Bufflehead

@@Luana526 yes, it is online only. I would link you to it, but this site has an auto-linking feature that renders it impossible to link directly to the Unjury site. If you click on the word Unjury in any post it should link you directly to their website. Or just google Unjury chicken soup.

I use an immersion blender -- I love that it puts no air in the shake so you don't get any foam.

Okay, I am going to throw in some unsolicited advice. What is really important here is following your doctor's instructions and not turning into the sort of bariatric surgery patient who doesn't like the instructions they got and tries to use the internet to research their way to an answer they like better. If you are unsure about the importance of the pre-op diet, by all means, ask your surgeon and/or their team to convince you and explain their reasoning behind it -- I'm not saying you have to follow everything blindly. But at some point I think it's good to trust your surgeon, trust his or her team, and accept that they have a lot more experience and success in managing weight loss and the surgery process than you do, or than random strangers on the internet do. Okay, all that said, it looks like you are doing your best to follow your surgeon's plan even if you are struggling with it and questioning it -- and I think that is great! You got some terrific suggestions here for for more savory options for protein, let me throw out a couple more. First is the Unjury chicken soup protein. http://www.unjury.com/store/protein/unjury-chickensoup-sample.html I used this a lot immediately post-op. Just be sure to use a food thermometer as the packaging instructs. The second is the high protein soups you can buy: http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/hot-soups/ I used these a lot both pre-op and post-op and thought they were good. My favorite flavors were the "cream of" soups - mushroom, tomato, broccoli, and chicken. Good luck to you!

I think both of these concerns are pretty normal. However, keep in mind that it's extremely rare for anyone to die as a result of anesthesia -- especially if you are in a hospital with an anesthesiologist watching over you (unlike Joan Rivers, just for example). Those doctors have extensive training and specialization and they know how to take care of you and keep you safe! When you are getting prepped for surgery in the hospital, you can tell either your pre-op nurse or the anesthesiologist (it is standard practice to meet him or her during the pre-op prep) that you are extremely nervous about anesthesia and can they give you something to keep you calm. Of course, that is assuming that they haven't already offered you that! Usually the anesthesiologist will offer a shot of Versed or something similar because most people are very nervous about anesthesia and surgery. As far as loose skin goes -- yes, most of us get it. I have it and I can't say I love it. But (1) I realize that even with my loose skin, my body is more attractive now -- at least to the vast majority of people and definitely to me -- than it was when I was super morbidly obese; and (2) loose skin is really only noticeable when I am both naked and standing up. There are very few people in this world who see me naked and standing up -- lovers and health care providers. And if they can't deal with it, I don't need them in my life. So far no problems! Clothes and compression undergarments can work wonders -- but I don't use the compression stuff and I think I look absolutely fine when I am dressed anyway. If you think loose skin will bother you a lot, start saving for plastic surgery -- your money will grow very quickly if you can put even a couple hundred dollars a month into the bank, or, if you are a little bit more of a risk taker, a no-load mutual fund pegged to a major stock market index. Good luck!

Nibbling on sweets here and there does not make me sick. It does make me fat. Unfortunately I am not someone who is able to stop at small nibbles or who can successfully maintain or lose weight on a plan that includes "moderate" amounts of crappy food. But physically, can I do it without getting sick? Absolutely. But I can't do it and successfully fight obesity.

I mix mine with carbmaster milk -- lactose free, nonfat, much higher protein, lower calorie, and lower carb than regular skim milk. It comes in plain, vanilla, and chocolate. However, it is only available at Kroger stores, which are mostly in the Midwest and parts of the South -- not sure where you are, but many grocery chains carry some sort of milk that is higher in protein and/or lower calorie or carb than regular milk. It isn't the fat in whole milk that scares me but the calories and carbs. I also consider almond milk a waste because of the low protein content. Many people use soy milk as an alternative to regular dairy milk as well, or use almond milk and make up the protein elsewhere. It really depends on what you like, what you can tolerate, and what your plan calls for in terms of calories/carbs/protein etc.

Coffee isn't any more of a diuretic than water is and will not dehydrate you. There may be other reasons to avoid coffee and/or caffeine but that isn't one of them. http://life.nationalpost.com/2014/01/21/nutrition-fact-or-fallacy-does-coffee-dehydrate-you/ http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/01/13/262175623/coffee-myth-busting-cup-of-joe-may-help-hydration-and-memory http://www.webmd.com/balance/caffeine-myths-and-facts?page=2 and coffee has been cited for having positive health benefits as well: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/coffee-and-health/faq-20058339

eggs! I absolutely hated eggs before surgery and now I love them and eat an egg almost every day.

