Hi everyone--I thought I'd listen to some advice from one of the other monthly groups and start one master thread in which we have an ongoing discussion/updates. I don't know about you all but I certainly spend most of my time on these boards on the pre-op forum and the general forum, not here. It would be nice to have just one thread to go to once in this forum.

We can maybe start out with introductions?

As for me, I'm going the "online privacy" route for now (paranoid that people I haven't told about this will somehow stumble across me on this site I guess, which is crazy, I know) but I can give you the big picture:

You can call me Penny, I'm 27, single and live in the Washington, DC area. I have a background in politics (which is why I live in DC) but now I'm a librarian which is much cooler and way more fun (trust me on that). Oh, and there's no "Marion the Librarian" thing with me either. One of the things I hear most frequently (besides the cliche "you have such a pretty face") is "but you don't LOOK like a librarian", which is another one of those bizarre backhanded compliments that you never really know how to take.

Personality wise, I'm kind of dorky, big into public radio and books and popular science. Oh, I'm also a little on the paranoid side (as you may be able to tell from earlier in this post). Beyond that I'm just kind of silly and friendly, VERY much so into traveling and I'm an aspiring "green" domestic diva (but that's not going so well).

Penny,

I don't know exactly what the recommendations are. My boss (I work on the Surgical floor) told me about the new diet the surgeon was using and that it came from the Association of Bariatric and Metobolic Surgeons. The post-op diet for my surgeon is--day of surgery: clear liquids, post-op day one: full liquids, post-op day two-two weeks: bariatric blended (which is mushies, anything that can be mashed with a fork, flaky fish, blended meats). I haven't got past this point yet so I'm not well versed in where you go after that!

I think the most important thing is that you stay within your doctor's guidelines in a way that makes you feel comfortable. I've actually taken some liberties with the diet and advanced the portion size because I can feel I have absolutely no restriction. I've added more protein portions and cut back to two protein shakes a day from three.

Edited August 9, 200818 yr by lovegrapes
Clarification

Orea, You update picture is so nice. You are the kind of person that draws people to you. I am so happy for you. You are on your way girl!!!!!

Your determination to follow the rules is inspiring; In my life I tend to push the rules as far as I can. I am learning with this process - you just can't do that.

Obviously, the rules are there to benefit us and to make sure we stay on track.

I hope I can learn some patience - I always want things NOW!!!! This is a learning process for me as well as a losing process. Thanks for live an example for me and other inpatience folks.

If I lived in the "100 Acre Woods" with Winnie the Pooh and gang - I would be Tigger!!!!!!!! Bounce - Bounce -Bounce

Kimaly - Hang in there. The scale may not move every week. Mine didn't for two weeks, then it went down this week.

Sunday weigh-in............ Survey says.......... Down 3 pounds this week!

Pre-op June, 27 372lbs

Surgery July, 10 364lbs

Today August,10 342lbs

30 pounds GONE!!!!!:):biggrin::youcandothis:

orea, great updated pic. you already look like a new person.

Thanks for you kind words! That other picture was a couple of years old. Last year I finally was able to convince a stylist to cut off my long hair. They were scared to do it. I love it short! Then about a month later we started working on recreating the medium golden brown of my younger days, and we finally have it tweaked so that the very resistant gray in front doesn't blonde out in a few weeks.

This picture was taken several days ago. I'm pleased with how much slimmer my face looks. And this is just the beginning!

Orea, You update picture is so nice. You are the kind of person that draws people to you. I am so happy for you. You are on your way girl!!!!!

Your determination to follow the rules is inspiring; In my life I tend to push the rules as far as I can. I am learning with this process - you just can't do that.

Obviously, the rules are there to benefit us and to make sure we stay on track.

I hope I can learn some patience - I always want things NOW!!!! This is a learning process for me as well as a losing process. Thanks for live an example for me and other inpatience folks.

If I lived in the "100 Acre Woods" with Winnie the Pooh and gang - I would be Tigger!!!!!!!! Bounce - Bounce -Bounce

Wow, that is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.

To be completely honest, I'm really scared I'll mess this up. I'm afraid small transgressions will turn into big ones and I'll blow it completely...stretch out my pouch, cause a slip, or something.

