Ashlegal

bread is the bane of my existence. Bittersweet. I have always considered a slice of toast, chunk of fresh baguette, a bagel with cream cheese, etc, to be a perfectly acceptable meal. But it is not and since I started my WLS journey bread has not even been in my house.
That doesn't mean I haven't craved it, hunted the internet for a reasonable substitute or sifted through hundreds of "bread" recipes on Pinterest.
Then I came across a post on another forum where a member was RAVING about a recipe for "cloud bread." She said it was awesome, amazing and we should all give it a try.
And I did. And it was amazing. I had chicken salad on a couple of "slices" and it felt like be reunited with a long lost friend.
Here is the recipe, try it, you won't regret it..
CLOUD BREAD
2 eggs Separated
2 oz Cream Cheese
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 300′.
Separate eggs. Whites in one bowl, yolks in another.
Add cream cheese to yolks and mix until smooth. In the other bowl add cream of tartar to whites, and beat with hand mixer on high until fluffy and peaks form.
Carefully add the yolk mixture to the white mixture and fold to combine
tupperware overnight. Like Magic they turn into “buns”.
Enjoy!
 

@@jillofalltrades203
That is what I take, 20 mg's and that was suggested (more like required) by my surgeon. I think honestly, if it something that sent you home with instructions to take, then you should probably do it.
EVERY STORE, EVERY WHERE carries 20 mg generic Prilosec OTC. They are small pills (but half them if you feel more comfortable) and take them at the same time everyday as it makes them more effective with no break through acid to worry about.

I did mark competetive eater off of my bucket list. It was worth it.

You can't have your cake and eat it too, literally and figuratively.
You either want and are committed to one person or you don't.
It is okay if you don't and it is okay if you want multiple partners.
However, it is not okay to hurt others or to break the hearts of those that care.
At some point or another, you'll be on the other end of the cheater/cheatee relationship; it is just a matter of time.
You reap what you sow.

I explained to those with negative comments that WLS was MY tool to lose weight and get healthy. Just like many of them have used Weight Watchers, Atkins, Jenny Craig etc, to lose weight; I am using a tool to help me lose weight.
In the end it is YOUR life, YOUR decision, YOUR health and if you are letting others help make those kinds of decisions, how happy will you ever be?

You are putting too much pressure on yourself. 126 pounds in a year is a tremendous accomplishment and you deserve to give yourself a huge pat on the back for getting to this point.
There are "stalls" in the process, I am only five weeks out and had my first stall a week ago and I am sure there are more to follow.
If you are doing everything that is being asked of you, why do you feel it is not enough? Could it be that way because you have emotional struggles that need to be addressed by a therapist? Or could it be that you are comparing yourself to a version of yourself that may not exist (for the time being). Or is it that you have established muscle which weighs more than fat and switching your exercise routine may be the answer?
Instead of beating yourself up, look for solutions in unexpected places. Maybe visit your nutritionist and get some feedback about your diet; she/he may suggest something different. Stress, sadness, the feeling of being overwhelmed won't make the scale tip in the direction you want. It may also contribute to weight gain and even worse a general feeling of malaise that will lead you down the path of turning to food for comfort.
It is going to be okay and the number on the scale does not define who you are, your worth or take away any of your previous successes.

1 pound ground beef 1 pound ground pork½ cup almond flour½ cup grated Parmesan cheese⅓ cup Water1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes¾ teaspoon garlic powder¾ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon dried oregano½ teaspoon onion powder¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
I used the above recipe two nights ago and it was great! I did use ground beef but ground turkey would be an okay substitute. I froze the ones I wasn't intending on using right away.

I enjoyed them over some zoodles! It definitely satisfied any "Italian food" craving I may have had.

Imagine waking up in a ton of pain, in the hospital, feeling like crap and being told by the surgeon, "unfortunately your liver was too big to complete the surgery, we are going to have to try again when you lose more weight."
So there you are poked, prodded, dehydrated, tired, sick, in pain and not on your way to a new you.
That is what happens when people don't lose the required weight, that is happens when they don't have all that stupid information, support or resources.
Good luck with that.

1 pound ground beef 1 pound ground pork½ cup almond flour½ cup grated Parmesan cheese⅓ cup Water1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes¾ teaspoon garlic powder¾ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon dried oregano½ teaspoon onion powder¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
I used the above recipe two nights ago and it was great! I did use ground beef but ground turkey would be an okay substitute. I froze the ones I wasn't intending on using right away.

