Dub

Yup. During the 2 week pre-op diet....I used it in my unjury chicken Soup. Saved the day !!!

Good stuff. Great in Soups. Frank's is killer, too. Love their chicken dip recipe on the bottle.

First and foremost.....Thank you for your service. Boots & calves. I completely understand that dilemma. Trust me on that. This surgery has been a true life saver for me. I can't begin to describe how much better I now feel.....and will continue to feel in the days ahead. Life is good. Brother, you gotta be kidding me. The irony here.....unreal. Being able to get back into your Army uniform is super. Your return to fitness has been very impressive. Thank you so much for your service to our country and to your ongoing support and wisdom. I am very grateful. 9th grade sweaters.......simply awesome right there. Wearing that dress will be quite an achievement and you'll feel like a queen in it. So much win in this. Fun stuff. Outstanding. Blew past your favorite jeans. That's what I mean about this surgery. It's allowed me to far surpass my prior losses and no end in sight. Rock that jacket and those capri pants !!!!! Amazing right there......moved well past your goal and are streamlining things to your satisfaction. Powerful. Thank you for your service. Well said. Much respect for both of them serving our country. I hear ya....and agree. Very cool hobby. Great way to keep things in check as I imagine the costumes truly are not easily replaced. Sort of a built in strategy with your hobby. Thanks......was in a goofball mood this morning. I tend to get that way much more often these days. No firm agenda.....a day off work with my son out of school. Just some gym time and fun with the grill later on. You will be amazed at how well things will progress for you if you stick with the plan and get in some exercise when you are able to. You can easily find yourself feeling like it's not real......feels so good to get leaner.

Quest brand protein chips for me.

Milk of Magnesia worked wonders for me.....

I find it also depends on what I eat. Dry chicken breast will make me feel absolutely miserable no matter how much I eat. I made the mistake of eating some last Friday and was miserable for 20 minutes with hiccups, burps AND running nose. I didn't even overeat. My sleeve just hates dry chicken. I hear ya. I use an instant read thermometer to ensure my chicken breasts come off the grill at 160 degrees internal. Still really juicy and moist....yet safe to eat. I've had chicken breast in restaurants that was overcooked and dry. Very difficult to get down, I completely agree. It's a miserable feeling, no ? Sure glad it is in place, too. Keeps me honest and the scale moving downward and onward.

I try my dead level best to never reach that point. I hate the feelings that come with being full. It's a miserable 20 minutes or so afterwards. Surgeon beat it into my head on last visit that my current meals should be 1/2 cup in size. I've done some "measuring cup tests" and can pretty much size up what 1/2 cup of food looks like. I don't exceed this and I don't have to worry. Recently went out to eat with wife and ordered some wings. Nailed the portion size....but failed on the speed I ate it. Misery ensued. Learning my way through this sleeve bidness.......

A couple recent pics. I don't consider them AFTER pics but simply DURING pics. I've got a long way to go to reach AFTER status. Having fun along the way getting there, though. My BEFORE pics required wide lenses to shoot. Tripping out at the Under Armour theme shirts now. I'm wearing one of their snug fitting 3XL shirts on my way out to the gym: Here's a funny "after" pic. This is after being conned into going out with some friends.......getting home way late.....or early the next morning, depending on how you look at it. Long night.......too old for those shenanigans....but had a blast.

Quest protein chips dipped in picante sauce is always a winner !!!!

Well done ! Enjoy your new life. "Life seems fuller, busier, and more robust. I wish I would've had the courage to be more outgoing when I was bigger, but you know what? It's never too late and I'm taking full advantage now. Here's not not putting life on hold. Here's to taking chances. And here's to finally, putting ourselves first, even if it's just for a moment." Bamsucka !!!!!! ​There it is........the payoff. You have put into words the exact thing I've been experiencing. Feels fan-freaking-tastic, too.

