terry1118

I'm glad to hear you are doing so well! Congrats! I've heard stories, both good and bad. I'm hoping to do mine next year. I've lost all the weight I can lose for the most part - I'm only four pounds away from my wedding day weight of 115! I get five weeks vacation on Jan 1 so I'm aiming to have it done then. :-)

Yuck! I hate lemonade! I never had a kidney stone but I had gall stones and that was a pain I don't want again! Did he say anything about green tea? And I water mine down quite a bit because I prefer a subtle, barely there flavor. Do you suppose that helps?

I don't count fat or calories, only protein and sugar. As someone said, we eat so little so I try to make it count nutrition-wise, and enjoy it, too. My nut said to become a gourmet - eat good quality foods and learn to savor the flavors. So that is what I do. :-)

Don't freak out about it. You will develop your own routine for everything. Once it becomes habit you don't even have to think about it. Until it becomes habit there are lots of tools that can help you. Some people use timers/alarms on their phones to let them know when they need to eat, drink, or take vitamins. Logging your daily food and water helps you to know if you're meeting goals each day. I like Spark People but a lot of people use My Fitness Pal. Good luck!

I always tended to be constipated even before my surgery. After surgery the problem was worse. My PA told me to take 4 stool softeners every night. The generic version is VERY cheap at Walmart. Problem solved, I'm happy to say. :-)

One factor is the fact that we can't drink much at a time, too quickly, or immediately before and after eating, especially in the early months following surgery. Dehydration is a very real problem and can be at the least, unpleasant, and at the worst, dangerous. It often results in an expensive ER visit. Another factor is that, as you lose weight so quickly, a lot of toxins that are stored in fat are released into your system. Your liver works very hard to filter these from your body. Drinking plenty of fluids helps to flush these toxins out. It is a well known inarguable fact that there are many benefits to staying well hydrated, whether you've had weight loss surgery or not. :-)

I LOVE Supremely Spicy Hummus! I make deviled egg salad a lot - I'll have to try your recipe. :-)

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll check them out. No partying for me, though. I was always a lightweight when it can to alcohol but now I get pretty drunk on one glass of wine so I only drink it at home. :-)

Thanks for the suggestion! :-) I asked my son what he has planned for us to do. He said he wants to take me to a shooting range and teach me to shoot. Lol. I was thinking more along the lines of seeing some of the California sights! Oh well, whatever brings us closer together... :-)

I have hypothyroidism and have been on medication for 14 years. My surgery was 5/30/13. I lost weight steadily for seven months before I hit my first plateau at Christmas. I had hit 100 pounds lost by 12/23. My plateau (the only plateau I ever had) lasted almost two months. By the end of February I started losing again slowly (because there's not much left to lose).I've lost another 13 pounds since then. I'm five pounds away from what I weighed on my wedding day - 115lbs. :-)

I can run up and down stairs all day w/o feeling like I'm about to have a heart attack. I don't even get winded. And I have no more joint pain! None! I can buy clothes because I like them, not just because they fit. I'm now a small tops and 8P in bottoms (formerly 2X and 22-24). Smaller clothes are so much cheaper! I feel more confident and outgoing. I used to avoid conversations and activities so as not to draw attention to myself. I held back and watched others having a good time. Eventually I started to avoid social situations as much as possible, telling myself I was a 'solitary' sort of person. I still enjoy my own company but I'm not hiding out of embarrassment like I used to. And I don't avoid social situations anymore because I'm too big. I actually like dressing up and interacting with others. In a few days I'm taking a trip clear across country all by myself. I NEVER would have done this before! I'm a little nervous but mostly I'm excited - it'll be a great adventure! I'm enjoying life, not just enduring it. I'm a participant, not a spectator in my own life. I'm LIVING, not just existing! And I'm happy! :-)

I know Special K protein cereal is a good protein source. We all can dump on different things. What will affect me won't affect you and visa versa. If you really liked it, wait a while, then try it again in a much smaller amount. I personally can't eat cereals by themselves but I like Special K protein mixed into my Greek yogurt. Bear Naked Protein granola is good in yogurt too. Good luck!

Thank you Dave! I will be sure to pass it on! It is heartwarming how supportive people are to military personnel even if they disagree with US military involvement in matters around the word. It's a welcome change over Almost any weather will be an improvement over New England this week - it's too cold! I just want to be warm again! I'm really looking forward to my trip. I just wish my husband could go too!

