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I figure if you can achieve the same macros with less expensive and equivalent/similar products then its all good. I am not familiar with Robard products but it is in all liklihood that it DOESN’T provide any extra benefits from other similarly manufactured products.

Yay! Excited for u!!

I followed this one: Super simple, but cooking/drying durations are long. https://www.daringgourmet.com/how-to-make-crystallized-ginger/

The intenser the better for me! Though the very concentrated ginger tea yield from the first boil is too strong without some major diluting. I took a tiny sip out of the pot and my throat was spice-burning for like 10 mins. That syrup though! #yum

Cant seem to find any candied ginger in the grocery stores (seems they removed all the bulk-help-yourself-bins, where i usually get them), soooo I figured i’d try to make it myself. Didn’t realize how long it would take! Ended up with a 2-cup sized batch, a large jar of veeeerrrryyyy concentrated ginger tea, and a medium jar of ginger syrup (which is unbelievably delicious). They aren’t ready yet (supposed to dry out another 24 hours) but I had 2 teeny pieces (3g) and about 1/2 a tsp of the syrup to taste....im guessing 17 calories total. Never getting store-bought again!!

@NotGivingUp2: I got curious so I did some digging and found the website where FluffyChix operates her accountability group: <--URL Removed--> Good Luck! ********* Edited to add: Hmmmm...after some thought, I'm not sure its allowed to promote other bariatric-type group/forums on these boards, so I took the URL out in my original post, just in case. If you are interested, direct message me and I can forward you the link. *********

Sooooo....my surgeon did not have a time requirement to being at a stable weight prior to surgery. He did say though that LOSING “alot” of weight would affect the results more than GAINING “alot” weight. He explained that that scar tissue does not stretch as well as regular skin, and is even worse at shrinking. He said I should be prepared for this especially since I tend to scar badly historically (keloid and hypertrophic scarring). His example of “alot” was either losing 10-15 lbs OR gaining 20-30...but these numbers were for MY frame (I was 5’2” and 127 lbs at the time of consult), others with different body types would have different numbers. Had my consult at 7 months post WLS, and would have done the plastics immediately, but he was booked 6+ months ahead. I lost another 12 lbs by the time my surgery date came about. I am now almost a year from plastics now and my weight has been pretty much stable since I had them done (I dropped as low as 6 lbs below PS surgery date weight, i and reached as high as 6 lbs above during this time period. Today I am +2 lbs from plastics surgery date weight).

Thats awesome. You can make a killing! My Kid was an avid collector too when she was little (as avid as a 6-8 year old can be, lol). But she only kept the cards that she deemed "cute". She gave away the rest. Rarity and value be damned. 😂

The colour of those shoes make me want to eat them. Love it. I wanna see you in the jeans too, please! I have tried on many a wide leg jean and I have not yet found one that DOES NOT make me look short. Are those jeans flowy or stiff? Inquiring minds want to know. P.S. I did get a couple more items delivered (clothing-wise) but they aren't so very flattering and are likely going back (one of my bad habits is not returning mail-delivered stuff that I don't like out of sheer laziness - or distaste for return shipping costs - and I end up giving them away or donating it. sigh.) But yeah, modelled pictures, please!

I have a dress in that exact shade of green and shiny material as the first link...so thumbs up on the colour, lol. I think it would look great with a some matte bottoms That faux wrap dress is gorgeous! I am now contemplating getting the short-sleeve version in grey! Does it have a back slit? Pictures with it on PLEASE!

“I’m the Holiday Armadillo” is my all time fave episode. That, and “Pivot!!” still make me laugh out loud even after watching them a gazillion times. 😂😂😂😂

Pan fried a few chicken breasts for my salads for the next few days. Then proceeded to fix this ginormous salad for my meal. Obviously my my eyes were hungrier than my stomach. 275 calories for the entire ginormous bowl’s contents. Will have the rest later: FullSizeRender.mov

Just before pouring mixture in the pan, I remembered that I missed adding Skor bits into the batter so grabbed it out of the pantry and shook some in. Realized it was actually crispy fried onions when I put the canister away and saw the Skor bits container still on the shelf. 🙄 A had as cracking up when he took a bite and said, in his best Joey Tribiani impression: ”Chocolate, good. Onions, good. This: GOOOOOOOD.” 😂😂😂😂😂 Spoiler Alert: It wasn’t that good. In my defense, Skor Bits and Crispy Fried Onions look very similar: edited to add: BFF said to expect a label maker for christmas 😂😂😂😂

+1 A (food) treat every day is not a treat. It's your regular diet. treat /trēt/ an event or item that is out of the ordinary and gives great pleasure. "he wanted to take her to the movies as a treat"

There was an active member on here a while ago who started a group akin to what I think you are describing. They do face to face zoom meetings a couple times a week. You can try messaging her via this forum, but I am not sure if she checks it very often. But it wouldn't hurt to try: @FluffyChix. Good Luck!

