High five!!! You and I are on the same path, same date. Good for us!!!! Congratulations!!

 I guess I should have been more clear. I am still following the plan and I am not at goal, so I still plan on losing weight. Just thought someone might be able to tell me a trick or something to working on the upper belly. I have a friend who is a licensed personal trainer and I forgot what she told me to do regarding belly fat as it was years ago. So I know there are options, just was trying to figure it out.

Thanks either way 

 Your incisions may look healed from the outside, but it's what's going on on the inside that is most important. If you soak in water, it will cause your incision to shrivel/shrink just like your fingers do when in the water too long, that could open that incision right back up where the inside might not have completely healed. Follow your doctor's advice.

 I went to jcpenneys yesterday to find some cheap capris Abd realized I was getting to shop where the cool music was. Crazy!

 You look so fabulous!

 Could be gall bladder related. Good you are seeing your dr. I has mine taken out 15 years before my Vsg. However my primary pain was like I had a tennis ball between my shoulder blades

Just wanted to cover some random things that are going on with me 4 months out. No order of importance.
1) I am much more irritable than before. Talked with my therapist and think that it could be that i have found my voice I have been hiding for so long. Meaning, getting the courage to tell my husband things that he is doing that are irritating me. I was always able to talk to him before, but I would sit and think on it a long time. This is different, it's the little irritations that I am finally coming out about. I also am thinking that with the weight loss and releasing of hormones that i could be a little chemically irritated, as well. 
2) I am down 75 lbs, but see myself in pictures and am so disappointed. I look now what I thought I looked like then. I mean how I see myself in the mirror now, is not how I see myself in pictures now. How I see myself in pictures now is how I saw myself in the mirror 75 lbs ago.
3) I don't feel any extra energy. I am tired! Tired all of the time. I am hypothyroid and my levels are off. TIRED!  Dr is working with me to get my level straightened out but it's always a long process with a fine line we are trying to meet. 
4) I feel guilty every single day that I do not exercise. I have not exercised 95% of the time since i had surgery. I know I will regret it. But, see #4...TIRED!
5) I am scared of letting myself down when it comes to this weight loss. It's not that I miss the food I used to eat, because I don't. It's that I dread the planning of each meal. I have to do it, because I know that if I don't I get VERY depressed. I get depressed because when I have no plan for food, I think about how easy it was before just to grab something somewhere,  a sandwich, burger, whatever. I can't eat that stuff anymore, and it's only then that I miss it. Just so many behavior changes that are going on. 
6) Did I say I was tired?
7) My pants are too big but I don't want to buy new ones for a while .I know that's a huge PLUS, it totally is. And I am very grateful. But, khaki pants do not look nice when you are swimming in them. Just an awkward stage that I have to get used to.
8) My boobs are huge, but deflated all at the same time. I wear a 38 F. Was wearing a 42 F, but now I just have to lift them to put them in the bra where before they were fuller. 


Things I am happy about:
1) i look prettier and i can see that in my face. I have lost the majority of my weight in the upper and lower regions of my body: neck, face, clavicle area, arms, legs, FEET! haha. 
2) Did I tell you that I have clavicles now? Ha! I know I had them before, but NOW i can actually see them. 
3) i am in an 18. An 18! I can't believe it. I am 11 lbs away from 199. I can feel bones in my body from just touching my skin. My mom commented that even my thumbs look thinner. She never compliments anything. 
4) I feel more courage to not avoid getting my picture taken and sit on things I thought I would break before. 
5) I am way more flexible, in better shape, doesn't phase me to walk up any amount of steps. 
6) Even tho I hate the attention, I love how everyone goes nuts when they see how much I have changed. 
7) I am making amazingly better food choices than before. I NEVER dieted before. EVER. I might have done portion control but never actually cut something out of my diet for the purpose of losing weight. Now I am doing so much better. Totally new life.
8) I know that my waist will eventually get thinner, it's thinning out last. I was able to buy a belt for the first time ever in life. Boy did I need one with those baggy khakis! 

So that is what goes through my life at 4+ months. It's a rollercoaster, but mostly downhill. I am ok with that. Just emotional, and that tends to get in the way. It's like a puzzle that I am constantly finding new pieces for. Hopefully, I will make them all fit. 

I bought a belt for the first time this weekend, too!!! it's an odd feeling. Even more odd that it doesn't cut into me. yay for us!

 The only thing I have found that helps me keep my drinking in check is one of those Ice Mountain bottles of water, the ones with the sqeeze dispenser top. It's 23.7 oz. I try to get in at least 3 of them before I leave work in a day, plus I drink some in the morning before work. I tried using regular bottles of water or a cup and seem to be able to drink more at a time with this particular bottled water. I call it my Ba cause I feel like im drinking out of a baby bottle. haha! I am the worst on the weekends because I am not focusing on food or drink on the weekends. This particular weekend was the worst because I hosted Easter at my house for 25 people and spent the entire weekend cleaning and cooking and not focusing on drinking at all. Had a major headache yesterday and today, plus my skin and lips are really dry.  I knew for sure it was because of dehydration. I'm trying to get in a lot today to make up for it. I think what the previous poster said about not eating food that are filled with water any more making a difference.  I emailed my nut today to see if she could explain.

I just want to thank my OH friends for all of he support you provide everyday. I do not post often, but I read often and appreciate the support and especially those who keep us all in check. When im feeling out of sorts or weak when it comes to my new diet, I come here to feel inspiration and keep myself in line. I hope you have a wonderful holiday today! 

I make a scrambled egg with creamy goat cheese and then a side of Texas Caviar. Num num!

1 egg scrambled
1/2 TB creamy goat cheese (Not crumbled Feta)
Two TBS Texas Caviar (see Below)

Recipe for Texas Caviar, very low fat/low cal and packed with protein:

2 cans Black-eyed peas (drained and rinsed)
1 can whole kernel corn (drained and rinsed)
1 can Rotel tomatoes w/chilies
2 Cups red bell peppers, chopped (or red and orange) (I did one red, yellow and orange)
1/2 Cup fresh jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (approx. 4 peppers w/
seeds.)
1/2 Cup red onion, chopped
1 Cup bottled Italian dressing (Wishbone)
1  4oz. jar pimentoes, (drained)

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate overnight. It will appear spicier when you first make it fresh, as it sits overnight it becomes less spicy. To change the levely of heat, add less or more seeds to control it or get mild Rotel instead of Original.

For other folks, serve with Fritos Scoops or Tostitos Scoops. for us, I eat it just with a spoon or top it on other stuff like chicken, fish, etc.

 for some reason, i didn't notice it before surgery. probably because i wasn't paying attention to what i was eating.go figure!

 I am so sorry you had such  rough day. Parents can be very thoughtless when it comes to these things. I know it's easy for me to say, but I don't have kids. I didn't leave the house for at least a week. Went to the dr and then I remember going maybe one night to the store in my jammies, husband took me.I lasted about 15 minutes walking around and hurried back home. was too tired, sore etc. You should try your best to take it easy. You just had major surgery. Majority of a vital organ was taken out of your body. Get as much rest as possible while you can. :)

As for food after vsg, i hated my week after surgery. Food choices sucked. Only thing I did that really helped is i bought beef based soups and poured it into a strainer, just to get the broth and it was so delicious! Way better than regular ole beef broth. not sure if your surgeon will let you eat it, but it definitely got me through. Keep on venting on here. It makes us all feel much more human :)