Argnewcan

I'm three months post-op and have lost 30 pounds. My doctor thinks this is too slow but I nicely told him he was full of beans. The first six weeks the weight came off quickly because I was healing and eating very little. Once I was ready for real food, the weight loss slowed. I find that I still have the old habits and mindset about food that made me overweight in the first place. It's going to take time to make new habits. My smaller stomach means that while I adjust my mind, my body keeps working at losing weight. I'm eating at least half of what I use to eat; most days I have around 1000 calories. I've had to buy smaller clothes. People tell me I look good. What the scale says is only one measure of success. I take it one meal, one day at time. I get better every day at making the best choice. If I never lose another pound I will be happy--because I have stopped the inevitable progression of gaining more weight until I am dead. I feel liberated!

This was on Yahoo yesterday: If you see bright white stripes It could mean everyone gets white spots on their nails from time to time (usually it's a sign that you banged your finger in a drawer), but If you see long horizontal bands of discoloration on the nail's surface and you've been feeling fatigued lately, it could be bad news for your kidneys. "These bands can be a signal that the kidneys aren't able to filter out Protein from your urine," Ostad says. That means your body is losing protein faster than you can shovel in filet mignon--and that can lead to kidney failure. Visit your doctor ASAP for a urine test.

I was sleeved July 11. Tonight I ate at a restaurant for the first time. Sweet Tomatoes is a salad bar place if you don't have them your area. The first picture is what my friend ate. The second is my plate. In case you can't tell, there is chicken, cheese, pickles, beets, mandarin oranges, chick peas, edaname, and lettuce. I ate about half of it. I also had about a third of a cup of mac & cheese and one bite of a chocolate chip cookie. Other than paying the same as my friend, my meal was very satisfying. I though others would enjoy seeing what a real meal looks life post surgery.

Cosmic justice for sure. I figure I am saving money in general by not having to buy so many groceries. My friend chose the restaurant and I agreed because he said they would have cottage cheese. They didn't but the chicken was a good substitute. As for the vegetables, I ate two chick peas and the lettuce. I did not eat the pickles, the beets, or the edaname because I ate the chicken and cheese and that filled me up. Technically I am still in the mushie phase with food but I have had no complications and have been branching out a bit. So far so good. I don't plan on eating red meat or nuts or anything too "hard" until I get clearance from my doctor.

Well that sure is annoying. It doesn't sound like this office really wants your business if they employ a nut who only works one day a week. If you go self pay, I have a feeling they will offer you an appointment much sooner than October. Insurance companies don't pay fast like individuals do. I was self pay and from seminar to procedures was about two months.

I'm only two weeks out so I can't really offer any advice. But I wonder if you are weighing yourself every day or just too much in general. Our bodies naturally have minor shifts in weight to due water intake, salty foods, etc. If you weigh too often you can get all freaked out for no good reason. I'm not weighing myself at home, just a the doctor's office so it is the same scale and not too often. I can tell I am losing weight by how my clothes fit. I am sure you are doing just fine and will meet your weight loss goal in good time.

I'm feeling much better than when I posted on the 18th. Today was the first day that I was allowed to add half an egg. But I didn't have any eggs (poor planning). So I ate a small piece of cheddar that I had in my fridge. Nibbled at it and chewed very well. It went down well and stayed down. At dinner time, I had another piece, again with no problems. Tomorrow I will get eggs and not repeat the cheese experiment.

I cheated on my pre-op diet but only once. A couple of days before surgery I felt like I really needed some food so I ate some chicken strips. It seems that low calories are what shrink your liver so 400 calories wasn't going to blow it. Sure enough, my surgery went smoothly and my liver wasn't in the way. That said, you are almost "home" so to speak so stay the course but don't be too hard on yourself.

Did you eat it in one bite or in multiple bites? I just ate one but bit that tiny thing into four bites and took about 15 minutes to eat. I chewed very well. I am only 12 days out but I was tasting it to see if I liked it. I can start all my vitamins on Wednesday.

