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Or.. the canned crescent rolls. I've always been partial to them, I have a billion recipes using them to make something a hand-held food. I use them to make a mini-quiche thing for family cook outs. Would make a good pizza too! I make it with swiss cheese and pieces of ham. But you use a mini-muffin pan, squish pieces of crescent roll into the bottom of each, then top with whatever you want and bake for 10 minutes. Could put a spoon of marinara, pinch of mozzerella and ta-da!

You think your lunch is early... oy! Mine is at 10:50 this year! How crazy is that?

Well I'm almost weeks out and have lost 19 pounds post op. Not a lot of pounds lost, but the inches are awesome. From a 24 skirt to a 18 and a 22-24 shirt to an 18. Attached is my before n after pic.

Okay so here is what happened today: I went to preop testing. I got poked in the arm. Then I got an EKG. Then I got an ultrasound(hurt more than the poking they really pressed hard against my rib cage which is kinda tender). Then I got a chest x-ray. Then went to lunch for an hour. After lunch I went to a Seminar and talked to a Lady who went over the whole surgery process, what it entails, what we can/can't eat before/after surgery, etc. After the seminar there are a handful of things that freak me out: 1. I'm very squeamish and we will have a little bulb or drain attached to us that will catch any leaks, or other fluids - we will wear this for 3-4 weeks till our first post-op consult with the doctor. 2. Catheter, she showed a dummy with a catheter attached and I felt sick, seriously. I'm not too concerned about it going in she said 'don't worry, you'll be knocked out' to which I then said, yeah but not when you yank it out...that's when it hurts. 3. Blood clots still freak me out and worry me. I definitely don't wanna go through all this to die from a blood clot. 4. It's just really getting real...lol Gettin' nervous my surgery is two weeks from Monday! Yikes! So after the seminar we went upstairs and walked around the surgery floor. It's pretty long and we have to do 10 laps a day..carrying all the damn wires attached - that's gonna be fun lol... After the hospital my wife and I went walking at the Arboretum it was fun, and as a bonus they have benches every 50 feet so when my back hurts I can easily find a spot to sit down -this is my new favorite place to workout at ... I didn't eat all that healthy today, I had a slice of pizza on wheat crust + turkey pepperoni at the hospital which was pretty good but healthier than normal pizza, but probably still not ideal. I also had a Muscle Milk w/ lunch for added Protein. dinner was a Gyro without the pita, and half of a rootbeer float (split it w/ my wife). The good thing is I'm like 300 calories under goal because of my exercise! Carbs are probably pretty high though, but, oh well.. I think I will reach my goal of losing 40 - 50 pounds by my surgery. I've already lost 20, just need 20-30 more - hopefully 30. I'm pretty excited about everything, though more nervous than I was, but all in all I had a pretty good day!

Everything is going great. 9 days post op, my PCP took me off of both of my blood pressure pills. I couldn't believe the change overnight. One day, my bp was great with the meds and the next day my bp was 99/66 after taking my meds. It also appears that my diabetes (diagnosed 12/09) is gone. I am still in the full liquids stage for about another 10 days and that is going well. Nothing has bothered my sleeve so far. I have tried a few different blended soups and they are really good. I started walking a few days ago and will continue to step up the distance over the next few days to get up to 3 miles a day or so. As always, thanks to everyone here for all I have learned.

Hello Was sleeved on 8/19/13. In the hospital my time was normal no pain no trouble, went home and then all hell broke lose. Left hospital on Wednesday, on Sunday in the ER because of dehydration, was released went to see my doctor and he places me Back in the hospital, my blood Levels was all over the place, stayed in the Hospital for Three days on IV fluids only, was told I will Need to stay home and rest till mid October. At home I was unable to hold any food down or in. Today Sunday 9-28-13 is my first time that I had a meal and It stayed down. I did not Run to the bathroom after eating. I am down 4 dress sizes. I am not a friend to the scale, so I don't know my total went lose. But to all the sleeves , there is a light at the end of the tunnel. This is so worth it for all the people who is thinking that this was a mistake. At the end of the day this was all about getting healthy off meds and betting the odds against the troubles we went through before we had surgery. This is a life long change and not something that will be fixed overnight. It was not created overnight Till next time Keep your head held high

