Bufflehead

Does it maybe say non whole grain crackers? Because pretty much all crackers are made with grains, except for a few oddballs like lentil crackers. My thoughts? I was not allowed any grains until I had been successfully maintaining for my goal weight for 6 months, so I probably can't offer much advice beyond not eating grains worked very well for me.

My plan did not allow bananas in weight loss mode as they are too high calorie and high carb.

My plan didn't allow raw veggies until 6 months out.

Honestly I'd be more concerned about the protein bars than the fruit. Protein bars are, too me, just a glorified candy bar -- and you see many post-wls people getting obsessive about them and considering them a "treat" like they used to with candy. They tend to be slider foods and trigger foods for many people. They are also incredibly processed and filled with tons of ingredients most people can't pronounce. (I know they have fiber and some people think this erases the carb content, I disagree, but I suppose that's a matter for you & your dietitian to work out). I would work on getting your protein from lean, natural sources like chicken breast and fish rather than highly processed, carb-laden, sweet, candy-bar like protein bars. And enjoy your fruit

I have had no heartburn post-op (I had a hiatal hernia repaired along with my vsg). I took PPI's for the first several months, but have not taken them since. I have had no gall bladder issues. I've had no complications of any sort whatsoever. I am just over 3 years post-op.

chocolate splendor is great. I would advise at least getting some packets of chicken soup because a lot of people really don't find sweet flavors nearly as appealing after surgery.

If I remember right, I lost about another 65 lbs after my one year surgiversary, and it took me about 9 months to do it. It was hard work, particularly the last 20 lbs. I always say I had to do hand-to-hand combat with every one of those pounds. My rules were: --weigh or measure virtually every portion and log it. No guesswork, no samples or nibbles. --keep calories between 1000-1200 most days --no grains, no sweets, no starchy vegetables --exercise at least 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week. Walking and ordinary household chores do not count as exercise. It must be purposeful exercise that at least leaves me breathing hard. --do not attempt to count calories burned or "eat back" exercise calories. Just do the exercise. (If you are using MFP, either don't record the exercise or record it and change the calories burned to 1). --occasionally I would stall, and I would switch to a 5/2 eating program for 10 days and that would always break the stall. --weigh myself every day Good luck! Weight loss does not stop unless you let it.

I don't think it's wrong at all to have surgery as your preferred option. Anyone who cares to read the medical literature can see it is by far the most effective way to lose weight -- why not have that as a preferred option? As far as your BMI goes, certainly don't try to lose weight before your first appointment. You may even want to pack on a few pounds just to be safe.

I just got snarky on the popcorn thread, waiting to be called a bully

Getting so drunk you are hungover then eating a half of a giant bag of popcorn is awesome advice, everyone should just go for it!!!

@@Hiraeth black coffee, protein shakes (mix my own with protein powder and unsweetened cashew milk), SF/FF cocoa, and diet cranberry juice. Occasionally tea as well. Definitely mostly coffee though! I can hear sleevers recoiling in horror right now, gasping, saying I should be dead because "coffee dehydrates you" (LOL - I am not typing from the grave, I promise, I have been successfully hydrating myself with coffee for decades).

I was 47 when I had my sleeve and over 350 lbs. I have lost over 200 lbs and am doing great.

2 ounces is a lot so early out. I was only allowed to eat 3 tablespoons of food on puree stage and believe me that was more than enough. Try eating 1 ounce or 1.5 oz and you may find a lot less pain. Having a bad severe full feeling and pain is your stomach telling you that you must eat less (for now, while you are healing) or risk injuring yourself. Good luck!

Hey now, you *had* the surgery to restrict your eating capacity! Believe me, at some point you will look back and wish you had the restriction you once had. Don't wish it away too soon

My family also lives across the country. I only told a couple of friends here where I live, and pretty much had them stay away during my hospitalization and recovery. I just didn't feel like dealing with people. I guess it depends on what you feel like you need. I'm a pretty independent person, and people who want to hover around me and pat my hand and be encouraging -- well, they are annoying to me. So it wasn't hard for me, I appreciated being able to do it alone without people clucking over me or trying to be "helpful" by vacuuming while I was napping or something like that. I did do a lot of reading here and other wls forums, and I made a connection with an online friend who had surgery a couple of weeks before me. That was really important for me, but it was fine that she also was a few thousand miles away. ETA: you know your friends best, but if you are thinking they won't understand because they don't struggle with their weight, you might want to re-think that. I found that my friends and relatives who are slim and healthy have been the most understanding and supportive of all.

I had pain at my drain site for a couple of weeks post-op. It mostly hurt when I would move from side to side, like twisting my torso, or put weight on it, say by standing up/sitting down. It just eventually went away. Bracing the area, using an abdominal binder, and heating pads all helped. As did taking my pain meds, particularly at night. That really helped me sleep.

