Dub

I order some celery and use that to dip into the salsa & guacamole. chips have never been my friend....especially now.

Outstanding !!!!!!!!! That had to feel great !!!!

It's been very easy for me. The surgeon did a great job.....the medical care at the hospital was excellent and the simultaneous hernia repair wasn't so bad. Each step of the healing and way of eating has had unique challenges but they've gone very smoothly. I have zero complaints and zero fears about the future. The liquid diet pre-post op (6weeks for me) was very instrumental in my establishing a new way of interacting with food. If needed in the future, I'll jump back on that liquid diet in a skinny minute !!!! I've really gained confidence now as I've resumed grilling and cooking again for the family and have no problems with temptations.....not interested in carbohydrate heavy food. I'll cook it for others, but I have no desire for it. meats and some Fiber filled carbs with occasional cheeses or nuts are my staples......along with on occasional Quest bar or shake. I do admit to weighing frequently. I'm not recommending that folks do that......I'm just stupid that way......I've got to see that number every day. I don't let slight upward fluctuations freak me out.....but they do motivate me to stay on point. The absolute singular regret I have is not doing this years ago.

LoL. I sorta wondered if my surgeon has done anything the first couple weeks. Once I ate solid food......I knew he'd done his job. Two bites and was DONE !!!!!

Augusta, Georgia. Sleeved in mid October, 2015

Awesome. Things are working out well for you

Myfitnesspal helped me a lot during the preop stage. Now, I don't track my calories with an app because it's simply too easy to do from memory. Meals are small and easy to track. I'm do like my FitBit One....keep it on my keychain.

Close.......NE Georgia here

I use it in my coffee, but that's about it. I agree, though, it's an excellent product.

@@destiny_77 I had an abdominal hernia repair done at the same time as my sleeve. The hernia was the only source of pain and soreness. The sleeve felt fine from the recovery room to right now. It took a couple of days to get the surgical meds flushed outa my system. Stuff had me drowsy and lethargic. It took over a week to get most of the surgery related inflammation flushed out, too. Somewhere around week 3 I started to have issues with low blood pressure. It was low for the first time in my adult life. Low because of the fast weight loss that sped up on the pre-op & post-op liquid diet. The doc cut my blood pressure meds way down and those odd feels were done and I was instantly good to go. The really good feeling showed up around week 8-9. I think the weight loss had reached a point where my back and knees were getting good relief and I was seeing the benefits to the surgery. Improved vascularity, happy state of mind and overall relief knowing that 2016 was going to be the best year I've seen finally set in. The pre-op periods sucks. The first month afterwards is hum-drum.......everybody gets sick of the liquid life. Somewhere shortly after that, though, normal sleeve life takes over and the improvements become evident and grow from there. Hang in there and stick with your program. You'll be so far past the "no fun" part of the deal really soon..............

1100 ft of elevation gain would've fount me deader'n'hell. Much respect !!! Flatlander, here. Thankfully flatlander.

I'm telling you right now.....right here......that would be a blast for me. One funny aspect to the event.........it would be more of a meal of appetizers due to our low food intake. Works for me.....already got a menu in mind. All appetizers. Also some skinny B.L.D.'s (big liquor dranks for those who partake........don't worry....there will be strong coffee brewing when the sun comes up). How ironic....a meal for bariatric friends that I could go all out on. I'm so down with this. Be right back......busting out a few walls and doing some sheetrock work to add more sleeping space and getting day passes at my gym for everyone 'cause ya'll are some active folks who I have to keep busy while I fire up dem coals. Just kidding....I'd hire somebody that can actually BBQ & cook and leave me outa of it......I'll tend the bar and enjoy every minute of it !!!!!!!!!!!!!

From early on in the liquid pre-op diet, I was able to get 100% of my desire for sweets in my Calcium citrate chews. Bariatric Advantage Chewy bites 500's. chocolate Chocolate-Peanut Butter Caramel assorted fruit flavors, too.....which I now prefer. I"m not into the sweets much anymore. I can't speak highly enough about this product. Excellent. I really looked forward to my 3/day+ Calorie free Jello is another. coffee is with Splenda & Fairlife milk or Fairlife chocolate milk is another source of great flavors that tides me over nicely.

My honest advice.......do whatever you have to do to get your surgery.......get healed up.....get active walking..........then walk far away from that dude. Leave him in your wake and focus on yourself and your daughter. Involve the police as needed and set your course for a better situation. What a prick !

