NewBeginning2016

I found a ricotta bake on Pinterest that I can't wait to try. Different from the one already mentioned
8 oz of Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 large egg beaten
1 tsp of Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cups of marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan, beaten egg, seasonings together and place in a oven proof dish.
Pour marinara on top and top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake it in the oven @ 450 for about 20-25 minutes (best) or nuke it till hot and bubbly. I usually made it first in the oven and heated the leftovers in the microwave.
Serving Size:�makes 4 1/2 cup servings
Number of Servings: 4
NUTRITIONAL INFO Amount Per Serving
Calories: 227.5
Total Fat: 13.3 g
Cholesterol: 88.8 mg
Sodium: 567.5 mg
Total Carbs: 5.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
Protein: 19.1 g
VSG 6/17/2016

I found a ricotta bake on Pinterest that I can't wait to try. Different from the one already mentioned
8 oz of Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 large egg beaten
1 tsp of Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cups of marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan, beaten egg, seasonings together and place in a oven proof dish.
Pour marinara on top and top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake it in the oven @ 450 for about 20-25 minutes (best) or nuke it till hot and bubbly. I usually made it first in the oven and heated the leftovers in the microwave.
Serving Size:�makes 4 1/2 cup servings
Number of Servings: 4
NUTRITIONAL INFO Amount Per Serving
Calories: 227.5
Total Fat: 13.3 g
Cholesterol: 88.8 mg
Sodium: 567.5 mg
Total Carbs: 5.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
Protein: 19.1 g
VSG 6/17/2016

I'm two weeks out on Saturday. That first week I felt dizzy too. Would get light headed doing very little. I was wondering how can I get out and walk like this? Didn't hear of anyone else having this problem. Called my bariatric support person and she said it was the low calories. To stay hydrated and rest. This second week, I'm not light headed anymore, but I get tired very easily. I have my two week post op appt tomorrow. I know with increased calories I'll feel better.
VSG 6/17/2016

I took ya'll's advice and put a drink timer on my phone, cause I was getting all my Protein in but lacking in Fluid intake. Now I'm getting in at least 68oz a day, with a 15 minute timer and anywhere from 60 to 80g of protein..and walking.
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Another thing I would recommend for both the depression and general health and weight loss is exercise. Are you able to exercise? My favorite form of exercise is swimming. For me, getting in the Water is good for both my body and soul.

I am so sorry to hear you are still struggling.
The only thing I could suggest are to: make an appointment with your NUT to talk about your goals and strategies for reaching those goals and go back to basics.
I don't consider this a diet.
What works for me:
Track my food.
Consume at least 64 oz of Fluid a day.
Make sure I reach my Protein target every day (for me that is at least 100 grams).
Avoid starches (bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes, etc), added sugars (especially high fructose corn syrup), and fried foods.
Take my Vitamins and supplements as directed.
Exercise.
Get enough restful sleep.

I weighed in today and I am down 102 lbs! I can't describe the feeling of losing that much for the first time in my life! I love this tool so much. It's helped with so many personal and medical problems I once had to face! Everyday is a learning experience and I can't wait to see what awaits me on this life changing journey!!!

Y'all need to erase this "only" word from your vocabulary! I lost just under 40 lbs in the first 3 months and I thought I was doing great, as did my medical team. So maybe technically slower than any of you -- and yes I was a heavyweight -- but I still managed to lose over 200 lbs and get to my goal weight. It isn't a race, and comparing your weight loss to other people is generally a recipe for unhappiness. To quote Teddy Roosevelt, comparison is the thief of joy.

I am at 3 months as well. I have lost 45 lbs BUT, but... that is two clothing sizes for me! I don't care what the scale says as much as what my clothing says. I have been pulling clothes out of the closet everyday. Love, love, love it! I am wearing a size 14 for the first time in decade. I can't wait to see size 10.

