Orchids&Dragons

Excellent! good luck!

If you are allowed sugar-free jello - eat it without chewing very well. The lumps slide down into your stomach just fine, but they take a little longer to break down and can give you a bit of a "full" feeling, or at least not an "empy, echoing cavern" feeling. Good luck, this gets a bit easier over time as you develop some distance between yourself and food.

I don't know who your insurance is with, but in my case, it only took a few days to approve after they got it. (Cigna) Good luck!

((hugs)) Hope you feel better soon.

I didn't have stapes, just super glue, so can't answer to that part. But I think it actually helped the incisions heal by pulling everything together so that there wasn't a pulling tension on the incisions.

You're not done 'til you say you're done!

Congrats! Glad your surgery is behind you! Now the fun begins!

I think it probably just means your body is taking time to adjust to the new normal. And lots of the veterans have said that the belly fat is notoriously slow to lose. UGH!

107 lbs is downright awesome! Congrats! I understand the frustration with the weight stall, but have you lost inches since you started working out?

At least the food in your dreams is calorie-free!

I'm with @LaLaDee. My goals are more about eating on plan and exercising regularly and just let the weight fall where it will. What happens if I miss my "number" but drop a pant size? Do I celebrate or sulk? I think we should set goals that are within our power to accomplish. None of us can control the weird-a$$ fluctuations of the demented scale!

I woke up with one and was advised to wear it for 2 weeks except when I was sleeping. I think it helped. My abdominal muscles are not strong and the binder kind of held everything in.

You can add unflavored powder into any flavor of soup, just not too hot, as @S@ssen@ch said. I add it to oatmeal, too. And congrats on 30# in 6 weeks. Awesome! Also, the protein waters are not as sweet as the shakes. They're still sweet, but not as much and the texture is lighter.

It's not a problem for everyone, but you never know where you'll fall in the poop spectrum! I would definitely bring extra undies to the gym!

Sending prayers that everything is all right (hugs) too.

Wow, only 30 lbs to your final goal. Awesome!

Shaving can create micro-nicks in your skin which could allow infections to enter your body. But, what's done is done. Good luck with your surgery and best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Main thing: from this point forward, there is no such thing as a trusted fart. No joke. My system varies from one extreme to the other. I keep an extra pair of panties in my purse.

Sorry to hear that this is going to be a long process, but thank heavens you can at least get some fluids in now. This is definitely weight loss the HARD way. I'm doing ok. Ever since I gave up on soft and solid foods, I am feeling so much better. I'm not nearly so exhausted, I think I'm actually getting more food in overall and I'm sleeping much better, too. I'm getting creative with soup recipes. Last week i saw a magazine ad with a chicken/broccoli/rice casserole that looked so good. So, I basically made the casserole without rice, added a little extra milk and called it a soup. Yum! Today we went out to a Mexican restaurant to celebrate a co-worker's birthday. I had the inside of about 1/3 of a beef enchilada and some tortilla soup. Happy camper today I mean, really, compared to you, I've got it made. I sure hope they can get your stomach workable before your trip. I guess you're going to be cutting it close. At least your gastro sounds like he really listens to you.

Mine was great. Everyone was very supportive and the veterans were very forthcoming with advice. Have fun!

Wow, lookin' good! Congrats!

@Starfish23 How did your endoscopy go? Were they able to help you any?

Don't worry about feeling full. Are you hungry? If you're not hungry don't eat just for amusement, eat per your recommended food schedule. Think nutrition, not food. If it's time to eat, you have a 2-4 oz pouch, put in 2 ounces for starters. Work your way up to 4. Eat only what your NUT has advised at this point. If you are very hungry (as opposed to craving bad stuff) make sure you're getting enough water in. Also, stomach acid can mimic hunger. If a Tums cures your hunger, it's not hunger, it's acid. Most people don't feel full this early out from surgery. You don't really start to experience "restriction" until you're on soft foods. Good luck, this stage can be very confusing.

Best wishes for a smooth surgery and a speedy recovery!

I wore a skirt/top set to work today that I was hoping to get into by the end of the summer!