Eureka-C

To those of you who posted replies ...thank you for sharing.

My main probelm is going to be food issues. The Bariatric company that is connected to my doctor's office is of little or no help with a sleeve diet. On one hand they say I can have toast but my doctor says no bread. Is consistancy the issue?

some doctors say no bread to keep a low carb diet. (<30g). others say some bread is okay overall, but Protein first, then veggies, last bread (this is your overall goal, not always so in the mushie stage). I personally found bread to be horrid in the mushie stage. the more i chewed it, the more doughy it got. Crackers and toast were better able to dissolve and set in my tummy better.

I can't have soft desserts like cake but an Oreo hard cookie is ok?

Although, I have had a bite or two here of cake or cookie. I didn't have any until 6 weeks out. I wouldn't recommend either becoming a habit in the losing stage. Personally, I am not as restrictive as some and I am perfectly happy losing 2 pounds or so a week.

They say I can have cream of wheat but I can't have oatmeal?

Cream of wheat is a much finer consistency and the oats are harder to digest. Although, I don't eat either because they did not provide any Protein. I tried instant oatmeal at 7 weeks with some unflavored protein power and hated it.

I can have nuts as long as I chew them very well. O.K. but why is oatmeal bad and nuts ok??

I was okayed for nuts at 6 weeks, but I did not try them until 9 weeks.

No one can answer these questions for me. My paperwork says that I can crackers and lunchmeat..So crackers and chips are alright to eat?

crackers and chips can become slider foods that chew down very small and you can pack in a lot into the tiny tummy so you don't want to overdo them, but if you are allowed carbs, then a cracker or two with your tuna salad is okay.

I am going to start soft foods this Wednesday. I take this to mean: soft boiled eggs(the powers that be tell me NOT to order scrambled eggs, but don't tell me why),

personally, I could not eat any eggs alone as they seemed to get stuck, but if I soft scrambled an egg, then added a spoonfull of refried Beans and a sprinkle of cheese, it was a nice consistency to go down and had lots of protein and Fiber. I still at 10 weeks have a hard time with boiled eggs. Although I can eat egg salad.

cottage cheese, chuncky Soups (as long as I chew the contents) mashed potatoes and other soft vegetables,

basically, I was told if I can mash it with a fork and it is not too fibrous, then I could eat it.

fruits without peels. Really? Apples without peels are still pretty tough.

I added canned fruit at 6 weeks and just ate my first apple this week at 10 weeks.

They list tuna as a soft food? Is all fish soft food?

yes! but not squid, calamari, shrimp, or other seafood like that. Flaky - good. Chewy - bad.

Is hamberger meat considered soft food?

ground meat is a soft food, but I would wait a week or so to try it. Many people have a hard time with it. I also find that I dont like the little bits in it now that I have to chew it down so fine.

See my confusion? Can someone out there with some experience in this soft food diet area help me? All the registered dietician from my bariatric company does is send me a list of AMA approved food. She won't answer specific questions, and no one in my support group has had this surgery so they are hesitant to discuss it.

while I'm posting... I orginally had this surgery to rid myself of diabetes which I have had for 14 years. Right before and right after my surgery my fasting blood sugars were lower than ever without meds. Now they are starting to climb even though my diet has not changed. I am wondering how those of you out there with diabetes have faired with this surgery. I am hoping I made the right choice.

Thanks!

Jody

You will be fine. The best advice I heard was to introduce the food one new food a day like you would a baby.

Again, like a baby start with the easy stuff first.

Let us know how it goes.

My doc had a take it slow attitude. He did not require Calcium until 4 weeks out, although he required the multivitamin at week 2. Week 1 he said just focus on fluids.

I too only took Multivitamins until week 4, and B12. I started Calcium at week 4 & Iron at week 6.

I am NE of Dallas toward Greenville in Royse City. Hi Ya'll.

I am 9 weeks out and I still have to drink Protein Shakes or eat a Protein Bar to get in all my Protein. The fluids are hard for me too. I do better drinking more in the evenings when my tummy feels looser.

WARNING - TMI

I had loose bowels while my body ridded itself of the IV fluids, then one day it stopped, and days passed. After about 3 days, I decided to start using benefiber 3 to 4 times a day. Finally I started moving, but my hemmorrhoids, which I had not had problems with since my last pregnancy, were awful. It was painful, slow and bloody. Therefore, I now take benefiber on a regular basis. once a day the first day no movement, twice a day if two days since movement, and three times a day if three or more days. I now usually only go about every 3 days, but it is a normal consistency and no pain. I have read some scary stories about BM's so be sure to get your Water in, and something to make it soft or fiber. Best of luck.