I spent five days in Vegas (business conference) and am far too cheap to spend money on a buffet when I could only eat a cup or so at a time. I bought a egg, cheese, bacon on an English muffin in the morning, ate half in the am, the other half as a late lunch. I had a few bites of pizza toppings or beef Jerky for dinner and a Protein Bar in between "meals" as a snack.< /p>
A lot of walking was involved and I came home 4 pounds lighter and the tightest restriction I've had in a long while.
Since coming home, I've avoided carbs like the devil, and have tried to only eat between the hours of 1p - 8p. I can now only hold 2-3 oz of Protein and my hunger is absolutely gone. I was a grazer before because of my schedule and my restriction. Since Vegas, there is no grazing and my restriction has me down to 1/2 - 3/4 (pushing it) cup at a sitting.
I've lost 2.2 more pounds in the last 5 days effortlessly.
Rambling thoughts here, but this confirms **my belief** that sleeves don't stretch (at least mine doesn't) and post op restriction can be revitalized.
I think there really is something to intermittent fasting or 5:2 dieting.

One of the things my doctor said before the surgery was "I am operating on your stomach not your brain"
The sleeve is a tool to help us eat less but after the first 6 months the auto pilot goes off and the brain takes over.
That's when we work really hard to finding ways around the sleeve (grazing, sliders etc.) We have to face all our issues and that is more difficult for some than others. We want to be healthy and thin, that's why we have the surgery, but fighting our demons that got us to where we are is a major struggle that may never end. But hopefully we will win more often than we lose. I wish everyone strength and peace.

@@LipstickLady
It's still important to me to see the veterans here. I see less and less of them.
I can't take responsibility for peoples short or long term success. All I can do is offer my experience, suggestions and give referrals to the experts (medical professionals)
I pick and choose what I read and respond to. Its disturbing to see people wanting any excuse to not follow their surgeons plan. I hate to see (newbie or Veteran) enabling poor decisions. I won't validate anyone's poor choices. I seem just to skip over many threads because I cant say the same thing over and over.
I understand people asking for help and being honest about choices. I want to see people succeed. When they slip I want to see them get back on the horse. I will cheer them on.
It comes down to this....It's all on them to do the work. No one can do it for them.

Boy have I learned a lot on this forum. Since I don't attend a support group ( too inconvenient location) this is the place where I go to stay on task. Where would I be if people didn't post honest/ whether you like it or not opinions and facts here? I always knew when reading things from you, Babs, VSGAnn, Kindle, Elode and so many others that I could trust the information contained in the post. I am so disappointed when people who are willing to give good advice whether pleasant or not are pilloried by those who only want to hear what they want to hear.

@@LipstickLady,
Excellent post and right on point. I do my best to try to help those that don't have all the information (or that is what I will assume), but it is happening more and more every single day. You can't keep up and to your point they don't want to listen.
Yet, here I am everyday trying to answer questions, provide my experiences or offer places for them to go to get the info in an effort to help them understand what they are getting in to.
In the beginning I had my a$$ handed to me and I am grateful for it. It has kept me mostly on plan since day one.
And to your point, I am healthier and happier because of it.
I just want to say THANK YOU for all of your activity over the years I have been on here. I love your sense of humor and your quick wit when it comes to your posts.
Don't stop, if you can reach a few folks, you become successful and from what I read, you have helped a lot more than you know.
The ones that don't get it or want to listen will be back in a year looking for advice to get back on track. They are just not ready to be helped yet.

I am scared for some of these newbies and the lurkers who are reading. This fear is probably a huge part of why I don't just log off permanently.

Is it just me or does the trend seem to be "I'll eat what I want when I want no matter what my surgeon says" with other people actually coddling/recommending/applauding/defending that viewpoint?
When I joined this site, I had my @ss handed to me several times (THANK GOD!!) because I wondered why (out loud) my diet was so restrictive. I wanted permission to break some rules because it was damn hard to follow them. I never did test those waters (with the exception of a Hershey's Kiss one week post op -- it tasted like I imagine licking an ashtray would) because the experienced people scared the **** out of me with talks of leaks, tears, vomiting, and the worst? BEING A FAILURE AT WLS.
Maybe because I had my surgery in my 40s -- after decades of being fat and ready for a change -- I didn't take those words as "ganging up", "bullies", or "mean girls". Maybe it was because I knew in my head that I was being a dumbass every time I whined about wanted something salty instead of sweet. Maybe because I had the self realization that "listening to my body" put me in a place where I needed WLS, so clearly listening to me was a horrible idea...

