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I wouldn't be. It could be a few things. It could be acid. When you have too much acid, it rumbles in your belly just like a growling stomach. It feels JUST like hunger. This is most likely your issue, even if you're already on a PPI, because most PPIs take 10-14 days to start working effectively. It could also be that your ghrelin levels haven't tapered off yet. It takes a while for some people to lose the hunger. It could be head hunger. Even though I've not experienced actual hunger since surgery, around day 16-17 of my post op liquid diet I felt like I was starving. Really, what I wanted was to chew food. Once I had the chance to eat solids (well, mushies) I quickly found that I wasn't very hungry, after all. Or, you could just be one of the very unlucky people that doesn't lose the hunger with the surgery. Not everyone does. I wouldn't assume this is your issue until you've carefully considered the other options. Out of all my research, and all the time I've spent on this board (and OH) lurking and then as a registered member, I've only seen two or three people EVER post that they always feel real, actual hunger post op. Some people still get a "hungry" feeling when they've gone a while without eating, but it's not the same thing. So I wouldn't just assume the surgery was a failure because of this. Wait it out. If you aren't on a PPI get on one. Good luck. ~Cheri

I didn't have a liquid preop for my surgeon, but I forced myself to do Medifast for four months as a weight loss attempt in 2008. At least Medifast was 5 & 1 - five liquid meals, one lean and green meal. The hardest part of the liquid diet for me, beyond the insanely lowered calories, is that I desperately wanted to chew food. I know how hard it is. I remember how my entire day revolved around when I could drink my next shake or Soup. Does your pre op guideline allow any free foods, such as sugar free Jello or broth? If it does, you'll have a little flex room and can add in a free food twice a day. No, it won't be terribly satisfying (though you'd be surprised how much fun it is to "chew" jello after you've been drinking for a few weeks) but it might help you out mentally. Post op I didn't mind liquids for a few days. I was sore, I was tired, I was just happy the surgery went well. My post op guideline had me on liquids 20 days - 10 days of clears, 10 days of full liquids. By day 7 of clears I wanted fulls, but had to stick it out for three more days. By day 6 or 7 of full liquids I wanted nothing more than to chew food. Those last few days were long and hard for me. In short, it's easier post op. You're not going to be feeling as hungry, and you'll have your surgery aches and the rapidly dropping weight to distract you. But yeah, by the end of your post op, if it's as strict as mine was, you'll probably want something you can actually chew. For me, it was easy to look at the post op diet and compare it to those four long and torturous months on Medifast. I only lost 27 pounds in those four months. This is only for a few weeks, and you're going to lose a lot. Then, once you're able to eat more food, you're going to continue to lose weight (albeit at a slower pace). While it will still be a struggle sometimes and you will stall and plateau a few times you are probably not going to fight to lose every pound the way you have in the past. It's all worth it. Just try to focus on the goals, and see if you can work a free food or two into your diet while you wait. ~Cheri

It's all going to depend on how you heal and tolerate surgery. If you've had a major surgery in the past and recovered well, you might expect to do the same. I'd had several other surgeries, including laparoscopic ones, so I was pretty sure I knew what to expect. It was slightly worse than I anticipated. I spent 3 nights in the hospital so I did the majority of my recuperating there, with nurses to help me out. I then flew almost six thousand miles back to Germany and within a day of landing was chasing my two year old twins around. The day after I returned from surgery (day five) I spent the day doing light hiking, playing games with the family and picnicking - it was a bit soon for me. I did well but by the end of the day I needed a pain pill and lots of sleep. I was sore and uncomfortable for most of the day for three days after my surgery, and I spent these days in the hospital. Then I was sore and uncomfortable only at night and when I overexerted myself for another two or three days. I only used pain pills for five days, so I know I was feeling much better by day six. Within one week I was almost back to normal. I still tired fairly easily for about ten days post op, mostly because it's difficult to consume enough calories and Protein immediately post op. I'm sure you'll be able to lend a hand around the house with your wife not feeling well, even just a few days post op. I think the light hikes and cabin camping should be a breeze, and by the longer and more strenuous trip you'll be farther out and better able to tolerate the activity. Get your VSG done as soon as you can if you can't avoid the January date, because you want as much healing time as possible by then, just in case you have a harder recovery than you expect. Good luck, and keep us posted once you decide when you'll have your surgery. ~Cheri