I waited two weeks to go back. For the first couple of days I was too exhausted to make it past about 3 PM so went home early, but otherwise everything was fine.

It's because of irritation to/pressure on your vagus nerve, which controls involuntary reactions in the upper half of the body like a runny nose or hiccups. It runs along the top of the stomach, and with a new tiny stomach, anything going into it can set off the vagus nerve. Also, sometimes it just gets irritated/inflamed due to all the swelling and trauma to the stomach due to surgery.

I don't like Premier or any of the RTD shakes. For powders, I use Chike, unjury, Syntrax Matrix, Syntrax nectar Sweets, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard, and Jay Robb. Chike is definitely my favorite, although I use a half serving most of the time because otherwise it is high calorie and high carb. What people like is really an individual thing. I think it's a good idea to get a fair number of samples to figure out what works for you. Here are some places for samples/variety packs: https://www.chikenutrition.com/chike-variety-pack.html http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/protein-powders/protein-powder-samples-1-serving.html http://www.jayrobb.com/protein/whey-protein-samples.asp I also like the Healthwise Cappuccino and hot chocolate for hot drinks: http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/hot-drinks/

I waited 4 weeks after surgery.

I use dumbbells -- have various sizes from 3 lbs through 10 lbs, and will probably add some 12 lbs soon. I use weights and circuit training (combo of cardio and weights) DVD's. Kelly Coffey Meyer has some great DVD's that incorporate weights and she gives good instruction on form during the DVD's. Leslie Sansone has a DVD called Walk It Off in 30 Days that is a little more geared towards beginners -- it has one workout that is straight cardio and another that is a combination of weights and a little Pilates. If you can afford it, buy a weight bench with weights (try Craigslist or EBay for a better deal than you can get from a sporting goods store) and hire a personal trainer to come to your house for a couple of sessions to show you how to use it and get you started.

I keep my carbs low but not as low as some. I very rarely eat anything with grains, or starchy veg such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, or peas. I do eat green veggies, dairy, and small amounts of fruit -- usually lower carb fruit but sometimes I will have 1/3 of a banana sliced up in my yogurt, something like that. I aim for 25% of my calories from carbs, but sometimes go a bit over. I don't stress about it when I do, since the sources of my carbs are healthy and I don't go over by much. For a while I was on a more liberal eating plan that included whole grains, sweet potatoes, etc. I found my weight loss came to a halt, I was craving sweets and junk food, and I was much less satisfied with the size of my meals. So I am back to low(er) carbing it. Read this article yesterday about eating low carb and how it seems to help with weight loss - interesting stuff! At least to me. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/02/health/low-carb-vs-low-fat-diet.html

My limit for meat is right about 3 ounces cooked. I can do a couple ounces meat plus a couple ounces of veggies or beans. I can eat more fruit, maybe around 4 ounces. For really moist foods (yogurt, cottage cheese) I can eat 4 ounces plus maybe an ounce of fruit mixed in. So it varies a lot depending on what I am eating. I really have to stay away from slider-type foods like nuts, protein bars, cookies, crackers, and candy because they tend to not engage my restriction much at all.

@@mrsbshe I'm doing a variation on the 5/2 diet every other week -- I do 4/3 instead of 5/2. Why do I do it? Because it is helping me get off these last 15-20 lbs! Weight loss was really easy for the first year after being sleeved for me, but now I need to come at it with more firepower. Intermittent fasting helps me with that. I wouldn't have done it during the first year though.

I'm lazy, so I stick with easy stuff. One of my favorite dinners is Fisherman's Eggs (I cut down the quantities a lot!): http://thingsmybellylikes.com/2013/03/25/fishermans-eggs/ For breakfast, I like to make sirloin lettuce wraps. I use the pre-cooked sirloin roast from Trader Joe's. Take about 2 ounces, cut into tiny pieces, heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Place on a big romaine leaf, add mustard (I like garlic mustard, chipotle mustard, honey mustard) and sugar free pickle relish. Wrap it up. Yum! I like a variation on huevos rancheros -- about 1/3 c. refried beans with salsa and melted cheese, topped with a poached egg. I make a lot of sauteed shrimp and scallops. Very quick and easy. For veggies, I generally rely on frozen. I live alone, and I just can't get through fresh veggies before they go bad. Trader Joe's has lots of great frozen veggies that are not covered in butter or sauce. My favorites are their grilled asparagus spears, brussels sprouts, broccoli florets, and artichoke hearts. I can keep the bag in the freezer and just portion out the amount I need. The brussels sprouts and broccoli I usually roast from frozen in the oven, and the asparagus and artichoke hearts work well in the microwave.

