DLCoggin

I prefer the shakes with skim milk as well. I can drink them made with water but milk is also an excellent source of protein and Calcium and improves the taste. I have to confess to sometimes drinking the ready-to-drink shakes as well. I don't know what they do differently in the can that I can't seem to replicate with the powder but the cans still have the best taste - but about twice as expensive. Ugh!!

Breakfast is the Protein shake - 160 to 170 calories and 35g of protein. "Brunch" for lack of a better word, usually three hours after breakfast, is often half of a Jimmy Dean Delights Turkey Sausage Bowl (120 calories and 11g of protein), or half of a Jimmy Dean Delights Canadian Bacon and Egg Honey Wheat Muffin (105 calories and 7g of protein) or half of a Weight Watchers Smart Ones - Ham & cheese Scramble (220 calories and 10g or protein). As you can probably tell, I love eggs (actually egg whites in all of these) and turkey anything. lunch, usually three hours after brunch, is often 6 or 8 medium cooked shrimp (the packaged shrimp you can get at just about any store) with cocktail sauce (110 calories and 15g to 18g of protein), one or two Babybel light Mini Originals (50 calories and 6g of protein each), and five to seven Kashi Peta Crisps (60 to 90 calories and 1.5 to 3.0g of protein). Sometimes I substitute 3.5oz of canned tuna salad made with light mayo and diced sweet pickle for the shrimp (185 calories and 24g of protein). Other times I eat the second half of brunch. Still other times I make a canned chicken salad instead of the tuna. dinner varies all over the place. Chicken, fish and turkey are all great, high protein foods and we love all of them. Usually accompanied by steamed fresh vegetables, sometimes canned green Beans, or pinto beans, or spinach, or even new potatoes. Other times we make a fresh spinach salad with light balsamic vinegarette. Turkey burgers (without the bun - bread and I still don't get along too well) are great. Occasionally a pork roast. And maybe once a month or so we bbq some steaks - usually sirloin with all visible fat removed. Turkey chili, tilapia, scallops, salmon, turkey meatballs, and chicken are all great options. And about an hour after dinner, we have a cup of coffee with Splenda and flavored creamers (not sugar free) for dessert just about every evening. I have a food logging app on my phone and I record everything I eat. Occasionally I have a day where I fall short of protein for one reason or another. I keep a supply of Pure Protein chocolate Deluxe bars on hand for those occasions (200 calories and 20g of protein). But I know at any point during the day what my protein intake has been so I usually don't have to resort to the bars to get my 100g of protein or pretty close. Hope that helps!!

I'm trying to stabilize (doctor's orders) at about 165 so 120lbs lost. I know it sounds ridiculous but it has been much harder than I expected to increase my calorie intake after months of averaging just under 1300 calories a day. I must confess though - I love the new me!!

Good for you Kerrie-Ann!! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the Kale chips!!

My surgeon requires all of her patients to get 100g a day. Challenging at first but it gets easier pretty quickly. I have a Pure Protein shake every day for breakfast (35g of protein) and the rest comes from food. I've averaged 95g plus for going on eleven months. Pre-op is a great time to try different protein shakes, powders, bars, etc. Buy very small quantities until you find the one or ones that you like. Protein is extremely important post-op so it's worth the effort! You're gonna love the new you!!

You might want to hold off on the crunchies for a couple more weeks. Two weeks out might be a little soon for these ideas but if your doctor has OK'd it, great. The Special K Cracker Chips are delicious and come in a number of flavors. You might want to try Kashi Peta Crisps as well. Super crunchy, 130 cals for an 11 crisp serving and they come in sea salt and salsa flavors. I love these things and they definitely help with the crunchy cravings.

To answer all of your other questions and any more that you can think of! You're going to love the new you!!

Increasing your exercise may help but there are other factors to consider when it comes to stalls. How many calories are you averaging daily? Too low may be interpreted by your body as a famine state. Your metabolism slows and your body takes steps to conserve stored fuel (aka excess weight). How much protein are you eating on a daily basis? Increasing your protein to 100g a day for a few days may jump start your metabolism and cause your body to start burning that stored fuel. Are you getting enough water? Drinking more water can often increase weight loss and the rate of weight loss. Are you eating four to five times a day - never less than two hours apart or more than four hours apart? A regular eating schedule will often increase your metabolism because your body "knows" when to expect additional energy sources. Stalls are incredibly frustrating but if you stay focused on following protocol, stay active, and stay away from the scales for at least a week and more if you can stand it - they absolutely will pass!!

