loris

I will second the caution.....however I purchased my "compression" garments at Walmart, without trying them on. When I got home and put the 2x t shirt top on it was like a boa constrictor had me. I literally could not get it off! I tried, then stopped, tried again. stopped. I was wondering how I was gonna get this thing off, i really needed someone to remove it, with my hands up in the air, like a mom takes a shirt off of a child! I was contemplating CUTTING it off when I was finally able to get it off. I took all $60 worth of the compression garments back the next day I'd like some firming on my stomach and hips/thighs. I might try spanx but this sizing thing is iffy. I am a 1x on top and a sz. 20 bottom. guess i'll have to try things on at the store but I fear having another boa constrictor incident in the dressing room! lol

I had about 1/4 of a super large baked potato (i specifically waited until my daughter was visiting so I could share it with her) with some broiled chicken the other day. no issues, however I have had ZERO swelling and only experience the tight-chest feeling when i unknowingly push my sleeve capacity. it is an ongoing process to determine how much of each type of food your sleeve will handle/tolerate. You can determine a standard measurement (by volume, as I have....which is no more than 3/4 to a max 1 cup per meal total of protein/veggies and 100% dependent on the density of the food). I eat for the nutrients I will receive from the foods...so with that mindset baked potatoes have a necessary nutritional purpose for me: POTASSIUM. I log all of my foods on myfitnesspal.com and am always below the RDA for potassium. Most foods high in potassium are also high in carbs, so every night I plan my next days menu....and adjust accordingly. I will choose to not put 1% milk in my Protein shake and choose lowest carb veggies/meals so I can eat some avocado, baked potato or some lima Beans and still stay under 40 grams of carbs. I try to choose potassium rich foods that are no/low sugar. There is no "one correct way for everyone". Some people are carb sensitive. Some are carb addicts. For those people a baked potato could wreak havoc on their progress. For others such as myself an occasional potato yields better nutritional stats, so I eat it. I avoid empty carb items like Pasta and breads because I have no desire to eat them, they have no value for my nutritional goals, and they take up space that could hold protein and Vitamin rich foods. As others have suggested, try a baked potato again in a few weeks. While I haven't had any foods disagree with my sleeve (YET!) based on all the posts I've read here you will likely be able to eat them eventually. Everyone heals/swells differently, so be patient! and don't avoid baked potatoes just because they are a carb! they DO have a place in a well planned sleever's menu.

I'm ljsc (that's LJSC but all LC, not sure it matters...the LC L looked like an I, lol) but I don't know how to add/become friends with anyone! Otherwise I LOVE MFP, it is awesome!

lunch and dinner are usually 1/2 cup of dense Protein and 1/2 cup of vegetables. tonight it was 3.1 oz of shrimp (7 pcs), 1T cocktail sauce. 1/2 c. frozen chopped cooked broccoli with a melted laughing cow triangle thingy of cheese. for lunch I had 5-6 oz. of grilled seasoned chicken breast with onions and swiss cheese. I ate about 2/3 then baggied up the rest and finished it for my afternoon snack. (this was 1/2 of a coworkers leftover sandwich (got rid of the grinder roll it came on) so that's why I am guessing on the measurement) i usually have a shake for Breakfast, a mid morning snack (1/2 c CC or a string cheese stick) , lunch (above), an afternoon snack (yesterday it was 6 cherries, today nothing as I was full from lunch), and dinner (above). anywhere from 650-800 calories total. I use myfitnesspal.com to track my intake and work hard to make sure I get my protein in plus high values of my vitamin/mineral needs. even thought I take Vitamins I feel it's best to actually work to eat nutritional stuff, plus I LOVE veggies. I cannot imagine only getting in tablespoons or 1-2 oz. per meal.....that just doesn't sound like enough nutrition. I guess if you can do Protein drinks also but my dr. wants me eating my protein not drinking it. I feel like I get to eat a lot, am very satisfied with what I get to eat and haven't hurled yet so me and my tummy are getting along quite well so far, lol.

I know, a lot of people can't eat much that early out. Strangely, I kinda' felt disappointed that I wasn't experiencing some of the same problems other newly sleeved people were! (now I am thankful!) I thought maybe my Dr. didn't make my sleeve small enough/right, lol. I've found out he did dense protein/real food = restriction lol From the beginning I was able to get all of my Water in, and pureed food just went right through me, between the diarrhea and lacking nutrients/+hunger I progressed myself to softer meats and foods faster and it was good for me. I've had zero issues mainly because I listen to my body/sleeve and with all of the knowledge I've gained here nothing came as a surprise! I guess I didn't have any swelling at all! As of today I am down 24 lbs. post op/ 40 lbs. w/pre op diet, and I feel GREAT!

