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Strain it and use it! It's far more flavorful and will keep you from getting bored. And don't forget that you can use spices during your clears phase to make boring old broth taste better. I never cared much for hot and spicy foods but immediately post op they made me feel much more satisfied. ~Cheri

Maybe your liquid is too cold or hot? Or maybe your proportion of liquid needs to be upped. Or maybe you just need to keep searching for your perfect protein! I use a blender ball shaker and have only had this issue with one of the samples I tried, so you shouldn't be having it every time! I mix my protein with hot coffee in the mornings - I drop two cubes into the blender cup, brew the coffee over it and stir a few times to cool the coffee - I want my coffee hot, not nuclear hot. Then I add my protein and shake, stopping halfway through to pop the top so it won't explode on me. It's never gritty and it only ever foamy if I shake too much. You could probably do your soup the same way. ~Cheri

And on the IUD - it's hard to say how your body will react to any type of birth control after surgery. Browse for threads on this one - I know I created one on Mirena and several of us were discussing it on a different thread. Some of us are perfectly happy with what we use prior to surgery but post op, have an issue. Or in my case, I had my Mirena put in post op and LOVED it...except I couldn't lose weight while it was in. Now that I'm at goal it will be my preferred form of bc, but be aware that you might have to fiddle with what you're using more post op. ~Cheri

Lissa gave great tips (as usual!) but I wanted to reassure you that you can make the trip, too. I flew from Frankfurt, Germany to San Diego to have my surgery with Dr. Aceves. I only received one additional dose of Lovenox before traveling. Have the attendant bring you a large bottle of Water the first time they come around and sip, sip, sip. I had to ask them to bring me room temperature water because the cold caused spasms at first and they were happy to help. Also, walk, move, shuffle your feet, move around as much as possible. And DO NOT cross your legs on the flight home, either. You'll be fine! ~Cheri

Not being on a good PPI, or being on one that isn't doing the job for you can also cause you to feel hungry when you aren't actually hungry. And is this really hunger? I'm not poking at you, I'm asking you very seriously. Is this just a matter of you feeling like you could eat more or like you wanting to eat more? Separating the two will help you in the long run. Finally, your foods are still fairly soft. You might find that your desire to eat more or your ability to eat more than a few bites goes away once you're onto things like chicken/tuna salad or scrambled whole eggs. Good luck - you're doing the right things and I hope you can find a solution that makes you feel happier about how/what you're eating. ~Cher

Nothing is a forbidden food once you're healed. That can be good and bad, depending on your particular food issues. Yes, there's a rough patch once you're sleeved where you're on liquids and desperately want to chew food, even though you're not really hungry. But really, in just a few short months the way you look at food will change a lot. Some of those foods might still be a temptation after surgery and some might be no problem for you. I was a french fry addict prior to surgery but I can take 'em or leave 'em now. I never cared all that much for popcorn prior to surgery and it's my favorite snack now. Our tastes change. For me a big part of moving past the head issues that I had with food was realizing that I can eat whatever I want. I eat like a normal person. Some foods don't agree with me as much (tortillas, pasta) but I can still choose to eat them in very small portions. That has really helped me out mentally - knowing that I can eat what I want and that I'm not giving up a normal life just to lose weight. It's easier to walk away from a food when you know it's you making the choice because you want to, not because of a diet or a doctor's order. So for now, just hang in there. Pre-op diets seem to be difficult. Many of us do a food funeral before surgery, but try to keep it under control and don't build a habit you'll just have to break once you're sleeved. And definitely follow your doctor's orders as best you can. You'll get through this. Once you're sleeved you'll start to slowly change the way you look at and think about food. You'll have to! With such a limited capacity you're forced to consider what and when to eat so that you can not just lose weight but continue to be healthy. ~Cheri

I just wanted to say thanks for posting as a warning for everyone. I hope your mom heals quickly and can avoid the second surgery, unless she needs it for quality of life! Nobody wants to live on soft foods forever. Your list is so extensive I couldn't add anything if I tried. Well, except tofu, but I'm a weirdo that loves the stuff whereas most people hate it. It's good so many ways but my favorite post op was to get it at a good Chinese restaurant with a really hot sauce. Oh, and the Chinese egg custard - nice and savory, not sweet - was great when I was healing but again, it's not for everyone! Again, thanks for posting and wishes for a speedy recovery to your mother, ~Cheri

