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I guess I would just go back to basics...concentrate on Protein, veggies and Water. Cut out the fruit and Pasta for now. I only started eating those once I was at goal and only in moderation. That's what I cut out immediately if I bounce up a couple pounds. And as for veggies, no corn, peas, potatoes, etc. Have you ever hit protein goals? There's just so many ways to get there....protein shakes/bars, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, cheese, chicken, steak, pork, burgers, eggs, turkey, seafood, fish, tofu, etc. Use Protein powder to flavor Greek yogurt for a double helping of protein. Add bacon bits or ham and cheese to eggs. Cottage cheese with Muscle Milk cake batter is a super yummy protein packed cheesecake. I also eat a lot of nuts, but they do add a lot of fat and calories, so maybe you should monitor that. I can easily gain 4-5 pounds in a week eating too many carbs (like over the holidays or on vacation). But 2-3 weeks of going back to protein and veggies will bring them back off. Try and drop your calories to 1000 and move away from the carbs for awhile. I bet that will get you back in the right direction.

I was "anti Quest bars" for a long time because of the texture. But in the end the protein/fiber content was just too good to pass up. Once I got over the chewy part I love them, banana nut, mixed berry, double chocolate chunk, vanilla almond, cinnamon bun and Apple pie are my favs.

My doc didn't mention it but I have a med ID necklace anyways. It reads "Gastrectomy patient No NSAIDS No Blind NGT - C. diff Risk No Antibiotics" My EMT friends advised no one will know what VSG means, that's why I have Gastrectomy Patient instead.

I couldn't tolerate artificial sweeteners postop so i went with regular sugar (real fruit juices, regular Vitamin Water, Lifewater, etc.) the Protein shakes were a pain because they all had artificial sweeteners. I had to find ones sweetened with Stevia or make my own with unflavored powder. I use regular Torani syrups to flavor my shakes and yogurt, not SF and I don't eat pudding/Popsicles/etc that have sugar or sugar substitutes anyways. Even with regular sugar, I still lost over 100% of my excess weight and have kept it off As for the diabetic thing, as far as I know, artificial sweeteners will still spike your blood sugar just like real sugar. Erythritol is the only exception to this.

I'm 14 months out and I've had a 24-32oz smoothie with 30-40g Protein every day since surgery. Throw in a Quest bar and that's 50-60g protein before I've even eaten one meal. You say you're in starvation mode? How many calories are you getting and what exactly are you eating? Are you nauseous? Vomiting? Experiencing pain? Intolerant of certain foods? What's preventing you from getting in your protein?

Syntrax Nectar powder mixes with water into a koolaid-type drink. Comes in Apple, cherry, grape, dragon fruit, tropical, lemonade, peach, and iced tea flavors (at least those are the ones I've tried). Isopure is the only thing that ever made me gag....these are WAY better

I've got neck/back issues and both my surgeon and PCP OK'd NSAIDS and even steroids (which also cause ulcers) as long as I took a PPI at the same time. Also gave me the option of taking sucralfate if I had to be on NSAIDS for extended periods of time. It's all about risk vs benefits and protecting your GI tract. In fact, my surgeon sends his VSG patients home with an NSAID to take immediately postop because the benefit of reducing surgical inflammation outweighs the risk of ulcers when used short term.

I was never given calorie goals. Just protein and water. I also never tracked or measured food. But a couple "spot calorie checks" along the way had me at 500-800 calories at 3 months, 1000-1200 calories around 6 months and I have maintained below goal weight at 1400-1600 calories for the last 6 months.

I thought everything was too sweet postop... Including my chewable Vitamins. I had to switch to capsules. So I just dilute all Protein powders with at least twice as much liquid as the directions say to. I mix the premier RTD 1/2 and 1/2 with milk. I still do this 14 months out. Also, mixing unflavored Protein powder in broths and cream Soups makes for a savory alternative to all the sweet shakes. There are SO MANY protein options out there. I personally like Syntrax nectar and Matrix, BSN Syntha 6, Muscle Milk, Spirutein and Raw Fit/Raw Protein. Those last ones are not nearly as sweet as a lot of other ones. The single serve sample packs available from Nashua Nutrition allows you to taste test dozens of different brands and flavors before buying a big jug.

