Bufflehead

My hospital served me decaf the day after surgery. And btw not everyone is forbidden from having caffeine. Different doctors, different rules.

My meals are usually in the range of 4-5 ounces and I am quite full on that. So about 2.5-3 oz. protein and an ounce or two of green veggies.

@@jess9395 I do live alone. My personal opinion is that my theoretical children and spouse don't need crap like bread and potatoes any more than I do and that it wouldn't hurt them to abstain in the house. They can always get that stuff outside the house if they would die without it.

I was permitted things like bread, wine, potatoes etc. at six months out, but only in very specific situations. I can't bring them in the house, eat them in a car, or eat them alone. So I could try a piece of bread when eating with friends at a restaurant, but I couldn't buy a loaf of bread for home consumption. If I were having dinner at a friend's house and she served mashed potatoes, I could have a few bites, but I couldn't buy a bag of potato chips and eat them in the car on the way home. So that keeps my consumption of those sorts of things pretty limited.

When I have notifications, I click on the notification badge (in the upper right corner, it displays as a number showing how many notifications I have), I get nothing. Well, I get a little empty blank white space, see the screen capture below with the arrow pointing to where the notifications would usually be. I have tried viewing notifications on two different computers (Windows Home 7 premium and Windows 7 pro) using both Firefox and Chrome and get the same results each time. My messages and everything else work just fine.

My list of acceptable food for purees was high protein only - basically any kind of meat (but it had to be pureed with a food processor), eggs, refried beans, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, limited amounts of nut butters such as peanut butter and almond butter. No vegetables, no fruit, and certainly nothing with grains.

I was on full liquids for four weeks after surgery. That's my surgeon's plan. Did I like it? No. But I made a deal with myself at the outset of the process that I would follow my doctor's plan and not substitute either my judgment or the advice of internet strangers and their doctors whom I've never even met. I didn't choose those people to do my surgery, I chose my doctor. His plan for me is what I follow, not the plans of strangers. And my own judgment around food has proven appallingly bad, which is why I ended up weighing over 300 lbs and needing bariatric surgery. So no way was I just going to wing it and do what I want. And in the end I made it through just fine and four weeks was not that long, looking back. Good luck to you!

Here's a link to protein shake recipes I found, created, or modified. Only some of them call for vanilla protein powder, but most of them can be adapted to work with vanilla if that is what you have on hand. https://www.scribd.com/doc/236442268/Protein-Shake-Recipes

I use an immersion blender to make my shakes - no clumps, no foam, extremely easy to use and clean.

Lap Band - I did some preliminary research and didn't like what I saw in terms of weight loss rate statistics. When I met with my surgeon, he told me he would not do the lap band for me because my starting BMI was too high - he says that people with a starting BMI over 40 tend to really struggle to lose all their weight with the band. He won't do it for people as heavy as me, and only on lighter people if they absolutely refuse to consider any other kind of surgery. I also didn't like the idea of all the fills/adjustments. I work full time, who has time for that? Finally, I wanted a permanent tool, not one I could opt out of if the idea of pigging out on vacation was tempting. Bypass - I strongly considered this surgery. I know a fair number of people who have had this surgery and have done great! But I have a strong family and personal history of autoimmune diseases and my surgeon and I agreed that it would be good to leave as many options for future meds on the table as possible, and that therefore the sleeve was the better overall option for me. I know some people say things like "I didn't want my plumbing re-routed" -- that didn't concern me. For me, I wouldn't make a medical decision based on emotions regarding anatomy that I am never going to see. I also considered Duodenal Switch and might have opted for it, but my insurance requires a minimum BMI of 60 before they will pay for it. At a BMI of 59.9, it was just barely off the table! Make sure to discuss all of your options with your surgeon and you will come to the right decision for you. Good luck!

