CaliKat

yup- I add it to lots of things. Jello, pudding, Soups (lukewarm until disolved), etc.... It still has a slight smell, so use a straw or a cover on your cup. Also- I think GNC will take it back if you dont like it (within 30 days) but ask your local store what their policy is.

Im right there with y'all. Sleeved 4/4/12 and down 35lbs.... but man.... its a S-L-O-W past 2 weeks. Saw my doc for a post-op last week and basicly told me to get my butt movin' cause there is no room for stalls on the plan! (Gotta love tough love) I guess I gotta make a comittment to hit the gym more than 2x/week and lay off the carbs. We can totally do this, we have the perfect set of tools and a great support system on this forum! Best to y'all!

Sometimes you really have to choke em down until you are used to them. Dope them up with SF pudding, Torani syrups, extracts or any other flavoring you can. Also- it may help if you dont smell them before hand- try to drink using a bottle instead of a cup or use a cup with a lid. Helped me tremendously.

Get a syringe from CVS/Walgreens for your liquid meds. Very precise, no spilling and you can measure small amounts very precisely. Second- if he is a weeper or a worrier he needs to have someone to talk to when you are in surgery- a friend/family member that can keep him positive. I have a weepy one and the surgeon came out the tell him I was in recovery and just fine and before the surgeon could say a word he started crying!

39lbs is great! If you didnt get guidelines from your surgeon/NUT.... I would hire a outside nutritionist that has knowledge with WLS/VGS patients and work with them for a few sessions. No disrespect to the forum- and dont get me wrong, there's tons of great info on this site- but your nutrition and health is very personal to you, your health and your surgery and relying on an internet forum to guide you can get you in trouble. You made a huge investment in your sleeve- keep your investment working for you by getting tailored advice by a NUT. You may only need a session or two and they are usually reasonably priced.

Everyone is nervous about the surgery, scared and nervous- I know I was! Try to talk to someone about WHY you are feeling this way and what kind of support that they can give you. A friend, SO or a therapist. Maybe even PM someone post-op on the forum. You dont want to keep it all bottled up and end up in pre-op- hyperventallating and pushing your blood pressure up (maybe even preventing your surgery) or end up needing a sedative that will make you a zombie pre-op.

Do I feel hungry (7 weeks post-op)? Stomach rumbling actual hungry? No. Head telling me how good 2 orders of garlic chicken, large fried rice, 3 eggrolls and a pint of ice cream would be appropriate hungry? Yes. IMHO- after surgery (with a few exceptions) its mostly head hunger-hungry and not something you physically feel. And lets be honest- if you do still feel PHYSICALY hungry, after your post-op diet, you can pretty much eat whatever/whenever you want. (Wouldnt reccomend it, but its physically possible).

Yup- its dehydration. Its most noticible in the AM it also causes me slight nausea in the morning. Dr. says drink a whole 12oz of liquid before bed and first thing in the AM and it should fix the issue.

I was super nervous the first few days/weeks when I could drink broth easily and fit in all my Protein shakes without issue- and lots of people on this forum could barely finish a single shake. I was like "did I even get sleeved?" Now @ 7weeks, I am drinking a 20oz diet Lipton Iced Tea in about an hour no problem- and then do it again in another hour. When I had my 2oz of chicken breast it was enough to keep me full for 5+ hours! Keep in mind that your stomach may feel somewhat different daily. Yesterday I was able to eat 2oz of pork, a few broccoli spears and a fun size dark chocolate for a meal and this morning I felt stuffed after 1/2 a soft boiled egg!

my surgeon is strict and he allows (up to) 2 protein drinks OUTSIDE of the 3 meals.... so you can count those as a "snack" 4th & 5th meal or just plain liquid- up to you.

awesome!

Mushies or purees are anything you would feed to a baby or can eat without teeth. Plenty of mush ideas on the food section of this forum. Start with a small bowl (like a small ramekin) and add 2 Tablespoons or 1/8c of food and expect to only eat that much for each meal- gradually increasing to (no more than) 3oz at any meal total. Plan on taking a full 30 min to finish your food- no more than that and no less. Your experience may varry- some people can eat 3oz of pudding, puree chicken, etc no problem from day 1. Some people 3 mo out are still struggling with an oz of cheese! Your best gauge is your stomach sleeve.

I have been wearing a "Flexees" brand waist shaper/cincher for the past 8 years every single day-I dont leave the house without it. I will continue to wear one until all my excess weight is lost and the skin has re-shrunk itself. No muffin-tops for me! Maybe one day I will have a smooth enough stomach that a normal compression tank top will keep things smooth. I carry all most of my weight in my stomach/abdomonen area and have a small apron when I dont wear my shaper. I am hoping that wearing the shaper will keep my apron tucked in and gravity defying so I wont have to get skin removal. The first 3 weeks post-op was wearing it 24/7 because it held my stomach in and when I would twist and turn in bed, my stomach wouldnt move that much- since it was all compact and snug. It helped with the pulling in the incisions.

