lollyfidy1965

I love the chocolate Quest bars, and have one every day. At 4 months post-op, I'm still only able to eat between 2 and 3 oz at a meal. Sometimes less. I eat what I can, and add something high protein if I'm running short late in the day. My daily calorie intake averages between 650 and 750, most days. Sometimes a little less, but I try to keep it above 600.

I recommend "The End of Overeating.". It speaks to how the food manufacturers intentionally manipulate the sugar, fat, and salt content in foods, in order to trigger a chemical response in your brain that is identical to the one caused by heroine or cocaine. It played a huge roll in my changed relationship with foods....particularly processed "junk" foods.

I sent you a request....lollyfidy1965

What specific test are you taking about?

I've had challenges sleeping, and started taking melatonin every night. An hour after taking it, I'm more than ready for sleep, and sleep well all night long!

I would be a little skeptical of using something for hair loss (rejuvenation) that is used to REMOVE hair. My experience with laser hair removal was that it was very painful...and didn't work very well. I've never heard of lasers being used to bring hair back.

At four months post-op, I still have days where eating is very slow, and the amount I'm able to eat is more limited. I take it one day at a time, and each day as it comes. It will get easier for you!

My surgeon is on the conservative side of this discussion, suggesting that I continue to use chewable, liquid, or mixable capsules (ones that can be opened, dumped, and mixed into something) on a permanent basis. I'm perfectly fine with that.

I also take Flintstones Complete, twice a day. From Celebrate (online) I take a sublingual B12 daily, and their Calcium Plus Vit D three times daily. I take a chewable Iron from Vitamin Shoppe twice weekly. That's all the vitamins/minerals I take. My 3-month labs were exceptional. I've not missed a single dose in 4 months....and don't plan to risk my health by skipping in the future. Please....don't risk your health after working so hard to improve it!! Get back on track, and take those vitamins!!

I order simple (uncrusted, unbattered, un-covered in cheese, etc) lean Protein of some sort (baked or broiled fish, a good steak, grilled chicken, etc), and some non-starchy veggies. If I take a taste of something and I can't stand it (my taste buds have changed significantly), I will ask the waiter to take it back....they will, and will remove it from the bill. Same goes if I try a bite and it causes my sleeve to turn somersaults. If you're just starting on "real" food (as I was at 5 weeks), think simple, relatively plain fare....not a lot of spices or seasonings. The last thing you want is to get sick in a restaurant setting! All the best! Laura

If I'm going out for any length of time, I always pack a bottle of Muscle Milk Lite in a cooler bag...along with a couple 20oz bottles of water. On days when I have class, I pack lunch with me, because my class ends right at noon, and its a long drive home...I eat before heading home, to make sure I don't "crash" on the way (literally and figuratively!). Eating out is no problem...I order lean protein, and some non-starchy veggies, and take home lots of left-overs! Thanks for the list, Chad...it includes all the guidelines I received from my surgeon!

I've been drinking Muscle Milk Lite in the morning (8oz early, before going to the gym, and 8oz around 10am, after the gym). Lunch is typically my "big" meal for the day...usually 2 oz of lean protein, and low-fat string cheese (1 or 2), or 1/4 cup fat-free cottage cheese. In the afternoon I'll usually have a little snack...a couple baby carrots with 2 TBSP hummus, or a string cheese (if I only had 1 at lunch). Dinner is usually the meal I struggle the most with, often only able to eat 1 oz of lean meat. Most evenings I'll have a Quest protein bar (I love the chocolate brownie ones!)...to keep my calories up, and to make sure I get at least 85 grams of protein.

WOOHOO!!! I exceeded my goal this morning!! Final challenge weight....234!!

I can't believe your surgeon gave you Celebrex after VSG surgery!! It's an NSAID, and brings a very high risk for marginal (bleeding) ulcers...particularly in gastric patients! My surgeon would have a stroke, and then beat me, if I told him I'd taken Celebrex after surgery! Please....be very careful of that drug, or any other NSAIDs (like Advil or Ibuprofen)....marginal ulcers are nasty, often require surgery to repair, and can be life-threatening. You definitely need a second opinion.....IMHO.

I had so much inflammation (in my sleeve) after surgery that nothing could pass through. My surgeon left my NG tube in for 4 extra days, to give time for the inflammation to resolve some before I even attempted sucking on ice chips. I ended up being in the hospital for 6 days, and was incredibly grateful for my surgeons conservative approach. By the time I went home I was on full liquids, and had no problems with nausea or viomiting. It sounds like you're dealing with a similar issue....but not getting a similar response from your surgeon. Don't let him/her off the hook. If you need your surgeons help, make sure you get it. You've certainly paid for it!! I wish you a speedy recovery! Laura

I have been on liquid Zantac since the day I left the hospital (4 months ago), and a Prevacid "solutab" since 4 weeks post-op. neither requires water. You might ask your dr about switching you to a liquid PPI, along with something dissolvable. I've had no problems with acid since adding the Prevacid.

