Nate74

I'm down 91 so far. I had a lot of trouble with eating so when my stomach finally allowed me to eat i was eating non stop and actually put on 10 pounds but it was alright cause i lost it in a week and a half when it settled down. I needed it though as i had very little energy before but I'm doing a lot better now. I eat a lot of fish and shrimp too. I really like the turkey chili with no beans. i have made turkey taco's, meatloaf and chili using vegetarian beans and ground turkey. I made all these as my wife had the surgery the week after me and we split it and save the leftovers to eat over a couple of days. It really helps when you have someone to go through it with you. She's down 56 so far. I will say that my biggest challenge i faced i have found some nice posts on another topic about soda fixes. Crush makes a single drink mix to put in a bottle of water that tastes like soda without the carbonation. They have Squirt, Grape, Orange, and i just found Strawberry. Some one also suggested using the syrups from the soda stream makers in regular water. they have diet and even some use Splenda instead of sugar in the non diet syrups. But none use high fructose corn syrup.

Thank you Thank you Thank you this is the best idea i tried last night it was sooooo goood

These are all normal feelings and i felt the same way. I prayed about it too before hand. I will say it's not always easy but it is still worth it. If your real concerned i would ask your surgeon but i will tell you what mine said. Leakage is very rare and in most cases it is caused by our own doing. It takes a few months for the staples to fully heal but there is not always a risk of leakage but if you try to overindulge too much frequently you can hurt yourself. It is not the easy way out as some people like to judge us and say as you have to totally change the way you eat. You will eventually get too have all the things you want but in very small sizes and not everyday. I'll pray for you for god to show you the way to whats right for you regardless of what that is.

I had my surgery December 3rd 2012 i haven't had any hair loss other than the hair i already had due to age but i did have a lot of problems with the protein shakes they make me sick to stomach and i tried all types and brands. As far as i know i don't think it's a culture issue. As far as the soul food issue i will find out this thanksgiving when i go to my cousin's house in Oakland for my Aunt Daisy's Louisiana cooking. I have decided since i can eat only a little i will only eat sweet potatoes but we'll see cause the Gumbo is good too. Sorry i got off topic there. Anyways i think eventually you can eat anything in reason in smaller amounts. I tried some collar greens a few weeks ago but i don't think my stomach is ready as i recently just started being able to eat more than 5 bites of food a day. ( i was an extreme case) things are a lot better now though thank the lord. I had no energy for weeks cause i couldn't eat or drink protein. I have a question though does any one else find that the smell of most fast food makes them nauseous? I find driving by McDonald's makes me sick from the smell of the fryer. I have noticed my skin seems extra dry but i don't know if it's the surgery or the winter weather. Nikki_D good luck with your surgery your gonna feel so much better

I haven't seen the strawberry yet but i'll keep looking as strawberry nehi was the best back in the day

I recently found at the grocery store in the crystal light aisle a single drink mix like it that has squirt orange crush and crush grape with 10 calories and no sugar that you put in a 16.9ounce Water bottle that tastes like soda without carbonation. I love it i was a big soda drinker so it's perfect for me.

Thats a hard question. For me i would have to say the inches. The reason is i was happy when i stepped on the scale and saw the weight loss but not as happy as i was when i was able to fit in my old dress blues for my Brother in law's military funeral. i love to see it on the sal but it makes me happier to be down 14 pant sizes

Congrats Keep it up

It can seem overwhelming at the end but just concentrate on the new you on the other side and it won't seem so bad.

I've tried all Brands and types. Every single one makes me sick. At first i thought it was whey but i tried plant, soy, egg white. I was able to keep the egg white down one time but i had to mask it with a lot of fruit and juice and it still tore my stomach in knots. Has anyone else had problems with Protein and did you ever come up with a solution?

unfortunately Isopure was the first one to make me sick but thanks for the post

Less of me I'm pretty much done trying different types as it hurts too much to throw it up and I'm almost 10 weeks out. KristiKay i will give that a try

No i tried Lactose free and that's why i tried plant protein with water. But thanks for the response

My Highest Weight was 370 I had my Surgery 12/3/12 and weighed 354 I currently Weigh 264 I struggle as i can only eat 2wice a day if i'm lucky as i can't do Protein shakes at all they make me sick and I've tried all types and brands. I probably get around 500-800 calories but there not all good but DR says to do for now until stomach adjusts to eat more.

I think a GI Floro Scan would be best to show not only size but how food and liquids pass through it

I had my consult in November 2012 they told me it takes about 3 to 4 weeks to get a date set but you an pick the day of your consult. Like i said i went 1st week Nov had my surgery Dec 3rd

Unfortunately i deal with this all the time. Going back to liquids is a good start and work back up again. I find sometimes i try to do too much too fast as you get tired of the same things and want to try new stuff. My problem is a little more unique as i can't drink protein shakes as they make me sick. They say that if your having problems with a certain step drop back down and work your way back up again. I find sometimes if i don't pay attention i will eat too fast that can cause me what you describe.

Good for you you will like him he's great. Him and Dr Soong are the best in my opinion. And the staff there are so nice and most have had surgeries so they are knowledgeable.

It gets better over time. I found that one week a beef broth was the best thing i tasted and the next week i couldn't stand it. I don't know if this is normal but i found the smell of any fast food makes me sick to my stomach. As far as fat food i think so eventually in smaller portions. But i guess it depends on what you consider fat foods. Me i love cheesburgers so i have found ways around all the fat by getting salmon burgers or if i want beef i just get the litte sliders from fresh and easy or some beef from whole foods and make a small patty.

Dr Atkinson's office has support groups but once a month. I haven't been to one yet as i'm only 9 weeks out and my schedule just doesn't work with it sometimes. To be quite honest this website is the best support group i have found so far.

I have found that i am a special case as all protein shakes make me throw up. And yes i've tried all kinds. plant, eggwhite, ect. I have had to go to soft solids before i really should have i'm actually 9 weeks out now so it's easier but i will find recipe's for sleeve patients like chicken salad or turkey tacos. even seafood salad. You make all the ingredients and then stick in a food processor it still tastes the same has the same protein benefits just is in a baby food consistency.