southbound

Suffered through the same thing yesterday at my inlaws. Their methods of cooking are very different than mine and I nibbled on turkey, and "pink salt"... the rest was not my friend. Next year I will have a stash of cheese and salami in my purse!! Or something like that. Plain Water makes me yuck too. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

I got the blaze today... so far I love it!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

I'm going to suggest the Syntrax along with everyone else! The nectars are great (my fav was the pink grapefruit with a little salt...not a sweet person) and the matrix are super good! I ordered some for myself for Christmas and for my 14 year old son who is begging for Protein for working out. If you follow some of the syntrax ambassadors on Instagram you can get 40% off your first order with a code. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

No everyone does not get a drain. That is Surgeons preference. I had one...I hated it! It slowed me down. Make a list of questions and take them with you. Get them answered before surgery date...even if you have to set an appointment. I was very fortunate in my surgeons nurse was super helpful in answering all my craziness. And believe me there were tons of crazy questions! Sleeve 10/4/16 down 46 pounds Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

I still cook the same food I did before. I still pick up takeout for my son and husband. I make a healthy choice or eat before I go. I am a picky picky eater so it's easier for me just to grab a stick of cheese with turkey and not eat the junk they want. Mind you, they eat deer meat and fish...we rarely buy meat. But they do like it fried. To me ...meat and cheese everyday is heaven...they are my favs! You had the surgery and even though you want them to eat better and make better choices, you can't force them. Use your tool...the head is the worst part of it...you can do this. Prove to them it works and that you can't be swayed. You got this!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

I cooked like normal, but added "couvillion" to my menu. This is a Cajun fish stew served over rice...it's so good! I got a bowl of it made up of mostly fish (no rice) and ate what I could! I didn't feel the least bit guilty! I did taste a piece of turkey, it was dry so I had to dip it in gravy to avoid choking(I didn't cook it) I also took a tiny bite of homemade cheesecake, but it tasted off, so that was out. We had 20 people at our house and only three of them are aware of my surgery and we got through it all with no one noting my lack of eating. I even have lost three pounds in the last two days! I made it to "one"derland!!! Wooohooooo! VSG 10/4/16 SW: 239 CW: 199 GW: 145 Height: 5'5" Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

Cooking the whole thing...as usual...asked my mother in law to make butter Beans and mac and cheese one year and you would have thought I asked her to make a seven course meal. Mind you she doesn't work...and I do! But that's ok...I got this! This year I am adding Coubillion to my menu. It's a tomato based fish stew that is served over rice (I'm skipping the rice). Of course I will have ham and turkey too. But I'm such a picky eater, they will never notice I'm not gobbling everything! Y'all have a happy thanksgiving! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

For me the worry about the pain was wayyyy worse than the pain. I bounced right back...at six days out I drove 45 minutes to my sons last 8th grade football game. You will do fine! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

I just sold my horses, but will get them again in the future. I was preparing for WLS surgery and in the near future an Achilles repair surgery. I have a good friend who has horses so as soon as I'm down a few more... we will be riding all the time. Gotta fit in my saddle first! Looking forward to mine and Hubbs 20th anniversiary trip to SAN Juan. Flying was freaking me out when I thought I would have to have an extender. It is like the honeymoon we never had, no kids, the beach, a cruise...I cannot wait. My best friends were picking out sexy outfits at Victoria's Secret Saturday saying oooh you are gonna need this for your cruise! And... I bought a size Large shirt at Old Navy!!! From a xxl! Wooohoooo! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

Are you on a PPI? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

The PA at my doc told me "good luck, see you in a year when you can't absorb Vitamins and are dehydrated." Ummm ... idiot! We are all behind you. Our stats are similar, I'm 5'5" and started at 239...down to 202. Surgery was 10/4. Do what's best for you! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

Perfect! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

I'm almost two months out, my mom still doesn't know. I'm 39...and I don't plan on telling her. I don't see her very often and she thinks WLS is the easy way out. Tell that to some one who hasn't had it, huh!?! I only told my best friend(she's my person) and my husband and my oldest son. Everyone else thought it was a hernia repair...it was, just a little more than that! . My husband was initially against it because he had talked to people who were "experts" because they knew someone who had it. But 36 pounds later...he's a firm believer! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

Drain was miserable! I am 6 weeks out and if I turn funny it still twinges. But it gets better! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