I tend to eat a lot of the same meals -- I'm boring! Here's what I had yesterday: breakfast: 3 oz sirloin made into two romaine lettuce wraps with garlic mustard and SF pickle relish (my standard breakfast) lunch - 3 oz chicken breast with 1 T. buffalo wing sauce, 3/4 c. roast broccoli dinner - scrambled eggs (1 whole egg + 1 egg white) with Gruyere cheese and a couple of avocado slices Snacks - 2 Protein shakes (1 Chike iced coffee, 1 HealthSmart Cappuccino made into an eggnog latte - yes I like coffee!), 20 grams almonds, roast seaweed, turkey Jerky. Are you on Myfitnesspal? I have tons of sleeved friends there and love to stalk their food diaries to get ideas. Maybe look for some more friends there if you are there. My username is SibylDiane if you (or anyone else lurking this thread) wants to friend me. My diary is open to friends and I love to have more VSG friends there There are also a couple of other sleeve forums with daily "what did you eat today" types of threads that are helpful to me. I think it's against the rules to promote other forums here, so I won't post links, but if you want them, send me a PM.

Just follow your program carefully and wait. Put the scale away if it is stressing you out (stress is bad for weight loss!). Patience and time are the only known cures

Try eating smaller amounts? 2-3 ounces is a lot so soon after surgery. Try limiting yourself to 3 tablespoons of food per meal and see if that lessens the nausea? Also, maybe try something other than baby food? That stuff is disgusting, I would be nauseated if I had to eat it, too. Are you allowed to do something like Eggface's ricotta bake, or Greek yogurt, or make some purees on your own? Maybe take some fish, puree with a little bit of tartar sauce, and warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave? Or maybe try some dark chicken meat pureed with a sauce you like such as marinara or bbq sauce and heated up a bit? What about some refried Beans with a little melted cheese, or a poached egg?

You do know how to get back on the path. Get the cookies and chips out of the house and go back to eating the way you were when you were being successful. There is no secret.

My plan calls for 3 meals per day, no snacks other than protein shakes. At the puree stage (weeks 4 - 8), meals were 3 tablespoons max and at the soft food stage (months 3 - 6), 3 ounces max.

I tell anyone who asks. For me, I'm pretty independent and have a strong streak of "IDGAF what anyone thinks about how I live my life." I like the fact that I might be directly or indirectly leading people to actually consider a step that could change their lives in a really positive way. When discussing weight loss and surgery, I also stress the importance, for me, of staying on a high protein, low carb diet and tracking everything I eat on MFP. I don't want people to think that surgery is magical and you don't have to do any extra work besides showing up at the hospital -- at least most of us don't! Also, even for people who aren't going to have surgery for whatever reason, those options might prove helpful. All that said, I absolutely understand why some people choose to keep it private and I totally respect that. You have to do what works for you.

DId your surgeon provide a list of acceptable foods in Phase 2 for you? Each surgeon's practice varies a little bit -- or a lot -- so there is no way I can know what your Phase 2 permits. If your Phase 2 is full liquids, I would guess the answer is no. But contact your surgeon or dietician for guidance. Sometimes they are willing to give permission to advance early, or to eat a few types of foods early, if you are struggling with the phase you are on. My phase 2 was purees, and we could definitely puree chicken. This was after four weeks of Phase 1 (full liquids) so believe me it was yummy! But I would never take chicken and just puree it with water or broth or something. I pureed it with a flavorful sauce like bbq sauce or marinara sauce, then heat it up with a little cheese on top. Delicious! But if that is not in the cards for you, check the instructions you were given. Can you have Greek yogurt? Have you tried savory protein options such as Unjury chicken soup protein or HealthSmart protein soups? http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/hot-soups/ What about making some hot (not too hot, keep it under 140 degrees) chai tea and stirring in some vanilla protein powder? Or using the HealthSmart high protein hot chocolate or cappuccino, since many people tolerate this kind of hotter, thinner drink better early out? http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/hot-drinks/ If there are Kroger stores near you, perhaps check out their CarbMaster milks. They are lower calorie, lower carb, and higher protein than regular skim milk. They are lactose free and come in plain, vanilla, and chocolate. You can get a good dose of protein by drinking CarbMaster milk even without adding protein powder to it. Good luck!

