lsereno

I would post maintenance questions in the Life at (or near) Goal forum: http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/425-life-at-or-near-goal/ Rules for the Vet's forum are at the top of the forum page when viewed from the website: This forum is dedicated to veteran Sleevers who are one year or more post-op to discuss issues specific to those who are further along in their journey. Please note: You must be one year out to post or create topics here. Lynda

I added Snacks and cocktails. Also I switched to higher fat dressings, mayo, and meats. I eat more avocado and nuts. Sometimes I have Peanut Butter on graham crackers for a snack. I love all that stuff, so it's a balancing act. Enough to stay at goal, but not over. Lynda

Love bariatric pal! Pre-op, weight loss, and at goal, I always learn something new. But I already have the book! Lynda

Agreee with Lipstick Lady. I prefer to eat foods I enjoy in small quantities, on plan. At three years out and more than two years at goal, I am doing well with that so far. Not everyone is so lucky. For some, certain foods are triggers that cause a lot of problems. For those people, the smartest choice is to chose to be free from those trigger foods. For example, bariatric bad girl Shelly, who does the blog http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/, gave up simple starches such as bread, crackers, Cookies and cake. She has a rich and varied diet and posts tons of yummy recipes, none of which include those foods. Lynda

Welcome Living Free! I had my surgery one month after you. Thanks so much for posting. I think it's so important for vets to hang around so newbies can see what life looks like a few years out. Four support groups a month is impressive! I haven't found a local support group I'm nuts about and I've been to a few. But then I've posted here almost every day for the last three years. I'd love to hear more about your weight loss journey when/if you feel like sharing. Lynda

Tuna. Soft chicken (poach or boil, shred and mix with some kind of sauce) eggs Ham (grind in food processor or blender then add light mayo and greek yogurt to taste) Lynda

Everyone is different. Once your program clears you for a certain type of food, try it at home. Just a few bites and see how you do. For me, the doughy texture of pizza and bagels didn't work the entire first year. Same for Pasta more than a couple of bites. Even now, more than three years out, flour tortillas don't sit well. Spicy foods bothered me the first few months (even acidic fruits, such as peaches and plums were a no go), so only the mildest mexican foods till around 6 months for me. I did fine with tortilla chips, avocado, nuts, pretzels, and corn on the cob within the first four months or so. But I really worked my program so anything fatty or very starchy was very limited until I got very close to goal. Lynda

Everyone recovers differently. I was super tired and didn't feel fully recovered for about 4 months. I saw so many people post that they felt great so much sooner, but I just kept plugging along. Like you, I ate well, got in my Water, Vitamins, exercise, and sleep. Give yourself this time to recover. It does pass. Lynda

I took them them the first six months. Then around my two year surgiversary, heartburn came back and I've been taking them since. I have recently changed some meds for RA, and I'm thinking of trying to stop them again now and see how it goes. Lynda

Your welcome and best wishes for a quick and uneventful surgery and speedy recovery. Lynda

Congrats Georgia! Here's the next four years at goal, healthy and happy! Thank you for all you've contributed to this group over the years. Your cheery attitude has helped smooth a lot of bumps around here. I love having other vets here, especially you! Lynda

And even with the liquid diet, it still can be explosive and noisy. Lynda

I took magnesium citrate the day before surgery. I recommend taking it at home. It may take awhile to start working, but when it does, it really does. And there may be embarrassing gurgles before any action occurs. Lynda

Hi May Sleevers! I feel a special bond with you because I'm a May Sleever too! May 2011. The three week stall is very common. 18-20 pounds in the first month is great. I suggest cutting fatty foods, such as avocado and full fat cheeses till later in your progress. When in the early stages, I tried to get 1 gram of Protein for every 10 calories of most foods. That allowed me to get 70 grams of protein for around 700 calories. And I exercised 6 days a week. Not a crazy amount of time. Three days I walked an hour at a fairly good clip. Three days I worked with weights for 30 minutes. Best wishes to all of you on your journey! I'm saving a spot for you on the goalies' bench. Lynda

Try the unjury unflavored. You have to order it online. Lynda

Cowgirl Jane, you rock! But you are right, that inflammation will get you! I was struggling to stay in bounce range till my rheumatoid arthritis meds were switched. It's better and my weight is staying within goal easily for now. lynda

BTW, It is possible to have private groups here, and posts in those groups do not show up in searches here or on google. People who are not members of the group cannot see posts in the group and cannot post to the group. I'm not sure how to set one up, but I'm sure you can PM Alex for details. I searched but I didn't find out how to create one. Lynda

Congrats Diva! Here's to the next 50 years! Lynda

Lactose intolerance is fairly common post-op. For many, it's completely gone in 6 months. Often, you will be able to eat dairy with less lactose, such as hard cheeses and greek yogurt. Soy milk has between 7-9 grams of Protein per cup and I used it to get fluids and protein early out. I still use instead of milk in my Cereal and lattes. I was lactose intolerant post-op, and I'm one of the few who still has problems with it 3 years out. It is much lessened, but still there. I can enjoy an occasional ice cream or dairy product now, but not daily. At first, the only dairy I could tolerate was greek yogurt. Lynda

There is a forum for band to sleeve revisions.I think there are quite a few here. I believe Cowgirl Jane and Diva are both revisions from the band. http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/394-band-to-gastric-sleeve-revisions/ Lynda

Wow Queen of Crop, we are similar! But you are much more adventurous in moving to a different country! I love the Bay Area but often wonder what it would be like to live somewhere so different. I don't even consider moving out of the Bay Area. So spoiled with the weather, people, food, arts, and natural beauty here. Lynda

I am 3+ years and at goal I weigh myself daily. I have a two pound bounce. If i exceed that, I cut back on Snacks, check to make sure I'm drinking enough fluids, and choose low calorie Proteins. I am active but not an exercise fanatic. Clear the crap out of the house, stock up on low cal favorites, join a weight loss challenge here and weight and measure food.. Lynda

From my understanding stool softeners do not cause lazy bowel like a laxative. It simply adds Water (so it's really important to drink enough water when taking one) so that the poop is easier to move out. See: https://www.healthtap.com/topics/side-effects-of-stool-softeners-long-term Lynda

My program recommends http://www.dialyvite.net/ferrimin150.html. It contains a stool softener. Also, the type of Iron is easier on the stomach than some others. And my program does recommend taking C with the iron too. Lynda