I am 1 mos. and 1 day out. I can eat 1/2 cup of meat/protein (chicken breast, roasted pork shoulder,eggface ricotta bake with chicken added to it) PLUS some veggies. I put my foods in 1/2 cup plastic containers.....i finish the veggies at my desk nibbling on them for apprx. 1/2 to 1 hr. my day is like this- 7 am Protein shake, 9-10 am morning snack, 12:30 lunch, 3-ish afternoon snack, 6-ish dinner (dinner is my "lightest" meal) I also get apprx. 80 oz. of fluids in

Can you add me for June 27th? THANKS! and how do I add the little Jewels of June thingy? Can someone explain? Thanks, Loris

today B- Protein Shake: CLICK mocha espresso made with 1c. 1% lowfat milk, 4 oz. Water and lots of ice. frappaccino YUM! I am ADDICTED to my protein drink! mid-morning snack- 1/2 c. cottage cheese L- 1/2 c. chicken breast grilled + 1/8 haas avocado. (this was 1/2 of a wrap from our monday catered lunch @ work. tossed the tortilla and ate some of the "insides". grilled zuchinni & summer squash (4 pieces cut round, not long) afternoon snack- 1 frigo mozzarella string cheese stick dinner - 1/2 cup of beef with cheese, onions & peppers (the insides of 1/2 of a leftover philly cheese steak sand) this gave me 845 cals/35 g. carbs/67 grams protein tomorrow (I preplan whenever possible) B- click mocha espresso Protein shake made WITHOUT milk this day mid morning snack- 4 taco breakfast bites (crustless quiches theworldaccordingtoeggface recipe sort of) L- small shrimp (3 oz) with 2T cocktail sauce. 4 pc. grilled zuchinni/summer squash (leftovers from yesterday's lunch) I also have a piece of gilled beef rolled up with some spinach left from yesterdays luncheon and am hoping to have a "surf and turf" lunch but doubt I can eat it all....and hate to not eat the veggies cause i LOVE THEM!!! afternoon snack - 1/2 cup edamame (shelled soybeans, will nibble on for an hour or so) dinner - 3 oz. grilled tilapia fillet, steamed green Beans (1/4 c) 771 cals/48 g carbs (this would be why I am skipping the milk today, the corn & beans in the taco breakfast bites are carbing me out)/93 grams protein. See how pre-planning helps? I feel like I can eat a lot, about 2/3 to 3/4 cup at a time and I am only 1 month out. I vary my days between 700-800 calories, try to stay below 40 g. carbs and aim for a range of 70-90 grams of protein, most from real food, not Protein drinks. I usually have to eat the mid morning & afternoon Snacks, and always eat all of them. however my actual meals are oftentimes only 3/4 or so consumed. my dog appreciates my new lifestyle at dinner time for sure I have never hurled or got the foamies, however I have eaten too much 2x and almost hurled not fun I eat kinda fast I think, compared to how others here describe how they eat. I feel normal now (comparing myself to non-sleevers) in terms of bite size, chewing and total time to eat a meal. however my coworkers think my portions are ridiculously small (i use 4 oz. plastic glad containers for all my food) oh....and i've lost 23 lbs post op so far. Others might lose faster, my goal is to #1 be/stay healthy by getting my required protein/nutrients THEN #2 lose. Everyone says I GLOW....and I have a lot of energy so I'm thinking I'm doing ok!

I just had Panera cater our sales meetings at work and it was a HUGE hit. I took over the scheduling the lunches from my bosses assistant because I wanted to make sure I'd have something I could eat for these long days of our meetings, lol (plus she always got NASTY lunches!) anyway the cool thing on their website is their nutritional area, it allows you to remove ingredients from their sandwiches so you get accurate calorie/nut info; I ended up eating 2 half sandwiches over the day (both without the bread/spreads,just meat veggies & cheese) and was still able to accurately track my foods that day. Yeah Panera! Our office has a catered luncheon every Monday and they are talking about doing Panera maybe 1x a month now. I am excited because I always have to skip Monday lunch, awkwardly bring my own food, or worse, eat some and be unsure if I am blowing my calories for the day