I watched Guy's show a great deal, too. That and BBQ Pitmasters was a favorite. I've always enjoyed grilling. Last June I began the bariatric process that let up to an October sleeve surgery. Let me say this and reinforce it in the most emphatic of terms.........I FREAKING LOVE WHAT MY SLEEVE HAS ENABLED ME TO DO. I no longer watch those shows......not because I don't enjoy my food. Heck....I'm having some chicken tenders for breakfast that I grilled last night. Delicious and also having some sharp cheddar cheese with them. Rich flavors....excellent meal. I no longer seem to have the time to watch those shows....and my other favorites like Homeland, Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Blacklist and etc. I stay more busy now than before. I tend to spend an hour or two each day in the gym on my days off. Just not into sitting around and watching TV like before. Gonna grill some killer porterhouse steaks tomorrow night and that one steak will make three meals for me. About to make a pot of chili in a minute for my son and I to enjoy later tonight. Going to smoke some chuck roasts next week. Yup......you can certainly enjoy your food and drink down the road. You are in the hardest phase of it right now. That's all. liquid diet pre & post have safety components to them.....follow them to the letter. Somewhere around week 8 or so I began to fire up the coals and have fun in the kitchen again. I certainly don't sample all the stuff I make....stick to low carb, high Protein eats. If I have an adult beverage....it's no longer beer, but a high grade vodka or tequila mixed with some Ocean Spray Cranberry 5 calorie drink. Would I have my sleeve surgery all over again ? Hell Yes I Would !!!!!!

Wow. I stayed on liquids for 4 weeks post-op due to concerns over my new sleeve healing properly. Now....at 4 months I am having 1/2 cup size meals of chicken, steak, tuna and other fish. The 1/2 cup size meal is what the surgeon emphatically stressed I stick with. I do not eat until full. I can't stand that sensation. I take my time and eat the recommend amounts over 20 minutes per meal.

True. But I do think it is more than that. If it were just about the "coat" coming off, then it wouldn't have started on weeks one. I checked; I was still totally fat that day. It's fascinating. Lol. Inner Surfer Girl offered a very good explanation of this phenomenon experienced early on.......so much blood flow is redirected towards the surgery site in order to heal. Makes perfect sense. I remember being cold in the hospital and certainly later on at home. I was cold this morning when I got up at 5:00am....made coffee and sat by the fireplace. Took a while to warm up.....

Howdy everyone. I'm in the Augusta area and had my sleeve done locally on Oct 13, 2015. Weight is falling off and it's been a funny adventure thus far. Returned to the gym last month and it feels great to be doing so. This morning I weighed the same thing that I did as i did back in the college days. Feels great !!!!

BCBS here now, too. I believe that is the case with my current plan.

Yes......cold is sorta the new norm. We are having a very mild winter here, yet I'm always wearing a coat, it seems. What's ironic is that I used to freaking love cold weather.....hunting seasons were more fun when it was cold. Now....the idea of freezing my butt off in the woods is just not something I care to do.

Awesome answer !

Being able to exercise is what I really enjoy the most. Some injuries I was dealing with much of last year left me unable to do so and I knew enough was enough.....time to get the weight off by whatever means I could. Now.....every single trip to the gym....or a hike down the riverwalk....is a blessing. The pains I feel now are self imposed and I'm grateful to be alive to feel them.

Gonna be flying soon. Can I avoid the bs by simply going first class ????

Is there an echo in here? Is there an echo in here? I think there is...........I think there is...........I think there is...............I think there is... Knock it out.....hope it works equally well for you.

Had one of those days yesterday. I can only say that my response to the bullcrap that developed was measured and careful......only due to my efforts in the gym earlier in the morning. I find no comfort anymore from food, gratefully. I do thrive on physical contact and living in the moment. Problem there is just as you worded it..."for various reasons not always available".

I found that it was hard to stick with the initial low calorie diet my dietician put me on at the beginning stages of my bariatric process. I switched over to a low carb diet and maintained, for the most part, the low calorie aspects, too. It worked wonders. Proteins and fats keep hunger at bay. Was able to lose 55 lbs prior to surgery and it wasn't so difficult. I wish you the best.....you are in the most difficult portion now.......you'll kick azz.