Kindle

I hesitate to post some of my questions, because I think they may be rather dumb questions. I know that shouldn't stop me, but sometimes people can be rude, especially with the anonymity of an online forum. But, I'm sure I'll be asking anyway. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Have you tried the search function? There probably aren't a lot of questions out there that haven't already been asked. Just type in a key word that has to do with your question and check out the posts that come up. Or plop yourself down in front of the preop and postop general questions subforums and you could spend hours reading through the posts. That's what I did even before surgery and by the time came there was hardly anything I hadn't already read about. There is also a nutritional forum on here that is divided into the different food stages where you could get some good info if it's specifically dietary related. But again, keep in mind there are dozens of different programs out there with just as many variations on postop instructions. So take what you find and see what fits best for you. In the long run, a unique plan that you develop for yourself will be the easiest for you to stick to.

That's what I did. I didn't and still don't own a scale. I stepped on the scale at the doctors office like 4 times in the first 3 month. But I sure wish I had a dollar for every post that gets made about "not losing fast enough"

I had lost 17 pounds in 12 weeks (also following my plan perfectly) I'm now sitting 12 pounds below goal and have been for over 1 1/2 years. The rate that you lose has absolutely nothing to do with your ultimate success. Just stick on plan, sit back and enjoy the NSVs. And stay off the scale if it upsets you so much.

I was self pay, but my My VSG surgeon still offers nutritional counseling (for life, free of charge). But I didn't feel any need to consult with her and haven't communicated with her since surgery day 2 1/2 years ago. The surgeon who removed my gallbladder (who also does WLS) wanted me to talk to his nut since I went to Mexico for my VSG and I can't possibly be educated enough to do this alone. He's an @ssh0le, BTW. He had her call me, I explained I had lost over 100% of my excess weight, described my eating habits and she simply said "good job, sorry to bother you, I'm not sure why the doctor asked me to call you." So no, you don't necessarily need a nut to navigate post WLS life successfully. In fact, I read about a lot of pretty dumb advice some people receive from their nuts. As for your questions, you may think about posting them here. BP forum members have actually "been there done that" as opposed to most nuts that have no idea what it's like to be obese or what post WLS is like. You'll probably get a dozen different answers, none of them right or wrong, but the whole point is to sift through the info available and find what works for YOU, not what some nutritional textbook says.

At your stage calories are not a number you need to be worrying about at all. All you need to be concerned with is taking your Vitamins, getting 60-80g of Protein and at least 64oz of Water (80-100 is better especially if you are in a warm climate) every day. That's it. It's that simple. If you are still hungry after getting all your protein then throw in some low starch veggies or a couple bites of fruit. It's great you are eating high protein foods, but if you can't get all your protein that way then go ahead and throw in a shake. I still drink them 2 1/2 years out. (Drinking a 24oz banana milk shake with 25g protein as I type this) Like Kristen said, if you continue to limit your calories because you are afraid to eat you will 1) put yourself into a stall 2) screw up your metabolism, making maintenance that much more difficult and 3) possibly develop an eating disorder. The only time my calories were below 600 was the first week postop.

Like @@LipstickLady, I was denied all junk food and processed foods growing up. Everything was nutritious, healthy and mostly homegrown. We never went to fast food places. We also HAD to clean our plates. Anything we didn't finish for dinner, we had for Breakfast the next day. Turns out it's not such a great lesson to learn. Don't get me wrong, my mom is an outstanding cook and I still look forward to her home cooked meals. But it's sad that one of my profound memories is that we were allowed to buy 1 box of "kids cereal" a year. Captain crunch berries was my favorite and I got to have it just once/year. So of course when I moved out, I made up for the previous 18 years by pigging out on every bit I could lay my hands on. I filled my shopping cart with chips, Cookies, oatmeal cream pies, and I ate captain crunch and went to fast food places every single day And also like @@dubs, I like to excercise my willpower muscles all the time. I purposefully walk through the bakery section and down the candy aisles and watch cooking shows and go to restaurants with friends and watch them eat Desserts. The "bad" food isn't going anywhere just because I had surgery and I don't think it's fair to make everyone around me adapt the my chosen lifestyle. Being able to say no just makes it easier to say no the next time and the next time. The only exception to this for me is peanuts and Peanut Butter. It's my crack cocaine. Not to mention a slider. I could eat a whole jar in one sitting. So it's the one thing I do avoid.