Hi Jeffrey, You should definitely discuss your concerns about leaks with your surgeon. He or she can give you all the info. I know you are going to Mexico but my understanding is that the surgeons there are available to consult and answer your questions before you head down. Here is a brief summary from a lay person's perspective, based on what my surgeon told me and what I've gathered from hanging around here for a while: --a leak is when the staple line in your sleeved stomach doesn't close properly. This allows gastric juices and anything else from the stomach to leak into the peritoneal cavity. --typical symptoms include excruciating abdominal pain, fever, nausea, and rapid heartbeat. --surgeons will perform leak tests in the OR and some will do additional tests within a few days after surgery. However, because the stomach is so swollen immediately after surgery, it is possible to have a leak situation develop later, when the swelling subsides. --leak rate varies from surgeon to surgeon, but the average seems to be about 2%. You may want to ask your surgeon what his or her leak rate is. --treatment will vary depending on how big the leak is and where it is located. Some people will have surgery to attempt to close it, others may be in the hospital for several weeks -- but the common theme seems to be staying NPO for a long time, and either at home or in the hospital for a long time. Leaks are nothing to mess around with. But the treatment is impossible to predict until a leak is detected. --if you have serious complications when you get home, you should probably go to the ER, and preferably an ER of a hospital that has a bariatric surgery practice. You should speak to your surgeon and get a list of symptoms that are serious enough to warrant going to the ER as well as a contact person to ask questions for follow up, i.e., if you are having symptoms and you are not sure what is going on. But IMO it is better to be safe than sorry - if you can't reach your contact person or are not comfortable with the advice they are giving, I would get in touch with my PCP for her advice or go to an ER if I felt it was necessary. Good luck!

0 days and my surgeon knows what he is doing and my surgery went great! IMO . . . don't borrow trouble Good luck!

Some trainers will want to quiz you about your diet and tell you what to eat. You don't have to disclose the surgery but be prepared to tell her or him something like "I'm following my doctor's orders with respect to diet" or "I'm working with a registered dietician on that" -- otherwise they will sometimes push and push and want you to eat 3K calories a day or something ridiculous. I would avoid telling them exactly how many calories you are taking in -- that will freak some of them out because they think it's impossible to live on so little (they have no clue what they are talking about obviously).

The pre-op plan is usually not to help you lose weight, it's to help shrink your liver. True, some people do lose weight on the pre-op plan, but others don't. As long as you are sticking to it, your liver will shrink and that will enhance your odds for a safe and swift surgery. So keep up the good work, and put the scale away if it is stressing you out. That's not what you are working towards right now -- keep on plan and you will do great in the way your surgeon needs you to!

protein is important for healing as well as helping you feel full. As to what type of protein shake you should be drinking, you may want to consult with your surgeon or dietician on that. 220 calories is a lot, but so is 40 grams of protein. Whether it fits in well with your program's rules is something they can help you determine. Good luck and I am sorry to hear about your foot injury, I know how painful that can be!

Am I going to be able to keep up the lifestyle necessary for the next 50+ years of my life? At least you'll likely have 50+ years of your life to worry about your lifestyle. Stay obese and your odds are pretty bad. How will this affect me when I'm 70? 1. You'll be alive. 2. You'll eat smaller portions and take a multi-Vitamin every day. Definitely ask your surgeon about long term risks, but keep in mind the long term benefits as well as the long term risks of obesity (diabetes, death, etc.). What if they come out with something in the future where I won't have to to loose half my stomach or deal with the side effects of a surgery? How long are you willing to wait on that possibility? Does the quality of your life now matter to you? These are all things I am asking myself. Not to mention food intolerances, not being able to drink or lay down after eating, tracking Protein, Vitamins, ect. Not everyone has food intolerances. I don't have any, besides not feeling great after eating yeasty bread or a carbonated drinks. I don't miss them. I also don't miss worrying about whether I will fit into chairs, chub rub, shopping in plus size clothing stores, having out of control blood pressure, or arthritis that prevented me from walking very far. I don't miss drinking after eating. It's not a big deal, you get used to it. I do track protein and calories and all that stuff, but not everyone does. That's a matter of personal preference, especially the farther you get out of surgery. Honestly after a year or so your life is very normal in my experience.

My plan doesn't allow noodles because they are high carb and nutritionally worthless, but not because they might be physically damaging.

That's how bulimics get started . . . it also messes up your metabolism and blood sugar to chew up food and then spit it out. This is a great time for you to be learning ways to get those good feelings without any involvement from food whatsoever. If people are bringing pizza or other tempting foods around you, consider asking them to stop or removing yourself from the situation if you can. Good luck!