CubsWinCubsWin

It's for coffee but it seems to work with my Bariatric Advantage shakes. They also had French vanilla.

It's for coffee but it seems to work with my Bariatric Advantage shakes. They also had French vanilla.

Good lord, what did I get myself into. I just finished Day 3 of my pre-op liquid diet and the gas is off the charts. I am drinking the shakes recommended and sold by my surgeon (Bariatric Advantage) and the gas is unbelievable. I'd get on something else but I already paid a good $140 on it so they are being drunk even if I clear the room every now and then. fart jokes make me laugh like a 3rd grader or Anderson Cooper when he gets the giggles. I can't help but lose it because for some strange reason I think fart jokes are really funny. I know it will all pass and on February 28th I'm having surgery and will have a whole new set of complaints to share.
For Topic Title reference: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=step%20on%20a%20duck

I am going through Suburban Surgical Center aka The Kane Center in Hoffman Estates. Their hospital affiliation is Alexian Brothers and St Alexus in Elk Grove Village and Hoffman Estates.

We have the world famous Garrett's popcorn here in Chicago. People wait in line for that stupid stuff. Even on a trip last summer to Tokyo Japan I found a Garrett's Popcorn shop with a line out the door.
It's good stuff but I'm sure I can't be good for you and I've been yelled at years ago about not eating popcorn. But there's nothing better than a nice big bag of a Chicago Mix (Carmel and cheese).

I am less than 3 weeks from my surgery date, I start on the 15 day liquid diet on Friday. Over the past couple days I have been going on a farewell tour of my favorite foods I am saying goodbye to after our long and intimate time together. Yesterday I used the Cheesecake Factory gift card I got for Christmas and tomorrow my mom is taking me to my favorite pizza joint for one last Chicago style thin crust sausage pizza. She is a little happy she no longer has to share pizza with me, she hasn't had a middle square in decades (Chicago thin crust is cut into squares, known as a party cut).
My weekday lunch time routine of going out to a local fast food joint will soon be replaced with a brisk walk at the gym or outside around my workplace. If I get really industrious I will go down to the nearby ice rink and skate through my lunch period. Change has come to my life. Welcome change, very necessary change. Change to bigger things with a smaller waistline.

I'll definitely give Donna a call.
I have chocolate and vanilla. I have a nutribullet, so that's what I used at first. I'd add fruit and some kind of liquid. Followed several recipes, but they all made me sick. Then I figured since that wasn't really helping it go down, I started using the shaker with either Water or milk. I just chug it now.
I ordered the same exact product but unflavored, with the hope that I can mix it with broth and maybe that would go down better. It should get here on Tuesday.
End game! Got it! Thanks!

I just got my two bags of Bariatric Advantage from the Kane Center this past Friday. I am going to assume you may be seeing the same folks since you are in Palatine and I am in Arlington Heights. It's hard to think if these do not taste well and you can't get them down that you paid over $140 for them. I'm drinking them come hell of high Water just on the principle that I paid so much for them.
If you are going through the Kane Center, they gave me a really good print out on making it in various ways using different ingredients. What are you using as your base ingredient, Water, soy or skim milk? If you are tying one, try the others and see what happens. Remember, it's only 15 days. Good luck.

The only thing I can really tolerate is Premier Protein...and I have to chug it in the morning to get it down. LOL. I liked Muscle Milk before surgery, but after surgery it started giving me a real bad case of "The Hershies"...if you get my drift. :-)
Don't trust your farts for a few weeks. You're welcome. :-)

I got my surgery date, I'm going in on February 28th. I pick up my Bariatric Advantage pre-surgery shakes tomorrow and start them next Thursday. I got a couple gift cards to The Cheesecake Factory, better use them now while I can .
I am of course nervous but very excited. It's been a rough couple years for me health wise, I'm hoping this will help get things back on track.

I got my surgery date, I'm going in on February 28th. I pick up my Bariatric Advantage pre-surgery shakes tomorrow and start them next Thursday. I got a couple gift cards to The Cheesecake Factory, better use them now while I can .
I am of course nervous but very excited. It's been a rough couple years for me health wise, I'm hoping this will help get things back on track.

