DeniseM

I had this crazy craving for olives (I think my body was telling me I needed sodium) the first few weeks after my surgery, I waited until I was on a full diet at week 4 before trying them, but I had no problems eating them.

All I did was blend the soup in a pot with a submersible blender- I did not add anything to "cream" them- it just didn't sound good to me. Blending soups until they are smooth makes the texture creamy, but the flavor stays the same.

Hard to say about the pain- I had both horrible post-op pain and horrible gas pain, lasting the first week, but by the second week I was feeling better. Walking around was the only thing that made me feel better. I never took gas-x, but a lot of people post how it helps them. I totally know what you are going through regarding food cravings- my first week I can remember every time my hubby would have something to eat, it was really hard because his food smelled so good and I HATED drinking protein shakes. I wasn't hungry, but I think it was my food addiction that I was dealing with where my brain and eyes controlled what I ate, not my stomach. Food issues became MUCH easier for me after week 2 when I was on pureed food and could start eating things with flavor. I have no issues with it now- my hubby could eat an entire pizza in front of me and I wouldn't care.

You also have to remember that life happens, and the "perfect" foods are not always available. Sometimes we have to eat what is convenient, and at least you had protein for breakfast and lunch- you could have just had a donut. So while it might not have been ideal, it was still protein, and all protein counts. I'm not sure if the food demons ever really go away- mine haven't, but every now and then I give in and have a few bites of whatever I am craving, and I do not allow myself to feel guilty about it. The fact that I can eat a few bites of something and throw the rest away is an amazing feeling to me when previously I would eat every last bite- like you and your shake- have you ever before taken one sip and thrown the rest away? I certainly never did. To me, it is not about depriving myself of all the foods I love, but having the power to control myself.

Pre-surgery should not be a problem unless you are doing low-carb, and then you will want to be careful because fruit/vegetable juice has a lot more carbs in juice form then if you were eating them in their whole state. Post-surgery, they are certainly healthier than the artificial popsicles you buy in the store, but, my NUT told me that some people cannot tolerate raw veggies and fruits in the beginning. I'm not sure if it the fiber in fruits and veggies or the enzymes. Maybe you can make yourself a few right before surgery and just see how they work for you- don't make a bunch because you might be wasting a lot of money on produce. Once you are off liquids, you will want to focus on protein and not filling up on veggies, but you could try adding protein powder to your juice and see how that works. I had no problem with raw fruits or veggies, but I didn't try any until four weeks after surgery.

For me, not being hungry is the most amazing part of my surgery. Before surgery, my eating habits were poor and I would not eat snacks, become ravenously hungry, and then overeat. When I was researching VSG one if the things that intrigued me was not being hungry. I thought it would be nice if that happened to me, but was expecting to be hungry. I can remember going to the hospital the morning of my surgery so hungry I could have knawed off my arm.... Afterwards, simply amazed that I was not hungry, even in the beginning when I would have 200 calories in a day- it was several weeks before I felt my first twinge of hunger. Now, if I have gone hours since eating, I start to feel slightly nauseous which is my new way of my body telling me to eat. Maybe once a week I actually feeling something like hunger, but it is so different than before. If I were hungry all the time now I know I would not be as successful with my weight loss because those feelings of hunger are what triggered my binge eating. I know this won't last forever, but I am really enjoying and taking full advantage of this now....

I was only able to find the no sugar added kind as well, so that's what I bought...

In addition to all the other suggestions, one thing I have found is that if I do not get 8 hours of sleep, I do not lose. I realized a few weeks ago that when I can get an appropriate amount of sleep, the scale is always down at least a few ounces in the morning. The nights I do not get 8 hours of sleep, I stay the same or gain a few ounces.

Every now and then I will have a meal where it seems I just cannot eat and get full much faster than usual. I think that it probably has to do with either the density of the food I am eating, or maybe I didn't chew well enough, but I give it a few hours and then I feel fine. If this starts happening every time you eat, you need to call your doctor because it could be a stricture.

Mine sure did- I went from a D to barely a C, and I had to buy all new bras. I might have no boobs at all when it is all said and done....

It is not really cost effective because it would be cheaper to just order the Protein ala carte, but I love salads, and usually there is enough Proteins for two meals, and I have no issues with raw veggies, so even though I waste a lot of salad, I usually get two meals out of one salad. When you order just a protein at a restaurant, it comes alone on a plate all pitiful and dry and it makes me feel deprived. Plus a lot of salads have other goodies- especially Panera Bread which puts fruit and nuts in their salads, so those are my favorite!

I order salads and eat the protein and a bite or two of the veggies. Today I had a salmon salad from Ruby Tuesday, ate half the salmon and two pieces of tomato. So technically I eat salads, but not really. I usually don't have room because I eat my protein first.

