Bufflehead

I don't recommend outright lies in response to either direct questions such as "did you have surgery?" or indirect questions such as "you have lost so much weight, how have you done it?". If you aren't comfortable discussing details (understandable and nothing wrong with that) you should say so. Lying either by omission or comission may eventually be revealed, and would cause your co-workers (and supervisors) to distrust you and think less of you. From my perspective as a manager: if I found out that any of my employees lied to me about anything, I can't say I would fire them just for that, but it would make me suspicious of and hostile to them in the future. Now, I would never ask anyone in a work situation about anything personal -- health, weight, family life, religious beliefs, their past in general, political stance -- even what people like to read or watch on tv is off limits as far as I am concerned. So I hope there would never be any reason anyone would feel like they need to lie to me. I've told just about everyone who has asked me about weight loss about my surgery, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Many people want to talk with me about it, either for themselves or someone they know. The one person who was instantly negative is an outright bitch anyway, and I really don't care what she thinks. Anyway, sorry for the rambling response. To sum up: being open is good (but not necessary), telling or expressing that you don't want to talk about your personal health and medical decisions is fine -- it may be tough to do, but it is fine. Lying is dangerous and I don't recommend it.

Do you mean food and exercise journaling, or some sort of personal diary? I use myfitnesspal to journal food and exercise and it has been invaluable. I don't keep any sort of diary or personal journal though, and don't care to.

I've been having 2-3 cups of black coffee a day since a few months out of surgery. So far all has been good. I do count it towards my liquid requirements (scientific studies show that it will not dehydrate you, so why wouldn't I?). And I am not dehydrated at all and am doing great.

Use the search function here and look for the phrase "three week stall" -- you will find that this is something virtually everyone goes through about 3 weeks out. You are not doing anything wrong. Your body is taking some time to rest and recuperate after a drastic shock. The scale will start going down again, I promise you. Don't expect your weight loss to be a linear plunge down -- most people, as they go through weight loss, find that their weight loss graphs look like crazy stair steps designed by a drunk. Our bodies are not calculators, and they don't always behave with mathematical precision. It can be frustrating, but don't let it stress you out. Maybe stay off the scale for a while if it is making you crazy. But I promise you, stay on plan, this is a temporary blip. Also, promise yourself to come back here in a few months and answer one of these sorts of posts. I am not kidding when I say there is a post every.single.day by someone who is freaking out because somewhere between two and four weeks out from surgery, their weight loss has "stopped" even though they aren't doing anything wrong. Maybe even go make some pre-emptive, informative posts on the pre-op forum so that not so many people are unaware of this phenomenon!

The main difference is that with a sleeve, it is actually possible to maintain such a diet long-term, not fall off the wagon, go crazy, and gain everything back. If everyone could do that without surgery, then the surgery wouldn't exist because no one would need it. It's not as if the vast majority of morbidly obese people are wandering around the earth with no idea how to lose weight, or no desire to do so. For the most part, people do want to lose weight and are aware of what to do. They try to do it, and they fail. That's why only 5% of obese people can sustain any sort of significant weight loss without surgery (and I'm not talking about losing all their excess weight, either -- just enough to make a difference). The success rate with weight loss surgery is orders of magnitude better -- with the sleeve, the average patient will lose between 60 and 70 percent of their excess weight. For me, I had to come to grips with the fact that despite my being educated and motivated, I was not a special snowflake who would be one of those 5% who could sustain even a small amount of weight loss on my own. I needed surgery. It was the best decision I ever made. And the idea that you need a minimum of 1200 calories or whatever to be healthy is a myth. If you have significant fat stores to fuel your body (and we all do, or we wouldn't be here) and are taking your vitamins, and getting in sufficient protein, you don't need extra calories. It's important to have labs drawn regularly to make sure your vitamin and protein intakes are sufficient, but most people find that their labs are fine and they are doing great. I have never felt or been so healthy or energetic as I have on a low carb, low calorie diet.

Seems like every surgeon has his/her own version! Mine was: 1 day clear liquids 4 weeks full liquids (true liquids, not things like yogurt) 4 weeks purees 4 months soft food And those are just the food consistency rules. There were a whole bunch of other rules about what kind of foods to eat, how much to eat, how often to eat, etc. Really, though, everyone else's plan should be completely irrelevant to you. You should only care about your own plan.