I'm in!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

My gp's PA was a complete horses butt. I had to get off the HCTZ in my BP meds for dehydration issues. When I went in he asked why, I explained that I was having the gastric sleeve. He mouthed off "good luck we will see you in a year when you can't absorb nutrients and are malnourished and sick". Really, because it's not a malabsorption surgery-duuuhhhh! I just now request to see a different doctor because he is obviously not educated enough to be my doc!!! I've heard all kinds of things that are silly. And before I was educated I even said a few of the stupid things. My friend snuck off to Mexico and didn't tell a soul... I was so hurt... probably because I would have liked to have gone too! But it's all good now-the losers bench is a great place to be! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

@@FrankiesGirl I used to dress them up for Christmas until one of my boys cried because he thought daddy killed Rudolph! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

I'm with you on the house thing...Planning a move to another state in the next year. Still need to sell the one I'm in, but the looking at what's available now is obsessive. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App It is soooo addictive! And the scary thing is that 99% of the houses I'm seeing are just... horrible. And I don't mean their paint choices or terrible furniture. Just ugly or gross layouts and no flow for the rooms or well thought out placement of the house itself in the landscape. Stuff you can't fix easily if at all... Oh girl... If you only knew what I've seen. The worst one for me was the really pretty from the outside traditional looking house that the owners decided to tile the entire downstairs level... in cheap 6-inch ceramic bathroom tile. In white, with accent tiles in maroon and forest green. Over a two thousand square feet of obvious bathroom tile through the entry, living room, den, dining room and kitchen. And they thought it would be cute to put tiles on the front kicks of the stairs. And painted the entire lower level dark, dark DARK green. And the living room/great room area had a wallpaper border of wolves with Indian maidens (see attached image for the general idea). This was not a house in the Southwest U.S., and the owners did not have a drop of Native American blood from the looks of them, but we were told the wife felt she might have been an Indian Princess in a past life, and decided to decorate the house to reflect what she thought was "Native American flavor." SO imagine an entire house designed around this idea, and with questionable decorating methods, a heavy emphasis on stereotyping, and just plain terrible taste. I'm restraining myself from contributing further comment on that. The kitchen cabinets had been "distressed" by owner as well. I'm pretty sure that involved her grabbing a hammer at some point and beating them randomly with it and then slapping a few coats of paint (more dark wall paint - with no sealer) on them an then using a very linty rag to wipe the paint to expose the original cabinet color (which was white). But it was very, very obvious that it was a amateur that did the distressing. The entire downstairs felt like a YMCA locker room from the 1970s in a slasher movie - dark and claustrophobic and echo-y. With airbrushed wolves, horses, teepees and Indian maidens and other random "authentic" decor. While most of the horror was cosmetic, the sheer amount of things that would need to be replaced completely or redone - all flooring, all walls painted - the upstairs was *quite colorful* as well, complete kitchen gutting, "designer" color fixtures - meant it was a big no for us even if the layout had been good (it wasn't). But it was one that left our buyer's agent speechless when we first walked in (it was a "hey this house is for sale and it's a good location/specs sound good" situation and no pics up on the website yet so we didn't know what to expect). We knew instantly we didn't want to even consider a lowball offer, but had to go look through the rest of the house just to see if it really was all that bad... yup, it was. Hey!!! That's my house! Just kidding. Mine is full of my husbands deer mounts, turkeys, ducks... it's great. <-- sarcasm at its best. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

We use hay bales and have had great success! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

What are those???? I need to know! Loving plaid this Fall! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App These!!!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

I'm in Louisiana... it ain't even close to cold yet, and may not even get cold. It didn't last year. I look like an Eskimo every morning in hoodies and sweat pants to do my bus route. (Currently 82 wth a low of 63). Dreading the freezing cold days and let's not even think about the rainy cold days that chill to the bone! I have been sleeping with a comforter, Sherpa blanket and a fleece blanket...and one blanket wrapped around my head. Taking notes! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

Shallow as it sounds... Those cute dip dyed plaid shirts...just attempted to make one... idk if I even like it!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

Men...ugh! Mine was laundry... my son would bring it and put it in the washer turn it on wash the clothes then put them in the dryer and never turn it on. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

My husband is a picky eater. Well actually he is spoiled. He really only likes to eat my cooking. <insert eye roll> I also have a 14 year old that is a beast. So I cook my meal, eat and then cook theirs and feed them. Put YOU first! You deserve it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!

Amazing!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Jesus loves you!!!