knt4ever

I COMPLETELY AGREE. I waited until surgery to cut the coffee because after the surgery the meds helped with pain AND any withdrawals. I had ZERO issues giving it up. I am only 6 weeks out and haven't craved caffeine once.

UPDATE 6 Weeks: Lordy Lordy Look Who's Down 40 I know everyone says but it is so true how amazingly weird it is to look down at the scale and see it the number 40 less than just 6 short weeks ago! I used to have a scale possessed by satan that would read 260 and then I would get back on and it would read 126!!! I bought a new scale by EatSmart, which is EXCELLENT, and I still will get on it again to make sure the number it is giving is real and also that it is not possessed. Even if I the number doesn't go down I still get a big smile and get warm fuzzies when I see the number. Eating. I have not ventured out with my food like some of you brave souls. My meals consist of either chicken, tuna fish, turkey deli meat, turkey meatballs, eggs or fish. All of those give a lot of Protein and go down pretty easy. Although chicken is something that if is not dark meat or very moist causes issues going down. It is actually painful right below my ribs in the middle. I found out if I mix in unsweetened applesauce to chicken breast it goes down smoothly. I usually start out each day with 2 scoops of unjury, 1 chocolate Splendor and 1 Unflavored, with hot Water that's under 140°!! This is my Protein Hot Cocoa that gives me 42g of protein! Since I started this drink I haven't missed my daily protein. Drinking. Still a challenge to get my 8 cups in everyday. If I don't concentrate on it I will be a cup low for day or dinking lemonade at 10pm. It still surprises me how long it takes to drink. I haven't ventured into many different types of drinks. I am still waiting to drink coffee until I am out 4 months. I still have my Kuerig and I visit with it often to make sure it knows I miss it!! Is that weird??? Exercise. Every week is getting better. I am doing just cardio right now 3-4 times a week. My desire is to run in a 5K this year so I have started to practice the Couch 2 5K (C25K) program. I will actual C2K5 in a month or so. I am convinced that exercise is crucial to maximizing the weight loss. We will still lose pounds if we don't exercise this first year but I believe we can lose even more with adding exercise. This is a port to catch up with my WLS family so I apologize for being so long. I will pop in more often I promise!!!! "Whatever you do, always give 100%. Unless you are donating blood."

SW: 287 (12-26-13) CW: 247 Down another 4 this week! Down 40 total!!!

SW 287 (12/26/13) CW 251 Another 3 gone!

I was scared too lol!! I am 5 weeks out and haven't puked or dumped. I was really careful on what I eat and how much. I was scared every time I tried something new. I also chew my food ALOT!!!! Some people have more sensitive pouches than others and I feel awful for them!! They can do everything correct and they will still puke or dump.

Thank you all!!! You all motivate me with those kind comments!!! Pictures? I took some pictures the night before surgery and I plan on taking them again the first of every month. I take measurements each Friday for right now. I plan on moving that to the first of every month as well in a month or two. I think I get more excited about the inches than the pounds!!!

I am a huge fan of Unjury protein. Each morning I put a scoop of Unjury Chocolate Splendor AND a scoop of Unjury Unflavored to make a 42g Protein Hot Chocolate! Good start to getting protein in!

UPDATE 1 Month: Happy 1 Month Surgiversary!!! So yesterday was one month from my WLS that was a blur that day. This last month has been mind boggling with how things can change so fast and it encourages me to want to work harder and never cheat. I can honestly say I have not cheated ONCE this last month! Will I never cheat? Yep probably because I am still human but this head start is great! I have read so many of the posts from the Veterans here that have helped my mindset to stay focused and keep the path. I understand that everything slows down and eventually I will have actually be hungry again but not right now!! I am enjoying every second of this stage because I know it wont last. I know the changes and decisions that I am making everyday are cemented a permanent pattern for a healthy life! I had a teacher or coach that would always say: "Practice doesn't make Perfect.....Practice makes PERMANENT!" So here are some stats because I love stats and it is great to see the inches lost not just pounds. These are how much I lost in ONE month: WEIGHT: 34 lbs WAIST: 5 in CHEST: 3 in LEG: 2 in NECK: 1.25 in ARM: 1.25 in I have also been able to do more on the exercise front. Today I went 2 miles in 32 minutes with running 6 mph for 8 of those minutes! A month ago I was walking 2.5 mph for 20 minutes. More to come and thanks for all the support all of you!!!!

Surgery Weight: 287 (12-26-13) Current Weight: 254 Down 5 this week!

