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Have you tried whole food based vitamins? My mom turned me on to them even before surgery. She has all kinds of GI issues (lactose and gluten intolerances, tons of food allergies, reflux, etc) and she always had problems taking vitamins. She finally discovered she could tolerate whole food based ones. She uses Source of Life Gold and I use Garden of Life Vitamin Code for Women. You might try something like that and even start out with 1/4 or 1/2 dose to see how it goes. I have also seen liquid vitamins that you could try tiny doses at a time throughout the day. We (Bariatric patients) are prone to so many deficiencies (90% of gastrectomy patients have an iron, B12, calcium, or Vitamin D deficiency within 2-10 years). So it is very important to get on the right supplements or you WILL have problems long term. And make sure you are getting regular bloodwork, including full vitamin and mineral panels every 6-12 months to monitor your levels. Even without insurance paying, I've been able to have it done Between $150-$200 each time.

So what are your surgeon's lifting restrictions? I guess that would determine when you can go back. For me, I am partners in my veterinary practice so I make the rules and it was better to be there and not be able to lift more than 20 pounds than to not be there at all. I was actually back to lifting 50-60 pounds a couple days short of my 3 week restriction.

I don't distinguish between meals and snacks because the portions of everything is so small. I simply eat 5-6 times a day and never overeat. Are they snacks or meals? Doesn't really matter what I call them. Back when I was in pureed stage, I drank shakes and broth or soups with unflavored protein powder all day and only ate "solids" 1-2 times/day because everything made me so full. All I worried about was getting in 64+ oz fluid and 60-80g protein however I could.

I'm a vet tech and we see large and small animals. On my feet all day, lots of walking, bending, squatting, holding and lifting. 10+ hour days. I wanted to take two weeks off but got so busy I went back after 1 week. I was tired and we had to be careful what we scheduled to accommodate my lifting restriction (under 20 pounds for 3 weeks), but it was doable. I would have been bored stiff sitting around at home. A month after my surgery, my vet partner had a hysterectomy and had a 6 week 8 pound lifting restriction, so I was pulling double duty at that point...lifting up to 80 pounds by myself.

Ditto to the above. I decided to have WLS in the spring of 2013. My insurance didn't cover it, so I spent day and night researching options. By July I had decided on which procedure and chose a surgeon. But with my work schedule I couldn't have surgery until December. I spent those 5 months learning everything I could about the procedure and postop issues, reading Bariatric books, taste testing Protein shakes, weaning off caffeine, and basically getting emotionally and mentally prepared. I was SO ready I even started my preop diet a couple days early. And with all of my preparation, I didn't run into any unexpected surprises. I was ready for the worst and luckily the worst did not happen! Good luck, and take advantage of this time to start getting rid of bad habits, work on any mental food issues, changing your routine, etc. It's easier to make one change every few weeks than it is to get it all lumped together in the first few weeks while you're trying to recover from surgery.

Nice! Reminds me of my sister's tattoo..... Check out the tree on her right shoulder (That section isn't finished yet)

I think that's pretty normal. I only ever added 1 new thing a day or even every other day. I just drank my shakes and broths and soups as staples plus one new food item. That way I wasn't throwing a whole bunch of stuff at my new tummy to deal with. And if there was a day that didn't go well, I knew exactly what the culprit was. Took me longer to progress through the stages, but I had minimal discomfort and never got sick. You are still healing, and just like this isn't a race to lose weight, it's not a race to see what food you can eat. Take it as slow as you need to.

Is she taking the Nexium and Zantac in addition to or instead of the 40mg omeprazole Rx'd by OCC? Has she tried any herbal teas...camomile and peppermint are both soothing to the stomach. Has she tried taking maaloxx or pepto? Any chance she's been tested for H. Pylori? So sorry she's having to go through this.

You look fabulous. Thanks for sharing and keep us posted on your progress!

Plain Greek yogurt flavored with Protein powder, blended split pea soup, blended bean soup, sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes with unflavored Protein Powder, egg salad, pureed cauliflower, soft cheeses, guacamole, hummus, cream of wheat with vanilla or chocolate protein powder, pureed tuna salad, refried Beans, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, (these last 3 along with green chili sauce makes a great huevos rancheros!). And cottage cheese with Muscle Milk cake batter protein powder makes a tasty cheesecake. Honestly, this was my favorite food stage because everything tasted SO GOOD after a month of liquids!

I gained 4 pounds in one week while out of town over Christmas. I had no intentions of eating healthy so I knew it would happen. My diet basically consisted of sugar, fat and alcohol. I Came back home and got back on my normal eating plan (nothing drastic, just protein, veggies, fruit and whole grains/avoid white carbs). I've already lost 1 pound. Just keep plugging away with what worked before the holidays. Pretty much like everyone else (WLS or not) does after pigging out.

