GreenEyedMamma

I personally used GNC's Optimum Nutrition during my pre-op and immediate post-op in both Double chocolate and Vanilla flavors. They have 24 grams of Protein per serving. During my full-liquid and mushy post-op stage, I mixed the protein into greek yogurt, sugar-free pudding, and oatmeal to get in my protein until I could graduate to soft foods. Today, I drink Premium Nutrition ready made shakes in Chocolate and they have 30 grams of protein per serving. Whatever you choose, make sure it is low in carbs, sugar, and high in why protein (more than 20 grams per serving). You'll be surprised how much Water you can actually take in if you sip it all day. The questions iegle suggested are good ones.

I created a Gallery folder under my profile here and then uploaded my images to the folder from my computer. Once uploaded and published, I opened each picture in a separate window and copied the link from the web bar, clicked "click to attach files" and pasted the link to each picture (separately) into the URL field. Once it uploaded, I clicked "attach to post" to the far right side of the image and it inserted into the body. Kind of a pain but it worked.

Thanks. I feel awesome!!! I had to modify my original post so I could include a recent picture. I just had the Hubs snap a quick one for me.

Congrats! I was sleeved just four days before you and I hit my 70 pound mark today. Woo Hoo for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How much Water are you drinking? You should try and take in at least 80 ounces a day. Try reducing the sodium, increasing your Protein to at least 70 grams and reduce the carbs. Instead of the real eggs, try swapping for Egg Beaters. You can increase your protein by adding one Protein shake a day or by swapping your meats. I eat a lot of Solid White Albacore Tuna (Starkist has a 3oz. can that has 22 grams of protein), ground lean turkey, and shredded chicken breast. Your body could also be losing fat but gaining muscle which will appear as if you aren't losing weight.

I had five and one of those was used for my drain. They would have placed an incision at the bottom of my belly button but I have had previous surgeries before and due to the those scars they had to put it about an inch below the belly button. They are all very small (smaller than one inch) with the exception of one and that one was an inch (and it was the one the stomach was removed from). below the belly button for me in the upper abdomen in the upper left abdomen in the central abdomen on the left side in the central abdomen on the right side (where my drain was placed and left for one week) They were glued closed and with the exception of the standard itching from healing all healed very well. The one that took the longest to heal was the one where the drain was. They let it heal on its own without glue or sutures.

Total out was $13,800 in Bakersfield, CA (includes surgeon, hospital, and anasthesia). Also includes all follow-up visits with surgeon. Dr. Irani and his team are awesome.

I have done that for certain dishes I made but for the most part, I make my meals separate from the rest of my family because I like to keep track of the EXACT amount I am eating right now. I use www.fatsecret.com or www.myfitnesspal.com to help me with the caloric content based on the measurements I used for each ingredient. I try to make certain dishes for myself once a week and then I package individual meals that are pre-measured so I don't have to guess the nutritional content. I only cook the main ingredients and then I add any cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc. when I re-heat it so I can measure exactly how much I am eating. You can also use this software: http://www.dietmastersoftware.com/dietmaster_2100_nutrition-software.html I hope that helps.

I was a self-pay and my surgeon was Dr. Irani from Bakersfield, CA. My surgery was performed at Mercy SW in Bakersfield as well. Dr. Irani (and his PA Kristen) are AWESOME. i would recommend him to ANYONE in California's central valley.

