Dannymac

So I've been sleeved since last Saturday and while I was in Mexico I moved immediately from clears to yogurt drinkables and custard cups. A lot of you indicated this might not have been the best idea (though my surgeon's paperwork could be interpreted to allow that), I decided to scale back to liquids for the second week to keep my sleeve safe. Only problem is I don't feel any restriction with liquids now (even jello). They go right through me and I still end up a little hungry afterward. Soup gives me a little satisfaction, but there's not a huge selection of soup without chunks for me to choose from. At this point, I'm longing for tuna salad or egg salad, for real foods that aren't just Desserts in some form. I'm also really desperate to get off liquids because I have very few choices that are low carb, besides my shakes, and those don't fully satisfy me. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is it normal to just have liquids go right through you? Granted, the hunger isn't as intense as it would have been before the surgery, so that's a plus. But one of the big issues I'm having is finding "full liquids" that are low in carbs. I really, really don't want to lean too heavily on Protein shakes as I'm really sick of drinking them. But I'm starting to get the impression I simply can't avoid them.

I got sleeved on June 18th

So I got sleeved exactly a week ago. The following was posted by me at OH for those of you who frequent both sites. I'm just trying to get some insight into a really frustrating situation. I was on IV fluids only until Monday, when I started clears. I was on clears until Tuesday afternoon when my info packet said I could move to purees (including mashed potatoes). So since Tuesday, I've been eating the following: -Refried Beans (made me a bit bloated and unhappy) -Yogurt drinkables with splendaa(very pleasant, easy on my stomach) -pudding cups (fill me up fast, but pleasantly satisfying) -Soup with the chunks strained out, though not necessarily clear broth (ie, tortilla soup and hot & sour) -Soft tofu mashed into thin paste -Runny oatmeal with milk and Splenda -Starbucks Iced Latte with no sugar Now bear in mind I just got back. Protein drinks and sugar free options were very slim down in Mexico, so I had to commit minor carbicide a few times, just to get something in me. But is there anything on this list I should definitely NOT be having one week out? Only the beans felt like a bit too much. I'm also trying to better understand the when and when not to drink in relation to meals, even if the meals are mostly liquid. My doctor's diet schedule is incredibly vague "Softs: 3 days to three weeks" and a lot of the other ones overlap. The confusion comes because Angeles Health's own literature is so damned inconsistent. I dug up one version of their post-op plan that outlines Week1: Clears, Week2: Protein shakes, Week3: Puree, etc. But my doctor's nutritionist handed me a paper packet that said to go from clears to puree on Day 4! So I did, and it even listed mashed potatoes as an option! I'm so confused! And now you all have me worried. My own nutritionist isn't seeing me because she thinks there's no point since my diet is so restrictive. I flat-out told my surgeon and his team I was having yogurt drinkables, strained soup (not necessarily clear), and mashed potatoes and they voiced no objection. *sigh* Another issue is that when you're released from the hospital, they cut you loose and want you to stick to the diet plan. We found no easy protein shakes in Tijuana, nor did we find anything low-carb that I could eat in the pureed category. We really were left to our own devices. My stomach feels okay. I was eating mashed potatoes extremely slowly, licking little bits from my spoon and could only eat an ounce or so before feeling full. I'm perfectly happy to scale it back now that I'm back in the States. Should I just go back to my pre-op protein shakes? How do I know if my sleeve is okay and didn't get stretched?? The potatoes were okay at first, but now I just feel a bit bloated. I guess I'm trying to get some peace of mind that I haven't done any permanent damage to my new sleeve. PS - The coffee dried me out, so I think I've learned my lesson on that.

Wow, thanks for all the replies. I did only try to get SF yogurt drinkables, which they did have. I do have to say, that after mushed tofu and mashed potatoes yesterday, my stomach was (and still kind of is) feeling overfull and unhappy. I'm a bit better this morning, though trying to get enough water in. I'm going to cool it this week and just to protein shakes and yogurt. Like Plication, I am just really sick of dessert crap. I want something savory really badly. I had some tomato soup on the plane that really agreed with me well and made me feel satisfied. The runny oatmeal and tortilla soup liquid also were easy on me and filled me up. It's just the beans and potatoes at this point that have made me feel bloated and gassy. I guess I was just starting to get a little antsy about not getting enough protein, seeing 12 pounds come off in a week and, worried it was just muscle mass.