I love your list! You see I went on a trip back in August with my kids and hubby and was unable to do so much. I tried but I held them back and they would not go withou me. I think I cried every night. at the time we knew I was about a month out from surgery and my granddaughter kept saying how this would be the last time i would not be able to walk very far or would not be able to go zip lining. Well, two weeks ago I went to Las Vegas with my husband. First, I had to go buy clothes that were 4 sizes smaller! Then when I got on the plane and into my seat, my seatbelt not only fit, I probably had an extra 6 inches! I walked all over Las Vegas and was not in pain, in fact my hubby and son got pooped out before I did! And I did not have to use a necklace extender. In February, I am taking my other son and Granddaughter to Hawaii, we have not been there since 1999. I have excursions planned on every island and I cannot wait to mark things off my list! You are going to have a blast when it happens for you. I am less than halfway to my goal and only 10 weeks post op and I feel so blessed to be where I am already!

I am doing the surgery with a low BMI too. 19 days until surgery. I have told my mother and son. That's it. No one from work or anyone else. I have gained every year. Just 5 years ago I weighed 50 pounds less. I know the way I was coping was a losing battle. I am tired. I want my body back. I want to smile. I want to get dress and not put something back because it won't go over my thighs. I want to stop buying cheap clothes on sale because they fit. I want to go to the beach and wear a swimsuit. I want to actually look in the mirror instead of rushing past it because I don't like the reflection. You are not alone. This is about you. It is your turn. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

For many years prior to my Weight Loss Surgery, I was waiting for a magic bullet [no, not the blender] to come along and make it very easy for me to lose my excess weight. Some new drug or Vitamin that made the process very easy. Many weight loss drugs were introduced through the years but many had adverse side-effects, some were outright dangerous. Well, a new device called AspireAssist was just approved by the FDA. The device works by restricting caloric absorption and decreasing the rate of eating/chewing. Under conscious sedation and with the use of an endoscope, a tube is placed within the upper portion of the stomach, with the other end attached to the surface of the abdomen through a secured port. The device is then attached to the port when the patient is ready to aspirate, 20-30 minutes after a meal. Approximately 30 percent of the caloric intake from the meal can be emptied directly into the toilet, requiring about 10-15 minutes in all for the aspiration process. http://acsh.org/news/2016/07/14/fda-approves-new-way-to-purge-calories/ [i remember reading stories that the Romans used binge and purge cycles in the process of overeating. When they were full they would go and vomit out their stomach content so they could continue eating. Apparently some of those stories were false but the myth remains. http://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/did-romans-purge-bellies-in-vomitoriums.htm] The device, called AspireAssist, is marketed for obese patients with a BMI between 35-55 who have been unable to lose, or maintain loss of weight, using non-surgical methods. Though it has been available to the European Union population since 2012, it recently gained FDA approval in the United States. Results of a one-year U.S. clinical trial showed that participants (n=171) who used the device, in addition to counseling, lost 12 percent of their initial weight on average, when compared to a 4 percent weight loss in those in the counseling only arm of the study. Well, I am glad I didn't wait around for this one.

A little history about me. I started this process about 6 weeks ago and have had my initial appointment with my surgeon, my nutritional class, EGD (good with the exception of a small hernia which is good news since I am self pay). My only requirements left (since I am self pay) are my stress test (scheduled for next Wednesday) and sleep study which is scheduled for this Wednesday. Once I get those results back we can proceed with scheduling my surgery date. Right now if everything goes well I will be looking at the first of August. I asked my surgeon during my initial appointment if there were any concerns as my recent blood work at my PCP came back with a TSH level of almost 7. I currently take thyroid medicine and have for about 10 years. He said there were no concerns and we moved on to the next topic. The more I search these boards the more I am worried that my surgery will be delayed until my TSH levels are normal. My thyroid meds were recently increased and I am scheduled for new blood work the first week in July. My question is...did anyone else have their surgery delayed because of high TSH levels?

Good luck! Starting day 4 of 10! So far, so good. Hubby and gson ate KFC last night. I had a shake. I feel pretty 'in control'. Good luck all!

