lizv123

I'd like to know this as well. My fiancé would like in the loved ones group, and I'd like in the Indiana one.

A friend of mine has the DS. When I started the process she and I went out to eat. She was maybe 5 months post op. At Cracker Barrel she ordered from the kids menu grilled tenders an mashed potatoes. And of course there was a glass of Water there. She drank maybe 1/2 in off the glass while eating and seemed to have no trouble with filling up quick. 2 bites of potatoes and maybe 1.5 tenders. I would sip! As small as possible. I know it helps food slide through quicker and while you may be able to do it with no problem, it's probably a good idea to get used to not drinking with meals. When you're further along and eating more of "what you want" you don't want that to slide through too fast! Good luck!

I'm not yet sleeved or even on my pre-op diet but I'm taking advantage of this time to experiment with post-op recipes that both my fiancé and I like. (The ricotta bake will be a staple in my mushy diet, I can already tell lol) I was wondering if anyone had a good low carb paella recipe? I've used roasted or pan fried cauliflower in place of rice in other dishes and it was great. I'm curious how it would hold up in paella? Also jambalaya... thanks!

Hahaha I left out a VERY important reason to get in protein. Whoops

Scary thought :s

Gnocchi is a "potato dumpling." Olive Garden has a chicken and gnocchi soup that is pretty good. Not the best nutritional meal, but at least there's some protein.

Without protein it takes longer to heal, your skin becomes gray and waxy, your hair will likely fall out more than if you got your protein, and you'll be short on energy.

I've never seen a nicotine free one! The ones I used to use worked well but, nicotine is what I'm trying to avoid lol quitting after 15 years? Wow!

I like that idea. I've been chewing on ice cubes. I just noticed I stopped chewing ice when I picked up smoking. Guess its time to switch back great job staying smoke free for so long!

I think to keep myself motivated I'm going to put up the money I would spend on cigarettes every time my fiancé buys some (we smoked the same amount) just to see how much I'm saving. Or rather, how much I was spending just to smell funky pretty much :/

I LOVE the fork statement! I think I'll write that in my binder and post it on my fridge when I reach that stage! I'm scared my surgeon has me starting mushies and solids too soon compared to what I've read but when it comes to my health I play it way safe! And I figure if I'm getting my protein and vitamins in, what's it matter if I'm on full liquids longer?

Oh I know. I walked out of the bathroom just a few minutes ago and I was like,"UGH you smoked!" he said it was only a couple of puffs lol it smells awful. I want to wash EVERYTHING now. I smell smoke everywhere! I know my surgeon tests twice. The second one is the morning of surgery I think, so hopefully they'll be ok with a dropped level between the two if it shows up at all. Did you have to do 3 or 6 months of pre op qualifications?

*Nicotine. Yeesh my phone fingers suck.

I haven't tried it but I just found this no rice paella. It uses quinoa I believe. http://latino.foxnews.com/slideshow/latino/health/2010/11/22/paella-rice-healthy-tasty/#slide=1 And this one uses cauliflower. And I would most certainly keep the meats and get rid of some of the veggies http://peasandthankyou.com/2012/01/23/cauliflower-rice-paella/ I'm excited to try both!

My surgeon is very anti-gummies because our new tummies can't soak up what they're supposed to offer. I haven't been sleeved yet but chewable anything is a fear of mine. I started swallowing chewable Tylenol at 2/3. I HATE te taste. The only hope I have are the Bariatric Advantage capsules and calcium crystals you mix with a fluid. If the taste is an issue I'd suggest looking at those. If vitamins in general make you nauseous you may try taking them with food, vitamins can be harsh on any stomach and I'd assume a teeny stomach wouldn't be an exception. Good luck! Let us know what you find!

I still have one more nut appointment before the big insurance "ok" and I've met with my surgeon once to discuss which procedure I was having done. After the insurance goes through (I hope I hope I hope) I set up a PACE appointment to set a surgery date, get labwork, and get all my final questions answered but it just occurred to me that so far in this 6 month process there has been no discussion of a goal weight. When did you set your goals? I'm 25, 5'4", and weigh 275ish. What would be an appropriate goal? Thanks for your time!

Also, while losing weight you're shedding estrogen which causes hair loss. With my Mirena alone I lost hair on my head because of elevated estrogen. I can only imagine what the combination of the two is capable of!

Also, biotin won't help hair grow back but it will absolutely bulk up what you've got

I went to Paul Mitchell the school Louisville and while I'd like to have a magical answer for you I don't. The best thing you can do is shampoo as little a possible, always condition, if you use products make sure you wash it out before you sleep, try to use a wide tooth comb instead of a brush because brushes cause a lot of breakage, and if you HAVE to use heated tools make sure you use a thermal protectant. Now. This won't keep your hair from falling out but will help the hair you have. If you want your hair to look thicker check for products with panthanol. Your hair falls out for many reasons post op, anesthesia, your body's "starvation mode," and high amounts of estrogen cause your hair to shed as bad as a cat's! Your hair should definitely fix itself once your body starts to stabilize! If you have any other questions feel free to pm me

B vitamins! And depending on your med, it can drag you down especially if you're losing weight. If you're on an SSRI, you're far more likely to be tired. And do you take your antidepressant at night or in the morning?