Here are a few more suggestions to consider. What are the risks? How often do patients have complications following surgery? What side effects are the most common? What are the benefits? What should I expect after surgery? Realistically, what weight loss should I expect following surgery and over what period of time? What are "stalls" or "plateaus"? How long do they last and if I do experience them, what can I do to shorten their duration? Will any new technology be used e.g. robotics? Is the hospital designated a Center of Excellence by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery? Are you board certified in bariatric surgery? How many roux-en-y gastric bypass surgeries have you performed? Have you experienced any surgery related mortalities? Do you have patients that are willing to share their weight loss surgery experiences, positive and negative? What types of support groups and counseling will be available post-op? What information can you give me to help family and friends better understand the surgery? How often do you see your patients following surgery? What is the significance of protein following surgery? Does your practice offer support services for psychological needs? What assistance is available for helping me secure insurance approval? Who should I speak with regarding insurance related questions? What pre-op testing will be done? What post-op testing will be done? Will I need vitamins after my surgery and if so, what types? When can I start exercising after my surgery? How likely is it that I will regain weight after surgery? Think of the meeting with your surgeon as an interview. Why are you and your team the most qualified for the job? You're gonna love the new you!!

Yes, getting ALL of your daily protein will absolutely help you lose weight. But that's just part of the story and it very well may not be the most important part. Protein is critically important in the healing process following surgery. Protein is used extensively to repair and regenerate damaged tissue. Protein is a key player in helping the body fight off bacterial and viral infections. Protein will help minimize muscle loss during rapid weight loss. And protein will help reduce hair loss to a minimum. Your body needs protein!! A lot of it!!

Absolutely! I really love the term "active lifestyle" specifically because it has such a broad scope. We often associate it with running or jogging or (fill in the blank) - and as a result a lot of folks never try to have a more active lifestyle or worse yet, attempt a form of exercise that they aren't ready for and soon abandon. There are enormous health and weight loss benefits in countless sustainable activities. Shopping, mowing the lawn, vacuuming, visiting a theme park, walking the dog, cleaning windows, washing the car, and of course just taking a walk. The options are endless and every single one of them counts!! Adopting an "active lifestyle" means looking for and embracing every opportunity to MOVE. It does NOT have to be synonymous with working yourself to exhaustion!

My surgeon said no alcohol for six months. There are a number of reasons behind that recommendation. Internal healing takes quite a long time and drinking alcohol prior to the pouch being completely healed is an invitation for ulcers. All forms of alcohol are essentially sugar which can result in dumping. Alcohol is empty calories with essentially no nutritional value. And since it hits you so much faster and harder than it did before, it can make it more difficult to follow the protocol. All good reasons and I would not encourage anyone to drink alcohol prior to six months out. I enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. But I didn't even try it until I was six months out. We all have to make our own decisions but it's a good idea to consider all of the pros and cons.

You're certainly welcome and it isn't forever. Internal healing takes a long time and acidic foods are probably not the best idea during that period. I LOVE balsamic vinegar and have had it many times in the last few months with no problems. Just give it a little more time. You're gonna love the new you!!

Abdominal cramps are not usually considered a symptom of dumping. You might find the info in my post on dumping useful - http://www.rnytalk.com/topic/2665-dumping-the-confusion-about-dumping/page__hl__%2Bdumping+%2Bthe+%2Bconfusion . But eating too fast - that may be the culprit. Your pouch teaches you rather quickly what it likes and what it doesn't like. Balsamic and salsa are pretty acidic which could have caused the cramping depending on how far out you are. It's a good idea to avoid acidic foods for up to six months post-op to minimize the chances of ulcers.

