SpaceDust

I certainly agree with you that a number of people are posting that sound like they were not ready for surgery. Some of them may well have benefited from therapy, but given some of the issues that they are posting about, I think more of them needed to have done a medically supervised diet that included learning about better eating habits and practice them, as well as understand exactly what they will be expected to eat post-op - seriously, coming here to say they don't like anything at all that is on their full liquids phase or pureed foods phase - if you know what is on the diet in advance, shouldn't that set off red flags and shouldn't you be asking your bariatric team for alternatives? Some needed better information before they got to the surgery - in some cases we see the people who haven't been told anything about what to expect at each stage in terms of things like stalls, what they'll feel like, potential issues, what to look for in terms of possible leak issues and so on. Yup, it makes me crazy, too. Doesn't mean they necessarily need therapy. Maybe I do I'm glad that for you this is a useful way to deal with issues. Others do find it helpful, even essential, and I certainly respect the profession! However, I think that often it's like swatting a fly with a cannon. It may work, but it's overkill. I know what my issues with food are. In my case, it's really more about self-discipline and not really paying attention to eating in the way that I should. By working with my dietician, I have some strategies for dealing with the issues. The dietician was the appropriate resource for my issue. That isn't to say I wouldn't take the assistance of the psychotherapist that works with my bariatric surgeon's office. If I find that I have issues for which I need support, I'll go get it. But not all issues with food need to be resolved by therapy - some are more of a mechanical or functional issue, such as paying attention while you eat, slowing down, more effective portion control. Yes, I also have a particular fondness for cheesy and salty foods. However, what I'm finding is, again, that if I manage the mechanics of having them, I am gradually reducing their impact without feeling deprived doing it. Ultimately, I'll take whatever support does the trick most efficiently for me.

Well, pickle juice is good when you use it in tuna or egg salad - I normally put some chopped pickle in both tuna and egg salads, and sometimes choose to put a little less mayo or mustard in the mix and add a spoon or two of pickle juice instead. The big problem with pickle juice is the ultra-high sodium content in most cases. Vinegar is actually supposed to be healthy for you (if you aren't familiar with it, visit any good Asian market and look at the drinking vinegars.) If you're in Portland, visit Pok Pok and have their drinking vinegar soft drinks, or a cocktail mixed with the drinking vinegar. It comes in several different flavors, and it was quite surprising to me the first time I tried it.

I respectfully disagree, buplee. I do not believe that some arbitrary number of psychotherapy appointments should EVER be required. Not every person with a food issue needs therapy. In some cases, it's knowledge they need, or some support while they assert their own discipline (i.e., the 6 month medically supervised diet). Some people have physical issues which exacerbate their weight gain. Some people just let themselves go because of other stressors in their lives, and by the time they started taking care of themselves again, they'd already dug themselves into a deep hole. I do agree with the psych evaluation that most of us have had to go through. If problems are uncovered at that time, of course it would be wise to get them fixed before they proceed into weight loss, but I don't believe that dictating that you will have 5 or 10 sessions is realistic. Some people can work through minor issues very quickly. Others may need to go longer. Either way, that should be something between the patient and their medical team to decide, and should not be an arbitrary dictation from on high.

My dietician said it is okay to keep having a shake for breakfast if I want - it definitely beats no breakfast by a long shot and she knows I'm not a fan of eating first thing in the morning. However, it's better to not depend on them after the first few months - at that point you should be able to get your Protein through normal sources. Vitamins, well, they're probably part off our reality after the sleeve, unless you're REALLY focused on planning out your meals to include all your nutritional needs. It can be done, but who has the time or wants to live that regimented a life? Besides, I've been taking vitamins and medications for years. It's something I can do without stress or fuss. I'll be happy to trade doing something I already do anyhow for getting the weight off and keeping it off! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

While I don't drink much (maybe 4 drinks in a month, on average) I do occasionally enjoy a mixed drink, a glass of wine or a hard cider or microbrew. It is a very rare night that I have more than one drink in an evening. It's nice to know that eventually I will be able to have that occasional treat, which I will faithfully log and account for in my daily meal plan, just as I would any other treat :-) Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

