PdxMan

... and that is relevant because ...

Sorry, I wasn't clear. First week post-op.

Talk to your surgeon about it.

I would stress liquids before protein for the first week. If you run short on liquids, you can end up in the ER with an IV in your arm due to dehydration.

I did, but then a week post, I couldn't stand my powder anymore and went to pre-mix, Premier Protein from Costco.

That is a good question to ask your surgeon. Why does he require (or not) and what are his feelings on why other surgeons require them (or not).

From what I have seen here from many others who have posted on this topic, and from what my surgeon told me ... wait for the 6 week mark.

Depends on whether you like it cold or room temperature. I liked mine cold, so 1/2 cup. But for water, I needed it room temperature, so I had full glasses of that.

Blittle, all my stats are in my signature. 6.5 months out. Down 105 lbs, but I work out crazy amounts. Run 15 miles a week, do spinning and lift 3x a week ... my results may not be typical.

Restaurants are going to have high fat soups. Made with butter, butter and then they add more butter. Needless to say, my guess is you are going to naturally stay away from cream soups for awhile. Like longer-life, I enjoyed the french onion with the croutons and cheese pulled off, which also sucks off the grease, which would also cause you issues. I enjoyed the vegetable soups and even a beef barley out at restaurants. I explained that I just had stomach surgery (didn't say VSG) and asked them to puree it, which they did, no problem. For the most part, though, I made my soups at home and ate them. My favs: Lentil/ham/veggie Turkey Chili Chicken Veggie Again, pureed.

Yes, I was drinking them a couple hours post-op, per my Dr's direction. Follow your own Dr's advice.

Everyone who is exercising should seriously think of avoiding the scale. It has absolutely no bearing on what you are doing. Yes, you will gain weight some days. Why? There is a balance of Water and salt and glycogen that is going to sway all over the place. Some people will work out for a week, gain two pounds and say, "Screw it!!", but that is not the answer. Weigh once a month, no more. What good is it going to do you weighing more often? Do you really think working out is bad for you? Do you really think you are going to gain fat by working out? Ditch the scale and believe in yourself and your exercise program. Do the best you can and push yourself harder each day. Just an FYI, I usually weigh myself on the 20th of each month, but a friend was over this past Sunday and wanted to know how much I weighed. He hadn't seen me since Christmas and was amazed at how different I looked since. I have actually gained 3 pounds! But you know what? My pants are looser than they were around Christmas. So, I am gaining back some of the muscle I lost during the drastic drop. If my pants fit looser and I gain weight, then HALLELUJAH!! I am all for that.

To echo what plyman is thinking, perhaps a quick search on YouTube for what was just done to your stomach might inspire you to stay on liquids for the designated time. Your stomach was just sliced end-to-end and stapled shut. Do you really want to push it? As I am sure you have read dozens of times during your research, the first month is the hardest, but it is only a month ... for the benefit of your life. Don't think about the enormity of 2 weeks left!!! AHHH!! HOW AM I GOING TO DO IT!!?? Take it one step at a time, one day at a time, 12 hours at a time, one hour at a time, 5 minutes at a time ... "For the next hour, I am going to drink my liquids and follow my Drs orders for the benefit of my health." You can do this.

I love salads, too, but one of the reasons I like them is because I CAN add all the tasty things to make them more nutritious. Protein, carbs, cheese all together in a fresh, fiberous salad ... YUM!! Yes, I think any way that you can assist in easing the mechanical part of the stomach function, the earlier you can probably introduce those things. A lot of this is trial and error. Small sample and see how it goes. If you have a NUT available, run it by them, but I think it would be fine. I have a can of V-8 everyday 'cause I'm too lazy to blend it up myself. It has a lot of sodium, but I don't use salt in any of my cooking (baking, yes, when called for). Don't even have a salt shaker.

Have you Googled cross training shoes supination? This can at least give you some models to check out when you are in the stores. I went to a running shoe store to get fitted (neutral) and bought the right shoe for me. If you're going to be doing Zumba like activities, you definately don't want a running shoe, but rather a cross trainer. There are lots to choose from. Google those terms and get on the phone to find stores that carry them. Good luck

Everything you mention are regular parts of my diet. As a matter of fact, for lunch I brought a salad with romain/spinach, diced chicken, blue cheese crumbles and honey mustard dressing. It is about 1.5 cups, and it will stuff me full taking me about 1/2 hour to eat. I started with salads at about 3 months and didn't settle too well at first. You have to remember, the stomach is the mechanical part of digestion and it is difficult to break down, especially the more fiberous it is. So, I introduced slowly. Iceburg at first, then romain, then spinach. Now, I think I am ready to add kale. I bought a package two weeks ago, but chickened out. Oh, well. All we can do is try. Other veggies? You bet. They are my primary source of carbohydrates, so I gotta eat 'em. Squash, okra ... name it. I'm eating it.

