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Butter, I started eating Fiber one occasionally bc of your recommendation, and it works like a charm. Thanks.

For me, it was the day after surgery. I was absolutely miserable. The PA told us to expect that, bc my surgeon allows NO fluid by mouth until after the post-op barium leak test, about 24 hrs after your surgery. I was uncomfortable from my drain, having trouble getting enough oxygen in, in pain when I walked, having difficulty getting in and out of bed, hated having my legs plugged in (lol), etc. But the worst part was being so parched from not drinking. The popsicle I had after my successful leak test was the best thing I ever tasted! By the next day, I felt 80 percent better. Now at 4.5 months out, I feel like that one day was just a little blip on the radar screen. I don't mean to alarm you by telling this, but I was glad that the PA told us what to expect bc I felt like it was better to be mentally prepared. Oh and I felt awful on the painkillers they gave me and once they changed me to a different on, I felt a lot better. I was having trouble focusing my eyes and it made me woozy. So if you don't feel good on yours, ask to try a different one. And if you get nauseous with anesthesia, ask the anesthesiologist to give you something to prevent the post-op nausea. That is a lifesaver.

They changed your hotel also? Was it a less expensive hotel? I don't understand the part about your husband helping patient's in TJ?

I wonder if that is more true for GB patients than VSG? My diarrhea only lasted about 2 weeks and now it's pretty normal. Had some constipation until I was eating veggies regularly again.

What are you doing for workouts? How are your protein and water? Sorry this is happening to you!

No, it should be the opposite--it could slow down weight loss if you don't get enough protein. My RD recommends at least 60 g a day but I try for closer to 70 to 80.

I'm not diabetic, but the ADA recommends subtracting half the fiber in certain types of foods for diabetic people to track their carbs. I have heard that some (most?) co's that make protein bars add in "pseudo" forms of fiber so they can label themselves as having lower net carb counts but that the forms of fiber they add may not be all that beneficial. Anyhow, what you are doing clearly works for you, so I would say just keep on doing it! Interesting topic though.

Some walking might bring down your blood sugar. I worked with a woman who was diabetic and she would test her BS right after a workout and couldn't believe how it went down right after.

BTW for those who subtract fiber from carb counts, do you subtract all of it, or half of it?

You could drink some olive juice

I was able to get in the pool once all of my incisions were closed (4 weeks I think) but had to wait 8 weeks to do any type of organized water aerobics class bc of specific motions (such as knee lifts) that could have a small chance of tearing the staple line. When I went in at 4 weeks I used a waterproof bandage over my drain site just to be safe (it was my biggest incision/took the longest to heal).

I'm not sure I would compare net carbs to gravity. There's a lot of debate about whether the net carbs thing is legit. I think some people can eat more carbs than others and stay in ketosis. With that said, I do think that Fiber is a good thing. I do well with fiber from lower-carb veggies.

I had to do 2 weeks of Lovenox shots. Make sure that you are doing them in fatty tissue. I did them in the area inside of my hip and below my belly button. You don't need to do in very far, and sort of do it at an angle. MAKE SURE that you are not releasing the syringe while it is still in you. Once you inject it, pull it out, and then do the automatic release thing once it's not in your body (this is just to protect the needle for disposal). My husband gave me a few of my injections at first and one time he accidentally did the release while the needle was still in me and it hurt like heck and left a big bruise. When we did it the normal way, I hardly felt anything. I did have some bruising, but each one was smaller than a dime.

My surgeon allows iceberg lettuce at 4 weeks and other veggies at 6 weeks as tolerated. At first I had a hard time with cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower unless they were well done (I like them crisp tender normally). Now at 4.5 months out, I tolerate all veggies. I haven't eaten corn yet bc it doesn't have as much nutritional value as other veggies and also bc of horror stories I heard of people getting corn stuck in their staple lines. But at 4.5 months out I'm sure I could have it if I wanted. Maybe I will try some local sweet corn later in the summer. But that would be one of the last veggies that I would add in and I would chew it really, really well. One thing that you will be glad to know is that usually you can eat a higher volume of high Water content veggies than you can of, say, dense Protein. I can eat about half a cup of dense protein but I can eat at least a cup of salad. I tend to eat veggies as Snacks bc if I eat my protein first at a meal, which I usually do, I don't have a lot of room left for veggies. If I eat as a snack, I can eat like a cup of lettuce, sweet peppers, cucumbers, etc. Sometimes I dip them in Greek yogurt with dill dip mix mixed in. Yummm...

I think 2-3 lbs/week is average or slightly above average if you are at least a couple of months out. Do you exercise also?

I think it's good bc you will be a higher BMI at the same weight if you are shorter than you thought. I was also 1 inch shorter than I thought I was....

I think that probably gave you greater insight into people keeping this private than any response here can! Also, the more people you tell, be prepared for questions every other day about how much you've lost so far--which can be frustrating if you are in a stall. Again, a totally personal decision, but I have kept mine private other than a few people and am sooo glad that I did.

Go Laurie!!!

Congratulations--you look terrific!!

LOL Beth, I love how you just thanked them for the inaccurate compliments about no glasses, new hairstyle etc! That is classic.

does anyone know how many carbs the Quest bar has? (not net carbs--I don't really believe in that, though I know a lot of people use that formula). thanks!

I believe the assumption is that it's diet pop?

You do look great! I did a double-take at your pic when you said you were 60.

VSG removes the stretchy part of your stomach. It is unlikely and potentially impossible to stretch your sleeve. However, you can defeat the sleeve by grazing "slider" type foods every hour or two. That might be why there is a misperception that the sleeve can be stretched.

You should have your first bowel movement within a few days of surgery, and after that, you might have diarrhea for about a week, maybe two. That is what my surgeon's PA said would probably happen, and in my case, it did.