@@sbg224 you are doing great. Just looked at your stats on left of your post......current BMI of 34.9 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This done and then a total knee replacement just recently. Amazing......sleeve & knee replacement in the same year? Awesome strategy. You are gonna feel like The 6 Million Dollar Woman once that knee heals up. My stats are on the left of my post, too. They pretty much tell the story. Life is good. 2015 was a year that has closed out well and 2016 is looking like it'll be off to a great start.

Salmon is great on the grill. Run it at 350.....rub some olive oil all over it.......lightly hit it with a mixture of sea salt & fresh ground pepper. After a few minutes then brush on a glaze. Frank's Red Hot Sweet Chili Sauce is perfect. (It's not hot) Now if you really want to cook something tasty an easy........try some Ahi tuna on the stove top. Superfast......super tasty and loaded with great Protein that we all need.

Schedules are tough....but at least they are easier to manage as the health continues to improve. I work 12 hour rotating shifts and used to feel dead on my feet after work....stumble into bed and done. Rinse & repeat daily. That was just working the normal schedule. Now, I find myself doing all sorts of stuff after work and my days off are much more packed with active living. The gym time has finally come for me and the energy I got from yesterday's session has me amped up and feeling better today. I'll have to find a way to make it work. Gym time on work days is going to be tough.....but I'll figure out a way.

I can't eat it. There are few foods that I don't truly enjoy.....I'm cursed that way. Cottage cheese, however, is one that I can live the rest of my days and never eat again. I don't know why I'm like that, but I can't stand the stuff. My list of foods that I'll never eat: Cottage cheese Bologna any organ: liver, gizzards, etc green peas Foods that I love: Damn near everything else...............

Awesome reference......took me back to Ghostbusters. One of my fellow linemen on the high school football team had that nickname, "Stay-Puft". Coach was mean with his nicknames sometimes. LMAO ! Hahaha! I'm excited that I could wear a purple dress now without looking like a giant grape. My college colors are Purple & Gold. When I'd go to the games the past few years I felt like Barney the Purple Dinosaur in my purple clothes.

Very, very, very normal. I was the same way. Guess what?......later on you can still feel little restriction with some of the foods that made us what we are today......ice cream, pudding, Desserts and etc. Good, nutritious chicken breast, tuna, salmon, steak and other Proteins will fill you up in just a few bites. That's why they go first......and frequently throughout your day. Even with the sleeve, we still have to be cognizant of the type of foods we consume. Life this next year or so is all about Protein and supplements. You are going do great.

I tend to go overboard when discussing a topic that I get overly enthused about............not just food.....but grilled food. I freaking love it. I was very, very pleased to get back to grilling work a couple weeks back. I'm seriously lagging somedays on my Protein intake. Having an abundance of grilled food around makes that less likely to occur. Even a George Foreman grill indoors with some fresh boneless chicken breasts is great for me. I have a ball playing with different rubs and sauces.....keeping in mind that both can be loaded with sodium and sugar calories. I posted some pics recently in the "food" section of the forum.......and will do the same tomorrow when I fire up the coals to make some football eats just before the 4:00pm kickoff.

I have a very sneaky suspicion that we'll hit our goal weight and look back and be amazed that it happened so fast. Look what you've done in 4 months. Now give it 8 more and see where you can be...... It is an intoxicating thought when you consider how much progress is occurring every week....even though it may seem slow. You are doing great.

I'm tempted to get started............. But I'll have to let this on simmer for now with my short version. Acquire charcoal and meat........and grill your back out. You can't go wrong.

I hate discussing the numbers anywhere but on here. It irritates the crap outa me when folks get hung up on the numbers. I usually deflect a bit and just say something like, "A lot....but a heap more to go". That's not enough for some folks, though. They've just got to hear a number. Most everyone means well with their questions. I try too give them the reassuring answers that let them know I do not have cancer or the bird flu but have been actively trying to lose weight and then flip the conversation around on them as soon as I see an opening. That usually takes care of it. Usually. For those that persist on gleaning the numbers.......I suggest a choke slam or swift chop to their throat...............or......... give them the damn numbers and move on.

Proud of you, young lady. Getting some serious cardio in and kicking the sleeves to the curb. Gotta love this sleeved life.