Ugh, I hear you on the poop issues. I had a heck of a time trying to figure out a system to keep constipation at bay in the early months. I took Benefibre in my morning shakes and drank LOTS of water. Going 7 days without a poop is pretty long (and am assuming very uncomfortable!). Milk of Magnesia usually helped me if I hit 3-4 days poop-less, and if it went beyond that I'd use a glycerine suppository. Re: those 5 lbs, its likely the majority of this is all the retained "stuff" in your colon. I have been known to drop 3 lbs after an especially large poop. Good Luck!

If u aren't on them already, maybe a B12 supplement could help?

I also can’t stop baking brownies!! This is the 4th batch I’ve made in the past week and a half (btw, batch #3 was a bit of a fail...accidentally put in crispy fried onions...but that’s another story, lol) Anyhoo, here is a pic of today’s batch: Roasted Cashew and Skor bits Fudge Brownies. I made it with real sugar and everything. I ate one 1x1inch square piece: 159 calories

I can’t stop making guacamole (thanks to Costco, who has been having avocados on sale for weeks!) Baked & seasoned pita (equivalent to 1/4 a pita) and homemade Guacamole (about 1/4 cup): 134 calories Ate it all!

The smaller you get, the less calories you require. Depending on our current height, weight and activity level, you may need to either decrease your calories or increase your activity to ensure you remain at a calorie deficit. The bigger the deficit, the faster/more weight you will lose. Good Luck!

20 lbs in 3 weeks can be done, if you are just starting out, but would def be on the challenging side. If you are at a higher starting weight, it will be "easier" than if you are at a lower starting weight. What is your height/weight? If you go all liquid (low cal, low carb shakes, for instance) you would be able to drop quite a bit...it will mostly be water weight, but a pound is a pound is a pound, I guess. Though I suspect your doc is just looking to see you display some evidence of self-control and commitment to the process as he is still only asking you to lose 20lbs vs 25lbs (the original 20 + the 5 that you gained). If your goal is to lose 20 lbs, try to put in an honest effort to drop your daily calories NOW. I'd normally say move/exercise more, but this may make you hungrier, plus weight loss is more about food intake than exercise level anyway, so just keep it simple for now. Good Luck! P.S. I lost 11.8 lbs in the 2 wk pre-op diet. I am 5'2" and was 235 lbs at the time. If you are taller/bigger, your numbers will likely lean higher.

K, not sure what is in YOUR vitamins, and how you are taking them, but: Iron tends to cause upset stomach. If your multis have iron in them, consider finding one that has a lower amount. Taking certain types of calcium tablets will cause upset stomach if you don't have anything in there...if this may be the cause, you can try taking them after you eat....or during. (I used to take my morning calcium with a tsp of greek yogurt...did the trick.) I started taking calcium chews midway through weight loss phase...goes down just fine on an empty stomach AND delicious, lol. They are about 10 cals each, though.

Sushi grade tuna used in poke, ripe avocado and cooked veggies are all considered soft foods for the purposes of a soft food diet. For the purposes of a post-op Bariatric diet, however, there may be other things to consider. Just from a calorie perspective, any added oils/sugar to the fish or veggies and the avocado itself is high in calories. If you have the requisite rice, it is nutritionally inferior to other choices in relation to the volume it would take up in your tum, plus it's pretty carby (if you care about that). Sooooo...short answer is yes, the food items you mentioned are soft foods and are generally allowed for a soft food diet. P.S. i love me some poke too, lol

I always had a water bottle on me and set a timer on my watch to remind me to drink.

Hair loss is almost a given for most people during drastic weight loss. Mine started falling out at 3 months, and kept going until I was done with weight loss phase (7 months post op). I'm 2+ years out now and its all back. I'd say the new growth after the losses are about 6-7 inches long now. The one weird thing though is that the new hair has more curl/bend to them than what I'm used to. Which i don't mind at all, lol.