I followed the no drinking with meals part while I was losing. It really wasn't that hard...the tiniest amount of food would leave me stuffed and definitely no room for liquids. Once I passed goal, I started sipping with my meals. The biggest reason why we shouldn't do it is because liquid flushes the food out of our stomachs quicker so we get hungry sooner and may eat again too soon. Well I discovered I get hungry every 2-3 hours whether I drink or not, so I don't bother separating eating and drinking anymore.

Check out the nutritional subforum on here for a number of great recipes for all stages. There are also links on there to other sites like the world according to eggface and bariatric foodie. WLS is a lot of work with different struggles for different people. Sounds like your struggle is finding food you like. That's where the work comes in....you'll have to learn how to prepare meals that you like, because this is for life. Take a cooking class, buy different cookbooks, sit down with your nutritionist and discuss your specific concerns, rather than just the general stuff. And not to be a smartass, but if you are already eating very little, why are you bothering with surgery? All it really does is help with portion control, which doesn't seem to be a problem for you. Without making other changes, all of your food issues will still be waiting for you postop and you will end up unhappy and unhealthy.

I don't keep track of meals vs Snacks. I just eat when I'm hungry...every 2-3 hours usually. It might be a Protein Bar, 1/2 burger, handful of nuts, Jerky, 1/2 Apple, couple orange slices, scrambled eggs, couple BBQ ribs, cup of Soup, edamame, small bowl of Brussels sprouts, chicken salad, etc. Which are meals? Which are snacks? During the week I don't get any breaks at work so I'm basically nibbling all day. I probably eat more "meals" in the evening and weekends. I typically drink my protein smoothie in the afternoon in between appointments. It may take me 1/2 hour or two hours to finish. I sometimes skip the smoothie on weekends because I've got the time to eat more. And I throw in an extra 32oz of Water to make up for the Fluid portion. Like you said, maintenance is all about balancing healthy choices and reality.

I think Dr. Corvala and Dr. Ortiz/Dr. Martinez are equally qualified and experienced surgeons. If I hadn't gone with OCC, Dr. Corvala would have been my next choice. I think it just comes down to the details of staff and facility and what your personal preferences and comfort levels are. I have no doubt you will have a successful surgery with whichever one you choose.

Doesn't it feel great to be so good?! I found that being able to finally take control over my food choices and the ability to develop new habits was very empowering. Every little battle won just made it easier to conquer the next challenge.... Congrats on your progress!

Ditto to what Jamie said. This has been such a helpful thread for so many. It would be nice if we could keep on track and not let this thread turn into a shit show like so many others do. Everyone has different priorities and preferences. Like raven, I specifically did not want to be in a hospital, I prefer surgical centers....even here in the US. But I see the point of some people preferring a full hospital. It's good that there are so many choices and options available. As for OCC's lack of reported complications, I wonder if their marketing people should just go ahead and make up some leaks and infections so the skeptics feel better. I guess a 0% complication rate just isn't good enough. ????

I finally felt "normal" at 4 months...that is I actually enjoyed eating again, all of my food intolerances had passed and eating and drinking wasn't such a chore. I had very severe restriction from then until about 8 months out when I could finally eat a little more. By 10 months my appetite significantly increased and I'm eating every 3 hours just to stave off that empty hollow feeling. At 14 months I can now eat about twice as much as I could at 6 months. I feel this is just normal loosening of my sleeve since I don't overeat, I've never vomited, and I've maybe done the "one bite too many" 5 or 6 times. And of course for me, head hunger is a constant battle, but I eat healthy and "on plan" 90% of the time (and chocolate, alcohol, and white carbs the other 10% ???? ). Fortunately I passed my goal weight back around 7-8 months and even with the changes in restriction and appetite, maintenance has been easy.

I had c5-C6 fused at the University of Utah 6 years ago. I specifically chose to go there because of a particular doctor that was a renowned cervical neurosurgeon (now retired). But when I read the OR report, after the description of the procedure, there was a statement from the surgeon that read "I was present for all crucial aspects of the surgery". So as a teaching hospital, I'm sure he never even touched me. But fortunately his residents did an awesome job! My hospital stay for that surgery was only 1 night, too. Followed by a 5 hour drive home ????

