blissfulbeing

Good idea.. I think I will give that a try!

Yay for you, Eli! Hope your recovery is smooth sailing!

Thank you for all of the ideas.. You guys ROCK! Now I have lots of new things to try.. Let's hope for the best!

Thanks for the suggestions! Do you think that these taste better/different from Premier? (Man, I so wish I liked Premier!)

I bought two cases and I can barely choke them down. I'm still pre-op and trying to find a good RTD Protein shake. Premier Protein seems to be most people's favorite and the nutrition stats are tough to beat.. But I can't stand them. I don't like the fake sweet taste. If you also don't like Premier Protein shakes, but have found a RTD shake you do like, please share! I like making my own protein shakes with Syntrax, but I know that I'll need some good RTD shakes for post-op. Any advice would be so much appreciated!

How is everyone doing?

Fantastic!! You look so happy! Congratulations on all of your hard work - it's really paying off!

I love this idea! Auto ship would be cool, too - maybe there could be a discount for people who auto ship. I like Syntrax protein powder and Quest bars. It would be a dream come true to be able to purchase samples for any or all of the items we need.

Thank you for this great thread! I just ordered a manual crockpot and sous vide! I feel much more hopeful about making meat that remains juicy and tender once I have these tools. I've heard that sous vides also make fantastic scrambled eggs. The sous vide I ordered was only $99 and you use it in a crockpot. It had great reviews and is much less expensive and more space saving then the $300-$400 machines. Great, great, great idea!! Thank you!

February 10th!

The process for me took 10 months. I had to do the 6-month supervised diet, plus wait for a surgery date.

Remember to check in, everyone! Would be great to hear how you are all doing!

@@Mariah13 - you have been so brave through this big bump in the plan! I'm so glad they can fit you in so soon! Hang in there.. It'll be here before you know it! Let us know how you're doing once you're feeling up to it.

Oh my gosh.. That must have been HORRIBLE! I am so sorry to hear that. What happens now?

I completely relate to your story, Eli. And, yes, this site is an amazing resource full of incredibly kind, supportive, and wonderful people. My surgery is one month away and I've been working towards getting the surgery since March 2014. It's been a long road, but the time has helped me to get mentally prepared. I'm thrilled that my time is finally here. And yours is too! We have some super exciting changes ahead. Keep dropping in, getting good info from the forums, and keeping us posted on how you're doing. We're here to support one another!

Hi guys! SO HAPPY to hear that all of you are doing so well! Keep the posts coming - including the good, bad, and the ugly - let's be in this together! My surgery is one month away. I'm anxious and excited to get it done, but the extra time is giving me more time to get prepared. I've been having some serious freak outs lately. The most recent and probably biggest freak out came after hearing about two people who gained most, if not all, of their weight back after surgery. This scared the you know what out of me. You know why these stories are so scary for us.. Because we've already failed every single other time we've tried to lose weight. Gaining back at least some of the weight is a realistic fear. So I've been thinking about it a lot. Here's what I've realized. I will, for certain, lose weight and keep it off for at least a few years because I'm committed to working hard and making this surgery work for me. If I gain some of it back over the years, let's say 50% of it over 5-8 years, I will still be much lighter than I currently am. Also, without the surgery, I would probably be gaining over the next few years rather than losing, so by having the surgery, I believe that even if the worst happens and I end up gaining, I will still be less than I would have been - hopefully by a significant amount. I just had to work through all of this. Of course my commitment is to a life change, but I'm dealing with a 40 year old addiction and that still scares me. After the freak out subsided, I once again realized how grateful I am for this opportunity. This is going to help me change my life in such a positive and significant way. I know I will do the hard work because that's what I do - now, though, I will have a super tool to help support me with my efforts.

Super cool!

Glad to hear that you are doing well, Avhick!

Onward - you are so kind! Thank you for your cheers. I have actually been starting to freak out a little. I'm scared that it won't work for me. I've failed every other time, so it's hard to keep the faith. I took my "before" pictures this morning and that definitely helped with my motivation. I'm so grateful to hear about your positive feelings since surgery. How much have you lost so far? How has your recovery been going?

Way to go, Avhick! Keep us posted! I got my EKG done yesterday. Happy and healthy heart! Approved by my PCP for surgery! Here we go!!!!

And for more reasons to celebrate.. I just got my surgery date!!! 2/10! ????

Avhick - please keep us posted with your progress!

Whew hoo!! So much cheering and arm pumping going on over here!! SO HAPPY FOR YOU!

You did it, Avhick! Way to go! I was cheering out loud when I saw your post!

And Onward! Look at you go!! Keep up the great work!