BigSue

Zuppa Toscana is next on my list of recipes to try! I just bought some Italian turkey sausage to use for it. I’ve actually never had zuppa Toscana before, but I’ve been seeing it on Pinterest and it looks good. I hope mine turns out as well as yours.

I finished the green goddess dressing within its expiration date, but the spicy cashew dressing (also delicious, BTW) expired and definitely went bad a few weeks after the expiration date. I don’t automatically throw everything out when it reaches the expiration/sell by date, but the expiration/sell by date can be a good indication of how long it lasts. Compared to, say, the SkinnyGirl dressing I just bought that expires in 2023, I can assume the Trader Joe’s dressings won’t last nearly as long. I think next time I get Trader Joe’s dressing, I’ll try freezing it and see if it still tastes good after thawing.

I'm 9 months out from gastric bypass. I eat fairly simple meals because I can only eat small portions -- mainly meat and vegetables. I usually eat about 2 ounces of protein (chicken/turkey/pork/eggs/fish -- I almost never eat beef because I've heard that a lot of bariatric patients have issues with it) in a meal with a side of vegetables (usually lightly sprayed with olive or avocado oil, tossed with seasonings, and roasted in the air fryer). I eat a lot of salads with chicken and light dressing. I also eat a lot of cauliflower rice, which is funny because I have always hated cauliflower, but cauliflower rice is genius and I find it to be a good substitution for real rice. In case you don't know, most bariatric patients don't eat rice because it expands in the stomach and can be uncomfortable (not to mention empty calories and carbs). I don't miss rice AT ALL because I can eat cauliflower rice any time I want. There are some frozen cauliflower rice products available with different flavors and mix-ins (but you have to be careful to look at the ingredients and nutrition for those). I combine cauliflower rice with different meats, sauces, and veggies for variety. Examples: Taco chicken + black beans + salsa + cauliflower rice Carnitas + pico de gallo + cauliflower rice Lemon garlic chicken + air-fried asparagus + vegetable medley cauliflower rice Asian chicken + "fried rice style" cauliflower rice + green beans I love going on Pinterest to find bariatric-friendly recipes. There are some keto recipes that work, but I'm careful with those because some of them are too rich -- full of heavy cream, cream cheese, cheese, coconut oil, etc. Recipes labeled as "Weight Watchers" are often a good bet; they sometimes have rice or pasta, which aren't bariatric-friendly but easy enough to omit or substitute. I've found some good and healthy soup, chili, and casserole recipes. And I still enjoy ricotta bake (topped with turkey meat sauce -- it's like a noodle-less lasagna). These are all great to freeze in individual portions for quick meals (same goes for cooked meat). Thanks to tiny serving sizes, you can get tons of portions out of one meal. I have a freezer full of bariatric portions of various foods. When I first got to the solid food stage, I struggled to meet my protein goals, so I had to supplement with protein shakes and powders, but now I get most of my protein from meat/eggs/fish/yogurt. I still eat a daily protein bar and/or protein mug cake just because I enjoy it (I'm obsessed with Built Bars because they taste like candy bars so I can have a treat without going off my plan), but most of the food I eat is just basic, good, healthy stuff.

Congrats, and great job! Those big milestones really make you stop and think about how far you've come and what an accomplishment it is.

Congrats! That's awesome. Not many people in the world can say that they've lost over 100 pounds -- it's quite an accomplishment.

From someone a little further out... I had similar feelings early on. I lost about 70 pounds in the 5 months before surgery, and then after surgery, I wasn't losing weight much faster. I wondered if I should have just kept doing what I was doing pre-op instead of having the surgery. Meanwhile, in the thread for July 2020 surgeries, there were all these other people who started out with a lower weight and were losing much faster than I was. And then a few months later, there were people who had already reached their goal weight while I still had so far to go. As much as you know you shouldn't compare yourself to others, it's hard not to -- especially on those threads for everyone who had surgery the same month as you! But I am 9 months out tomorrow and very happy with my results. I can hardly believe how much weight I've lost! I'm less than half the person I used to be. I really don't think I could have gotten here without the surgery. At the very least, it would have been much harder and much slower. It's hard to be patient at the beginning because you've changed so much and have gotten very little in return. The results come slowly, but they're worth the wait. Hang in there!

