MidwestGirl

I've lost 51.8 lbs since surgery!!!! Which means I've lost 69.2 lbs since last July when I first went to orientation. I am about 1.2 lbs from being halfway to my goal! I can't believe this! :w00t: My surgeon told me about the 60% in the first year stats, which would mean I'd be down to 190 by January 2011. He told me at my 3-month post-op appointment 2 weeks ago that I may not necessarily ever make my goal (140). I'm gonna prove him wrong. :thumbup: I'm going to get strict on my exercise regimen again, and I want to be in Onederland by May 15th, which is the day I'll graduate from college. I think that will be a nice way to go out. So I'm hoping to lose another 12.2 lbs in...a little under 4 weeks. We'll see! :eek: Thank you all for all of your support. I couldn't do this without you guys!

Hi, Lori! Welcome to VST! That is so great that your new insurance will cover the sleeve. Woot! I took about a week before I was really feeling back to myself. After 4 days I was off pain meds and it was more uncomfortable than anything, and that same day we actually went to a movie so I was a little more normal. I'm a college student & had my sleeve done over Christmas break so I really can't say on how long it take to go back to work. I had a good 13 days before I needed to come back to school so I got to enjoy being lazy & having my fiance take care of me. :blushing: This forum is a great place to find both information and support. Love this place!

Wow, it sounds like you are going to be off to a great start! I wish you the best of luck for a smooth surgery & recovery. And I look forward to following you on your sleeve journey. :biggrin0:

Yey! Good to hear you're doing great! Mmm, ice chips. :blushing: I remember when I was in the hospital I was so irritated because the night nurse let me sip some apple juice and then the nurse the next morning said I couldn't have any. :sad0: Apparently I wasn't supposed to have juice that early, lol! Loved the p.s. by the way!

I used the lower-sodium version of chicken flavor bouillon granules for broth. I lived on it for the first few days after getting home! For cream soups, I had just about everything. :blushing: All thinned & strained, but still yummy: cream of broccoli, broccoli cheese, cream of celery, cream of potato, clam chowder, oyster stew. As Tiffy said, I think most of mine (if not all) were the 98% reduced fat kind. I also had thinned cream of wheat made with nonfat milk and some garlic powder mixed in. Loved that stuff!

Welcome to VST! I wish you the best of luck with your insurance approval! :sad0: Good to have you here!

What kind of pre-op diet do you have? I know what you mean about not feeling ready! I didn't really do any "last meals" either. But give it a few months and you can have little portions of whatever you want! :sad0: You're gonna do great!

Woot!!!!!!! Congrats on the date! It will be here before you know it! And the pre-op diet can be pretty crappy at times, but in a couple months you'll remember it as just a tiny little bump in your journey & it will be soooooo worth it! Happy dance!

If you're taking an Iron supplement, some recommend having a Vitamin C source at the same time you take the iron to help it absorb better. That's why I started the mandarin oranges originally. Now, it's just yummy! :thumbup1:

Sheri, here is the link to that thread. http://verticalsleevetalk.com/recipe-sharing/2966-aimees-surpise-chili.html I forgot about that recipe! Bookmarked it! :thumbup1:

I agree with Stacy, I'd report her. I thought it was creepy before...and then she wanted to get an attitude? Oh HELL no! :thumbup1:

Woot! Congratulations on your date!!! That warrants a giant banana happy dance!!!!!:thumbup1:

I did low-carb for two weeks as my pre-op diet. I didn't think it was too bad, but I did Atkins for a year so I knew the deal. :thumbup1: I had lots of fat-free cottage cheese and meat those two weeks! I think was allowed 1/2 c. of starchy vegetables a day, but no other carbs (besides my protein shakes). And it was over Christmas for me. :blushing: Lol. Best of luck!