@FloridaGal1976 - My knees are almost as bad as yours. I'm bone on bone in both knees - similar height - weighed more and am older. Here's why I opted for going with insurance. (First - find out what your insurance requirements are - it may not be the six to 8 months you think - call and ask to speak with a nurse manager or case manager to get the answers.) My team required attendance at a group session (I did that end of April 2016) and had my first appointment with my surgeon on May 11, 2016. My surgery was on August 23, 2016. That was just enough time to get all the pre-op crap done - endoscopy, barium swallow, cardiology clearance, orthopedic clearance, pulmonary clearance and psych eval. All of that was required by my hospital group and not my insurance, although my insurance covered everything (except co-pays) except the psych. HW 271.5 SW 246.9 CW170-177 fluctuating right now. So I'm somewhere between 95 and 100 pounds down in 10 months. Pre-op - I was good for at least 1 Vicodin a day to control my knee pain along with regular cortisone shots and Synvisc for my knees. I've taken maybe 3 Vicodin since August - one was a result of running 2.5 miles without warming up well enough. As I'm sure you've read - a sleeve is a tool. So getting your head in the right place and understanding what's going on is important. It's not a long wait and while I was impatient at the start, I'm glad I had the three or four months. I spent time learning to eat better and making peace with a number of things. What can I do now that I couldn't before - I fence (as in en garde) about 5 hours a week. I strength train another 2 hours a week. I do pilates. While I had the surgery to try to speed up having bilateral knee replacement, based on my last conversations with my knee surgeon, I'll be able to put them off at least another 5-7 years. Wait it out. You'll be fine. I understand the impatience, but this is a learning process. Good luck.

It is a salem occation today as it is the final day of people food for me ! I must start the Pre op diet as of tomorrow. I have had pretty much all the foods I like in the last 3 days. I had a lunch at eastside marios, I had fish and chips at a local Joeys, H&D rocky road ice cream, m&ms, and a nice peanut butter sandwich. Tomorrow I feast on Yogurt and Cottage cheese (bacteria filled milk and it's by-products) for the next ten days! It will be tough (since I will have daily access to some yummy food (pasta, sauces, Brocettes, chicken kiev, steak, stew, Clubs, Burritos, fries, various other potato dishes, vegy galore, pastry, sweets, ) SIGH! This also means that in 10 days I will be turned to the banded side. I may have to change my name to something like "Darth Bandito" or "Chewawacca" or "Luke soothimaker" or how about "Band Solo" Knaw... I'll just stick with Mr. Yoda... Oh well, it is for the greater good... I will just enjoy what I can have, miss what I can't, eat slow, eat often and muddle my way through... Viva the resistance! Today is my last day of people food!

Hi guys -- last Saturday, I made it to Onderland -- but then went up a pound and then am now back down -- so I'm calling it Onderland! It's kinda funny, I'm thrilled that I'm no longer 200 something, but my eyes are so focused on the remaining 34 or so pounds that I feel almost like I'm checking something off of a list. But in order to make myself enjoy this moment, here's a list of what I can do now and what has changed: 1. I can play 4 hours of golf in 95 degree weather, sweat, etc. and not die. 2. I tie my shoes by putting them up on my knee without thinking about it. (I just reminded my daughter about how she had to put on my shoes for me because I couldn't bend over and do it myself. - isn't that sad??) 3. I run up and down stairs without thinking about it. 4. I HATE sitting around (which is why I'm not online as much anymore) 5. I was forced to order size 12 jeans from Old navy because my 14 year old daughter said I looked ridiculous. sigh. 6. ahem . . . the bedroom stuff is great 7. I have not been this size since I was 34 years old (13 years ago). 8. Construction guys hoot at me (don't really know how to deal with it, but heck I'll take it) 9. I was shopping for clothes online with my daughter and we were equally frustrated because the clothes we wanted didn't come in our sizes -- hers a 0 (yes, really) and mine a 12 -- but I was shopping for NORMAL CLOTHES!! 10. No one says I have a "pretty face" anymore -- they comment on how "good you look" 11. People do comment on my eating but it's to say, "She's a picky eater." 12. I feel normal for the first time in 2 decades -- seriously. I've been fat for 2 decades. My children don't remember me thin -- and my daughter keeps saying, "But Mom, you're thin now." Blows me away. 13. I don't hesitate to sit in plastic chairs. 14. I don't hesitate to climb on chairs. 15. I don't worry about scooting through tight places. 16. I am not the fattest in the room anymore. I could go on and on -- it's really nice to take an accounting of what's changed -- but as Buzz Lightyear says, "To infinity and beyond!" or gotta keep on going!! Before surgery: Day after surgery: Now (my birthday last week):

