lsereno

I'm about 18 months out and have been at goal for 6 months. It took a while, but I can eat anything I ate pre-op. I choose to avoid a lot of pre-op choices to keep my weight at goal, but I occasionally enjoy them. For example, candy. I rarely eat it now, but I do occasionally. Same with chips and garlic bread. I am able to enjoy spicy foods, greasy foods, super sour foods, etc. I drink with a straw, especially at night because I'm too lazy to sit up in bed to get a drink. I love the sleeve! Lynda

Instead of just saying "I'm not gonna eat" come up with what you're gonna do instead. Earlier in the day, that might be a walk or even just going in the backyard for a minute to get some fresh air and sunshine. Set up your kitchen for success by eliminating as many problem foods as you can and stocking up on good foods instead. For example, I don't buy chips, Cookies, etc. They are occasionally in the house because hubby gets them, but I do not. I buy things I like that are good for me that I like, such as fresh fruit, yummy versions of low fat lunch meats and cheeses, and low cal drinks. Right now I'm loving the sugar free apple cider mix I found and the teeny gala apples that I bought straight from the orchard. I also like the sugar snap peas, v-8 juice, and cherry tomatoes. For me, my devil time is after dinner. If I want a snack after dinner, I might: 1. Do something else with my hands, such as play solitaire with real cards or draw. 2. Make a cup of fall-flavored tea, such as the pumpkin Spice Roobios at Trader Joes right now. I like mine with Splenda. 3. Put on lip balm and hand lotion. 4. Try on my new cute clothes that fit comfortably now that I'm at goal and staying there! 5. Go to bed and get some sleep. 6. Take the dog for a quick walk. Also, when I'm struggling, I use a white board on my fridge door to track what I eat- Protein, calories, and fluids. Seeing it on the fridge door slows down my snacking. Best wishes on your journey! Lynda

Acceptable foods at 3 weeks vary widely depending on the Dr. At Kaiser Fremont, we were allowed soft foods (no raw veggies or fruits and no beef) from 2-6 weeks. I took several trips and brought: Saltine crackers Light cheese sticks vanilla Protein powder chicken Protein Powder Starbucks Via Instant Decaf (good on its own or mixed with the vanilla protein powder) Greek yogurt cups Low fat ham and turkey lunch meat (roll around a cheese stick for a different flavor) Soy milk apple sauce cups Cottage cheese is also a good choice. Have a great trip! Lynda

I'm almost 18 months out and can eat pretty much anything I ate pre-op, just in smaller amounts. Some people, including the woman who writes the eggface blog, decide to give up a problematic food instead of trying to eat smaller amounts of it. Kind of like an alcoholic gives up drinking alcohol instead of trying to control something they know they can't control. That decision rests with each individual. I am grateful that I haven't ran across a food I felt the need to give up yet. I love my life on the goalies' bench! I do eat differently now. Here are a few examples: Night time salty snack: pretzels. I am pretty satisfied with a one-ounce portion. Popcorn: Try not to eat more than a couple of times per month. Hamburger: Generally, I make sliders at home. 4 oz. raw hamburger, formed into three small patties. I take two Kings Hawaiin Rolls and split them horizontally into third to make three buns. I use a little light mayo on the top bun. Chili Dogs: I like the Hebrew National Light Hot Dogs, 97% fat free beef chili,the light shredded cheddar cheese, some chopped onion, and don't eat much bun. Sometimes no bun. Sweets: I do indulge in sweets, but mostly try to stick to something light. I enjoy graham crackers with a little Peanut Butter or Quaker granola bars. The 90 calorie Fiber One brownies are good too. Sometimes i have soy milk heated with a splash of sugar free syrup. I also like the sugar free hot apple cider mix. Best wishes on your journey! Lynda

It gets better! I enjoy eating out and have since the first couple of weeks post-op. I started out with crab or shrimp cocktail, sauce on the side. Hard to feel deprived when you are staring at a mound of dungeness crab! Although I did eventually tire of crab and shrimp, by then I could eat more foods and I ventured out to more on the appetizer menu, then Soups. If I order off the main menu, I just eat what I want. If we are going home after, I box leftovers. Another trick is to try something new at a restaurant or home when you are not feeling too hungry. That way, if it doesn't taste good or go down well, at least you are not hungry afterwards. For cooking at home, I include foods I can eat. As time goes by you'll be able to eat more, but family cooking will still look the same. So for example, I make chicken thighs on the Showtime rotisserie with a side of cooked veggies and a packaged noodle mix. At first, I could only eat 1 oz. of the chicken thigh and a bite of the veggies. Now, at almost 18 months out I can eat 3 oz. of the chicken thigh, about 1/2 cup of veggies and 1/3 cup of the noodles. Lynda

