Thick'n'Thin

Slow and steady.... another 2 pounds this week. 12/9- 310 12/23- 297 2/3- 277 20 pounds in the six weeks post op. Doing better getting in the gym so hopefully I can increase that rate of loss!

I was dreaming about drinking last nigh...lol. I wonder what my doctors guidelines are for drinking, he seems to be pretty easy going. I mean, I was drinking coffee maybe 11 days out, eating a regular diet at 2.5 weeks out, keeping in mind that I was tolerating everything wonderfully (thank God). I wonder if I could even tolerate alcohol at this point, because when I ate a raw onion? It burned my tummy and I felt a little nausea.

Volunteer to be frisked!

HW: 310 SW: 297 CW: 279

What blog site did you use?

Yep. TakingHalfOff.com

OK. I'm doing great, doc gave me an A+ at my one month check up. Stubborn scale moved a couple pounds bringing me down to 31 pounds lost. I've been on regular food from 2 weeks 3 days out. No puking yet, though raw onion disagreed with me a little the other day! Right now I'm making my first snack in my new dehydrator: sweet potato chips!

No worries. You'll be approved. I know what you mean about the wait though. If you want to meet up and get it I have some clear liquid protein powder you can have. I have no interest in using it now but it is the good stuff, Syntrax Nectars Lemonade (good) and Crystal Sky (ok).

Most grocery stores carry it with the rest of the ketchup. It's Heinz, about 16 ounce bottle next to the other special kinds like low sodium perhaps. Where do you get SF ketchup???

I'm loving: roast beef with cheese, eggs over easy, fish prepped all kinds of ways. Sometimes I dust it in saltine and parmesan, or even dusting it in this powdered cream of broccoli Soup mix I have...lol. End it with a fresh squeeze of lemon. I have 93% lean turkey burgers that I put a slice of cheese, mustard, SF Heinz ketchup, and SF sweet relish on.

Sw: 297 Cw: 281

This is very sad, I'm sorry. Initial impression: your husband sounds emotionally abusive and insecure. To speak to you the way he does is terrible. I wonder if he is afraid to lose you now that your self esteem is higher, you are more attractive, and it sounds like he hasn't been treating you well. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. You do not deserve to be spoken to the way he speaks to you.

Here's my fav Protein shake: http://www.puritan.com/myology-brand-0559/whey-protein-isolate-chocolate-031471?scid=28176 It's also on sale B1G1 and 10% off right now! It tastes like chocolate milk (when made with milk) and has 30 grams of protein per scoop.

I asked at my first checkup (10 days post op) if I could join the gym. My doc said yes. I asked about hernias and lifting and he said you exert as much intra-abdominal pressure sneezing and coughing as you do lifting weights, so he is not worried. Told me to hydrate as I go and don't go play tackle football...lol. I joined the gym Friday, 2 1/2 weeks post op. First workout went great. 30 minutes and two miles on the elliptical and 30 minutes resistance training. Got my measurements done too.

HW- 310 (12/09/13) SW- 297 (12/23/13) CW: 283 Week 1: 290 -7 lbs Week 2: 287 -3 lbs Week 3: 283 -4 lbs Need to go to the gym!

I wanna be like Stella, I wanna get my groove back. I'm cocky, it doesn't take a lot for me to feel like a hot little sex kitten. Hell, by 250lbs, 230lbs I'll feel like the bee's knees. It'll be here soon enough! Haha.

Puttering along... HW: 310 SW: 297 CW: 285 12 pounds in 18 days post op. With my starting weight I was hoping for a bit more this month. I was blessed in being able to get all my protein and water in, and even some veggies and my soft diet from day 10. I'm on Regular foods now, doing great. I wonder if that's part of why the scale has slowed, but I suppose that's a good thing, though I am impatient! Only other things I can do is add workouts to the mix to help speed things along. I began that yesterday. Good luck and congrats everyone:) So that's 16% excess weight lost the first month, when I look at it that way it sounds good...lol. I was just hoping for 100lbs the first six months...we shall see.