I just had my surgery on 3/27 and had to do a pre-op liquid diet as well. I had to do it for 10 days. Each surgeon seems to do it a little different. Mine allowed 3-4 high protein low carb shakes (Atkins Advantage) for meals and then I could pick 2 protein choices a day (fat free yogurt, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 2 oz deli turkey breast, hard boiled egg or 8 oz skim milk). Also allowed 1 cup steamed veg or 2 cup raw veg (non-starches). I found the shakes surprisingly do fill you up more than I expected and had one at each meal and one before bed, I spaced the yogurt and other proteins mid morning and dinner and filled the veggies in between. Also had unlimited sugar free jello, crystal light, sugar free popsicles and fat free broth as well. It's tough at first but doable, it seems to get easier after the first few days. I lost 14 pounds during my 10 days and my surgeon said my liver was shrunk which helps them perform the surgery more safely. Good luck!

I went to the siminair to learn about getting the sleeve i am ready for a new life style change of not being miserable anymore. I am ready to give it my all. They called me yesterday and said they would contact me in about 10 days after the advocate talks to my insurance company to see if they will pay but I already know they don't I have checked every avenue to get help and did not succeed but that is ok my health and well being are worth it right. I will keep y'all posted. Carla

I just had surgery, May 19, 2008. I didn't tell too many people. I did not want to hear their opinions on my decision and frankly I did not care what they thought.

I want to thank everyone for their replies and support. I appreciate it more than you know. Now it makes more sense. The nurse is still saying they didn't order the anesthesia in time and then there were shipping problems, but I'm hearing more about the 'drought'. Bottom line.. I can't really change it. I can only roll with the punches and do what I have to do. My biggest concern wasn't just getting the surgery, but the date in which is now falls. I'm incredibly lucky to have such an understanding and supportive boss, backed by a compassionate company. So given nothing else goes wrong, I will be banded on 10/5, and I can't wait! It's weird eating normal again after 2 weeks.. now I'm never really hungry and I eat considerably less. I just can't wait to get this done with. But again, thank you all for your replies and support. I guess I have a tendency of overreacting and worrying.. the stress of being a full-time worker, college student, and the emotions that come with the LapBand process really got to me for a bit. I'm trying me best to just relax and go with it now.

The first night in the hospital I had trouble going to the restroom. The nurse turned up the Fluid and it started to help me go but.......the next night after I had been going to the restroom all day the fluid wasn't turned down. I being me, didn't realize that it needed to go back down and was up peeing ALL NIGHT! Seriously, I would no more than get into the bed strap my legs back up to the "no clot" things and I'd be having to undo them withing 10-15 minutes. I should have called the nurse but didn't realize it at the time. UGH! My doc came in the next morning and I told him and he asked , "Well why are you still hooked up to this thing?" My ingenious answer, " I don't know!" So, that was my second night. The first night I couldn't sleep, to much anxiety. I walked probably every half hour except for two times that I actually was able to sleep one whole hour at a time! The nurses were great and so attentive but I was so glad to get home Friday. Home for three days now and doing OK as far as I can tell. Unfortunately, this is my last week for some summer classes that I have been taking so I can't just be a total veg and sleep as much as I would like to do so!

I have not had any of these problems. I tend to under eat my sleeve. Oh wait, In the beginning, I use to have food sit right in my esophaus which felt really wierd, but would be gone in 10 minutes. I do have alot of constipation which can sometimes be painful passing. But other than that, no problems. I do have stalls like everyone else. But overall, no slimes, I do burp but not much and I have alot of gas and I fart!. I can handle these. I love my sleeve.

I had lap-band surgery back on 7/19/2010. My primary reason for the lap-band was to send my diabetes into remission. On the day of my surgery as I waited to be call (got there 4 hours early) I had a horrible tooth ache from a tooth that I found out later needed a root canal. I didn't say anything because I was concern that it would cancel the surgery. The surgery was fine and the only real pain was from my tooth afterwards. It took me awhile to get the root canal done and so I lived with the tooth discomfort for a while. As a result I ate very little and therefore I lost a lot of weight - the doctors thought lap-band, I wondered tooth. When I started the fills food began to get stuck immediately and also pain and discomfort. They stopped the fills thinking I had enough and after all I had lost 20 pounds fairly quickly. I felt good and my AC1 almost return to normal levels. I won't go into the details of port fills and lack of results because we have all been there. Three months ago when I was in the doctors office they mentioned that I was a "lap-band failure" and suggested that one possibility might be the sleeve. My first reaction was I had purposely gone with the least invasive procedure and that to pursue the sleeve was to be going down the rabitt hole permanently. Which frankly scared me. However after thinking about the real consequences of diabetes in the long term and how much I hurt physically with the weight regained I signed up for the conversion from lap-band to sleeve. I have requested that they remove the lap-band and do the sleeve at once which the doctor says that he will try. I am now scheduled for surgery on December 21st. I'm not sure that I have any specific questions. I have concerns about the quality of life after surgery. I am also concerned about the psychological impact of the surgery. Thanks.