I had the cleanest garage in the country. And finally got 5 years of files and piles in my office organized.

Nope. If you still eat the "wrong" foods, no surgery will help you lose weight and keep it off. Success after WLS is mostly about the mental/emotional/psychological changes you make and very little about the changes your surgeon made. And if you have already made those changes, (eating the right foods and controlling your portions, even in the face of stress and depression and celebration and everything else life throws at you) then there is nothing more surgery would do for you.

For all foods at all stages, I simply ate one small teaspoon at a time, waited about a minute between bites and stopped when I was satisfied but not full. I never measured portions and was actually never told to. Sometimes all it took was a hiccup or slight pressure at the bottom of my rib age to indicate I was full. If I felt that, I knew to eat one bite less the next time. I didn't want to get back in the habit of eating till I was full or thinking I had to clean my plate...that's how I got fat in the first place.

Ok, so one thing I was told about umbilical hernia repair in conjunction with any gastrointestinal surgery, ..... Some umbilical hernias can just be repaired with suture and that's fine, you can do that while you are in mucking around with other things. But ideally, the hernia should be repaired with surgical mesh. The problem with that is although the repair will hold better in the long tun, using mesh carries a higher risk of infection. (You know all those commercials about lawsuits for bladder mesh slings? That's because the mesh was never meant to be used that way...that's why there are complications with it). And whenever you are dealing with cutting into the intestines or stomach, you are potentially releasing bacteria that could seed the mesh. Your abdominal cavity is sterile, but the inside of your GI tract is not. I assume this is why some surgeons, especially those that use mesh rather than sutures,do not want to repair an umbilical hernia at the same time as WLS. @@Dub , makes me wonder if your two previous repairs were done with mesh or suture since they had to be redone.

I LOVE mine. I'm single and it takes me so long to eat anything that without the vacuum sealer my frozen leftovers would always get freezer burn. But now I can even buy in bulk at SAMs. And I was eating Granma's thanksgiving leftovers in April! One tip for sealing soft or juicy stuff.... Freeze it first, then vacuum seal it. That way it keeps its shape and all the liquid doesn't get sucked out.

I am. And the beauty is you don't have to understand. But while we're at it, do you wear makeup? Do you shave? Do you cut your hair? Ever dyed it or gotten a perm? Oh yeah, and did you have a surgical procedure that removed most of a perfectly healthy stomach? All of these things are forms of altering your God given body.

To help with the clumping problem.... Premix the unflavored Protein powder with a bit of Water in a Blender Bottle to make a slurry. Add this to your soup after heating. Do not add to anything above 140 degrees because Protein solidifies when it's heated (look at a raw egg vs cooked egg). Its just what it does. I did this with dozens of different broths and soups throughout all my food stages and never had any problems meeting protein goals (and had a wide variety of flavors so I didn't get bored)

The first one I got on my ankle in my early 20's. It was originally just the Zuni bear fetish and I had the feather added later just cause I liked it. The second one of the desert canyon/river is on my lower back. Got it in my late 30's. Rafting was, and still is a huge part of my life since my mid 20's. My annual trips through the desert clean my soul and gets me back at peace with myself. Each of the petroglyph symbols hold a special personal meaning and the names are in honor of the dogs I've lost....obviously Belle and Abraham were added years after the original tattoo and the whole thing needs to be touched up. But honestly, tattooing in that spot hurt way more after WLS when I lost all that back fat cushioning and I'm just not up for the pain at this point. The feathers on my arm were because I wanted a tattoo I could actually see. (Socks cover the first one and need a mirror to see the second one). My brother had gotten a huge tattoo on his upper arm and I really liked the feathers in his. This one wraps all the way around my forearm. The last one has the most profound meaning and one I wished I didn't have. A tribute to my younger brother who died 4 years ago. He was an incredibly talented musician. His signature from the last birthday card he sent me is above the keyboard.