I picked up a box today in the freezer section. It has 6 microwavable bags of shelled edamame (soybeans). each bag is 2 servings with the following nut. stats per serving: 90 cals.; 2.5 g. fat; 8g carbs (3g dietary fiber); and EIGHT grams of protein!!! Is this ok to eat? It's a vegetable but it's not too much Fiber like celery or coconut right? (i read the horror story someone posted about the coconut fiber staying in their stomach). It's more like a firm pea. I want to try these for my afternoon snack at work......does anyone else eat them? I really feel like I need VEGGIES! i work so hard to get Protein in with little room left for veggies, so it would be nice to "double dip" and get BOTH at the same time

thanks everyone! I think I'll be real happy with this new option for a healthy, Protein filled veggie snack! lori Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools

I LOVE my morning CLICK mocha espresso! i even dropped my usual cup of hot tea with coffee mate creamer which i have been addicted to for years! The click has 120 cals, 1.5 g fat, 12g carbs, and 15 g. Protein. It's worth the carbs love, love, love it! i make it with 14 oz. cold Water, 2T sugar free vanilla torani syrup, and ice. i whirl it up in the blender, then put it in a Blender Bottle with a few more cubes ( i like it cold!) and drink it on my commute. it usually takes me 1+ hr. to drink it all...very rewarding fix

I just ordered something called PB2 from Amazon. I'll let you know how it is! I love the idea of adding Protein without the fat so i'm willing to try it. It's actually peanuts that have had all the oil squeezed out of them and then the leftovers grounded into a powder. There are a lot of things you are supposed to be able to do with it, from mixing with Water or milk (and more!) to make a creamy butter, to adding to shakes, adding to cooking (stir fries and such) and much more. OH....and they have chocolate PB2 also......I only ordered the regular so far..... here is a link to the manufacturers website: http://www.bellplantation.com/ I'll try to attach the nutritional stats too (1st time adding a file so we'll see!) <br /><br /><br />

Hi CJ- My surgery was the June 27th. I had -0- complications, no swelling, no issues swallowing or tolerating any food/drink. My Dr. wants me to stay on mushies for another week because "he doesn't want anything to get stuck and cause vomiting/wretching". ummm...ok but i've had -0- issues along those lines so ??? I'm gonna try to stay with it but find that eating pureed/mushie (slider food) makes me hungrier sooner (not the same kind of hunger as b4 though) i think i eat from purees, mushies, and soft, you judge from the following- my fave (and many others) is eggface's ricotta bake- http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/ i add some pre-cooked chicken to the bottom layer (some add ground beef) eggface also has a lot of other great recipes, I've tried the bites, and even cheated a bit and had one of the pizzas (with very soft/mushy toppings (finely chopped chicken and artichokes) and chewed well. guess i'll try her crock pot roast recipe this weekend, I eat tuna salad to which I add a chopped hard boiled egg and (per the recipe) parmesan cheese to up the Protein (google barbie's best tuna salad to find the recipe on allrecipes? I think....) a scrambled egg with cheese/real bacon crumbles or salsa turkey meatballs from trader joes with tzatziki sauce (TJ's also, makes the meatballs taste like a gyro! sprinkle a tiny bit of greek seasoning over the meatballs. the tzatziki sauce even has protein! chile-lime chicken burgers (TJ's) i've had mashed potatoes (very little, I didn't want to eat a lot of carb-rich foods early on) and one time taco bell pintos and cheese. i'm thinking about having Wendy's chili tomorrow but i'm a little nervous. beef sometimes give sleevers trouble. my portion size is 1/2 cup total or less, depending on what it is: cottage cheese is easy, turkey meatballs (2); chicken burger (4 oz b4 cooking) 1 if nothing else, 1/2 burger if i have a few tablespoons of green Beans with it. fave veggie right now is canned green beans as they are soft and easy and i feel safe with them, kinda afraid of others even though i love them. i have had a spinach/tomato/feta cheese side dish a deli near us makes...it's chopped up super well and i am really feeling veggie-deprived. turkey or chicken lunch meat grilled talapia filets boiled shrimp as I said all of these things have agreed with me, i have to eat slow and chew a lot but I don't think anyone else thinks i eat abnormally EXCEPT for the portion size. i'm satisfied and track my calories/nutrients on myfitnesspal.com and am getting a fair share of nutrients via food. i have done well on my protein and Water too (i drink click espresso Protein Drink (LOVE IT!)) hope this helps! Lori

try some chicken broth, since it's warm it might help relax your sleeve? I added cooked chicken to mine and the put it in the blender....still easy to sip but extra calories/nutrients/protein. i noticed when i was in the hospital the broth there (which tasted WAY better than my pre-op diet boxes of chix broth!) had some pulverized chicken AND it had fat blobs floating on the surface...maybe you could add a teaspoon or so of butter or cream to add some calories? since you can get in so little i'd make sure what i was able to get in was as helpful as possible. heck at this point if i were you i'd try hagen daz ice cream with some Protein powder added to it. your body needs some fuel.

