Suzannesh

I have been asked so many times on this board about what Protein drinks are good and some sample meals that I used during the first month and things I did after the 1st month. These are very valid questions and I know when I first started out I had all the same questions. Again this is long so please print this out if you would like. Protein Drinks. My all-time favorite is: Premier Protein Drink. It comes in 11 oz. drink boxes already mixed. There are 30 grams of protein in each box, 160 calories per box, 1 gram of sugar and 5 grams of carbs. The flavor I buy is Chocolate—that is all I can find at costco. I get mine at Costco and I understand that you can get them at Sam’s Club too. You can order these on line at Costco and Sam’s club. They are also available at this Web Site. http://www.premiernutrition.com/product.html I pay about $25.00 for a carton of 18 drink boxes at Costco in the city where I live. I drink one of these every morning for my Breakfast and nothing else and it has been almost 3 years since my “sleeve surgery.” The next Protein Drink that I have tried is called: Matrix 2.0 Mint Cookies made by Syntrax. You can check this out on this Web Site. http://www26.netrition.com/syntrax_matrix_page.html The cost for 2.16 lbs. is $22.99 plus postage. Item # 39-0963 My next Protein Drink that I have tried and like is: nectar, variety pack, you get 13 single servings in a variety pack. The cost is $22.95. This is the Web Site and they are made by Syntrax also. http://www6.netrition.com/syntrax_nectar_page.html There is one other Protein Drink that I found on Obesity Help.com that was rated really high by 188 people. I have never had it, but you might want to check it out. The name of the protein drink is: Carb Solution High Protein Power—it comes in more than one flavor. They also have cans of it already mixed. The Protein Powers cost $12.99. It has 110 calories, 1 gram of sugar, 4 carbs, and 20 grams of protein. This is the Web Site for Carb Solution at Wal-Mart. http://www.buycheapr.com/us/result.jsp?q=Carb+Solution&qs=ti&ga=us7&ts=go On www.ObesityHelp.com they have a lot of different information about Protein Drinks and they list so many different brands and people have rated the ones they really like check this site out. It has a lot of information about almost all the protein drinks that we find out there. http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/nutrition/a,prodsearch/searchtype,1/criteria,11/ I hate Isopure. It does NOT taste good to me—I know that some people like it. I call it Isopuke, and it reminds me of pond scum. I have been told if you buy it at a GNC and don’t like it and still have your receipt they will refund your money if it hasn’t been more than 30 days since you purchased it from them. I guess they will do that with protein powers too—ask before you buy what their policy is about returning something if you don’t like it. So if you want to try it remember this. There always seems to be a GNC in most Malls. This 1st month after weight loss surgery is going to be the hardest one to do. You just get tired of what they want you to do. It is for a reason—the doctors know what they are doing. You need to let your new stomach heal from a major surgery, so that is why you have to do these things the 1st month. You should try to keep your calories at 800 per day and no more than 20 carbs a day if you want to lose weight. The 1st month you really don’t eat a lot. So in the following months keep track of everything you are putting in your mouth. You can track what you eat on this site. I found it to be very helpful to write down EVERYTHING I was putting into my body. If I didn’t write it down I was going over 800 calories per day and would not know I was. It does take time to keep track of it—you are worth the effort, but once you get the hang of it you will know what 800 calories really are. When you exercise this site helps you figure out the number of calories you have burned and that allows you to eat more than 800 calories. It is an easy site to use and it if FREE. http://www.livestrong.com/ The 1st 10 days for me had to be clear liquids—you had to be able to see through them. broth. I used and love “Better Than Bouillon.” It comes in a jar and it is like a paste. I like it because it tastes great and you can make single servings. It is located with bouillon cubes and Soups in the grocery store. I had chicken and beef. I also made some home chicken Soup and strained everything out of it and just had the chicken broth. I would try to have ¼ of a cup of it for part of my meal, but sometimes it was just too much for me. Remember you have a new smaller stomach and it is swollen and can only hold about as much as the size of your thumb. Jello-- sugar free. I might have 2 tablespoons of Jello. That was something I had fixed and ready when I got home from the hospital. I tried to drink 64 oz. of Water and sometimes I could get it in and sometimes I couldn’t. Do the best you can, and just sip it all day long. I would add Crystal Light to the water—it made water taste a whole lot better. Apple juice, white grape juice, sugar free sports drinks, decaf hot tea, also decaf ice tea. Veggie broth or the broth from French Onion soup. Sugar Free Popsicles if my stomach was upset this really seemed to help. The 2nd 10 days. This was much easier to do. If I didn’t mention it, it was difficult for me to swallow my medication so I would crush the medication up and mix it with about 1 tablespoon of applesauce and some Equal and mix my meds in the applesauce and take my medication that way. You will have creamy foods the next 10 days I loved so many of the creamy soups. I used regular Campbell’s creamy soups that they had. I was only having about ¼ cup or maybe a few tablespoons of soup. Jello was still good for me. Sugar Free pudding, maybe 2 tablespoons full. Yogurt a few tablespoons of it. Frozen yogurt. Applesauce a couple tablespoons. A little cream cheese. Sugar Free Fudge Cycles. Premier Protein chocolate Drink mixed in blender with about 4 ice cubes and 1 cap full of Miralax. When you have a lot of protein you get constipated and Miralax works for that. It is tasteless and blends really great in the blender with the protein drink. I use the Miralx daily and it is NOT habit forming. Soft boiled eggs or soft scrambled eggs—eggs didn’t work that well for me. Low fat Chocolate milk. Cottage Cheese. Sugar Free Popsicles Creamy Peanut Butter. The 3rd 10 days and final part of the first month. Yeah the 1st month is almost over. I could eat mushy food. This was more of a challenge than I thought it would be. Mashed sweet potato or mashed yams with a small amount of butter on it. Mashed up chicken noodle soup. Mashed up homemade veggie soup. Eggs that were soft boiled or soft scrambled. Applesauce. Cottage cheese. Premier Protein Drink with miralax blended in the blender with 4 ice cubes. Mashed up steamed carrots Mashed up and blended a little tuna with a small amount of mayo. Blended chicken breast with no skin on it. Ham blended with a small amount of mayo. Water with Crystal Light Jello with fat free cool whip. Yogurt and frozen yogurt. Sugar free pudding. Protein Bars chewed up really well—I could never eat a whole one—just a few bites. Mashed potatoes and cream cheese mixed in with them. Mashed black Beans they have a lot of protein in them. I would have about 1/4 the a cup and that is about 9 grams of protein Sugar Free Popsicles Hard Boiled eggs made into egg salad. If I went out to eat I found that a cup of soup was about the best thing I found that I could eat. I also felt like I was on display sometimes because family and friends would watch me eat. It used to bother me, but not anymore. I watched them eat and I thought to myself. “Oh my gosh they inhale their food and they hardly chew it.” I was always the last one to finish eating. That is OK too. At first I actually mourned the loss of food. Later on I was thrilled that I had the restriction of a sleeve because I was losing weight. I found that chicken and fish were easier to chew and I liked them a lot more than red meat. I said that chicken was one of the main sources of protein for me. I found Kirkland (Costco brand) grilled Chicken breast strips. It is already cooked and I would put one bag (1 pound) in the freezer and use the other (1 pound bag later.) It is really handy to have around and a quick meal to fix if the chicken is already cooked. We also ate more fish. I would buy Halibut or Sole—a mild fish. I would marinate it in OJ or crushed strawberries or blueberries all day. I would also marinate it in law calories Italian Salad Dressing all day. I would cook it in a pan with Pam spray and put garlic or rosemary in the pan when I was cooking it. I don’t eat a lot of red meat and I used to be a real red meat lover. For me it took too much chewing and it just didn’t taste as good as it used to. I will now have a small hamburger and only eat 1/3 to ½ because it just is too much food for me. Ham was something that worked well for me too. I found I could get a large think slice of from the grocery story deli and I would have it for a protein—I would slice off about 2 oz. of the ham. I also enjoy a Taco Salad and I make mine with chicken instead of beef. I love Shrimp and lobster too, so those are my treats that I reward myself with. A typical meal I ate starting the 2nd month after WLS. Breakfast: Premier Protein Drink with Miralax and 4 ice cubes in the blender. Lunch: 2 oz. of chicken or ham with a small amount of cheese melted over it. I would have a bean salad—it has 4 different beans in it. Snack: I would have about 10 dry roasted almonds and maybe 10 dried cherries Dinner: 2 oz. of Chicken or Fish, steamed veggies of some kind. Sometimes my husband and I would split a small baked potato I put a teaspoon of butter and sour cream on it. Snack: Some type of fresh fruit or a Protein Bar. Carbs and what to eat and what NOT to eat About the 3rd month after WLS I would add a little bread in my diet—I could only eat about ½ a slice of bread or ½ of a hamburger bun and they are the “thin” buns that they have out now. They also make a thin bagel. You just have to look when you are shopping in your local grocery store for these things. Try to find Whole Grain carb products and if you can’t the do the whole wheat. Try to stay away from WHITE carbs. They are white refined carbs and that is how we got fat eating a lot of them. Rice should be brown rice and only a small amount—NO white rice. Pasta comes is Spinach or Whole Wheat and you can have only small amounts of it. banana – Medium size has 27 Grams of carbs—I stay away from the banana, and I love them, but I just don’t want to spend all my carbs for the day on a banana. I use a Mexican soft flour shell made of spinach or sun dried tomatoes for making a small sandwich too—you know they call them wraps. Beverage: They do not want you to drink something when you eat—you need the room for the food so that you can get your protein in firsts. During the day I would have water or decaf tea for my liquid after I ate or all during the day. As I said the Crystal Light Individual packs and different flavors worked well in a bottle of water. It seems like it took me forever to eat and drink all the things I was supposed to be eating and drinking. I was always sipping on the protein drink and water. supplements you should take. It is important that you take a multi-Vitamin. I had a difficult time trying to swallowing large pills. Look for an Adult Chewable multi-vitamin. I also have the Chocolate Chewable Calcium that I buy at Costco. As time goes on it will get easier to swallow larger pills. Do NOT take the multi-vitamin on an empty stomach, it may make you sick. My Primary Care doctor was very helpful and after I had been home 2 weeks from WLS, she had me come into for an office visit. She ran a full blood panel and made sure all my levels were ok. I knew my potassium was low when I left Dr. Aceves in Mexicali—they ran my blood test before I left and gave me a very detailed report about my surgery to give to my doctor here in the US. Dr. Aceves told me to have it watched when I got home. I now take a potassium tablet prescribed by my doctor and work on eating food high in potassium. Starting the 3rd month I started to eat more salads about here. I had a favorite and still eat it. It is Fresh Spinach, with slices of almonds, feta cheese, dried cherries, or fresh strawberries, a tablespoon of bacon and Paul Newman’s Light Raspberry & Walnut dressing on it. I sometimes add some of my Kirkland (Costco) Grilled Chicken breast strips to it and then it is an entire meal in one bowl. Chef’s Salad is a great one meal in a bowl thing to have and I just use any kind of dressing I want on it. This salad has lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sliced hard boiled eggs, turkey or chicken, and some ham sliced on it with some cheese. REMEMBER make this in a much smaller bowl than the normal Chef’s salad comes in. Sometimes I will add a small amount of Whole Grain dinner roll or some bread with it. Stir Fry is a great way to get meat and veggies all in one meal too. I have a pan that works great on the BBQ grill and I do a stir fry on the BBQ in the summer time. Have a sense of adventure and take some of your old recipes and see if you can convert them into a healthier recipe. Use veggies that you have never tried. Try some “rubs” on you meat located in the spice section or the grocery store and try to marinate some of your meats all day before cooking them—it really changes the taste of them. Desert I don’t want you to feel deprived. I learned that sometime just a bite or two of a desert really satisfied my need for it. Instead of the WHOLE piece of cake or pie, just a sliver of it worked for me to satisfy my need for it. When you want a cookie have just one small cookie and not the entire bag OK. Sugar free pudding with a small amount of Fat Free Cool Whip is good too. Use Splendia to make a desert that you like. So everything in moderation works. Exercise I was never a fan of exercise until I started to walk and I found out how much I benefited from it. Now I try to exercise 5 days a week. Find some form of exercise that works for you and do it. Start slow and then add more until you are comfortable with it. I am sure I have missed a few things, and I will write those down as I think of them and make a Vol. 2 if I needed too. These are just my suggestions, spice them up and make your food interesting and don’t get in a rut. This is not a diet, you will learn to adapt it and find things that work for you and that you like eating. This is a LIFESTYLE change. Make it work for you. You have the tool of restriction now use your new tool to your advantage. The fat doesn’t just melt off of you. It does require work and effort on your part. Stalls—No weight loss for a period of days. Be prepared you may have periods where you lose NO weight. We call those “Stalls.” You will panic and think for sure that you are the “one person this is NOT going to work on.” I know I was sure that was me. NOT true at all. Our bodies just do this. Mine lasted for 9 days—no weight loss at all. Just keep doing what you are doing and the weight will start coming off again I promise you. I can tell you not to panic but most of you will anyway—that is pretty normal too. Hugs, Suzanne Sleeved 10/21/2008 Lost 105 pounds.