I was actually told that Dr. Martinez does the surgeries solo when Dr. Ortiz is out of town, sick, etc. I was perfectly comfortable with his credentials and experience. As for gloves and IV placement, my nurse was great. I watched her put on new gloves everytime she came in, even just to check the IV. I actually have bad veins and have often needed 2-3-4 attempts to place an IV or draw blood. My OCC nurse succeeded on the first try.

That might be one of the craziest things I've ever heard! ???? I've taken 3 round trip flights in the 14 months since surgery with no such nonsense. I ate real, solid food before, during and after each flight.

@@freddie8_8 Thanks for posting. This does seem to be the "everything you need to know about OCC" thread, so it's great to include that info. As for the one night stay, for the most part that's all any of us needed. I was more than happy to be discharged and hit the streets of TJ. I would have been bored to death to sit around the clinic for longer than I did. I had no pain, no nausea and was well hydrated. Why sit in a hospital bed for 2 more days? Instead I was out shopping and walking and watching movies with my sister. And I actually only spent 2 nights at the Marriott and flew home on the 3rd day. Not to say they would kick you out after one night if you had problems. There was one gal that had surgery a couple days before me who had problems postop. She couldn't hold anything down, so they did an endoscopy and discovered she had a lot of scar tissue built up in her esophagus from previous undiagnosed GERD. (Her only symptom was a chronic cough that her U.S. Doc never put together with reflux). So Dr. Ortiz went back in for a second surgery to clean out the scar tissue. Obviously she stayed at OCC longer than one night. And there was another gal who had surgery same day as me who had had respiratory problems while under anesthesia in the past. Knowing this, they kept here at OCC at extra day for observation. But she was out on the town with the rest of us the second day. And since she spoke perfect Spanish, was able to find us the best Popsicle stand in the Avenude Revolucion district! Anyways, Good luck with your surgery and recovery...from everything I've read Dr. Corvala is an outstanding surgeon and you will no doubt be well taken care of at Angeles Hospital.

I agree...your body will find its new normal. When I reached my surgeons goal of 160 I started eating in maintenance mode. Mostly just added more calories, healthy fats and carbs than when I was in "losing mode". My personal goal was 150 and I hit that a month later. I then lost another 13 pounds over a couple months to my all time low of 137. I continue to eat "normal" and my body has fluctuated between 137 and 140 for the last 7 months. I'm 5'5" and am in size 6 jeans, too (down from 22). I do feel I'm a little thin, but I figure I'm in a good position in case I gain 5-10 pounds as I get further out. I had VSG, not bypass, so I don't know if this makes a difference. I have a good friend that had bypass 8 years. She worked really hard and temporarily got down to a size 4, but once she let herself eat "normal", she bounced back up to a size 7/8 and has been there for at least 5 years.

My rules..... 60-80g Protein everyday (30-40 from protein shakes/bars) 64oz+ Water everyday Take my Vitamins everyday Eat healthy, well balanced meals including protein, veggies, fruit and complex carbs Don't ever overeat Chew chew chew No carbonation Get regular bloodwork done Weigh once/week "Rules" I either never adopted or bagged once I passed goal... I eat and drink at the same time I use straws I graze...especially on weekends I drink alcohol and eat sweets and white carbs (in moderation) Never implemented a formal exercise program....my regular life and job keeps me active. Never measured or tracked my food No nut visits No support group (except my friends/family and BP gang!)

Sounds like you are very diligent about sticking to your plan. So why do you need a doctor or nut to tell you how you are doing? If you feel good, are losing weight (slower is better), and eating healthy, then what's the problem? This is YOUR journey, not there's. They are just trying to shove you in one of their little textbook results boxes. If YOU feel good about your progress, then fuck them. You are a rockstar! Just keep doing what you're doing.

I'm 5'5" 46 years old. I felt good and would have been happy when I got to 170 Surgeons goal was 160 Personal goal was 150 I actually got down to 137 and have easily maintained 137-140 for 7 months.

Good for you. It's great that you are owning this and taking steps to do it right. The psychological part is often overlooked and easy to underestimate. My comments were not made maliciously, it's just my "directness" is often misinterpreted. I wish you all the best.