NtvTxn

I've been maintaining for 2.5 years. I log all my food, but don't keep track of carbs, my physician didn't require it unless a patient isn't losing. To maintain I need 1300 calories a day; 1200 and I lose, much over 1300 and I'll gain a little. I keep track of calories and protein.

Three years yesterday and unless you are LOOKING for the little scars, they are not noticeable at all. In fact, I JUST looked and I can't find all five!!! I don't remember when they 'went away', at first they were a pink'ish color. Now, just real faded, like I said, all but gone.

You are a good writer, fun to read your posts. Stay strong, one day you can eat a waffle, with a little syrup....although you won't be able to eat much of it!!!

I was about eight days, just like you. Felt great, I think I pulled a stitch, but big deal. It was worth it. I'd asked the nurse, NOT the doctor.....she said, "When you will enjoy it as much as he does" LOL Enjoy, it only gets better!

I'm sorry for you, and her.

I am obsessive, but to me it is all more of a game that I'm playing and winning. I don't know how to explain it. Before surgery, I thought about food a lot, and I still do, but it is different. I feel like I am staying on top of it all, I'm in control.

1300 calories is what I get in, I'm maintaining. It's a fine line, if I drop to 1200, I'll lose and if I'm much over 1325, I will gain. Between 1250 and 1325, I maintain I'm "safe". I don't get bored with tracking and I find it fascinating the calories in some things, and then there are foods that I think will be higher than they actually are. I was using Fitday.com for 2.5 years but started using MFP five or six months ago. I like it a lot better, easier to use and I like it that I can enter recipes.

I confess, I obsessively track my calories/protein. I've been doing it for three years now, it's habit. I sooooo wish I'd done it prior to surgery, just so I'd know how many calories I was taking in on a daily basis. I don't have a clue, I can't even make an educated guess. Oh well.

I thought this was an appropriate name for a new thread!!! Seems like we keep hearing again and again about all the doctor's south of the border. Never a bad word, never a leak, never a complaint, not one. Never, never, never. I don't know if people who have had something go wrong are paid NOT post it, are they scared to or if they just kick the bucket and we're never the wiser. Who knows.....I am here to tell you that after reading those "scripts", I feel cheated, jipped, screwed out of a "butterfly and rainbow" experience. I landed at DFW airport from out of state. Nobody from my un-named doctor's office picked me up. Nobody delivered me to the hospital the next morning and nobody, but NOBODY put a chocolate chip cookie on my pillow. Oh wait, that is The Doubletree that does that, wrong board. He insisted that I stick around for two weeks. I had to show up for a one week visit, then a two week visit before I could go back home. How dare he, what was he thinking???? Like I said, cheated, cheated, jipped. Said doctor is un-named to protect the innocent from my "in jest" post. If he wants me to go on and on about him, I DO need a script and a little incentive!

My daughter's best friend from HS is a teacher in Pflugerville! Great area down there.

Awwww, looks scrumptious, you weren't kidding!!! Thank you!!!!

22 have RSVP'd, what are you waiting for??!!! Lunch at Season's 52, a plain ol' support group in Plano, Texas! This has been going on for four or five months now. This is a group, started by a fellow sleever, everyone is invited. It's fun, informative, a good time, good fellowship all of us, no matter WHERE we are on this path we've chosen to travel! If you have a 'cheerleader' bring him or her with you! Season's 52 (in the Shops at Legacy area) can be found on line, every entrée is 475 calories or less. If you want Texas sized portions, you may be disappointed, but it's good food, and size appropriate!!! C'mon - you won't regret attending. If you're interested, send me a message and I'll give you the email address you need to RSVP.

It's all head stuff. I'm three years out and wearing 4's and 6's, I still have days when I feel fat. It's crazy. At a support group I attended prior to surgery, we were talking about how they operate on our tummy not our head.....and someone suggested that when you are out with someone, eating or at the mall, grocery shopping, just out, have the person you're with point out somebody else that is your size. You can look at a STRANGER and see their true size, whereas you do NOT see that when you look in a mirror!!! It's very helpful and interesting. I am not sure it will all be "normal" in my head, but I'm better than I was a year ago!