I am going through Suburban Surgical Center aka The Kane Center in Hoffman Estates. Their hospital affiliation is Alexian Brothers and St Alexus in Elk Grove Village and Hoffman Estates.

Way to go Hoosier girl!!!
Sincerely,
Illini boy

Let out a good primal scream at the box of pre-op diet shakes and give it a stern look .
That should do the trick.

Let out a good primal scream at the box of pre-op diet shakes and give it a stern look .
That should do the trick.

Let out a good primal scream at the box of pre-op diet shakes and give it a stern look .
That should do the trick.

Let out a good primal scream at the box of pre-op diet shakes and give it a stern look .
That should do the trick.

Let out a good primal scream at the box of pre-op diet shakes and give it a stern look .
That should do the trick.

Last February 4, I had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy. Like many, I had tried and failed every diet I ever went on. My weight was at an all time high and my health was being affected. Despite the protests of many that I “wasn’t fat enough” or “should try to lose weight the old fashioned way”, I chose to self-pay and have weight loss surgery. I’ve surpassed even my wildest goal.
“Top 10” list of what I learned:
1) Weight loss surgery is no silver bullet. I thought I would lose weight quickly. I thought I wouldn’t be hungry along the way. I thought I could eat smaller portions of the same old food. Nope, nope and nope. The weight came off slowly and inconsistently…and sometimes it was frustrating. There were days that I WAS hungry! Dang it! Plus, some of my old favorites just didn’t sit well after the sleeve. If weight loss surgery is the “easy way out”, it sure as hell didn’t feel easy.
2) Be prepared to embarrass yourself. You cannot trust a fart. Yup, I said it. Underwear will fall down. And your old fat parts may end up looking like a shriveled prunes. Sexy. I’m tellin’ ya!
3) Just follow the diet dummy. They are doctors for a reason. They know what it takes for you to be successful. Just listen to them. When you try to do your own thing, you don’t get the “average” results. If you do what the doctors say, you get great results. Eat your Protein and veggies. Carbs aren’t your friend while you are losing weight.
4) You CAN hit your goal….how bad do you want it? Are you willing to stick with it through a 7-week stall? Are you willing to stay on the diet? Are you getting your Water and protein every day? Are you tracking your food? If you are willing to do the work, you will get the result.
5) Exercise is your friend. I firmly believe this helped me end up looking slim and fit vs. skinny and saggy.
6) Weigh yourself every day. My thought goes something like this….you avoid the scale when your fat because you don’t want to deal with the number. So, if you want a different result, you need to see your number every day. Lots of different opinions about this. But how else can you keep 20 lbs from sneaking back on? Weighing daily has been key to my success.
7) Track your food. MyFitnessPal is a wonderful FREE tool to track what you are eating. Again, I didn’t track when I was fat. This is a new habit to help me stay on track.
8) Start saving now for plastic surgery. Seriously. (See prune comment in #2)
9) Your spouse will rediscover your sexiness – own it baby.
10) How do you lose the last 10 lbs? All I will say is 5:2 diet. Research THAT!

After 5 weeks I was given the ok to do any exercise.. Be careful not to dehydrate yourself in the hot room ..also u may experience some dizziness. I still do a little when I exercise . Even though I am drinking plenty of Water. Body has to get used to exercising again.

Chuck and Nissa was a great episode. There was a lot of drama in this one with the divorce half way through, the thought that Chuck wasn't going to lose the weight and reconciliation and redemption by the end. It was good television.

Here's a shrinking liver video, it's just a looping animation and it's quite tame.

Well, that didn't work. I was trying to post an animated gif on that last one.

Got the call this morning from the surgeons office telling me I have been cleared by the insurance company (BCBSIL) to have surgery. All that is left is the clearance from Pulmonology, who is waiting for clearance from my PCP and my Oncologist (Non-Hodgkins lymphoma 2 years ago). I see the two doctors over the next two Tuesdays and I should be all set to go. A 15 day Protein liver shrinking diet and then they staple away.
Yikes, this sh*t just got real.

Here's a shrinking liver video, it's just a looping animation and it's quite tame.