sillykitty

Ask your surgeon's team. For my program, full liquids meant anything that could fit through a straw.

Great idea, I hadn't thought of that, thanks @Creekimp13

Both! Work related drinking, it's because it stands out that I'm not participating. As the wine is passed around the table, or as we are sitting in the lounge area of a bar and the waiter comes around. Just ordering water is both unusual for me and unusual in my company/industry. I'm much more comfortable fitting in than drawing attention to myself, especially in this way. With friends. I miss a nice glass of wine with a good meal. I also miss the feeling of relaxation and looseness a little buzz gives you. Things are a little funnier, stories are a little more engaging. I just feel a little "flat" when I'm stone cold sober in a group that's had a few drinks.

Love this post Ash! I agree, food is everywhere. Food and alcohol is embedded in my work life, they are embedded in my personal life. Go out on a date, let's meet for a drink. My mom meets me for lunch on weeks I'm not traveling. Extended family BBQ for birthdays and holidays. Out to dinner with friends. Vacations focus on delicious and unique local foods. With work going out for a meal and drinks is invaluable for building relationships that can't happen across a conference table or the phone. I have a love hate relationship with my restriction. I love that I am satisfied with a couple of ounces of food. It is still crazy to me. But that is such a small amount of food it is absolutely noticed by dining companions and wait staff. I hate the attention it draws. I absolutely feel strong every time I ignore the bread basket. Each time I order the chicken vs. the pasta dish. I honestly never thought I was capable of making good choices over an extended amount of time. I do really miss social drinking though. It is a big part of my work life. I feel very self conscience and awakward drinking my water while everyone else is having drinks.

I felt the same way at 2 weeks post op. I got a B12 injection from my surgeon and within a day I was back to normal.

Exactly the same here at 4 months. Empty, full, with water, without water, it's noisy!

If she is referring to after WLS this seems strange to me. Ketosis simply means you are pulling your energy from your fat stores instead of from the food you eat. If you're steadily losing weight after WLS, then you're in ketosis.

A traditional Keto diet is high fats, moderate to low protein. "The general ratio of macros to follow is 70% fats, 25% protein, and 5% carbohydrates" https://ketodash.com/keto-diet#macros Hard to meet your protein goals and keep your calories low if you are following those ratios.

I only had 24 hrs clear liquid. I'm honestly very grateful. I had my food funerals. I got some cravings out of my system. I don't at all think it has harmed my post surgical success.

This VSG will definitely NOT stop you from binging. It will be harder to do, because your stomach capacity is smaller. But you can eat unhealthy things, you can take breaks and then keep eating as room becomes available in your sleeve. I personally have not had any bad reaction to foods, either healthy or unhealthy. Some people do, but it is not something you can count on as a deterrent. I know it is said over and over again, and it seems cliche, but is is 100% accurate. The sleeve is only a tool. The sleeve will only help you eat less in one sitting. It will not influence your cravings, it may or may not influence your hunger levels, it will not stop you from eating many times a day. It is up to each of us to make sure that what we eat is healthy and we are limiting our quantities.

@Orchids&Dragons did you get your GI appt yet?

Matt, what vitamins and minerals were you tested for?

I agree with this. I would do something to shake my diet up to see if I could break the stall. Maybe considering doing the protein and green veg like suggested above and at the same time see if you can drop your calories below 1000? If breaks the stall, you can slowly move your calories back up to where you're more comfortable and see if there is a point where you stop losing again.

That's great news! I totally get the feeling. If I had known how fast the process could move I could have had it done in 2017. But a few months doesn't matter in the scheme of things!

As has been said, we all have bad days. Move on and don't beat yourself up about it. What's done is done For me, I keep low cal options around for when I just feel the need to eat. I almost always have cucumbers, ff coleslaw and pickles in my fridge. I can eat those all I want and not do any caloric damage.