Hi, I have always said that the 1st month is the hardest month you will ever have to do after sleeve surgery. I know it sounds like you are frustrated. The weight will come off. Relax and don't panic. For exercise, try walking a little each day. I have posted this before. It might help you. I is long, so you might want to print it out and have it to read. Hugs, Suzanne I have been asked so many times on this board about what Protein drinks are good and some sample meals that I used during the first month and things I did after the 1st month. These are very valid questions and I know when I first started out I had all the same questions. Again this is long so please print this out if you would like. Protein Drinks. My all-time favorite is: Premier Protein Drink. It comes in 11 oz. drink boxes already mixed. There are 30 grams of protein in each box, 160 calories per box, 1 gram of sugar and 5 grams of carbs. The flavor I buy is Chocolate—that is all I can find at costco. I get mine at Costco and I understand that you can get them at Sam’s Club too. You can order these on line at Costco and Sam’s club. They are also available at this Web Site. http://www.premiernutrition.com/product.html I pay about $25.00 for a carton of 18 drink boxes at Costco in the city where I live. I drink one of these every morning for my Breakfast and nothing else and it has been almost 3 years since my “sleeve surgery.” The next Protein Drink that I have tried is called: Matrix 2.0 Mint Cookies made by Syntrax. You can check this out on this Web Site. http://www26.netrition.com/syntrax_matrix_page.html The cost for 2.16 lbs. is $22.99 plus postage. Item # 39-0963 My next Protein Drink that I have tried and like is: nectar, variety pack, you get 13 single servings in a variety pack. The cost is $22.95. This is the Web Site and they are made by Syntrax also. http://www6.netrition.com/syntrax_nectar_page.html There is one other Protein Drink that I found on Obesity Help.com that was rated really high by 188 people. I have never had it, but you might want to check it out. The name of the protein drink is: Carb Solution High Protein Power—it comes in more than one flavor. They also have cans of it already mixed. The Protein Powers cost $12.99. It has 110 calories, 1 gram of sugar, 4 carbs, and 20 grams of protein. This is the Web Site for Carb Solution at Wal-Mart. http://www.buycheapr.com/us/result.jsp?q=Carb+Solution&qs=ti&ga=us7&ts=go On www.ObesityHelp.com they have a lot of different information about Protein Drinks and they list so many different brands and people have rated the ones they really like check this site out. It has a lot of information about almost all the protein drinks that we find out there. http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/nutrition/a,prodsearch/searchtype,1/criteria,11/ I hate Isopure. It does NOT taste good to me—I know that some people like it. I call it Isopuke, and it reminds me of pond scum. I have been told if you buy it at a GNC and don’t like it and still have your receipt they will refund your money if it hasn’t been more than 30 days since you purchased it from them. I guess they will do that with protein powers too—ask before you buy what their policy is about returning something if you don’t like it. So if you want to try it remember this. There always seems to be a GNC in most Malls. This 1st month after weight loss surgery is going to be the hardest one to do. You just get tired of what they want you to do. It is for a reason—the doctors know what they are doing. You need to let your new stomach heal from a major surgery, so that is why you have to do these things the 1st month. You should try to keep your calories at 800 per day and no more than 20 carbs a day if you want to lose weight. The 1st month you really don’t eat a lot. So in the following months keep track of everything you are putting in your mouth. You can track what you eat on this site. I found it to be very helpful to write down EVERYTHING I was putting into my body. If I didn’t write it down I was going over 800 calories per day and would not know I was. It does take time to keep track of it—you are worth the effort, but once you get the hang of it you will know what 800 calories really are. When you exercise this site helps you figure out the number of calories you have burned and that allows you to eat more than 800 calories. It is an easy site to use and it if FREE. http://www.livestrong.com/ The 1st 10 days for me had to be clear liquids—you had to be able to see through them. broth. I used and love “Better Than Bouillon.” It comes in a jar and it is like a paste. I like it because it tastes great and you can make single servings. It is located with bouillon cubes and Soups in the grocery store. I had chicken and beef. I also made some home chicken Soup and strained everything out of it and just had the chicken broth. I would try to have ¼ of a cup of it for part of my meal, but sometimes it was just too much for me. Remember you have a new smaller stomach and it is swollen and can only hold about as much as the size of your thumb. Jello-- sugar free. I might have 2 tablespoons of Jello. That was something I had fixed and ready when I got home from the hospital. I tried to drink 64 oz. of Water and sometimes I could get it in and sometimes I couldn’t. Do the best you can, and just sip it all day long. I would add Crystal Light to the water—it made water taste a whole lot better. Apple juice, white grape juice, sugar free sports drinks, decaf hot tea, also decaf ice tea. Veggie broth or the broth from French Onion soup. Sugar Free Popsicles if my stomach was upset this really seemed to help. The 2nd 10 days. This was much easier to do. If I didn’t mention it, it was difficult for me to swallow my medication so I would crush the medication up and mix it with about 1 tablespoon of applesauce and some Equal and mix my meds in the applesauce and take my medication that way. You will have creamy foods the next 10 days I loved so many of the creamy soups. I used regular Campbell’s creamy soups that they had. I was only having about ¼ cup or maybe a few tablespoons of soup. Jello was still good for me. Sugar Free pudding, maybe 2 tablespoons full. Yogurt a few tablespoons of it. Frozen yogurt. Applesauce a couple tablespoons. A little cream cheese. Sugar Free Fudge Cycles. Premier Protein chocolate Drink mixed in blender with about 4 ice cubes and 1 cap full of Miralax. When you have a lot of protein you get constipated and Miralax works for that. It is tasteless and blends really great in the blender with the protein drink. I use the Miralx daily and it is NOT habit forming. Soft boiled eggs or soft scrambled eggs—eggs didn’t work that well for me. Low fat Chocolate milk. Cottage Cheese. Sugar Free Popsicles Creamy Peanut Butter. The 3rd 10 days and final part of the first month. Yeah the 1st month is almost over. I could eat mushy food. This was more of a challenge than I thought it would be. Mashed sweet potato or mashed yams with a small amount of butter on it. Mashed up chicken noodle soup. Mashed up homemade veggie soup. Eggs that were soft boiled or soft scrambled. Applesauce. Cottage cheese. Premier Protein Drink with miralax blended in the blender with 4 ice cubes. Mashed up steamed carrots Mashed up and blended a little tuna with a small amount of mayo. Blended chicken breast with no skin on it. Ham blended with a small amount of mayo. Water with Crystal Light Jello with fat free cool whip. Yogurt and frozen yogurt. Sugar free pudding. Protein Bars chewed up really well—I could never eat a whole one—just a few bites. Mashed potatoes and cream cheese mixed in with them. Mashed black Beans they have a lot of protein in them. I would have about 1/4 the a cup and that is about 9 grams of protein Sugar Free Popsicles Hard Boiled eggs made into egg salad. If I went out to eat I found that a cup of soup was about the best thing I found that I could eat. I also felt like I was on display sometimes because family and friends would watch me eat. It used to bother me, but not anymore. I watched them eat and I thought to myself. “Oh my gosh they inhale their food and they hardly chew it.” I was always the last one to finish eating. That is OK too. At first I actually mourned the loss of food. Later on I was thrilled that I had the restriction of a sleeve because I was losing weight. I found that chicken and fish were easier to chew and I liked them a lot more than red meat. I said that chicken was one of the main sources of protein for me. I found Kirkland (Costco brand) grilled Chicken breast strips. It is already cooked and I would put one bag (1 pound) in the freezer and use the other (1 pound bag later.) It is really handy to have around and a quick meal to fix if the chicken is already cooked. We also ate more fish. I would buy Halibut or Sole—a mild fish. I would marinate it in OJ or crushed strawberries or blueberries all day. I would also marinate it in law calories Italian Salad Dressing all day. I would cook it in a pan with Pam spray and put garlic or rosemary in the pan when I was cooking it. I don’t eat a lot of red meat and I used to be a real red meat lover. For me it took too much chewing and it just didn’t taste as good as it used to. I will now have a small hamburger and only eat 1/3 to ½ because it just is too much food for me. Ham was something that worked well for me too. I found I could get a large think slice of from the grocery story deli and I would have it for a protein—I would slice off about 2 oz. of the ham. I also enjoy a Taco Salad and I make mine with chicken instead of beef. I love Shrimp and lobster too, so those are my treats that I reward myself with. A typical meal I ate starting the 2nd month after WLS. Breakfast: Premier Protein Drink with Miralax and 4 ice cubes in the blender. Lunch: 2 oz. of chicken or ham with a small amount of cheese melted over it. I would have a bean salad—it has 4 different beans in it. Snack: I would have about 10 dry roasted almonds and maybe 10 dried cherries Dinner: 2 oz. of Chicken or Fish, steamed veggies of some kind. Sometimes my husband and I would split a small baked potato I put a teaspoon of butter and sour cream on it. Snack: Some type of fresh fruit or a Protein Bar. Carbs and what to eat and what NOT to eat About the 3rd month after WLS I would add a little bread in my diet—I could only eat about ½ a slice of bread or ½ of a hamburger bun and they are the “thin” buns that they have out now. They also make a thin bagel. You just have to look when you are shopping in your local grocery store for these things. Try to find Whole Grain carb products and if you can’t the do the whole wheat. Try to stay away from WHITE carbs. They are white refined carbs and that is how we got fat eating a lot of them. Rice should be brown rice and only a small amount—NO white rice. Pasta comes is Spinach or Whole Wheat and you can have only small amounts of it. banana – Medium size has 27 Grams of carbs—I stay away from the banana, and I love them, but I just don’t want to spend all my carbs for the day on a banana. I use a Mexican soft flour shell made of spinach or sun dried tomatoes for making a small sandwich too—you know they call them wraps. Beverage: They do not want you to drink something when you eat—you need the room for the food so that you can get your protein in firsts. During the day I would have water or decaf tea for my liquid after I ate or all during the day. As I said the Crystal Light Individual packs and different flavors worked well in a bottle of water. It seems like it took me forever to eat and drink all the things I was supposed to be eating and drinking. I was always sipping on the protein drink and water. supplements you should take. It is important that you take a multi-vitamin. I had a difficult time trying to swallowing large pills. Look for an Adult Chewable multi-vitamin. I also have the Chocolate Chewable Calcium that I buy at Costco. As time goes on it will get easier to swallow larger pills. Do NOT take the multi-vitamin on an empty stomach, it may make you sick. My Primary Care doctor was very helpful and after I had been home 2 weeks from WLS, she had me come into for an office visit. She ran a full blood panel and made sure all my levels were ok. I knew my potassium was low when I left Dr. Aceves in Mexicali—they ran my blood test before I left and gave me a very detailed report about my surgery to give to my doctor here in the US. Dr. Aceves told me to have it watched when I got home. I now take a potassium tablet prescribed by my doctor and work on eating food high in potassium. Starting the 3rd month I started to eat more salads about here. I had a favorite and still eat it. It is Fresh Spinach, with slices of almonds, feta cheese, dried cherries, or fresh strawberries, a tablespoon of bacon and Paul Newman’s Light Raspberry & Walnut dressing on it. I sometimes add some of my Kirkland (Costco) Grilled Chicken breast strips to it and then it is an entire meal in one bowl. Chef’s Salad is a great one meal in a bowl thing to have and I just use any kind of dressing I want on it. This salad has lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sliced hard boiled eggs, turkey or chicken, and some ham sliced on it with some cheese. REMEMBER make this in a much smaller bowl than the normal Chef’s salad comes in. Sometimes I will add a small amount of Whole Grain dinner roll or some bread with it. Stir Fry is a great way to get meat and veggies all in one meal too. I have a pan that works great on the BBQ grill and I do a stir fry on the BBQ in the summer time. Have a sense of adventure and take some of your old recipes and see if you can convert them into a healthier recipe. Use veggies that you have never tried. Try some “rubs” on you meat located in the spice section or the grocery store and try to marinate some of your meats all day before cooking them—it really changes the taste of them. Desert I don’t want you to feel deprived. I learned that sometime just a bite or two of a desert really satisfied my need for it. Instead of the WHOLE piece of cake or pie, just a sliver of it worked for me to satisfy my need for it. When you want a cookie have just one small cookie and not the entire bag OK. Sugar free pudding with a small amount of Fat Free Cool Whip is good too. Use Splendia to make a desert that you like. So everything in moderation works. Exercise I was never a fan of exercise until I started to walk and I found out how much I benefited from it. Now I try to exercise 5 days a week. Find some form of exercise that works for you and do it. Start slow and then add more until you are comfortable with it. I am sure I have missed a few things, and I will write those down as I think of them and make a Vol. 2 if I needed too. These are just my suggestions, spice them up and make your food interesting and don’t get in a rut. This is not a diet, you will learn to adapt it and find things that work for you and that you like eating. This is a LIFESTYLE change. Make it work for you. You have the tool of restriction now use your new tool to your advantage. The fat doesn’t just melt off of you. It does require work and effort on your part. Stalls—No weight loss for a period of days. Be prepared you may have periods where you lose NO weight. We call those “Stalls.” You will panic and think for sure that you are the “one person this is NOT going to work on.” I know I was sure that was me. NOT true at all. Our bodies just do this. Mine lasted for 9 days—no weight loss at all. Just keep doing what you are doing and the weight will start coming off again I promise you. I can tell you not to panic but most of you will anyway—that is pretty normal too. Hugs, Suzanne Sleeved 10/21/2008 Lost 105 pounds.

