Bufflehead

It sounds like when you are out at a restaurant, you are either eating too fast, taking too big of bites, not chewing well enough, or eating too much - or some combination of all of the above! It can be difficult to concentrate on your regular eating patterns when you are in a social situation like a restaurant, lots of distracting stuff going on. But really try to focus on your usual rules of eating slowly, small bites -- and push the plate away WELL before you think you are full. It might help. Good luck!

I need something that covers me just past my knees, so I am going with this: http://www.amazon.com/Bohn-Swimwear-Ladies-Length-Leggings/dp/B007G7Z1I6 If you can get away with something to the knee or shorter, maybe something like this: http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/tyr-womens-competitor-8-in-tri-short-7534425/?color=20781

I try to keep it simple -- "I don't eat much," or "I'm not very hungry" or "cutting back, doctor's orders" -- I find if you throw a "doctor's orders" in there people will back off about your eating. I don't fake it with the drinks, and I've found people don't even notice. I guess that's normal -- I don't pay attention to whether folks at the table are drinking either, now that I think about it!

@@hopeful2loose2014 @ seems like every surgeon has a different plan. My surgeon's team does not allow mashed potatoes, cream of wheat, or applesauce on purees -- only protein-rich foods. I'm still not allowed potatoes or grains of any sort (including cream of wheat) until I hit maintenance. I think every poster should follow the dietary guidelines from their own medical team.

I stay under 850 net calories and am still losing. Not as fast as at the outset, but definitely still losing pretty steadily each month. We had our surgeries the same month so we are the same amount of time out. I get a fair amount of exercise in, but only log half my exercise calories on MFP and never go over 1050 total calories in a day no matter how much I exercise. ETA: if you are still working with your surgical team/dietician, do they have advice or expectations for you in terms of calories and what you should be eating? I am following my team's guidelines but yours may be different!

Everyone is different. There is no expectation or rule to go by. I followed my surgeon's advice and stayed off the scale completely for the first four weeks. They don't even weigh patients at the initial two week follow up! It was nice not to stress about weight loss, stalls, etc. in those first difficult weeks after surgery.

Usually if they won't approve sleeve, then they won't approve sleeve . . . no easy loophole. But if your surgeon and/or PCP can find a medical reason that bypass would not work for you but a sleeve would, you might be able to appeal on that ground. For example: you have a condition such as arthritis that means you will need to take NSAIADs after surgery. You have irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's Disease, or another intestinal disease that would make surgery on the intestines risky or impossible. Your surgeon will probably be the best person to consult for other possible reasons. If your insurance still won't cover it, I would think your options are either self-pay (in the US or Mexico/abroad) or see if you can find other insurance that does cover the sleeve - perhaps through a spouse or partner, a professional association, the Affordable Care Act exchange in your state, etc. Good luck!

I think most people do pretty well with Greek yogurt. I might start out with all natural just because artificial sweeteners and flavors can be a bit hard on the tummy. You are eating so little now that the extra calories in all natural yogurt won't hurt you IMO.

You are doing so great! I try not to set weight loss goals that are tied to a specific date because it's so hard for me not to be disappointed with myself if I miss them. So I definitely understand where you are coming from!

I take Trader Joe's High Potency chewable multi's, 1 Citracal petite, an iron supplement (I have always tended towards anemia), and a chewable probiotic daily. I also take a sublingual B12 supplement 4x/week. Definitely use the search function here and search for vitamins or multivitamins. You may not have a ton of responses to your thread, but there are threads on this topic almost every day, so you will see lots of responses if you search. If you are going to do a specialized bariatric multi, definitely keep an eye on the calories and carbs. In a cruel bit of irony, the bariatric forms tend to be MUCH higher in calories and carbs than other multi's. It's almost like they are trying to appeal to the sugar addict that lives inside most morbidly or formerly morbidly obese folks! I will take a pass on that.

Did your surgeon prescribe painkillers for you? If so, use them if you aren't! If not, or if they are not working for you, get in touch and get a prescription (or a better prescription). Pain is absolutely normal after surgery -- but so are painkillers that are supposed to take care of it! That said, there are some kinds of nerve pain that most painkillers are just not going to touch, and that can happen if, for example, your drain tube was jammed in to a nerve for a while. It took a couple of weeks for my pain associated with the drain site to resolve, even with painkillers. Try different kinds of protein shakes. Did you stock up on samples before surgery? If not, this is the time to try. Go to Nashua Nutrition or Vitalady and get different brands and flavors. You might also have better luck with hot/warm forms of protein, such as the protein soups, hot chocolate, or cappuccino -- all available at Nashua Nutrition. Or get some samples of the Unjury Chicken Soup protein (unjury.com). Their Chocolate Splendor protein powder makes a drink that is a lot lighter and more palatable than Premier IMO. You can also do things like add a half scoop of unflavored protein to warm chicken, beef, or miso broth. Also, have you tried the Syntrax Nectar protein powders? They mix up with ice water and are definitely lighter in texture and taste. A lot of people find they do better with them than with the thick, chalky, milk-type shakes, particularly the RTD ones. Keep trying on the protein but definitely get all your fluids in as your first priority. Yes it is normal to feel weak and tired after surgery -- give it a few weeks at least! With respect to the BM - you may want to contact your surgeon and see what is permitted to get things moving . . . lots of people use Miralax or Milk of Magnesia. While you don't have a whole lot of food going in right now, you don't want to let things get too backed up.