Okay, I'm actually a little over three months out now. My surgery was 15 July with Dr. Aceves. I was down 45 pounds at my 3 month mark. My starting weight was 242 pounds and I'm 5'1" and change. I started in an uncomfortably tight 18/20 and I'm now wearing loose 16s. The 14s are still uncomfortably tight, but I'll be in them by next month. My shirts were XXL and XL and are now L. No more Xs on my shirts! I've lost a bra size (both band and cup) and I'm finally able to wear my wedding band again. My shoes went up half a size when I went over 220 pounds, and now all of the shoes I bought are too loose and slip off my feet. I stall every month, twice a month. I lose about 15 pounds a month but I lose those pounds in two and a half weeks. I'm a type 2 diabetic and I'm insulin resistant, and my weight loss is "slow" compared to a lot of people sleeved at the same time. It's normal for me to stall for ten days and then drop six pounds in the next four days. Milk is not my friend. After a lot of work to pinpoint what was causing my digestive issues, the answer is MILK. Even lactaid upsets my stomach. My Protein shake, cottage cheese and plain yogurt do the same to a much lesser degree. I was looking for alternative and my doctor suggested goat or sheep milk, saying that they don't have lactose. I'd switch to almond milk or soy milk (if I could tolerate the taste!) but I'm about to move to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and I wanted to go with an alternate I could find once we move. Goats and sheep abound in Tashkent, but soy milk and almond milk do not! The great news is that goat milk isn't too bad once you get used to the aftertaste. At first it felt like I was drinking milk while munching on chevre. Since switching a few days ago, I've been able to drink my Protein shakes with only minor intestinal distress. I've also broken through a two week stall and lost 2 pounds, so things are moving again. I am losing hair. Not too much yet, but there is definitely more hair on my shirts and in the drain catcher. I've been taking Biotin (5000 mcg) since preop and I get all of my Vitamins in - I think the newly increased loss is due to my lower protein intake. While I was unable to drink my shakes I wasn't getting enough protein. I hope that I'll be able to pull through this without too much additional loss. My diabetes is well under control with just diet and exercise. I sleep better and longer than I did before surgery. I'm also more energetic and move a lot more than I used to, without getting sore or tired. Sometimes I don't see much of a change, but then I'll see a picture of me from this summer flip by on our screensaver and realize that I've come a long way already. My face is definitely thinner, and I only have a little more to lose before that dreaded double chin is completely gone. I have no regrets and would have this surgery again in a heartbeat. I wish I lost a little faster, but even at this slow rate, I'll be at goal by spring. ~Cheri

Family and friends can be unsupportive because they're worried or because they don't understand the process or your position. We all go through this, and we all grieve the loss of our comforting food friends. The fact is, you need to decide if you hate being fat more than you love those foods. They aren't gone forever, so take heart in that. They're out for now, and for a while post op, but as you learn better eating habits you'll find you crave those foods less. Once you're at that point it's not hard to have them in moderation. The sleeve is going to make the moderation thing a LOT easier. If you're not starving all the time it's much easier to be satisfied with a small glass of wine or a single slice of pizza. Don't talk yourself out of this procedure. Your fears are normal, and I promise, they'll be easier to deal with post op. ~Cheri

It could be a number of things, really, and you'll likely never know what it happened. Transitioning to mushies/blended foods tends to cause most people to stall. I experienced a small gain at this point myself - about two pounds. If you're constipated, something like Miralax will get things moving again. This could be part of your problem, too. I drink it every other day in a cup of hot tea and don't have that problem any more. Whatever the cause, you know logically that you can't possibly be consuming enough calories to account for four pounds of weight gain. Wait it out, and I'm sure you'll be back on track in no time. While exercise is a good idea to shake your body out of a stall, I'd be taking it very easy just three weeks out and not doing much more than a brisk walk, if anything. ~Cheri

