longer-life

I eat chicken Tikka Masala, veggies and or lentil Soup when eating Indian food (tandoori would be better but its too dry still). Ground beef when eating Cuban. Iskender when eating mediterranean. Baked chicken wings, Wendys Chili (I have to take a Beano type product for that one) and Starbucks latte are the other things I have tried. However, I don't think I could eat out almost everyday and still meet all my goals and lose weight. I might be wrong (some do it on Weight Watchers and were succesful), but I don't want to try it. I feel I already "push it" by eating out and experimenting as much as I do. With the "help" of a recipe book (or website), and small appliances such as a small crockpot and/or a george foreman $20.00 grill, you won't burn your foods. For flavoring, google marinades or pick recipes that ask for it. . See it as a fun hobby. :tongue2: Start with the easy stuff. Good luck!

I don't really watch my consumption of sugar too much (maybe I should), but since we consume so little at a time, I like more Protein per ounce. At least 2 ounces of protein per ounce plus more for the milk. Having said that, if it's the only thing you can tolerate at the moment, and Lissas surgeon approves, I say go for it until you find something better. Have you tried the "Oh Yeah" ready to drink shakes? They are sold individually at GNC and they have different flavors. I hated the strawberry, but liked the chocolate and vanilla (room temperature). I now drink Unflavored unjury. Keep experimenting. Good luck!

I was allowed to pick between a 6 month and a 3 month. Call your insurance. Aetna has its requirements online, yours might too.

I weigh myself every morning but it doesn't affect my day. I don't let it play with my mind. Today is only the start of my 10th week and I have already experienced a 17 day stall (and other shorter ones), gone UP one pound a million times and stayed the same many mornings. I agree you need to throw away that scale or give it away to someone to hide and only give it back to you on a designated day. :-)

Nice!

For me it's all in the preparation and seasoning. I now prefer my meats cooked in a sauce, rather than dipped. Meats that are made in the crockpot, tagine or slow cooked on the stovetop. Beef stew, chicken Tikka Masala, meatballs cooked in Pasta sauce etc. Soft and well seasoned are the key for me. Ground beef has to have "Taco Bells" consistency. After browning it, blending it will achieve this consistency. Then it goes back in the pan to get a tomato based or taco sauce. I learned the "blending" part of it here and it works like a charm. The only "dry" meat I eat is DARK skinless rotisserie chicken and 1 (maximum 2 if I push it) smoked ribs from Bonos . The rest tastes too stringy and dry, as previously mentioned. Good luck. I hope you experiment and find what works for you! :smile1:

I just want to add that suppositories for the nausea medicine will probably work better for you at this time. It worked for me, ask your doctor and see what he/she thinks. Hopefully that will break the vicious cycle and you can start drinking more room temperature or warm clear liquids and take your antacid medicine. Lastly, I was told NOT to drink my medicines with tea (as someone else said). I drink my PPI with a sip of room temperature Water first thing out of bed and I drink my warm tea (or anything else) 30 minutes later. I learned it here and it works like a charm. (Keep in mind that some antacid medicines take some time to work. It is not immediate) To be able to do this, your nausea has to get better of course. The suppositories will help with that. Best wishes! You can do this!!!

Thanks Kelly! I will try it. :focus:

My tastes haven't changed much. As far as I know I can tolerate everything. What has changed is that I can say no very easily. I have eaten a tablespoon of rice and toasted bread here and there but I don't miss it. I am happy ordering an egg Mcmuffin with no muffin. (the girls at Mcdonalds were baffled at first and now just smile) I ate a mini cupcake one day and easily declined a few days later when offered again. That is a miracle!!!!!

Not having to stir sounds heavenly. Where do you buy it?

It's 45mg for 2 tablespoons. Not sure if that is low or not when compared to others.

Try smelling rubbing alcohol when nauseous and when there are smells around the house you don't like. Actually smell it once in a while, even when you are feeling ok. A nurse recommended this at the hospital and it made me feel much better. I still do it if I overeat. Also, as unpleasant as suppositories can be, they worked better for me than pills. I couldn't imagine swallowing a pill and feeling nauseous at the same time. Lastly, at the hospital it was recommended that I sip 3 times out of a 1 ounce cup, but I had to sip 6 times for a week or two. We are not all the same. If all else fails, call your doctor again and speak up. You are your best advocate. Make them listen to you. Be ready to explain exactly how many ounces you have drank in X number of days or hours and everything you are doing to help the process along. Best wishes!

What a change! Congratulations!

You don't say when you had surgery, but I alternated between diahrea and constipation for a few weeks after surgery. Sorry for the TMI but a few of those episodes (diahrea) was after I ate eggs for the first few times. As the weeks went by, the episodes got more and more spaced out. It is not completely gone (week 8), but it is not troublesome at all anymore.

My favorite is Costco's Organic Natural Peanut Butter. We have eaten it for quite a while now and find it delicious. To me, it has a "grown up" taste. :tongue2: I might order Koeze cream nut natural peanut butter soon to taste it.

I didn't have a pre-op diet but I didn't want to give my insurance any excuses, so I lost 1 pound a week. I used myfitnesspal.com. When you set it up, it will tell you how many calories, protein, carbs etc you need to eat per day. It was not hard at all (since my goal was 1 pound a week) and I was a volume eater. You can do this!

Fun! Thanks!

Welcome Biggie and Jesser!

I haven't received it yet. I plan on wearing a bra with it. I hope it's still looks ok. In regards to "suction", I think it's moderate, which is the most I am able to tolerate. I will update this thread when I wear it.

M2G & Swizzly those stories are HILARIOUS!!!!!! I had to put my hand over my mouth, it was so funny! LOL Thanks for the advice!

You ARE rocking it like Char60 said! Woot! For a camisole to go underneath you might want to consider the Flexees brand, Swizzler loves on the thread below. I just ordered one from Amazon to try them out. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/24574-shapewear-benefits/

Did the pack include unjury chicken Soup? That goes down well for most if not all during the first few weeks. Warm cafeine free tea is another option. Homemade well seasoned broth as well. Diluted apple juice. I am also lactose intolerant and now add Unjury unflavored to Lactaid skim milk. I add flavoring to it though. Torani syrups, 25% less sugar Nesquick, vanilla extract, banana etc. Many ready to drink Protein shakes are lactose free. I buy them at GNC. Not sure if the Isopure clear juices fall into the category of "sugar free". Check them out at GNC. Are you allowed yogurts? Lactaid now has them. If all fails, ask your doctor if it is ok to drink real Gatorade, real apple sauce and other things so you don't get dehydrated and/or weak. Also it seems like your doctor has not prescribed daily medication to combat acid. (not on an "as needed basis".) I had to try a few until my doctor and I found something that worked. Best wishes!

Congratulations! Thanks so much for coming back and inspiring us.

I just saw this thread. I can totally see how after fighting obesity it must have been surprising to now have to face this sickness. I am sending you a big hug. You can do this!

I have been lactose intolerant for about 20 years. There is a lot of products out in the market now. Lactaid brand not only has milk, but yogurt, ice cream and cottage cheese. Cabot cheeses are naturally lactose free. I am sure there are a lot more products out there. No need to miss out.