What's the buzz?

Don't be nervous, hon! Well, try not to. It's such a good thing that it's such a process to actually get on the table. All those steps help us be more and more sure of our decision. I'm looking forward to your post! I know it will go well! Nan

Penny, Congrats on your appt. My dr is Dr bright, dr rawlins cohort, so to speak. My surgery is Dec 14 and I am all a twitter about it. I can't believe this is happening. Reading about everyone else's success gives me hope. Cindi

Hey Washington gang, I am so glad to see all of us are doing so well, certainly better than before WLS and the early recovery days. For people newer than us, it does get better just hang in there. For people more experienced than us, I'm sure you've had your goods and bads to share with us too...we can all learn from each other. My surgery was 09-15-2004, Wednesday, which is exactly 10 weeks ago today!! Hard to believe it has been 10 weeks and yet it feels both so close and so far away. I have had very very few physical problems with my WLS - mine are more emotional and mental. First, I love losing weight. I have come to the conclusion that getting smaller, weighing less and being able to fit into clothes again is a real turn on and it makes me very happy!!!!! Second, my emotions run from happy complacent acceptance to what am I doing here to who am I to I've got to get better control over my feelings and thoughts!! My eating isn't a problem right now, I probably haven't experimented enough yet with different foods, but I hate to change something that's not broken and right now my protein powders (1-2 day) and my small protein meals-snacks are serving me quite well. I would like to hear more about what others are able to eat and get some good ideas for meals, recipes, etc. Do you guys post recipes to the main recipe forum through this web? If not, any interest? It is great to hear from all of you in goods and toughs both. Let's keep the open communication line going as we all need the support and have a lot of support to offer each other!! Karen Thompson 09-15-2004 50 pounds down

OH! I am with you there - the mental and emotional is a lot of work. I think it's the real key to long term success - figuring out these two. I pray that for every hard day I have I learn something about how and why I ended up fat. I pray that I am changed - permanently! I think there is a recipe forum here. I have never checked it out. I cook nice dinners for my family, but eat a cube of cheese for dinner. 50 lbs is great - don't you feel great?! I agree with you getting smaller is WONDERFUL! Hugs, Nan

Exercising is new with me......saying I'm going to do it and then ACTUALLY GOING!! LOL I've been going to the gym at least twice a week for the last couple of weeks. Plus working out at home; where before when asked if I exercised I always said yes and used walking around the house or block as my excuse of exercise. The other day I went and did a mile on the treadmill and 2 on the bike. I'm nervous about Thanksgiving, going to a friends house for dinner. Will have to be extra careful about eating there....not only have I never had his cooking(yes, I said his~ They're newlyweds and he's making their first Thanksgiving dinner) before but not sure what he'll be putting in things. At Christmas we're going home to Kansas and my family is fully aware of what I can and can't have. My aunt is digging thru her receipe box looking for sugar free desserts she can bring and my lil sister has promised she'll have plenty of low fat high protein things in the house for me to eat. What am I eating? Just about anything I want to honestly. I seem to be craving lots of mexican food which drives my hubby crazy....lol. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE going to Taco Johns and ordering a chicken soft taco minus the lettuce and then eating the chicken and cheese out of the middle of it. Or Taco Bells refried beans...mega yummy. The nutritionist wasn't happy with me last time I went, said I was eating too many pickles and not enough carbs....but then I've been having mega pickle cravings. Somedays I eat 2 or 3! But I do eat them with cheese so at least I'm getting in protein with them. I used to crave sweets.....now I'm craving sour stuff Who knows why; I sure don't. Today is my 4 month surgery anniversary. Plan on running out to the hospital and weighing myself, but at the gym the other night I was down 2 more pounds for a total of -109 pounds. Oh, and we went to a dinner the other night and I wore heels!!! Had NO PROBLEMS!!! Last time I tried on those shoes I couldn't even get my foot into them and Saturday I wore them for several hours pain free. Even offered to with my hubby! ~Tanja

