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I tried lots of different protein drinks and most companies will send you samples for a small fee. Unjury unflavored is great to mix with chicken broth or soups. Unjury also sells a chicken broth that I also liked. Protein drinks are very particular to each person. I tend not to like the milk based ones so I stuck mainly with Isopure (Alpine Punch and Apple Melon were my favorite). I usually add a Stevia or Crystal Light to make them more palatable. Buy some now to try and see if there is one that you like.

I agree about refrigeration. I also added a Stevia to the Apple Melon and Punch and that made it much better!

My advice would be to make sure that you have a variety of broths, soups and protein drinks available to you when you return home. You may want to even take a few with you, just in case. I had surgery here in California so I'm not sure if you need something special for TJ or not. I know I posted a list previously of what to bring with you to the hospital but I'll try to remember it....chapstick, robe, slippers, hair clip, magazines, gas-x. I'll write more if I find my old post. Take care and KUP

Yeah~ Congratulations! KUP

Diva, First I'm sorry that you are going through this. In all honesty, I think it's pretty normal. I was pretty weepy and emotional the first 3-4 weeks. Then I hit a stall and was super bummed and started questioning myself and the surgery. This is my 3rd surgery so I am a bit more experienced but I still went through some of these things. As far as following the post-op diet I think you are on a pretty strict diet. I was allowed mushy meats and foods at around 3-4 weeks and I definitely started feeling better after that. I haven't really eaten anything that wasn't allowed but I have definitely over-eaten and grazed more than I "should" have. I think that we need to remember that we've had surgery to become healthy - healthy people eat "junk" on occasion and take small tastes of high calorie food. That will be okay eventually. In the meantime, make sure that you have healed and that you are thinking about what you are eating before you eat. I have found that pre-planning my food has helped but I still go off the rails every once in a while. No one is perfect, give yourself lots of credit for taking the steps you already have. You may want to try to find a WLS support group in your area. Although you most likely won't find anyone who's had plication, you may find people who are going through similar things. Take care of yourself! Go on a walk and take a deep breath

I know! I had to practically cry to get another prescription. Luckily DH had horrible acid reflux before he started losing weight and he was prescribed the same PPI so I can always use those as back-up (shhh!).If u can't get a prescription then u'll have to buy it OTC - it's cheaper at costco or u can get coupons on-line.

PS I'm still taking a PPI daily and I do think that helps in reducing acid and hunger pangs. I could be totally wrong but I dont plan on going off it.

Hi all! I definitely can eat more but I make sure that I measure everything I can. I follow the philosophy "just because I can doesn't mean I should". I can probably eat 4 oz of dense protein but I don't want to stuff my new tummy. Do I still overeat at times? Yes. Do I still eat too often because I "think" I'm hungry? Yes.There are days when I eat closer to 1400 calories because I tend to eat out often for my business. On those days I try to work out a bit more. Please remember that I had a Lapband for almost 10 years prior to plication so I've had a lot of time to get used to measuring, chewing and eating this way. It takes time. I have been very interested in how naturally thin people live and eat. Some of the things I've noticed are they almost always keep a loose track of their calories, if they are going to eat out or eat a large meal then they cut back on calories in other meals and they are active on an almost daily basis. I am trying to live this way as well. My goal for the plication is to not only lose weight but to keep it off forever, something I didn't do with the band.

I own a plus size Rockabilly, swing and vintage online clothing store. You can email or message me if you want more info. I like Torrid a lot as I tend to prefer the 40s and 50s look too but they are pretty expensive.

Thanks everyone!! I'm bouncing around 252, 253, 254 this week so I'm going to increase my protein a bit and decrease the amount of food I'm eating at night. I tend to be a night eater (was before surgery also) but I found that I need a little snack about 30 minutes before bedtime. I don't get "hungry" but do feel a bit empty. Hunger that I experienced before WLS and even with an empty band has been greatly diminished with the plication. I'm seeing Dr. Billy on Thursday and want his scale to register at least a 30 lb. loss as well (you know how doctor's scales are - Grrrr!). I'm including a meal from today to give an idea of what I'm eating 2+ months out. Bfast: 1/2 GNC lean protein shake (85 calories, 12.5g protein), Water - about 8-10 oz. Snack: 1/2 yogurt (3 oz, 40 calories) w/ 1/4 c. of Kashi Go Lean Crunch (48 calories) = 78 calories, Water - about 8-10 oz. Lunch: 3/8 of a turkey burger with 3/8 of the bottom bun only - I know it's a weird fraction but it's more than 1/4 but not quite 1/2! ,about 4 grapes (I was pretty full) (about 280 calories) No Food Snack, I drank 20 oz of Vitamin Zero water about 1 hour after lunch Dinner: About 4 Tbsp of Egg Salad, 6 Special K crackers, 3 blueberries (guessing about 220 calories), 8-10 oz of water Snack: (will be) 1 container of yogurt mixed with 2 strawberries and 1/2 c. of Kashi Go Lean crunch (180 calories) *more often than not I can't eat all of this and will save it for tomorrow night's snack, 8-10 oz of water and 1/2 Vitamin Zero water (10 oz.) My total calories will be around 860 for the day. I worked out this morning and burned 450 calories and plan on doing a Zumba or walking video later tonight to burn about 200 more. Hope this helps~

Congrats!! You are doing great and I totally agree about keeping the weight off this time. Are you exercising and getting enough water? I found that those were 2 key factors to help me. Good luck on your journey and congrats again on your weight loss!

Congrats! My dr has worked with Dr W before and had good things to say about him! KUP

The Isopure Apple is pretty good. I also mix the Alpoine Punch with crystal light and some water and drink it at the gym. Not bad and the big bottles have 40g of protein.