1. How long should I expect to be off from work after surgery? I know that it is up to the doctor, but I just want an estimated idea. I work a very low physical job. So, there will be barely, if any, physical duties. Plan on a couple of weeks. Might be more, might be less, but about 2 weeks is a good starting point to plan for. 2. Will I have to avoid carbonated drinks for the rest of my life? I'm not a huge soda drinker, but I do drink it from time-to-time. I know that I'll have to avoid anything carbonated 6 months post-OP. But does that mean for the rest of my life, as well? It's ok if I have to. I'm just curious. Some surgeons do recommend avoiding carbonated drinks for the rest of your life. Some don't. It may also depend on what your new, tiny stomach can tolerate. I can't have anything carbonated without discomfort, so I avoid it. IMO it's important that you be willing to stick to whatever your surgeon/dietitian recommends. Being committed to being compliant is a big part of the battle to be successful post-op. 3. Are Protein drinks, like Muscle Milk, the type of Protein Drinks that I'll be able to drink, or will they have to be made? You should be able to drink either pre-made or ones you make yourself, as long as they meet your dietitian's nutritional rules. For example, I could not drink regular Muscle Milk because it is too high calorie and high carb for my plan -- but I could drink Muscle Milk Light, if I wanted to (I don't, to me it tastes like industrial waste water). 4. Will I have to stop drinking alcohol completely? I rarely drink, but when I get around my childhood friends, they love to drink, and sometimes I'll drink a little. Again, this is up to your individual surgeon/dietitian. I think it is rare that any of them require you give alcohol up for life though. 5. Has anyone with PCOS had any improvement with their symptoms? If so, please explain. N/A 6. What would you say is an emotional eater? 1. Find a cognitive behavioral therapist who specializes in bariatric surgery patients (your surgeon should be able to refer you to someone good; and 2. Start developing activities and hobbies you like to do in place of eating. 7. Will I still be able to take Adderall after the surgery? Adderall helps my OCD. My OCD causes me to lose concentration on important things, so Adderall helps keep me focused. Probably, but discuss with your surgeon and possibly a pharmacist. You may need to adjust dosages, but most people continue taking their meds without any problems. 8. Is there any long-term pain after the surgery? No. 9. Will I be able to have kids? I'm only 24 years old (25 in about 2 weeks) and I have no kids. I want kids in my future. You will be more likely to get pregnant and to have healthy babies and children when you are no longer morbidly obese. It takes far fewer calories than most people think to nourish a healthy fetus, or a growing baby if you are breastfeeding. So if you plan your food intake carefully you don't have to worry that you will have an underweight baby or anything like that. There is probably not much you could do more beneficial to your future of having children than get yourself to a healthy weight. 10. Will I really have to drink 6-8 cups of Water a day? I barely drink 3 cups a day because a lot of water makes me feel sick. No. You will have to drink 8 cups of some sort of liquid in your liquid phase after surgery, but you gradually shift that over so you are getting more fluids from food. You will have to drink more than 3 cups a day though. I hardly ever drink water and I am perfectly healthy! 11. Is it true that laying down after eating should be avoided? If you have acid reflux, yes. Gastric sleeve can cause or exacerbate acid reflux so this is a rule that a lot of people find it helpful to follow.

Yes, you can still lose without exercise. Quadriplegics can lose weight! It's all about a caloric deficit. You can do that with your butt parked on the couch and never moving, as long as you eat little enough. That said, exercise is great for your health, and important in maintenance, so it's a good habit to get into. Walking was my primary form of exercise for several weeks after surgery, then I gradually moved on to super-low impact aerobics, then weight training, Pilates, circuit training, HIIT, and jogging. It all just kept building. And by the way I have never set foot in a gym and it's quite likely I never will! This is all stuff you can do at home.

@@doppelganger IsoPUKE is the worst! I did manage to gag it down if I cut it 50/50 with a similar flavor of something like G2 or Powerade Zero, that made it tolerable. I have heard really good things about Atkins Lift drinks but I have not tried them myself. Best wishes going forward.

My plan is, I guess, old fashioned -- 3 small meals a day, no snacking other than protein shakes. I followed my plan and I did not starve! I lost over 200 lbs and met my goal. No, I could not have met my protein goals without protein shakes, I had a couple each day. OP, I would suggest sitting down with your dietitian and laying out exactly where your challenges are. Spell out: --I can only eat 2 ounces of solid protein at a meal --If I devote all my meals to nothing but meat, I still end up with only 60 grams of protein per day --Therefore in order to meet my protein goals, I either have to eat another small meal, a couple of snacks, or regularly drink protein shakes. What do you think I should do? Good luck!

It could hurt you physically and it could derail your commitment to healthy, on-plan eating. IMO the latter is the bigger risk.

Contact your insurance company to find out what the requirements are, or check your member benefit handbook/plan booklet. Once you have that in hand, research various bariatric surgeons in your area and see if they have introductory seminars or consultations. An excellent surgical practice will have an insurance coordinator on hand to help guide you through all the steps. This is assuming you are a US person with health coverage that includes bariatric surgery. If this does not describe you, the steps you take will be different.

If you were my surgeon's patient, he would suggest 8 weeks off and require 6 weeks off as a minimum.

After purees, my plan used weights rather than volume. The rules I was given were: Purees: 3 meals of 3 tablespoons (max) per day, no snacking other than protein shakes. Soft foods: 3 meals of 3 ounces (max) per day, no snacking other than protein shakes. "Regular" diet: 3 meals of 5 ounces (max) per day, no snacking other than protein shakes. So, if I had wanted to add more calories, I would have either eaten more calorie-dense foods for my meals (examples, eat full fat yogurt instead of nonfat, use peanut butter instead of PB2, blend protein shakes with whole dairy milk instead of almond milk, replace an ounce of meat or veggies with an ounce of cheese) or drink more protein shakes. Have you talked with your dietitian about your concerns? Sitting down with him/her and going over what your goals are, what your results have been, and what you would like to do in the future can be very productive. Good luck!

You should be able to use Syntrax Nectar fruit and tea flavored protein powders to make clear protein shakes, just mix with ice water. Isopure is another option for a clear protein shake. Diluted, light, and diet fruit juice are also options. G2 and Powerade Zero. Your body has access to all the energy it needs from your fat cells, so the type of food you are eating (or not eating) at this point really should not have an effect on your energy levels. Make sure you are getting all your fluids in as well as your vitamins. Dehydration is much more likely at this point than malnutrition. Low blood pressure can also make you feel weak and dizzy. Are you monitoring your blood pressure? Symptoms like dizziness and cold sweats should be referred to your medical team as well. Those are potentially serious problems that they need to look at and help you figure out what is going on. Good luck!