melodymouse

3-4 weeks out I was on puréed foods only. I put everything except the cottage cheese and yogurt in a food processor. Fat free refried beans were so yummy. A helpful tip, remember its just like feeding a baby. Your new stomach can't handle some things. That's why we feed in stages. Try one new thing a day so you'll know what's upsetting your tummy. Feel better!

I disagree with the ignore it advice. People behave badly because they are allowed to get away with it and if you don't speak up it will just continue. Trust me! I have a whole family like that. You need to call her on it, in front of a witness. Just do it in the most kind, respectful way you can. Tell her you are not one of her patients. Tell her this was not an easy decision and that you are really working hard. Tell her you could really use her unconditional love and support and not her criticism. If she really cares for you, she will choose to be supportive. If she doesn't, that's when you should start ignoring it. The best tool I have found for my weight loss success was not my sleeve. It was finding enough love for myself to find my own voice. To stand up for myself and stop allowing my abusers to hurt me! You can do it too. You don't have to be hateful about it, but you certainly don't deserve to continue to be hurt or put down. Some people are just so full of themselves they can't see the pain their actions cause others. Give her the benefit of the doubt first. After all, isn't that what you would want for yourself? Best wishes!

Congrats to both of you on your surgeries! Cat don't worry about your husband missing out on eating. Mine is a total sugar junkie and has actually started eating better because of me. We still celebrate life but with a few adjustments and with a whole lot less food for both of us. The gas you feel in your chest is not in your digestive tract so you can't pass it or burp it out. It's the gas they fill your abdomen up with for the surgery. The only way to get rid of it is by walking. It has to be absorbed by your cells. I think we all expect to come home lighter, but I've yet to meet anyone who did. All those iv fluids. It's no harder than any other diet. They only difference is, with this one all you have to do is stick to the program and the weight Will come off and Stay off! Best to both of you!!

Best wishes to you!!

Another great deterrent I would use is, I'd carry a super fat, ugly picture of myself around with me. When I'd get close to the edge, I pull it out and look at it until the urge to eat went away! I haven't had the need for that extreme for a while, but I still carry it with me!!

Most of us are food addicts. That is how we got here. I had to fight with my primary for the referral for Bariatric surgery because of my emotional issues. I jumped through all her hoops and am so much better off for it. 90 % of my eating was from mental hunger and not physical. My marriage to a Narcissist and a family full of critics had so thoroughly destroyed my self esteem that I ate to fill the emptiness in my life. Two of the counselors that I saw in my journey recommended 2 books for me to read. One was "Codependent No More" by Melody Beatty which taught me how to reject the critics in my life by detaching myself from them. The other was "When Food Is Love" by Geneen Roth. This book showed me how I was using food to fill the hole that my empty, lonely life had left in the pit of my stomach. The words on its pages hit so close to home and were so painful, it took me almost a year to read the entire book. I would just start sobbing uncontrollably and would have to stop. I have had great success with my sleeve. I have lost 104% of my excess weight to date and most of that in the first 6-7 months after my surgery. Most importantly, I know that I have all the necessary tools to keep my weight off. I was blessed to have really good insurance that gave me a great education in nutrition, but the one thing I place the most value in, is the changes in mindset that I made. It is your mind that gives you a positive attitude, gets you to make healthy food choices, gets you up and exercising and makes you believe you are worth it! Oprah Winfrey once said that everyone who suffers from an addiction had something happen to them at some point in their life that made them feel unworthy of happiness, good health, love, all of the best life has to offer. I agree with that statement whole heartedly. My doctor was afraid that if I had surgery, the power I was allowing others to have over me, would have killed me. I know now, she was right. I am so grateful for her and her "hoops"! I hope you will find your answers, YOU DESERVE THE BEST!!

You'll be fine! You go in having lost weight, your doctor will be delighted. Mine was! It is really a good thing that your surgeon is making you do a pre-surgery liquid diet. Some don't but should. It is the best way to experience what you'll Have to be doing post surgery! All the best to you!!

Lipstick lady has some great advice. The best choice at Taco Bell IS the exit door! I use distraction to deal with my head hunger. I get busy with a project around the house, go for a relaxing walk, or put on some music and dance around the house like a fool! (My personal favorite!!) Activity not only gets your mind off of it, but exercise is a natural appetite suppressant!

You can drink smoothies once you reach the full regular diet phase. You just drink a fraction of what you do pre-surgery or drink them over a longer period of time than just the 30 minutes you should take to consume a normal meal post surgery. I do drink smoothies about twice a week. (They're great for constipation issues!) I just have to make some adjustments in accordance with my doctors'/nutritionists' guidelines. I add extra protein powder to them first of all. I also do not add ice to the blender but instead I pour them over ice. Most important of all, you need to let them stand for at least 2 hours in the fridge to let the bubbles dissipate. I usually make mine in the morning and drink it for lunch. Forcing the air into your system can be very uncomfortable and inhibits your digestion. I'm sure others may do it differently, but this is what works for me. Good luck!

I always preferred a straw but I definitely swallow a lot more air when I use one.

Look for a local support group and ask if they have a clothing exchange. It is a great way to help fellow losers on their way down!

I never had the lap band myself but there are several people in my support group that had the revision and were so glad they upgraded! They have said they feel so much better, little to no hunger compared to the lap band and that the sleeve was so much easier. Hope that helps! Best to you!!

Do you like cottage cheese? If they are allowing you to have soft food, it is a good source of protein. Soups are good but watch the sodium levels. You can also eat cream of wheat thinned with milk when you reach the puréed stage. Fat free refried beans mashed tasted really good! Try to stay away from things like mash potatoes. Starches are empty calories. Your body needs protein and fluids first when it is so seriously restricted. Good luck! You'll make it through!

You can reset a healthy metabolism. Research "establishing a new Set Point Weight" to find out how.

Such great advice in this thread! I love it!! Just stick to your program and it will happen. Think positive!!!

Not sure that it will make a difference to them but you should definitely tell them. Remember the Protein first rule. It exists because protein feeds muscle. Our bodies are very adaptable. Feed it well and it will find a way. Best of luck and Thank You for serving our country!!

Watch out for chili. Wendy's for example has 6-9 g of fat. And Thanks TheaMarie for the healthy dining finder link!! = )

At 4 1/2 weeks I was eating 60-70g of protein and around 600 calories as advised by my program. Good Luck!