Hi, This is all good news. You are doing all the right things. Just take it one day at a time. You are about to start an life changing adventure. You will never have a regret. You are going to have all kinds of feelings and emotions or the next few months. Just remember I am always out here to answer or help you with any questions that you might have. I had a sleeve 3 years ago and lost 105 pounds and have kept it off. Just hang in there, you are going to be very successful. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I have been replying to posts on these boards for over 3 years now. I have a little experience. PLEASE think about what I am going to say. First of all I would NOT work with any coordinators. If I could not work directly with the doctors patient coordinator that tells me someone else has the hand in the money jar and I am not willing to pay for any thing like that. I went to Doctor Aceves and Nina his patient coordinator gave me straight answers to everything and everyone is told the same price each and every time you talk with her. She gets NOTHING extra but her salary that she is paid. Please be carful of this situation. YOU want the very best you can have when it comes to your health. It is not a time to "price shop." Ask all kinds of questions, check where you are having the surgery? A hospital with state of the art equipment or just a clinic that sends you some place else to recover? And what is their infection rate like--they won't tell you, but you can do a little research and find out sometimes. How many sleeve surgeries have they done? Will you get a detailed report from them telling you exactly what they did, what equipment is guesed, what kind of stapeles are they using on your stomach? Lots of things to think about. I wish you great success. Suzanne Lost 105 pounds.