Yes, good luck! For me the time between starting to consider surgery to actually being sleeved flew by very quickly, even though it was several months. Before you know it you'll be asking advice on what to eat during the mushy stage! ~CHeri

We all have moments like this when we're on a diet, don't we? It's incredibly frustrating. You're allowed to feel sorry for yourself, though. I used to get so frustrated with my family even before surgery because I was diabetic and half the places they wanted to eat didn't really have a good option for my strict diet. The reality is that you'll probably go through a good patch of feeling this way, off and on. Now, once you're sleeved it's different. You might still want that food because it smells good (or you're on liquids and want to chew something!) but a lot of us find that things simply don't taste the same to us and those old favorites aren't appealing anymore. It's hard and you have every right to feel angry and frustrated and sorry for yourself. But you're making a change that's going to impact the rest of your life for the better. It's worth the suffering now. And those foods aren't gone forever, either. You could choose to eat almost anything after you're healed, in moderation. You'll probably find that your tastes and your ability to eat certain foods has changed but you'll have the option. Sometimes, the hardest part is just being told you can't do something - once you choose not to do it on your own you feel differently about the whole thing. Good luck! Less than three weeks before you're rocking that sleeve...and a diet of clears! ~Cheri

I agree that I didn't go down a size until I lost about fifty pounds. And I didn't really swing through sizes all that quickly on the way down, either. I'd say I got a good solid three to four months in most sizes before I went down again. Stretchy things and things you can adjust with ties or wraps are a good choice. Also, hitting thrift stores or craigslist or your buddies that are losing weight for clothes can help take some of the burden off of the new wardrobes. The only time I was really frustrated about buying new clothes (and shelling out more money) was when I all of a sudden dropped from an eight to a six. Sounds silly but I had only lost about five pounds but I went down a whole size and had to replace my entire wardrobe. Not just clothes but undergarments, bras, shapewear and even SHOES. I lost a shoe size, too! But in the end, it's worth it. Only buy things as you need them and don't assume you'll hit every size on the way down: I coasted through the 12s in a minute and barely wore the things I bought myself in that size. Best of luck. In the meantime stick to those things that you can shrink down or let be a little loose without looking too sloppy. Dresses are a great way to do this. ~Cheri

It could also easily be B12 deficiency (causes lightheadeness) or Iron deficiency. This early out you're still getting a lot of your Protein from shakes, right? I do get lightheaded if I take my carbs too low, too. Best bet is to get a panel done just to be sure you're alright, anyway. I thought I was doing fine and just got tested recently and found I was really low on both, explaining my dizzy spells, fatigue, forgetfulness and irritability. Well...perhaps the irritability is just me. Hope you figure it out soon! ~Cheri

It's really frustrating. Both sides of my family base EVERYTHING on food, and none of it is good for you! Going to family events, or heck, even just stopping by my mom's house to visit turned into a really frustrating experience for me in the beginning. I remember making this huge Thanksgiving spread for my family at just four months post op and hardly eating any of it and while it's true that I wasn't really hungry it's still difficult mentally to adjust. One time we were home with family and everyone was shouting out their choices for restaurants and all I could think was, "Does nobody here care that I can't eat ANYTHING at that restaurant right now?" And yes, I got plenty mad. It's hard. You're giving up a lot when you choose this surgery and you're so new to the sleeve that you're not even on a normal diet yet. Later, you WILL be able to choose to eat those foods if you really want to, but in moderation. And you might be surprised to find that some of them don't taste nearly as good as you remember, anyway. Food is more than just sustenance for a lot of us. It's family. It's social. It's fitting in with the people around you. When you find yourself unable to participate in activities you used to take for granted (like eating birthday cake or enjoying pot roast with your family) it's not easy. Hang in there. It really does get better. MUCH better. Because as you shed this weight you're going to start realizing that food has been controlling you. You're going to feel better and look better and you're going to find that it affects other areas of your life, too. And yes, with time that stomach will heal and you can eat a more normal diet. But in the meantime, it's a great time to work on those food issues we all have that made us big in the first place. Are you really hungry or do you just want to eat? Good luck, and come back here to vent any time. We all understand this and experience it, too. ~Cheri

Meh. Some doctors don't force you to do a pre-op diet at all (mine didn't) so I wouldn't stress. I'd try to pick up the pieces and get back on your doc's plan tomorrow, though. I would have a totally different tone if you had just cheated on your POST op diet because healing after surgery is no joke and it's very important to keep to the liquids until you're cleared to start regular food. And as a sad side note, I would enjoy those tortillas now...if you're unlucky like me they won't go down the same after surgery. I make my own and can't even eat half of one anymore. ~Cheri

