CrazyJaney

Wow. It's sort of like you live inside my head. I love the way you write. I wish I felt as brave to "just be". You can tell you've done a lot of "work". I'm thinking I should probably start seeing someone to tackle the demons that got me where I am. Surgery definitely didn't fix my brain. Very good post. Makes me think. Transformation and Authenticity are things I really want, yet seem so far away.

Ricotta cheese, add a little mozerella, cover with a dab of marinara and bake. Use a ramikin if you have one.

Canned chicken or tender cooked chicken. Purrre and season with taco seasoning. Purée a can on green chilie tomatoes and layer sauce over chicken. Top with sour cream or the queso flavored laughing cow.

Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt will help get your Protein numbers up. Staple in that phase for sure.

Hummus. Not high in Protein but helped satisfy the need to eat ANYTHING that didn't taste like fake sugar.

I loved broc and cheese Soup from the deli which I'd purée and strain. No more than 1/4, 1/3 cup but it was heavenly.

It all passes soon enough. Good luck to you all!

I (unfortunately) was reading some of the comments on similar article on CNN. "Must be nice to have the money to take the easy way out". I wanted to comment but not worth it. Easy, huh? Right. I guess it's good she speaks out. I saw where she was working with Go Red/American Heart. She had a heart attack which spurred her on. Good for her! I'm not a fan, her rages freak me out, but good for her anyway. She looks great.

LL is waaaaay prettier than Rosie! WTH??!!

Thinking of you. The month before is a mess of emotions. YOU are so worth this! Lots of support here and you never know, your hubs might change his mind as you progress. Lots of love sent!

Welcome! The fatigue is overwhelming for a little while but it got better for me about week 4. It's pretty oppressive. I don't think there was much to do about it except give in and rest and wait for normalcy to return. It will get better and easier.

I also used heat on my back between my shoulder blades. Not sure if it helped with gas but definitely helped relax muscles and decrease overall pain.

Gas X strips. Some say they don't work but they helped me. Plus walking, etc. day 6 I woke up and felt human! This will all be on the rear view soon. Hang on!

Quick and easy for lunch or dinner.

Premade chicken Meatballs (found organic at Whole Foods). Place in mini muffin tin and cook per directions (these were pre-cooked but I heated longer than it said to). Heat some marinara out of a jar. 2 meatballs, 2 T marinara, add 1/4c mozerrella. About 170 calories. About 16g Protein. Very good and a nice change from plain chicken.< /p>

I can sooo relate. I was 5 weeks last Thursday and so far, nothing really "bothers" me. I do get full quickly so I'm not getting high calories but I had my first days of feeling like a failure on Friday. After a late night Thursday, didn't plan my meals for work Friday, I found myself "trying pizza". It's a trigger food. I didn't hurt at all. I do feel tight restriction with most solids but that pizza chewed up mighty soft and a bit too tasty. I didn't eat much, just a fraction of my preop life, but it felt "reckless". Old feelings crept in. My total calories for the day ended up at 800 but it was my first carb free for all day. This was. My first post op fall off the wagon day. Back on track today. Just reality setting in that this is only a tool, not a fix. And here I read all these comments on Facebook today about how Rosie ODonnell took the "easy" way out. I'm about sick of hearing "easy". While it helps, it's not easy. I'm happier than I have been in ages, but this is hard work - mentally and physically,

Amazing!!!!!

GasX strips, and heat to my back helped ease the upper, epigastric pain. sugar free Popsicles saved the day for me! It's so worth all you're going through. Hang in there!

The diuretic is perscription for BP and lymph edema. Didn't want anyone to think I randomly added a diuretic for weight loss.

I stalled at weeks 2-4. Very frustrating. I started back on a diuretic and started light exercise and the stall left. I was also PMSing at that time so typically I don't ever lose at that time.

First 48 suck and the first 5 days are just plain hard. Soon this will be a memory! Sip and walk and rest.

People started noticing about 20 but now at 50, my clothes are big and my face has shrunk. I measured the other night and my neck went from 19 to 15. I'm being very evasive about questions. I answer the how much weight question. And I say, "no carbs, no sugar, small portions, low calories" to the "what are you doing". None of that's untrue. I do the quick "thanks" and change the subject too.

So as I said before, pizza is a trigger food. I went to work today without my carefully packed lunch (first time since surg). I was tired from being out late last night, not really focused on nutrition. One of the docs had bought pizza for our unit several days in a row now. I resisted each day. Until today. I ate 2/3 piece of a slice of cheese. NO discomfort. But.... the rest of the day all I could think about was pizza. I ate another 1/2 piece for dinner. That's all I ate today. I entered it into MFP and I was completely full way eating less than a piece (pre-sleeve, I have actually eaten an entire medium pizza in one sitting - like I said, trigger food). I got to really thinking "is this really worth it?" On one hand, the sleeve MAKES me stop at less than a piece. But I felt out of control for the first time since surgery, I am only 5 weeks out and this was the first day I felt "reckless". So, even if I CAN eat it, it might not be a safe food for me. This was my first test. I say I failed just becuase I felt powerless over it. As I said, we've had pizza 4 days in a row at work and I passed up the first 3. I can do it again. Live and learn.