So I'm new here, and I'm less than two weeks away from my surgery, which is on the 18th. I'm getting Sleeved at Hospital Angeles in Tijuana. The pre-op diet they sent me seems kind of contradictory and I just want to know WHY these pre-op diets have to be liquids in particular. I've been low-carbing for a few months now and I've lost about 25lbs. I have a private WLS counselor who has had me eliminate almost all carbs from my diet. Here's the diet the hospital sent me: 1. There are *NO CALORIE* LIMITATIONS on the LIVER-SHRINKING diet. You may eat/drink as much as you wish of the allowed things to feel satisfied, although we suggest reasonable limits to assist your weight loss. 2. No solid foods at all for the period of time when you are on the liver-shrinking diet. 3. A maximum of 40-50 grams of carbohydrates (carbs) a day. 4. You may have as many high-protein/low carb Protein drinks a day as you wish. No limit! 5. You may add low-carb Protein Bars up to the max of 40-50 grams of carbs a day. 6. You may have any type, brand, and quantity of Protein Drinks and protein bars that you wish, as long as you read the labels carefully so you are getting a MAX of 40-50 grams of NET carbs a day. 7. Count only the *NET CARBS* that are on the label, not the “total” carbs. Please eat and drink NOTHING that is not clearly labeled as to net carb content. With some products, the “Net Carbs” are called “Impact Carbs” or “Effective Carbs”. 8. You may have as much Water, Crystal Light, herbal or regular teas, or coffee as you wish – but please remember, NO sugar, and NO milk/creamer with high carbs. You must count any carbs here in your daily total of 40-50 grams maximum. 9. Your local GNC or other nutrition store will have a variety of drinks and bars to try. We suggest getting one each of several kinds to try before you buy a larger quantity, so you can find some you really like. Don’t buy huge quantities, as protein bars and drinks are not useful or suggested after you are back on real foods after surgery. We feel that the Atkins ADVANTAGE and ENDULGE bars are excellent, with about 3-4 grams of Net Carbs per bar, but there are several other brands that are fine. 11. If you find that you simply CANNOT get through this without some “real” food, *PLEASE eat *only* solid protein!* Choose only a piece of chicken, a lean steak, a hard-boiled egg, or some low-fat cheese. PLEASE: *_NO mayo, BBQ sauce, ketchup, sweets, junk food, cereals, or anything else._* Even the smallest amount of non-protein, carb-laden food can take you out of ketosis and easily negate many day’s worth of the low carbs that are so greatly decreasing your surgical risk. 12. Watch out for things that you would normally not consider food! You must also have NONE of the following things that are full of sugar: chewing gum with sugar or carb sweetener · breath mints · cough syrup · hard candy and cough drops. ----- So I guess my question is it okay to just keep on going the way I have been, with fried tofu, homemade chicken Soup, SF candy, diet soda, cheese, burgers and pork skins? The diet mentions nothing about limiting fats or calories, just carbs and ketosis, which sounds like Atkins. So instead of wanting me to just chug Protein shakes (which I've got as well), why can I just keep eating regular Atkins-okay foods, so long as I keep my carbs under 40 a day?

Hi All, My name is Dan and I'm about to embark on the gastric surgery road. Up until this point, I had thought I had firmly decided on a Gastrict Sleeve Plication with Dr. Corvala in Hospital Angeles in Tijuana. However, after reading some posts about still feeling hungry or miserable after the surgery, I'm starting to wonder if it's right for me. I currently weigh 405lbs with a BMI of 52. I'm 28 years old and have been overweight since I was a kid. Recently, my father and I have come into some money which would make this surgery possible, so financing is not currently an issue. But my father is nervous, especially about sending me to Mexico for what seems to be almost-still-experimental surgery. I hear all this talk about ghrelin and people with VSG's and RNYs who are happy to say adios to their stomachs, and it makes me wonder if I'm wasting my time with the GSP. My case manager at Hospital Angeles has been very nice and answered most of my questions, but I need to find out more before I tell my dad everything's okay. The fact that I was told I could be post-op in less than a month made me almost giddy with excitement. I'm not afraid of surgery, I'm not afraid of the pain, and I'm not afraid of traveling to Mexico. I'd endure anything to get this weight off of me. My ultimate goal, someday, is to get below 200lbs. I like the idea of the GSP, but I'd consider it a big challenge if I'm hungry all the time and the only benefit from it is to punish you with pain for eating too much. Is there anyone who can advise me on this? Also, I've seen talk of Jose Rodriguez and the VSG in Tijuana, but can't find a website for it.