You look great and I think we are all enjoying watching your red dress getting bigger on you. Pretty soon, you'll have to figure out a way to keep it from falling off of you.

I'm so sorry to hear that even with insurance, you are not going to be able to afford your surgery. While you aren't going to have the VSG, there is a forum for non-surgical weight loss here on OH. I haven't been on it, but I see it in the forum list under "see more" on the weight loss related tab. As helpful and supportive as folks on this forum have been, I'm thinking you could connect with the folks on the other forum. I wish you well in your journey.

We might not be able to make it Mike is supposed to chaperone grad-night Friday night. If he can get someone to take his place, we might be able to drive up, but right now, it doesn't look good. 

I know it is hard to eat well when you live with people who don't. However, I had a dear friend who would always say "if it is to be, it's up to me." I think she lifted that quote from someone, but I don't know who. Anyway, my DH had VSG in December, and I have started eating like he does, just more of it since I still have a regular size stomach. I am in the process of jumping through my insurance hoops to get VSG as well. So, without knowing much about your background, here are some general suggestions based on what I would do in your spot.

If you can, buy your own healthy food and cook separately if you need to. If you can't use space in the family fridge, consider getting a small dorm style fridge for your room. Visit some recipe websites such as the recipe forum here, or eggface's blog. Most of these have food ideas that you can make, adjust the size, and use for taking your own lunch to work. Anyone could benefit from not eating refined carbs. Foods closer to their natural state are better nutritionally anyway. I know it is hard to break those habits while you watch others around you eating them. I have this issue with coworkers and students always offering me homebaked goodies, donuts, and candy. Everytime I turn them down politely, I feel a small sense of victory. Ask your NUT for a plan to help you, that is what they get paid for. It may be really hard to follow in your living situation, but if you want to make this change, take those baby steps and work it out. I know it isn't easy, but it will be so worth it to get healthy. One more thing, follow the advise of the vets on this forum, they have been there, done that. They are a great resource and we are all fortunate that they take the time to offer their wisdom. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Congratulations

I have never done anything like a massage or spa treatment before, but I think you are right, it would be good to unwind a bit.

I want to be able to move off of green runs while skiing. I would like to have enough control to move to blue runs.

I also want to be able to do more than just ice skate forward, when I lose some weight, I plan on skating backward again, and possibly even spin again. It has been many years, and I'm not 20 anymore, but hey, why not.

Sorry I can't offer much help here except to say, even though we love them, sometimes men just don't get it. Hope things get better.

I know butter has a lot of calories and fat, but I mix a little melted butter with an equal amount of key lime juice and a about a glove of garlic minced. I brush this over the fish and grill. I will baste with the butter mixture until the fish is almost done.

I have also made a marinade using SF orange marmalade, a little minced ginger & garlic, a splash of soy sauce, and salt & pepper to taste. After marinating a couple of hours, I grill the fish.

I used to serve these with rice, now I use grilled veggies or quinoa.

It is good that you could work things out for a date night. It was great that Chick-fil-a strained the soup. I hear they have other options available for later on too. Egg Face posted on her blog that you can get a kid's meal with grilled nuggets instead of fried. You can get a fruit cup as your side, and take the milk home for later. We might be doing that when we go "down the hill" into a bigger city that has one. Glad you enjoyed you evening.

That is good to know, thanks. I have a coworker who just get her RNY last week, but I haven't talked to her yet. St. B's website says overnight visitors are not allowed, but the video shown in class says you can have 1 person stay. She said she would ask for me. Her DH couln't stay because they have kids. But one of the things we really liked about Scripps was that I got to stay with him. We walked the halls together, and I was the one that would help him get up. I am hoping I get the same. I also don't want him to be an hour away, so I am hoping the video is the correct information. Would your daughter know the correct answer? She would be my hero if she could find out so we can start figuring out how to work out details when the time comes. If he needs to stay in a hotel nearby, I need to start saving for that expense too.

Well, I'm not a medical person, plus I am pre-op, but I've been trying to get creative with meals for DH who is sleeved. If you take lunch on the go, you could make the spinach the base for a salad with chicken, tuna, or shrimp. As for strawberries or other berries, what we do is crush them with a fork, add greek yogurt, then a little spenda or stevia as a snack. DH also adds a few frozen berries, cherries, banana chunks, or peach slices to his protein shake using the blender. He said it gives it some decent flavor and makes it more like a real smoothie. He also adds some fiber powder to the protein shake.  We haven't tried it yet, but we have some plain peanut butter powder that we will try mixing with a small amout of milk or water to kill any clumps, then add greek yogurt and use this as a dip for apple slices. I find great ideas on egg face's blog. Frisco also posts some great ideas for protein & veggie combos. I hope you find a way to work it out and still get that protein requirement met.

Have a blessed Passover, and a Happy Easter. You are right, we should all focus on what these holidays mean to those who celebrate one or both. This year, our Easter dinner will be very different. DH has a VSG and a friend has RNY, the rest of us are working at making heathy choices. So, we will be serving a no nitrate ham, we will cave to sweet potatoes, fixed without sugary goop, then I will have small peppers stuffed with protein based fillings. We will not be making a desert, no need for one. So much for traditional food, but the celebration time is enough. Enjoy  your time with friends and family. That is what makes the celebration a blessing.