oliviam

My husband is a nutritionist and he really advised me against eating the minimal calories the liquid diet requires for very long. He told me it would be highly counterproductive so from early on I was trying to get at least 1000 calories a day in. I also started food sooner than I should just so I could get in more calories and I have yet to hit a plateau. The truth is, we should not be eating less than a thousand calories. It's not healthy and it does do bad things to our metabolism. I encourage you to drink more protein shakes and eat more or higher calorie soups to get as close to one thousand calories a day. I know the doctors say one thing, but they have a reputation on the line. They want you to lose as much weight as possible in a short period of time. Dr. Ortiz even admitted when my husband asked about me slowing my metabolism down that that is exactly what would happen. I am sure that's whats happening for you. The same thing happened to NotSoLittleMermaid on this site and Dr. Watkins encouraged her to never go under one thousand calories and she said she has been a steady loser ever since. Hang in there!!!!

Okay so as one might assume, I am freaking out a bit about having missed my period. I haven't taken a pregnancy test yet, I think I am in denial! Friends keep telling me that all the stress and the low calorie intake could be affecting my period. Has this happened to anyone else?

I am seeing a lot of different guidelines from different surgeons on when to start mushies, so would those of you with plication just list what day you got to start on mushies? That would be so appreciated! I am on day 10 of a full liquid diet as well as 9 days prior to the surgery and I am just dying for some applesauce or something a little more solid!

No I was not instructed to do that although I got sick the week before surgery and took an antibiotic because of that, but they never told me to take anything prior to surgery, in fact they told me to stop my meds two days before surgery.

Hey melanie! Do you remember what day post op you tried salads? I am craving one but scared to try.

Woo Hoo Genepha! So excited for you!!

I must admit, the pre op diet was quite difficult for me. Don't let this discourage you when you think about the post op liquid diet. The post op diet is so much easier than the pre op diet because you don't want to eat. Before the surgery, you want to eat EVERYTHING!

So what are you having so far Jodie?

Thanks for this Genepha! I don't understand why my Dr. wants me to wait until day 22 to even start soft foods. It is almost unbearable. I broke down and had wonton Soup last night and ate a few of the wontons. Everything seemed fine, but I am afraid to mess up the sutures.

So I am a few days over a week since plication and I am down 12 lbs. I am sure I am down a few more since I last weighed in but I am trying to only weigh in weekly. Any one else doing that? I don't want to become obsessed with the scale ya know? I am still on full liquids but cooking for the family and being around food is really starting to get to me and the head hunger. I am staying the course so far, although last night I broke down and had a spoonful of hummus. I felt it immediately so I think I learned my lesson on that! I am not as lethargic as I was but it doesn't take much to wear me out. I finally started walking yesterday, I know I should have been doing it earlier but I...well I don't know why! I have had a few cocktails with my girlfriends which has helped to not make me feel totally deprived but I sip on the same drink for about 3 hours. I just want all this weight off like pronto but I know it is a process. The only irritant is the nightly stomach gurgling. It keeps me up and it almost feels like my stomach is growling followed by like a strange wave of nervous feeling. I don't really know how to explain it but I'm wondering if its normal. I am just looking forward to the soft diet in 12 days!

Okay will do!

No, I havent been taking anything like that mainly because I didn't think it was related to acid. Maybe it is, it just mostly reminds me of hunger pangs. Strange. I wish they let me start mushies on day 10! I wonder why there are such differing recommendations from doctors.

Oh Jodie Girl, I feel very similar to you although I don't have 22 lbs to perk me up! That's awesome! Being lethargic is all a part of the reduced calories and m husband keeps pushing me to get in as many calories as I can. He doesn't want my metabolism to slow to a crawl and also he knows it will help my energy levels. Its hard to do with liquids only though isn't it? Also, who wants to keep drinking their food?! The emotional component is what is really setting in I think. I keep having to remind myself that food will be there in two weeks, its not going anywhere! I started going to Starbucks and getting a tall vanilla frapp with a scoop of protein. It's high in calories but that's okay, I need that right now and it tastes heavenly! I am having some difficulty sleeping too, my stomach gurgles all night. Does yours do that?