Welcome! I was a self-pay myself. I did not have outpatient surgery though so I cannot relate to that one. My pre-op diet was done in stages over a 2.5 week period. The first few days I had to replace one meal with a Protein shake. The next few days I had to replace two meals with a shake and the last week was nothing but liquids. The day before surgery, it was nothing but Clear Liquids. All surgeons have different requirements and I have read stories of some patients only having to do clear liquids for a day. If you have to do more than a week on the liquid diet I am not going to lie...it is tough. Day four was my turning point though and if you go into this surgery with your eyes wide open and you educate yourself on everything you will be fine. You will want a good Protein Shake (both pre-op and post-op) that is not full of sugar or carbs. I started with a good powdered shake from GNC (Gold Standard) that I would mix with fat-free milk. I did that during pre-op and post-op. I eventually graduated to the ready to drink Protein shakes by Premier Nutrition and I keep them on hand for those days when I am running around and don't have time to eat. sugar-free popsicles were a savior during my pre-op and first week of post-op diet (along with sugar-free Jello and pudding). I also ate (drank) low-sodium chicken broth during my final days pre-op. Once I was able to eat mushies (1 week post-op for me but each doctor is different) I had scrambled eggs (I eat egg beaters now), oatmeal, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes (although I don't recommend them because of the carb content), and greek yogurt. My diet has changed quite a bit since my first month post-op and I choose to eat very low carbs and I keep my protein high through regular foods (I eat my protein and don't drink it). There is TONS of information on this site (as well as YouTube videos) that will help you prepare for surgery and the days/weeks after. I had to have an EKG, Echo, and stress test too. Those are pretty typical. I hope everything turns out well with your tests. Good luck to you. Dawn P.S. - I grew up in Washington. One of my best friends lives in Edmonds. What a small world.

I drank it with non-fat milk when I was on my pre-op liquid diet and for the first week post-op. When I graduated to mushies, I mixed it into my oatmeal, greek yogurt, and sugar-free pudding. After my first month post-op I stopped using it because I was getting enough protein from food.

I agree with the lava lamp comment. I eat out of a very small bowl and only fill it with 1/2 - 2/3 cup of food (depending on what it is). I know where my limit is when I measure it out. If I am eating out or from a normal size plate, I take very small bites and I stop when I get that lava lamp feeling. I haven't ever thrown up but I have pushed myself enough to know where my limit is. My trick is just to measure everything and use small bowls and utensils. I feel this has been a huge help for me personally.

I know exactly how you feel. I had to go away on a two week business trip and when I left I weighed 304. I was nervous about stepping on the scale when I got back because I wasn't eating my normal foods from home. I nearly ran over my family when I got home just to step on the scale and nearly peed myself when I saw the scale said 297. I bid those 300's goodbye and good riddens myself. I am in the 270's now and can't wait to hit 250. Congrats and keep it up!!!

Typical menu for me: B - 2 servings Egg Beaters (1/2 cup) with tablespoon of non-fat shredded cheddar cheese = 14.5 grams Protein / 3 grams carbs S - 1 mini-babybel light cheese round = 6 grams protein / 0 carbs L - 3 oz. can albacore tuna with 1 tablespoon low fat mayo, 1 mini-babybel light cheese round cut up = 27 grams protein / 2 grams carbs S - 1 mini-babybel light cheese round = 6 grams protein / 0 carbs D - 1/2 cup shredded chicken breast, 1/8 cup shredded mozzarella, 1 tablespoon salsa, 1 tablespoon light sour cream = 28.5 grams protein / 2.5 carbs Total = 82 grams protein / 7.5 grams carbs Sometimes I won't eat the cheese with my lunch and if I don't, I will have a Protein shake in the afternoon. This adds another 30 grams protein and 5 more carbs but still keeps the carbs under 15 and the protein over 100. I also drink 80-96 ounces of Water per day.

I had a drain and it sucked. No pun intended. I was originally supposed to have it in for two weeks but they removed it after one week. On day two post-op I started having severe pains on my right side and thought my appendix was bursting. The pain would subside and come back. Was worse when I was sitting or lying down. After I developed an allergic reaction to the prep-scrub I went to see the surgeon (7th day post-op). I told her about the pain I was having and she said it was deferred pain from the drain. The drain was actually threaded to the left but all the pain I felt was on the right. Since the drain was pretty much empty and the Fluid in the tube was clear she went ahead and removed it. I didn't fee any pain from the actual site the drain was placed or threaded but I felt it all on the right side (where it wasn't even touching). The surgeon said it was fairly common to feel some deferred pain. Literally as soon as the drain was removed ALL the pain went away.

I have to eat on a schedule or else I will forget to eat. I have breakfast at 7:30am, a mid-morning snack at 10am, lunch at 11:30 or 12, mid-afternoon snack at 3, and dinner at 5:30. I drink between 80-96 ounces of Water throughout the entire day. My meals are usually between 1/2 and 3/4 cup (snack is a mini babybel cheese round) and I usually get in between 80-100 grams of Protein a day. I plan my meals ahead of time so if I see that I am going to be on the low end of protein, I will slip a protein shake in there somewhere during the day. It took me a while to get adjusted to eating on a schedule because prior to surgery my stomach was the boss. BUT now I have control and I have to tell myself that it is time to eat (which still amazes me).

