DeniseM

I use the Android app on my phone and I cannot see any profile pics either.

I am 6 1/2 weeks out and I can eat 4-5 ounces in one sitting, but it takes me about 45 minutes because I take really slow bites.

Have you ever tried Stevia? It's an herb that is naturally sweet, and it has 0 calories and 0 carbs, so it is a great substitute for artificial sweeteners. You can buy it at any health food store, and some grocery stores carry it as well with all the other sweeteners. I usually drink plain Water, but when I want something different, I make myself some iced herb tea- I brew it by the gallon and keep it in the refrigerator, and I sweeten it either with plain sugar or honey. My favorite flavors of herb tea are Red Zinger and any kind of mint.

I am 6 1/2 weeks out and usually eat between 600-700 calories, occasionally I hit 800.

An enema works immediately, and once everything is out, you are done. A suppository is slow acting, so it could cause multiple bathroom trips once things start happening.

Tylenol can help take the edge off- my doctor told me I could take liquid Tylenol and they gave me the dose which was specific for my weight. You should discuss this with your doctor- there really is no way around post-operative pain, it will hurt until you are healed. I used pain meds for 10 days- round the clock for the first 7 days and then only at night for the last three days. One thing that really helped was wearing a compression garment around my stomach- it kept everything tight so my sutures did not pull when I moved. You could also try alternative methods like meditation, aromatherapy, or acupuncture to help take your mind off the pain....

I think that the VSG surgery does help override symptoms of metabolic syndrome in the beginning, but eventually, I think it could catch up with you a few years out if you are consuming large amounts of artificial sweeteners. If you Google "Dangers of artificial sweeteners" you will find endless articles about the dangerous chemicals that are used in them, and that is why I do not use them at all, the chemicals. If you only have one cup of coffee a week, then using a sugar substitute would not be a problem- small, infrequent doses of chemicals will not cause a health problem. However, the artificial sweeteners you are drinking all day long can definitely have an effect on your body. To be fair, I have to tell you that I am a "clean" eater, and I eat as much organic foods as possible, and rarely eat any processed or artificial foods, so I am a bit on the extreme side when it comes to my food opinions. I know that I feel better when I eat better quality foods, and I can definitely tell the difference when I eat something with too much garbage in it. I have a strong family history of cancer (all four of my grandparents died of cancer and both of my parents are cancer survivors), so I do everything I can to limit my exposure to chemicals in my food and Water. This is a good article, with scientific research and evidence as to the dangers of the chemicals in artificial sweeteners: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/13/artificial-sweeteners-more-dangerous-than-you-ever-imagined.aspx

Artificial sweeteners are made from toxic chemicals, and I avoid them at all costs. This is a great video from Dr. Oz: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/americas-dangerous-artificial-sweetener-addiction-pt-1 http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/americas-dangerous-artificial-sweetener-addiction-pt-2

You only have four more days of liquids- you can do this! If you start eating too soon, you can risk hurting your new sleeve, so you really need to be patient and follow your doctor's orders. I drank a lot of cream of tomato soup (made with milk) when I was on liquids. It doesn't have a lot of protein, but drinking all the sweet liquids got to me too, so the soup helped. Another thing I really liked was the broth from won-ton soup. My hubby would pick it up on his way home from work and he would eat the won-ton's and I would drink the broth. Again, not a good source of protein, but it tasted so good!

I am going through the same thing right now with one of my incisions. Six and a half weeks out, and one of them is still not healed. The other four healed beautifully. I was also told that there was an underlying suture which was the cause. I have to go in to my surgeon's office every 2-3 days now for them to change the dressing and re-pack the wound. It's small, about the size of the head of an eraser, but it is going to leave a nasty scar. Fortunately, my surgeon told me that once it is completely healed, she can do a small procedure to revise the scar and it will look like all the other ones when it heals. So that's good news. But in the meantime, I have a hole in my stomach and a big stupid bandage that you can see through my clothes. Not cool. BUT, it is the only complication I have had, so I consider myself so lucky- it could be so much worse.

Yes, it is basically the same thing as ice cream as far as calories and sugar is concerned.

I did not wear compression stockings, but the abdominal band was a LIFE SAVER! I wore that for the first two weeks and it made my stomach feel so much better.

Since you are only 5 days post-op, you really should call your doctor. I was told I could take liquid Tylenol at two weeks post-op, and my doctor gave me the specific dose I needed for my weight.

