stacyrg1

I make a Greek chicken salad with:
chicken breast
Greek yogurt
Red onion
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Greek olives
Feta cheese
It is super high Protein and delicious. I also make a curry chicken salad Silat to yours except I add red onion, celery, and golden raisins. I love so high Protein chicken salad and eat it all the time

I started running 4 months after surgery, did my first 10k 8 months after surgery and ran my first 1/2 marathon 2 days before my first surgiversary. In that time period, I also had my gallbladder removed. Good luck with your training!

I've run 2 half marathons and numerous 10ks since my surgery 18 months ago. Hydration and food has not been a problem. I make sure to eat a meal with a mix of Protein and carbs before a race (I favor overnight oats with Greek yogurt or Greek yogurt with peanut butter). During a race I make sure to drink at regular intervals and on longer runs I use shot bloks, 1 blok every 2-3 miles. Good luck!!

I'm 2 years post surgery and have been drinking through straws since I was 6 weeks out. In fact, I've walked into my surgeon's office drinking iced tea from Starbucks with a straw and he didn't say a single word. I'm sure you didn't do any damage.

@Bufflehead- this is exactly the conversation I'm having with my therapist. She thinks I've developed a bit of OCD since I weigh, measure and record everything. I also still follow all the "rules" that I believe make a successful WLS patient: Protein first, no drinking with food, etc. She would like me to have a more natural relationship with food. I tell her that I LIKE the control my behaviors give me over a drug that I abused for far too long and that deviating terrifies me. Are there days where logging is a drag? Yeah. Are there meals I eat that defy logging? You bet. But, for the most part, when I decided to have surgery I made a deal; I traded eating without thought for eating mindfully. It was more than a fair trade for the life I have now and don't see me changing a thing for the foreseeable future!

I make a Greek chicken salad with:
chicken breast
Greek yogurt
Red onion
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Greek olives
Feta cheese
It is super high Protein and delicious. I also make a curry chicken salad Silat to yours except I add red onion, celery, and golden raisins. I love so high Protein chicken salad and eat it all the time

I'm 2 years post surgery and have been drinking through straws since I was 6 weeks out. In fact, I've walked into my surgeon's office drinking iced tea from Starbucks with a straw and he didn't say a single word. I'm sure you didn't do any damage.

One word for you. Wax.

You say that at six months you were "allowed so much more"...
You weren't forced to have more...
Why not go back to the way things were in the first six months...
Obviously you're not ready to make the change...
The mental game is just as important as the physical...
Go back, get your head right and move on only when YOU are ready...
Of course, I don't know nuthin' about nuthin'...
But it might be worth a crack...
Good luck @@sbg224
Keep us posted...

It's an interesting phenomenon. In the past, whenever I've lost a significant amount of weight, I've felt judgmental and even superior about other's weight problems. Why can't they get that under control like I did? And then, of course, my weight would come back on and my holier than thou attitude would have to stop. Now that my weight is down as a result of weight loss surgery (and a lot of hard work), I still notice other people's weight; but this time I'm less judgmental. Maybe I'm older, wiser, and a little more mature. Or maybe I realize that without the surgery, I'd probably be just like them. So what I feel now is... empathy. Sometimes I want to share my WLS experience with them, but unless they're already a friend, I don't dare bring it up because that would be presumptuous. But when my severely overweight friends tell me how great I look now, and how they wish they could lose weight too, it's a perfect opening. Then I offer to take them to lunch or dinner and share the good, the bad, and the ugly about bariatric surgery – but no pressure! Four people have taken me up on it, and two have gone through with the surgery. And I'm so proud of how well they're doing. I guess my point is that when we have success with this process, we are in a fantastic position to help others. And that sure beats feeling superior and/or judgmental!

I think 1500 of calcium citrate is standard for bariatric patients. I was told to take 500 3x per day and if I get more from food, all the better. I have osteopenia, so I would not want to take less. My friend has severe osteoporsis
because she has not been taking Calcium and was sleeved a week after me.

Almost 2 years post op. I went from a 22 to a 2-4 in pants and a small/medium in tops.

Hi CA Folks.... The SF Bay Area meetup is planning a walk across the new SF Bay Bridge April 2. Please join if you can.
http://www.meetup.com/SF-WLS-Group/
Join our group and I will post the walk details in the next few days.

Almost 2 years post op. I went from a 22 to a 2-4 in pants and a small/medium in tops.

Almost 2 years post op. I went from a 22 to a 2-4 in pants and a small/medium in tops.

Almost 2 years post op. I went from a 22 to a 2-4 in pants and a small/medium in tops.

Almost 2 years post op. I went from a 22 to a 2-4 in pants and a small/medium in tops.

Almost 2 years post op. I went from a 22 to a 2-4 in pants and a small/medium in tops.