Grilled Salmon at Longhorn Steakhouse and WOW it was great!!!!

Congrats! You are doing great! I will definitely be there at Feb Support Group meeting! Unless of course some freak storm hits us and it is illegal to drive. I mean that would never happen right??? Lol. Can it be considered a stall if it is only a few days?

My Wiff knows and NO ONE else. I have being telling people I am seeing a Nutritionist (which I am) and I am on strict diet that only allows food with low fat and low sugar with drinking only Water (which I am). Also said I am eating a lot smaller portions (which I am). So I am not lying to them, I am just not mentioning the surgery because it is none of their bees whack!!!! Some tell everyone and some tell only one. There isn't a right or wrong in this. I believe a poet once said, "It's my Prerogative!"

I had Garlic Butter Grilled Chicken at Bob Evans while on Daddy Daughter date with my twin ladies. It was a little dry so I had hard time getting it down but it has 31g of PROTEIN, so I got that going for me.

Sorry to hear about the dumping. Do you think it was the rice??

Update Week 3 Day 5: DECISION INCISIONS Today I would like to talk about the holes, AKA Incisions, in our abdomen area. I had Steri-strips put on my incisions and they must have used super duper glue on the suckers because my last two just fell off TODAY. And yes I have been showering! I was real concerned about how to handle the incisions and the Steri-strips on them. My concern was I would pull them off too soon and my scar would be bigger or worse yet I would open some of the incision back open. I did not rush them coming off at all even though I thought they looked gross just hanging on as long as they did. Usually after shower is when they would loosen up and if they fell off enough that I could see the incision I would pull off. I am glad I waited because a few of them are hard to see already and none are raised and they look good. The measurements of my 6 incisions are: 2 are 1/4" - 2 are 1/2" - 2 are 3/4". I have seen so many options on how to take care of them to prevent the scars from being seen. One of my daughters had a fight with a marble shelf with her face and the marble shelf won!! We put Mederma on her cut on her face and it worked really good so I am using that couple times a day. Can I see the incisions still? YUP. Are they going away slowly? YUP!!

Binaca?! I haven't heard anyone talk about that in 15 years! LOL. That stuff is addictive! With the Dragon breath issue, my daughter said something about my breath and I just laughed. So I guess I need to do more than brush. Listerine strips? BRILLIANT! Thank you.

Surgery Weight: 287 Current Weight: 259 4 more down

Wow. Thank you very much! I don't know what to say coming from a man (you) who I have been following who I feel is the real superstar!!!

I likey Unjury Chicken soup!! Yummy to my Tummy.

Update Week 2 Day 3: Constipation Emancipation I ran into the wonderful world of constipation again. I took MOM at night and didn't move much so last night took it again and PADOW! I am concerned though because I don't want to keep playing catch up on the bowel movements (BM). I sent my NUT an email and she said constipation is biggest problem with WLS. She suggested use Colace or MiraLAX daily in the morning. She also said that the transitions from one food Stage to the next Food Stage are when it seems to be the worst. So I bought the 50 pound bottle of MiraLAX yesterday and I will be taking it daily. I did try it this morning and it is amazing how much it doesn't have any taste in water! I am not sure how long I will need to take it but I will do anything to avoid the constipation nation. BTW I am now going into the Food Stage 3 - SOFT FOODS. I will update the first day of new stage tomorrow.

That's very interesting! What temperature and how long?

Great resource of information. Thank you!

You are so right about WLS being a TOOL. I could see my future and it wasn't going to be a lot of years. I did everything I could to keep weight off. If people think it is cheating then what do they think of artificial hearts or transplants? I feel this is as life changing of a tool as those. I am only 2 weeks Post-Op but I can already see changes in my health. I wouldn't be surprised that in the next decade the medical world doesn't make WLS a requirement to cure Diabetes. Thanks for the rant and congrats on keeping it up!!!

Here was my list: Loose Fitting Clothes (wore them there and then home) Slippers Cell Phone & Charger Ear plugs (Didn't use because I had private room O YEAH!!!) Heating Pad (MUST HAVE FOR GAS RELIEF) Toothbrush / Paste Chapstick (Used ALOT) Deodorant I did have my Wiff bring a pillow to use in car on the way home to put under my seatbelt.

I have been using a Camelbak bottle to drink. I call it my adult sippy cup! It works great on limiting your amount of water you take in. I was a gulper before surgery and I am only 2 weeks out so I am still using it for training purposes. Good Luck!!!