Ali2010

April, I am so glad you wrote your story and I am very sorry for the pain you are having. Prayers for you will continue and it sounds like the doc is working at getting you figured out. Stay strong and keep pushing Kaiser to heal you. Keep posting updates. Blessings and hugs...

I pretty much could eat all the refried beans...lol In the beginning I would have them put some extra red sauce in to make them a little more runny but I didn't have a problem eating it all. On busy days I would eat the Wendy's small Chili, having that for lunch now...lol. There is not many beans so it always went down fine for me. Hope your getting rest after the hospital run....

Chrissy, I lived on refried beans...Still to this day they are a staple, even chili. It really fills me and lasts a long time. I would go to Taco Bell and get their refried beans and the portion size worked well. Chili I would run through the processor in the beginning. I would also grind up chicken with a bit a gravy and that was yummy. I stay away from carbs so I rarley did mash potatos are anything like that. A couple I times I did mashed sweet pototos and that was good with some chicken grinded in it. I also did some ricotta cheese bakes with sugar free spaghetti sauce and those were yummy.

April, I hope your better soon. Keep pushing them for answers..blessings for a quick rebound.

Chrissy, I eat about 1/4 to 1/2 cup...so not much. Mushies are a little better but still not great! I think I lived on refried beans from taco bell. A couple times I blended up chicken and gravy and it was pretty good too...

Hi Heather, sorry I didn't catch the telepathic "hi" yesterday...I had so much going on yesterday that I almost didn't go to group but I wanted to hear the doc....so I stayed as long as I could until I had to run...I wanted to have a chance to say hi to you all but my phone was ringing off the hook (silently) during the docs presentation...lol I must say this weekend has some bad choices for me...fruit (which I haven't had much since jan) cake, and an enclilada....all choices I wouldn't normally make but it was celebration weekend of my son's graduation. But, even though I was making bad choices I couldn't eat much of any of it...my sleeve works. Days prior to wls I would have gorged myself on all that stuff....feels good to be forced to stop. Back to good choices tomorrow... BTW, it's freakn hot!!:scared2:

I enjoyed the plastic surgeon presentation today--he was very personable and spoke in real terms. Since my pcp told me I wouldn't be a candidate for Kaiser plastic surgery it was nice to hear what I might be looking at. Of course, that is a ways down the road. I had to leave early so I didn't get to go to break out group.. :smile: Relized today its 2 months since surgery and I have lost 30 pounds since surgery and 35 total! I bought an XL shirt! yippee!! Off to prep for the grad party tomorrow!

Laurel, my eating out staples of food choices are a cup of chili or a chicken taco (minus the shell)...although those are probably not choices at a dorm...:frown::thumbup::smile: Have a good trip!

:bored::thumbup::thumbup: YEAH ASH:thumbup::tt2: that is so awesome! congrats and more congrats!

Welcome to sleeveland Sherri! I am glad they kept you an extra night; I had hernia repair also and they didn't keep me the extra night and I think they should have because I really hurt and the doc said it was the hernia repair area. The most relief I felt was holding a pillow on my stomach anytime I tried to move but it really hurt for a few days but it goes fast. Remember, getting up and walking is good--it gets all the gas out that they used to inflate your stomach. Take your pain pills before laying down for your naps.

meee toooo Ash! Glad that everyone still hangs here. Doesn't matter the procedure so much as the journey. We all have the same head hunger demons to deal with....lol I am so jealous...new cadillacs and new bikes...geeesh my husband is lame he hasn't bought me a damm thing! lol He freakn just wants sex all the time! I guess that should make me happy...:bored: but I like material things once in a while.... Nighty night

Yeah Pam, a new bike! I want one but I still feel to fat to ride a bike but when I get down another size or so I am going bike....just need to get my ass smaller! Glad you have some 18/16's....I hope I can score some this weekend. Most of you are way ahead of me but if any of you new people need 20's and 22's I am bringing lots on Saturday. And these clothes are very nice...they were given to me by Laurel and she has good taste...lol. Let me know if your interested in them and I will hold them in my car for you. Cole, its nice to read about the different kinds of wls...I must say that your reasons for wanting the band were the same reasons I had chose the band.....then one day my mind just switched and all the reasons I wanted the band ended up being the reasons I chose not to have it..lol. Just keep and open mind and you have time to decide! Whichever you chose you will do great if you stay focused and driven for success. Tamara, stay away from those wonderfully butterly crossiants, bagels too! They are evil desguised as a healthy food. Try some slices of deli meat; I like roast beef and turkey. The deli meat goes down easier for me than hunks of meat and it tastes so good when its sliced thin with a thin slice of swiss. So so glad tomorrow is Friday! yeah!

Congrats to all you LOSERS!!! Yeah, doesn't it feel great! I am so out of clothes....anyone bringing any 18's or 16's to the meeting Saturday?