Well, I guess if I were you I would start by logging all your food on myfitnesspal or a similar site - it doesn't sound like you are? That way you can see what, if anything, needs to be tweaked. Sometimes the only thing that will break a stall is time, though! And just now Alex posted this really great comment on stalls/plateaus - I think the advice is excellent! http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/303785-plateau-get-over-it/

Zyrtec and Claritin were on my approved list but you will probably want to check with your own surgical group to be sure.

How many calories, carbs, and protein grams are you getting each day? You mention going to the gym but IMO the saying is true - the battle to lose weight is won in the kitchen, not in the gym.

I take the Trader Joe's High Potency chewable multi's and I think they taste great. Plus they are lower calorie, lower carb, and lower cost than other chewable or gummy multi's that I have seen.

eh, the reviews on Amazon look decidedly mixed, to put it generously. And I know their "protein" shakes don't have very much protein (and are relatively high calorie and carb) plus I don't think the form of protein they use is a great one, not whey isolate if I remember right.

Every day I take: 2 Trader Joe's High Potency Chewable multi's, 1 Citracal Petite, and a double dose of Wellesse liquid iron. I did liquid multivitamins and calcium for the first four weeks. Oh and 4x per week I take a sublingual B12, which I get from Trader Joe's.

Hey there! I am nine months out and have absolutely no regrets. There are no guarantees that this surgery will be easy for you -- but it does get relatively easy for lots of people after the first few weeks. Keep in mind that people tend to post here when they are having problems or concerns -- they aren't going to post just because things are great (usually anyway). So you get a skewed perspective of what sleeved life is like for most people. For me, I was back to sleeping like normal within about a week. I was off painkillers during the day after four days, and off them at night within a week. I had no trouble getting down all my liquids and protein starting the day after surgery. Yes, your way of eating and your relationship with food is going to have to change. You are going to have to work at that. But it is worth it! You can find other ways of enjoying life. Being healthy and fit will open up a lot of new opportunities for you, if you are like most of us. Good luck to you!

I use the Eat Slower app on my phone - set it to a 45 second interval. It dings to let me know when to take the next bite. Simple concept but it really works for me.

I had no complications whatsoever. I am nine months out and doing great. That said, if I were you (not that you asked for my advice, feel free to disregard!) I would put aside trying to convince your family of the rightness of your decision. It's YOUR decision. They don't need to approve of it. You are doing this for you. I would just stop talking about it with them. If they bring it up -- want to tell you horror stories, change your mind, plant doubts -- tell them you've made your decision and would appreciate their support, but if they can't provide that, then you don't want to discuss it. If they persist, walk away.

@@NMJG ooh, I am definitely going to try that protein pancake recipe! I have some frozen blueberries, I'll bet they would work just fine.

When I was at one month out my goal was 75 grams of Protein per day. You may want to try Greek yogurt and cottage cheese in addition to meat in order to meet your protein goals. There's no way I could have eaten enough to get all my protein in at a month out . . . I still need to have a Protein shake every day and I am nine months out! Good luck to you.

Body Fortress at Walmart is excellent. Pure Protein at Target. Both GNC and Vitamin Shoppe sell Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard, which I think tastes really good and has great numbers.

there's no law that says you have to have traditional (Western traditional) "breakfast" foods for breakfast! I usually have a romaine lettuce wrap - about two ounces of meat (sirloin, chicken, etc.), slivered up and heated with some sauce and wrapped in the lettuce leaf. Or just heat it up, and add a flavorful mustard and some sugar free pickle relish to sirloin and wrap it up in a romaine lettuce leaf. This breakfast is just about always under 90 calories, gives you about 12 - 13 grams of protein, and some fiber from the lettuce as well! Another favorite of mine is a quarter cup of refried beans heated up with some cheese and topped with a poached egg - you are sick of eggs, so maybe do some spicy jalapeno sausage instead? And sometimes I just have something like leftover salmon and some green veggies for breakfast - very healthy and delicious.

@@paj92434 if your stomach is growling and you feel hungry, you may need to be on a PPI. If you are already on one, you may need a stronger one or a bigger dose. Excess acid production after surgery is a normal thing, and it will make your stomach growl and make you feel hungry. Maybe check with your surgeon or PCP?