Until you can find an alternative, give the Premier protein shakes a try. You can get them at Costco and I see there is one in Aurora. They have 30 g in each one and are really easy to drink. At my Costco in Portland, they have Chocolate and Vanilla, but I have heard they have Strawberry, too. I think I pay like $22 for a case of 18, and they are ready to go. Grab a case. If you don't like them, I'll send you $30 and you can ship them to me. Seriously. I've tried several powders and shakes and these are by far the best.

I grabbed Soups and blended them. Any and all. My favorites were lentil/ham, chicken/veggie and turkey chili. ... and cottage cheese, which is good, but be aware some folks develop lactose intolerance post surgery.

Hunger, now, is a totally different animal. I don't crave food like I used to. I snack because I have to get calories in, not because I am hungry. But, what I do feel is body hunger. Meaning that my body feels a lack of nutrition, and so I eat. I relate it to a fire. I can feel there is less heat being produced, so I throw another log on. I am very active now, and my story is going to be different, for sure. When I say active, I mean I run 5 miles at a pretty good clip. Do an hour of aerobics at the gym and lift weights for and hour about 3x a week. So, I have to eat pretty much throughout the day in order to get enough calories to sustain that, but the feeling is still there and was before I was this active. As I told my wife when I was 1 month out, if I didn't have to eat, I wouldn't. That is how much I cared about food. Now, going on 7 months out, I enjoy eating, and can eat pretty much anything, but everything is different, which, for me, is what I needed. This morning, I took the kids out to Breakfast. They let me order off the senior menu which consisted of 1 egg over easy, 1 piece of toast (buttered, Whole wheat) hash browns and sausage link. I at 3/4 of the egg, two small bites each of hash browns, sausage and toast. I WAS STUFFED! I am the cook in the family and made a huge traditional Turkey dinner for Thanksgiving. The family asked how I could do it, being around and making all this food while I couldn't eat that much. I told them that I really didn't care. It's not like being a bartender who is alcoholic. I can still eat. I can be around food. It doesn't bother me at all. The sleeve just keeps me from scarfing down huge amounts of food. So, yes, it is totally normal to not care about food. This is not true for all sleevers, so I consider it a blessing. I have heard of the recent surgery folk eating popcorn (I started back after 2 months) and even read a post from a lady the other day who was asking why it hurts when she eats solid food ... she was one week out ... :banghead: What do you tell these people? 300 calories/day in the first two weeks ... sounds a little low, but not too bad. I was getting about 400-500. Two Protein shakes (2 x 160) and some other broth. How much protein are you getting in right now. Early, early on, you have to get your liquids in. If you don't, you're looking at an ER trip to get hooked up to an IV. Just keep following your program closely. If it sounds crazy, it is.

I'm sorry to say they are old wives tales. Building muscle will replace some of the volume lost by the fat, but it is not going to replace it all, unfortunately. I have been lifting weights like a fool and have added a lot of muscle mass. But with 105 lbs lost, I still have a lot of extra skin. I will be looking at surgical solutions once I have the sleeve paid off in about a year or so.

Forme, it was about 10 days. Each day was better than the day before. I think walking a lot helped. Keep the circulation going to help move the gas out.

I was not able to handle the protein shakes I used pre-op after surgery. I was able to find Premier Chocolate shakes from Costco. Very good. If you do a search on Protein Shakes here on the forum, you'll find it is a highly discussed topic. You really need to sample several and see what works for you. Talk to your NUT. Tell them what you have tried, and what you don't like about them. They may be able to steer you in the direction you need.

Like Mini-Me, I was outpatient with the same surgeon. In at 7:00, at the Golden Nugget by 12:00. Took a nap and was out to dinner with my wife and even played a little at the tables that night. Set myself up for success in my hotel and it worked out great. Loved not being in the hospital. There are sick people there.

Congratulations! My first advice is to get rid of the scale. ESPECIALLY early on. The weight will come off, don't worry. Just eat the way your team told you to. As far as sleeping, my wife made a pocket of pillows which I nestled in sleeping at about a 45 degree angle. I was able to sleep that way with pillows all around me. Good luck, keep sipping Water and Protein shakes. Try to walk as much as is comfortable.

I ensure I have a glass or Water bottle with me all the time. I play little games to remind me. Everytime someone walks past my desk, I drink. When I am working out, it is easy to remember as I am thirsty all the time. At home, it is more difficult for sure. My weekends are terrible, so I ask my wife and kids to remind me. This is still such a new behavior for me and it is taking me awhile to find my groove, but I keep trying.