wascott

@@Smye That paella picture is making me hungry. Sounds delicious! It also gives me the idea of making Mexican red "rice" using cauliflower. Mmmmmm.

@@glitter eyes I appreciate the advice. I have a small pillow. I'll take it along if I can squeeze it in my carry on.

@@beachgal2935 Thanks for mentioning ear plugs! The last time I was in the hospital I didn't get any sleep due to the perpetual noise.

I'm on high protein low carbs and green veggies for 5 weeks then 2 weeks of protein shakes and greens. I'm sick of greens!

Welcome! It looks like you're off to a great start.

How many ounces of liquids are you getting down a day? It's very important to stay hydrated. Try varying the temperature of the liquid. Some seem to prefer cold vs hot or warm. You can also try beef or chicken broth and sugar free popsicles. Take small sips throughout the day. And as stated above, it wouldn't hurt to consult your doctor.

@@lily3 Good for you! You're almost there.

"You are eating pizza......not celery."

Congratulations! That's fantastic!

@@desertgirl_74 Thanks! So far I'm not diabetic. I have been suffering from dry mouth while I sleep since I started the Atkins induction diet. I've been using Biotene but still wake up with a dry mouth. Definitely not good for my teeth.

@@maggie409 I'm using Dr Ortiz at the OCC.

I think I'd be 50 lighter if I'd never dieted. Always gained more back than I lost. Not this time! Good luck!

Honey is fructose vs sucrose. Both have similar caloric and carbohydrate values. I suppose honey is better because it's natural (especially raw honey) but as for losing weight both seems fairly equal to me.

I'm on a 7 week pre-op diet. 5 weeks on the Atkins induction diet followed by 2 weeks of protein shakes. It's tough.

I'm looking forward to being at that stage and being able to bypass those carbs.

@@Smye Here's some ideas to ponder.... After being on a low carb diet for 2 weeks I find myself lusting for many different carb heavy foods. For some reason pancakes sound really good. I also would love to eat something that crunches. Not like how celery crunches but like how a tortilla chip or pretzels crunch.

@@proudgrammy Thanks for sharing your story, Kathy. Congratulations on reaching your goal. Have fun on your cruise to Alaska. I did that a few years ago and LOVED it! I then flew to Prudhoe Bay and land toured back to Anchorage. So beautiful.

@@VSG_Hopeful Here's the link: http://barideliciousfood.blogspot.com

@@azziew LOL! I appreciate the advice. I've got two boxes of GasX strip already in my suitcase along with blisstex. I'll have to look up the bari buddy.

I started just above a 40 bmi. I've dropped a little below that now. I'm having surgery on June-22. I'm self pay so don't know what insurance might require.

@@ValerieDee1975 Thanks for the tips. I'm having surgery in Tijuana at the Obesity Control Center. If all goes well I'll just spend one night there then a couple more nights at the hotel. I don't imagine I'll be roaming the city so want to be prepared. Trip home won't get me home until around 1am.

@@Miss Mac I'll add that to my list. Thanks!

Does anyone have any recommendations for things I should take with me to the hospital? I'm not referring to normal things like comfortable clothes and toothbrush, etc. But things related to bariatric surgery. I'm being sleeved in just over 5 weeks and it will take around 12 hours for me to get back home after leaving the hospital. I don't imagine that I'll be in the mood to search for specialty items in airports. My cousin recommended GasX. What do you recommend?

@@Smye Congratulations on losing 100! Wow! I can't wait until I can say that. Looking forward to reading your new recipes. I plan to try bari bread and or cauliflower pizza next week.

@@VSGAnn2014 I need to post this in front of my treadmill.