I could repeat what everyone has said above but my reasons are more emotional. You can read the first page of my blog and it will tell you why I chose to go through with it. http://ifonlyshewerethinner.typepad.com/

I average a loss of 15 pounds a month and my typical daily menu is: Breakfast (240 calories, 44.50 grams Protein, 8 grams carbs) 1/2 cup Egg Beaters 1/8 cup of Fat-Free Shredded cheese 1 Premier Nutrition Protein shake (for the extra calories) Once a week I have vanilla greek yogurt instead of the Egg Beaters. On weekends, I allow myself a piece of bacon or two. Mid-Morning Snack (50 calories, 6 grams protein, 0 carbs) Mini Babybel Light Cheese Round lunch (192 calories, 28.50 grams protein, 2.5 carbs) 1/2 cup Shredded (or diced) chicken Breast 1/8 cup Low-Fat Shredded Mozzarrella Cheese 1 Tablespoon Low-Fat Sour Cream 1 Tablespoon Salsa On weekends, if I am running around and forget to eat, I will have a protein shake to maintain my daily protein intake. Mid-Afternoon Snack (50 calories, 6 grams protein, 0 carbs) Mini Babybel Light Cheese Round dinner (115 calories, 21 grams protein, 2 carbs) 3-4oz. Solid White Albacore Tuna 1 Tablespoon Low-Fat Mayo Sometimes I have been having 1/2 cup of browned lean ground turkey with 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce and italian seasoning for dinner (or lunch), which is 155 calories, 27 grams protein, and 5 carbs). I try to average around 700 calories a day. Sometimes it is less (or more) depending on what items I eat. Regardless, I always get in 80-100 grams of protein and keep my carbs under 30 although some days they are less than 15. I think the most I have consumed since surgery was 900 calories and that was hard to do. I don't eat potatoes, bread or rice right now but I do hope to start incorporating them in healthy ways in the near future. I want to have balance when it comes to maintaining the weight loss so I have to learn this now. I stick to this diet for the most part but when I was traveling for nearly the entire month of April I realized that I cannot obsess over my diet. I eat out of small dishes (they hold exactly 1 cup) and I use small utensils (baby spoon or a cocktail fork) to help with portion control. I was a fork loader and using the smaller fork REALLY helps me take smaller bites. I carry these things with me so when I do eat out or have to travel I know how much I am consuming. I also have a deal with myself when it comes to making sure I get enough Water. I won't let myself have my lunch until I have consumed at least 24 ounces of water and I won't let myself have my mid-afternoon snack until I have had another 24 ounces. I try to drink another 24 on my way home before dinner and I always drink 24 before I go to bed. So my water intake can vary between 80-96 ounces a day. For exercise, I do the Wii Fit right now. I also walk alot during the day at work. I need to start doing resistance training and am hoping to start that soon before the weather really heats up here. This is my plan and what works for me. Things may work differently for you and others.

I believe it is this one: http://www.tanita.com/en/sc-331s/. It is like $3,000 so if I want to find out what is going on with my body I just go to my surgeons office and use their fancy scale. It gives a print out so you can compare your results over time. Also - you can get dried edamame at costco or in any health food store. Not all grocery stores carry it. They are a great snack and crunchy like a peanut.

Solid White Albacore Tuna has been a favorite for me when I need a quick Protein fix. I was struggling in my second month after surgery and was disappointed that I had only lost 7 pounds in three weeks. My doctor has this magical scale that tells you how much muscle, body fat, Water, etc. you have and what was happening is I was losing body fat but gaining muscle. In those three weeks, I had lost 16 pounds of body fat but I gained 9 pounds of muscle. All that protein we take in feeds our muscles. Keep that in mind when the scale is not moving. Your body could still be losing weight (your clothes will tell you this) but since muscle weighs more than fat it will appear that you aren't losing anything. Since that visit, I haven't gotten stressed about the scale not moving as quickly as I thought it would. Keep your chin up girl!