I did liquid calcium from Wellesse for the first four weeks or so after surgery. After that, I switched to Citracal Petites. The calcium chews had way too many calories and carbs for my plan. For B12, I used (and still use) the sublingual dissolving tablets from Trader Joe's. They have worked great for me.

When I used milk, I used CarbMaster milk. I think Fair Life has about the same numbers. I didn't use regular dairy milk, too many calories and carbs. Now I use either unsweetened cashew milk (25 calories, 1 carb) or unsweetened vanilla almond milk (30 calories, 1 carb).

I used to have bouts of plantar fasciitis. They weren't particularly active immediately before my surgery, but I will say they have not come back since. Are you doing foot stretching exercises? That was what was actually most helpful to me when I had PF. The most effective exercise that I found was something you can do either lying down or sitting up. I would do it in bed, first thing on waking up, and then at least five times during the day. Lying down: cross one leg over so that the ankle of the top leg is resting just above/on the knee of the bottom leg. Keep your top leg and foot aligned in a flat plane parallel with your bed (i.e., don't let your toes point up towards the ceiling, down towards the bed, same for your top knee). Grab the toes of the top foot and pull the foot back towards the top knee. Repeat for 10 times. Switch legs and do the other foot. My sister taught me this exercise -- she's a physician and she said this one particular exercise was the most help for her patients with PF. It really helped me a lot, more than inserts, acupuncture, etc -- and that was when I was over 350 lbs. But all of PF seems to be in the past for me since I lost weight. Good luck to you!

Not on most plans. Think of stuff you can easily cut with a fork. Salad would not be on that list. Raw veggies, particularly lettuce, are among the hardest foods to digest. Also, as others have pointed out, you would be wasting valuable stomach real estate on something with virtually no protein.

I napped for several hours every day for three weeks after the surgery. I was exhausted, and I didn't even have children to take care of! Be good to yourself and get all the rest you need. It's important for healing.

"I'm having surgery on xx date. My surgeon says I need to be out of work for two weeks. Do you want me to bring you a letter from my surgeon?" My understanding is that it isn't legal for them to inquire about what kind of surgery you are having, only how long you will be out and that your doctor has approved/required your being out for a certain length of time. After all, what if you were having anal fissures repaired, or a vaginal fistula, or a colostomy? Not that I think any of those things are something to be ashamed of, but they are understandably private -- as are ALL medical decisions. If they ask what kind of surgery you are having, you can say what you are comfortable with: "gosh, I'm not sure I want to discuss the details of my medical care at work, I thought the law only required that you know I'm having surgery and my surgeon confirms I need to be out?" or "umm, I hate to say this, but it is super embarrassing and I promise you we would both be mortified if I went into details" -- something along those lines. I do not think it is a good idea to outright lie to people at work. That's not going to reflect well on you if the truth comes out -- and the chances are good it will. When you get a letter from your surgeon, request that it be on no letterhead, or letterhead that doesn't reference bariatric surgery or weight loss. Ask that the letter just say that you are having surgery and need to be out for x number of days, not the type of surgery. Also be prepared for what you will say if someone flat out asks you if you are having (or had) weight loss surgery. Again, I think your best options are either "I'm not really comfortable discussing the details of my health care at work" or "yes" -- I think flat out lies will catch up to you and diminish you in others' eyes, far more than having the surgery will. I know this is a tough and tricky issue. Good luck! PS not trying to give legal advice -- if this is an important issue for you, you may want to research it on your own or consult a lawyer. PPS I like the idea of having your PCP do it on a prescription pad. Even better than getting a letter from the surgeon!

chewable - Trader Joe's High Potency chewable multi liquid - Wellesse liquid multi

I couldn't eat a whole egg when I started out. Maybe 2/3 of an egg. I still can't eat 2 eggs and I am over 2 years post-op.

I think most people stay one night. Some stay two, and some go home that same evening. Talk to your surgeon about your concerns. I didn't go home that first night, but would have been perfectly capable of doing so. I didn't need any help with anything, and would have been able to sleep better!