Good morning, I have been thinking about some of the things that many of us have talked about on this board. We have talked about price shopping and I have said “this is not the time to price shop” This is about your health and what is best for you. I had a lovely lady write and tell me that $5,000 was about all she could scrap together to have the surgery and she was going to take her “chances” and go to one of the doctors who charges less. She was single, had children, and was sick and tired of her back hurting and just didn’t want to spend another day being fat. Believe me I heard everything she said and honestly knew right where she was. I had a time in my life where I was a single parent and was trying to make it on my own, I do know how hard money was to come by. I have been there working 3 jobs at one time and had very little time for me and had to do what I could only afford. This is what I can say about my choice to go to Dr. Aceves. When I made my choice, I was 63 years old; I didn’t have any serious medical problems –only high blood pressure. I wanted to become healthy so that I could enjoy the rest of my life. My back hurt most of the time, and I had an awful pain in my leg. I had already experienced one bad experience in the USA hospital and that was when I went in for one procedure and came home and a 3 days later had to return to the hospital because I had a serve infection that I got at the hospital—they told me that when you go to the hospital you run the risk of an infection. Well, I was one who got the infection from the hospital. So when I was doing my research I learned that many people do get infections while having surgery in a US hospital. Infections were one of the things I was looking at when I was making my choice. Almater Hospital utilizes state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. They have less of an infection rate than any US hospital. Well, that caught my attention. I can tell you while I was there they were cleaning everything in this hospital including the sidewalk out in front of the hospital 24-7. They cleaned my bathroom 3 times a day. My rooms 3 times a day, the halls and anything people were touching in the hospital. Almater Hospital has state of the art equipment and technology -Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Complete X ray Unit capable of performing CAT Scans, Ultrasound, Fluoroscopy, and other X-ray tests. Almater Hospital strives to keep updated with equipment of latest generation available. They have Hemodynamic surgical room -where they perform open heart surgery and catheterizations surgical suites (with recovery room). So many of the doctors who charge less just do not have all these things. They are using a clinic to do the surgery, they are not fully staffed and I am worried about where they send you to recover. This is how they can afford to charge less for their surgery. I also wanted a HIGHLY qualified doctor who had an enormous amount of knowledge when it came to “sleeve surgery.” I checked on the number of surgeries that Dr. Aceves had done, and he was rated as a highly qualified doctor who had only one patient who had developed a leak. I also understand that the “one” patient who did develop the leak was because she did NOT follow the directions given to her about what she should be eating the first month. There are many qualified doctors who do “sleeve surgery.” And I can’t speak about any experience other than what I had. I wanted more than just a qualified doctor. I wanted a HIGHLY qualified doctor who had a team of highly qualified doctors and nurses on his staff who would be taking care of me. That is just what I found in Dr. Aceves and Almater Hospital. I also know that I had the highest quality of staples and surgical materials used in my surgery along with have a staff of nurses 24-7 there during my recovery. I know that many doctors are charging less for “sleeve surgery” and if you only have a certain amount of money to work with that is why you are looking at these other doctors. Give this some thought; you can get loans for the balance of the money. You know we never stop and think twice about making a car payment when we need a new car. Well, how about making a new “body payment?” You are worth it. This is ALL about you and no one else. I have sat here on these boards for 3 ½ years watching and listening to all of this. I can only say what was best for me. I know that there are other doctors who do this surgery and they are OK. I wanted more than just OK. I want you to be very successful at your WLS and your journey to a new and better life along with great health. I wish you all the success in the world. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to ask away. Suzanne Sleeved 10/21/2008 Lost 105 pounds