Mmm... I think I need to make mini BBQ meatloaf's. I made a LC BBQ sauce I wrote about HERE that was tasty, it would be perfect for meatloaf. Also, if you have an Acme (or Albertson's or the like) shady brooks 93% lean ground turkey is on sale 2.99 for 20oz or 2.49 each when you buy 6. They also have green giant boxed veggies on sale .88 each too. Cook them the longer of the suggested cooking times and they are soft. I've had the spinach with butter sauce, brussel sprouts, broccoli w. cheese, and cauliflower w. cheese. I'm hungry now...lol.

My dietician used the body composition scale on me too. At 5'6" she said I have 130lbs of lean mass, so while the BMI chart suggests that 118-154 is ideal, that seems impossible. I think I'm aiming for 160lbs for a body fat percentage of 23%. That's assuming I don't build more muscle mass when I get back in the gym, in which case I will up that number. Or, if my body doesn't let me get to 160, I'll have to adjust. 159 was the lightest I ever got at 18 years old and working out.

Same here, but I would say this is a good thing- ideal even. Perhaps we don't have as much post op swelling as some do. I'm glad to not have the challenges some people do with getting fluids and food in, and without pain or discomfort.

Hi Faith. I asked about coffee 11 days out, just cause I forgot to ask at my follow up appointment. Neff and Sherry are super laid back. It seems, if you think you are ready for something, they think so too. I'm sure if you had a bad idea they would inform you, and then you'd change your ideas as well. I was thinking I was going to have to handle my sleeve with kid gloves but not so, so far. I've also chewed gum and maybe I'll even use a straw...lol. Day 13 Menu (Soft Foods): Breakfast- 2 cups coffee with 1/2 skim milk followed a bit later by Myology chocolate Protein with 1 c skim milk (I wanted fluids and didn't feel like food until the afternoon) Lunch- 1/2 refried Beans w/ salsa, cheddar, and light sour cream. By the time it was all put together it was about 1 cup of food. I ate about 3/4 c total and gave my son the rest. Dinner- 4 oz crab cake w/ 5 brussel sprouts that I cook a little longer to make soft. I finished about 3.5 oz of the crab cake and 2 brussel sprouts Day 14 Menu (Soft Foods): Menu (Soft Foods): Breakfast- Myology chocolate shake with milk Lunch- Two larger crab stuffed mushrooms and brussel sprouts (of which I managed to eat 3) Afternoon Meal- This was so damn good! This is three cracked pepper and olive oil Triscuits with garlic cheddar cheese and roast beef with a side of cauliflower with cheese. I ate it all! Dinner- As awesome as my afternoon meal was, I repeated it- but I switched out the cauliflower for sautéed spinach in a butter sauce. Late Night Meal- refried beans with salsa, cheddar, and light sour cream.

The pounds have been a bit stubborn for me it seems. Was sitting at 290 for four days, 289 for two, then to 287 for three days now. I'm two weeks out today and down 10 lbs. Fortunately, I am able to eat very well. Perhaps that is why I'm not losing as fast. I may be impatient to lose but I know in my logical mind that it's not a bad thing to lose at this rate. We shall see. Time to join the gym. HW: 310 SW: 297 CW: 287 If I could keep losing 5 lbs a week that would be cool, I just was hoping for a big number this first month. We'll see, still just two weeks out.

Hello, Good to meet you. I don't know about the transportation issues but good luck to you!

I also had surgery between semesters. Classes ended Dec 21st, I was sleeved the 23rd, and classes resume Jan 21st. I'm so glad I was able to work it out this way! I have the same professor for my on campus course (the other three are online) as last semester, along with some of the same classmates from the fall. It will be interesting to melt away in front of their eyes! LOL

Agreed! I was moved to soft foods on Thursday. That was my first meal. Mmmm! I'm gonna try refried beans with cheddar, salsa, and sour cream for lunch today.