Vitamin Water Zero, especially the orange flavor tastes great. It doesn't really have much in the way of vitamins though. I'm drinking Gatorade 2 as well as Vitamin Water just to make a change from plain water. By the way 65 cents is a great price. I never paid less than $1 a bottle.

Like the others said, just don't gulp it down. Aim for the minimal amount of water necessary. I sort of hold it in my mouth and let it "float" down. The same with my other meds. No more shoving them in as I run out the door.

July 11 was my date. Until today I felt fine. No nausea and very little pain. Doing well with the protein bullets. I started protein shakes today and they just taste weird so I went back to the bullets. I feel like I need to eat some real food, not hungry, just weak. Not until day 15 can I have "half a egg"a day and not until day 21 can I start yogurt, soup, etc! I'm going to call the doctor tomorrow and ask about moving up the timeline. There is no way I can go back to work feeling so weak.

Did they mention "bullets" to you? I am using the New Whey brand that has 42 grams of protein per tube aka bullet. I got them at Walmart for about $2.50 each. They are very sweet but I dilute it with 16 ounces of water. My doctor says one a day is enough.

I'm not Italian but I must say that pasta was a big downfall for me. I could easily eat half a pound in one sitting with just butter and Parmesan. I though it tasted good but now I think I was just addicted to the carbs. I'm not sure I will ever be eating pasta again. As for your strict post-op diet, my doctor and his nurses say different things about what is allowed when. LOL . I'm just going to pay attention to my body and try new things very slowly. I was sleeved on July 11.

Fabulous! Love the blue strapless dress.

My surgery was at 7:30 am on Wednesday and I got home today around noon. I've had no issues, knock on wood. No vomiting, no extreme pain, just a little soreness in my abdomen.My upper arms are bit stiff from all the shots they give you. Being groggy for the first 24 hours was the most disconcerting. I couldn't text for the life of me! I took two books and two magazines but did not try to read them. I just dozed a lot. All in all, not a bad experience at all.

My catheter came out the day after surgery. There was no pain or discomfort. I came home with pain meds but don't feel the need to take them. If I didn't know better, I would wonder if I an operation at all. Crossing my fingers that this luck continues.

Day 8 of the pre-op diet and I am not hungry at all. Very weird. Today I drank a Vitamin Water Zero and a RockStar no calorie but ate nothing until dinner. Then I had 3 ounces chicken and some veggies as directed. I've already had to toss my favorite jeans because they were falling down. If this keeps up, I will be buying new pants every two weeks. It's a nice problem to have but hard to absorb mentally. My doctor said my goal weight was 105 at 5 feet tall. No one weighs 105 in my universe! I am also "nesting" like pregnant women do. This house is going to be so clean and tidy! Wednesday is the big day. Can't weight, umm wait! Freudian typing!

My date is July 9. I just got home from a work-related conference that I spent weeks preparing for. Now that it is over I am free to concentrate on getting ready for surgery. My pre-op diet starts June 27 and consists of two protein drinks and small meal of protein and vegetables. I think it will be doable.

I've been lurking for a while but this is my first post. My surgery date is July 11. Today I met with the psychologist for about 1 1/2 hours. We talked generally about my family, my career, hobbies, etc. She asked about weight loss history and why I wanted the surgery. I did a true/false questionnaire to see if I was depressed. Another test looked at my attitudes towards food and my ability to handle a new eating style. Then she had me draw picture of myself now and after the surgery. It was a very relaxed and enjoyable experience. So if you are nervous, don't be!

Vanboo52, my surgery date is July 11 but I am happy to be your sleeve buddy plus one, as they say. I've been reading all the post-op posts so I will look forward to yours.

Txdee, I'm surprised that you are not being offered more pre-op care. Everything I've read stresses how important it is to "be ready" and informed. I've paid extra for my nut. and psych. visits but they are not optional. I also get six free seminars on various topics and I have to attend at least one. I looked up your doctor and at least it is cheaper. You can still make the best of the situation though. Reading this board has been very educational. Hang in there.