If you feel like your hair is getting overly thin and your scalp is too exposed, you might want to try some fill in hair fiber powders such as Nanogen or Toppik. They work really well. I used them before surgery because I already had bad hair loss just due to luck/genetics. My tip with respect to them -- buy a couple of shades: the one you think matches your hair, and one lighter. I've found that the lighter shade usually works better. They are really easy to use -- I am clueless with respect to both hair styling and makeup and I had no problem with them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHsZ0ncWRfk http://www.amazon.com/Nanogen-Nanofibres-Dark-Brown-Grams/dp/B000KKM6RU/ http://www.amazon.com/TOPPIK-Building-Fibers-Light-Brown/dp/B0009YKIZE/ If you do go with the fibers, basically all you need is the canister of fibers, not the special application tools and holding sprays and what have you they also sell. Just use any light or medium hold hair spray after applying the fibers and they hold just fine. You may also want to cut your hair shorter, in layers with a side part. This helps camouflage hair loss. Good luck!

Instructions from doctors will vary, but most won't allow you to add fruit, for just the reason you mention: calories, carbs, and sugar. I would suggest trying the Syntrax Nectar powders -- for the fruit flavored ones, you mix them with water. You can also add in some Crystal Light packets or Mio drops to bump up the flavors even more. You can try samples before you commit to a full tub, which I highly recommend: http://www.mybariatricpantry.com/SYNTRAX_NECTAR_PROTEIN_POWDER_SAMPLES_p/nectar-sample.htm Syntrax Nectar is a great brand and has excellent numbers. It is 100% whey isolate, which is what most surgeons/dieticians recommend. When you are mixing drinks using powder, you may find that they get very foamy, which is pretty intolerable (especially after surgery). To combat this, either use a blender bottle and make sure it is 100% full before you start shaking, use a hand/immersion blender, or use a regular blender but let the shake rest in the fridge for a couple of hours before drinking. Another possibility is Isopure, which is ready-to-drink and comes in a wide variety of fruit and tea type flavors. Some people like them, I have to say I found them absolutely disgusting and could only tolerate them if I mixed them 50/50 with something like G2, Powerade Zero, or Vitamin Water Zero. Quick tip - stop trying to find something you "like" and focus on "something that doesn't make me nauseated or actively throwing up and that I can choke down for the first few weeks after surgery." Sometimes we have to put up with eating/drinking things that we don't really like, and the time when you are healing after surgery is one of those times. Good luck!

corn, like most other grains, is super high in carbs. It is also high in sugar, and his little other nutritional value. In my program, grain (and starchy veggies and refined sugar) are off the table entirely in weight loss mode.

You may want to ask your surgeon's office for a recommendation for a PCP. They probably have some local doctors they work with frequently that they know to be supportive of their patients' weight loss goals and plans, as well as good established communication between the two doctors' offices.

The only things that help with loose skin are: Genetics (genetic modification is advancing at a rapid rate but I don't think you will be able to alter your DNA prior to surgery) How long you have obese (time travel doesn't exist yet, so you can't do this either) Luck (if I were religious I'd advise prayer but since I'm an atheist, plus I've read that study about how praying for people going through surgery actually WORSENS their outcomes, so I can't advise prayer) Age (see above with respect to time travel) Plastic surgery (you can't remove the excess skin before you lose the weight, so that's out) My answer is -- no, there is nothing you can do pre-surgery to prevent excess skin and really the only thing you can do post-weight loss is plastic surgery. So I would say what you should do right now to improve your eventual outcome is open a savings account for plastic surgery and come up with a plan as to how you will fund it.

75 grams

Sounds like ketosis, at least the smell part. idk about the leaking.

What does your surgeon recommend?

Here is what you should do: 1. Keep following your program 2. Stay. Off. The. Scale! Your body is going to go through pauses, adjustments, stalls, stutters, and worse throughout the weight loss process. If fourteen pounds in two weeks is going to be a "slow start" for you and make you anxious and feel like you are failing, you need to stay away from the scale, because I have news for you: I doubt you will ever lose 14 lbs in 2 weeks again. It won't be predictable, it won't be steady, it will probably never feel like it is fast enough. It is perfectly okay to just weigh in at your doctor's office as long as you are confident that you are following your program correctly.

Caffeine doesn't dehydrate you, that's a myth. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/caffeinated-drinks/faq-20057965 http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/01/13/262175623/coffee-myth-busting-cup-of-joe-may-help-hydration-and-memory http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/does-coffee-dehydrate-you-new-study-debunks-myth