RTD.... Premier Protein and Isopure. Did not like the isopure at all. 12+ months out still drinking Premier powders that I like - Syntrax nectar, Syntrax Matrix, Spirutein, Muscle Milk, Un jury, Raw Fit, Raw Protein, Designer whey, Syntha-6. Powders that I do not like.... Bariatric fusion, Bariatric Advantage Mixed reviews (depending on flavor)....Jay Robb, Optimim Nutrition, Chike I also use Torani syrups and fruit for an almost endless choice of Protein shake flavors.

Syntrax nectar mixes well with Water and comes in individual packets. I've also seen individual packets of Garden of Life Raw Fit and Raw Protein as well as Spirutein in several health food stores. Un jury and Jay Robb make individuals, but I've only ever mixed them with milk. If you've got time, you could order individual sample packets of dozens of different powders from Nashua Nutrition (but avoid the Bariatric Advantage and Bariatric fusion...every one I tried was gross) Oh yeah, and I don't like sweet, either. I usually mix the powders with 12-18oz of water/milk instead of the usual recommended 6-8oz.

Well coke zero is bad for you in so many ways... Caffeine, chemicals, artificial sweeteners.... And isn't this surgery all about getting healthy? You have to give up carbonated beverages anyways, so I guess it depends on when you want to start. And it definitely won't help you feel less hungry. The artificial sweeteners will spike your blood sugar and then crash, just like the real thing. And speaking of sugars, it always surprises me when surgeons and nuts recommend Optifast. It has more sugar than Protein....almost as much sugar as a candy bar! Not to mention the protein is casein, which is not absorbed nearly as well as whey isolate. No wonder you are hungry and not losing weight. 3 shakes give you 60g carbs and only 42g protein, so you aren't even meeting the normal 60g protein requirement for postop patients. There are many other Protein drinks and Meal Replacements out there that will give you 20-30 or more grams of protein per drink with less than 5g carbs.

Yes, you need more calories. My longest stall lasted for a month at 6 weeks out when I was nauseous from a medication I was taking. I could barely drink or eat. As soon as I stopped the meds, I doubled my intake (around 1000 calories) and dropped 8 pounds in 1 week. Stall over! PS. I dropped a whole pant size during my month stall, so don't get too upset over the numbers on the scale.

CW 140. Just looking to maintain so GW is also 140. Thanks! The holiday challenge really helped.

Everything BLERDGirl said. I went to a conference back in October (only 4 days) and that's exactly what I did....shaker bottle, protein powder that mixed well with water instead of milk), protein bars and grabbed fruit at breakfast. There was always something I could nibble on at the luncheons, plus jerky and nuts are easy thing to pack along. If you've got a mini fridge, you could try and get to a store first thing and stock up on cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, cheese and those tuna fish lunch packets that may or may not need refrigeration.

140. Right on goal. 6 months of successful maintenance, even through the holidays! Thanks Susan!

One tiny incision at the bra line (which I can't even find anymore) and 4 below my belly button. I never realized what a bonus this was until I saw everyone else posting pics on a recent thread with their incision scars all over the middle of their bellies.

I can't put the link in, because I can't cut and paste in BP (one of the MANY technical problems with this website on my iPad) But it's titled "Dr. Ariel Ortiz and Obesity Control Center" in the self pay and Mexico subforum. Over 1400 posts, so it's a long read but will probably answer any questions you have. Good luck!

Has she tried emailing Dr. So? With my busy schedule I found that easier than playing phone tag and he always responded within 24 hours....even on the weekends. There is another OCC patient on here than has had bad reflux issues, too. She had surgery a couple days before me last December. Turns out she actually had scarring of her esophagus from reflux before surgery but never knew it. You may try and PM her to see if she has any advice. Her BP member ID is Slvrsax .

I just realized I have never made a New Years resolution that didn't involve losing weight or some sort of fad diet. Now what to do⁉️ What a wonderful problem to have!

Good luck! When is your surgery?

Even with going to Mexico, your surgeon should give you specific preop and postop instructions. I was given a detailed preop diet to follow and a preop weight loss requirement as well as a postop diet plan with step by step stages, protein and water goals and a daily log. I lost all the weight they wanted me to, just on the 2 week preop liquid diet. My surgeon's office provided my PCP with their postop recommendations. I had no issues so the only thing I've needed him to do is bloodwork at 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and then annually. My surgeon and his followup doctor are always available via phone or email and they have taken care of any other questions I've had about the "usual" postop issues including medications, diarrhea, constipation, acid, etc.

Great job!