Tuna started for me at week #3.

How disappointing for you. Hopefully it will be resolved soon. I'm sorry.

I'm not sure who you're talking to or which of us are confusing, but I for one traveled a lot. Back and forth from Wisconsin to Texas, four round trips to and from my surgeon before we moved back to TX, I stayed in a hotel over night every trip. A pretty good discount due to the nature of my stay. I've read through every post on this thread and I'm certain they are all plain and clear, nothing murky.

SF Jell-O, yogurt, 1% cottage cheese. In a week or so you can add deli meat, I loved smoked turkey!

From TX - surgery on June 11, 2010. 23 pounds prior to surgery, 85 total.

I didn't until I reached goal, but ask your dietitian. They're all different. I eat guacamole now, not a lot but when we eat fajitas, I don't eat the flour tortilla, I eat the meat, guacamole and a little beans and rice. Yummy!

I can't believe it's been three years. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine how my life would change. It's been a wild, wild ride and I wouldn't have missed it for the world! I still don't really see me as others do, and I'm not sure I ever will. I'm still a work in progress. Good luck to all of you starting on YOUR journey, it's fun. Get a disposable camera and have someone take a picture of you the day before or the day of surgery....then have them take a picture of you every month on your surgery 'date'. After your 'one year' surgiversary, go get the camera developed. Having the pictures laid out side by side....seeing your transformation like that.....it is amazing! You'll be glad you did it, it's fun! Have a great day!

Three years post op, as of today! I lost 23 lbs prior to surgery, 85 total. I have been maintaining for 2.5 years, going between 144 and 147.

Thanks Kathy! Feeling good, and like you, I don't hide from the camera any longer. My new picture was taken two months when we were in Galveston. I'm glad you're feeling/doing good.....life is so different now. We both made a good decision when we decided on this surgery. I don't take it for granted and am still grateful that I was able to do it. My youngest 'grand' was 18 months, he'll doesn't even remember the 'other me'.

It is beyond "Thanksgiving" full. Not as much painful as it is uncomfortable. It is almost always when eating out, at home I weigh and/or measure my food, when I'm out, I get busy visiting and I don't 'start feeling full'. If you've ever heard the term "One bite too many" it is true, one bite can put you over. There have been occasions when I've had to lay the passenger seat back on our way home. Ugh. Rice and pasta are THE WORST!!!!

Bariatric Advantage, this is where I get my calcium citrate. I take four per day, 250 mg each. Two chews at a time, but you need to do the other two a couple of hours later. Usually do two before noon and the other two later in the day. I like the chocolate, like eating four Tootsie Rolls every day. They ship me two bags on a regular basis. If you are on auto re-fill, shipping is free.

I'm am three years out today, with that said, this is MY experience with some of the questions you have asked. I still do not eat and drink together, I drink up to the time I eat and wait for 30 minutes after finishing. This includes, water, iced tea, alcohol. Everything is included. It's just habit now. I didn't eat fried food at all until I reached goal. Now I do, but seldom and not much. Today I had a reg. McDonald's hamburger, the meat and one side of the bun. In addition to that, I had six or seven French fries. I can't imagine that you'll ever be able to, or want to eat a double meat cheeseburger again. I've eaten a couple of fried pickles, zucchini....things like that, but it is something I choose not to do often. I'd rather have a jr. dip of ice cream at Braum's. I've eaten spicy foods from the get go practically and have eaten out since week two.....tortilla soup, just the broth, at a local Mexican restaurant. At year #3 I can eat and entire tamale or enchilada, with about 1 tablespoon of refried beans and 1 tablespoon of rice. I also order corn tortillas and can eat one....it is what I dip in the salsa rather than the fried chips. Pasta and rice are tricky, for me anyway.....it's like both of these get in there and then triple in size!!! I make spaghetti sauce and pasta, but keep them separate. I can eat about a fourth cup of pasta, but put a half cup of sauce on it. These are two things that have both made me miserable on several occasions in the past three years!! I don't smoke anything, so I can't tell you anything about that. I hope this helps!