I haven't tried them but the protein content seems very low. Per the MFP database, you get 14 grams of protein for 100 calories of protein powder. Compare to Unjury -- 21 grams of protein for 100 calories, or Jay Robb -- 25 grams of protein for 100 calories, and it is also all natural. But the real reason I would stay away -- I have no interest in getting involved in MLM/pyramid schemes.

I was told that I needed to get 1500 mg of calcium per day, either via food, supplementation with calcium citrate, or a combination. For calcium citrate, I was told take no more than 500 mg in a four hour span if I am supplementing. It was up to me whether I wanted to do chewable or liquid for the first 8 weeks. After that I could choose chewable, liquid, or regular pills. I have actually stuck with liquid since the chewable tends to have a lot of calories and carbs and I just can't handle the big pills any more. I only take 500 mg via supplementation as I get well over 1000 mg from food every day (I eat a lot of dairy). I track my calcium on MFP so I know exactly how much I am getting.

I met with my surgeon just once before surgery, but I could have met with him again if I had requested it. His office standard pre-op is to meet with the bariatric nurse practitioner, dietician, and the intake nurse at the hospital, but you can request to meet with the surgeon again as well if you want to. I didn't have any particular questions for him so I didn't. I felt really good after our initial meeting plus my sister had vetted him for me (she's a physician) so I was fine with the situation as it was.

Basal metabolic rates calculated using programs and averages of big populations are pretty meaningless when it comes to individuals. Also, that 3500 caloric deficit = 1 pound of weight loss? It turns out there is very little scientific evidence to back it up, especially as it applies to actual people in the real world: http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2014/06/the-calorie-theory-prove-it-or-lose-it/ That said, I certainly agree that caloric deficits don't act in your body like a mathemtical equation -- if you under eat by 1700 calories you will not automatically drop a half pound the next day. I definitely find that I can predict a general range of weight loss on a weekly basis, depending on how I am eating (exercise seems to have virtually no effect) but daily weight fluctuations have no relationship to how I ate the day or even the 2-3 days before I step on the scale.

What are you doing wrong? --weighing yourself too frequently --not being patient --having unrealistic expectations that you will lose consistently and at incredibly fast rates Seriously -- follow your program, have faith, be patient, and all will be well. And yes, check out the subforum for stalls -- you will see that first of all, you are not in a stall, and second, you have lots of company in terms of people who don't really know what to expect and get freaked out and impatient in the beginning. Good luck!

When I have issues like that, my only real success has come by getting rid of the triggering foods entirely. Like, put them in the trash (opened), squirt dishwashing liquid soap all over them immediately. You don't actually need any granola bars or wasabi peas, just like I don't need Fiber Gourmet crackers or Lentil Snaps, both of which I threw out of my house just yesterday. Find snacks that aren't triggers and get them instead. Good luck!

Scar Away silicon strips are really good for scars in general. I have to say that I didn't do anything special for the incisions and I ended up with no visible scars. Okay there are a couple of tiny blemishes but basically you'd have to be a health care professional with one of those magnifying lights specifically looking for them to see them. I think for most of us the incisions are tiny and don't scar much. Good luck!

Syntrax and Unjury both make unflavored protein powders. Keep in mind that unflavored doesn't mean flavorless -- just that no additional flavor like chocolate or vanilla has been added to it. Whey protein has its own taste. I've found that I don't notice it if I add it to something that has a pretty strong flavor of its own, but if I add it to something very mild, I can definitely notice unflavored protein powder. I used the Syntrax and bought it online. You can buy samples of both Syntrax and Unjury so you don't have to commit to buying a big tub before figuring out whether it's going to work for you. http://www.unjury.com/store/protein/unjury-flavors/unflavored-protein/unjury-unflavored-sample.html http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/protein-powders/protein-powder-samples-1-serving.html (use the little drop down arrow to select Syntrax Nectar medical unflavored). Good luck!