Andi

A lot of folks struggle getting their proteins & fluids in for a while after surgery. You need the protein to heal. Just make sure that you're not pushing yourself.

Congrats!

I like them too. Some doctors like to put limitations on the # of popsicles per day. My program didn't list that & I didn't really ask.

I was very late & it ended the day before surgery, whew... If you have it for surgery make sure to ask your hospital what they prefer you to have on hand. When I was confirming my appt I was advised to use a pad if needed.

Hi, Welcome! The main reason for having the surgery done for me was trying to reduce the damage that diabetes was going to have on my body. For that, we're directed usually more towards the sleeve or bypass surgery. Personally I was not very comfortable with the thought of my intestines getting rerouted, so I went with the sleeve. I know someone who had the lap band done. It was originally what I thought that I would do. They did lose weight, but slowly & not very much. They seem to have more issues eating things like bread & certain fruits than I do. Also, when I discussed it with my surgeon, he said that there complications further down the line with lap band. It's fairly common to see people on the forum that had the band done & are switching.

I've seen different answers to this question. For my bariatric team, yes, Protein drinks counted towards our daily Fluid. For others, their doctors did not want to count it. I was a chugger too. The first few days after surgery it is difficult to get fluid in. Your sips will be tiny. Getting down my first Protein Drink post surgery was literally an all day affair. It was later in the first week that I woke up one day and felt like I could take some more normal sips. I had surgery in April & now I can get down my fluids pretty quickly again if I wanted to. Not quite the same chug, but a pretty good pace. You might want to have some sugar free popsicles on hand for post surgery. They only have a couple oz of fluid in them, but they helped me get in some fluid at a somewhat decent pace. Otherwise I was prone to taking a sip, and leaving a glass lying around forever. Good luck!

There's some folks that need a "V8 slap" now & then (myself included). Growing up we were told "There's no stupid questions, unless you already know the answer" & I'm pretty sure that a lot of these folks know the answer.. I don't know why they think a bunch of people in a forum would change that answer.. Some issues are just dumb, but others could be dangerous. It's a little hard to take tough love from strangers. I doubt that you're going to see many "Thank you"s. Hopefully though they're taking something away from your responses.

My hospital focuses mainly on protein. They want us to have at least 60g of protein a day. For patients that are a little taller, they want them to have more. My NUT said that about 80-100g was good for me. I've never been told an amount for calories, carbs, etc.. and when I've asked I've been steered back to the protein.

I was allowed fruit after 4 weeks. However, it was basically said to limit it to Breakfast time and only after I had gotten my Protein in. We can only guess, but I'm thinking that the cantaloupe was probably not the reason for the 2lb gain. Our bodies have a lot going on with Fluid balances and such. 2lbs I wouldn't worry about so much. If you start gaining more than that, I'd recommend speaking to your NUT/NP/etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Jelly-Belly-Electric-Ice-Shaver/dp/B004KKXHSS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374360802&sr=8-2&keywords=jelly+belly+snow+cone Just buy something like that & some sugar free syrups

Stick to what the bariatric team advised. You're still healing on the inside. Time will move along quicker than you think. Don't rush.

Have you tried experimenting with temperature? Sometimes warmer liquids feel better.

I was not given a number by my bariatric team. During the time when my surgeon might have meant to bring it up with me, we were busy discussing insurance throwing me a curve ball & I wasn't sure if surgery was going to happen or not. Anyway, I decided on 160 originally based on a "normal" BMI for my height. I went down slightly to 155lbs after realizing that the large frame that I thought I had all my life might be more of a medium one. It's on the higher end of the "normal" range. I know that I'm going to have some weight hanging there as skin for a bit (maybe forever in some parts). I don't remember how young I was when I was around that weight, but it was around elementary/middle school. My main goal? Not killing myself with diabetes & high blood pressure. Other than that.. I'd just like to be "normal" for once in my life. If I'm going to stand out.. let it be for something other than being "the fat girl".

Any procedure is going to have risk, and it's something that should be considered prior to surgery. I still see the surgery as something that was saving my health. I have diabetes & my blood pressure was high. It was a very slim chance that something was going to happen during surgery. It was a reality that my life was going to be impacted by the diabetes & blood pressure. I tried to lose weight on my own in the past & it came back. This was something that I needed help with & I got it.

Each food is going to feel a bit different. With my program, we had to eat our 3-4 oz of protein first, then get in up to a 1/2 c of veg & then if there was room left over we should be getting in some (healthy) starch. At 3 months out, I'm usually just doing the protein & veg. I don't usually feel the restriction so much when I'm eating my meals. Ironically.. first time I really noticed it was when I had some sugar free jello an hour later (I consider that to be more of a liquid). THERE IS NOT ALWAYS ROOM FOR JELLO!

I really wish things were as easy as that, but the body is more complex than people give it credit for. When you're working out a lot, it could be muscle. The nice thing about muscle is that pound for pound it takes up a lot less room than fat & it continues to burn calories for you. There's also water coming/going, sometimes our bodies like to freak out about not enough calories, etc..

I wouldn't say my surgeon specifically, but the overall team yes. They help you prepare for your journey & provide you with information on what you should be doing before & after. My surgeon was more someone I trusted to safely get me through this procedure.

I kicked the habit in December. I think I saw someone say that they've used the Soda Stream flavor bottles to flavor non-carbonated water. I haven't felt the urge, so I haven't tried it myself. I think that not having soda for so long now.. it just wouldn't taste too good.

I'm from the Northshore area in MA. I had my surgery on April 1st at Lahey Clinic. Every hospital is a bit different with their procedures, requirements, etc but if you have any questions please feel free to shoot me a PM.

I mix half unsweetened coconut/almond milk and half water with my protein shakes. It helps them go down much easier.

What are you doing right now? A liquid diet?

Wow, so sorry to hear that their reaction was that bad. I never did a big announcement to my general friends. If I see them I'll tell them about it one on one. If I hear anything negative, it generally sounds like they're a bit scared. It's a bit confusing, but it's almost like they're worried that now they're going to have to do this too. Some of them would benefit (the ones with diabetes especially) but all I can do is tell them the positive that has come of this for me. It's a decision that we alone need to make for ourselves.

I was able to do raw tomatoes @ 4 weeks (that and lettuce were the only raw veggies I was OK'd for till 3 months). I stuck to grape & cherry tomatoes and never had an issue. Best to check with your bariatric team though & follow their guidelines.

Colby Jack Cheese Sticks Eggs 1% Milk Fage 0 Cottage Cheese Frozen Edamame Grape/Cherry Tomatoes Chia Seeds Frozen Strawberries Sugar Free Jello Frozen Shrimp (and some cocktail sauce) "Just Grilled Chicken Strips" Trader Joe's Chicken Sausage Canned Tuna

I had a few sips about a week ago. It was a charity event that was being hosted at a Wine Tasting School. Fortunately it wasn't impolite to take a sip or 2 and then dump what was left (and they were pouring very small amounts anyway). Even at my highest weight.. I was a bit of a light weight when it came to alcohol. Fortunately this was small enough & stretched out enough time wise that it didn't really hit me. I will say that when I got home I was famished.. even after having a protein bar on the way home.