I love the Starburst sugar-free drink mixes -- especially the "all pink" flavor (like a strawberry Starburst -- my favorite!). I've been into warm beverages lately. I don't like coffee, but I found this product called Crio Bru that is roasted cacao beans that you brew like coffee. It's amazing! I love drinking that with a little almond milk and Jordan's Skinny Syrup. I'm drinking some right now with Irish Cream Skinny Syrup and it's delicious. I'm also loving tea with Skinny Syrup. My current favorite is Tazo pumpkin spice chai with almond milk and caramel pecan Skinny Syrup. I just signed up for a tea subscription box so I can try some other teas.

Brawndo -- it's what plants crave!

I usually work out first thing in the morning, and I drink a bottle of water with Starburst All Pink drink mix (I mix it at half strength) -- my current favorite water enhancer. After my workout and water bottle, I drink a cup of tea. My current favorite is Tazo pumpkin spice chai, with a little almond milk and Jordan's Skinny Syrup. I usually don't eat anything until lunchtime so I can save my daily Built Bar for an after-dinner treat.

I've been taking them for several months and my last bloodwork was great. I just signed up for the annual subscription for $99.99/year. I personally prefer tablets to capsules, but it's not that big of a deal to me and you can't beat the price on these. (I would suggest buying a smaller quantity before you commit to the subscription, though!)

The radishes were ok. I've seen a lot of people mention using them as a potato substitution, and this was my first try. I quartered them, sprayed them lightly with avocado oil, seasoned with Flavor God Everything seasoning, and roasted them in the air fryer with the chicken wing. The radishes themselves don't have much flavor, and even with the Everything seasoning, I found them pretty bland. I sprinkled some ranch seasoning on them and they were much better. I probably need to cook them at a lower temperature for a longer time. I think they're worth trying because they do have a nice, potato-like texture; I am going to experiment with different seasonings. I bet they'd be good with garlic parmesan.

Last week, I made chicken wings for the first time since my surgery. I was only able to eat one (plus some air-fried radishes).

I LOVE my air fryer! I think it's the best way to cook most veggies. You should avoid using aerosol cooking spray like Pam because it leaves a sticky residue that builds up in the air fryer over time. I have a Misto oil sprayer that I fill with avocado oil or olive oil, and for most veggies, all I do is lightly spray them with oil, toss with seasonings, and air fry them. Some of my favorites: Garlic parmesan carrot fries (I actually prefer them with carrot chips/thin slices -- they get nice and crispy); also good with broccoli, green beans, or asparagus Spaghetti squash with Flavor God Everything seasoning (sooooo much better than microwaved/steamed spaghetti squash!) Asparagus with lemon pepper seasoning Buffalo cauliflower - I've made it with this recipe, but to make it even easier, I spray with oil and sprinkle with Frank's Buffalo Ranch seasoning Broccoli with Flavor God Everything seasoning Asparagus with zaatar spread Radishes with ranch seasoning (air-fried radishes have a potato-like texture) Brussels sprouts The air fryer is also great for cooking chicken wings. I don't even add any oil -- just sprinkle with seasonings (you can go with just salt and pepper, especially if you're going to add sauce, or a meat rub, etc.). And chicken burgers. And chicken/turkey sausage. It's also great for reheating anything baked that would get soggy in the microwave. I don't use it for meat all that much because I usually use my Instant Pot to cook meat, but anything you want crispy is better in the air fryer. I also sometimes make "pizza" in the air fryer -- a 1 net carb Mr. Tortilla plus marinara sauce, mozzarella, and turkey pepperoni.

It's so weird because I still think of myself as a big-chested lady and I'm not really anymore. I also never thought I'd be a person who has a thigh gap. I just realized yesterday that I am.

The BariatricPal store has these cards, too. They're offered as a free gift option if you spend a certain amount of money. I have no interest in something like that because I have kept my surgery private. I haven't told a single family member or coworker. I'm definitely not going to divulge it to a server at a restaurant. I haven't actually eaten at a restaurant since my surgery (I've had takeout a few times, but that's easy -- I just save the leftovers), but when I do, I will either order something small like a side salad or just eat a little and take the leftovers home. I have heard that it can get awkward because the restaurant staff worries that you didn't like the food if you don't eat much, but I think most people just say something like, "It's really good, but I'm just not very hungry today." I've seen a lot of diet tips (for non-bariatric patients) suggesting that you ask for a box as soon as you get the meal and pack up half of it to take home as a way to avoid overeating, so you could do that and they wouldn't even be able to see how much you ate.