I have Dr. Neil Floch in Norwalk/Stamford. Had surgery 6/27 and absolutely no problems! I am sooooooo happy! besides the usual - # of sleeve surgeries, complication rate, bougie size, hospital infection stats etc i'd ask about pre-op and post op diets the diff. surgeons require.....you know yourself and how well you will be able to adhere. I needed some flexibility on the pre-op as I gag on most if not all liquid diet shakes. grosses me out. Dr. Floch said try, if you can't then do 1000 cal. low carb diet. I loved that he understood and trusted me enough to do what worked best for me. I did try to do at least 1 opt-fast meal a day but love veggies and chicken breast and was happy with that i had -0- issues with any pre-op testing/scheduling, they did a great job with the insurance approval process. And we did things at my pace, I wasn't rushed, OR more importantly made to go so slow that I wanted to scream (I've read stories here that make me go WOW!). Best of luck on your research and ultimately your surgery! Do what I did - hope for the best but prepare for the complications......know that you could have swelling issues/nausea that might slow down your recovery but have a plan for what you need to get through that time ready to go....it will give you peace of mind as your surgery date approaches lori

My Dr. had a set of questions he asked in order to access the need for the shots. Each answer was assigned a numeric value, and the results were tallied and my "score" determined whether I had to take the shots and for how long. The only question that garnered me a score was regarding varicose veins = 1 week of shots post op/post hospital shots....2 more days and it will be over I guess I have a different take on this: I NEVER would have believed I could administer a shot to myself. EVER.....so imagine how proud I am of myself regarding this whole situation- I had the strength and determination to pursue this surgery, I didn't chicken out at the 1st obstacle; I endured drinking stuff I never would have dreamed of before (liquid meds/drinks have always been an issue for me) AND I GAVE MYSELF SHOTS!!! I am so freaking proud that I am conquering silly fears and issues and taking CONTROL OF MY HEALTH!!! I feel sooooooo good too! seriously....I am giddy with anticipation. of losing, of new adventures, renewed confidence....the future looks bright! besides...the needle doesn't even hurt, I'm injecting into a (large) layer of fat. if you let the alcohol dry it doesn't even sting. the fear was all in my head, and head problems have gotten me into this weight situation.....lol. i am bruising a bit at the injection sites, but so what? I bruise every time they take blood from me......there are no bikinis in my near future so who's gonna notice?

I had surgery 6/27 and I was so bored at home that I went in to the office for a 1/2 day on day 5! I have had -0- complications unless you count two days of (way TMI) very loud liquid bowels that had me scared to death to go more than 15 ft from a toilet, lol. That kept me from going in on day 4 for a 1/2 day which I was kinda' planning. Desk job with 2 assistants, plus with the long holiday weekend I knew I could recover. I have no problems getting and keeping my liquids in and am successfully eating pureed and some soft foods (cottage cheese, thin shaved lunch meat) so I think maybe I am an exception to the norm. I was mentally prepared for complications, even to the point of taking out additional short term disability insurance in case of severe complications that would keep me from working for a few months. I scoured the boards and purchased everything I read that sounded helpful: gasX (never used as hospital wouldn't allow me to self-medicate) heating pad (never opened) etc. My motto was prepare for the worse, hope for the best!

I have to give myself the shots also.....and I was kinda freaked out about it (even though like you I watched someone (brother) give themselves insulin shots for years). Surprisingly I am doing it like a pro......the anxiety leading up to it is lessening and I "just do it" lol. One of my nurses gave me a tip to let the alcohol dry off the skin before I inject and it won't sting. works great! i inject into my belly fat and I feel little or nothing! I only have to do 7 days. I've not had any complications with bruising beyond my usual surgical IV site bruising which is fading. Like you I am/was freaked out about the possibility of a blood clot do I am determined to do this, but honestly for me the fear/anxiety was overblown. Perhaps you should call your gyn. and ask him for advice? Your surgeon used criteria to determine whether you were at risk for a post-surgical blood clot so I'd assume that that criteria is still relevant and you need to continue with the shots. I wonder if they can prescribe some Iron supplements or an infusion to help the anemia for these next 9 days? At the very least know that each day that passes you are closer to an end. Others have leaks or swallowing complications that seem to take forever to resolve so try to look at the bright side? This WILL end....