I'll look forward to seeing the promos, Fiddle! Congrats on being such a highly successful and model patient that they want you as a poster child :-D Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

From a weight loss perspective, you're right. It doesn't really matter what you eat to get that 3% off. However, seeing the NUT isn't actually about losing weight before the surgery as much as it is about helping you build the habits and behaviors that set you up for success post surgery. She's going to be giving you the toolkit you need to rock the sleeve. You'll have a number of things that the NUT wants you to work on over the next six months. Changing your typical diet is one of the more difficult things for many people, which is probably why she wants you to start that now. You have the luxury of making the changes gradually, rather than a crash course in crap diet to healthy diet Seems to me that getting that it out of your way so that the new eating style has a chance to become ingrained is going to make the post op transition easier, since you'll have plenty of other things to think about and deal with. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

The Emily Bites cupcakes are a nice low-cal treat ONCE IN A WHILE, but ditch them as a regular thing, especially two at a time. You want to stay off the simple carbs as much as possible. If you stick to Protein first for every meal, follow with produce (i.e., leafy greens, healthy veggies and fruits) and do starchy foods last of all, in small quantities OCCASIONALLY, you'll be on the track that most of the post-op diets I've seen suggest is right for the first 6 months to a year. I suspect you might find yourself less inclined to snack if you had some dense protein for lunch - it sticks with you much better than even the healthiest cupcake! I'm not your NUT, of course, but 1200+ cals on a regular basis seems like a lot at 4 months out - it seems to me that most people at that stage are in something closer to 700-1000 calories unless they've started an aggressive exercise regimen. Finally, you didn't mention how much exercise you're getting. If you aren't getting any, you might try getting out for a 30-45 minutes walk every day, or do an exercise DVD. If you already exercise, change it up a bit - get a new DVD with a different sort of exercise routine, for example. If you tend to do a lot of cardio but no strength work, start adding in strength work - you can do it at home with the bands that are available fairly cheaply, if you don't want to go all out for equipment .

Oh, my. Yes, let's just continue to eat, eat, eat because we can just dump it out of our stomach port if we eat too much, or the wrong things. That's exactly what I DON'T want. *sigh*

While in theory I completely agree with you, we don't live in a theoretical world. There are a number of reasons why that level of honesty is not and should not be required of us, and it's not right to put the onus of "disservice to the community" on everyone who has had the surgery. You seem to be a strong person, and very certain in your own decision, but that isn't really true of everyone. Telling people whom you suspect or know will be negative may have long-term stressful impacts for the sleever who isn't fully comfortable with admitting to the surgery, or who will have a lot of negative responses among their friends, family and acquaintances. Having to deal with the additional stress of battling negativity can be counterproductive for a number of reasons. For some of us, stress is a trigger for poor eating behaviors. Others are already battling heart issues, blood pressure, and other illnesses where additional stress may exacerbate their condition. Plus, chronic high stress can result in cortisol production, which interferes with weight loss. Additionally, there are reasons why medical information is protected information. While I am not particularly private in some regards, I certainly don't choose to share my medical history, issues, and resolutions with each casual acquaintance with the temerity to ask an impudent and invasive question. If it's family or a close friend who asks, and whom I haven't shared the info with, I may very well go into it - it's worth the time, trouble, and invasion of my privacy to help someone close to me understand my reasoning, even if they don't ultimately agree. However, I don't necessarily feel the need to invest that much of myself in a casual acquaintance with no "need to know". There is no just saying "I had weight loss surgery". There will be follow-up questions that will likely involve details that I don't necessarily want to discuss with the general public, at the very least, and that's assuming a neutral or positive attitude about it. If the questioner is negative about it, it can end up very much like some of the threads here. Now, if someone asks me point-blank if I had surgery, I'm not going to deny it, especially if they are honestly curious about the surgery or are looking for solutions for themselves or others. But just because someone asks something intrusive is no reason that I must answer, even for the good of the community. I don't have to take one for the team in this case. The info is already out there, in places like this.

