Bufflehead

They sell it at my local Vitamin Shoppe. You can also buy it online.

There is no "we" when it comes to post-wls surgery eating plans, unless you are talking to someone with the same surgery, same surgeon, and same dietitian as yours. My dietitian says net carbs are a lie that people tell themselves in order to feel better about eating crap. But what does yours say?

2 protein shakes a day, made with a high quality protein powder and CarbMaster or Fair Life milk, will put you at over 70 grams of protein per day.

You aren't going to rupture your stomach with coughing. If you are concerned about that, specifically ask your surgeon. Presumably you trust his/her answer, correct? I can see that coughing would be painful after surgery. On the other hand, you'll be loaded up with opioid painkillers after surgery so it may not be as bad as you think. If I were in your shoes, I think I would go ahead with the surgery, but you are the one who knows how sick you are and what you can tolerate. Good luck in your decision.

@@Rdsegobia it depends on the nuts and what else I am going to eat that day, but usually 20 - 25 grams.

I weigh nuts by the gram and keep the portions small. They are very easy to over-eat on. I don't worry about the fat content, but the calories add up in a hurry!

Eat a little less at each meal/serving and you may find you don't get hiccups. It sounds like your vagus nerve is getting irritated. It runs along the top of the stomach, and if you cram too much food into your stomach, it irritates the nerve. The vagus nerve controls all sorts of involuntary reactions in the upper part of the body, so when it is irritated, people often get the hiccups, a runny nosing, burping, coughing, etc. So if there isn't quite as much food jammed into your stomach, the nerve may not get as irritated.

I use an immersion (stick) blender -- no foam! I tried blender bottles and found that they did make a foamy shake, though not as bad as a regular blender, unless the bottle was completely full, no air at the top. Good luck!

I loved pureed tuna! Get some of those flavored packets of tuna, blend them with a tasty sauce or dressing (NOT water or broth, yuck). Put it in a little ramekin, sprinkle some cheese on top, and heat it up in the microwave. You can do the same sorts of things with chicken, turkey, salmon, shrimp, ground beef, pork, etc. -- whatever meats your program allows, of course. There are all sorts of delicious sauces and cheese to add in and make your meal taste like a casserole without all the carby crap. Refried beans, poached eggs, cottage cheese (with dressing or PB stirred in is really good), Greek yogurt, all worked well for me too.

The most important thing I have learned in dealing with post-op hunger is how to be okay with being hungry. I remind myself that hunger is not an emergency, and that I will not starve to death. I have a set schedule for eating, and when I get hungry, I remind myself something along the lines of "it sucks to be hungry, but you can wait until you have your snack at 4." I also did some self-evaluation where I considered the times in my life I had been in true physical or emotional pain -- that time I had multiple root canals, the time my friend died, etc. When I am feeling sorry for myself and like I just can't deal with being hungry, I reflect on the times I have truly suffered, compare my hunger to that, and realize I can absolutely get through being hungry for a couple of hours. The truth is, eating is never the only response or way to deal with being hungry. Our body tries to tell us that it is an emergency and the only way to fix it is eating, but that's a lie. I learned these cognitive behavioral techniques (and others) by reading Beck's The Diet Solution and working through her exercises.

As you say, everyone is different. There is no "typical." But it doesn't sound completely out of range with what I have seen others here post. As you go forward, remember what Teddy Roosevelt said: comparison is the thief of joy.

@@Chelle Bean Protonix is a drug, it is a PPI like omeprazole. Did you mean something else?

Sounds like Unjury chicken soup flavored protein might be a good option for you.

I track everything on MyFitnessPal and have lots of MFP friends who do the same. My diary is open to friends. I suggest you get an MFP account, acquire friends who are post-wls, and peek in at their diaries to get ideas and inspiration. How much you eat, how often, calories, protein, etc. will vary a lot depending on what stage you are and what your doctor's guidelines are. When I was at your stage, my rules were: --no more than 800 calories per day --minimum 75 grams of protein per day --maximum 60 grams of carbs per day --3 meals per day, no more than 3 ounces of food per meal --no snacks other than calorie-free liquids and protein shakes --no grains, no sweets, no high-carb veggies such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, or corn (which is actually a grain anyway, not a veggie). Within those rules, I could play around as much as I wanted. Typically I had something like Greek yogurt + berries for breakfast, diced chicken breast with green veggies for lunch, tuna salad & a poached egg for dinner, + 2 protein shakes.