Just wanted to say Congratulations to you again Olivia! I lost 22 lbs while banded with our first child and he came out big and healthy! Just make sure you inform your ob/gyn of your surgery because they may want to monitor you more closely.

Wow! Congrats! That's an amazing feat.

Olivia, Wow! Congratulations!! My doctor was adamant about his patients using birth control for at least the first year after WLS and I waited 5 years after WLS to get pregnant so I don't have any advice for you along those lines. I was banded with both my pregnancies though and lost 22 pounds with our son during the first 7 months - mainly due to all-day "morning" sickness. When he was born he weighed 8 lbs. 8 oz. and was 23 inches long so my weight loss didn't affect him negatively. You may have to see the ob/gyn more frequently just to monitor the baby's development and growth. Good luck to you and congrats again!!

Thanks everyone!!

I forgot to mention that I also increased my water intake. I was drinking about 48 ounces and I increased it to about 80. I think that has helped as well. I'm at 255 as of this morning so something I'm doing is working!?!

Oh Diva~ Sorry you are having a difficult time with the recovery period. I agree that the gas pains can be nasty!! I also threw up quite a bit the day of surgery - I always have a bad reaction to anesthesia so I expected it. I was on clear liquid for only 2-3 days after surgery, then full liquids starting on day 3 after surgery. I was eating chicken soup broth with all the good stuff strained out! I went to Mexican restaurants and order caldo de pollo (chicken soup) and ate the broth. On day 5 I started mixing about 1 teaspoon of beans with 1 teaspoon of broth and it was like heaven and I felt sooo much better after that! Get yourself some Isopure or other clear protein drink, this will help your energy level as well. Good luck - hope you feel better soon!

I had my lapband replaced and a plication done by Dr. Billy in Thousand Oaks,CA. It's been 7 weeks and I've lost about 28 pounds - I'm on my phone so i cant update my ticker Good luck to you!!

Hi! I have been on a PPI since the day of surgery. With PPIs you need to take them daily to be the most effective so if you aren't taking one daily, you should see if you can get a prescription. Also make sure you take it on an empty stomach. I have noticed that my stomach is very noisy and active as compared to before surgery. I haven't really had any hunger pangs yet (6 weeks out) but I do feel empty and cranky if I don't eat. I also eat about every 2-3 hours and eat something high in protein (lf string cheese w/ a piece of turkey) about 20 minutes before bed. This seems to help settle everything. Hopefully this will be resolved for you! Here's some info: patients take their PPI on an EMPTY stomach...30 to 60 minutes BEFORE meals. that it can take up to 3 or 4 days of daily medication before they'll have full benefit. more info here: http://www.stopheartburn.com/channels/treatment/when-should-i-take-my-heartburn-medication

First im sorry you r feeling this way - it's normal. My first week I drank Isopure and made protein shakes in a blender. I made sure I used nice glasses too! Even now I make sure to use pretty, small plates to eat on. I think it helps. Remember you can eat a variety of soups just make sure you blend them. Make a trip to a restaurant or a nicer grocery store and buy some premade yummy soups - not the canned variety! Don't worry too much about calories or fat right now because u r probably not eating enough anyway. You may want to mix Unjury unflavored protein in your soup too for some added protein. Take care!

I've been stalled since the end of February and this morning I finally lost another pound!! I was stuck at 260 and really wanted to be in the 250s but my body wasn't having any of it. I increased my exercise, water intake and protein and that seemed to do the trick! I officially weighed in at 259.0 this morning. Yeah!! I'm going to Las Vegas in about 5 1/2 weeks and I'd really like to lose another 15-18 pounds by then so I'm going to focus on increasing my exercise slowly over the next month or so. My goal for April 7 is to be 250 but I'm going to try to surpass that. At the gym I'm currently doing a 10 minute warm-up on the bike, 20 minutes on the elliptical (an increase from 15), and 30 minutes on the treadmill (an increase from 20). I will increase my time on the elliptical and treadmill next week by about 5 minutes. Hopefully, this will help boost my weight loss. I also do walking or dancing exercise videos at home if I don't make it to the gym. I had to take a look at what I was eating also and realized that I was eating a bit too many carbs. My dr. doesn't have a prescribed amount of carbs that I should eat but he does emphasize eating protein first, then any veggies (which I really can't have yet), then unprocessed carbs. I am going to be cutting back a bit on carbs and see if that will help. Take care,

I've been wanting to try Zumba for about a year. The gym I currently belong to doesn't offer it at many locations or times I need so I haven't been able to try a class. I have done the Zumba videos but really wanted to try a class. I used to be a on the dance team in high school and currently take Swing dance lessons with my husband (for fun and because we have a plus size Rockabilly, Swing clothing line) so I think I can follow dance instructors pretty well. I told the ladies around me that it was my first time and that I might crash into them. They were super nice about it and even showed me a few quick moves before the class started. The instructor was great and the class was very fun and energetic! I did the whole 60+ minute class and kept up pretty well but now I am super sore!!! My calves are killing me. I walked around the block tonight to see if I could stretch my legs a bit and ease the pain but no, they still hurt - but it's a good kind of hurt!! I was goin gto try to go to the Zumba clas tomorrow @ 9 am but my calves might tell me something different in the morning. I'll see how I feel. Overall, I really liked Zumba and think it's a great class, even for beginners. It would have been fun to have a friend with me so we could've messed up together! Take care,

Yeah! I'm going back today. I've been to Zumba about 3 times and I really like it. I've discovered that the instructor makes a big difference and I've already found my favorite! My city offers a Zumba class once a week at a park - I'm going to try that one too. Olivia - You are doing great!!