Fluffnomore

I usually order my own meal and take 1/2 to 2/3 home. I do get some strange looks when I ask for a box but I figure it's my money and I can do what I want. Last night we went to a restaurant known for its buffet. I ordered an app and stayed at the table. My rat-like children wanted to eat off of my plate too, but I shut them down. That was my lunch they were trying to eat, LOL.

Where in Illinois?

That's right, Gomekast. I'm 9 weeks and the shifting time is here. Part of it is that we're out of the baby steps (the liquids, the mushies) and part is that most of us feel so much more "normal" at this point. But we're not. Or, we shouldn't be. I tested a little yesterday…and by that I mean I didn't measure my food. I paid for it. I can't do that. Glad I know. Anyway, most people don't like being "told what to do." And many of us have to personally test the limits. But I have to believe we will be successful only if we really take it seriously.

Here are my two NSVs, small as they are: I ordered a jacket to replace my old, big down coat in one size smaller. It fits. Not perfectly, but it fits! Also, my gym made new t-shirts. I asked for an XL (I usually work out in XXL men's shirts but they're big now) and didn't notice until I got home that they gave me a L. And it fits, well. I almost cried.

It is odd, but not surprising. I did so well free-styling around Thanksgiving. Then again, I was much more constrained with my choices. It also occurs to me that tenderloin/filet mignon is essentially a "new" food for me, and that probably added to it. Anyway, back to heavy tracking, light eating, and exercise today and hope that will do the trick.

LOL, HotButterFly. Mine came home a few weeks ago, telling me he wanted to get me a new TV and a TV stand with an electric fireplace built into the bottom for the living room (my domain.) I said, "But I don't want that." He replied, "It doesn't matter what you want." We laughed so hard we almost cried. I got him the fireplace stand for the basement (his domain.) That was really what he wanted anyway.

My doctor's guideline was: walk every day, cardio and light stuff at 4 weeks, everything else at 6. Like everything else, it varies. I'm three weeks back into it and it feels great.

I like that they still let you smile! Nice photo!!

I went to the trouble of making a homemade french onion soup and then straining every last bit out. I thought I had died and gone to heaven...

Can you believe that was LAST YEAR? Wow. It's sobering, and inspiring all at once. I wonder how I will feel (and what I will find, photo wise) late next year...

I'm kind of grateful that we're not at my parents' this year. My father is fond of saying things like, "Food should hurt." Strangely, my menu was similar but it wasn't at all the same. I had a two pound beef tenderloin; at least one and a half pounds are still in the fridge. Everyone had *a* piece of meat, that's it. A small serving of creamed spinach, and half a gourmet grocery store twice-baked potato. I made exactly three dinner rolls. They'd had light apps around lunchtime. I was curious to see how everyone would do with this, but you know what? They did fine. Without being in the physical location where food should hurt, everyone in the family ate pretty normal amounts. No one went back for seconds. (They all would have eaten as many rolls as I made so I just didn't make that many; used the frozen ones you pop in the oven.) It was kind of a revelation to me. Like I said before, every day I learn something new with this. Butter, I hope you and Mrs. Butter can break away and spend a little time away by yourselves. I know from personal experience how hard this is though...

That is totally amazing! I haven't skied in years. Would love to try it again sometime soon. Of course, being in Chicago there's not much opportunity either, LOL.

About 10 years ago I learned that crab and lobster do not agree with me. They especially do not agree with me if I happen to be drinking red wine. That said, you know when I finally realized that I could NEVER have those things in combination again? Yep, about 7 years ago. So there were a good three years there that I "tested" this every so often, and then spent a good 12-24 hours sicker than a dog afterwards. Is it possible these occurrences were coincidental? I suppose. However, at this point it is easier to plead an allergy and avoid the question. Something I intend to do now, for the rest of my life. Some of us are slow learners. Or, as I said to my husband, "Fool me 1,347 times…shame on me."

About 40 pounds and I'm one size down in most pants. Not all. Can also wear smaller tops. Like you guys I can still wear my pre-surgery jeans although they are baggy. They must have really been screaming before, LOL.

Perfectly normal, and you're going to go up and down quite a bit. Still, you'll go mostly down. Try to look at the weigh ins as snapshots, especially at this point. Your real trend can only be viewed over time.