Yes, I wouldn't suggest it if you had to gain a significant amount of weight but six pounds vs. six months? That's an easy choice! ~Cheri

You've gotten some great advice here. You knew the answers before you posted, though! It's not easy but you can shed those last pounds to goal if you work at it. It took me 17 months to get to goal and I lost a similar amount of weight. If the reason you're feeling like a failure is because you know you could be doing better (managing food and stress) then yes, okay, I can see that. But if you're beating yourself up for not meeting goal by one year, well...a lot of us don't. I'm here to be your cheerleader: your sleeve is STILL there and it works exactly the same way as it used to. All you need is the discipline to eat properly (which you know how to do!) and record your food intake. The weight will come off more slowly now that you're closer to goal but if you start doing the right things again it will come off. Everyone needs a counselor at different points in their life and you should take advantage of health insurance providing this valuable resource. Surgery on our stomachs doesn't fix our heads...and our heads, not our stomachs, made us overweight in the first place. You can do this. ~Cheri

Congrats! Enjoy it, you've earned it! ~Cheri

Happy Birthday, coops! I'm glad you and your daughter enjoyed the day. And what the hell is a birthday for if you can't even eat some cake? ~Cheri

It really does get easier with time. Anniversaries are the hardest time to cope, I know. My daughter died in December of 1999 and for many years I'd have a difficult time around her birth and death dates. I still do, but it used to be an entire month of moping and overeating before the actual date and now it's just...different. I can't explain it, but you'll get there, too, though knowing that doesn't help you now. This is a hard time for you and you're coping the way you're used to coping: with food. That has to change if you want to not just lose the weight, but be successful keeping it off in the long term. The hardest part of maintenance is keeping it all in moderation. Work on this. Do not allow yourself to dwell on the sadness in your life. Grieve, yes. You have to! Just don't do it with food. There are many other ways you can express how you're feeling without trying to numb that pain with junk food. Please PM me if you'd like to talk. All of that aside, you have many things to be thankful for right now, too. You have two sons with birthdays this month. You've also done very well with your sleeve so far! You have every right to be proud of your accomplishments so far and I'm sure that once you get over this hump you'll get right back on track. And please don't beat yourself up for falling off track. I did it a few times on my journey - a lot of us do it! It's part of the learning process and coming here to "confess" is one way of keeping yourself accountable. You see the problem, now fix it. Best to you. Nobody really understands what it's like to bury their child unless they've been there. It's a sign of how you're healing that the worst thing you have going on is bad eating habits and forgetting to take your vitamins! I was a wreck the first two years, so you're doing alright! ~Cheri

I'm definitely in need of heavy moisturizer and hand cream post op and never had a real problem with dry skin before. It doesn't seem to matter if I drink so much Water I feel like I'm swimming - my skin is very dry. Part of that could be the climate where I'm living now, though. I think losing weight aged me a tiny bit but it's not as if I popped out all wrinkles right away. I think a heavy, full face just tends to look younger for some reason. If you take good care of your skin you should be fine. I can't help with the sagging skin as I got hit terribly by this one. But then I never had good skin tone to start with - my growth spurts at ages 9 and 13 gave me stretch marks and my twin pregnancy did a number on me, too. Exercise will help but a lot of what happens with your skin is up to genetics, unfortunately. Take good care of yourself and get some strength training in to build muscle and you'll be doing everything possible to combat it. And yes, whenever you're stressed or excited about something your cycle goes crazy. Sorry! ~Cheri

I'm 21 months out from surgery and have ZERO regrets. There are challenging parts to life after surgery, I won't lie. But the little bumps here and there are nothing in comparison to the great changes in my life. The only thing I would have done is opt for surgery sooner! I didn't tell many people for a long time because my husband is just very quiet about personal things like that. It actually made things sort of awkward with family and friends that didn't know, though, because everyone noticed I was eating much, much smaller portions and you can only get away with the excuse that you've just eaten a few times before people start to think you're anorexic or deathly ill. Nowadays I tell everyone that asks how I lost the weight and I have no embarrassment about doing so. Sure, some folks think I cheated but I really don't care what they think. It was definitely work to choose to put the right foods in my mouth for the 17 months I was losing weight and if they can't see that, it's their problem and not mine. Most of us do a "food funeral" prior to surgery. I wouldn't fret overmuch about it but at the same time I'd be careful not to build a habit that will be hard to break post op. The only thing I'd do is replace a meal here or there with a protein shake so you can get used to drinking them. They'll be necessary for a while after surgery. I still drink one nearly every day! Best of luck, the next few months will fly by. ~Cheri

