Miss Mac

Protein is especially important right now. Congratulations!

I was told to not drink my fruit. Fresh apples or pears are especially helpful for keeping things moving.

When I started regular foods at one month, I started to get my energy back. Also, losing that first thirty pounds made a big difference.

I got sleeved on a Monday morning and went home Wednesday noon-ish. Upon discharge, I was allowed to start full liquids. I stayed at that level for a week and then at week two started purees. At week three I started soft foods, and at 4 1/2 weeks (one month) started regular cooked foods as tolerated. At three months I was allowed to try raw foods, salads, nuts, etc.

Don't know - he said he took 80%.

For the first three months, mine sounded like a dinosaur fight.

The closest Mexican Restaurant to me Is Las Fuentes. They have three Soups. The mildest is Sopa de Pollo which is just a chicken with light vegetable Soup. You could probably tolerate the broth from that. If your restaurant has a Mexican custard dessert, you might squeek by a bite or two if you have transitioned into purees, but keep in mind it will have sugar in it. You could jucs tell them you are being extra kind to your tummy this week because of reflux. If they push it, tell them it's personal. What else would you like to talk about?

When I was on full liquids I began taking homemade soups and stews, running them through the blender, thinning them out with broth and adding unflavored or chicken flavored Protein powder. I also take ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, vanilla and sweetener and blend it up into a base for my shakes. Then I make up my Protein shake and dilute it with almond milk. Then I put a lot of ice in it. It seems like the thinner and colder it is, the easier it is to get down. My favorite protein flavors are chocolate Mint, pumpkin Pie Spice, and Grapefruit made with Crystal Lite Lemonade. Shoot, I will even make up a vanilla protein shake and add some sugar free Pistachio pudding powder. Now that I am close to two years, I still volunteer to drink several shakes a week because The ricotta / yogurt mix makes them taste GOOD. When I was first post-op and Miss Tummy was still swollen and mad, I did indeed have to dilute everything to get it down. Now I can drink the consistency of a regular milkshake. Hang in there It does get better.

Sorry....but that is not love. Your mother's behavior clearly follows the documented Cycle of Abuse. Someone offends you either physically, emotionally, or verbally. When they see that you respond with pain, bruises, tears, withdrawal, then they apologize. I am so sorry, I did not mean it. I was just kidding. Can't you take a joke? For a brief time they promise you everything or bring you flowers, chocolate, make promises for future reward, the BAM!!! they hurt you again. It messes you up, because you don't know where you stand. They say they love you, but treat you horrendously. I agree that you need to keep your distance while you get your head together and have that surgery that will change your life for YOUR benefit. I wish you the best. Hugs from Chicago.

I went from 9 Wide to 8 1/2 narrow.

I get one every year as part of my routine check-up.

I started soft foods at three weeks. Boy oh boy, I felt soooo much better. I could eat moist chicken and non-starchy veggies cooked well. It helped relieved that feeling that I was being denied of more than I could bear. The grouchiness is normal for the place you are at. This gets better. If your plan allows you to ease into soft foods, your adjustment to returning to work will be easier. The shakes were easier for me if I diluted them and added some other flavor like vanilla, Jello powder, Crystal Lite, sugar free cranberry juice. You can use your imagination and throw in flavors you like. I also added sweetener, but it's too much for some people. My shakes were also easier to drink on ice.

Mine has been a big help. I see her every time I go in for a follow-up, which has been every three months and this last time six months. It is encouraging to know that I am doing well, and we always tweak a little something with my diet plan.

Pre-op I weighed 235 on a 5"4" frame and had many morbidities and my spine was collapsing from the excess weight. My BMI was 40.1. My waist was 53". When I went for my pre-op EKG, the tech said that she thought I wasn't big enough for bariatric surgery. I told her to call my doctor and tell him that she disagrees with his diagnosis. That shut her up!

At six seeks I was on regular cooked foods, but Miss Tummy could only hold 1/2 cup of food. Sometimes not even that much. An ounce of meat and a couple of bites of veggies was all I could eat. It took me over a year to get to a cup of food or 2 ounces of meat and few bites of veggies.

Congratulations for this brave decision. I wish you good luck and good health. Hugs from Chicago.

My doctor told me I would lose 11-15 pounds with what I need to get rid of on my belly. I have to wait until my two year mark in December. Apparently two years out is pretty common.

I have BCBS Federal Employee insurance. It is interesting that the person you spoke to has no idea of what they cover or what the requirements are. My doctor submitted the weight I was on the first day I came in, even though I had lost 23 pounds during my three month diet. You might ask for a case manager. That way you have one person to talk to so that the info is not confusing. By the way, when my packet was submitted, I was approved in two days.

I have been on this forum for two years, from August 2013. One thing I like to tell newcomers is to be aware that opinions and tact will vary. Take what you need and throw away the rest. I think for the most part the 80/20 rule applies to the advice on this forum. That is 80% will be valuable and useful information and 20% will be crazy crap from hell. I can't stand the trollers who stalk this site with commercials for whatever product or device they are selling. There have been a lot lately and a waste of our time.

You will be on purees soon, and that will make a difference. I tried baby food but it was so bland, so my boyfriend who eats Mediterranean style (from Malta), took whatever meat and low-starch veggie he was eating and put it in the blender with a little broth. Having familiar flavors really helped me get over my food funeral misery.At your stage I could only tolerate about 1/3 cup of food at one time, but by the time I was on regular cooked foods (4 1/2 weeks) I could eat 1/2 cup. Closing in on two years, I can eat a cup if the food is not too dense, a bit more if it is lighter fare like a green salad. Hang in there kiddo. Think of your bariatric aggravations as a right of passage to a new healthy you. I wish you good luck and good health.

Welcome to the forum. You will find that opinions and tact will vary, but we are here to support and encourage you.

My shape has morphed from a triangle to a life saver with a pencil stuck through it. I am eligible to have a panniculectomy done after my two year mark on December 23rd. Then I will be a fabulous hourglass.

I DO eat anything I want, but what I want has changed. I don't want to eat foods that make me sick to my stomach or in amounts that cause me pain. I can eat carbs, but starchy carbs slow my roll. The best advice I got from my nutritionist was to eat my Protein first and don't eat anything made in a factory. I know where my weaknesses are and I stay away from them.

Ask the haters to tell you everything they know about bariatric surgery. Chances are, it's not much. Give the haters your doctor's phone number and tell them to call your doctor to say that they disagree with your diagnosis. Maybe that will shut them up. There is nothing easy about this. Hugs.

Mine sounded like a dinosaur fight for at least three months.