Rainydayz

I was allowed it right away but I waited a couple of weeks. Now I have 1 or 2 cups a day.

When I was young and thin I loved to exercise. I played sports and ran track and loved it. As an adult I started back running when I started gaining weight. I lost 50 lbs. and was in great shape. Then I had babies and health problems and the exercising when by the wayside. Now in my 40's I can't get back into the habit. I just hate it. My body hurts all over due to different problems and just getting old I guess. I can't afford a trainer or a gym. I have Wii fit Plus and I like it the best. I do it maybe 2 times a week. I bought EA fitness for Wii on someone's advice and I hate it. It's so boring and the exercises are too hard. I can't do squats because I have bad knees. The remote doesn't pick up my movements correctly and it keeps telling me I'm not doing the moves right or at all when I'm trying my best. The thing you have to strap on your leg keeps falling off unless I have it so tight that it cuts off the circulation. Are there any other good Wii games or any other advice to get myself back into exercise mode? I want to try Zumba or Biggest Loser for Wii but I'm afraid it's too hard. I know I'm whining but I feel really lousy. I'm stuck at the same weight for the last 4 weeks.

That's a good idea about the library. But ours doesn't have them. I checked Redbox too but they don't have the ones I would want to try. The game I got at Gamestop was used so it was cheap, and I can take it back. I think I'll try the biggest Loser next. I agree with the one who said to get out and walk everyday. I finally did make myself get out and walk today for about 20 minutes. I felt a little better. It was so cold though! maybe I'll do a little yoga before bed. If anyone has tried the Zumba please chime in!

My nut. said i could take a Flintstones complete a day plus Calcium and b12. I asked about Iron and she said no need. So I'm wondering if that's because there's iron in the Flintstones? It's 18 mg. BUT there's also calcium in them and I though they weren't supposed to be taken together. Is it because the calcium is so little or what? It's 100 mg. of elemental calcium (whatever that is.) I'm also having a hard time getting in my calcium citrate chewables. They are horrible. I've tried the Celebrate ones in different flavors. Yuck! Are there any that actually taste decent? When can I start swallowing Citracal Petites?

I'm almost 6 weeks out. I've lost 36 lbs. Today after eating I have an achy pain under my right ribcage. I feel a little nausea. Could this be gall stones this soon? I guess they could happen anytime though. Does that sound like what this is?

I find I do better when I don't let myself go more than 4 hours between meals. If I go longer than that then I feel hungry and am afraid that I won't make the best decisions. I eat an egg and piece of turkey bacon for breakfast or a Protein shake if I'm in a hurry about 8:00. About noon I eat some protein and a little veggie, most recently it's been 3 oz. shrimp with lettuce. Around 3-4 I'll have a snack of greek yogurt or a Protein Shake or something else that has protein. Then for supper around 6:30 I'll have more protein and veggies and sometimes a little brown rice. After supper if I haven't gone over my calories and carbs for the day and I'm hungry I might have a carb smart bar or another protein shake. if I stick to this schedule then I don't get too hungry to make good decisions and don't feel like I need to eat a lot of anything. But days that I forget or go too long between meals or Snacks I can feel like I could eat a whole lot more, even though I really can't. But I might reach for something carby if I'm not careful, especially at that time of month. I think you're normal. You just have to adjust your meals to keep yourself from getting too hungry.

OK I may be jinking myself, but I used to have a migraine every month (TOM) and sometimes in between. I have only one since surgery almost 3 months ago and despite having had 4 periods since then! Does losing weight improve migraines generally? What is your experience?

I drink coffee or toss a spoonful of instant coffee into my protein shake in the morning. Yum, mocha protein. There's also a protein powder that has caffeine in it already: Click expresso. It's good.

Maybe the author needs some updated information. She says it is "typically" done on super obese people who are too heavy for other surgeries with the intent on doing another surgery later. She says that meals must be kept to 1/2 cup forever after, and a few other things that just sounded like she didn't really have good information on it. What do you guys think? http://surgery.about...GWLSSurgery.htm

I love skim milk with my shakes but 12 grams of carbs is more than I really want in a shake. I tried unsweetened almond milk and it's OK. But with some shakes the almond flavor comes through too much and tastes weird. I like Hood's Calorie countdown but it can be as much as $5 for a half gallon. Waiting for a sale. I haven't tried soy yet. It's hard to find the unsweetened. Does it have much of a flavor of its own or does it just taste like skim milk? Thanks!

