joatsaint

The thing that made it easier for me was Cream of Mushroom Soup (I didn't add Water like the label says to). It was thick enough that it felt like I was eating solid food. Boiled eggs worked too for me. And, I have to agree with makemyownluck, a pound a day is not slow.

Man! That sounds good right now. Wish I had the ingredients to try it. Thanks for posting the recipe.

The toughest part of the program for me, is the waiting for the scale to move. I'm 6 months out and seen 4 or 5 two week plateaus. Just finished a 3 week plateau this morning (today, I'm 5 lbs lighter - overnight - go figure!????????) Try to be patient as your body adjusts to the weight loss and reduced calorie diet. It's not a steady process. But you will get there in the end.

One of the reasons I can think of for going sugar free is that we are suppose to get our nutrition from our food (as opposed to Vitamins and supplements). To get in the required Protein and stay within the recommended daily caloric intake, will naturally force us to choose foods that don't have much processed sugars in them. Most any foods with sugar or high fructose corn syrup are going to quickly push us over our recommended daily calories/usually have low amounts of protein/and be low in nutrition. And on top of that, sugar can be a trigger food - causing hunger to increase/spike insulin levels/and leave you feeling lethargic when insulin levels crash. I know that when I eat starches that I get hungrier the more I eat - until I'm busting full. Then a few hours later, my insulin levels come crashing down and I get hungry again.

It does get better. It did for me, around day 7. But I think you are going through Stage 15 right now. :-) Stages of Weight Loss Surgery 1 - I'm fatter than ever. I've tried everything, I'm miserable and I'll never be normal. 2 - Contact insurance company and get referral for WLS 3 - Do I really want to cut out part of my stomach? Is this really what I want to do? Maybe just one more try, to do it "on my own." 4 - Okay, I'm sure. I need help losing the weight. 5 - WHY IS THIS TAKING SO LONG! 6 - First doctor's appointment. So Excited!! 7 - What? Why can't I get the surgery next week? Why do I have to do all these appointments? 8 - OMG OMG OMG I Got my date!!! Wonder if I can bring my leftover stomach home in a jar, like tonsils???? 9 - I'M NOT READY FOR THIS! What if I'm the one person this doesn't work for? 10 - food funeral - One last pigout to say goodbye to my favorites. 11 - Two week liquid diet - Holy crap! How am I suppose to live on this gunk! Feels like I am starving. Maybe just one slice of pizza? 12 - Day before surgery - Am I sure... am I sure? They can't put my stomach back in if this is a mistake. I can't do this, I can't! 13 - Hour after surgery - Okay, it feels like an alien is trying to pop out of my chest. Where's that morphine pump! ...I'm feeling ok, I can make it! 14 - Hours after surgery - What do you mean you want me to get up and walk?! Can I have a popsicle? 15 - Home - Can't lay down, can't sit up, can't eat anything without stomach complaining. I CAN'T DO THIS!! What the F did I do to myself? Please Lord, take me now. 16 - Week after surgery - Okay... things aren't so bad now. I can make it. Still can't get in the recommended Protein and fluids. Still wondering if I really messed up. 17 - One month - Okay, soft foods are getting old, things still hard, but I can live with this. Am I ever gonna poop?

It was normal for me to get dry mouth when I first started using my CPAP. It went away for the most part. I occasionally get dry mouth, but only once every couple of weeks. If possible, you may want to boost the humidifier up to add more moisture to the air your machine is generating. I can adjust the humidifier on mine, but not the air pressure.

I can usually tell within 5 minutes after the 1st bite. I don't believe sleevers can get dumping syndrom very easily, as we still have the pyloric valve - which regulates the passage of food from the stomach to the intestines. http://www.mayoclini...DSECTION=causes

The main thing I would look at is the carb count in my foods. Check out the sugar grams in Protein drinks/bars and any other fluids taken in. I run my foods through this nutrition calculator to see the protein/carb counts of my food. http://caloriecount.about.com/ From experience, I know that simple sugars will make me retain weight and slow down my weight loss.

I think my 1st steak was at week 5 or 6. When I was back on regular foods. Steak never bothered me, chicken breast, however, still occasionally makes Frankensleeve grumble.

At home, I have a small bowl (1/2 cup) that I eat out of. If I'm still hungry, I can always go back for more. If I'm at a restaurant, I eat all the Protein first, then the vegetables. After that, I am usually too full to eat another bite. I too am a "clean plate" addict, but Franken sleeve will let me know (painfully) if I eat one bite too much.

If I have to choose between full fat or carbs (sugar/high fructose corn syrup), I go with fat. From my own experiences, I gain weight easily by eating sugar. My insulin levels go way up and my body packs on the weight. At least with fat, it takes more energy when my body converts fat to energy and my insulin levels stay normal.

Screw that! Go online and check the debit card charges! Those can't be thrown away.

I was hurting pretty good the 1st week. I didn't need help getting around, but I did need my friend to drive over to the pharmacy for me and to the store for some popsicles. I wouldn't have been able to drive. I didn't feel like eating anything other than sugar free popsicles, so as long as my supply held out, I didn't need anything else. By day 7, I was able to drive myself around and had no trouble going back to work on day 10.

I guess it was better to mistype and have it come out "piece of him", rather than spell "gum" with a "c".

I am at 6 months and I can eat about 1/2 of a normal sandwich. A 6 inch sub would be at least 2 meals for me at this point. For a while, things had to have a very strong flavor or it would taste flat. Now, my taste buds have returned to normal. But I do like some things I didn't like in the past. Like eggplant - haven't liked it since I was a kid, now it tastes good to me. I think part of the taste bud change is being off of refined sugars and processed food since surgery. I've eaten a piece of pizza here and there, and a few other junk foods. I usually limit myself to eating those things at 1 meal per week. But the rest of the week, I eat lean Protein and vegetables.

Just remember, you can tell people about your surgery anytime you want. But, you can't untell them later. I've been a target since grade school, so I'm very defensive about giving out ammo to the haters.

I wore mine for the 1st month. My doc said I could stop wearing it 2 weeks after surgery, but when I returned to work, I kept wearing it just to be safe..