I lost 17 pounds my first month. I stalled at week three and didn't lose again until my second month started. I lost 11 pounds my second month, and I lost 10 pounds my third month. I now know that I stall for a total of about ten days per month, thanks to my cycle. I'm a slower loser, but that still averages out to more than three pounds a week. I've never lost 3 pounds a week before. Yes, it's frustrating. Yep, we want to compare ourselves to everyone else. Women that were sleeved the same month as me, with similar stats, are already more than halfway to goal. But you know what? I am losing. I'm losing faster than I've ever lost weight before. And even though I feel like the slowest loser in the world I can reach my goal in less than nine months from my surgery date. That's just four to five more months. Once I put it in perspective, there's nothing to be upset about. It used to take me four months of near starving misery to drop 30 pounds before. In comparison, this is almost effortless. Keep up the good work, you're doing just fine. ~Cheri

You'll know it when you experience it. I don't ever get hungry. The only time my stomach growls is when I forget to take my acid reducer two days in a row! What I do get is a sort of empty feeling - I'll realize my middle feels hollow and then notice I haven't eaten all day long. I'm like Tiffy - I can go all day on liquids alone and completely forget to eat. I'm a Type 2 diabetic, and if I went a long while without eating before surgery I would get shaky, irritable and nauseated. Nowadays my blood sugar is pretty constant and those issues are completely gone. My full signal is also the hiccups. If I push past and eat another bite it will come right back up. I can stop before I feel hiccups, because my chest gets a little tight when I've eaten enough. You'll know what your signal is before too long. Eating too much (or too fast) will cause discomfort or will bring the food right back up. You'll pick up your signal very quickly because you'll want to avoid the uncomfortable feelings when you overeat. ~Cheri

I missed this thread until just now! I was sleeved by Dr. Aceves on 15 July 2010 and had a fantastic experience from the very first email all the way through my post op questions. I do not have a single complaint. I hope to one day drag my mom and sister back to him for sleeves of their own! ~Cheri

You've done a fantastic job! Congrats on all of the changes in your life - you sound incredibly happy. I'm sure you'll easily be able to beat that surgeon's goal by a few. The mental game is the hardest part, because the surgery does a lot of the work for us, doesn't it? With time I bet you'll adjust and get used to the new you. It seems to take a while for the mind to catch up to the body. Thanks for posting your success for others to see. When I was considering surgery these testimonials were what motivated me the most. Keep up the great work, I bet we'll see a GOAL post from you soon! ~Cheri

Choose meats/proteins that are less dense or dry. Pulled chicken barbeque made from chicken thighs, tuna salad, egg salad, chicken salad, very moist meatloaf with some gravy, swedish meatballs...these things should go down more easily. Use gravy, sauce, etc. to make the meat "slide" a little better. And take small bites, of course! I'm three months out and still have a tough time with dense meats like steak or chicken breast. I have to take very small bites - thumbnail sized or smaller - if I want to eat anything more than one bite. The constant feelings of hunger could be a few things. One, it could be acid. Really. I know everyone says this and before I experienced it I thought it wasn't true. But it is true. The acid roiling in our little tummys sounds and feels just like a growling belly. It makes you think you're hungry. So, make sure you're on a true acid reducer like Prilosec or Nexium. I was on Nexium right after surgery then Prevacid for a while. Prevacid did not work, which is when I experienced the acid issues. Prilosec does work and solved the problem. It could also be actual hunger. The surgery doesn't always take away your hunger, though it does for most. I could be your diet is too low in Fiber, carbohydrates or even Protein. You need these things to feel "full" and satisfied. Also, if you're trying to eat mainly meat but getting stuck after two bites you can't be eating much. Check your caloric intake, too. Don't go too low, or you will feel hungry because you actually ARE. If you feel hungry and it's really hunger, why not drink a low carb Protein shake? Getting more protein can't hurt you, and it will certainly make you feel a bit more satisfied. Or, it could be head hunger. I doubt this is the case, but each time you think about grabbing something to eat, or feel hungry you should ask yourself if you're really hungry or if you simply have the desire to eat. I only battle this during my cycle - but boy, for that week I can and will eat everything in sight if I'm not careful. Good luck. We all make the mistake of comparing ourselves to others. I'm always whining that I'm a slow loser, but for me, compared to past diets, I'm losing very quickly. In your case, I know I've read a stories on VST in the past where people haven't lost their hunger. Some people never do. I hope that this is temporary for you and that with either an acid reducer or a change in diet you can overcome. ~Cheri