Wow - I've been expecting someone to develop this for quite some time. This new app has been released by Geisinger Health System and was developed by a professor and students from Bucknell University. It's called "Get-2-Goal" and is free from the Apple iStore. Christopher Still, Director of Geisinger Obesity Institute explains "The most useful function of this app is that it ensures patients are fully informed and have realistic expectations after their procedure." The app allows you to track weight loss with charts and graphs, email them to your doctor, and export the data to Excel. Great job Geisinger and Bucknell!! http://newsitem.com/news/geisinger-develops-gastric-surgery-app-1.1369378

If this moves as well as I suspect it will, you can just about bet that an Android version will be on the horizon. And I suspect, a number of similar apps will surface. About time!!

Stalls often last a month or more. You must trust the process. There simply is no question that you will loose weight in the long run as long as you stay focused, stay active, and stay away from the scales. The laws of the universe cannot be denied!!

Hey dude! My surgeon recommends that you stick with decaf for life if possible. But that said, doctors are trained to be conservative and give their patients the strongest health related advice possible. I think staying away from caffeine for up to three months post-op is probably a good idea. After that, I think caffeinated coffee is probably not a major concern in the overall scheme of things (unless you have a history of high blood pressure, ulcers, etc). I love coffee and fully expected to start drinking caffeinated coffee after 90 days post-op. The only reason that I've stuck with decaf is that I find Keurig to be so superior to other coffee makers that I'm fine with the decaf. And I occasionally have a caffeine cup as a treat - Starbuck's Caffe Verona is just superb and as far as I know, they don't make it in a decaf. Bottom line - if my choice was caffeinated coffee or no coffee at all, I'd be drinking caffeinated!!

No Republic is not k-cups. They have both "bagged" (they use a very different round bag) and loose leaf teas. Here's a link to their website - http://www.republicoftea.com/default.aspx?crcat=branding~republicoftea&crsource=adwords&crkw=republic%20of%20tea&crcampaign=11050524123&gclid=CPKKxIezprICFShxQgodQyUABA . You'll notice that they have a whole Republic of Tea "culture" that is a lot of fun!

Roughly 35 calories and 5g of sugar for 1 Tbsp of the regular flavored creamers. Exactly what the doctor ordered?No. A reasonable indulgence for something I truly enjoy? I think so.

I love tea too and as many if not more health benefits than coffee!! Have you tried Republic of Tea teas? Huge selection and they are absolutely delicious!!

As you can tell from above, I'm a huge Keurig fan. The best coffee I've ever tasted by far. Right now I have Tully's French Roast, Timothy's Colombian and Green Mountain Dark Magic - all decaf. My wife prefers a medium roast (all of mine are dark roast) and she LOVES CoffedePeople's Donut Shop - also decaf. I've also had Barista Prima Coffeehouse Italian Roast Decaf which is my favorite but it can be hard to find. I ordered all of the above from Amazon. I tried to re-order the Italian Roast directly from Barista Prima's website and even they didn't have the decaf. Timothy's Rainforest Expresso Decaf is also quite good (not as strong as the "Expresso" name would imply). Selection and availability are the only downsides to k-cup decaf. Availability can be iffy on any given day and most companies don't seem to make all of their roasts in decaf. If you're a coffee lover, I highly recommend the Keurig coffee makers!

I had to wait three months as well. But on the 91st day you can bet that I was well stocked with decaf and have been ever since!! I drink two and ocassionally three cups a day with Splenda and flavored creamers - not sugar free. That's my one indulgence. I enjoy coffee, I find it filling, it's great as a "snack", my wife and I have a cup for dessert just about every evening, it's loaded with antioxidants, more and more research is identifying all kinds of benefits including indications that it may offer a degree of protection against some types of cancer and on top of all of that - . I truly believe that it has been an invaluable "go to" for my weight loss journey. Ain't nobody taking my coffee unless they pry it out of my cold dead fingers!!

Ditto for me. I was shocked at how little post-op pain I had. In fact, so were the nurses. They kept asking me if I needed anything for pain and I kept saying I really feel fine. I'm not saying that there was absolutely no discomfort at all but it really was minimal and I never used the morphine pump that was all hooked up. Amazing how far they have come with this surgery!

Mine has been low since the day I had the surgery and right up to today. No dizziness or any other problematic symptoms - just low. Neither my primary or my surgeon seem to be concerned and speaking as a guy that had hypertension and the associated risks for a lot of years, I'm pretty OK with low!