Retried Beans "loosened up" with enchilada sauce with some melted cheddar cheese Tuna or chicken salad Ricotta bake (www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com Mashed potatoes thinned a bit (if you are not carb sensitive) Soups purreed (I add extra precooked chicken to mine to up the protein) I haven't gotten nauseous from eating yet but I get a tight feeling across the top of my chest if I take a bite or sip too close together. I eat (and drink) very cautiously crabcakes are on my list of things to eat once I'm on regular foods (yum!)

<br /><br /><br /> I'm bored silly! Daytime TV is awful, I can't do much in the way of housekeeping or clothes shopping (waiting to go down a few sizes for that!) and I figure I'd rather get the hours back (i'm using vacation time) so that I can use them for FUN later on I have a desk job, and with today being the start of a holiday weekend there won't be much happening...so I figure it'll be ok and if not I can leave. i also scheduled a haircut for after work, and hopefully this long weekend I'm gonna do a mani-pedi.....I feel like I want to start off fresh on this new adventure I've been letting myself go, i found it easy to do as I was so heavy......I'm going to change that for sure!

I would take a small cooler and have an assortment of protein rich foods in those 4 oz. glad containers (love them!) cottage cheese ricotta cheese w/toriani syrup (faux cannoli filling ala eggface) yogurt greek yogurt w/toriani syrup flavoring thin sliced deli meats babybel soft cheeses hard boiled eggs tuna or chicken salad and of course plenty of fluids!!! i'd say double what you might normally drink in that timeframe, you don't want to get dehydrated sitting on the beach have fun!!!

I had my surgery on 6/27 also How many grams of Protein are you getting in? I felt a little weak yesterday but today I started pureed foods and i am really trying to up the protein. Like with a can of chicken Soup I added 4 oz. of frozen cooked chicken cubes (target) and then pureed it all. I rested a lot today but tomorrow plan to go in to work for 4 hours so I can see how that goes, i'll have Friday-Monday to recover if it kicks my butt

for your labs, ekg, & endoscopy you should be able to choose to go to anyone that takes your insurance. I would caution you on choosing your NUT and the person to do your Psych. Evaluation, along with your PCP (if you don't have one). You want to make sure you choose people who are familiar with and supportive of WLS, not all will be. I have read many posts where someone's PCP or Psych has caused some issues with the approval process. Since I had just moved to this area I asked my surgeon to refer me to a PCP which worked out great. I went to the Psychologist and Nutritionist they suggested also. It made the process less stressful knowing that the Drs. I was seeing were familiar with/supportive of WLS. It shouldn't be too difficult to find out what nut/psych. your local bariatric surgeon refers patients to and use them. I'd advise doing that vs. going with a random selection. good luck! Lori

i brought the comfy pants and top and they are still in the bag. once i was in the gown (maybe they put it on me after surgery?) i found it easier to just cover up with the front snap closure robe i brought. i only put it on for my walks. the thought of trying to deal with putting on pants is just too much for me and i'm doing really good....no real pain, just abdominal discomfort. chapstick is a must. laptop computer if your hospital has wireless i brought biotein but only used it once. the hospital has these sponges on a long stick and i used them to moisten my mouth and scrub my tongue/teeth as soon as i was in my room. i couldn't drink until my leak test and i found these to be a lifesaver. the nurse put 2 in a big styrofoam cup of ice (my daughter poured some Water in it) and i used them the first 24hrs post op. i found the biotein too sweet and strong. iphone for texting/calling/entertainment i even have the VST app on it. i will wear the same thing home that i wore to the hospital. i have an audio book on my iphone but don't really feel like listening to it yet. i've had the tv on for background noise but haven't really watched it. between working at getting water, broth and sorbet in and walking, plus email/web surfing/sleeping i've been occupied. i had surgery monday afternoon, leak test tuesday at 9am, and have been in no pain except for some mild abdominal muscle discomfort which is addressed by the liquid pain meds they're giving me.