I'm a scale addict, too! I try very hard not to let it get to me, though. Now that I'm three months out, I see the pattern. I gain anywhere from 1.5-3 pounds twice a month: at ovulation, and during my period. The scale also will not move during that time. Once that part is over I lose the weight and usually a few extra pounds. Even with the small gains each cycle I'm still losing 15 pounds a month - in reality I lose about five pounds a week three weeks of the month and nothing when I have my cycle. And I'm a slow loser! I can't be unhappy. Try not to let it mess with your head too much. You're defintely not alone. When the scale starts to seriously affect your moods and seeing no change (or heaven forbid, a small gain) puts you in a rotten mood for the whole day it's time to put the scale away for a day or two. I speak from experience! Usually after a day or two things settle down and I usually see at least a small drop in weight during that time. ~Cheri

Immediately post op I couldn't sleep for anything. I've always been an insomniac, and it was even worse than usual for a few weeks. I also needed a nap during the day for a week or two. Now that I'm three months out it's completely different. I have NEVER slept this well in my adult life. Once I fall asleep, I'm out. I used to toss and turn all night long and drive my husband nuts. These days I can wake up in exactly the same position I fell asleep in, never having moved all night! I used to be very happy with four or five hours of sleep a night, and now I average eight to nine. It's wonderful. I think part of it is comfort - I'm not as heavy so my back and hips don't hurt all night long. I'm not constantly shifting to find a more comfortable position. It's definitely an unexpected benefit of the surgery! ~Cheri

First of all, congrats on losing 23 pounds. That's more than four pounds a week, and is far better than any diet you could possibly be on. Everyone loses at a different pace - be thankful you're losing! Secondly, this is normal. You will most likely get over it, and probably sooner than you think. I wouldn't worry too much about carbs just yet, but you want to make sure you're eating as healthily as possible. Try new foods. Things you used to hate or avoid might taste lovely to you now. Add spices, hot sauce, whatever it takes to make food more palatable. Set a timer to eat if you have no hunger, or else you'll suffer for it. If you absolutely cannot eat but can drink, get on those Protein shakes. I used to hate tacos and Mexican food but it's my favorite thing right now, and one of the few things I actually want to eat. Do whatever it takes to get those calories in your body. I am three months out. I still hate to eat. Food does not taste good to me unless I spice it up like crazy. Hot sauce is my new best friend, and I put it on almost everything I eat. I am not the norm, however. Most people get over this hurdle fairly quickly. Find things you like that will help you meet your nutritional guidelines. I say this because I'm a pretty slow loser, and it's mostly because I hardly eat. I'm starting to lose my hair, and I'm sure it's because I've been lagging behind nutritionally for two months now. I have less energy than I did when I could eat or drink all of my calories and protein. Nutrition is important. I know exactly how you feel - but you have to work on this. Me, too! It's not easy, but it's important. Good luck, ~Cheri

Take a deep breath and RELAX! We all find things to stress about prior to surgery, even when we're incredibly excited and ready to make the changes necessary to succeed. If your procrastination is going to cause your surgery to be cancelled, then perhaps you aren't quite mentally there yet. It takes a while to make such a big decision. This surgery will change your life, and while most of the changes are wonderful, postive ones, there are some negative sides, too. It's work. Eating right, working on your emotional triggers, dealing with the changes in your life - these things are work, and can be a little scary. In my opinion you really need to sit down and think. Are you ready for this? Are you stalling because of natural fears of surgery, and of change? Is there a bigger issue at play here? There's absolutely nothing wrong with pushing your date back until you have your head in the right place. If you're not ready, the recovery will be harder for you. Every ache, every pain, every hassle of post op life will seem like a huge problem to you, instead of the minor nuisance it really is. Complications can happen. Be sure you trust your surgeon. If you've done your research and feel comfortable, then you're just having natural worries before surgery. If you don't know much about your surgeon or you don't entirely trust him/her, then perhaps you need to find someone else to work on you. I know that I definitely worried about complications. I was very scared, even with a fantastic doctor like Dr. Aceves (who has a great track record). It's normal to worry. I don't know the ins and outs of your particular insurance policy. The fact is, once you choose to have the surgery if you do have complications they can choose not to pay whether or not the bills for your preop were submitted to them. They're going to know you had the surgery at some point. I doubt they're going to raise your rates over this, though. If anything, your rates might drop if you don't have as many health risks after you lose some weight. I had a smooth recovery. There is nothing I regret about this surgery. Well...I do miss the hunger sometimes. I wish I wanted to eat. And I'm a slow loser - "only" 45 pounds in three months. But I've never lost more than 30 pounds on any diet before - even the ones that dragged on for four or five months. I've never been able to control my diabetes with diet and exercise before. There are a lot of huge benefits. I was only uncomfortable post op for about five days. I'd gladly trade five days of pain pills and discomfort for 45 pounds - and 45 pounds is just the start of my journey. People that have endured leaks and horrible complications still come out a few months later LOVING their sleeves. This surgery is well worth it. It was worth every penny that I self-paid, and every second of discomfort. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Get your head in the right place. If it's the right time for you, move forward and get this surgery done and over with. Trust me, you'll love it once you're on the loser's bench. ~Cheri