I will never forget my first WLS seminar. There was a young girl a few rows in front of me who was scheduled for surgery the next week. When we were going over the dietary stages post op, she raised her hand and told the NUT she has a bachelorette party a week after her surgery. She TOLD this woman that she WOULD be eating wings and drinking, no matter what. It was, after all, her body and her right. I would love to know what happened to her. Ideally, they took her off the surgery schedule. Most likely, she had surgery and is still obese 3 years later.

I wish great success to anyone and everyone who has WLS. The quality of life this procedure has given back to me is worth all the coookies (sic) and crackers and french fries in the world. (Even McD's -- fresh out of the fryer!!) I hope everyone gets to experience everything they want to experience in a thinner, healthier body. I would love to hear less and less stories of people who never lost or gained it all back but I fear that those stories are just going to multiply with this new mindset.

It's a shame. It's a great big DAMN shame.

This place has REALLY slowed down. And not just this particular section, the entire site.
What a shame. A great wealth of knowledge was lost...

.

@@higher
https://www.victoriassecret.com/bras/just-in-body-by-victoria
The bras in the body by victoria collection are nice.
I have always thought VS bras were crap too, and a lot of them are because they are designed for people that don't NEED a bra, but are just wearing one. Soma has the best bras but the full coverage body by Victoria feels pretty nice. It doesn't have the lift that Soma has though.
@@KristenLe
I was getting so frustrated trying to swim, because I floated so much at the end. It is hard to swim when you float that much, you aren't getting the work out that you could. I have not been swimming since weight loss, but I should try it soon.
The skin/flab is annoying, sometimes it hurts and even makes noises. Still it is totally worth it. I can stuff it all in clothes or Shapewear and I look good. The number of people that will ever see me naked is pretty low, while the number of people that will see me fully clothed looking good is very high.
I honestly think the loose skin argument is just the final cop-out of people that are afraid of surgery. It is just like people having their family and "friends" tell them that they won't look right small. It is just stuff to hold people back from being great.

This is so reassuring. I'm in the same boat, super active and "healthy" when I was hugely overweight. 1/2 marathons and triathlons, no problem.
I'm only 6 weeks out of surgery and am down over 50 pounds from when I first walked into my doctors office. I'm not losing very fast post-op, but I honestly don't even care. Running is SO much easier now. Eating so much Protein is making me feel stronger. I am so glad I made this choice now, at a youngish age, so I can enjoy a much more active lifestyle as my kids get older. And I totally feel you on not wanting to be the fat mom!

.

I had the same issue and started boiling the chicken breast, then shredding it and adding Greek yogurt, a few grapes, and celery seed for a chicken salad. It's delicious and is much easier to go down.
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I started this journey at 260 pounds, I was unhappy.. Depressed and at an all time low, I had my surgery on the 26th of May 2016.. It's a tiny bit over the 3 month mark and after a 2 week stall I can happily say the scale went to 198.5 pounds! I had a little cry earlier when I saw it.. I just wanted to say thank you to every single one of you who post on this site and share your advice and experience, it's helped me so so much!
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My new swimsuit finally came in and I can officially go swimming now that I am 7 weeks out! Time to post your summer pics everyone!
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5 months out next week.
Starting weight: 293
Current weight: 216
Weight in 'after' picture: 220 or so
Goal: 185
Still more to go, but I've regained my energy and confidence. Went from a sz 24 pants and 2-3XL top to size 16 pants and XL top.
I can go forever now without getting tired. Simple tasks are no longer a chore. Planes are comfortable and feel like they were made to fit me. Bathrooms are more comfortable. The world doesn't have to bend to accommodate my size any more.

Good evening, this is my before and after 6 months after my surgery, I lose 113 pounds so far, good luck to all, this was the best decision of my life.
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