I really hear you on the patience thing. I had to learn patience when my son arrived, or he wouldn't have lived to see double digits! (He's 25 and wonderful now.) But this...this whole process from researching to waiting for the new year to change insurance companies, to jumping through hoop after hoop, to learning to eat small amounts in tiny bites and chew chew chew, to waiting to heal and get off mushies, to waiting again for a fill that probably wont do much at first...this is a whole new level of patience (and courage) being called for.

The time will pass whether we are using it constructively or not, so we might as well use it well, right?

One thing that might help you is to remember the rules aren't being imposed from the outside by some authority figure. This is a choice you made as an adult. You decided to do this and you can decide to give it the best possible chance of working for you so you can succeed perhaps beyond your wildest dreams.

I've never been too big on self discipline, sad to say, but it's time we mastered it. Okay, past time! :youcandothis: But, think how proud we will be of ourselves for learning self control and a little delayed gratification.

Let's not trade what we really want, for what we want right now.

Hugs,

Orea

Well, today is sat., my scale day. No gain NO LOSS this week I know no gain is good but no loss really bites. I thought i was ready for this but it's still depressing, i've been doing exactly what i'm supposed to. hope i have better luck next week. :youcandothis::Banane54::Banane57::welldoneclap:

Very few people lose consistently week after week. I don't know about you, but my body has always stopped to rest for a while after dropping some pounds. I don't know why, but it seems to need to regroup of something. There's not much we can do about this except respect our bodies (perhaps for the first time!) and give them the space to adjust.

Keep doing what you are doing and know in your heart that you are doing all you can, and that even if your body resists, you will win in the end. Don't let the scale ruin your day or your week. It's only a number. You'll know by how your clothes fit, how your face looks in the mirror, etc. Or use a measuring tape and keep track of your measurements. Often they change, even when the scale stays the same.

Hang in there!

Orea

Sunday weigh-in............ Survey says.......... Down 3 pounds this week!

Pre-op June, 27 372lbs

Surgery July, 10 364lbs

Today August,10 342lbs

30 pounds GONE!!!!!:):biggrin::youcandothis:

CONGRATULATIONS! Doesn't it feel great!!! :welldoneclap:

Hello everyone! still on mushies for another week- but it seems to be working because I'm down another 2 lbs! I've lost a total of 24 lbs lost! yippee!!! im going to reward myself with some baby food bananas

p.s. is anyone else watching the olympics? im addicted. and since i swim- ive been cheering my heart out for michael phelps! he and Lochte are such cutie! lol

gotta go- gymnastics is on

Hello everyone! still on mushies for another week- but it seems to be working because I'm down another 2 lbs! I've lost a total of 24 lbs lost! yippee!!! im going to reward myself with some baby food bananas :youcandothis:

That's great, PDX! Two more pounds gone, never to return! I like that last part best.

Boos02, Thx I'm keepin the faith

Orea, as always thx for the kind words. i'm a retired stylist and an instructor, i know how much a good hair cut and color can do. it took me a long time to cut my waist length hair. but i'm so glad i did i really love the short hair.

Hi Butterflies,

I am to start "real food" tomorrow, so I thought I would give it a little test drive today. I had scrambled eggs, grits, and crispy bacon, very small portions, bites, and I chewed, chewed, chewed. It tasted so gooooood in the mouth, but my pouch said no, no, noooooo.

I believe it was probably the bacon. I had lots of pressure in the middle of the sternum, no PBs, but the pain was enough that I'm having protein drinks tonight and mushies tomorrow! My DH is traveling for business a few days and I want to risk nothing while he is gone, even tho my DD is close by. This is certainly a new ride, but it still is one I am glad I got on! I hope the rest of you butterflies are doing well on your progressive diets.

Dianne - Good luck on the transition to real food. I've got one more week. I was looking at my manual and it says no bacon at first. So, you may be right the bacon could have done it.

Orea - I had to smile when you talked about your hairstyle change. I'm gray and I'm trying to convince myself to color my hair, but I'm petrified. In some ways that change is harder than having surgery (lol)!