Kindle

I had both of them in my soft food stage.

I am a strong believer in being your own advocate. And yes, choosing to have WLS was MY decision, not my doctor's. I actually didn't even tell him about it until a month postop. And after seeing my VSG recovery and results, my PCP now refers his patients who don't have insurance that covers WLS to the surgeon I used in Mexico. But my proactive participation in my own healthcare isn't just limited to WLS. I also researched and chose the neurosurgeon who did my cervical fusion after my PCP diagnosed the problem. My PCP called the surgeon he normally uses in order to discuss my case. Turns out the guy I chose was top of the field and is the specialist my PCP's surgeon uses for his harder cases. Fortunately my PCP fully respects and supports my independent medical decisions. He's perfectly happy to work as a team. And in turn, I totally respect and trust in his medical expertise. He's always provided outstanding care and is truly an amazing Doctor.

I was afraid of smoking after surgery since eating everything not nailed down and then going to bed was my usual experience with marijuana. That and laughing at EVERYTHING. But I was in Denver over Christmas and smoked every day (my sister and her kids are a bad influence). Turns out different strains definitely have different effects. I still experienced physical and mental "relaxation", and found humor in most everything, but did not get the munchies! I am very excited to have found a vice to treat myself to on occasion that is compatible with my weight loss goals.

Oh, I'm SO gonna try this!! Carbonation is the only thing my sleeve can't do. Wonder how frozen beer tastes?!?

BTW, here are some definitions of cheating.... "Cheating is the getting of a reward for ability by dishonest means or finding an easy way out of an unpleasant situation. It is generally used for the breaking of rules to gain unfair advantage in a competitive situation.". : to break a rule or law usually to gain an advantage at something : to take something from (someone) by lying or breaking a rule : to prevent (someone) from having something that he or she deserves or was expecting to get So although you may be "breaking the rules" by eating off plan, you certainly aren't gaining an unfair advantage or getting a reward for it!

There is no such thing as "cheating" in my world. I simply make choices, whether it's a piece of chicken or a piece of cake. And I never feel "guilty". I control what goes in my mouth, not the other way around. During the first few months following surgery, I chose to follow my surgeons orders to a T so I would not have complications. For those of you eating solid foods and unhealthy foods so soon postop, you are simply choosing to compromise your health. But as consenting adults, that is your right.

I got a food Saver Game Saver Deluxe Plus. It's worked great so far. My mom has used vacuum sealers from the time they first came out 20+ years ago. She recommends the Food Saver brand but says to stay away from the cheaper models they have at Walmart, etc because they tend to stop working..."they just don't make em like they used to...." She also uses the vacuum canisters, but advised me to find older versions if I could because the newer ones don't seem to hold a vacuum. So far I've just used the bags. And here's a little trick for stuff that is soft or juicy....freeze the portion first in a separate container, then vacuum seal in a bag and put back in the freezer. That way things don't get squished and it's not so messy.

LOVE my vacuum sealer! Tied with my blender bottle for the most used kitchen item I have. I can buy in bulk at SAMs Club or cook a big meal and end up with individual portions that last a long time without freezer burn. Cheese without mold.... A loaf of bread that doesn't get stale/moldy.... I even used it to make little gift bags from the 2 pound tin of chocolate covered peanuts some ding dong gave me for Christmas.

Thanks! I'm also a veterinary technician, so not all those animals are mine! ????????????????????????????

Thanks! But no gym for me. My life is a workout..."weight lifting" by splitting and stacking wood, hauling 40 pound bags of feed and dog food, carrying 60 pound dogs, lugging 5 gallon buckets of water and 80 pound bales of hay. "Pilates" via wrestling 80 pound dogs and 150 pound pigs, "cardio" through chasing down horses, running for dear life from bulls and shoveling snow. Then for fun, there's horseback riding, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing!

Well here's their official "under 200 calories" drink list..... (The carbs can be found if you check the nutritional info for each individual drink) Caramel Frappuccino® Light Blended Beverage. 100 coffee Frappuccino® Blended Beverage 180 Teavana® Shaken Iced Passion Tango™ Tea 0 Shaken Tazo® Iced Black Tea Lemonade 100 Nonfat Iced Vanilla Latte 120 Nonfat Iced Caramel Macchiato 140 Iced Coffee (with classic syrup) 60 Iced Skinny Latte 70 Brewed Coffee 5 Brewed Tea 0 Nonfat Green Tea Latte 210 Nonfat Cappuccino 60 Nonfat Caffè Latte 100 Nonfat Caramel Macchiato 140 Soy Chai Tea Latte 180 Nonfat Caffè Mocha – hold the whip 170 Skinny Vanilla Latte 100 Steamed Apple juice 170 Caffè Americano 10 All suggestions based on a Tall serving (12 fl oz / 355 ml).

I make my own at home. This morning had a "Venti Salted Carmel Mocha decaf"....Italian roast decaf coffee, premium protein chocolate "creamer", and two squirts Torani SF caramel syrup. 20oz, 25 calories, 4g protein, <1g carbs and about 50 cents. Compare to Starbuck's Venti Salted Cafe Mocha (with skim milk and no whipped cream)...400 calories, 17g protein, 77 carbs!!! and almost $5.00. Sorry to be a smartass, but I always thought Starbucks was a ripoff.