Seven weeks post op you probably haven't done any damage - I think that while there's still healing going on, the staple line is pretty much sealed. That said, you might want to give your doctor a call in the morning, and do your best to try and drink something, eat a SF popsicle, anything to get liquid in. If you still can't keep any liquids down by morning, it's doubly important that you call your doctor, and make sure he knows that you aren't able to keep liquids down at all. Good luck!

Count me in as a beta tester. I'd be happy to assist. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Is anyone still actively developing the Android app? There are a lot of things that make it less than optimal for anything except for reading the forums casually, and it's even a bit of a bummer for that. I can't do some pretty basic functionality like manage my profile from the app. There are communities which I registered for that I can't access from the app because it doesn't seem to recognize that my screenname is registered for that group. The issue Rootman pointed out with regard to reloading all the currently displayed responses to a thread when you choose to display more, instead of simply going to the next set of replies. Additionally, every time you use the buttons on the navigation menu at the bottom, you have to refresh the page a second time for it to accurately show the current status of what's new, and what you've already read.

Hang in there. It's not uncommon to have a little bout of depression around this stage from what I've seen. It can be in part because as the fat starts to drop, it releases the hormones that have been stored in it - think of PMS but with less control . Also, you've had to deal with the stress of the surgery, changing your diet, lots of craziness going on... it's really no wonder if you find yourself in a mood swing or two! Good luck, and do keep coming back if you need to vent or just want some support. I'm hoping that others will do the same for me when it's my turn!

Every doctor chooses the diet he or she thinks most appropriate for his patients, so you'll find several different diets here, everything from Clear liquids, to no diet, to a week of 3-4 Protein shakes a day plus a small sensible dinner (that is what mine looks like) to Protein Shakes only. They can run in length from nothing to a month or more. In every case I've seen, it's expected that you will drink lots of Water and/or SF non-carbonated beverages. Some doctors allow caffeine, others decaf, and some no coffee or tea at all. Most of the diets appear to be low carb or low carb-esque in nature, so I would be surprised if potatoes were on the diet. If he's saying 5 protein shakes a day, and didn't say anything else, then the likelihood is that is all you're supposed to have. The only one who can answer that, though, is your doctor. Please call him or her tomorrow and confirm. You'll feel better knowing what the intent is. Good luck!

Pre-op, I really enjoy my Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard Protein powder. It comes in a boatload of flavors, but I've only had Vanilla Ice Cream and Double chocolate. They're 23g Protein, and the largest amount of the protein is whey isolate. 1 gram of sugar, 120 cals for a rounded scoop. They taste pretty good by themselves, especially mixed with 1% milk, but I also put them in a blender: With Vanilla Ice Cream, frozen fruit, or with either the Vanilla or Chocolate with 1/2 - 1 banana, or with PB2, and sometimes a few ice cubes if I want something like a thick milkshake. I will aslo sometimes mix a scoop with 4 oz of milk and my morning coffee, and maybe a little cinnamon and a touch of cayenne if I'm doing the chocolate (basically get a Mexican hot chocolate mocha vibe). You can buy it at a lot of the stores like GNC or Super supplements, or you can order it online from Amazon in everything from 1lb tubs (14 servings) to 10 lb bags. Unfortunately I don't think they make their sample packs anymore, but I think you can possibly taste them at GNC.

Glad to hear it! How are you doing?

Awesome job! Congrats!