Feel good in my clothes..

Feel good without my clothes;)

More energy..

Be more active..

Fearless to try new things, yoga, Pilates, run a 1/2 marathon the year I turn 50 (2016).

Cute boots that fit over my calves.

Become that photogenic person I once was, instead of hiding and avoiding having my picture taken, cause I don't want to see how large I really am ...

Surgery can't come soon enough, I am so looking to a improved better ME!!

I love that word fearless! Isn't that the truth!

Most excellent post! These are the threads that help me stay focused. I've not done a list since several months preop. I'm 5 weeks post and while I don't think I've scratched any off the list, I've not felt this good about life in a long time. Not sure if this matches my original list but....

1). Ski again. With my kids and extended family. This might be a pipe dream due to other factors but bit remains #1 on the list.

2) Buy clothes from any store I want. I'm ok if I never make a size 8 but no more W's or X's!

3) be able to tolerate walking in England/Scotland when I go in 2017.

4) Kayak with my kids at my moms lake house. I did this last summer at my highest. It was fun but also miserably embarrassing.

5) not be the largest woman in the room.

6) To have better sex. This is also dependent on several other factors but, yes, it's on the list.

7) To walk independently at 65. If I hadn't had this surgery, I would have been heading there.

8) to lose my cpap. I hate that thing.

9) to snorkel, swim and be active et the beach instead of hide away in my chair. (Extra skin won't make this pretty but at least I'd have the energy to do it).

10) to be a better role model for my kids.

That's a big list. I've got more I'm sure. 50 pounds gone already and I can now cross my legs. I fit in most seats at least with a little (albeit tiny) room. And I'm going to see Bruce Soringsteen in concert tomorrow. I ordered general admission tickets, no chairs. He's my man and while I've seen him in concert before, I've always been in a seat. My bucket list included a Springsteen concert on the floor, like as close to the stage as I could get! While being on my legs standing all night is still gonna be hard, it would have been impossible 50 pounds ago.

Excited for all of us!

Hi there! Fellow nurse here (CCU/tele manger). 5 weeks out and 50 pounds (pre and post) down. You're gonna do great! Excited for you tomorrow. Keep is posted!

I was in Love/Lust with coffee preop, although I only had 2-3 cups a day. I couldn't function without it. I detoxed preop and it was probably one of the hardest things to do. At 2 weeks I had Decaf and it appeared my taste for it had gone but I wanted to "taste" something besides shakes. I ran out of decaf so I tried regular at 3.5 weeks. I drank just half a cup. It's really just those first few sips that seem orgasmic in the morning anyway. (Yes I said orgasmic - that's how much I loved coffee). I still mostly drink decaf tea or low lead teas but a few times a week I have regular coffe. But still, after a about half a cup, I'm done. I even went to my local coffee shop and had a small, 1 shot esspresso and 1 shot decaf with real cream. It was soooo good but I only drank about 1/4 of it. Just like everything else these days, a little is all I need.

Me too! I drank herbal Decaf tea almost every night the first month. Now I make 20 ounces and pour it over ice. Lifesaver!

I've had enough manager training to know that what you're experiencing is a hostile work environment and should be taken seriously. Good for you going to a manager and talking about it. If it continues and the manager doesn't discuss it with your coworkers, I'd go to HR. While a compliment here and there might be fine, you shouldn't have to talk about your weight loss all day long. And whipping out a camera??? Unbelievable and over the line.

Stand up for yourself but also get your manager or HR to help out, too. Don't let it continue on or get worse. You shouldn't have to deal with stuff like that at work.

I agree. It's definitely classified as a hostile work environment and is a unwanted distraction. Those are terms that HR should jump all over. I'd be gracious and appreciative and understanding that coworkers say nice things but then I'd WhOMP them with those two terms. It should stop. Whoever the direct manager is of the people who are carrying on can get into hot Water if they let it go on. Damn, you'd think losing weight should have ONLY good benefits. But it's not fun to feel uncomfortable in social or work circles. I just went to a funeral, ran into a doctor I worked with a long time ago. I didn't particularly care for him. He hugged me and first words out of his mouth were "you've lost weight, you look great". I'd say that's a compliment but he would never have barely spoken to me at 325 - sorta surprised he did at 275. Just felt awkward and icky.

It took me a few weeks to hit fluid goals. You're normal. It's very frustrating but very normal.

Me too, me too, me too! I don't want what I weigh or surgery to be the only thing that defines me. I've told a few people at work but I've also set limits on what I want to discuss. I hit the 50 pound malt this week and clothes are starting to fall off. The questions and well meaning comments have started rolling in. Two of my employees made comments to the effect "I hate you, you're so skinny". I'm sure the secret will get out and gonna hear more. It's not flattering unless the see "me" beyond what I weigh. I'm getting tired of it already and I have 120 to go. I'm gonna pull the "boss" card and start discussing the legality of discussing the physical features of coworkers. BUT.... I feel so good. So I just keep moving on and give limited info.

I craved seafood and bacon?!? It was crazy. One month (almost 5 weeks) and cravings are different. Less intense. But the first weeks, I craved savory, texture-y type foods.