Hi Everyone, I have had these quotes for quite a while. I had many of them posted on my kitchen cabinets and refrigerator as I was on my weight loss journey. I can't take credit for any of them, but they all helped in one way or the other. My all time favorite is Quote # 21. Quote #1 Dare to soar - how successful you are is determined by your attitude. Quote #2 Have the courage to act on your dreams - leave behind you the internal forces that hold you back. Quote #3 The power of one - one thought, one action, one solution. Quote #4 Failure is only a fact when you give up. Everyone gets knocked down, the question is: Will you get back up? Quote #5 Accept the risk and then reap the rewards. Quote #6 Your only limits are self-imposed. Quote #7 Like the eagles we have to move our wings to soar like an eagle. Quote #8 Successful people do what unsuccessful people don't dare. Quote #9 Risk a change, overcome fear and win. Quote #10 Identify what you want and go for it. Quote #11 Confidence is feeling satisfied with who and what we are. Quote #12 Feeling healthy and feeling good about yourself is not a luxury - it's an absolute necessity. Quote #13 When you stop trying to change others and work on changing yourself, your world changes for the better. Quote #14 Things change for the better when we take responsibility for our own thoughts, decisions and actions. Quote #15 You wouldn't worry so much about what other people thought if you realised how seldom they do. - Eleanor Roosevelt Quote #16 When you expect success, your mind focuses on success. Quote #17 Do you think I can't. I don't want to. I'm feeling stressed, or I can. I want to. I'm feeling exhilarated. Quote #18 Life is a succession of moments, seconds and minutes. To live each one is to succeed. Quote #19 Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. - Will Rogers. Quote #20 When you discover it's your choice and your attitude, things start to happen! Quote #21 Nothing tastes as good as being healthy and full of energy feels. Quote #22 Everyone makes mistakes - the only people who never fail are those who never even try. Quote #23 The secret of success is having the courage to begin in the first place. Quote #24 Keep learning! You are as young as your last bright idea. Quote #25 Opportunity is available for everyone - all you have to do is grab it! Quote #26 Successful people do what unsuccessful people won't even attempt. Quote #27 The know how to successfully achieving good health is available to everyone. Quote #28 If you keep on going the way you're going you'll end up where you're heading - which direction are you aiming for? Quote #29 There is freedom in becoming very good at what we do. Quote #30 Have you hit a brick wall? Aim higher and jump over it. Quote #31 A nest is supposed to be a temporary environment - are you still snuggled safely into yours? Quote #32 Think of yourself as a toy train. All toy trains de-rail now and then. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back on track. Quote #33 Do something nice for someone you don't know yet. The results could surprise you. Quote #34 Never, never, never, never give up Quote #35 Choice is a gift given to everyone. It is a powerful gift that can change your life. Quote #36 Venture forth into new horizons, even to places those around you do not have the courage to go. Quote #37 Practice while other people are still asleep. Quote #38 It's your choice - will you choose to be a victim or the victor? Quote #39 To develop an idea you must listen to what is going on in your head. Quote #40 Great results will follow if you allow yourself to solve difficult problems. Quote #41 Life is a game. Are you going to be a participator in it, or just a spectator? Quote #42 Get rid of the negative people in your life - surround yourself with positive people who believe in you and inspire you. Quote #43 If you don't know where you are going how will you know when you get there? Quote #44 When the sun comes up each day, be up and out with it. Quote #45 A change from unhealthy habits to healthy habits will yield extraordinary results. Quote #46 Marathon runners don't worry about the conditions, they just run anyway! Quote #47 Winners feel like winners Losers feel like losers How do you feel? Quote #48 There is no such thing as luck. Success comes from actually doing it. Quote #49 If you don't dare to begin, you don't stand a chance of getting there. Quote #50 Choose to be up here at the top, not down there at the bottom. Suzanne

Hi Everyone When I had WLS, I wanted the very best I could find. There are a lot of good doctors in Mexico, but I wanted the best. I also learned that in the USA I would not receive the quality of care I received from Dr. Aceves and his staff in Mexicali. I also wanted a hospital that met all my needs and had a low infection rate. Dr. Aceves and his staff and hospital met all these needs. My health and the rest of my life were the most important thing I was looking for. I had a very successful WLS and recovery and when I got home I had all the right tools I needed to become healthy and reach my goal. 14 months later I lost 105 pounds and have maintained my weight loss 3 years later. Take the time to really know everything about the Doctor you are considering. Look at all the things people are saying about Dr. Aceves..................... Please DO NOT be fooled by another doctor is offering you this surgery for less money. There are a lot of reason's why he charges less. You want QUALITY care, the best supplies, and the RIGHT place to do your rcovery. This is the ONE and ONLY time in your life I do NOT want you to "price shop". Most of the time you get what you pay for!! This is just what happend to this person. Please read it and if you are considering WLS pay attention to what she went through. PLEASE READ IT. I had my surgery at the INT hospital in Tijuana, chips the day after surgery, and tea and apple juice later that same day. The next day they didn't serve me anything. I went out to the nurses station to ask why, and if I could get something. Was told by the nursing staff that I wasn't allowed to eat anything. When I stated I had ice chips, juice and tea the day before the nurse said "WHO gave it to you?" I don't know if it was language problem or what, but the surgeon had JUST told me I could have all the liquids I wanted. Minor frustration. 5.) Very minor, but wireless internet was supposed to be available, and it was very erratic, some times working, some times not. 6.) Was supposed to get a copy of the operative report prior to discharge from the hospital, but still have not received it. Coordinator told me she would email to me, but still haven't received it. Maybe will come later today or tomorrow. Again, very minor. 7.) All in all, most of the experience was good. But I have major concerns about numbers 1,2 and 3. Would think twice before I went back there. Luckily I am a nurse, and could watch out for myself, as I knew what was what (and I told my husband not to let them give me any blood or blood products!)

Hi, The things I found when I was researching where I was going to go in Mexico was that Dr. Aceves's Hospital had LESS of an infection rate than any US hospital or any of them in Mexico. Yes, I went to Mexico but I had the money to go to any US hospital too. So that is why I say it is NOT a time to price shop. For me I wanted the very best I could find and I was willing to pay for the security I was going to have for good health and the top of the line when it came to a WL suregon. It was my choice because I know for a fact that the care I received from Dr. Aceves was far better than I would have EVER received in the US. I can only speak about my care tht I received. I do hear good things about Dr. Kelly, but I only can speak about my surgery and the care I received. I do understand and hear when you talk about taking the money from your retirement fund. Good luck. Suzanne.

Hi, I am sure you received good care in the USA. I did find after doing my reasearch on the CDC web site that the USA hospitals had a higher rate of infection rates. And for many people they are self pay--so Mexico is an option for them. 3 years ago Inusrance was NOT paying for too many WLS. I am excited to see that they are now. I can only speak about my own experience. I do know that Dr. Aceves is rated in the top 25 WL suregons in the world. So for me that was something I was looking for. I wish you great success in your WLS, Suzanne

Hi, I remember when I was thinking about having sleeve surgery, I sat back and read all these posts, until I felt comfortable enough to join in and ask my million questions. I had such great support and wonderful people who helped me along my weight loss journey. I always promised I would pay it forward. So I am here 3 years after my "sleeve" surgery. I had the most amazing experience. I am now 66 years old and thought that maybe I was too old to do this. Boy, was I wrong. I picked Dr. Aceves to do my surgery. That was the best choice I could have ever made. I happend to work with a good friend who had Dr. Aceves for her doctor and had WLS with him. She made me do lots of research and take some time to make up my mind. It took me 6 months to make this choice. What an amazing journey I have had. I started out at 225 pounds and lost a total of 105 pounds. I now weight 120 lbs and have maintained that weight loss. I now know I will always be able to maintain it. I am never on a diet, but made a life style change that will last forever. My goal is to help and support people who are just not qutie sure if they want this surgery, or if they have questions and are scared to ask anyone. I am here to listen to you, talk about your fears and help and support you in any way I can help you. You deserve to have it ALL, and there really is a way. If diet and exercise were all it took, and it worked then some of us would not need to have WLS. Most of us have lost it and gained it back many time in our lives. I believe it took more strength to have this surgery than anything I had ever done. But, I knew it had to be ALL about me and NO one else. I had earned the right to do this for myself. Life is wonderful, and I have NO regrets what so ever. My husband fell in love with me when I was fat and so now he loves me just as much when I am healthy and thin. He has even lost weight because of how we both eat--healthy. I have had great support from him all the way though my weight loss journey. So if you are just sitting there and reading this and not sure what you want to do talk to me. I will be honest and tell you the good and the bad side of all this. It takes work on your part and effort. This is NO mircle cure and you have to have your head in the right place and want this more than you want anything else in life. This is your tool to get to the goal you want. It takes making good food choices, and some exercise on your part too. I used to be the person who "hated" exercise....now I honestly look forward to it 5 or 6 days a week. My choice of exercise is pretty easy, I walk. So please feel free to ask questions, say what you are thinking. There isn't anything that we can't talk about. Take care, Suzanne Sleeved 10/21/2008 Dr. Aceves

Hi, Thanks, it still takes time and effort to maintain my weight loss. I plan my meals and still exercise about 5 days a week. I am so very lucky that my husband Bob is very supportive of all of this. He eats what I eat only more of it. I wish you great success and if you have any questions just let me know OK. Hugs, Suzanne