I've started two things - one, I'm taste-testing samples from a number of the Protein powders and Meal Replacements out there. Second, since I'm doing that, I'm pseudo practicing for the pre-op diet. Hey, if I'm drinking the Protein drinks anyhow, I might as well make it useful! What does that mean, exactly? The diet is to use 3-4 Protein shakes during the day, plus one small meal for dinner. Total is not to exceed 870 calories, so while I can use skim milk to mix my drinks, it wouldn't leave a lot for dinner! I'll likely choose the protein powders I can tolerate well mixed with Water, and try to be satisfied with 3 of those during the day, so that I can have around 300-350 calories for dinner, since I'll be looking for dense protein to keep me satisfied overnight. I can, of course, have all the non-caloric liquids I would like during this diet. What I am doing (as of today) is replacing Breakfast and lunch with 2-3 protein shakes during the day. At dinner time, I am not eating with the restricted calories I will be during the diet, but I am trying to keep my portion size to something equivalent to what I will eat in the pre-op diet and focusing as much as possible on protein. I am trying to keep the total day between 1000 and 1200 calories, but I'm not being obsessive about it. The reality is that if I'm only getting 3-500 calories during the day, that leaves me 700-900 for dinner - that's a pretty big amount of room. I've told myself that if I am positively starving during the afternoon, I will allow myself one more Protein shake, but I'm trying to work with just 3 shakes and lots and lots of water or tea during the day. Other than including a Protein Drink for breakfast so that I *do* have breakfast, I am not focused on dieting on the weekends, just trying to be mindful of what I am eating and keep carbs and calories in check. What I'm expecting from this is three things. One, of course, is that I will spend the next few weeks trying out a lot of protein drinks and maybe some preparation methods. Two, I will get these reviews onto my blog (http://livebytes.net/blog/spacedust/ for anyone who's interested) to try and give others some ideas of nutritional values and what I thought of the stuff as I give it a try. Third, I suspect that it won't hurt in the usual battle to lose a few pounds, and certainly won't hurt for me to get used to what it's like from the perspective of if I get uncomfortably hungry or not. Wish me luck!

Have you been like this since your surgery, or is it a recent thing? Have you discussed this with your PCP or your dietician/NUT if you're still seeing one? You may be dealing with a vitamin or mineral deficiency. What's your activity level and calorie count like? Are you getting enough protein? Some good carbs? Enough water? Are you tracking your food so you know exactly what you're taking in? I know, lots of questions, but it's hard to offer suggestions without understanding what your current state is and what you've already done. Some of us are still pre-sleeve, but we pretty much all have boatloads of experience with diets and how they impact our bodies, so there are bunches of people who might be able to offer suggestions with a bit of background to go on Good luck!

You'll be okay on the plane. I definitely recommend the window seat - there's a bit more "shoulder room" in that seat. I'm afraid of heights, but planes don't bother me - I have flown dozens of times since I was 18, including several times overseas. I would see if there's a mild anti-anxiety medication that your PCP can prescribe for you for the flight, though - taking off and landing can be a little nerve-wracking if you don't know what to expect.

My dietician had me practicing the slow eating, tiny bites, chew, chew, chew during my 6 months of medical diet. I REALLY have to focus on it, and I'm probably still quicker than I should be, but I think I have the hang of it well enough that after surgery, when I get the reminders from my sleeve, I should be able to get there without too much effort.

My recommendation is to be honest. It won't help you to get approved if you truly aren't ready for this. That said, the areas we discussed focused on a number of areas: Making sure I understood it wasn't a magic bullet - it will take some willpower and understanding to get through it. Many people experience short term depression after the surgery, anywhere from a few days to a few months, so there were questions (both on the written questionnaire and the in-person discussion) that focused on my mental state - am I depressed or anxious, am I sleeping all right? Any history of mental issues? Do I have a support network? I.e., have I told anyone? Of the ones I've told, do I feel like I have positive support (primarily around husband, family, close friends). Do I attend or plan to attend any support groups, or work with support groups online? Have I felt like I understand what I'm getting myself into, and do I have enough information to go into this and be successful? Do I know that my success is based on *me* and my behaviors in the long term? I'm sure there were others, but those were the biggest areas of focus. Be aware that your evaluation could be any sort of combination of questionnaire and face-to-face interview. Mine was a fairly short questionnaire (about 5 pages with substance, as well as the usual medical history and personal info sorts of things), plus about an hour of interview that was handled more like an extended conversation (guided, but still conversational). Others may have more laser-focused questions in their face-to-face, and some have mentioned a questionnaire that was literally a few hundred questions long - I think mine was perhaps 100 or so. Biggest thing is, relax Honestly, they're there to help you. If they don't think you're ready mentally, they may say you need to do some therapy sessions, but ultimately it's to help you be the most successful you can be with the surgery. Good luck!