Hey Melanie and Genepha! Since my surgery on the 15th of Feb it seems like every night I am being woken up often by my stomach gurgling. Almost like its hunger pains or something. I really can't explain the feeling totally, but are either of you dealing with this at all?

Finally I am back to the land of the living! I had plication done on Tuesday February 15th with Dr. Ortiz at OCC. To start, the facility was very nice and the staff was absolutely wonderful. Some of the nurses there have had the surgery so it felt good to know that they knew exactly what I was going through. I got in early on Tuesday morning to the airport and went straight from the airport to OCC. They did all my pre op tests and surgery on the same day. I met so many from these boards there, it was awesome! After the surgery I had some pretty tremendous gas pains. They told me to walk and walk I did all through the night. I threw up a couple of times the first night but was discharged on Wednesday to the hotel. I stayed at the Lucerne and I highly recommend it. Very very nice, with very nice people, especially if you tip them! Wednesday night was pitiful, I threw up on the hour every hour, could not keep down my pain meds, the gas pressure felt close to a heart attack and I was ready to head right back into that center and have them undo every last stitch! My husband called the center on Thursday and they told me to come back in. While waiting to be seen in the waiting room, I saw many others who had had the surgery on the same day or after me and they were doing wonderfully. I think my situation was honestly the exception and not the rule. They did a barium test and they said everything looked great, just a reaction perhaps to the anesthesia. By Thursday night I was vomit free and had a good nights sleep and by Friday morning I felt like a new woman! We flew home Friday night and I have been great since. I am still on the liquid diet and for the most part I do not have a desire to eat unless I prepare a meal for my family or have to watch others eat. I have not weighed myself yet! I'm afraid! My mother suggested I weight so as to avoid being discouraged. I am still soooo bloated from being pumped up with gas and the swelling so I am going to wait it out this week and weigh in maybe next Monday, if I can stand it that long. I know many of you wanted me to fill you in so I hope this helps. Please, please, please let me know if there is anything I didn't mention that you would like to know!!!

I just did Protein shakes and drinkable yogurt. Good luck!

So this is the first day that not eating is really starting to get to me. I made spaghetti for my family tonight and I swear I wanted just one bite of the bolognese sauce. I can't imagine liquids only for the next two weeks! Has anyone started mushies earlier than they were supposed to?

Ugh I am so sorry to hear that you and your mom have been sick, believe me, I TOTALLY get it. You saw me! I haven't tried the protein water, I need to get some. Mainly I have had, coffee (Dr. Miranda told me I could have some on day 4), vitamin water, and chicken broth. I really like the broth actually because its salty and sorta feels like a meal to me. I have been making dinners for my family which has been hard to not eat them. If I didn't have to cook I wouldn't be thinking about it at all I don't think. I get to be on full liquids tomorrow although I have had a few sips of drinkable yogurt over the last few days and that has stayed down fine. Talk to you soon chica!

Thanks for the encouragement ladies, and the recipe! Sounds yummy! I don't think I would be feeling this way if I wasn't having to cook but alas, I do. I am going to be 7 days post op tomorrow.

Genepha you had the plication right?

Oh yeah Dr. Ortiz totally fixes the hiatal hernias and I don't think he charges anything for them. He said he always looks for them.

So, the materials I got from my surgery center said that I could choose between two pre op diet options. I could either do a two week diet of two protein shakes and one low calorie meal (like lean cuisine) or I could do nine days of only liquid protein and all the green vegetables I want. My husband seems to be concerned with me getting in less than 1200 calories as that slows my metabolism down especially coupled with three weeks of no real solid food. Does anyone know why we need to do this pre op diet anyway? I can understand fasting before the pre operative testing but why for nine days!? Has anyone not lost weight on the pre op diet and had their surgery delayed?

Wasn't that awful!? I didn't get to do any of the meals for me pre op. How ya doing now??? Home yet? You must keep in touch!

Hey Amy! Hows the process coming along for you? Do you have a surgery date set?

Does anyone know if there is any cell phone coverage in Tijuana,Mexico?