OzRoo

How can it be so hard to try to get fit?
I wanted to get some more motivation and ordered a Polar activity tracker as a xmas present to myself, since Santa didn't hear my wish. My requirements were that it tracks my heart rate from my wrist, records my sleep and is Water tight.
So I measure my wrist and get the size S, with some room to spare. I'm happy to get a text 2 days later that I can pick it up at the post office... wait, what?!? That's not where I wanted it shipped! It's further away than the actual store I ordered the tracker from!!
So I get on the chat and tell them it's been shipped to the wrong location. Ok, thank you, we will reship it to the correct location. I wait for the new text and again, they tell me to pick it up at the post office. So I repeat, they repeat and for the third time, they get it wrong!
Forth time the charm? Yes and no. It's a the correct location, but when I *try* to put it on, the strap is too short. It's impossible to close in a way that my fingers would have access to any blood. I wonder what the tracker would think about that? Strong heart rate or dead person?
At this time I don't have any trust for the shipping to work, so I go directly to the store. In a blizzard and freezing temperatures. I get a new (or so I thought) tracker size M after 35 minutes of waiting for service. I get home and open the box and the thing has been used! *insert favorite cuss word and multiply*
I have no patience for the chat and make a call to the customer service. The barely out of school sounding girl on the other end just suggests I go back *in the blizzard* and change it. Nope, thank you, get the sales person on the phone. He calls me a bit later and has no answer for me other than come and change it. He will give me a small gift card for my troubles.
So I go, another, but also freezing day. Try the new tracker on my wrist and check that it's unused. Get my gift card. Get home and load the tracker...
And it works!! Finally! I will get fit and track my life even closer than I have since my wls journey started. I'm a sucker for statistics and gadgets...
Now I just have to give the rowing machine a work out. It has been used as my hubbys coat rack for far too long!
Nilla

I have been getting away from commercial Protein bars for a couple of reasons. The artificial sweeteners play havoc with my system, and it seems to be getting worse. But the way things go around here, I often find myself needing portable food, sometimes on a moment's notice. I have been looking around on the interweb for Protein Bar recipes, and even did a search here (without much in the way of results). so I am asking...
Does anyone here make their own bars? Would you be willing to share a link or recipe? I am looking for something low carb, high Protein. I am not too concerned about fat content. It does not have to be ultra simple, but I don't want to have to spend an entire day making them either.

I will take dessert over pretty much anything. I guess that's why I needed WLS.

Not the beach but headed to vegas on friday. Haven't been on a vacation in more than two years and need one badly.
I will take the dessert over the beach, this time.....

Haha, it's not what you might be thinking. I am a visual kind of person. I scan for avatars even before names, and usually recognize a poster for their picture. It is bad enough with those of you who choose anonymity (and I do not blame you). But it seems a number of you ladies have chosen a beautiful tropical scene, with bright sandy beaches, palm trees, so on and so forth. You're straining my poor old eyes, not to mention my memory, trying to keep you all straight. So I have to work a little harder.
That is all. Carry on. Well, don't "carry on". It's Sunday. Behave yourselves.

I'm grateful for my last stall. I dropped a size right afterwards and am now comfortably in a 16 pant. expecting stall number 3 to start soon if it hasn't already.

I've been aware that Kindle hasn't been around for some time and, sheesh, now am seeing her farewell for the first time. Shall I speak about her or to her at this late date?
Kindle, you're good. Your comments were always well-considered, well-written and valuable. While your reason for leaving is most understandable, I wish you'd stayed and rebudgeted your expenditure of energy. It's not always easy to stick with the resolution, but it gets easier. If not that, there are vacations. I do hope you'll show up again.
All good wishes to you.

Hey stranger. I was lying here, not able to sleep so thought I'd check out the latest on BP. I did post on here about a month ago. It was my three year surgiversary and I wanted to give an update..... http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/384092-three-years-and-a-lifetime-later/
Things have been going fabulous for me over the last month or so, which is a complete turnaround from the past year and a half. The date I went on in November has evolved into a pretty serious relationship. Something I never expected or was even looking for.
I gotta say, I don't miss the BP drama, But I may check back from time to time and just stay away from the craziness and stupidity. I do enjoy hearing how all the vets are doing. As well as some of the former newbies that are all "grown up" now
Hope all is well with you.

There you go, dear @@4MRB4PHOTO
How about this ... a photo

And this old clip below, yes it is old and in poor quality, yes it says "Pal", but Spam is its cousin .....

I've become SPAM Police! So over it!
Mostly it comes from "PK", Pakistan, which is one of the world's worst spamming countries.
I just mouse underneath the Spam stupid message, click "Report", and only write "SPAM!" in the report.
Been doing it for days, often there are 5-6 Spams per day/evening, most from Pakistan with most entertaining nonsensical English, even French.
@@Alex Brecher
How is that "No Newbie links allowed" filter going?

