn't it cool?! Congratulations!

As my mother would say, you're married again, yay! :-)

Great job! Congrats!

Wow, you're doing great, very impressive! Congrats.

You look great, congratulations!

I was cleared to get back to strength training after 6 weeks, but we went on vacation so I didn't start until last week (8 weeks). Walking was ordered from day 1.

Ha! Just put my glasses on and saw that one of the coats is a size 6. Talk about size inflation!

Butter - did you start out wearing the Vibrams or were you in traditional running shoes? It seems so counter-intuitive that low padding would be better shock absorbing, but I know there are those who swear by it. I'm so wishy washy about starting that I'll seize on anything to postpone.

Sadly, I'm unemployed. Gladly, it started right before my surgery, so I've had some nice time off during recovery. But usually I'm an editor/website manager. And a jewelry designer (the hobby that took over more than 40 hours a week of my life! )

Yerp! Glad you were able to get rid of the bile! Check out this thread, too: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/93805-lump-sensation-in-my-throat/ Taking the PPI an hour before eating is supposed to be the best, but I don't always manage it. My surgeon had me take it for the first month, then said I could continue it - if I felt I needed it - as long as I needed it. So I try to take it daily and find it makes a big difference.

I know, I really lost my taste for sweet shakes for the first couple of months after surgery. Sadly, that sweet tooth seems to be returning! But there are lots of different Protein shake options out there and most of the online vendors will let you order sample packs to try different varieties/flavors to see what works for you now. Since you can't eat enough to get in all the protein you need, you definitely need to supplement with shakes.

Is that one of Shelly's recipes? Um ... this one: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2008/06/protein-ice-cream-sundae.html?

Tuna fish? Cottage cheese? Crabcakes? Any soft flaky fish? Yogurt? Babybell cheese? Laughing Cow cheese? I agree, not a wide range of options, but there are things out there. Check out http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/ for lots of recipes, or just do a search here for "soft foods" - there are people who cook (not me!) who have good recipes. Good luck and welcome!

You? Lazy? Say it ain't so!

I'd take a lot of the tuna packs, a bunch of different cheeses, Protein shake powders to mix with Water (if they're individually packaged most bartenders will make them for you). Will it be cold enough that you can leave things outside and they'll stay chilled (and uneaten by critters)? Babybel cheese and laughing cow cheese would be easy to transport. Or can you postpone the trip until you're further along?

Ain't it great? Congrats!

I just had a high protein/low carb wrap with meat & cheese today and it went down well. Very filling, didn't get stuck (post-lapband paranoia), and we'll see tomorrow if it had a deleterious effect on my weight loss. I'll probably get a finger shake from the PA at my 3-month check on Friday, but I can't imagine never having carbs in the form of bread or crackers ever again.

I'd love to start this, I've always wanted to be a runner, but my knees are creaky and tend to hurt after rowing, so I'm leery about running on pavement. That and whenever I've run in the past my heart rate goes up to about 190 and oxygen seems to bleed out of my immediate vicinity. I don't know if I'm ready for C25K. Is it really that easy?

Sleeved July 25. Down 50 lbs. Size 12 skinny jeans are loose and I just bought two new winter coats, one a medium one a size 8. Happy!