Great idea! I work out at a CrossFit gym and the owner/coach there was talking up Paleo prior to my WLS. I don't agree with all of the tenets/philosophy but at this point I am pretty convinced that there's not much of a point of having refined sugar in the diet. And so, inadvertently I'm eating Paleo now except for dairy. So eating clean is a great goal for 2014. Keep us updated on the 21 day challenge, and if you enjoy it!

I'm a singer, Arts. I seem to perpetually be rehearsing. As my father is fond of saying, "Well, if you don't know how to do it by now, I wouldn't bother even going."

Were you there? They'll go with me to my next rehearsal. Fortunately I'm not much of a "box of chocolates" type of gal. Now if she'd given me Pringles I would have been up a creek.

Just wanted to add that the vets have said that it first gets "hard" at 6 months. But to anyone who's coming up behind me timing-wise, I would say it first gets to be work after you are off liquids/mushies/soft. Because at least when you're on those you are still on a plan. I would guess that where I am now is the place that people start to slip up the most because the rules aren't quite as clear cut. 2 oz or 3 oz of Protein? What kinds of carbs? What can you eat, but more importantly what does your body respond best to? If you "get away" with something, are you the type of person who is likely to keep going back? The problem with junk food, or even processed food is that it is so darned easy. Maybe in theory it's not really easier to eat a couple of crackers than to measure out a 1 oz portion of protein-rich food. But we didn't get to the point of WLS by making good choices before. And the big issue for me is that the liquids felt like a time out of reality, now that I'm out of them. And even though my recovery was easy physically that means I have to be extra careful now not to fall into old habits. Not portion size, but snacking/grazing. Okay, off the soapbox now. Just my observations from the last couple of weeks back here in the world of "real" food.

I got a box of chocolates from my 14 year old daughter. Really? I looked at my husband (who took her shopping.) He rolled his eyes and shrugged. Sigh.

Yes, my recovery was similar to yours. And I'm basically 2 months out, working out again, haven't tried anything I can't stomach…etc. Sometimes I forget that my whole physiology has changed, especially now that I'm basically cleared to eat most anything and able to exercise again. I expect I'm going to have to really learn to be mindful now.

For me, personally…the biggest "danger" is that I sometimes forget that I can't behave the way I used to behave. So last night I felt a little bit full after dinner and had a glass of milk to settle things about an hour later. It came right back up. As I think about this, the issue was more that I needed to wait things out than to add anything to the mix. I was at home, so it wasn't a big deal. But I had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago when I was out with friends. We were drinking wine, talking…and I sort of thoughtlessly ate a couple of small pieces of flatbread pizza. Again, old mindset, new stomach. I felt the hiccups start to come on (thankfully!) and backed away slowly. But it was sobering. I need to constantly remind myself to be on guard, at least a little bit. The good part is that so far I haven't given my stomach anything it can't digest. But I definitely have to be careful both with the social stuff, and with not thinking through what is really going on with my body.

Hm. Guess I'm a better planner than I thought, and I'd better stick with the planning. So, like I said I decided to try a day without tracking, and with eating with the family. That was the nice part. It really wasn't too out of control, although I did have a small slice of the sour cream coffee cake I make every year, with bacon (breakfast of champions! really out-of-shape, chubby champions!) We did little apps for lunch (stuffed mushrooms, bacon wrapped dates.) But not measuring out dinner turned out to be a bad idea. My slice of beef tenderloin was probably too big. With that, a couple of teaspoons of spinach and a couple of teaspoons of potato I was uncomfortably full. Fell asleep on the couch for a while. Drank some milk an hour later to "settle" things. (Why do I still think like I am not sleeved? Really, now.) And then I saw that again. First time I have thrown up anything and I was alarmed that it just popped right back out, pretty much. No pie for me. I saw the light. Anyway, save for actually really sitting down with everyone that was an experiment whose time has not yet come. Back to the net diary, back to consistent tracking. And maybe back to very light eating today, just to be on the safe side. I swear I learn something new every day.

Ha! I felt like I was in some sort of weird Neverland the entire time in pre-op. Like, "This can't be happening. Oh my god, this can't be happening." It happened.

I seem to remember that mine was baked whitefish first and then others, but not what order. Sorry. :-(