It's a big deal, so I think a lot of us are pretty nervous about it! I first started looking into WLS more than 15 years before I actually went through with it. I actually went to a consultation back then and decided against it. Like many other people, my biggest regret about WLS is not doing it sooner. It's not for everyone, but going to a consultation with a surgeon does not obligate you to do anything. If you've done all the research and still think you might want to do it, you owe it to yourself to take that next step and meet with a surgeon. Good luck!

I love that yogurt! I’m concerned, though, because they aren’t showing the caramel apple pie flavor on the web site and that’s my favorite! I hope that’s not getting discontinued.

I tried an Impossible Whopper (before my surgery). If I didn’t know it was an Impossible Whopper, I would have thought it was the real thing. Now, that is with the consideration that I don’t think Burger King burgers are very good, so basically, I thought it tasted like a crappy fast food burger. Not sure if I could have been fooled into thinking it was an actual restaurant meat burger (but I’m sure it would be cooked better at a good restaurant, too).

When I took time off from work for my surgery, I used vacation days rather than sick leave and just said I was taking some time off to work on some things around the house.

I save my daily Built Bar (or Built Bite) for the end of the day. It's a nice treat to end the day.

Most surgeons recommend using chewable vitamins for the first several weeks after surgery. I used Barimelts for the first 6 weeks and then I switched to BariatricPal Multivitamin One. I tried the chewables and did not like the taste, but now I take the capsules so that's not an issue. I also tried a sample pack from Bariatric Fusion, but I preferred the taste of Barimelts. Next time I order multivitamins, I am going to start the annual BariatricPal MultivitaminOne subscription because it's a great price. Some people take regular (non-bariatric) drugstore vitamins, but if you do that, you have to take a double dose, so you don't really save any money.

First of all, a belt will be your best friend for a while. You can skip sizes in pants by wearing using a belt for pants that are too big. Also, shop sales and shop ahead. I normally try to avoid buying aspirational clothing in hopes that I'll fit into it someday, because that's just a recipe for wasting money on clothes that I'll never wear, but with WLS, it's a pretty good bet that you'll be wearing smaller sizes in the near future. I bought some clothes in Black Friday sales that were too small at the time but fit me now. Take my advice with a grain of salt because I've never been known for being fashionable or well-dressed, but you can always get some cheap clothing at Walmart or Target during your rapid weight loss phase when you don't want to spend much on clothing that will only fit for a few weeks. You can wear a nicer cardigan (which doesn't need to be perfectly fitted) over a cheap blouse. And finally, you will probably have to accept not having clothes that fit for a while. The good news is that people are going to notice your weight loss a lot more than they notice your clothing, and everyone will be telling you how amazing you look even if your clothes look a little ridiculous.

Oh yes! I still log everything I eat in MyFitnessPal and also use it to track my water and my weight.

It makes me so happy to see other people jumping on the sugar-free meringue bandwagon! I think they make an awesome, healthy treat. I make them at least one a week (I've started buying egg whites in a carton to make them even easier). I had some issues with my first couple of batches, but I've made little tweaks with each batch and now they're coming out consistently well. I'm enjoying trying out different flavors. I made a batch with cheesecake flavoring today -- yum!

Congrats on your progress! There's a very popular program called Couch to 5k, which has a 12-week plan to work your way up to running a 5k. I haven't done this myself, but I know people who have. My mother did this program a couple of years ago and ran a 5k in her 60s. https://www.thedistance.atlantatrackclub.org/beginner-5k-program?gclid=CjwKCAjwx6WDBhBQEiwA_dP8rVB44BO4JraQf1-rFFvLfTIdZa2tuv2Kx5X2paKgbWMcf9boGykPshoCYI0QAvD_BwE However, I second @Creekimp13's advice to be careful and not hurt yourself. At my heaviest, I had a hard time walking even a short distance, but now I've been working out daily for months and my mobility is much better because I'm not carrying around an extra 180 pounds. I am even able to jog for short distances. Unfortunately, I think I have already done a lot of damage to my knees, and I'm not sure it would be good for me to put that kind of stress on them by running. I know young, healthy people with BMIs in the normal range who have hurt themselves by running. Getting injured can be a major setback for weight loss, so maybe talk to your doctor before you start this kind of program.