I haven't personally had this experience, but there are many who have posted of their experience. I have seen various answers from none to extreme. I have yet to hear of someone who it has lasted more than half a year. I have heard several say it grows back but some not the same as before. I wanted to respond to pop this to the top of new content and give it a second try for an answer from someone more experienced.

I don't know if I am the person you are looking to hear from, as I am a female, who started at a BMI of almost 47, and I am only 9 weeks out.

For me, so far, the sleeve has been all I wanted. I eat too much. I like to eat. I love food. I wanted to eat less. I can easily lose 30 pounds, but always gain back 50. I, too, was planning on getting the lapband, and could not imagine cutting out half my stomach, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I want something permanant - for life. I don't want to deal with equipment failure, body rejection, or fills. I don't want malabsorption. Loss rates for the sleeve are similar to the RNY. And most of all, I want to be healthy so I can live to see my grandkids one day.

I started this in June - the months of June/July I lost 22 pounds to get ready for surgery, then I was denied by insurance. I decided to appeal, and proceeded to gain back 10 pounds over the next 3 months. Sooooo typical. I finally got approved for the surgery, and lost 12 pounds before surgery. (24 lost before surgery). I have lost 55 pounds total so that is 21 in the 9 weeks since surgery. This is slow to some people, but for me it seems like a miracle. It is not torture to stick to a diet. I keep losing steadily at least one pound a week (except for one 10 day stall at 3 weeks), and I am the lowest I have been since the birth of my first child.

how much Protein are you getting a day?

are you getting your B12 and other Vitamins?

are you getting 64 oz of fluids?

BTW, I also got hungry about 2 weeks out on liquids. I wanted to chew and I was tired of feeling sloshy.

Like I just said in the last post - what Proteins have you tried. If you lets us know what you have tried, maybe we can give you other options.

it would helpt to know what you have tried, what you like, what you like, what you don't like, to get a starting place. There are so many options and tastes and everyone is different.

As for the recovery. When I had a C-section, I was out 6 weeks (for the baby), but I know I couldn't have gone back to work sooner than 4 weeks. You may need to get a letter from your doctor indicating unexpected complication have resulted in a necessary extended recovery time. Also brush up on FMLA (in the US) to see if that might help you when you say you need more time off or maybe half days.

Mini-Me.

I love your posts. It was great that you shared this. At 9 weeks out, I am still hanging on to every worry. It lifts my spirits to see you do as well as you have and gives me hope. It is also good to know it is normal to still struggle, worry, wonder at a year out (different ones but still there). Thanks for sharing this wonderful moment with us.

They make this mucinex powder for older kids, that you just drop on your tongue and swallow. They also have the mucinex medicine in some liquid cold/flu medicine. I also got a horrid cold about 2 weeks out. I bought this liquid that said rapid blast for the flavor. It tasted horrid. Good luck.

chewable Vitamin C can be bad for your teeth...so that's a no no. I don't know about the "better absorption" thing. I'd have to do some research on that.

I was wondering about it too. It's just what I was told. Let me know if you find anything. I would rather take pills.< /p>

Coops,, have you considered a medical issue or medications?

Why Aren't You Losing weight?

By Carol Sorgen

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature

Reviewed By Charlotte E. Grayson, MD

You're following a weight-loss eating plan. You're exercising almost every day. You're proud of the new healthy habits you've learned. Yet week after week, the scale barely seems to budge. What gives?

Chances are your food portion sizes have crept up (time to get out the scales and measuring cups again). Or your workouts may not be quite as intense as you think (start checking that heart rate).

But if you know you've followed your reducing plan religiously, there's another possibility: A medical condition -- or medication -- may be to blame.

"If you haven't been able to lose weight and you can't understand why, you need to determine whether there's a medical condition underlying your weight problem," says Peter LePort, MD, director of the Smart Dimensions Bariatric Program at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in California. "You need to cure that problem first before you can address the weight issue."

Medical Reasons for Weight Gain

Several conditions can cause weight gain or hinder weight loss, says Rebecca Kurth, MD, director of PrimeCare at Columbia-Presbyterian Eastside and associate professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University.

Among them, Kurth says, are:

Chronic stress. When you live with anxiety, stress, or grief, your body can produce chemical substances -- like the hormone cortisol -- that make your body more likely to store fat, especially around the waist. That's the type of weight gain that really increases your risk of serious health problems. (Extra weight around the hips and thighs poses fewer health risks.)