The first thing to point out is that Tricare does not cover VSG. They will not cover it in the next year, either, according to the half a dozen folks I talked to within Tricare. However, several MTFs, independently of Tricare, will perform the procedure on a wait list basis. They typically have you meet the same requirements for them to do the sleeve as they do for their other bariatric surgeries. It's important to keep the issues separate, because it confuses people. Availability of surgery in your area is purely based on whether or not your local MTF is doing the sleeve at this point. The military docs aren't as experienced because it's so new and it's not a covered procedure yet. However, every surgeon that does the procedure was new at some point. You'll have to decide your comfort level on this one. If everyone avoids the new surgeons, they can't become experienced surgeons. I'd be more comfortable if the surgeon had a ton of RNY experience, though. I know there are a handful of people on this forum that had the surgery done at a MTF, so you should search them out. I'm a military dependent. I'm overseas and since Tricare does not cover the sleeve and we have no local MTF that will perform the procedure, I opted to self pay. I can't help you out with the military procedure because I went no farther than the metabolic testing and nutrition class before I was told it wouldn't be covered unless I chose the band or RNY. You'll need to decide what your worries are, but I'd definitely ask about acid reducers, since I couldn't live without mine. I'd also ask about supplements, post op diet, and aftercare (like the upper GI at 3 months post op). Good luck, ~Cheri

If you haven't yet, see here: Does VSG Cure Diabetes? I'm a type 2 that developed gestational diabetes in 2007 that stayed after the pregnancy. I wasn't very advanced yet, and was on 500 mg of Metformin twice daily. My fasting blood sugar was never below 130 and was most often in the 160s, even on a very low carb diet. I'm 3 months out now and off all diabetes meds. My postprandial numbers are high normal and my fasting blood sugar is usually in the 90s, though sometimes it's a bit higher. I noticed an immediate change in my blood sugars. I did need insulin several times within 48 hours of surgery, but I have not taken a single pill to control my blood sugar since the day before surgery. I'm sure as I continue to lose weight, I'll continue to see an improvement. I will say that I am still incredibly sensitive to carbohydrates and if I eat a few bites of rice or Pasta it does make my blood sugar rise. ~Cheri

Yes, Tiffy's answer pretty much says it all. I also agree with Stacy - if you don't have as much weight to lose, why risk the lifelong nutritional deficiencies of the bypass? The portion of the stomach they leave behind is the least stretchy part of the stomach and is far less likely to stretch than the bypass pouch. It will stretch a little over time, but not anywhere near what it was prior to surgery. If you wouldn't mind posting information about your potential surgeons on a new thread, it would be very helpful to some of us living overseas. I'm currently in Germany and flew all the way to Mexico for my surgery because I couldn't find a surgeon very experienced with VSG in my area. If you're in contact with a few that do VSG in Europe, you should post their names and information so that other folks can have them as an option as well. Best of luck to you, ~Cheri