No hair loss for me. None whatsoever, and I have a thyroid condition as well.
My hair, at close to 10 months post op is healthier, thicker and grows fast. It is better now than pre-op.
Must be all the Protein and collagen supplements, healthy diet and Vitamins I religiously take each day.
So, for me, my hair is healthy.
Went for total deforestation in the "down-under" area with laser Brazilian hair removal

My husband who had a bypass almost 11 years ago advanced stages too early, also. He had to get a scope stuck down his esophagus because he had a piece of steak stuck. He was so embarrassed, lol. But it could have been SO much worse.

Thank you!!! I was accused of "judging" and not providing a "safe space" for calling out that it's terrible advice to suggest if they can tolerate it, it's not a problem to advance their diet. It's not judging or unsafe to try to save people from hurting or killing themselves...
Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Some of us care more about strangers than, they do about themselves.
If they don't care about their life and health why should we.
People think that this is a game or just another diet. Cheating immediately post op can kill you.
I had a friend that had RNY 12 and advanced her food and ended up on a feeding tube.
People on here don't believe that fat meat is greasy.
Let them learn the hard way. I'm over it.

Welcome to Bariatric Pal?
After 3 years on this forum, I've seen hundreds of these posts. You're also going to see the indignation from the person when someone points out it may not be such a great idea. And then someone makes a thread like this ranting about said indignation.
Rinse. Repeat.

Thank you for posting your first-hand experience. I have had people in the past act like I'm being all dramatic when I say that people have died or landed in the ICU with a leak from disregarding their physician's post-op diet advancement instructions.
My surgeon kept saying, "remember, it's a little surgery on the outside, BIG surgery on the inside".
Once your suture line is healed, knock yourself out "cheating" on your diet plan. You'll only be sabotaging your success. Violate your surgeon's diet advancement instructions, and you're literally gambling with your life.

People have this very misguided notion that "cheating" on their post-op food stages is like "cheating" on a diet. IT IS NOT! You have a staple line all along your stomach that needs to heal. food particles can become trapped in those staples which can cause abscesses, which can cause leaks, which can cause death!
Trying to eat solid foods days after WLS is like trying to run a marathon days after having a knee replacement. You need to allow time to heal!

I am sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing this important information that we need to follow the plans (especially the post recovery plans).
I am equally annoyed not only at the people who blatantly violate important rules to follow post-WLS that are designed to help a surgically altered intestine and/or stomach heal properly but the enablers with no medical/surgical experience who say that it is ok not to follow these critical steps, because they did not, think it is ok to not follow or know someone who did not follow.

Kinda noticed that too, not sure how it all works in US but with us here in Glasgow it's so strict that surgeon appointment is only placed once investigation done by WM team. Psych can cancel you, dietian can cancel you and surgeon won't even look at you if they have suspected weight gain to meet targets.
It's insane.
I'm so sorry to hear of your family member.
Fridge Pickers Wear Bigger Knickers ????

So I just read yet another post about someone advancing their diet on their own too soon. This one from someone 4 days post op advancing to broccoli Soup. Probably won't kill them but it could. Then of course we get the irresponsible follow up poster saying that they too advanced their diet on their own way early and explored all kinds of foods and as long as their stomach tolerates it they see no problem with it.
Now I'm getting super frustrated, I had to put my two cents in. And perhaps I was harsh. But I watched someone die 4 years ago from doing just this.
My x mother in law had gastric sleeve surgery. At less than two weeks post op she started eating tidbits of foods she was not supposed to have, turkey, stuffing, ham, chicken in very small bites and yes chewed very well. All that didn't matter. She was fine at first. In fact showed no symptoms for days. Then she became extremely ill, with pain and fever. She had a leak which had to be repaired by surgery. After surgery she developed a serious infection and a fistula which led to the outside of her stomach. Everything she tried to drink seeped outside her stomach onto a large padded napkin that she held up to the opening of that fistula. They could not get the infection under control. They fought it for three months with the best antibiotics they had. Eventually she became septic, her organs began to fail and she passed away.
I am only 4 weeks post op VSG, you better believe I thought long and hard about having the same surgery that she had. But I can also say that I have followed my an to the T, with the exception of drinking coffee which I discussed with my surgeon beforehand.
When are people going to realize that following their diet is serious. And more so when are these idiots going to stop coming on and saying things like it's ok to explore foods early as long as you tolerate them!!!! My mother in law tolerated those foods just fine for damn near a week before she finally showed the signs of a serious leak.
Your prescribed diet plan after major stomach surgery is not just a guideline that they want you to follow so you can lose weight. It's a prescription that really can mean life or death, I've seen it with my own eyes.
Ugggggh sooooooo frustrated!!!!!!!

Wonderful News!
Happy and Healthy New Year to you @@mrsNilla

husband says that the hair that fell out of his head seeded his back.

I could stand to do a hair transplant from my back...

I will say that I was surprised to be losing hair... EVERYWHERE!!! Even in those special places. I am a little worried with people reporting that is has come back thicker. I have a "normal" amount of hair now and I don't want to look like a hedgehog later!

It's a solar powered sex machine!