Cushing's syndrome. This happens when the adrenal glands (located on top of each kidney) produce too much cortisol, which leads to a buildup of fat in the face, upper back, and abdomen.

Hypothyroidism. If your thyroid is underactive, your body may not produce enough thyroid hormone to help burn stored fat. As a result, your metabolism is slower and you will store more fat than you burn -- especially if you're not physically active.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This disease, the result of a hormonal imbalance, afflicts more than 5 million women in the US. Common symptoms are irregular menstrual bleeding, acne, excessive facial hair, thinning hair, difficulty getting pregnant, and weight gain that is not caused by excessive eating.

Syndrome X. Also called insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels), syndrome X goes hand-in-hand with weight gain. Syndrome X is a cluster of health conditions thought to be rooted in insulin resistance. When your body is resistant to the hormone insulin, other hormones that help control your metabolism don't work as well.

Depression. Many people who are depressed turn to eating to ease their emotional distress.

Hormonal changes in women. Some women may gain weight at times in their lives when there is a shift in their hormones -- at puberty, during pregnancy, and at menopause.

Two other considerations: people tend to gain weight with age for unknown reasons, and though it's not a medical condition, drinking alcohol in moderate to excessive amounts can sabotage your efforts to lose weight. Alcohol (including beer and wine) is a refined carbohydrate, similar to sugar, candy, and white flour. Besides adding calories, alcohol may raise blood sugar and insulin levels, which can contribute to weight gain.

A Prescription for Weight Gain?

It's not only medical conditions that can add pounds. Some medications can also cause you to gain weight, or keep you from losing it, says Ken Fujioka, MD, medical director of the Scripps Clinic Nutrition and Metabolism Research Center in San Diego.< /p>

"It's not only medical conditions that can add pounds. Some medications can also cause you to gain weight."

This was from a quick search.

Way to go Doug! I'm so happy for you. Keep up the good work and hang in there.

Some doctors care more about that than others. We got more info at each aftercare meeting. The nut said they didn't want to overwhelm or confuse people when rules are different at different stages.

i have started to get a little lax on the food journaling. I am sitting at the table right now, having finished about 2/3 of my Breakfast - an egg w a piece of deli ham and a tsp of low fat cheese spread- and I have a pad of paper and pen sitting right next to my plate. AND I have a plan for today. So 3 meals, 2 small Snacks (one as a Protein shake) and maybe a small night snack if Im good with my cals. AND 16 oz of Fluid x 4 stuck in there. Im gonna see how this works for, but it looks so simple. I think my problem is that I dont take the time to just PLAN.

Let us know how it goes in a couple of days!

Okay I should start any day now and my head hunger is nuts, just as it was before surgery. Only now I can't put away 3000 calories in one sitting. Do any of u have that problem?

I would say any clear fluids to keep u hydrated if u are still nauseous, and clear fluids for Protein if u are just trying to go easy on your tummy.

I am 3 years post-surgery with zero complications. Lost 55 pounds and have sustained that loss. Loved the surgery, lack of pfoblems, excellent alternative. About a month ago I started waking up to some mild pain in my mid-abdomen area. I started taking Pepcid at night and that seemed to help till 2 nights ago. Pain has escalated and feels almost as though it is spasming. Then nothing for a while. I've been reading. Might be a marginal ulcer. My doctor is no longer in the area. Now at Stanford teaching. Anyone had this issue and if so, what did you do?

Thanks!

Did u find out what was wrong?

Thnks. That inspired me as well. Great positive outlook.

I read a lot of labels.

It's easier to learn to track when u don't eat much anyway.

Also I use www.fatsecret.com while others use WW online or myfitnesspal.com

Feel free to ask if you get confused.

I also added stage one baby food meats to my broth to give them more Protein, still thin enough to go through a straw.

My doc says no acid foods including Tomato Soup for 8 weeks! And NO Tomato juice or sauce, oranges, peppers, pineapple, grapefruit, hot sauce.

...also no skin or seeds, such as in strawberry or other berries.

Tomato Soup was the exception to the no acid foods, starting week 2, but I was also told to test I carefully, because some people have problems with it.

Guys I am so not understanding how we are supposed to pack 800 cals in 3 meals? Seriously it is almost impossible unless we are drinking at least one coke with each meal. I sip crystal light all day long but the Snacks is where I get my Protein added because my regular meal just isn't enough to meet the 60-64 gr mark. I don't know...I need to think about this one.

I agree. I would have to add in a couple of shakes to get enough Protein with 3 meals. I just can't eat that much in one sitting. I also feel better at 800 calories than I do at 500 calories. That being said some days I am just not hungry and have to do a shake for a meal.