You won't know until you try it. Some things I can drink a few sips and be fine, but I had a sip of Dr. Pepper the other day and had to run to spit it out. It was super carbonated and it hit the bottom of my tummy and came right back up again. If I do take sips of soda, I'm super gassy and belch like mad, since the carbonation doesn't have as much room. I would be cautious around any food that triggers head hunger, though. For me, soda used to trigger cravings for more soda and also for the foods that go with soft drinks (in my mind) - pizza, chips, popcorn, etc. It doesn't do that to me now, though I admit that it sometimes takes me an entire day to drink half a can of diet soda. I've opened maybe four cans of soda since surgery and had to dump most of three of those cans. It's just not something I want anymore. Knowing that you CAN have it is a big deal, because then it's easier to say no. But be careful introducing a food that can cause you problems. Some people never have any problems with it, but you won't know until you try. ~Cheri

My stomach makes gurgling noises all the time. Especially at night, when my acid reducers are wearing off and the acid is going nuts. For me, it's definitely acid but it sounds like a rumbling stomach from hunger. It even feels like hunger - almost. It's like the physical hungry symptoms without the urge to eat. It's weird and completely unladylike. It's kind of embarrassing. But in my case, it's definitely acid. Are you on an acid reducer? Could this be your issue, or could it be that something you ate aggravated your stomach? Tomatoes or raw green veggies are something my tummy is just now getting ready to eat, and if I ate them just a few weeks ago my stomach would go nuts for hours. ~Cheri

What the heck? I am nearly three months out. I have struggled since surgery to eat. It's not painful, it's just unappealing. I have no hunger, I have no desire to eat and I am generally repulsed by food. Except during PMS, of course. That's the only time I want to eat, and the only time I ever feel anything resembling hunger. Lately, whenever I drink my chai latte Protein drink, or have anything else with dairy, I experience very uncomfortable and unpleasant side effects. It happens with milk, cottage cheese and even yogurt. Some things simply make me feel nauseated, but other things make me incredibly sick. I even tried mixing my Protein powder with Water to see if I could avoid the issues, but THAT makes me sick, too. I tried switching my milk to Lactaid, since I had to do that during my pregnancy, but even that makes me feel sick. Speaking of pregnancy, I'd almost believe I was pregnant by the way I feel nauseated all day if I eat dairy in the morning. But I'm not - I swear. I'm at a point where after eating one small meatball I'm done. I feel disgusted by food and it's incredibly difficult to eat enough calories. I really think that my frequent lapses into the under 500 calorie zone (and I'm often under 400) is partly why I'm such a slow loser. I can make it all the way to dinner time and never eat a single bite or drink a Protein Drink, and I only eat at that point because my sleeve is empty and the acid starts to bother me. I like string cheese and beef Jerky but I struggle to get a stick of cheese or a few pieces of jerky in, too. My big help was the protein drink, but now it seems that isn't an option. I'm also about to move to a country where string cheese and beef jerky are not going to be food options. I'm planning to order some cases online and ship them but there will be a period where I'll simply be without. I can hand carry some while we're traveling but I don't know that living on jerky is a great idea. What am I going to eat now? I really need ideas and advice. Everything makes me feel sick - either physically, or mentally. I'm never going to drop this weight or be healthy if I can't eat. If it helps, we avoid pork and shellfish completely, so those aren't possibilities. I'd appreciate any ideas. Maybe there's something I can take to make the milk not bother me as much? ~Cheri

Diva, you can google protein sludge and threads on other boards and even videos on how to make sludge will come up. My DH is in the Army and one of the guys he works with is a serious bodybuilder, which is the only reason I even know about it. There are a ton of different ways to do it, too - vanilla or chocolate protein plus Peanut Butter, some people add in nuts or fresh fruit, some people freeze it like frozen yogurt, some people eat it with SF maple syrup. It's nuts. Just remember to scale down the recipes since your goal is different than their goals. They're trying to get in lots of calories and carbs because of their intense workouts, and we just want a protein fix. ~Cheri