I'm going to Cali in six days to visit my son at Camp Pendleton, who is recovering from an injury. He shattered his leg in a training exercise last October and had two surgeries, plates and screws. His ankle is frozen from months of being immobilized and he needs physical therapy to get motion and strength back. His doc says he should be back to normal by the end of the year. He asked us to come visit him and meet his girl. My hubby can't go because he just started a new job so I'll be going by myself. The only time I ever left New England was when we went to his graduation at Parris Island a few years ago. And I've NEVER been away from my husband in all our 35 years together! I'm excited and scared at the same time. So in a way this is also an NSV because I would never have considered a trip like this when I was heavy. It's warm in Cali which is something I've always hated as a big person. I'm actually looking forward to being warm - I haven't been warm in months, it seems. I also would never have the confidence to go anywhere alone. I feel up to the challenge of getting my rental car in San Diego and driving to San Clemente (I'm a little afraid of California highways, probably from watching too much TV). I'll be staying alone at my hotel and spending some of my time there alone while my son has duties (even injured marines have work to do). I picked a hotel walking distance to the beach (another thing I never would have done) and it's close to a pedestrian walkway that follows the beaches (I plan to walk it every day!). I'm going to a little exploring on my own. My son, his girl, and I will be going to Laguna Beach, Oceanside, and San Diego to do different things. My son will be taking us to a shooting range (a marine's idea of a good time, LOL) and I just might get my first tattoo there. I've been buying lots of clothes for my trip (sz8!) which has been fun. My hotel room has a fridge so I can buy Protein shakes, yogurt, and other pouch-friendly foods. The hotel has free hot Breakfast every day, also. I think I've planned for everything. It should be fun! I'm ready to go! :-)

True. After 32 years of marriage I know that, unless I rub his nose in it and draw a map, (three foot tall letters and lit up w/a spotlight!) he just won't get it. He doesn't say "I love you". Once I asked him why and he told me that he proves it every day of his life when he comes home to me so why does he need to say it - he proves it everyday. I've learned to appreciate that for what it is - It's what I mean to him! I figure he doesn't cheat, drink, or gamble so I'm a lucky woman! :-) Men NEED to be told what we want.

I eat toppings off the crust. I really like pizza stuffed zucchini. It's satisfying substitute. :-)

It's a personal choice so I'm not telling you what you should do. I will say everyone I know personally who had an unplanned baby started with feelings of dismay but ended up (over time) seeing it as a blessing. And there is almost never a perfect time to have a baby. There's always bills, or something you'd like to do first. Even a planned pregnancy can turn out unexpected. We planned our first pregnancy and it turned out to be twins! So much for having 'a' baby! It resulted in me leaving my job early due to the high risk aspect of it and later not returning to my job because the childcare for two infants was cost prohibitive. Four years later we finally made the decision to not have anymore. We had a yard sale and sold all the baby stuff, including both cribs. The VERY NEXT DAY - really! - I vomited my Breakfast. Yup! I was pregnant! And I had no baby things! I ended up being a stay-at-home-mom for 18 years. That was never my plan! :-) So don't make your decision in haste. Think on it a little while. Take a little time to consider all your options. Who knows? You may come to like the idea. But if you don't, at least you thought it out...

My daughter's name is Dawn Marie. Her twin sister always called her Dawnyree. Very similar to your story. :-)

Nothing exotic or inspiring about mine. It's my name and employee number. Easy to remember! Lol

I don't usually have room for vegetables after my protein. If I do eat them with my meal I only eat a little bit. We all know what happens if you cross the line of eating a little too much - last night my attempt to eat summer squash w/dinner had me foaming before losing my dinner. On occasion I'll make a meal of just vegetables. :-)

I'm 10 1/2 months out, down 113 pounds. Breakfast: high Protein coffee shake. Mid morning: Greek yogurt w/chopped pecans Lunch: usually homemade chicken chili but sometimes shrimp cocktail. Mid-afternoon: an oz of cheese (I love real cheese) or some CrunchO's (protein snack) Dinner: fish or chicken, a little steamed vegetables. Maybe chicken sausage stir fry. Or some lean sandwich meat wrapped in a Joseph's wrap with mustard. dinner varies... Evening snack: two sf Popsicles I do eat protein bars but on an emergency basis. I keep them in my car, my purse, and my desk at work. Anytime I'm caught without an acceptable food option, either through poor planning or from being out too long, I eat a bar. Not the best choice, but better than fast food or junk food. :-)

My girls are totally deflated. Even my b-cup is underfilled. Someone at my group suggested going to a shop in town to be properly fitted and address my particular problems. It's very expensive but I can buy just bra and once I know what to look for I can shop other places.

Make sure you go out on FMLA. It protects your job if you develop complications and allows you collect TDI.

I took two weeks but felt fine after one. I used the second week more as a vacation week - a lot of reading, movie-watching, and spending time w/my dogs. I even got a little sun on my deck. :-)

I'm going to Southern Cali in a ten days to spend some time w/my son (in the USMC at Camp Pendleton) and meet his girl. I looked for a hotel near the beach, that serves a free hot breakfast (loves eggs) and has a microwave and a fridge in the room. My first stop after I check in will be to find a Walmart (already looked - just a few miles from my hotel) where I plan to buy a weeks worth of Greek yogurt, a small bag of chopped pecans to mix in, Atkins choc shakes, canned turkey chili, some Lunchables, and a case of bottled water. I'll be bringing my own Quest bars. We'll probably eat out a few times but for the most part that's all I'll need. I'm pretty cheap to feed nowadays! :-)