Maintaining your weight loss I had the opportunity to meet and have some tea on Thursday with the most delightful lady. She felt very lucky that she had me living close to her and that I could answer all her question. I always love being able to do that. She has done an excellent job educating herself and she is going to be very successful after she has her “sleeve” surgery in November. I know for many new people on these boards, they sometimes question if we are “real people” and if we are being paid for this. I am a real person and I am not being paid to say the things I say and answer the questions I answer. I do it because it is my way of paying it forward. This lady is having surgery through her insurance in our city—she was denied and first, and then she appealed it and won—YEAH for her. I just want to cheer her on and let her know that she is going to do grand. I wasn’t that lucky to have my insurance pay for mine and I am a self-pay patient. I was so blessed as to have Dr. Aceves do my sleeve surgery and I feel very fortunate to have had him. I have never regretted having it done or my choice of a Doctor. I want to talk about maintaining your weight loss. One of the things this delightful lady said was some of her family seems to think that with diet and exercise she should be able to lose the weight and KEEP it OFF and NOT have to have WLS. I just heard a static and they said 4 in 5 people who lose the weight put it right back on along with more weight—so that means that ONLY 1 person is successful. So for me those odds do NOT appeal to me. I had sleeve surgery 3 years ago and I have maintained my 105 pound weight loss. I never consider myself being on a diet and I only consider my lifestyle changes I have made. It is something that is easy and I can and will do for the rest of my life. I never feel deprived when it comes to food and what I am eating. Yes, I have a desert now and then but only a tiny amount not the entire things. I try not to eat a lot of carbs. Sometimes you will find that just the taste of it, is all you really do need and want. I have to admit I have NOT opened the bag of Halloween candy. Those tiny candy bars just call me and when I pass the candy bowl and force my hand in the bowl to get a candy bar and they make me eat it. So the candy is staying in the bag unopened until Halloween. So that is how I manage that issue. You will find your own way of managing things that temp you. It is possible to maintain your weight loss. If diet and exercise worked for everyone then the diet industry would NOT be making billions of dollars every year. Ask yourself how many diets have you tried and failed at? For me too many to count. You may have lost the weight, but I bet you put it back on just like I did. For those of us who have had WLS, we know this was our answers. I wish you nothing but happiness, success with your weight loss and great health. Hugs, Suzanne Sleeved 10/28/2008

Hi, LOL, I have a husband in my house too. He is very supportive of what I have done. So YES, he has eliminated 99% of the junk food that he likes. He has done such a good job of being willing to eat just what I eat--so I only cook one meal for us and--he just eats more than I do. He even lost 25 pounds and was thrilled to be able to do that. He likes what I fix. I used to feel like you do about the Greek Yogurt. Then I found some vanilla Greek yogurt and by mixing my banana cream Protein power in the Greek Yogurt, it really did taste good. You just have to experiment a little. NOT everything that I have tried has turned out that good--I have had my share of YUCKS. I am no miracle worker when it comes to fixing different foods, but I have learned that cooking can be a lot more fun now than I used to make it. I have to say I do have a little more time now to experiment with food and my menu. But, I know certain things I like the taste of and I try to mix them up when it comes to cooking. If your husband can't follow what you do then, you will have to become a little stronger. Remember this really is ALL about YOU and no one else. Put yourself first for the first time in a very long time. You have been busy taking care of everyone else but YOU. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi everyone, Mix it up when it comes to food. Don’t always keep eating the same things all the time. You will become bored and may go back to some of you old habits. One of the things I had to do for myself was; get rid of foods that would tempt me. NO JUNK foods in the house at all. I learned how to convert some of my old recipes into a healthy recipe. I used to be a real red meat eater. I found it difficult to chew red meat so many times—remember I had to chew 30 to 40 times before I would swallow it. I found out that chicken, turkey, and fish were much easier to chew and I actually learned a lot of different ways to cook these meats .I also started to eat some veggies that I wasn’t eating before. I now cook my meat on Stoneware. It cooks so well, is very moist and juicy. Try using some different seasonings or rubs on your meat. You might be surprised at how good the chicken, fish or turkey can taste by using your imagination. Spend a little time looking at others recipes that are posted on these boards. I took some Greek yogurt this morning and added my banana cream Protein power to it, and it was like eating banana cream pudding for Breakfast. I am asking you to think outside of the box. Try spaghetti squash and make some spaghetti sauce for it. You will find it very good. This was something I would have never tried before I had WLS. If you have NOT had WLS yet, start trying some different things when it comes to eating. Now is the time to develop some of these foods and make some new recipes so when the time comes, you will already know some new things that you like and will eat. Having WLS is well worth all the planning and effort you are going to be doing. I had all the things I need to have to survive the first month after Dr. Aceves did my WLS. I was so glad when I got home that I had the foods in place that I was going to be using that 1st month. Make things easy on yourself. I wish you great success, what I am saying are just suggestions. I do speak from experience because I had my WLS was 3 years ago. I know these things helped me become successful. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I remember when I was thinking about having sleeve surgery, I sat back and read all these posts, until I felt comfortable enough to join in and ask my million questions. I had such great support and wonderful people who helped me along my weight loss journey. I always promised I would pay it forward. So I am here 3 years after my "sleeve" surgery. I had the most amazing experience. I am now 66 years old and thought that maybe I was too old to do this. Boy, was I wrong. I picked Dr. Aceves to do my surgery. That was the best choice I could have ever made. I happend to work with a good friend who had Dr. Aceves for her doctor and had WLS with him. She made me do lots of research and take some time to make up my mind. It took me 6 months to make this choice. What an amazing journey I have had. I started out at 225 pounds and lost a total of 105 pounds. I now weight 120 lbs and have maintained that weight loss. I now know I will always be able to maintain it. I am never on a diet, but made a life style change that will last forever. My goal is to help and support people who are just not qutie sure if they want this surgery, or if they have questions and are scared to ask anyone. I am here to listen to you, talk about your fears and help and support you in any way I can help you. You deserve to have it ALL, and there really is a way. If diet and exercise were all it took, and it worked then some of us would not need to have WLS. Most of us have lost it and gained it back many time in our lives. I believe it took more strength to have this surgery than anything I had ever done. But, I knew it had to be ALL about me and NO one else. I had earned the right to do this for myself. Life is wonderful, and I have NO regrets what so ever. My husband fell in love with me when I was fat and so now he loves me just as much when I am healthy and thin. He has even lost weight because of how we both eat--healthy. I have had great support from him all the way though my weight loss journey. So if you are just sitting there and reading this and not sure what you want to do talk to me. I will be honest and tell you the good and the bad side of all this. It takes work on your part and effort. This is NO mircle cure and you have to have your head in the right place and want this more than you want anything else in life. This is your tool to get to the goal you want. It takes making good food choices, and some exercise on your part too. I used to be the person who "hated" exercise....now I honestly look forward to it 5 or 6 days a week. My choice of exercise is pretty easy, I walk. So please feel free to ask questions, say what you are thinking. There isn't anything that we can't talk about. I want you to ask all kinds of questions. The biggest question I want you to ask, is what kind of a facility will you do your recovery in. If it is a recovery house STAY away from these doctors. This is why you are paying less. It must be a complete hospital--NO CLINIC'S. We are talking about your health and when it comes to your health --that is NOT the time to be price shopping. Take care, Suzanne Sleeved 10/21/2008 Dr. Aceves

Hi Everyone, I have thought a lot about WLS and how it has changed my entire life. Someone once told me that you cannot do much about the length of your life, but you can do a whole lot about the width and depth. So, think about improving your Life Spaces. I promise it will make a world of difference. Consider having Weight Loss Surgery and changing your life. If you are on this board you are thinking about it or have a date already set. I had my sleeve 3 years ago and it has changed my entire life--you can do the same thing with your life. You are going to feel sooooooooo much better and become healthy. Life is short don't give one more day away of your life being unhappy and unhealthy and being overweight. Hugs, Suzanne

Hey Everyone, Thanks for the great responses. I know that sometimes you feel a little down when the scale doesn't move or you think that you have a long ways to go still. I had someone say to me one time--"I only lost 10 pounds this month." I said that was amazing and if you want to know how your body feels, go into the grocery store and pick up two 5 pounds bags of sugar and carry them around while you are shopping. I want you to hold them and carry them around all the time you are shopping for your groceries. Then at the end of your shopping take them back where you got them. Now this is how good our body feels not packing around "just 10 pounds." It takes time, you did not put the weight on over night. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I am always out here if you have any questions. I have written quite a bit and I realize there is always a lot of new people just starting out. I had my surgery 3 years ago, so I try to answer as many question as you might have. I know how hard the 1st month is for you. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I am so glad it helped. I have been where you are right now. I went for 9 days and the scale didn't move. I waant you to know that is is very normal to have what we call "Stalls." Our bodies do that. Just keep doing what you are doing and the weight loss will start up again. Never doubt what has worked for you in the past. Just drink your Water, get your Protein, and exercise some and eat healthy. You will start to lose again Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I am happy that they work for you. I will continue to keep posting. You are going to love your sleeve. And it is the ONE thing that is going to change your entire life FOREVER. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi there, Half way is just fabulous. I do hear what you are saying about how much the quality of your life and how much better you are feel. You go and never look back. This is ALL about YOU and NO one else. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi I had sleeve surgery 3 years ago. Honestly, I am thrilled to NOT have the stomach. I have maintained my weight loss of 105 pounds now for 2 years after losing it. I know it allowed me to over eat and I never want to be able to do that. I guess I never thought of it as losing something--it was the reason I was fat and I didn't feel healthy and had such problems with exercise. Now that is all gone. I promise you, that you will never miss it. Would you feel the same if they got rid of your appendix are something else that needed to be removed to save your life? I don't think you would at all. Hugs and take care, Suzanne