I was leaving work yesterday after a long day.
Tired. Ready to get to my vehicle and make the interstate commute home. Was already thinking about my playlist for the ride home.
I am a production supervisor in a large manufacturing plant. At one time, I seemed to know everyone there....and know them fairly well. The place has expanded and grown significantly over the years. Lots of new faces.
So, I'm walking down the main aisle with my tired mind lost in my thoughts about my music and a couple phone calls I needed to make to arrange some schedule changes. Waving at and speaking briefly with some folks as I walked on by. Nearing the main plant entrance I hear a horn blow and look back and see a dude riding up on his material handling cart. He's a big guy, too. Appears to be fairly tall, young and really, really heavy. He's taking off his work gloves and extending his hand.
We introduce ourselves and he said he's seen me around the plant and I'd been losing a large amount of weight and he was simply hoping I'd share how with him.
I was straight up with him and gave him a fast rundown of the my sleeve surgery process and how, where, why it unfolded like it did. I was 100% honest with him and broke down the costs and how our insurance was not so great.....covering only 50% of the actual surgery cost, but not the related tests and things that are required. I told him how it was actually significantly cheaper for me to have self funded the deal. Crazy scenario, but true. I urged him to pursue a couple different avenues for finding out further information on how to fund the surgery.
He had very specific questions as to what I could eat, what I could take for meds and what I could drink. He wanted to know what days off were like and what working days felt like.
We talked for at least 30 minutes and I tried to think of the the things he'd not asked that I could answer, too.
He thanked me profusely and I can say that I instantly felt like the last 14 hour workday was erased.....I had recharged my batteries. I felt absolutely great. I can only hope that he'll be able to sort things out and find out the information that he needs to find out to better make his battle plan.
So....I'm almost out the main entrance....but then veer on a new course. I stopped off at the nice gym we have at work and spent 30 mins working out before refilling my 30 oz water bottle and getting in the car for the well hydrated ride home.
Life is good. I am grateful for each day....but yesterday was really cool. I looked at this guy and could see in him the same desire to change that I had......the same confusion as to how......and I'm hoping that things will line up for him. I know that our HR department and our benefits are lacking in regards to wls. I need to study up on the various financing options and have this information readily available....contact info and such so I can be better prepared for the next such conversation I have with potential wls candidates.
Thanks for reading my ramblings.
I hope that today brings another such conversation with someone like this young guy. I hope that each of you have this experience and can feel a sense of calm and relief in the person you are talking to. It is a powerful moment and one that is very rewarding.
To date, it's one of the very best NSV's I've had.

I am almost 2 years post VSG and after a lot of advice decided to try dating again. I was talking with someone I met on an online site and things seemed to be going well so we decided to meet for coffee. It was . . . Interesting. First he was a bit late because he "fell asleep" and woke up late so he had to rush to get there. Second, and this was the interesting part to me, he was chunkier than he appeared in his photo. I found myself being a little judgmental about that. Then I had to reign myself in thinking "who are you to judge someone by weight or appearance?" I get that attraction, or what makes someone attractive is a very subjective thing, but I was mad at myself for judging this person based solely on appearance (I won't lie, the fact that he was late also plays into it). I don't think it will matter in this case since he apparently didn't find me appealing either (he hasn't contacted me). In my mind I keep saying "hey buddy, what's wrong? Isn't size 2 with a good personality good enough for you??" But I still found my immediate reaction to him interesting. I never thought I would be so judgy!

I'm thinking that him not being upfront about his physical appearance is the root of your disatisfaction with him. He probably considers his weight gain as being unattractive and a fault for women, so he's trying to get women to meet him in person and get to know him before crossing him off simply because of his weight.
Honestly speaking, isn't that the mentation that we have all lived with for way too long?
He just hasn't owned up to his weight gain--yet and you not only have acknowledged your weight, but are dealing with it.
I think that is the reason, why you got those "negative vibes" at first appearance. It's not that he was overweight. It was because he failed to take responsibility for it and didn't think anyone could possibly be attracted to him with the extra weight. He "sold you short" before ever even meeting you.
You've been there--Done that. We all have.

We all have a type, first thing I was thinking was he should have an accurate online pic just to be honest. Well and also be on time.

I don't think you should feel bad. Physical appearance plays a huge role in attraction and you are either attracted or you're not. You went based off how his pic looked and he didn't appear the way you expected him to, regardless of the reason why he looked different (weight, acne, bad hair, dirty nails - my pet peeve, etc). You shouldn't feel bad about being honest about your attraction to someone.

At least you got back out there, and there are some good ones, I am told. I find myself judging too sometimes, at least thinking why don't they do something about their weight. Look at me I did not do anything for 30 years, so you are right, I tell myself who am I to judge, but I think it is human nature.

I'd say that "falling below expectations" (which he set by using a photograph that doesn't match his current appearance) was probably a big factor in your response to him.