That is most definitely creepy! Thanks for the heads up, Tiff, and sorry you're having to go through that crap. :thumbup1:

I, like Tiffy, have also become much more label-conscious than I used to be. I'm sure the fiance is getting annoyed with me by now since I tend to get a little "OMG, did you SEE how much sugar that has??? How can you eat that?!" :blushing: Anyway, there is a coffee protein drink called Click available if you need an alternative to coffee. I haven't tried it but I know people on this forum have, and there are posts about it if you search for them. Also, I'm one of the few whose dietitian doesn't recommend to watch carbs, so while I try my best to keep them low, I definitely don't keep track. And for that reason, it's important to me to distinguish what kind of carbs you're eating. The cocoa carbs probably doesn't do a whole lot for you, but the non-fat milk has nutritional value so the carb count on that should be weighted differently. Kind of like how yes, fruit has carbs, but they shouldn't be equated to the carbs in say, a bowl of white-flour pasta. Just keep that in mind so you don't beat yourself up about the carb count, because some foods that are high in protein (like beans, for example) are also higher in carbs. :thumbup1: Carbs: the battle of good vs. evil :lol0:.

Wishing you the best of luck today! :thumbup1: Happy thoughts for a speedy & uneventful recovery!

I was told I could have popcorn after six weeks. I don't count my carbs, so I occasionally have a 100-calorie bag as a nice protein-filled snack. :thumbup1:

I would say that the amount you're eating is definitely the kinds of food you've been eating. Everyone here will tell you they can eat more soft foods than dense protein. But once you get to eating say a solid chicken breast, I don't think you will be able to eat more than an oz. or two at first. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. There were some days when I was earlier out that I felt like I could have eaten more than the 2 oz. my dietitian told me to eat. Other days, I would struggle to fit in the whole 2 oz. at a meal! So no worries! As long as you're eating the right things, following your dr.'s orders, you can't wrong. Hope that helped. :thumbup1:

I had the same experience. :confused: Just make sure you don't progress your diet because you're doing well. I know that sounds obvious, but I know I wanted to! :drool: Congrats on the smooth transition! Strange how it seems easier for some more than others. Enjoy it!

Yey! Welcome to the other side! You will be feeling better in no time! Just keep walking & sipping, walking & sipping!

Thanks guys! Ahh, this wonderful, crazy journey. I seriously wonder sometimes how many collective pounds everyone on this board has lost...crazy to think about! :blushing:

Well, to be honest, I'm not limiting my food choices at all. My dietitian has told me not to worry about carbs so long as I'm getting my Protein in first. I try to watch the sugar content and other general nutritional value in what I eat, but I basically eat whatever I want (within reason!). I know I'm the type of person that if I limit myself in my food choices, I'll end up binging later, which would really suck with tiny tummy . I try to make good choices, and sometimes I don't make the best ones, but that's why we did this, right? :thumbup: Wow, sorry about my ramble. To answer your question, I can eat a taco, just not a whole lot of one! I think I've only really had tacos once since surgery and I got some kind of obscure organic-section brand of soft-shell wraps that was low carb, some kind of herb flavor. I made it small but I still couldn't eat it all. I don't measure out my food any more, but if I had to guess I would say I'm eating somewhere between 2-4oz. at a meal, depending on exactly what it is I'm eating. I know it must suck right now, but just think! A month ago you weren't eating food at all, so you ARE making progress! Like Tiffy said, you gotta eat something, girl! I know you said you get full after only a couple bites, so if you have the option maybe try eating lots of itty bitty meals throughout the day? I'm not sure how viable that is depending on your schedule, but that may make you able to get more protein in without feeling like your sleeve is going to explode! Hang in there, Stacie! Things will get better! You'll catch up to me food-wise in no time! :blushing:

Keep in mind if you dislike the idea of baby food, you can essentially make your own. On my plan, anything I could blend into a mushy substance, I could eat. So this is the time to puree some chicken with a little mayo for a little bit of chicken salad. I once tried to blend asparagus....don't try that. Well, unless you have a food processor. I used an actual blender, lol. That widens your food options a bit if you don't want to buy pre-made baby food. I ate a lot of the pre-made tuna salad packets and made my own chicken salad. I actually didn't even need to puree it because it was mushy enough, but may make it go down easier if you get chunk chicken/chunk tuna and make it yourself. :blushing:

I'm sorry I can't offer any advice. But it is completely understandable that you're scared to eat! I would be too had I gone through what you have in the past few months. I'm sorry I can't offer any help, but I'm sendinf you a cyberhug and hoping things get better for you soon!

And not only is it healthy...it's EASY! :blushing: And with our tiny tummies, cost-effective too. Like $6-7 for a 2lb can of almonds keeps me in breakfast for a good month!