Now, you knew before posting this what the answer to your problem is, right? At least you've confessed your sins. Now is a chance to do a few things. One, revamp your eating habits and don't let depression be your scapegoat for sabotaging your success. You had surgery to change, remember? That includes how we react to stress. Which leads to the second opportunity here: examining your emotional eating. Admitting we indulge in habits that made us overweight in the first place is sometimes enough to help us overcome them. If it's not, there's always support on this board or in a group if you need that. Talking to other people that are in a similar boat might help but everyone has different comfort levels. Being laid off is exceptionally stressful and suffering from insomnia isn't helping you cope, either. My hope is that someone here will chime in that can help you more directly. All I can offer is sympathy for the situation you're in and an admonishing finger wave for indulging in old habits. It's understandable and food is our crutch when we're stressed, anxious, or just plain bored. I'm sure you're all of these things right now. Get out and take a walk at night or hop on the treadmill. Or just adjust what you're snacking on to something better for you. Hopefully you'll find new work soon and this situation will be temporary. However, it can be a learning experience. Facing some of the head issues now can only help your long term success. Sending my hopes that your stressful situation lets up soon and better things come your way quickly. In the meantime: STOP IT! Get back on track or you'll be kicking your own butt once things are back to normal. ~Cheri

I'm nowhere near your age or your height (lucky you!) but wanted to add my vet's advice. Don't worry about how fast you'll lose the weight. I know, you want to know what to expect and you want to daydream about how you'll look on a particular day. We all do! The reality is that it will happen when it does and you can't predict it. You might be a super fast loser or a slower one. Either way, you're going to be losing weight and no matter what you can make it to goal. But I can say from watching the boards that you should have no problems reaching your goal weight. I'm much shorter than you but was sleeved at 242 pounds and was in the 150s within 9-10 months after surgery. Good luck! ~Cheri And I love that Dooter is such a hoot!

Yes, the way they do the sleeve makes it hard to stretch. I mean, this would take EFFORT on your part. Not just overindulging occasionally but actually eating to the point of pain and discomfort and sickness on a daily basis to stretch. Honestly, I'm nearly 2 years out and if I eat two bites too many of Pasta it HURTS and I get sick. I can't imagine doing that enough to make the sleeve stretch permanently! So no, I've seen no talk of revisions from VSG to another surgery, unless someone got VSG as a first step of the DS and wanted to wait a year to see results before finishing their operation. This is for much larger patients that have a bigger amount of weight to lose and I've only seen people talk about it once or twice in the nearly three years I've been following the boards here and on ObesityHelp. I did see a lady that was going to do the DS one year post VSG but lost enough she opted to just stick with the sleeve! I'm 21 months out, started at 242 pounds (high weight 280) and I'm 5'1" tall. I was wearing sausage casing 18/20s prior to surgery and I'm now in a size small (sometimes XS, sometimes M) and I wear a size 6 (sometimes 4s!) so I can honestly say that even though it took me a bit longer to reach goal (17 months) I would never have revised to another surgery. I also self paid (10K with flights from Germany to San Diego to see Dr. Aceves) and it was worth every single penny! With your stats you can easily do this with the sleeve. ~Cheri

Is it the shake? Is it what you're mixing it with? Is it the temperature? Cold drinks made me nauseated in the beginning. Look at all of the variables. I developed lactose intolerance post op so my shakes AND the milk I was mixing them with were doing a number on me. First step is to try and isolate the issue. I recommend finding a site that does samples of Protein and trying a bunch of them until you find one that you like the taste of that doesn't make you ill. It's possible if you keep trying! I now drink my protein with hot coffee or tea and sometimes soymilk. I still cannot drink any milk, even lactose free, without experiencing nausea. ~Cheri

Oh, and eggs are tough on a lot of people! If you have this issue again with eggs even eating slowly, put them off for another week or so and try a different food. Cottage cheese is an easy one and is packed with Protein. A lot of folks like greek yogurt, too. ~Cheri