I rarely get a lunch break, so my go to daytime snacks are protein bars, mixed nuts, and jerky. I also drink a 24-32oz smoothie with 30-40g protein and 5-10g fiber in between afternoon appointments. Dinner is whatever I'm in the mood for. Tonight I had a stuffed red pepper made with elk meat and zucchini. Last night it was 1/2 beef burrito (just the beef, beans, tomatoes and cheese on the inside, not the tortilla) and 1/2 pork tamale. Tomorrow I'm going to a friends house and she is serving chicken Alfredo over pasta and green beans with slivered almonds. (I'll have the chicken Alfredo and beans but will pass on the pasta and drink wine instead ???? ). Most nights, in addition to dinner, I usually have a couple snacks....apples and peanut butter, raw veggies dipped in cheese spread or ranch dressing, frozen pineapple chunks, V8 juice with olives and pickles, cottage cheese, guacamole with pita chips, Greek yogurt, etc.....As well as a big cup of decaf tea at bedtime. I'm in maintenance, so I definitely eat more carbs and fat than I did when losing. Basically I enjoy everything in moderation....just eating like a normal person.

Thanks everyone! And no, no working out or gym time for me. Those muscles have always been there, just buried under 100 pounds of fat. I have a physical job with lots of bending, squatting and lifting, and an active lifestyle with physically demanding recreational options....horseback riding, hiking, kayaking, rafting, skiing, snowshoeing, etc. Not to mention shoveling snow, feeding and watering horses and stacking 80 pound bales of hay. Now I can do all of these things without pain and having to stop all the time to catch my breath. Best wishes to everyone!

I've posted on this thread before, but here is my FINAL before and after. Been maintaining at this weight for 3 months so I assume I'm done. And I couldn't be happier! Before... December 4, 2013 the day I started my preop diet After...December 4, 2014 100 pounds down

I just posted my 1 year before and after pictures here.... http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/326209-what-a-wonderful-year-its-been/

I'm eating a little bit of everything...shrimp appetizer, deviled eggs, turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry jello, green bean casserole, wine and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Even if it takes all day ????

What loss of appetite?

Ditto to most of what VSGAnn said....I had surgery in Mexico so had no formal "education" or preparation before surgery. I soaked up all of my information on this and other forums and by talking to others I knew had WLS. Even though they had a band and bypass, their mental and emotional struggles are no different than mine with VSG. After all of my research, there was really nothing that took me by surprise. Other than perhaps how easy my recovery and weight loss ended up being. I was glad to have been "over prepared" with the good, bad and the ugly. And the variations of postop patient behavior and outcomes that VSGAnn described seems right on.

At almost 10 months, I still have a Protein smoothie almost everyday. My reasoning is as follows.... 1) since I don't measure or track anything, I seriously don't know how much protein I'm getting. One of my smoothies is 30-40g protein so I don't worry that I am getting at least another 20-30g from regular food to meet goals. 2) by assuring the protein intake from the smoothies, I am free to eat a more balanced diet which includes fruits, veggies and whole grains. I still include protein in my meals, but I always leave room for the other stuff. 3) I drink them over 1-2 hours in between appointments at work which satisfies my urges to snack through the day. 4) besides the protein, I am getting 24-32oz of my daily Fluid requirement 5) I mix my insoluble Fiber supplement in my protein smoothie, and believe me, this is a necessity for business on the "other end" And as for protein bars, I always have one handy because I rarely have time for Breakfast and I don't get a lunch break, so they are easy Meal Replacements. I also include whole grain and fiber bars in my list of acceptable Snacks or meal replacements.

Dee jack, you look awesome!

My mom has fibromyalgia and and can't take cymbalta, Ambien or pain meds. She had a complete work up done at a specialty clinic in Arizona and turns out a lot of foods cause systemic inflammation that then flares up her fibro. She had no idea these were an issue because she's not necessarily allergic or intolerant to these things, and there's no obvious GI symptoms. There's dozens of foods on her list, including dairy, soy, some seafoods, and almonds. She would have a very hard time with the typical post- VSG diet because of this. Perhaps your shift in diet has flared things up. Not to mention the inflammation caused by the surgery itself. Because she can't take any of the usual meds the only thing that has helped her is acupuncture, massage therapy, and sublingual resveratrol.

I make my own Popsicles by freezing my Syntrax nectar Protein drinks. I got silicone molds for freezing on Amazon. Frozen vanilla Protein Powder mixed with OJ (or Water flavored with Mio tangerine drops) is a yummy dreamsicle. I also make "ice cream" with Muscle Milk cake batter protein powder, milk, plain Greek yogurt, Torani SF Gingerbread syrup and chopped nuts. And three words.... "Frozen pineapple chunks". Mmmmmmmm....

BigCounty007, I don't quite have your abs, yet, but maybe they're coming.... And FYI, I haven't been to a gym in about six years. I have an active job as a vet tech, I ride horse, kayak, and just today did no less than 75 "reps" lifting, loading, unloading and stacking 80 pound bales of hay. Pilates and weight training has nothing on good, healthy country living!

Tell her thank you soooo much!! What did they say when they saw you? My mom kept saying it was very disconcerting to look at me and my dad thinks I look a lot more like my sister (who's always been a skinny twig). But they were both thrilled that I am happy and healthy. We had a great time. Can't wait till I get home in October to see my whole family!