I had a small salad this weekend- maybe a cup of mixed greens and it went down just fine. Im 7 weeks out and I have been able to tollerate all foods well. It tasted FANTASTIC and I was SO happy I could eat salad. Me and my smug little sleeve. An hour later I was sitting on the toilet- waiting for things to "run their course". Moral of the story- make sure you have a toilet to your disposal when introducting new foods!

Ask your NUT what is right for you- most NUTS dont want you to have fruit because of the carbs during the first few months. My NUT says that fruit is allowed back in my diet after I am 70% to goal.

I used to LOOOOVE the Syntrax Nectars but sometime in the last few days, they have started to make me kinda nausious. I was wondering what changed! I figured it out though.... its not the taste... its the SMELL! Try drinking through a Blender Bottle and take care to not breathe in with your nose when you drink. Also (I know it breaks most Dr's rules) try using a straw and a lidded cup.

Im a stomach sleeper- It took me 5 days to sleep in a bed on my back and 10 before I could "gingerly" sleep on my stomach. I will be honest- the huge issue was not the pressure on my tummy- but the belly would hang and swing while I was getting in the laying down position and would pull the muscle incisions (under the skin) and the dermis incisions (visible ones). I even tried using a Flexees waist cincher so I wouldn't have the pulling- but it didn't help- gravity had other plans I was freaked out that I would never be able to stomach sleep again- but I'm more comfortable now than ever.

My back killed me the first week after surgery- like a hot poker to the mid-back. Nothing helped- not heating pads, not flat floor, not the Loritab... It felt like a good backbend spine stretch or pop would help- but couldn't do it for fear of ripping my incisions open! It hurt mre than any of the surgery sites did. The good news is that I havent felt that way since. I had a Hiatal repair too and think it was my back muscles working to compromise for what my stomach muscles couldn't do. I hate to say it- but you may have to grin and bear it- of course if it's awful pain, call your Dr. immediately (or get your SO to give you a mega back rub!) It gets better- with each minute that passes and each ounce we drop, it gets easier and more normal.

Keep sipping- all day long. The first few days I had a shot glass and a Protein drink on ice and made a drinking game out of the TV.... (Real Housewives) and everytime they said a cuss word- I drank ok.... I sipped! Fun and easy way to get your protein in!

Its hard not to- but dont do it. My NUT says its super dangerous to eat popcorn the first 6 months (gets stuck) and its a slider food with no real nutritional value to you at this point.

Everyone's weight loss is different and you cant really judge your loss by anothers. that being said, I understand your frustration- its hard not to get the green eyes meanies when people are loosing like crazy and your own loss is like molasses! This is a great question for your NUT- tell what are you eating specificly and provide them with a 7 day intake list. As a fellow sleever- and not a NUT- just be mindful of your calories/carbs and stick to Proteins first- maybe go back to basics for a week and do Protein drinks only. Best of luck and think about it like this- if you "only" lost 7-8lbs a month, that would put you at almost 100lb loss for the year!

It sounds like you are drinking too fast. Also- I was taking a small pill for esophegeal spasms for the first month and that was susposed to help throat issues- like lumps and difficulty swallowing. If you are not taking one- ask your Dr.

I am loosing 3-4lbs consistently. My intake is as follows: 500-600 cal 30g carbs or less 20g fat or less 20g sugar or less 100+g Protein 88oz fluids I am 6 weeks post op. not sure that it matters... But I am 5'6" and pretty active (I sweat a lot and need the water) I tried upping my calories and didn't see a better loss or gain and my doc said to push it hard the first 3 months and stay low cause it will make the last 4 months easier. (he expects gal in 7 months)

Im grateful for my skilled surgeon but I am blessed that he teams with an AMAZING nut! With my surgery we have 2 years of access to a NUT via email or appointments. Pretty darn handy when you are transitioning foods or want to verify your diet. Keep in mind that if your program doesnt have the nutritional support you want, you can always hire an outside NUT through your gym or even craigslist. After the surgery and the physical healing, proper nutrition is the most importaint thing we have to do & learn about. Hurray for good aftercare & support!

If I have learned anything from this forum- its that everyone has their own VSG journey and you cant judge yourself by someone elses. Bottom line is your "get up and go" will return when it returns! Make sure you keep your Dr/NUT in the loop about your diet and how you are feeling and they can make educated adjustments. I know its soooooo difficult those first few weeks to sip, sip, sip but do your best to try and hit your goals. Congrats you are on the other side!