johnlatte

I was sleeved 11/20, and transitioned to solid food on 1/1. I've been eating chicken, ground beef, even steak, if it is really cut up small. I still drink the protein drinks and eat a fair amount of soft foods. Cottage cheese, humus and yogurt are my go tos. the only thing that I have had problems with are eggs. Still can't seem to get them down, no matter how they are cooked or what I put on them. No major loss.

I'm a professional chef by training. I took off 6 months to get this surgery out of the way and take care of some other things. I always used a spoon to taste, and still do for the most part. When I never ate a lot when cooking on the line, but boy did I eat once I got home. I am going back to work this year (got to find a job soon). But I will have a box of tasting spoons available to check out the dishes. I don't see the job being the problem, its the time I'm not at work, that I need to be aware of.

The recovery times are going to be different depending on your overall health and general physical condition. I'm just 6 weeks out, and I have pretty much be doing what ever I want for about 3 weeks. I was told not to lift more than 25 lbs for the first month, but it is really to let the surgery spots heal. I don't think that you will be down an entire month, but it is possible. You will miss some foods, we all do. But keep in mind that at some point you should be able to eat whatever you want, just not a lot of it. You may not want to eat what you were eating before, as the appetite and taste will change. Everyone has some foods that just won't go down like they did pre-surgery. Some of that goes away over time, some doesn't. Either way, making this change to improve your overall health is a very good thing!

The more weight you loose, and the better your physical condition, the better your recovery will be. I basically acted like I was sleeved a good month before surgery. My Dr. never made me do a liquid diet. I wasn't so worried about losing a lot of weight, BUT I did everything I could to improve my physical condition. Cut down the carbs detoxed as many impurities (white sugars, processed foods etc.) that I could, then hit the gym to get the overall conditioning done. I was sleeved on a Tuesday and was back in the gym on the following Monday and haven't looked back. Never have had any nausea or problems with the sleeve what so ever. Down 26lbs since the surgery on 11/20. The best thing you can do is start now, with a good plan and stick to it. You'll do much better post op if you do.

Think about installing MyFitnessPal or something else like it (there are many) and track your food and exercise. I think you probably have figured out the carb thing, but what these programs do is allow you to see what your are eating and where the breakdowns are. You have to be truthful and track faithfully, but I think it goes a long way in solving the stalls. I've said this a lot, the surgery in many ways is the easy part. The hard part is staying on track and focusing on the ultimate goal. While our input capacity has been decreased with the surgery, our ability to eat has not really changed. We have to change that part on our own, and that's what I consider really the rough part. You can do it! You know you can, just refocus, remember why you are doing this, the moment of clarity will come and you'll be back on track in no time (I swear )

Yep, My wife used to sit down and eat right in front of me while I was on pre-op. She would come into the living room with food and eat it. She told me time and time again, she wasn't the food police when I asked her not to buy a lot of snacks etc. The really sad part is she has WLS about 7 years ago and has pretty much gained most of her weight back. I think she finally got the hint though and got on my side about this. She tries to give me advice, but her surgery and mine were so different, I haven't had one complication, and she's had many etc. What got me through it is exactly what you said. I don't want my kids to have to pay for my funeral if I stayed the way I was. I'm not letting anything or anyone get in my way. Its really easy for folks that aren't going through what we have gone through, to sit on the sidelines and judge and throw darts, but in the end we just have to stay tough and we will win. Hang in there, it will get better (you will be better).

Years ago, I used this book "Weight Training Workouts and diet plan that Work " I think that it is still on Amazon. It starts at square one, and works up. It has pictures that show you exactly what to do. The diet stuff won't apply that much since you are a sleever, but read some of it anyway to get a better perspective on how diet and exercise fit together. I still read mine from time to time. Its a good way to get started at the gym.

Keep in mind that WLS is a tool, not the magic bullet. Take the time that you are on liquids to really take stock in what you have been eating. Think about how you got to where you were that you needed to take the big step and have the surgery. Yes, you can absolutely eat what ever you want at some point, BUT most WLS patients will gain weight back. Most don't make the necessary changes in their lifestyle to keep the weight off. You've made a big step, but are only at the beginning of the journey. Honestly there isn't one thing that I could put in my mouth right now is worth what I will achieve once I hit my goal weight. I made a deal with myself, that if I hit goal, I would live a healthy lifestyle both physically and otherwise. Meaning I need to purge the things out of my life that got me here in the first place. I know how easy it is to eat a bite here or a bite there, but in the long run you are not helping yourself. Take this time to build a whole new you!

Sip here and there is okay most of the time. Don't use a straw as the air is a killer. I was a big drinker when eating too, but I've found that I am doing that a lot less. I've seen some Drs recommend 30 minutes before eating and 20 minutes after, but mine didn't think that was really necessary, so I sip along. One thing that helps it go down a little better is swishing it, before swallowing. Got that tip from my post op nurse and it seems to work.

You should be following what your Dr or nutritionist has recommended. 2 weeks out, I was coming off liquids and transitioning to purees. Solid foods are definitely a no-no.

Typically there is a stall after the first couple of weeks. You should be following what your Dr. or your Nutritionist is recommending for food intake. For me I was on liquids for 2 weeks, purees for 2 weeks and then mushies for 2 weeks. This gives your stomach time to heal and your body to properly adjust to the change in diet. Right now I am at 800 calories, and for the last 3 weeks I've lost exactly 3 pounds. That's not that unusual. My nut. thinks that I should eat around every 2 hours, and that is tough for me. I don't get hungry and just forget to eat. You probably are in starvation mode, meaning your body is holding on to the fat for dear life. You won't lose as much weight that way. There are things you can do, up the protein, water and cardio. Lower the carbs. Carbs are easy to grab but act like a brick wall when it comes to lousing weight. Right now, I eat a lot of cottage cheese, humus, yogurt. Most meats work if they are chopped really fine. I drink the ready to drink protein shakes, not the powdered ones. I could live on Premiers.