Hi everyone, I am new to this. I began my journey towards a bariatric sleeve in Jan, but stopped going to the nutritionist in March. So, I have started all over. I have already completed my cardiology clearance, got my blood work done, and my 1st nutritionist appointment done down also. Today I did my upper GI scan and it makes me so excited that I am getting closer to my surgery. I have so many questions and watch so many videos on YouTube. I only need to do my pulmonary exam and psych, then 5 more appointments for nutrition which are scheduled 3 weeks apart. I have state insurance and they require 6 consecutive visits. But, my worry is that I complete my appointments and don't lose any weight or get denied. Since March I gained 10 pounds. I am drinking water, which I don't usually do, keeping a journal of my intake of food, high protein low carb, stopped grazing... any tips? Anyone go through state medicaid for sx? Any bumps in the road with weight?

Congrats!!!! You are just 10 days away!!!!!

Thanks for all of the compliments everyone, it really has been a great journey. Yeah, I am down over 90 lbs but to be honest, it doesn’t feel like it. It wasn't until I posted these pics that I realized how much of a difference there really is. This was the first time I have put before and, I guess you can call it "After" pics together. I use the term "after" loosely because it just hit 2 months over the weekend. The funny thing about this journey is that I didn’t realize that all of my aches and pains were the result of carrying that extra weight around on a frame that had always been sub 200 lbs. Well, except for the left knee issues but that is a sports related ACL tear problem. But, even with the ACL tear, the weight loss has nearly stopped the knee pain as well, only when it is over used does it hurt. It is definitely nice to be on normal foods now! It is actually easier when I am at work because I pack the right foods in the morning and that is what I eat all day. Still eating about 5-6 times a day but the meals are so small, just enough to take the hunger away without feeling uncomfortable. Lots of Greek yogurt (Chobani Apple Cinnamon is amazing!), low fat or light string mozzarella cheese, EAS Protein drinks, and then usually a lean meat of some sort throughout the day and I am good!!!! I just returned from a weeklong vacation in the Outer Banks and traditionally, I gain 10 lbs from that week. There is so much food in the beach house that all you do is graze all day. Even if I tried, I couldn’t this year, it was awesome! I actually came back 1-2 lbs lighter and I was not too careful about what I ate (it was vacation!!!!). Now that I am back, I am back to being very disciplined once again, the sleeve makes it very easy to be disciplined! I am not exercising like crazy though; my schedule just doesn’t permit the time to go nuts in the gym. But, I am riding my stationary bike daily and I walk a lot at work since our building is 1/5 of a mile long. Now that winter is coming and the days are getting shorter, I will dust off my Bowflex machine and start hitting the weights a little more, at least that is the plan. I am also mountain bike shopping although that may wait until spring as I don’t want to have to sit and look at it for the next 6 months waiting on the weather to break. For those not sure, or on the fence, the sleeve is an amazing tool that when used correctly provides outstanding results. Less food, increased energy, and a renewed lease on life are the upsides. The first day or so following surgery weren’t what I would call "awesome" days, but barring complications, the recovery is quick. I highly recommend having it done robotically if you have that option!!! I had surgery on a Monday and could have easily returned to my desk job by Wednesday or Thursday, but instead, I had to wait until I was cleared at my 1 week appointment. The worst of this whole process....the drain tube. I would not say it hurt; it was just weird, especially them pulling it like a rip cord when it was time to remove it at my 1 week post-op appt. Ok, sorry for the rambling mess that this probably comes across as but I just wanted to share my experience to this point.

I was just sleeved on 12/10; but I'm sure hoping it works. My husband said squats would help with my thighs as well so I'm starting that tonight. I feel like they told us some vitamin or supplement pre-op that helps also...I just can't recall right now; when I get home I'll check my notes and let you guys know!