GreenEyedMamma

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.< /p>

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.

What brand scale is that? I'd really like to get a scale like this. Thanks!

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!

I hit my stall around the same time. I adjusted my diet (lowered my carb intake to less than 30 grams a day) and increased my Water intake dramatically to 80-96 ounces of day. That got things moving and they haven't stopped. I have been averaging about 15 pounds a month.

I had similar pains but in a different area. I thought my appendix had burst. Turned out to be deferred pain from my drain (which was no where near the location of my pain). My surgeon said that sometimes in the healing process your body will defer the pain to the another area. When they removed my drain (which was threaded to the left) I felt all the pain on the right. It was odd. Hopefully your body is just deferring the pains of healing to your back.

When I first started eating mushy solids, I was eating around 75 grams of carbs a day (darn potatoes) and the weight wasn't coming off like I had been reading about. I did a lot of research on carbs and Water intake. I adjusted my diet to reduce my carbs to less than 30 grams a day (most days is less than 20) and increased the Water intake dramatically (between 80 and 96 ounces a day). I have kept my Proteins quite high (between 80 and 100 grams). Within days of doing this the weight started coming off more quickly.

I do have days where I take in around 50 grams of carbs but the majority of those extra carbs come in my Breakfast (greek yogurt) so I can burn them off throughout the day. I try to avoid carbs after 5pm. Don't waste the space in your tiny tummy with useless foods that don't do your body any good. I did discover about a month ago that if I ate bad carbs (anything not healthy i.e. chips or a cookie) my brain wanted more carbs and I battled head hunger.

I am learning how to balance my diet now so I can have a long and healthy life without fear of gaining the weight back.

Our WLS experiences are all different and you have to find what works for you. Once you do, stick with it.

Try Egg Beaters and low-fat cottage cheese. Agree with others on mixing Protein powder into pudding, greek yogurt, and oatmeal. I used vanilla Ice Cream protein powder and it adds a nice flavor. If you are able to eat canned meats, Albacore tuna has a good amount of protein.

I felt the same way. I hit my first stall at 2 weeks post-op and didn't lose anything for nearly two weeks. I looked at my diet and reduced my carb intake (won't take in more than 25 grams a day) and increased the Water dramatically (72-96 ounces a day). The weight started to come off again. That was a little more than a week ago.

TODAY, I went in for a second follow-up appointment with my surgeon. I was worried because I hit my stall right after my first follow-up and had only lost 7 pounds (all of which came off in the past week and a half) in the last three weeks. They have this magical scale that tells you not only how much body fat and excess Fluid you have but also how much muscle you have. My doctor came in and I thought she was going to be disappointed but she was very happy. She said "You are doing GREAT". I was like "yeah, right". Then she said "I know you have only seen your scale drop 7 pounds since your last weigh-in but you actually lost 16 pounds of body fat and gained 9 pounds of muscle". She was VERY impressed with that.

So even though your scale at home might be telling you that you are losing slowly, your body could be actually dropping the fat and bulking up the muscle.

I am happy that I am losing at a slower rate because my skin won't be as loose in the end.

Keep your chin up!

I am assuming since this was posted in November that these have already been donated. If not...I live in Bakersfield and will take em.

Once you get your drain out you will feel 100 times better. I had similar feelings about myself until they pulled that little snake out of my belly. Literally, as soon as they pulled it out I felt GREAT.

I know what you mean about the food smells. I am one month post-op today and have gotten over my insecurities around food. Went to a steakhouse for my son's birthday dinner and wasn't tempted to take a bite of anyone's plate. It was stinkin' amazing.

Good luck with your progress. Once you get the drain out you will feel so much better.

I try to get in 96 ounces of Water per day. Yes, that is A LOT of Water but I get most of it in. I hit my first stall a few weeks ago and read an article about water and metabolism. There is proven data out there that indicates if you drink 80 ounces of water a day, you can increase your metabolism by 30%. I drink out of a 24oz. bottle and I fill it four times a day (2-3 at work and 1 last one right before I go to bed).

I drink plain ice cold water but I will add a packet of Crystal Light to at least one bottle a day if I am struggling with the "no-taste" thing. So far so good, because as soon as I started drinking more water my stall ended. I have lost 7 pounds since last Thursday (when I started drinking more).

I stopped drinking tea and coffee during my pre-op stage and since they are dehydrating beverages I haven't touched them since. Nothing can beat water but I did read that milk counts as water too. You just have to watch the carbs and calories if you choose to drink a lot of it. I drink non-fat milk but it still packs in 13 carbs per 8 ounces.

Give her a taste of her own medicine. When her birthday comes around, give HER a yogurt while you enjoy a very small piece of angel food cake (or some other sugar-free dessert) in front of her. Go over the top and put a candle in her yogurt too.

I had the same problem with my third week except I didn't lose anything and I even gained two pounds in that third week. I read an article somewhere that said if you increase your Water intake by 16 ounces more than the daily recommended 64 ounces for a total of 80 per day, you can increase your metabolism by 30%. I started this (along with lowering my carb intake from the 40's to the 20's) and in four days I dropped four pounds (the two pounds I had gained plus two more). That was just last week.

I feel like I am in the bathroom all the time but I'll do whatever to keep the scale moving down.

I love both Dannon and Yoplait vanilla greek yogurt. Both are fat free. Yoplait has a higher carb and Protein count than Dannon. It appears that the more the flavor, the higher the carb. count. I prefer the Dannon Vanilla over the Yoplait though.

http://www.dannon.com/greek/default.aspx

http://www.yoplait.com/products/yoplait-greek-yogurt?WT.mc_id=Paid_Search_Brands_YPT_Greek&WT.srch=1

Another brand I eat occasionally is Atheno's. Their Peach Greek Yogurt is really good too. Not as much Protein as the others. http://www.athenos.com/products.aspx

Trader Joe's carries more traditional Greek Yogurt which has a little texture to it.

Plain Greek yogurt is just nasty but like someone else above mentioned, you can mix in flavored Protein Powder (it will change the consistency of the yogurt but at least it adds flavor).