I believe docs tell their patients no bread because for so many it can be a trigger food and instead of explaining all that to them they just say NO bread. My nut said I could have it after 6 weeks but I choose not to. I feel better when I don't eat carbs. I used to be all anti low-carb before this surgery. I thought it was stupid and who ever naturally eats that way anyway? Aren't people meant to eat grains and fruit? But then I actually did it after surgery just because after the Protein I could not fit any carbs. And you know what? The need or cravings for them went away. I like that. I like feeling free from a food that previously "controlled" me. I like being at the restaurant and passing up the bread basket. It makes me feel powerful and in control. And a lot of the bread available to use nowadays is so processed and refined that it doesn't resemble what our ancestors ate anyway. I don't like the crunchy whole wheat bread so I just don't do bread. There is no "gold standard" because what works best for one person may not work for the next person. Each doc and nut recommend what they have seen to be successful or what they have been taught and there are many different schools of thought on nutrition. We have to take the responsibility to learn what is good for us. But if you follow your docs advice then you are giving yourself a better chance at success. Then after you've lost the weight you can figure out what works for you best. If you can manage bread and it doesn't cause you any problems then go for it. You may be one of the few very lucky ones that can eat it all. I'm not.

Greek yogurt is good for protein. You can flavor it up with sugar-free syrups, a little fruit etc. Do you like soup? I depended on strained soups with unflavored protein powder added in. Unjury also has a good chicken soup flavored protein. I'm almost 3 months and just now starting to get grossed out my the protein shakes a little. I hate that because I really liked them in the beginning.

Why did you eat that much? Were you still hungry after the egg? I find that I have set menus that I eat (measure and weigh my food as per my nut) and then if I'm still hungry I tell myself that the next meal or snack is not that far away so I can just wait thank you very much. Stop pushing the limits. The sleeve will help you but it won't do all the work for you.

I'm very lucky that my local group is small and very friendly and supportive. We have started meeting at a local gym and have exercise as part of the meeting. It's really great. I haven't been to one at a hospital yet but I might do it just to see.

That is soooo deceptive. Marketers are evil.

is it mainly around TMI when you have cravings? That's my problem point. Try: Gum - minty works best Pickles - dill takes away sweet cravings Never, ever eat a sweet on an empty stomach. It will set you up for cravings later. Eat protein when your stomach is empty. Then if you still want the treat do it. Carbsmart ice cream bars. That's my indulgence. They are heavenly and only 9 grams carbs (net 5) and 170 calories. If ice cream is your thing these will do it for ya. OK, here's where I might get hollered at but: coffee. Caffeine takes away appetite and gives you a boost. It's my drug of choice.

I was taking the Celebrate chewables a friend gave me for a while right after surgery, then yesterday I took one and I literally gagged. I had to spit it out and brush my teeth immediately to get the taste out. Thankfully I am able to swallow big pills now so I'm going to Centrum Complete. The chewables are going to the next support meeting for the next sucker, uh I mean lucky person who wants them! Be careful of the gummies though. I know they taste good but they usually don't have all the stuff we need. Better than nothing though I guess.

No about.com is written by paid professionals. That's why I'm so surprised that the information is so off. There is a link to email the author on the page. I think we all should.

Thanks guys! I knew there was someone out there after all! LOL! Yeah, it's these little things that keep me going now. I'm just excited to fit in my xtra large t-shirt without having to stretch it over my knees to be able to breath in it!

Woo hoo! First of many goals. I thought the scale was wrong this morning but nope. Working fine. Overweight here I come!

Well, I'm excited anyway if no one else is.

JMO, but maybe you should try to up the calories a bit and do some strength training when your dr. says it's ok. You're still early on so I wouldn't do it without talking to the dr. Some say 6 weeks some say more. And yes, definitely work on the protein. Good luck!

Yeah I think that is normal. You're still swollen for one thing. I didn't weigh at all the first week or so because I felt so bad that I just didn't really care. But that sounds about right. That's almost a lb. per day!

That's fantastic! You're an inspiration!!

You've had great advice. Soup was my goto food in the early days. This is the toughest time. I feel so bad for those folks sleeved around Thanksgiving or Christmas! This too shall pass and it'll be a distant memory soon. Hang in there!