Bufflehead

Coffee hydrates people as well as water does, so there is no need not to count it as fluids, or try to make up for it or something else. Probably 75% of my liquid intake is full test black coffee and has been for years, so if there were some sort of problem with caffeine and dehydration I should be a desiccated piece of dead leathery skin by now but I am perfectly healthy. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/06/30/milk-and-other-surprising-ways-to-stay-hydrated/ Coffee is acidic and can be hard on a sleeved stomach, especially a newly sleeved stomach, so that alone should be reason for caution, though.

You need to get your vitamin and mineral levels checked -- your PCP should be able to order it as part of your regular labs.

I was able to manage the bending over part within a couple days of surgery, although it made me wince a bit! I think it's good to be up and moving around. How long until your surgery? Is there enough time to work on training your dog to stop pulling, or accept a Halti-type collar so he can't pull? I was fortunate in that I live in an extremely quiet neighborhood where it is safe to walk well-behaved dogs off leash, so I never had to worry about that part. But I would think as long as your dog doesn't pull you off your feet, you should be fine after the first few days to walk him. Good luck!

How much tuna, salmon, etc. are you eating? My guealss is that you might be trying to eat too much. You mention another type of food (yogurt + egg) that would be about 3 ounces. If you are trying to eat 3 ounces of fish, or even 2 ounces at this point, it is no wonder you are struggling. I couldn't eat that much until at least 9 months post-op. So, if you haven't yet, maybe try just one ounce of tuna and see how that goes. I had good results with shrimp and scallops (or, rather, scallop -- just one was plenty for a meal!) early on. Have you tried anything like that? Or maybe some other light fish such as sea bass, halibut, or john dory? I know a lot of people recommend tilapia, but I personally dislike it, I think it is mushy and icky tasting, plus I've seen how it is farmed and it is revolting! So I can't personally recommend it, though I know a lot of people swear by it. Good luck!

@@VivVsg I started vitamins post-op. If you are eating a healthy, balanced diet and don't have any medical issues that would cause you to have problems with absorbing vitamins, there isn't any need for a multivitamin. I have always had to supplement with iron and B12 though, and I certainly kept up with that.

IMO a liquid diet is not helpful pre-op as you won't find them filling, liquids will just leave you hungry and more apt to fall off plan. The approach that I adopted for several months worked well for me, as it kept me satisfied, helped me learn some new habits that would be helpful in my post-op life, and helped me lose weight. My plan:-- --I opened a myfitnesspal.com account and started tracking everything I ate, including weighing/measuring my portions --Stopped all liquid calories --1500 calories per day max --No sweets or tropical fruits --limit one serving of WHOLE grains or starchy veggies (potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, lima Beans, peas) per day --No drinking with meals or for 30 minutes after. --No "eating back" exercise calories. Good luck to you!

I know many surgeons won't take out the gall bladder at the same time unless you have active gall bladder problems. Perhaps the PA didn't understand you correctly or is just blowing you off for some reason? Make sure you bring your lab results/ultrasound results on the gall stones to your surgeon so that he knows there is an ongoing problem and can see the medical documentation of it. Good luck!

My standard lunch is chopped chicken breast with green veggies (asparagus, artichoke hearts, or green beans, usually) with a little bit of light salad dressing. I'm a lazy cook so I use either the pre-cooked grilled chicken breast from Trader Joe's, or the frozen grilled chicken breast. I also use frozen veggies. My usual MO: --defrost 3 oz chicken in microwave (50% power for 45 seconds). Chop and add to small tupperware container. --defrost 1.5 oz veggies in microwave (30% power for 30 seconds). Add to tupperware container. --add 1/5 T. light champagne vinaigrette, shake, and put in insulated lunch bag with a plastic fork. This lunch does not need to be refrigerated unless you do something like leave it in the car on a hot day. Depending on the veggies you use this ends up being 110 - 125 calories or so and very filling.

When I was on weight loss mode I got my carbs from dairy, fruit, green veggies, and beans. I did not have any grains, sweets, or high carb veggies (potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, lima beans).

every one that has had vertical gastric sleeve surgery has loose skin to some degree. This is the crucial line. Are you going to discover some combo-miracle approach that succeeds where others have failed? Probably not. On the other hand, it can feel good when you believe you are taking proactive steps, and feeling good is lovely. So, if you can afford ($$$) all of those things without any impingement on your finances, go for it! But if it is going to cause you financial stress, the emotional benefits of feeling good about being proactive will probably be canceled out. Your call.

@ as long as you are appropriately nourished, there is no medical advantage whatsoever to losing slowly. The idea that losing slowly is "safer" and that you might be less prone to loose skin if you lose slowly are both myths.

My surgeon says they don't do anything for surgical gas -- it's a completely different phenomenon than intestinal gas produced by the body. He says any relief that people feel they get from gas-x strips after surgery is a combination of what would already be happening due to time + the placebo effect.

@@Selvia I tried champagne at a little over 6 months out and ginger ale when I was maybe 2 years post-op.