Hi, This may help you. It is a little long, so print it out and read it. I have been asked so many times on this board about what Protein drinks are good and some sample meals that I used during the first month and things I did after the 1st month. These are very valid questions and I know when I first started out I had all the same questions. Again this is long so please print this out if you would like. Protein Drinks. My all-time favorite is: Premier Protein Drink. It comes in 11 oz. drink boxes already mixed. There are 30 grams of protein in each box, 160 calories per box, 1 gram of sugar and 5 grams of carbs. The flavor I buy is Chocolate—that is all I can find at costco. I get mine at Costco and I understand that you can get them at Sam’s Club too. You can order these on line at Costco and Sam’s club. They are also available at this Web Site. http://www.premiernutrition.com/product.html I pay about $25.00 for a carton of 18 drink boxes at Costco in the city where I live. I drink one of these every morning for my Breakfast and nothing else and it has been almost 3 years since my “sleeve surgery.” The next Protein Drink that I have tried is called: Matrix 2.0 Mint Cookies made by Syntrax. You can check this out on this Web Site. http://www26.netrition.com/syntrax_matrix_page.html The cost for 2.16 lbs. is $22.99 plus postage. Item # 39-0963 My next Protein Drink that I have tried and like is: nectar, variety pack, you get 13 single servings in a variety pack. The cost is $22.95. This is the Web Site and they are made by Syntrax also. http://www6.netrition.com/syntrax_nectar_page.html There is one other Protein Drink that I found on Obesity Help.com that was rated really high by 188 people. I have never had it, but you might want to check it out. The name of the protein drink is: Carb Solution High Protein Power—it comes in more than one flavor. They also have cans of it already mixed. The Protein Powers cost $12.99. It has 110 calories, 1 gram of sugar, 4 carbs, and 20 grams of protein. This is the Web Site for Carb Solution at Wal-Mart. http://www.buycheapr.com/us/result.jsp?q=Carb+Solution&qs=ti&ga=us7&ts=go On www.ObesityHelp.com they have a lot of different information about Protein Drinks and they list so many different brands and people have rated the ones they really like check this site out. It has a lot of information about almost all the protein drinks that we find out there. http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/nutrition/a,prodsearch/searchtype,1/criteria,11/ I hate Isopure. It does NOT taste good to me—I know that some people like it. I call it Isopuke, and it reminds me of pond scum. I have been told if you buy it at a GNC and don’t like it and still have your receipt they will refund your money if it hasn’t been more than 30 days since you purchased it from them. I guess they will do that with protein powers too—ask before you buy what their policy is about returning something if you don’t like it. So if you want to try it remember this. There always seems to be a GNC in most Malls. This 1st month after weight loss surgery is going to be the hardest one to do. You just get tired of what they want you to do. It is for a reason—the doctors know what they are doing. You need to let your new stomach heal from a major surgery, so that is why you have to do these things the 1st month. You should try to keep your calories at 800 per day and no more than 20 carbs a day if you want to lose weight. The 1st month you really don’t eat a lot. So in the following months keep track of everything you are putting in your mouth. You can track what you eat on this site. I found it to be very helpful to write down EVERYTHING I was putting into my body. If I didn’t write it down I was going over 800 calories per day and would not know I was. It does take time to keep track of it—you are worth the effort, but once you get the hang of it you will know what 800 calories really are. When you exercise this site helps you figure out the number of calories you have burned and that allows you to eat more than 800 calories. It is an easy site to use and it if FREE. http://www.livestrong.com/ The 1st 10 days for me had to be clear liquids—you had to be able to see through them. 1. broth. I used and love “Better Than Bouillon.” It comes in a jar and it is like a paste. I like it because it tastes great and you can make single servings. It is located with bouillon cubes and soups in the grocery store. I had chicken and beef. I also made some home chicken soup and strained everything out of it and just had the chicken broth. I would try to have ¼ of a cup of it for part of my meal, but sometimes it was just too much for me. Remember you have a new smaller stomach and it is swollen and can only hold about as much as the size of your thumb. 2. Jello-- sugar free. I might have 2 tablespoons of Jello. That was something I had fixed and ready when I got home from the hospital. 3. I tried to drink 64 oz. of Water and sometimes I could get it in and sometimes I couldn’t. Do the best you can, and just sip it all day long. I would add Crystal Light to the water—it made water taste a whole lot better. 4. Apple juice, white grape juice, sugar free sports drinks, decaf hot tea, also decaf ice tea. 5. Veggie broth or the broth from French Onion soup. 6. Sugar Free Popsicles if my stomach was upset this really seemed to help. The 2nd 10 days. This was much easier to do. If I didn’t mention it, it was difficult for me to swallow my medication so I would crush the medication up and mix it with about 1 tablespoon of applesauce and some Equal and mix my meds in the applesauce and take my medication that way. You will have creamy foods the next 10 days 1. I loved so many of the creamy soups. I used regular Campbell’s creamy soups that they had. I was only having about ¼ cup or maybe a few tablespoons of soup. 2. Jello was still good for me. 3. Sugar Free pudding, maybe 2 tablespoons full. 4. Yogurt a few tablespoons of it. 5. Frozen yogurt. 6. Applesauce a couple tablespoons. 7. A little cream cheese. 8. Sugar Free Fudge Cycles. 9. Premier Protein chocolate Drink mixed in blender with about 4 ice cubes and 1 cap full of Miralax. When you have a lot of protein you get constipated and Miralax works for that. It is tasteless and blends really great in the blender with the protein drink. I use the Miralx daily and it is NOT habit forming. 10. Soft boiled eggs or soft scrambled eggs—eggs didn’t work that well for me. 11. Low fat Chocolate milk. 12. Cottage Cheese. 13. Sugar Free Popsicles 14. Creamy Peanut Butter. The 3rd 10 days and final part of the first month. Yeah the 1st month is almost over. I could eat mushy food. This was more of a challenge than I thought it would be. 1. Mashed sweet potato or mashed yams with a small amount of butter on it. 2. Mashed up chicken noodle soup. 3. Mashed up homemade veggie soup. 4. Eggs that were soft boiled or soft scrambled. 5. Applesauce. 6. Cottage cheese. 7. Premier Protein Drink with miralax blended in the blender with 4 ice cubes. 8. Mashed up steamed carrots 9. Mashed up and blended a little tuna with a small amount of mayo. 10. Blended chicken breast with no skin on it. 11. Ham blended with a small amount of mayo. 12. Water with Crystal Light 13. Jello with fat free cool whip. 14. Yogurt and frozen yogurt. 15. Sugar free pudding. 16. Protein Bars chewed up really well—I could never eat a whole one—just a few bites. 17. Mashed potatoes and cream cheese mixed in with them. 18. Mashed black Beans they have a lot of protein in them. I would have about 1/4 the a cup and that is about 9 grams of protein 19. Sugar Free Popsicles 20. Hard Boiled eggs made into egg salad. If I went out to eat I found that a cup of soup was about the best thing I found that I could eat. I also felt like I was on display sometimes because family and friends would watch me eat. It used to bother me, but not anymore. I watched them eat and I thought to myself. “Oh my gosh they inhale their food and they hardly chew it.” I was always the last one to finish eating. That is OK too. At first I actually mourned the loss of food. Later on I was thrilled that I had the restriction of a sleeve because I was losing weight. I found that chicken and fish were easier to chew and I liked them a lot more than red meat. I said that chicken was one of the main sources of protein for me. I found Kirkland (Costco brand) grilled Chicken breast strips. It is already cooked and I would put one bag (1 pound) in the freezer and use the other (1 pound bag later.) It is really handy to have around and a quick meal to fix if the chicken is already cooked. We also ate more fish. I would buy Halibut or Sole—a mild fish. I would marinate it in OJ or crushed strawberries or blueberries all day. I would also marinate it in law calories Italian Salad Dressing all day. I would cook it in a pan with Pam spray and put garlic or rosemary in the pan when I was cooking it. I don’t eat a lot of red meat and I used to be a real red meat lover. For me it took too much chewing and it just didn’t taste as good as it used to. I will now have a small hamburger and only eat 1/3 to ½ because it just is too much food for me. Ham was something that worked well for me too. I found I could get a large think slice of from the grocery story deli and I would have it for a protein—I would slice off about 2 oz. of the ham. I also enjoy a Taco Salad and I make mine with chicken instead of beef. I love Shrimp and lobster too, so those are my treats that I reward myself with. A typical meal I ate starting the 