Thanks for the ideas. I'm so sick of tuna now since it's one of the foods that goes down pretty easily for me. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to simply try fish filets, but I'll try that tomorrow and see how it goes. I am not so good with vegetables unless they're mush. I want to eat them, I just can't eat that much and it seems somehow wrong to fill up on vegetables instead of Protein. Maybe a nice stew would do the trick. Tiffykins, thanks for the great ideas. I hadn't considered that I might need to spice things differently or more heavily. I used to stick to mostly garlic, onion, salt and pepper but maybe switching things up will help me out. Come to think of it, I've enjoyed only one meal post op - and it was a restaurant taco, with several shakes of hot sauce on top. I did try a soy Protein shake but all I could think about was how much it smelled like baby formula, so I won't be doing that again. I like greek yogurt, and you're right - it doesn't bother me as much as regular yogurt or cottage cheese. I've always considered the varieties here too high in carbs and calories but since I'm hardly eating it can't hurt to boost those numbers anyway. There is no Oikos or Fage here, just a German packaged brand called Elina's, and only the fruit or honey varieties. It's delicious though, even if it is mostly fat. Honestly, I was half hoping someone would have a miracle solution for the dairy thing. Hopefully the dairy issue won't be so bad if I can stimulate my appetite again. ~Cheri

I use Allmax IsoFlex - I have the chocolate mint, Peanut Butter chocolate and vanilla. I would never drink the vanilla as just a shake, because they don't taste good to me, but it's perfect for making drinks with coffee, tea or fresh berries. If you want to try it without buying a tub online, I got my samples from Vitalady's site. I think the numbers on the PB and mint ones are a tiny bit different - still 27 g Protein but two grams of carbs instead of less than one. I don't know about everyone else's cottage cheese, but this local German brand I buy has 19 grams of protein in 1/4 cup of cottage cheese. Who knew there was such a difference? There are differing opinions on protein. When I'm not having issues eating, I aim high - at least 75 grams a day, preferably close to 100 grams a day. Some studies show that we should have that much post weight loss, especially once we start working out. However, on the flip side there are studies that say going too high in protein isn't good, either, particularly if you're keeping carbs very low. I think the number most people aim for is at least 60 grams of protein. You'll get to a point where that's not really that hard to hit. In fact, if you liked the IsoFlex, you could have that for breakfast. Two scoops of protein plus one cup of skim milk (mixed in with coffee or tea) will get you 67 grams of protein. Protein is the most important thing that you can eat post op. You need it not only for your hair, but to keep your body from devouring all of your muscle instead of the fat. We starve without protein. Hair loss is just one part of the problem. Good luck finding a protein powder you like! ~Cheri

Even now, at three months out, it's not easy for me to drink a whole Protein shake. It takes me most of the morning. What I can do to boost my numbers is add two scoops of my vanilla Protein powder to one cup of skim milk and then I mix it into my chai spiced tea or coffee. It makes a 14-16 ounce drink but has twice the protein. Unless your protein powder already lists two scoops as a serving, or if you can't afford the calories/carbs, this might work for you. The shots are a small amount but they're not as good as the whey in the powders, anyway. And yes, they are nasty. If you're cleared for it, a small pouch of tuna has about 20 grams of protein in it, and it was fairly easy for me to get down within a 30 minute timeframe. I mix mine with 2 tsp of mayo and a tsp of dill relish and it goes down pretty easily. Cottage cheese was also an easy food for me at this point, and a 1/4 cup has about 20 grams of protein. Sometimes I needed a warm food because nothing else would go down. That's when I started the hot tea/coffee drinks, because they do go down easier for me. You can also do the unjury chicken Soup protein mix if warm helps things go down easier. There's also the option of making a sludge, like bodybuilders do. You mix one Tbs of Peanut Butter with one scoop of your protein powder (I've used chocolate and peanut butter chocolate mixes) and add a tiny bit of Water until it mixes together. I toss in mini chocolate chips, too - just a couple. It's like eating peanut butter off the spoon. I don't like the super sweetness of it, but it's gone in three or four bites, so it's an easy way to knock out 30 grams of protein. Also, I found that super sweet things (like a chocolate peanut butter shake or the sludge) are harder for me to finish so I have to keep the portions small. My sweet tooth is gone, so I'm never able to finish my peanut butter chocolate shakes or my mint chocolate chip ones. And, as a last resort, consider getting a protein powder that has a better balance of protein/calories/carbs if yours is high in any one of them. My protein has 110 calories, 27 grams of protein and less than one carb per scoop. It's easy to double it up or make it into a sludge and hit protein goals without worrying about too many carbs or calories. Good luck, I hope it gets easier for you. ~Cheri