Honestly, I would push. You have nothing to lose by advocating for yourself. For me, I had an initial consultation October 2017. I determined with the surgery coordinator that I wouldn't be able to have surgery by the end of the year due to my work schedule and my surgeon's schedule. Not wanting to pay out of pocket in both 2017 and 2018, I put everything on hold. First week of 2018 I had an appointment where we knocked out the NUT and psych eval. The surgery coordinator and I set a tentative date, assuming quick insurance approval. I went and had all my testing done, met with the pcp. And one month later, I had my surgery.

Actually the effectiveness of silicone for reducing scaring has been well studied and proven, http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/25/do-over-the-counter-scar-treatments-really-work/

I can't wait! When I was younger and normal weight, I rarely wore heels. Now I have to wear heels frequently and they kill me. I get them off literally as soon as I can, like in the car after an appointment! I do wedges, espadrilles, kitten heels, anything to still look professional and not die.

Good to know Ash! I lost patience for shopping IRL ages ago. I do all my shopping online. I order tons of clothes a few times a year, try everything on at home and then send everything I don't want back. I wonder if as I move into regular sizes I'll enjoy the in store shopping process again though?

Ha ha .... thanks @Frustr8 but there will be no pics! I don't think I will ever stop hating pics of myself! So phase 1 close clean out was done a month ago .... 29 pairs of pants, work slacks and jeans gone. I already went done a size, so a new smaller pair of slacks now gone too. I am left with 2 pairs of work slacks, one which fits great, one which fits loosley, and one pair of getting loose jeans. Phase 2 just complete .... 47 dresses, two blazers, 3 skirts, and 18 belts gone. I have left 23 dresses that are either wrap around, or I'm hoping I can still pull off with a belt and a padded bra and 1 I bought recently and is starting to become loose. I also kept a few favorites that I may get altered down the road. Knowing me though, I'll probably just want to buy new in styles I haven't been able to pull off in the past. Oh and I can't wait to maybe wear a skirt and blazer and not feel like a big boxy blob! Phase 3 tops ... I'm waiting on that right now .... just too daunting for today!

Packing for a trip and going through my closet looking for some dresses that still fit. I had a few surprises. My belts don't fit, like at all! Both the stretchy elastic kind and the buckle kind. My bolero style shrugs I wear over sleeveless dresses are unattractively baggy. For kicks I tried on a dress that I only wore in the winter with tights because it was too short other wise. Good news is it's long enough to wear with bare legs, bad news is the top is too loose. So thank goodness for Amazon same day delivery!

I'm hour glass shaped and I find Fit & Flare to be the most flattering style on me. City Chic (mentioned already!) is my favorite brand, they fit well and are nearly always flattering. You can find the brand at Nordstrom and Macy's. I suggest shopping online, the selection is soooo much better in plus sizes. I just order tons of options and promptly return (for free) what I don't want. The other brands I've had success with most often are Gabby Skye and Adrianna Papell. I believe I buy those from Nordstrom. For a less expensive option, I have liked some dresses I've bought from Amazon. Search on Amazon for "Retro Women's Dresses" or "1950's Women's Dresses". I have found the styles really cute and flattering, but sometimes the fit is off. Also the material is kind of odd and stiff, and not as nice as the brands mentioned above. So make sure you buy Prime items only, sold by Amazon directly, and they have the "Free Return" option. Lots of Plus Size options for under $40, so that may make more sense while you're in the rapid weight loss phase.

How about Protein Water, like ProteinH20? Or Fairlife milk?

You'e less than two weeks out, don't stress too much! What about greek yogurt? Greek yogurt in sf jello? Can you drink Fairlife milk on your program? It has a good amount of protein. Seems like you are in the mushy food stage, how about the famous ricotta bake? That's easy to add protein to (I used egg white protein powder, it's very flavor neutral, but doesn't mix well into things like soups.) Agree, I still eat these often to boost my protein intake.

You can also buy it from the Bariatric Pal store. You get points for posting in the forum, so it can lead to a substantial discount