You can do it, and I know people do, but you may find that you have to work harder and longer than people who eat animal-based protein to lose the same amount of weight. To get the protein you need in, you'll have to eat more calories and carbs than someone eating meat, yogurt, eggs, etc. Fruit and vegetables are usually tolerated, but especially early on, the ones that are tolerated best tend to be high calorie, high carb, low protein, low fiber, like applesauce and mashed potatoes. That's only for a limited time though and you should be able to move on to better food choices pretty quickly. In your shoes, I would probably focus heavily early on on things like beans, lentils, and soy. Good luck!

Yes, I think it would be an issue, for a couple of reasons. First, the pre-op diet is to shrink your liver so your surgery can proceed safely and short of choosing to infect yourself with hepatitis, drinking is the worst thing you can do to your liver with respect to its health and size. Second, and more importantly I think, is the mental and emotional aspect of it. Do you really want to start off your new, healthy life by deciding that your surgeon's instructions and guidelines mean nothing and you can choose to disregard them if it makes you happy and your life easier? It may not seem like it, but IMO this is a slippery slope kind of thinking that can lead you far away from the kind of commitment and mental toughness you are going to need to be successful. Similarly, you should get in the habit now of not letting other people's reactions and comments dictate your dietary choices. You need to be stronger than that. For the record, I lost over 200 lbs (over 14 stone) and am now maintaining my weight at a healthy level, and I did it by following my surgeon and health team's guidance with respect to diet incredibly strictly. That's the method that works for me. Good luck!

You don't need any protein bars. Carry jerky or chopped chicken breast (it does not need to be refrigerated for a day unless you are out in incredible heat) instead. Protein bars are just fake candy bars dressed up as health food IMO. My mother has the opposite problem with her weight that I have -- she struggles to not be underweight. Her doctor ordered her to eat a protein bar every day to stop weight loss and it works! If she eats two a day, she gains weight.

If my surgeon told me to take biotin* I would ask him for a citation to a published, peer-reviewed study showing that it had any impact on hair loss post-wls before I decided how much to take. *he didn't, he basically said it was a money pit for people who want to feel like they have some hope of preventing hair loss and that I shouldn't waste my money.

Yes it's reasonable and normal. You can't force the water weight out, that happens on its own. You need to focus on following your post op plan. Stay off the scale for a while (like 3-4) weeks and really try to remember that right now you are concentrating on healing from surgery, staying hydrated, and learning a new way of thinking that doesn't revolve around food quite so much. That's where your mental energy should be, not worrying about water weight that you have no control over. Good luck!

Are you getting enough fluids? Dehydration can do this to you.

I've done intermittent fasting when I need to shake things up. The method that works for me is: each week, 5 days of "normal" (maintenance-level) eating, and 2 non-consecutive days of "fasting" - under 500 calories and I only eat between 2 PM and 7 PM. I always seem to lose a lot of weight those weeks and it isn't as hard as it sounds. I wouldn't want to do it long term though.

When I was in weight loss mode, my typical schedule was breakfast - 7 AM, lunch - 1 PM, dinner 7 PM. If I got hungry between meals, I had a protein shake. During meals, I used an app on my phone (I used Eat Slower) to make sure I didn't eat too fast. I also weighed or measured my food beforehand to make sure I didn't eat too much.

You've got a lot to address here but I'll stick with one thing -- your grades. Set up conferences with the professors who gave you bad grades so that you can go over your exams with them and figure out what they were looking for that they didn't see on your final. Your profs may seem distant and intimidating and you may feel like it's too embarrassing to go talk to them, but I promise you, they want to talk with you and help you. Law faculty find it incredibly frustrating when students who are struggling do not reach out for help. We want to help you! We are not looking down on you, thinking you are stupid, or anything else. Also, if your school has a person designated as an "Academic Success" or similar coordinator, meet with them and ask for all the help you can get. You are obviously incredibly bright and willing to work hard. I have no doubt that you can turn this around.

@@gigiinDC the sleeve won't restrict your intake of liquids. Ever, When people are struggling to get fluids in immediately post-op it's because their stomach tissues are inflamed and swollen due to the trauma of surgery, not the sleeve itself. You have to choose to restrict your intake of caloric liquids such as soup. The sleeve won't do it for you. As far as hunger goes, be sure that you aren't experiencing head hunger or excess stomach acid, which is common after sleeve surgery and feels like hunger. Some people do retain normal ghrelin production after the sleeve, but head hunger and excess acid are more common.

Yes, try eating just an ounce next time and see if that goes better. It does sound like you may have eaten too much. Those amounts they give you are a ceiling, not a floor. There is nothing wrong with eating less than the maximum amount. Good luck!

I'm over 3 years post op, no calcium supplements, and I've never suffered from muscle cramps. Also get my labs run regularly and my Vitamin D levels are great. But I've always heard that vitamin D is necessary for calcium absorption, not the reverse. http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/the-truth-about-vitamin-d-why-you-need-vitamin-d