I enjoyed them over some zoodles! It definitely satisfied any "Italian food" craving I may have had.

Yes!
I was the girl for many years that said "I never get cold and I am always hot!" And I was always hot. I live in Arizona and we don't get much of a winter but even when the temps would dip in the 40's I would keep a window open. Otherwise I would burn up under covers while trying to sleep, in the kitchen while cooking or even just lounging on the couch watching TV. I never understood people who wore slippers around the house or socks to bed.
Guess what? I put layers on while hanging out around the house, I put slippers on and wear socks to bed. I feel like I can never get warm enough!

Yes!
I was the girl for many years that said "I never get cold and I am always hot!" And I was always hot. I live in Arizona and we don't get much of a winter but even when the temps would dip in the 40's I would keep a window open. Otherwise I would burn up under covers while trying to sleep, in the kitchen while cooking or even just lounging on the couch watching TV. I never understood people who wore slippers around the house or socks to bed.
Guess what? I put layers on while hanging out around the house, I put slippers on and wear socks to bed. I feel like I can never get warm enough!

@@viaasskick
It isn't rude. You assign a tone of voice when you are reading the comments left.
I don't want anyone to fail at WLS and if that means I don't sugar coat how hard the process is, or how dedicated you need to be or how challenging the journey is, then so be it.
This is a HUGE decision one that is so much more than just losing weight. It is a radical change in a person's life, it is a total turn around from where they have been for many, many years and it never gets easy, just easier.
The program is designed to a. see how dedicated you are to your WLS success, b. prepare you for the dramatic change that occurs, c. give you invaluable resources and d.) keep you focused on your goals. Without it you are setting yourself up for a hard difficult road that will ultimately end in failure.
This is not an EASY solution to a problem. This is not a cure all, a quick fix, a magical means to get skinny. It is going to be one of the most difficult decisions you have ever made for yourself and it deserves everything you have. You have to throw yourself into this decision with all your heart, all your mind and all your body. It is all or nothing.

Imagine waking up in a ton of pain, in the hospital, feeling like crap and being told by the surgeon, "unfortunately your liver was too big to complete the surgery, we are going to have to try again when you lose more weight."
So there you are poked, prodded, dehydrated, tired, sick, in pain and not on your way to a new you.
That is what happens when people don't lose the required weight, that is happens when they don't have all that stupid information, support or resources.
Good luck with that.

I am five months and 9 days post-op. I have lost 85 pounds, five pant sizes, 4 top sizes and five dress sizes.
I started at 5'2 289 pounds. I am anticipated being in onderland soon! Hopefully by the time I head out on my cruise next month!

I am five months and 9 days post-op. I have lost 85 pounds, five pant sizes, 4 top sizes and five dress sizes.
I started at 5'2 289 pounds. I am anticipated being in onderland soon! Hopefully by the time I head out on my cruise next month!

My mother used to tell me "just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

I know many of you won't care but because I am so excited, I had to share; I was lucky enough to get tickets to see Adele!!!
That is all.

I have been going to concerts since I was eleven when my dad took me to see the Rolling Stones. Since then I have been to close to a hundred big name shows and about three dozen live local shows. Every show I have ever been to I have bought a shirt and they were a huge part of my wardrobe; I took very good care of them, made them look cool with jeans, shorts, little skirts, tights, boots, flats, heels, scarves,cardigans, blazers, etc.
Obviously the ones I bought when I was much younger (early teens) didn't fit for very long but then in the last three years, none of them fit well. It felt as if a piece of my identity grew too small for me and it made me sad. I sealed them up, boxed them up and stored them away.
Last night as I was pulling out the last of my Halloween goodies, locating Thanksgiving/Christmas "stuff", I decided I'd bring the box of concert T's in to see if any of them would fit.
All but a dozen or so looked good. Not just fit but look good. I was stoked! And I know that once they get too big, I'm going to make a quilt for my King Size bed out of them! Then I'll start collecting ones in a size that I can strut until the threads wear out.

I was able to "fit" into jewelry that I was never able to comfortably wear due to my weight. This morning I put on a Bracelet bought by my husband two anniversaries ago, that was only wore once and a ring my mother bought me for graduation almost four years ago that was never worn.
I can finally accessorize!