You are losing a lot of Water weight, with is typical. I got at least 4 bags when in the hospital, so a lot of that is coming back out now. You may also want to check with your NUT. I'm surprised they would want you to consume so many calories this soon after surgery. I'm at about 800 right now at 5 weeks out. I do need to eat every two hours though, which I struggle with. Did they give you something to take for the diarrhea? There's no real reason to have it, although I understand that some do post surgery. Typically it goes the other way and the pipes tighten up, if you get my meaning.

I'm in the middle of mostly a 3 week stall. I'm 0-3-0 for the last 3 weeks. It's going to happen. Mostly your body is adjusting, and you are going into starvation mode. My nut is on my case to eat something every 2 hours, and I am trying but mostly just forget to do so. It will turn around. Just hang with it.

It will hurt like nobody's business. Popcorn was on my Dr. list of things to really stay away from.

I was on 2 weeks liquid, 2 weeks purees, 2 weeks mushies, I get real food on New Years day. Every Dr. does things differently. 5 weeks of liquids is alot, but not outside what a lot of Drs. do.

I lost 23 lbs in the first two weeks and have lost 3 pounds in the last 3 weeks (0-3-0. But my waist size is down two pant sizes and my over all body fat is down 2% You should take some measurements, so that when you do stall, you will see some things moving forward.

Good carbs is what you want to go for. Sweet potatoes are good carbs, but watch how you prepare them. I would stay away from breads in general. Quinoa is my goto carb, very easy to digest, doesn't cause any problems. Just remember to track it and work it out. Good carbs are a good source (and needed source) of energy.

Early on you will be hungry. Mostly it is mental and some gas. After a bit it goes away mostly, and you won't be hungry a lot. I get that "hungry" feeling every so often, but honestly there are big chunks of the day, I forget to eat. You won't have an appetite and even if you did, you won't have capacity. My Dr. is pounding on me because it has caused my weight-loss to stall, so now, I have timer set on my phone to eat something about every 2 hours....

Make sure you get all the vitamins in AND your protein.

Go actually run a 5k....About 5 years ago, I started running, and it helped me alot. The first 5k I ran, I didn't care about the time, I just wanted to finish. When I did, it was extremely uplifting. All the hard work was so worth it. While you are there, get your picture taken with your race number. That's what you want to remember not the picture you took this holiday. I ran about 5 more before I broke my foot and had to stop running. I am starting back and can't wait to run with my daughters. You can overcome. As Nike says...Just Do IT!

Are you taking anything like Nexium or something else to help settle down your stomach? Your Dr. should give you something for the nausea and vomiting. I got two scripts for this, plus the Nexium for 3 months. I've not had any problems and have not had to take them (except the Nexium). Also, try very small sips, no straws, I mean really small sips. Early on, I would take a sip, swish it around and then swallow it, seemed to make it go down better. Also try drinking standing up. My post op nurse gave me that tip, and it really works.

I think a lot of people haven't really gotten a full understanding of what having WLS means. You can do the research about possible complication and such, but you don't see a lot of research on the mental aspects of dealing with the discomforts related to the surgery AND making significant changes in your life. In a lot of ways, the surgery is the easiest part. For a while there will be some discomfort,but after that goes away you have to make some serious lifestyle changes. You have to redefine who you are and what you do. Personally, I used food as a stress reliever and as a substitute for relationships and that had to change. Since I couldn't just dump the stress, I had to change the eating habits. Instead of turning to food, I had to work harder to make my relationships work better. You can't look at this as "how soon can I eat x?" but rather "I need to eat x to be healthy". This is a major commitment. I see a lot of people on the boards that I follow, that have this surgery then expect that there life will be somehow magically changed without working at it. When people see that there is a real commitment and not a magic bullet, I think they get the WTH thing going. For me, this surgery is saving my life. Diabetes was going to kill me. There's nothing that I put in my mouth, that was worth dying for. That's whats driving me. I dieted for almost 40 years and only once did I ever get close to a goal weight. I was tired of that and did the surgery. Now I am 5 weeks (yesterday) into it. I haven't lost the pounds that would be ideal, but I have lost 2 pant sizes and about 2% body fat. My sugars are under control, and have already started to cut back on the meds. I hit the gym every day and I feel so much better. I will trade all of that for ANYTHING I could ever possibly eat. Regrets? The only one that I have is that I didn't do it sooner.....

The first day or so, you might want to have someone around. I don't know about 24/7. You'll be sore and really not feel like doing a lot. Very few limitations, except for lifting. You'll want to get up and walk as much as possible. The sooner you get up and about the better you will feel. Drink as much Fluid as you can, and make sure you get your Protein and Vitamins etc. Try not to overdo the moving about the first day or so, but you will feel better pretty quickly so get moving as soon as you can.

the thing that you have to think about is that this surgery is it is only a tool. There will come a time, you can eat what you want, but ask yourself is it worth it. You let them cut you open and take out most of your stomach. Do you want things to go back the way they were? You can say..well its just a little bit...but really you don't want to go back to those old habits. I'm not preaching, but you have to look inside and make the changes you need to be healthy and stay that way. That's going to mean a change in the diet and the mindset. To make this work, you have to work it. Hang in there and keep your eye on the prize.

Gave up fried foods...not healthy eating at all.