****109 POUNDS**** WOW, girl! You are amazing! And so fast. Good on you! I've not done too much eating out. Soups and beans are all I've had so far. This weekend I am going out for dinner - perhaps a salad! Yum! I haven't craved sweets at all. I want salty foods mostly. It's a nice change! Have a great Thanksgiving!! Nan

Hey Nancy, Ok, I'm 4 days post op. Eating is awful!!!!!! My DH is nursing me back to health. This is what I ate today. 7 oz of water with isotonix vitamins. 1 pureed egg w/sm amt of soy milk mixed in. 3 oz pureed tuna. 1 oz gerber baby bananas. 3.5 oz tomato gorgonzola soup (that was good) 5 oz apple juice watered down alittle and so far 18 oz water. This pureed stuff is AWFUL!!!!!! And we have to eat it for 8 weeks. Today was my first full day at home. I love to have my DH home and all but this pureed stuff is really going to drive me insane for the next 8 weeks. Congrats on your weightloss!! Well, I better go now, I'm sure he has something we wants to puree for me by now............. Arlene

8 weeks of pureed food? Wow, you got a tough doc! I was suppose to do 2 weeks....managed a few days. It was either eat soft food or not eat anything. Thankfully my doc didn't scream at me too much.....lol. I know there's no way I could do 8 weeks of it tho. Good luck! The gerber baby banana's sounds yummy tho......I always thought their fruit tasted really good when I was feeding it to my babies. To help up your fluids try some SF popsicles or fudgesicles. Hot tea or broth with some unjury unflavored protein in it was something else I did while on clear/full/pureed stages. ~Tanja

The early days are the worst. But, each one is better than the last. I feel for you and the pureed diet. When Heidi told me to go back to a pureed diet, I was honest with her and told her there was no way in the world I would do that. There are some foods I may never eat again because of those early weeks. Cream of wheat is still ok with me though. When I went on the SlimFast, Protein shake diet for 2 weeks before my endoscope, I was so despirate for food that I broke down and bought some babyfood. I didn't want the sugar in Gerber, so I bought one of the natural brands. The meal was ok with lots of salt in it. But, the blueberry applesauce had me wondering which of my tastebuds would never return after being forced to taste such nasty stuff. Good to hear from you, Hat

I know those 8 weeks of full fluids were tough!!! I can't say I was a stellar patient in that regard. I remember reading about all the other patients who were eating real foods while I munched on mush. Grr. Ironically, I am nearly 10 weeks out now and I *still* eat mostly soft foods. But I sure appreciate the restriction of full fluids being lifted! You will get there -- try to grin and bare it. I know our pouches have a good long time to heal b/c of the prolonged kind-to-pouch diet. I didn't like pureed foods, so I was always on the look out for foods that would work without being blended or that were normally eaten in a blended state. My favortie food was ricotta cheese heated with a little marinara sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Several weeks out, I started adding mozarella cheese too. It tastes like the cheesy insides of lasagne and has a decent amt of protein and was effortless to prepare. Oatbran has nearly 3x the protein than cream of wheat - I still eat it for breakfast. I make it with milk and powdered milk. (The fiber of oatbran helps keep me more regular, too.) I would also blend and thin refried beans with milk and top with a little taco sauce. Again, I added shredded cheese after a few weeks. Sadly, cheese whiz (in the can) and other cheese spreads became a staple for me. They certainly wouldn't pass the straw test, but I ate (licked) them slowly and they provided a tasty (salty) 5 grams of protein for just 2 tablespoons. Not ideal, by any means, but it helped me thru. Split pea soup also has quite a bit of protein - I'd get those ones that come in single serving cardboard cups. I'd divide dry soup mix into fourths or thirds, putting each part into a 4 oz glad container. I'd add a little powdered milk to each. All I had to do was add boiling water for lunch! No waste and portable. Make water your priority - We're more likely at the beginning stages to suffer from dehydration than starvation! Sip, sip, sip!! How WONDERFUL that your hubby is doting on you! What a guy! We are sooo glad you are home and healing! God bless! Keep us updated on how you are doing. Hugs, Nancy