I hopped in my husband's beater around town truck to take my dogs to the park. Now normally because I am so short I have to move the seat up so I can reach the peddles, the steering wheel, radio and gear shift. And normally I have to do this standing inside the door because my belly was too big to reach the manual lever located underneath the seat.
Today I got in totally forgetting that step for a second I almost jumped out but instead I went for it. And guess what? I was able to comfortably reach underneath me and move my seat up! I was so excited! I felt like a total weirdo with tears in my eyes heading towards the dog park.

I am five months and 9 days post-op. I have lost 85 pounds, five pant sizes, 4 top sizes and five dress sizes.
I started at 5'2 289 pounds. I am anticipated being in onderland soon! Hopefully by the time I head out on my cruise next month!

I am five months and 9 days post-op. I have lost 85 pounds, five pant sizes, 4 top sizes and five dress sizes.
I started at 5'2 289 pounds. I am anticipated being in onderland soon! Hopefully by the time I head out on my cruise next month!

In the mornings Breakfast comes in two stages.
First stage is four ounces of 2% Fairlife Milk. I keep a couple of coffee mugs in the freezer and they keep my milk cold as I sip on the milk. Even slightly less than ice cold milk is yuck!
When the rest of the family is waking up, needing Breakfast, coffee, lunches made and what not; I usually have some form of egg (usually lightly scrambled) with some shredded cheese, a little hot sauce and a few small bites of Turkey sausage (or Turkey bacon).
I stay pretty full from about 6-10 between the milk, the eggs and the turkey.
By ten I'm starting to feel hungry and will then snack on either a cheese stick, a Babybel or Tillamook cheese snack.
At lunch (between 12-1) I will have a Laughing Cow cheese wedge, spread over two thin slices of either turkey or chicken from my local deli. I usually dip them in Spicy Mustard. I don't ever need more than that but sometimes I will eat another half cheese stick. Sometimes I have shrimp (steamed from home) dipped in homemade cocktail sauce or chicken salad from my grocer. Sometimes I will eat the chicken (or egg or tuna) salad with a few Wheat Thins.
By three or three thirty I will have a Greek Yogurt. I aim for no more than 10 grams of sugar, no less than 12 grams of Protein and no more than 100 calories. This gives me lots of options. Chobani Simply 100, Dannon Light and Fit, Oikos Triple Zero. Some flavors work well with PB2 powder (Jiffy makes one that has equal nutritional value) and with that I can up my Protein intake from 12 to 16 or 17 grams of protein.
dinner is always varied but centers around lean Proteins and well cooked non-starchy veggies (green Beans, asparagus, zucchini, squash). Last night I roasted a whole chicken in my dutch oven, had a slice of that with a quarter of mashed sweet potato and a few fresh (steamed) green Beans with lemon and pepper.
My nutritional goals are at this time to consume no more than 50 grams of carbs, 600-800 calories, 20 grams of sugar and at least 50 grams of protein. I have steadily lost 2-5 pounds a week since surgery, I have never been constipated, thrown up or lethargic.
This works for me, it may not work for anyone else but my surgeon, my PCP and my NUT are happy with my plan.

Don't think of it as giving up your favorite food look at is a gaining a new life. New experiences, better health, exciting conquests and you'll look amazing!
Your favorite foods are just comforts they are not necessities. They can easily be replaced with healthier options that don't taste any worse. You like cheeseburgers? You can have a turkey burger without all the bread, wrap it in lettuce, put on your favorite low-fat Condiments and yum, yum. You want tacos? Take ground turkey, cook it up like you would ground beef and have a taco salad without the tortilla. And there really are a plethora of foods you can have in moderation that you don't have to give up after surgery.
The first month will fly by, then the second and by the third you will have adjusted to a new way of life. And all those burdens of being overweight will melt away. You won't need food to comfort you, you'll have a whole new set of adventures to keep you busy!

I work with a woman who had Sleeve surgery eighteen months ago. I would have never known she has had WLS as she is a large woman who eats whatever she wants, whenever she wants and takes no caution to her diet.
During a luncheon last week she commented on my plate of food. A small piece of chicken, a few cubes of cheese, and some olives. A tiny toddler sized portion of food, especially compared to the loaded plates of those around me.
She said and I quote "I'm glad your surgery is working for you, mine failed me and I am thinking about suing the surgeon."
As she stuffed food into her mouth.
I was so annoyed, I excused myself and went to my desk to finish eating my plate.
It annoys me because this type of "behavior" spreads the misinformation already ignorantly discussed in our culture about WLS.
Instead of her failing herself, her tool and her decision; her surgery is marked as the failure.