Dea

Robbie! I know this all too well! I gave up on machines all together, I stick to free weights and lots of swimming.

I avoid agave as well since there's been some conflicting issues with it. (Google it, you'll see what I mean) For my family I use maple syrup or honey. I understand I need protein, I use unflavoured or ones that are sweetened with stevia, (Jay Robb or Tera's Whey both use stevia and are mostly tasty). For years before my surgery I have been feeding myself and family all whole foods (not just the store, I mean food that is whole, made from scratch) so I hate resorting to anything artificial, it feels like back sliding to me. I think regarding what you can and cannot eat, it's trial and error. Right now the hard thing for me is finding that soft cue of when I am full before I make myself sick. I eat slowly, and chew lots, but sometimes I find that I am one bite too many. Such a learning curve!

I am 2 weeks out, (and change) and got the okay yesterday to eat food, I had a scrambled egg today and ate 1/2. For heartburn, I have been upgraded to prilosec, but for my bad heartburn when I was pregnant I ate lots of papaya enzymes. I'm not sure if they will help right now. Apples used to help me, but I don't think I could eat an apple right now. I like that you're asking about more natural ways of dealing with things. I got into a HUGE discussion with one of the nutritionists yesterday about artificial sugars and how they are not natural and I have always avoided them (making getting any protein powders into me really hard) and she said that they are fine and that my issues with them are just from social pressures. So I started to wonder if I was the only one who's been sleeved that has any interest in whole foods and not eating artificial stuff.

Hi! I'm a week out from my surgery and I cannot tolerate any Protein. Or rather I can't tolerate any protein smoothies. They are so gross to me that I start gagging as soon as they come close to my face. Pre surgery I found a few favourites, but now I hate them. I tried a premade one today and I was able to get it down, but I didn't much like it, but I didn't gag. But it has scary sweeteners in it. I'm trying to avoid asparatame, splenda and the like. I will do stevia, but not much. I know that I have a pretty horrible list of wants here, but does anyone have any insight? Also as of today I'm allowed yogurt, cottage cheese and the like, but that's not going to be enough to get me any amount of protein. thanks!

Thanks everyone! Lissa, I stopped trying so hard and focused on water, it helped. I was just trying to follow what the nutritionist told me, so frustrating that there is such a swing of info! I also got some unjury chicken protein powder and mixed it with chicken broth and it's amazing! I am so grateful to have found that! I'm 2 weeks out now and doing better! Not nearly getting 60 grams a day, but I am close to getting my water every day. A trick I found want to keep a bottle next to my bed and sip it every time one of the kids woke me up! Then I wake up in the morning 8-10 ounces ahead already!

I love this topic! I have PCOS, and to have both of my children I had to have a lot of fertility treatments. I know that even after weightloss I may still need fertility treatments to get pregnant (I have issues beyond PCOS), but it's so reassuring to know that others are getting help. I'm excited!

Hi!. So my opinion is similar to most peoples. Have a baby, then bask in the wonderfulness that is being a mama. At the same time, work on losing weight. (I love swimming to help). You can always have the surgery later in life. good luck!

Hi Solo, Dr. Dutta was my doctor, and he was wonderful. I really liked the doctor who did the orientation too, he was so outgoing, Dr. Dutta is more quiet, but really nice. He's always been quick to answer my questions. (I email him with them). The nicest thing is that I totally lost my composure in the operating room and started crying and he was so kind. Also check out his background, ivy leauge schools and all that. I don't regret him at all! Perhaps we'll cross in the office some day.

HI everyone! I was sleeved a week ago, and before that I ran 5ks, swam a lot and biked. (I'm signed up for a triathalon, can you tell?) I am so anxious to get back to it all, especially swimming which helped me to lose all of the weight I had to lose pre surgery. How long until you were able to start swimming, running, biking and weight training? I know I'm still early, but it's killing me to just walk. I don't want to hurt myself, but I really really want to do something.

I'm a week out too! Although I got to start thick soft foods today (yogurt etc) but I was told to dilute my apple juice 3 parts water 1 part apple juice, so maybe try that?

It is odd. It seems I have the most relaxed requirements regarding food, but they were intense with all of the pre appointment and meeting and weightloss. (I had to lost 10% of my body weight first) I went to the Vitamin Store to look at Protein powders while I wait for my unjury to come in, and they have nothing plain. The guy kept asking if I want something that tastes good or is plain. I said plain, everything tastes too sweet. And I don't want artificial sweeteners either. I have liked Jay Robb in the past, but haven't tried all of his flavours, so I'll try them. Has anyone weighed themselves yet?

I checked, I can't have tuna or eggs until at least 2 weeks, but I can start on yogurt and ricotta tomorrow. YAY. Somehow I managed to pull a muscle near my sorest incision. Ouch. And I'm having a reaction to the iodine stuff they clean you with. Oh well, minor issues, hopefully I won't have any major ones!

So glad that today is the last day of the liquids. I'm not even close to making my min. protein amount every day. They are so sweet, yuk! I'm looking forward to yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta and the like. (Can we have mashed eggs and tuna and stuff like that yet? I'll do so much better with protein then!)

I can have strained cream soup... I did talk to the nutritionist and she even mentioned lentil soup because I said I can't handle artificial sweeteners, so the lentils would give me a little extra Protein. I strained it though. I can also have strained pureed Soups. I think I'd go crazy if I couldn't have soups! I have a 2 and 4 year old. I did this, in part, for them, but they sure are making it harder. Their lives just can't stop 'cause Mama is sore!

I blended up some lentil soup today and added a scoop of unflavoured protein powder and lots of cumin and it's really yummy!

Hi Hawaii4me! I'm doing better. My 2 year old had a bad night last night and kicked me square in my big sore spot. Ugh. (we co sleep most nights, my husband has been moving him to the other side, but last night he wanted me...) Strange that you're cold! I keep feeling hot, I swear I have a fever, but it's just the temperature changing. I can't wait until everything settles down and I can just get on with life!

HI everyone! I'm in Sunnyvale and was sleeved at Fremont Kaiser on 2/29/12.

Hi everyone! Can I play too? I'm 5'0", I was sleeved 2/29/12 (leap day!) it's still in the early days so I have no idea if I've lost anything, but it's so inspiring to read how well everyone else has done! YAY! Also interesting to see what different kinds of requirements there are. Some people have to do weeks of liquid diets pre surgery? I had to do a day. But I had to lose 10% of my weight before that.

HI everyone! I was sleeved on 2/29 as well, and JUST found this forum. I'm doing well. A lot more pain than I expected and I'm a little shocked at how much my tastes have changed. I worked on reducing everything sweet in my life well before my surgery, but now anything sweet just turns me off, so you can imagine how much I hate my protein shakes. I'm finding that anything creamy is nasty too, so even with a nonflavoured whey protein in milk is vile to me. I choke it down though. I just ordered the unjury's tester pack. I'm so excited to meet more of you!