Happy Sleeviversary and Congrats Forensikchic! I'm a few months past you and I agree - a lot of the posters I saw when I joined have moved on. I post a lot less than I used to as well, but I do try to get on and post here and there. I want others to know that success can be out there and what maintenance looks like. I've been maintaining since March. I'm not as restricted as you and can enjoy starches in small amounts. I do have to consider what I am choosing to eat every day, but I do have treats. Here's to another 14 months of success at goal weight! Lynda

You really can only stretch your tummy so much. If you eat more solid food, it will fill up quickly. At over a year out, I sitll max out at 4 oz. of solid Protein, and generally am very full with 3 oz. At first, I could only eat 1 oz. of solid protein with nothing else. Now I can enjoy a small amount of vegtables and a starch with my protein. For now, I think the important thing is to concentrate on making healthy food choices, getting enough protein and Fluid every day and avoiding eating so fast or so much that you feel ill. In my opinion, the thing to watch for as time goes by is eating things that go down easy, such as chips, popcorn, candy, ice cream, cakes and Cookies, etc. Or drinking a lot of calories, such as milk shakes, coffee drinks, or sweet alcoholic drinks. For example, I was in Starbucks on vacation. I could have chose the pumpkin Spice Latte and a slice of the Pumpkin Bread for a total of 630 and 17 grams of protein. Instead, I got my usual Soy Latte and an oatmeal, which I ate with Splenda, saving the nuts and dried fruits for a salad another day. 270 and 12 grams of protein. (I was excited to see they had Greek Yogurt Parfait till i read the nutrition info - 6 grams of protein and 270 calories! - it pays to read the label!) I do enjoy treats, but I pace myself. They are treats now, not everyday all I can eat extravaganzas. It's working for me. I've maintained my weight since March. Yeah Sleeve! Lynda

I like the unjury chicken flavor. You can get a sample packet to try before buying a larger container. I mixed vanilla Protein powder with 1/2 soy milk, 1/2 Water, and a packet of decaf Starbucks Via instant coffee. You might try that if you like coffee. Plain greek yogurt has the most protein per ounce other than meat. I blended into a shake using a little water, a splash of OJ, some splenda, and a couple of strawberries. soy milk or fat free milk are also good sources of protein. Best wishes on your journey. It's tough the first few months, but it has certainly been worth it to me. I was never nuts about the protein drinks and I haven't had to use them in at least 6 months, even when traveling. Yahoo! Lynda

I was sleeved May 2011. Been at goal since March of this year. I have to monitor Snacks and drinks to stay at goal, but so far, so good! Lynda

I was so tired till closer to 5 months out. I was very sensitive to greasy foods, acidic foods, and spicy foods till 6-8 months out. Things are still a bit different but in a good way, At almost 18 months out, I feel I can eat a healthy meal including veggies, whole grains, and Protein. I can enjoy junk food or alcoholic drinks when I want and, in fact, I have to monitor their intake to keep my weight stabile. I finally have more energy than I did pre-op. It's amazing how losing more than 100 lbs. can free your movements! Keep an eye on things. If you are feeling worse instead of better, time to call the Dr.! Best wishes on your journey to the goalies bench! Lynda

I mix canned pumpkin in my yogurt. I'm about 18 months out and can eat more, so scale back accordingly: 1/2 cup canned pumpkin, 1 cup Fage 0 Plan Yougurt, Splenda to taste, splash of vanilla, sprinkle of cinnamon Last fall I also enjoyed it in a Protein drink. About 1/4 cup pumpkin, 1 cup soy milk, 1 scoop vanilla Protein powder, sprinkle of cinnamon. Pumpkin is a great fall flavor with only 40 calories per half cup. Yeah Fall! Lynda

I was cleared for alcohol at my 6 month appt. Acidic foods were still bothering me so I opted for sweeter drinks instead of my former fav - a margarita. I started with port, which you probably won't like if you don't care for wine. Next I tried Cointreau and cranberry juice. Then on to Mai Tais. Also had Kahlua straight and Baileys straight. Also, I really noticed my drinks at first, I think because it had been so long since I had one. But I'm back to my former habits. Feeling good after 2-3. But I still rarely drink a Margarita. If I want sour, I have a vodka cranberry these days. Lynda

