roundisashape

Like everyone says, it's mostly to prevent gas pain. I've got sensitive teeth so I always wind up sucking down more air if I DON'T use a straw, so I drink more with one and don't have any issues.

That's great! The first day you wake up feeling GOOD is so wonderful

@@livingstone, I can eat larger quantities of yogurt than I can pretty much ANYTHING else. It scared me at first too, but if I filled a yogurt container with another food I'd explode before I finished it. As for the 2 tablespoons, it SOUNDS like a paltry amount, but once you start eating it it's going to feel like a lot!

I'm not restricting carbs specifically, so I keep a few low calorie frozen meals in the freezer for emergencies. It keeps me out of Burger King when I'm late getting home and short on energy and options.

Hi Babs! I'm from Baltimore. Congratulations . It sucks now, but one day you'll wake up and forget anything even happened, just hang in there!

Yes, ma'am, I sure am. Just had a full set of labs done, though, and everything is okay. Already taking Biotin, so I'm thinking maybe there's nothing else nutritionally that I can do. I started using L'Oreal Volume Filler shampoo and conditioner last week and it does seem to help mask some of the thinning and keep the flyaways from regrowth from standing up straight. I stopped pulling it back, too, because it makes the thinner spots more obvious. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage is good too, it's just more expensive. Good luck - it won't last forever! At least, I hope not!

As long as you're doing the right things, it's probably a fluke - sometimes it just happens. Last week I logged a 3 pound gain in ONE day, then it went away plus another pound a couple of days later. Chalking it up to too much salt / not enough Water and plugging right along. I'd check again in a couple of days and see if those pounds are still there!

Thank you, Jamie, for pointing that out. You are correct. Please forgive me for assuming that not everyone is given the same rules.

It's so all over the place, isn't it? We just have to use our medical team's advice and our best judgment, but it's tough when people get different instructions. Our surgeon didn't give any advice, it all came from the nutritionist - she told our group it wasn't because of stomach stretching (which honestly doesn't make sense to me - the bubbles go in, you belch, they're out) but because of discomfort. She said that some patients find it more comfortable to use a SodaStream with a lower amount of carbonation, or to let it sit for a while before trying it, but either way to leave it alone for at least the first few months. I learn slowly, so I've tried it already and it wasn't terribly comfortable unless I let it sit in my mouth for a few seconds for the fizz to go away (which, it turns out, was really all I wanted anyway - bubbles on my tongue - and now that I've had it I'm over it and don't want anymore).

Definitely appeal. I know it's frustrating, but insurance companies make bad calls and mistakes all the time - heck, I was approved, had the surgery, then got an $11,000 bill because they messed up and denied the whole thing. BCBS admits they made a mistake, but it's taken them almost 3 months to correct it. I'm just saying, don't assume that their first decision is their final decision or that they accounted for all the details of your case the first time around. It's worth making the effort to appeal before you give up.

I can eat salad with no problem, and pretty much all veggies. Broccolini works, but regular broccoli took the longest to be able to eat and sometimes that still feels "wrong". Cabbage is fine for me, so I'm guessing sprouts would be, too? Asparagus might be tough, but I'd say try one at a time and try stuff cooked before you chance it raw. As for rice, I just tried it recently at about 3 months and it goes down fine. I'm avoiding cooking it at home, but if it's part of something I don't avoid that thing just to avoid the rice. Happy experimenting!

It's a shame that counseling isn't provided to the whole family - and maybe when someone hits a size they can't maintain without someone enabling them, it should be a requirement. If nothing else, it might give the enablers the ability to say no. And in cases like Pauline's, it might be enough to set her son free.

I got a letter from the insurance company almost a week before I heard from the office coordinator at the surgeon's office. Hopefully you'll hear back from one or the other soon!

LOL! I was just noticing this morning that mine look like a first grade art project. They're definitely not boob shaped anymore!

I counted down the days until I could try the ricotta bake, but it's the first thing that made me sick. Too much cheese, I think - melted cheese is hard to chew enough.

So far, hard boiled eggs and ground chicken (but only when packed into a patty shape). Sometimes she gets bitchy and refuses to tolerate something I just ate the day before with no issues. I guess that's her way of saying, "You've had quite enough of this, thankyouverymuch."

I felt like i'd been hit by a bus for about 2 weeks. Felt like I'd slammed into a stopped bus for about another 2 after that, but was functional. Then...BOOM. Just felt normal.

Had a bit of cheesecake, a little bit of brownie, and 2 blue Hawaiian's on vacation and felt perfectly fine about it! Logged it, planned the rest of my day around eating better, and had a great time.

I missed the last one - last minute work travel - but I'm still up for a meeting!

I had been all along - had to use colace every other day for a couple of weeks to get through the worst of it. I've found adding 2 fish oil tablets every morning helps considerably. Good luck, that feels miserable!

I love steak, but - don't beat me up - I can't get past the appearance of it when it isn't well done. For the most part, I consider myself a pretty good cook, but I've never mastered the art of making a good well done steak at home. It always turns out like Jerky. I know it can be done, I've eaten it at restaurants and it's been chewable, lol. This morning, I basically had a beef chip with my egg. I've eaten pretzels that had less crunch. Anyone have suggestions for cuts, cooking methods, seasoning, or anything else? The only thing I can't do is broil, of course - the broiler on my stove is absolutely terrifying. Unless there's a way to do that in the non-broiler part of the oven?

Thanks! That's a good point - I'd wind up crisping my lunchmeat, lol.