Wuggum

So cold that I'm looking forward to the hot flashes that will come with menopause!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE quinoa. I fix it just like rice and use it in similar dishes. Quinoa with corn, black beans, grilled chicken and some other goodies can be a great "Mexican" side dish or burrito filler. My favorite is a "Mediterranean" style with black olives, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumber and a tiny splash of greek dressing.

One of my incisions was right near where my underwire sat - and I absolutely must wear an underwire (or else the girls would be heading south!). For about 2 weeks I would cover the incision with two big bandages that had thick pads on them. That was sufficient to keep the incision protected and pain-free!

I have to agree with BetsyB - my 62lb Shepherd/Husky mix is the best personal trainer ever. She wakes me up at 6:00am to go for a walk. She howls at me at 6:00pm to go for another walk. And it's different than paying for the gym or doing a quick TaeBo video in the basement. I can't claim to be too tired or too busy - if Max and I don't go for a walk, she gets very upset with me (and she might pee on the floor)! One year and 100lbs. ago, we started off barely able to do a half mile without gasping for air. Today, we do about 2 miles on each walk. What a way to start the day!

I also like to set lots of mini-goals along the way. My first "big" prize for 100 lbs lost - a trip to Vegas at the end of this month! I have 3 more lbs to go to earn my prize! My next mini-goal will be in about 20 more lbs. - I want a pair of their weird roller blades that Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer uses. I walk my dog every day and I think she would love to go for a run while I'm roller blading. My final big goal - nips and tucks all around - I already need to fix the floppy arms, boobs, belly and butt!

I've had similar experiences with rides at amusement parks and looking at photos - but that never quite did the trick. I just stopped going to amusement parks and refused to have my picture taken. My "moment" came when a good friend and I went for coffee after work one day. He said he never understood why I settled down with one guy at such a young age because I was so pretty. I laughed at him. I hadn't been called "pretty" in probably 15 years. That day, I went home and bought a scale. After seeing the whopping 342.8 pop up on the screen, I immediately signed up for a seminar. That was exactly a year ago tomorrow. Today, I'm down almost 100 lbs. Last week I think I got hit on (by someone other than my hubby) for the first time in years! Now I don't mind when my friend tells me I look fabulous - I don't laugh in his face anymore!

It could be a couple of things. You may be drinking too fast or taking sips that are too big. Or, you may be a bit swollen after the fill (for me, this usually goes away within a day or so). Or, you may have gotten too much of a fill. I recommend talking to your doctor if you're still having problems tomorrow.

Usually I have a protein shake around 6:00am, then some greek yogurt (zero fat, 14g protein!) at about 10:00am. Today, it was yogurt for breakfast around 8:00am and my new favorite lunch - a hard boiled egg squished up and mixed with some lowfat cottage cheese. Just like egg salad without the added fat of the mayo. Yummy!

I like to do a protein shake for breakfast before I head out to work, then a yogurt for a snack. Lunch is usually a Lean Cuisine meal - my doc recommended these and told me to keep it at about 250 calories, under 10 grams fat, over 15 grams protein. Almost all of them have pasta or rice - I will usually only have a few bites of that, but all of the protein. That is more than enough to fill me up!

WooHoo - I just got my first fill on Tuesday and I'm excited! I don't know if I have restriction yet - I guess I'm not absolutely sure what it is supposed to "feel" like. But, a few days ago, I did start to feel something odd and I don't know if it's a band thing (or if it has something to do with the nasty cold I'm getting over). I feel like I have something sitting at the back of my throat all the time. It doesn't hurt, and it doesn't feel like something is stuck, it's just....there. It seems to be more noticable after I eat, so I'm not sure if it has to do with the band or not. So, how did you all know when/if you needed another fill? They put 3.5 cc in my Realize band and told me that I looked really tight. But, I was able to eat normal foods the next day and I haven't had any bad experiences yet. I limit myself to 1 cup of food and that will usually keep me satisfied for about 4 or 5 hours. But, I feel like I could probably eat more without a problem - especially if you sat me down somewhere like Maggiano's. :thumbup:

I am about 4 weeks post-op and feeling great! But, is it possible that my stomach is still swollen from surgery? Right where my big incision was, I can feel a big "lump" under the skin. It's there all the time, but it is a little more prominent after I eat. I'm wondering if this is scar tissue or swelling or just my stomach. I just can't imagine that I can actually feel my stomach or my pouch - I still have a very healthy layer of padding! Although for the first time in years, I didn't need a seat belt extender on my recent business trip to Washington, DC :thumbup: !!

My top 3 favorites: 1. one soft-scrambled egg with a little fresh pesto sauce or salsa mixed in 2. ricotta cheese with garlic powder and marinara sauce 3, mashed potatoes

I had surgery on 7/13, so I am almost 3 weeks post-op. I'm at the soft-food stage and can have almost anything except really dry cuts of meat (like grilled chicken), fresh veggies, etc. This morning, I had some scrambled eggs with fresh pesto - heavenly!! I've lost a total of 50 lbs. (40 pre-op, 10 post-op). Just got back from shopping for some new clothes today - I've never enjoyed shopped so much as I did today!! First fill is scheduled for 9/1/09.

I'll be three weeks post-op on Monday and I decided to go shopping today. I'm going on a business trip next week to Washington, DC and most of my work clothes are starting to look a little sloppy since I've lost a total of about 50 lbs since my first consultation with my surgeon. Anyways, today was the first time in over 10 years that I've shopped somewhere other than Lane Bryant! Don't get me wrong, I really like their store, and I'm still wearing plus sizes so I'm sure I'll still shop there - but it was such a thrill to go into a "regular" store! My next goal - fly on a plane without requesting a seat belt extender!!

Another good one - Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder in Double Rich Chocolate. I mix it with Lite Vanilla Soy Milk and it tastes like super-rich chocolate milk - yummy! You can also get this at GNC, but I usually buy it online and save a few bucks.