kimbernada

I'm down 80.5 pounds since my surgery on July 24.

I had a stall that started at week three and lasted for three weeks. Just keep following your doctor's plan and your body will start up again. I think there's so much change going on that it kind of does a "What the heck?!!"

This is the reason why I didn't tell anyone until the week before my surgery. Well, I did tell my best friend (who had the RnY about 2-1/2 years ago) and my parents (who weren't thrilled). I've since told anyone who's asked what I've been doing to lose weight - because it seems to be noticeable in the last few weeks. I do understand WHY people view the surgery as extreme. I mean, it IS extreme. I don't think I'd have considered it if I had 50 pounds to lose.

I had my first stall at three weeks out... and it lasted three weeks.

I absolutely totally agree. On Tuesdays at work, we have a group come in to sell popcorn. We have one of those popcorn machines AT work, and can pop it anytime, but it's always nice to have someone ELSE pop it. It is to DIE for. I've only had that once since my surgery - and only a cup and gave the rest of my bag to someone else. I've gone back to my "rule" of only eating the Orville Reddenbacher mini bags of popcorn at 100 calories - and even then maybe once a week. I need to stick with the OTHER rule -- Protein FIRST.

I'm just about four months out and had popcorn two weeks ago without any problems.

You should still be able to digest it. I didn't chew any gum until about three months out, mainly for the same reason -- accidentally swallowing it.

I shoot for 900 calories a day, 80 grams of protein. Some days are a little less, some are a little more. (For calories, anyhow - I try not to go below 80 grams of protein.)

You can also look at the pre-op diet as a way to reset your brain some too. By sticking to the pre-op diet's limitations, once you DO get to eat something else after surgery - it doesn't seem like deprivation. Knowing that the reason for the pre-op diet was to shrink my liver to reduce the chance of the surgeon nicking it helped me to stay on track.

My surgery was done in Fargo,ND at a Center of Excellence facility. This is the same plan they use for folks who have had the RnY too. Crazy, isn't it? I know that I questioned the doctor and the nutritionist a few times. But it all seems to have worked out!

Yep... that is what makes them thick - air bubbles.

So... the day after surgery, my first meal was clear liquids. My second meal, while in the hospital, was pureed food. I was released to go home. The official "plan" for the second day after surgery is to start soft foods. The next week, I was able to add in other foods. I had chicken four days after my surgery - it was on my food plan. Granted, I didn't have a lot of it. While my plan did say that I could have half a slice of toast two weeks after surgery, I've only just started this.

The melted cheese theory sounds like it would be more for someone who has had the gastric bypass. They no longer have the pyloric valve - just a "created" opening.

Red meat and sometimes chicken doesn't always settle well with my sleeve. If it is a very tender steak, it's okay. Any kind of "stringy" meat that can't really be chewed down a lot causes a problem for me. Fish seems to be the best for me. Our local supper club makes a wonderful Bourbon chicken entree and that chicken is soooo tender - no knife needed. For red meat, I was ordering it at various restaurants but it just wasn't tender enough. The hubs doesn't mind though, because it is more leftovers for him.

On a side note, I found that after my surgery, I didn't like the thicker shakes. Well, my sleeve didn't like them. During the pre-op diet, thick shakes were awesome. I ended up switching to using BlenderBall bottles to mix up my Syntrax Nectar shakes. The consistency is more like chocolate milk. (Or flavored milk, I don't always have chocolate.) Granted, this might be just a quirk with my sleeve. Obviously other people still like thick shakes.

I didn't wear any. Right after the surgery and then the next day while in the hospital, they had put the air pump things on my legs that massaged my legs. They took them off right before I left.

What about checking with the HR department about the Family Medical Leave Act? That's what I did. I think, and I could be wrong, that it helps to keep your job secure while you are out.

Don't forget to check the "Where to Buy" link for the PB2. One of our local grocery stores has this in the health food section. At least you can save some $ by not paying shipping. Amazon.com might have it too. I've also read that some health food stores have the same type of thing, only cheaper, called peanut flour.

I created the ticker via the MFP website - click the Apps tab and then click Tickers. After you create your ticker, copy the code (I can't remember if it is the BBcode or HTML code. Then pop back to VST. Click on your profile, select Edit Profile, and then click Signature. Paste the code. If your signature just displays the code after you save the changes, try the other type of code. If it STILL just displays the code, let me know. Ican't remember if I just used the image URL and added the image of the ticker via the Image button.

To me, if God wasn't a part of the discovery of weight loss surgery then... I mean, who would have thought we could replace hips and knees with ceramic and titanium? Is it unnatural? Well... kind of. But to me, God had a hand in helping the researchers and whatnot come up with this. Then again, I understand there are some religions who feel that any medical intervention is wrong. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. And when my best friend told me she was having gastric bypass surgery two years ago, I thought she was nuts and that weight loss surgery is so DRASTIC. I didn't tell her that though. I supported her decision and asked her a lot of questions. And... my opinion changed. LOL

Are you adding protein powder to your pudding? I like to add two scoops Nature's Best Isopure unflavored protein powder to the two cups skim milk and then mix the sugar free pudding mix into that. YUM! I think making the pudding is a bit healthier than buying the pudding cups premade.

I try to shoot for 900 calories a day with my protein at 80-100 grams. You may be hungry because you need more protein.

I had a three week stall that started at week 3.

"with this"

A blender bottle has a little wire whisk ball inside and you just shake the bottle to blend. I have three of the 20 ounce ones. I can't figure out how to paste a link withs darn tablet, but if you search on Amazon, they have it for $6.99 each.