2nd month after WLS. Breakfast: Premier Protein Drink with Miralax and 4 ice cubes in the blender. Lunch: 2 oz. of chicken or ham with a small amount of cheese melted over it. I would have a bean salad—it has 4 different beans in it. Snack: I would have about 10 dry roasted almonds and maybe 10 dried cherries Dinner: 2 oz. of Chicken or Fish, steamed veggies of some kind. Sometimes my husband and I would split a small baked potato I put a teaspoon of butter and sour cream on it. Snack: Some type of fresh fruit or a Protein Bar. Carbs and what to eat and what NOT to eat About the 3rd month after WLS I would add a little bread in my diet—I could only eat about ½ a slice of bread or ½ of a hamburger bun and they are the “thin” buns that they have out now. They also make a thin bagel. You just have to look when you are shopping in your local grocery store for these things. Try to find Whole Grain carb products and if you can’t the do the whole wheat. Try to stay away from WHITE carbs. They are white refined carbs and that is how we got fat eating a lot of them. Rice should be brown rice and only a small amount—NO white rice. Pasta comes is Spinach or Whole Wheat and you can have only small amounts of it. banana – Medium size has 27 Grams of carbs—I stay away from the banana, and I love them, but I just don’t want to spend all my carbs for the day on a banana. I use a Mexican soft flour shell made of spinach or sun dried tomatoes for making a small sandwich too—you know they call them wraps. Beverage: They do not want you to drink something when you eat—you need the room for the food so that you can get your protein in firsts. During the day I would have water or decaf tea for my liquid after I ate or all during the day. As I said the Crystal Light Individual packs and different flavors worked well in a bottle of water. It seems like it took me forever to eat and drink all the things I was supposed to be eating and drinking. I was always sipping on the protein drink and water. supplements you should take. It is important that you take a multi-Vitamin. I had a difficult time trying to swallowing large pills. Look for an Adult Chewable multi-vitamin. I also have the Chocolate Chewable Calcium that I buy at Costco. As time goes on it will get easier to swallow larger pills. Do NOT take the multi-vitamin on an empty stomach, it may make you sick. My Primary Care doctor was very helpful and after I had been home 2 weeks from WLS, she had me come into for an office visit. She ran a full blood panel and made sure all my levels were ok. I knew my potassium was low when I left Dr. Aceves in Mexicali—they ran my blood test before I left and gave me a very detailed report about my surgery to give to my doctor here in the US. Dr. Aceves told me to have it watched when I got home. I now take a potassium tablet prescribed by my doctor and work on eating food high in potassium. Starting the 3rd month I started to eat more salads about here. I had a favorite and still eat it. It is Fresh Spinach, with slices of almonds, feta cheese, dried cherries, or fresh strawberries, a tablespoon of bacon and Paul Newman’s Light Raspberry & Walnut dressing on it. I sometimes add some of my Kirkland (Costco) Grilled Chicken breast strips to it and then it is an entire meal in one bowl. Chef’s Salad is a great one meal in a bowl thing to have and I just use any kind of dressing I want on it. This salad has lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sliced hard boiled eggs, turkey or chicken, and some ham sliced on it with some cheese. REMEMBER make this in a much smaller bowl than the normal Chef’s salad comes in. Sometimes I will add a small amount of Whole Grain dinner roll or some bread with it. Stir Fry is a great way to get meat and veggies all in one meal too. I have a pan that works great on the BBQ grill and I do a stir fry on the BBQ in the summer time. Have a sense of adventure and take some of your old recipes and see if you can convert them into a healthier recipe. Use veggies that you have never tried. Try some “rubs” on you meat located in the spice section or the grocery store and try to marinate some of your meats all day before cooking them—it really changes the taste of them. Desert I don’t want you to feel deprived. I learned that sometime just a bite or two of a desert really satisfied my need for it. Instead of the WHOLE piece of cake or pie, just a sliver of it worked for me to satisfy my need for it. When you want a cookie have just one small cookie and not the entire bag OK. Sugar free pudding with a small amount of Fat Free Cool Whip is good too. Use Splendia to make a desert that you like. So everything in moderation works. Exercise I was never a fan of exercise until I started to walk and I found out how much I benefited from it. Now I try to exercise 5 days a week. Find some form of exercise that works for you and do it. Start slow and then add more until you are comfortable with it. I am sure I have missed a few things, and I will write those down as I think of them and make a Vol. 2 if I needed too. These are just my suggestions, spice them up and make your food interesting and don’t get in a rut. This is not a diet, you will learn to adapt it and find things that work for you and that you like eating. This is a LIFESTYLE change. Make it work for you. You have the tool of restriction now use your new tool to your advantage. The fat doesn’t just melt off of you. It does require work and effort on your part. Stalls—No weight loss for a period of days. Be prepared you may have periods where you lose NO weight. We call those “Stalls.” You will panic and think for sure that you are the “one person this is NOT going to work on.” I know I was sure that was me. NOT true at all. Our bodies just do this. Mine lasted for 9 days—no weight loss at all. Just keep doing what you are doing and the weight will start coming off again I promise you. I can tell you not to panic but most of you will anyway—that is pretty normal too. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, You have asked the questions about going to Mexico, and I have read through so many of these posts. I noticed that a great many of them have been or are going to Dr. Aceves. I also went to Dr. Aceves. I am older than most of you so I really took a lot of time to research Dr. Aceves and his hospital. I have to tell you he is top rated and his entire staff are the very best you could find any place. They treat you so much better than any US Hospital. Here is a little information that I have learned along the way. The difference in where you have your surgery I have been doing a little information gathering in the past few days. I live in the state of Oregon and in the city of Eugene. I have discovered that they do NOT have anyone in my city to do WLS. I spoke with someone who was going to have to drive to a smaller city than we live in to have her sleeve WLS. Then I was shocked when she said they are doing it as DAY SURGERY and the doctor wants her to go stay in a hotel close to the hospital once they release her from Day Surgery—just in case something goes wrong she can return to the hospital quickly. The doctors have only asked her to say in a hotel for one (1) night then she can come back home—about 60 miles away from where she had the surgery. I was SHOCKED to hear that she is going to receive so little care from the doctor or hospital. This just reaffirms why I went to Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, Mexico. I was cared for so differently. I spent part of one day getting all my tests done—which I am sure in the US they do the same thing. I had the opportunity to see the hospital and I also saw how often and how much they cleaned just being there for 3 hours for the tests. I was given paper work to fill out the night before surgery (which they must have you do in Oregon). I met with a doctor the night before (he comes to the Hotel you are staying in) the doctor who explained the surgery and how it is done went into great detail and asked if I had any questions and then spent more time answering my questions. In the morning, I was assigned my very own nurse who was taking care of me—she got me ready for the surgery. That morning I saw the two surgeons, and the anesthesiologist, who again answered ALL my questions that I forgot to ask the night before. They explain exactly what they were going to do and what I would feel like when I woke up. They would have NEVER sent me to a hotel to recover. I spent 4 days and nights in the complete fully equipped hospital seeing two doctors 3 times a day. I was given a battery of test before they would consider sending me home. On the 5th day, I was driven to the San Diego Airport and I flew home. This is the kind of care you should EXPECT AND DEMAND if you are having this kind of surgery. You need to be doing your recovery in a HOSPITAL. So the next time someone makes the comment to me about why would I go outside of the US for this kind of surgery this is EXACTLY WHY. When you want the best you do your research and find the best. That is just what I did. No I can’t speak for other doctors in the US or other hospitals, only what I learned while doing a bit of research here in Eugene, OR If you are having WLS PLEASE ask the doctors, the hospital and those involved what their care is like, and what they will be providing you during your WLS. YOU have the right to have the best care possible. You NEED to be your own advocate when it comes to your Health Care. NEVER SETTLE for anything less than the best when it comes to your health.