Hi Laurel, I have been thinking of you and am so glad to hear you are doing great! 35 pds is awesome and it sounds like you have a good thing going by blending the WW and the band diet--that's a great idea. John, I was given prilosec to take but I never have taken it. Since I don't have GERD problems I never felt the need to take it. Probably should confirm that with Dr Park...maybe at my 3 month apt I will ask. I was also given a stomach coater and I only took that in the very beginning. Tina, I get water down fine. The one episode was really weird and I think I tried to take to big of gulp and it got stuck but I get my 64 ozs water in no problem. Chrissy, I do get cravings too but I don't think I got them a week post op. It was more like a month. I crave spicy foods which is funny since John says he has to be careful with them. We are all different! John, I hope my hunger pains never come back! Wouldn't that be awesome! When I am real busy I totally forget about eating. I take in about 600-800 calories a day. I am trying to get my proteins up to about 65 a day and to do that I drink a muscle milk light protein drink--otherwise I only get to about 50 a day of protein. My hardest thing has been remembering to take my vitamins! I keep forgetting! I am going to resort to putting sticky notes all over the house to remimd me. Great day everyone!

Tina, I echo what John said. One time I took to big of gulp of water and it wouldn't go down...it was weird but once I threw it up I was fine. I have thrown up maybe 4 times. I am 2 months post op and really don't have any issues at all. I really can't eat to much food and my stomach has never seemed irritated. I can say that I have not had a hunger pain since surgery..If its been a while since eating I feel kind of "empty" but a small something and I am full again. Leaks and heartburn are the most talked about complications...I think leaks are rare and if heartburn develops there are pills for that--lol. I have had neither.

Stress = eating and that is bad....why does life have to do that to us? Keep focused Tamara, you've come along way and you are stronger than any roadblocks that come your way! Yeah Stacy! Keep up in touch as you go through the process! We have all been there and have all kinds of support here.

Chrissy, Stage 2 I mostly ate yogurt and soup. Truthfully I really didn't have much of an appetitie so I had to try and remember to eat. Maybe go to Trader Joe's and get some soup that sounds good. I did make a batch of homemade potato soup and that tasted good. You probably don't have much of an appetitte so don't overbuy anything. Hope your doing well. John, you are doing so great! I am with you on the exercise; I enjoy my walks but am not a gym person. keep working hard and enjoy the camping trip. Sherri, good luck today! I am sure you will do great...you are probably up now and haven't slept much...lol

Cole, here is how I do my signiture and avatar (profile pic)....click on your user name (either from a post you did or on your name next to "welcome (user name)" at the top right hand side of your page. After you click that it will take you to your profile; once on your profile in about the middle of the page along the left hand side there is a link that says "customize profile" click on that. It's kind of hard to see that customze profile link as its just a small little sentence. That will link you to the profile page that gives you choices to add photo albums, edit your avatar (profile pic) and add a signiture line. Save the changes. I hope that helps--its hard to write out these instructions. lol

Annalyn, that's a weird situation...but sounds like a good one. To me it sounds like your a great candidate for the lap band since you have the lower bmi and the lap band would be a great tool to keep the weight off! Let us know when you hear back...you're right--Dr Park usually emails back quicker than that. Maybe they are discussing it....are your ears burning? lol

Pam, your doing great! Glad you got the weight loss going again! You may be the first in the Optifast but you will be the example setter! Chrissy, how are you today? I hope your yucky drainage is getting better--no more cooties! Cole, was that you that you that asked about how to put up a profile pic? I wasn't sure if that got answered or not; let us know if you still need it. Happy Monday!

seriously? you can buy the needles on ebay? I guess ebay is a one stop shop for everything!! lol

Chrissy, your doing better than me at that stage, I don't think I got in 24 oz of water for a couple weeks...it just hurt to much. I am hoping to come to the meeting Saturday; my sons grad party is Sunday so hopefully I willl be able to take break from party prep and come to the meeting. I wish I could stay for the lecture afterwards but I am just to busy..... Anyone bringing any 18/16 size clothes? I cleaned out my closet again today---I just love that feeling!

Chrissy.... ((((huggggsssss)))) to you!

John, 1 - 2 pds a week after 4 months is awesome! Dr. Park told me they are seeing patients lose like that for about a year! I did the same thing on lemonade--way way to fast! When its hot I get so thirsty so the tendency for me is to take a big drink of water or something and boy that hurts!! The other day I actully felt like I was drowning...the water got stuck! It was pretty scary.

I did read somewhere that So Cal Kaiser was already phasing out the band....I can see that all the after care is hurting thier bottom line and Big Kaiser is not happy with that. Chrissy, I am so sorry you are having issues...are they mostly with that "thing" in your neck? I didn't worry about getting anything in my stomach for a couple weeks. So just drink what you can--small sips all day.