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