Feeling shaky and hot and cold sounds like possible dumping syndrome. Dumping often happens when too much sugar enters your digestive tract too quickly (and contrary to what lots of people think, it can happen to sleevers and even to people who have never had bariatric surgery, though it is more common for people with RnY). Anyway, kefir does tend to have a lot of sugars, so particularly with things like that you may want to slow down. Dumping symptoms also include feeling nauseated, rapid heartrate, cramps, dizziness, lightheadedness, etc. Alternatively, maybe you put too much pressure on your vagus nerve with so much food entering your system so quickly. Irritating your vagus nerve can lead to all sorts of weird reactions in your body. Whatever it was, being "full" or "eating too much" do not feel the same post-surgery as they did pre-op. You'll need to take some time and learn your body's new signals and reactions.

Maybe an internal stitch used on the abdominal muscles popped. I know that happens to a fair number of people. If that is what happened, it is just a stitch on a muscle outside the stomach and not a health concern, completely normal. But you might want to check in with your surgeon's office to be sure.

It could be anything. Water weight (especially if your cycle causes weight gain at particular times), constipation (yes *that* weighs a lot), not weighing at the same time each day, broken scale, body just being weird . . . and hang on, because your body will continue to be weird. Minor fluctuations like this will continue to happen. What you really need to pay attention to is long-term trends. I would suggest either weighing yourself less frequently or using something like trendweight.com to see the bigger picture and get away from having little blips stress you out. Good luck!

Yes, people treat you differently (better) and no it isn't just because you feel more confident, positive, outgoing, etc. There are studies that show that given the chance, people will discriminate against fat people based on nothing more than photographs of fat people vs. slim people. For example, shown resumes that include a picture of a slim applicant will get "hired" far more often than resumes that include pictures of a fat applicant, even when everything else is identical. Similarly, college applications that include a picture of a slim applicant will be "granted admission" as against the same application accompanied by a picture of a fat applicant. Obviously, the photograph isn't somehow radiating a level of confidence or energy or anything like that. It's just a picture. So yes, fat people are discriminated against and treated worse. The idea that somehow we bring this on ourselves by acting badly etc. is just victim-blaming and self-shaming IMO. This kind of discrimination is very common. I'm ashamed to say I've even noticed it in myself -- I've had applicants for open positions and found myself hesitant about hiring someone morbidly obese. I'm really trying to do better. This bias is MY fault, it is NOT the fault of the obese applicant for somehow causing me to be biased.

@@NMFGAZ I love Chike, it is my favorite protein powder. I like to add chocolate and hazelnut SF syrups for a hazelnut mocha protein shake. I usually just use one or 1.5 scoops since it is kind of high calorie/carb though. I also add a couple teaspoons of instant coffee to bump up the coffee flavor more (I like my coffee strong).

I had to stick to decaf for three months after surgery (doctor's orders) but they brought me a decaf in the hospital the day after surgery . . . not as good as real coffee but it was something! I was so grateful I about cried. I've gone back to my usual black coffee, 2-3 cups per day, after the first three months. It has never given me any problems. I do encourage you and all other folks to switch to drinking black coffee -- no empty calories! Coffee is very healthy and contrary to popular myth, it will not dehydrate you.

It is completely normal. It will gradually get better over the next few weeks. Remember to brace your abdomen when you move, especially going to stand up, sit down, bend over, or twist from one side to the other.

I get called out for a pat down every single time I fly, following significant weight loss. Usually the scanner shows abnormalities around my knees, thighs, and upper arms/armpits -- where I have lots of loose skin.

@@WLSResources/ClothingExch yes, it is the same thing.

I have a large cat (14+ lbs of solid muscle) and he did jump right on my abdomen about four days after my surgery. I was napping in bed, on my back, and he was perched on the top of my (tall) headboard and just smashed down on me. It hurt -- but nothing was damaged. I would encourage you to keep your kitty around -- the comfort and joy that our pets bring us is a great balm during healing. Do remember though that you won't be able to pick him up for a while and you'll likely need someone else to change the kitty litter for the few weeks, due to lifting restrictions.

You may need to be on the web rather than the app version of BariatricPal to do this. Click the little gear by your name in the upper right corner of the page --> My Settings --> Notification Options. Here, you can customize to your heart's content. For me the most important thing in controlling the notification spam was to de-select "Auto-Follow topics I reply to." Good luck!