I'm making up for all the years my mom refused to buy me Flintstones chewables when I was a kid! One Flintstones Complete in the morning, and one in the evening....yummy!!

Try plain fat free yogurt sweetened with splenda, and add your favorite flavoring....cherry, vanilla, lemon...whatever you can find in the spice/baking isle. You can make it as sweet as you like, and make the flavor as strong as you like....with no added sugar!!

I have a pretty reliable cycle...10-12 days of fairly rapid weight loss, then 10-12 days of "adjustment period". I tend to lose between 6-8 pounds per cycle, and lose inches (or parts of inches) when I'm not losing weight.

I keep mine below 30 grams/day.

If your current surgeon says nothing more can be done, go find another surgeon!! Obviously something isn't right....don't give in, and let that non-answer be the final answer! I sincerely hope you find a REAL answer, and solutions, and that your recovery improves! Laura

I do whatever my surgeon/nutritionist told me to do. Yes...I stop drinking 30 minutes before I eat, and I wait 30 minutes after I eat to drink again. My surgeon said no alcohol (of any kind), after surgery, so I don't drink anything alcoholic. I was told to significantly limit (or eliminate if possible) simple starches from my diet...so I don't eat pastas, breads, rice, or potatoes (and I don't plan to start eating them again...ever). I was told no carbonated beverages...of any kind..after surgery, and no drinking from a straw....so I don't drink anything carbonated (and won't ever again), and I'll never use a straw again. I was told to eliminate added sugars from my diet, as much as humanly possible....so I don't eat anything sweetened with sugars (including ice creams, syrups, puddings, Desserts, etc). Granted, my surgeon's approach is very conservative (compared to many on this site), but I figure...he has way more experience with this than me....and I'm paying him a LOT of money for his experience....he probably has reasons for all the behavior changes he recommends...right?? So....do whatever your program tells you do to. Take every suggestion seriously. Read as much as you can on the topic of food addiction (I highly recommend "The End of Overeating"), and learn as much as you can about the psychological implications associated with dramatically changing your relationship with food. You are wise to begin making those changes now....it will make your post-op process much easier, if you eliminate "bad" foods from your diet now. Also, get in the habit of using small utensils (bowls, plates, spoons, forks) when you eat, and to taking at least 30 minutes to eat a meal...taking very small bites, and chewing til the bite is liquid in your mouth before you swallow it. Another tip...start tracking everything you consume...now...so that tracking is second-nature to you, by the time you're ready to start tracking after your surgery. (And if you hadn't considered food tracking, it really is a critical tool for managing your weight loss process!)

Well...I don't know if you could be a "better" dad, friend, husband, etc...but you could certainly be a HEALTHIER one!! Good for you, for making the decision to live a healthier, LONGER life, for your baby!!! (And for all the other reasons, too!) Even though you currently don't have much in the way of co-morbidities, it really is just a matter of time. Getting your weight under control BEFORE things go in the toilet is a great plan! (I was "pre-diabetic" prior to my surgery, and had beautifully normal fasting glucose, and HgbA1c, at my 3 month post-op check!) Regarding your fears....which are perfectly normal to have...look at the statistics. You are much less likely to have a serious complication from this surgery than you are to die from complications from diabetes, if you don't get the weight off. (Not to mention other potential health risks related to morbid obesity....heart disease, etc.) Even if you have a "complication" after surgery, it is much more likely to be something minor (example....I had excessive inflammation in my sleeve, immediately following surgery, and ended up with an NG tube in for an additional 4 days, and stayed in the hospital a total of 6 days. An inconvenience? Yes. Horrible?? Not so much.) Odds are, you will be just fine....and then you'll be so much better, as you start dropping weight!!! You'll be able to play with your little girl, as she gets older. You'll be able to grow old with the woman you love. And you'll be able to cry, as you walk your lovely daughter down the isle, as she goes off to start her own life! I wish you all the best, and great success! Laura

Like Butter, I measure everything I eat. I'm still only able to eat about 2 oz of solid protein at a time (I'm 4 months post-op), and its truly a matter of 1 (tiny) bite too many, and I'm feeling so uncomfortably full!! I've gotten used to eating tiny bites, very slowly, so I'm almost always able to avoid feeling awful. Trust me....its worth missing! LOL

I keep calories in and calories out separate. I plan to eat between 600-700 calories a day (and manage my diet according to that number), and burn between 1,000 and 1,200 calories every time I go to the gym (4-5 days a week). My intake doesn't change much on the days I don't go to the gym (typically over the weekend). Even tracking on Myfitnesspal, I pay little attention to the "net calories," or the calories that system "thinks" I have left to eat for the day.