Those are awesome numbers. It's great you are able to get in so much Protein and fluids so soon. Being able to get those calories in is also very beneficial to your metabolism and energy level. And yeah, it's a learning process figuring out what it takes to feel satisfied but not too full. Congrats!

Both of those points were valid and important in those first 12-18 months, but.... 1) I'm 2 1/2 years out and know exactly how much food I need to eat to feel satisfied, but not full, so what difference does it make if I eat it in 5 min vs 20 min? 2) my anatomy/tolerance is such that a golf ball would go down just as easily as a couple tablespoons of Soup.

I had my surgery in Mexico and three days postop I flew 3 hours and then drove 1 hour. I was planning on driving all the way home, but the roads were pure ice and couldn't see through the snowstorm. I got a hotel room and drove the remaining 4 hours on day four when the weather was better. My surgeon gave me thigh high compression stockings to wear on the plane and suggested getting up to walk at least every hour. I walked walked walked in the airport and just asked for help lifting my carryon bag onto the X-ray belt and into the overhead bin. I sipped decaf herbal tea and muscle milk on the plane. And other than having to unpack my bag into my back seat before lifting it into my truck because it exceeding my lifting restrictions, I had no problems. In fact, I plowed my driveway when I got home. I think the key is just wear compression hose and to get up and move as much as you can. There are thousands of people that have surgery in Mexico and fly within a few days postop and never have any problems. In fact, I belong to 3 different WLS forums and have never read a single post from a Mexico patient that had problems with clots and flying within days of surgery.

I turn my protein shakes into milkshakes by blending them with ice. Put them in a thermos so they stay cold and slushy for hours. Alternately drink them and cold water or Lifewater or unsweetened iced tea, etc. I think I had 120oz fluids today and at least 80g protein, with 48 oz and 40g protein coming from my protein milkshakes.

I don't care how long I have to wait.....I'll call in sick if I have to

You're complaining about losing 15 pounds in a month? Really? I can't understand where everyone gets these crazy expectations of rapid weight loss after surgery. If you are meeting protein and fluid goals and taking your vitamins, thats all you need to do. That and maybe work on Lowering your unrealistic goals. BTW, it took me 3 months to lose 17 pounds and I was ecstatic about every single one of them gone forever. I never once thought I wasn't losing fast enough. Seriously, sit back and enjoy the journey!

Well who doesn't?

Looks like we just threw this rule out with the whole straw thing..... Except in the case of strictures, of course. We should start a WLS Mythbusters show.

My surgeon never gave any amounts to count besides Protein and Water. His nut actually laughed when I asked about low fat and calories cause in the beginning you can't possibly eat too much of either as long as you stick with your protein and water goals. At 2 1/2 years, I eat like lipsticklady...high protein, high fat and low carb. Regular mayo, real butter, full fat dairy, and my golden rule is "Bacon goes with everything". Fried food gives me indigestion, though, so that's not on my list of regular things to eat. Except fried pork skin, that seems to sit OK. But of course that ALMOST bacon.

I actually do it all the time. Like @@OCgirl and @@Babbs I eat very fast but I also feel full longer if I swallow whole chunks of something. And like ocgirl, I can eat more of something if it's a mushy food to start with or if I chew denser foods a lot. I try to compromise by taking longer between bites, but not chewing as much. But still, considering the small portions, I usually finish my meals in under 5 minutes. Eating slowly that first year or so was vital to not overeating. But now I know exactly how much to put on my plate and never overeat no matter how fast I eat. My eyes and my tummy are finally in sync.

Some people can't drink while eating because it is uncomfortable. But in general, the rule is kind of leftover from the rules of bypass surgery. If you drink while eating, your food is flushed out of your stomach sooner, theoretically making you feeling hungry sooner than if you didn't drink while eating. The difference is bypass pouches have no pyloric valve to hold the food in and sleeves do. But even if the liquid you drink while eating does cause food to pass out of your sleeve sooner, there really is no physical harm done. Your tummy may feel empty sooner, which, in theory, may cause you to eat more often. But in the end, what and how often you eat comes down to your mental choices. You don't have to let your sleeve dictate your eating habits. I actually felt no different whether I drank with meals or not, so it's not a rule I particularly follow.