I was sleeved at Kaiser Fremont. I saw the surgeon at two weeks and six weeks. I saw the medical doctor associated with the bariatrics group and a nutritionist at three months during a group appt. I saw the nutritionist and the medical doctor associated with the bariatrics group for individual appts at six months and one year. I also had extensive blood work tests at six months and one year. I will see them once per year for the rest of my life. I've been very happy with Kaiser's bariatric program. I feel they did a good job from preparing me for the surgery to following up. Lynda

I mixed mine soy milk because I couldn't tolerate milk post-op. I don't like the Protein powder in the blender because the kind I used foamed up. I blended stuff then just shook or stirred in the Protein powder at the end. I like the cup with the blender ball. it does a good job of mixing in the protein powder without adding foam. And it's so easy to travel with. Here are a few of my favs: vanilla protein powder with instant decaf coffee and soy milk Vanilla protein powder with soy milk unjury chicken protein powder with Water Blend soy milk, couple of strawberries and two ice cubes. shake with vanilla protein powder. Lynda

Yes, at six weeks, I used 1/2 cup yogurt. It took about 45 minutes to get it down.

Everyone is different, but my tummy was very sensitive at first. I drank hot Water and Sleepy Time Tea at first. After a few weeks, I could enjoy decaf again and I was glad to get back to coffee after 3 months. You might try decaf with milk or soymilk. I still drink it that way today. Pre-op, I drank a double-espresso daily. Post-op, I drink two soy milk lattes a day. When I started drinking decaf post-op, I drank Starbucks Via instant coffee made with soy milk instead of water. After more than a year out, I am mostly back to my eat and drink anything self (just in smaller quantities and focusing on healthy choices most of the time!). Lynda

Congrats and welcome to goalies bench! I love reading goal posts. Thanks for cheering up my day with your good news! Lynda

I really liked Sleepy Time Tea right after surgery. So soothing! I still like it now, but I can also enjoy many other things at goal and over one year out. My newest find is sugar free apple cider mix. I found it by the hot chocolate. Great treat in the evenings as the temperature cools. Lynda

I agree you should be able to ride a standard bike. At 250 and 5'6" I rode my Wally-world 7-speed lady's Schwinn all the time. It's a lot easier going at 135, but I'm still on the same bike! Lynda

I agree with the others about using an insulated lunch bag with a gel-pack. A thermos would be good for chili and Soups too. Early out, I often ate lunchmeat and a couple of saltine crackers. Lunchmeat is also great wrapped around a string cheese. The Light Babybel cheese is also low in calories and high in Protein. Shrimp salad (shrimp with a little lowfat mayo) is also tasty. I often buy a roast chicken from costco and eat a slice or two for lunch. For chili, I ate the lowfat turkey (my plan didn't allow beef for the first six weeks). I also like Anderson Split Pea Soup. High in protein and sat well. Soups with potato bothered my tummy the first few weeks. Lynda

I was pooped post-op! And I was good to drink my Water, get my Protein, sleep, walk, and take my Vitamins. I agree that everyone heals differently. Take more time off if at all possible. Lynda

I was on full liquids for the first two weeks. In my program, that included cream Soups, cottage cheese, and yogurt. I would just get a little of each thing you buy. I didn't use the popsicles, Jello, and pudding I bought pre-op. I didn't like the way the popsicles and jello tasted and I couldn't tolerate milk products post-op. I mostly had Protein drinks and greek yogurt the first couple of weeks. I also had Anderson's Split Pea Soup. Other brands and types of cream soups didn't sit as well. Also some tea that you like and decaf coffee. I recommend buying some flushable wipes, small spoon and fork, small dish, and liquid measuring cup if you don't have them. Lynda

Keep at it, if you stay at 1200 calories it will drop! I lost 32 lbs. on the Kaiser pre-op diet. One tip: I weigh my food because I find it more accurate than measuring. Most packages include the weight in grams for a serving so I put a dish on my scale, zero it out, and then add food. Lynda

I got a bad cold about 6 months out. It took several weeks to get rid of it. The one thing I did notice is it upset my stomach a bit because of the nasal drainage. Lynda

Any severe pain (especially one that is getting worse as time goes by) warrants a call to the Dr. That's what they are there for. Lynda