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I would find out your surgeon's recommendation, but mine actually encouraged Benefiber during the liquid phase bc once the diarrhea stops you can get really constipated.

No one told me there was a VSG Gun Show today! Way to go!

If our stomachs are the size of bananas, a banana should fill us up, right?

I wish I could send you some of mine! Congrats on your losses!

My surgeon allowed up to 8 oz of juice during the first 2 weeks of the liquid diet but after that we couldn't drink our calories. I would try some Torani SF syrups. Also, you could try protein powder in Crystal Lite or stirred into Greek yogurt. Good in Greek Yogurt with some PB2 (powdered peanut butter) and a little milk to thin it out.

any lotion with CoQ10 in it

I would talk with your doctor about it--it could be hypoglycemia or another condition that only your doctor can test for and treat.

Good for you! And who knows, in a few weeks you may be doing so well with your weight loss and new eating plan, you might not even want the cookies.

Drug trials are underway currently to determine whether Qsymia carries cardiovascular risk (they are being conducted at Cleveland Clinic). I would want to wait to see the results of that study before considering it.

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You can also mix protein powder into Greek yogurt with a little SF Torani syrup. Tasty.

congratulations! gives "back to the future" a whole new meaning!

Love your subject line--and you are definitely "getting there!" You look terrific...congrats on your success!

Way to go! Both a scale victory and a non-scale victory all in one!

That's a great idea, Lipstick Lady. And look at you closing in on a big milestone....

Elomi and Wacoal are my favs

I think you've answered your own question here. He is conservative, but his leak rate is 0%. If you need inspiration, just read some of the threads on leaks (not saying people who had leaks did anything wrong--most did not and it just happened, but better to err on the side of caution to prevent one for anything that is in your control). I know that it's difficult, but please try to tough it out. You'll also see some great weight losses during this time....

5:2 is working great for me so far! I am 2 lbs down so far and holding, and today is my 2nd fast day. My week will end on Monday. I lost 15 lbs during the past 3 months, an average of 1.25 lbs per week, so I'm already ahead of the game. I'm eating normally on the non-fast days--always under 1,000 calories. I don't feel deprived on the fast days and I actually seem to be able to get in some extra veggies and getting in lots of water is easier than normal.

I wanted to start a new 5:2 fast thread that is open to everyone--include pre-op and post-op VSGers (there is another thread that you can read but can't post to unless you say you are at least 1 year post-op). Obviously if you are considering this plan, which involves very low calorie intake 2 days a week and eating regularly the other 5, you should do so with your RD's and surgeon's/PCP's approval and guidance. If you are losing well using traditional means, then you might not need it--but it should be up to you and your medical team if you are interested in giving it a try. Here is some info: dinner. For us, that would be tough to do given our capacity, unless we did very calorie dense foods at dinner. For my "feast" days, I'm going to eat regularly (800-950 calories, up to 1100 when exercising hard, if I feel that I need them), and for my fast days I'm going to do Protein shakes with low-carb veggies if desired. Many/most people eat regular foods on fast days. Fast days cannot go over 500 calories, so that will be about 2 to 3 Protein Shakes depending on the source, plus about 100-150 cals of low-carb veggies. I'm going to continue to keep my diet high protein/low carb. I will continue to exercise and am aiming for 100 ounces of Water per day. I will post here to let everyone know how it's going and hope that others will post about their experience as well!

The Imagine soups that come in a box are really good if you don't want to make your own. The potato leek and broccoli were my favs.

I would go by your surgeon's guidelines also. My surgeon allowed really mushy cooked veggies during the mushy phase and then other veggies at 6 weeks out. Iceberg lettuce could be tried at 4 weeks but I waited till 6. Other lettuces at 6. I really never had trouble tolerating anything other than broccoli and cauliflower that weren't cooked well around 6 to 10 weeks. I can eat them raw now at nearly 6 months out. I like eating veggies bc they fill me up, they are low cal, good fiber, and I can eat about a cup of them bc of the water content. I usually eat them as a snack bc I can't eat much of them after eating protein.

Happy Birthday! Treat yourself to a massage or a pedicure!

did your surgeon say why? Your weight loss looks great--was some of that pre-op?

You look terrific already!! You are very well proportioned in addition to being tall. Way to go on such a great transformation.

What a difference! You look fabulous. You must be pretty tall?