I can eat 6 ounces at 10 weeks out, but it takes me about 30 minutes to do so. What I do so that I can get my protein in and not get too full is that I use a stopwatch timer on my phone, and I take one bite every 5 minutes. When I do this, I can consume enough protein and calories so I feel like a human, and I do not get too full.

I slept sitting up on the couch for the first 2 weeks- I could not get comfortable in my bed. I wasn't able to sleep on my side until 3 weeks, and my stomach until 4 weeks.

Basically I plan each meal to be 200 calories and 20 grams of protein, and I eat four times a day. I make myself a breakfast casserole with eggs, turkey sausage and black beans, for lunch I eat turkey chili (homemade), for dinner I eat chicken (usually Rotisserie chicken from Boston Market) and a few bites of veggies, and for my fourth meal I made myself some chicken, kale, and sweet potato patties that I eat with some guacamole. I try to follow a Paleo diet and avoid dairy and gluten. I eat the same thing most days, so it is easy to plan my meals. Occasionally I get bored and switch it up- today we had dinner at Joe's Crab Shack and I ate about 6 ounces of crab legs and a few bites of corn (yum!). I also throw in some black beans in my breakfast casserole and chili so I have some carbs because when I found I feel better with carbs- I cannot do a no carb or low carb diet- it makes me cranky and unable to concentrate at work, and gives me mad food cravings.

I took some the other night when I was sick and couldn't sleep- I took the pill kind, and because they are so big it made me feel full, but I didn't have any issues and was able to sleep. If you only have a fever though, you might want to try just Tylenol rather than the taking the other drugs that are in Nyquil (cough suppressant and Benadryl) that you don't need.

When I started working out with my trainer at 4 weeks was when I started upping my calories- I could not even do an hour workout I was so weak. I was at 500 calories at that point. As soon as I upped my calories to 800 I noticed an immediate difference in my energy and I was able to finish my workout. I plan my meals very carefully so that I get in 800 calories and at least 80 grams of protein, and I try to get it all from real food not protein shakes. I usually have no problems, and occasionally my calories have been close to 1000 if I have a snack, but I don't do that often.

My NUT told me absolutely no alcohol for one year, but then I was talking to my surgeon and telling her about my upcoming vacation and that I would miss my tropical drink on the beach and she told me a few sips of whatever I wanted was fine. I haven't had any alcohol yet, but I would have a few sips if the situation presented itself. Just being honest.

I know that I feel the best when I am between 800 and 1000 calories. I plan my meals so that I eat at least 800 per day because that is what I need to have energy to function and feel good. Less than that and I have low energy, trouble concentrating at work, and can barely finish my workouts. I have decided to just listen to my body and so far I have been really happy with my progress. I got off track this past week after having gallbladder surgery and my calories and protein were both really low, and I am feeling it now, but I know it is just temporary and by next week I should be feeling good again.

I definitely had a few times were I questioned whether not I should have the surgery. Ultimately I looked out over my 20 year history of being morbidly obese and the countless failed diets I had tried and I knew that I needed help with my weight loss because it was clear that I could not lose weight on my own. I have been so surprised and happy with my weight loss so far and I know that this was the right choice for me.

I have a desk job and I took two weeks off. I don't have to lift anything at my job so you'll have to be careful with that and driving was still pretty painful until about 3 weeks out from surgery. But I had no problem sitting all day to do my job.

I try to eat 5 small meals a day so between that and getting in my water, I usually cannot fit in a snack. But occasionally if I am craving something I will snack.

I agree with ScottsGirl- do what the doctor says, not the NUT. I had two days of clear liquids right before surgery, so every surgeon is different, so listen to yours!

I have a trainer from a small, private gym. It's not a fancy place, but they are serious athletes and push me so hard I want to cry- I love it! I work out 3x per week (well not currently because I just had my gallbladder out, but I will be back in three more weeks) and I pay $30 per session. I signed a three month contract to get me started and I am not sure if I will continue after the 90 days are up due to the cost, but I now feel more confident and I think I will be able to manage with just a basic gym membership after I am done with the PT, with maybe a session here and there if I feel stuck or need some new workout ideas. How I found my trainer was just going to all the different gyms in my town and interviewing them. I went with a small place where I felt I would receive the most attention and stayed away from the big chain gyms, but that was my preference. My trainer is going to be working with both me and my hubby for a few sessions, but we have to pay extra for my husband's sessions, so for your friend or kids to workout with you shouldn't be a problem, but it will cost more. Good luck!

Jasmin has not been replaced yet, the only person there is Caron Toney who is an admin, but not a nurse, and not the bariatric coordinator. I work at Womack and I can tell you that because of the hiring freeze, there will most likely not be a replacement for Jasmin until the new fiscal year in October unless they can find someone from within the hospital to take her place. I have had issues with Caron returning my calls as well, but just keep trying her. I do not bother to leave a voicemail, I just keep calling. Don't forget that she is off one day per week because of the furlough as well, but that should end this week, so hopefully things will get back to normal.