I lost 30 pounds the first three weeks, and then 4 pounds the next three weeks, so I was very disappointed with that, but this week I am starting my full exercise. My surgeon told me that was completely normal, and says that I should start seeing an increase in weight loss again with intense exercise, but to only expect 2-3 pounds per week. So I have had to adjust my expectations a bit. She also told me that I need to increase my calories and try to hit 800 calories per day now that I am going to be exercising more. She told me that your weight loss slows down if your calories are too low and the key to losing weight is finding the right balance of exercise and calories. I also had issues with constipation, but that got much better these last two weeks as I have tried to eliminate protein shakes and get my protein from real food.

You also have to remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so in the beginning of a new exercise program, it is not unusual to gain a few pounds as your body builds muscle. But don't worry, because that is only temporary. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn, so the pounds will come off as you continue to exercise and exercise with a higher intensity. One thing that I like to do is measure myself with a tape measure rather than only by pounds on the scale. You will see that you are losing inches even when you are not losing or even gaining pounds, and that will keep you motivated to continue.

I didn't have any problem swallowing- my throat was sore from being intubated, and my mouth was SO dry, but once I was allowed to start sipping water, I had no problem swallowing, I just had to go slow because my stomach was so swollen and they did not want me to throw up, which I didn't, but some people struggle with nausea and vomiting after surgery due to the anesthesia.

Right now I am eating between 600-700 calories a day. My NUT told me to never go over 1200 calories, but that it could take several months to get to the point where I am eating that much. (Of course, I could probably eat that now if I ate junk all day instead of real food) That calorie goal is for my height of 5'8. A smaller woman might need fewer calories, an extremely active woman might need more calories. Men need more calories then women. Like JeffA70 said, every situation is different. Did your NUT or surgeon give you a guideline for calories?

I'm pretty sure everyone does. The only thing that helped me was walking. I made sure to get up and walk every hour, and several times in the night as well. You won't feel like walking, but you have to make yourself do it, and you will feel better.

Yeah! I was SO happy when I was able to skip the shakes as well! Some days I just don't get in my protein with food and still need a shake, mostly on the weekends when I am busy running around and not able to devote my every waking moment to eating and drinking, but I am down to 1-2 shakes a week now, and I feel much better, especially since the shakes make me constipated. My body definitely likes real food!

That seems odd that only the one flavor/brand is allowed- did they say why that was? I was allowed any kind of protein powder or shake as long as it was under 5 carbs per serving. I would call their office tomorrow morning and question why you can have only that one flavor/brand, and tell them you can't get it down and need to try something else.

In my nutrition classes, they put the emphasis on calories first, unless you were a diabetic then it was sugar first. Carbs and calories go hand in hand, so if your carbs are high, your calories will be too, which is why I just watch my calories and don't worry about carbs or sugar.

My husband LOVES Ostrim! (I cannot stand it, but I don't like jerky of any kind) I think it's a great snack because it's high-protein, low-carb and calories, and is easily portable. My hubby is in the Army and is frequently gone with training and deployment so that is his go-to snack because it never melts or gets crushed like a power bar. They do have a lot of sodium, so you might need to be careful with that.

I don't really worry about the fat content either. I eat what tastes good to me, and focus on getting in my protein every day. I am usually under 700 calories a day. Having some fat in your diet is important for body and brain function- you cannot completely eliminate fat from your diet long-term. I never eat anything with artificial sweeteners. If I eat something sweet, it has natural sugar or stevia in it. BUT, I am not diabetic, so I do not have to worry about my blood sugar. I focus on eating clean, which means eating food in it's most natural and organic state that has not been processed or has any additives or preservatives, and that is working really well for me. I feel great- I have energy, I can concentrate at work, and I feel really healthy. (I do have an occasional "bad" treat though, I am only human!)

Almost six weeks out and all of my shoes are feeling loose.

I feel that way too about exercise- I have not exercised regularly in years, and I am in pitiful shape. However, my surgeon wants me to do intense exercise, so I found a very small gym (privately owned, not one of the big chains) where I know I can receive individual attention and tomorrow I am starting a boot camp class. I am scared because I know how bad it will suck (I did a BCC about three years ago for one month) and I know it will make me want to cry and probably throw up, but I know that I must do this. I know that the main contributor to me being overweight for the past 20 years has been a lack of exercise, I feel that I will never conquer my weight problem without exercise, and that I have to take full advantage of this first year after surgery when I will lose the most weight since I have a so much weight to lose. Working out at home has never worked for me- I have spent hundreds of dollars on equipment and DVD's that I never use. I chose this gym because I had to sign a contract that I will attend all the classes and gives my trainer permission to call me at work, at home, or on my cell if I do not show up. I think the combination of the personal attention and the accountability will be key to my success.