Miss Mac

Once in a while, I take Peanut Butter and mix it in with chocolate Protein powder and roll into balls about the size of chocolate covered cherries. A couple of times, I have done that and then rolled them in melted dark chocolate.

Of all the ones I tried, Syntrax products mixed the best. Like maxcimax said, if you are going for a hot beverage or Soup, Protein mixes are more likely to clump as you approach 140 degrees. What I ended up doing for a hot drink/soup was mix the powder in a bit of the liquid at room temperature or "baby bath warm", then add the rest of the liquid at 130 degrees. If I am making a shake or pudding, I use the warm liquid to get the protein powder wet, the add the rest of the liquid at the colder temp. I would not throw out what you have until trying this.

"Stop telling your BIG dreams to small-minded people." Steve Harvey

At a year out from my sleeve, dumping has not been an issue.

Yeah....what they said.

Ask your surgeon: how he handles pain management. how many incisions will you have where will the incisions be located does he use CO2 to expand your abdominal cavity will he extract as much C02 as possible to reduce shoulder gas how long does he expect you will stay in the hospital how long until you can resume normal activities what is the most common complication with his patients My three month pre-op diet was basically low-carb (not no-carb), and high Protein (60-80 grams a day). Waiting for approval is the hardest part of this process.

Mis hermanas y hermanos bariatrica.......Hablo solamente un pequito Espanol, pero bienvenido a la foro. Ustedes encontraran amigos y apoyo aqui. My bariatric brothers and sisters........I only speak a little Spanish, but welcome to the forum. You will find friends and support here.

For me, queasy came and went for the first couple of months. I urped up once in the hospital and then not again for about four months when I had flu-like symptoms and then not again until about eight months when I got dehydrated and passed out and spent a night in the hospital for observation and IV's. My bariatrician kept me well supplied with odesentron (sp?) and an anti-nausea patch that you can put behind your ear for three days at a time. My new tummy was noisy for a couple of months. it sounded like a dinosaur fight. My list of tolerated foods is similar to thesweetone's list. If you go back to Youtube and watch a video of your kind of surgery, you will be reminded of what your stomach has just been through. Be patient. You will be up and running in no time. I graduated to cooked whole foods at 4 1/2 weeks, but did not try everything at once. At a year out, I can eat 3/4 to a cup of food, but not every time. I did not eat corn or nuts for six months, and will probably never eat gum or popcorn again.

Although complications are a real possibilty, you need to realize that doctor's don't make any money with a bad record of maiming or killing patients. Your surgeon is just as interested in a successful and happy outcome as you are. Just let them give you a little nap, and when you wake up, you will be on your way to a healthy future. The hardest part of all this is the waiting and worrying and those damn Protein shakes. Post-op for an uncomplicated procedure is just a matter of complying with your instructions, decent pain management (which you can demand), and watching the weight fall off. Getting feeble, sick, immobile, diabetic, amputated and bedfast is a far worse alternative than the recovery process for bariatric surgery. You've come this far, so be brave and let us know how you do.

Blerdgirl's suggestion looks do-able. I like Mexican food but did not know what an empanada was, so I had to go to images to see. Looks like it has a fried dough around it maybe even corn, depending on ingredients. At 3 1/2 weeks your new tummy is not healed enough to process that stuff, and you really don't have the calorie real estate to be getting your limited calories from stuff like that. The reason your tummy hurts now is because it is the boss of you, and you have to pay attention to what it's telling you. If I eat something Miss Tummy does not like, she either gives it back or makes me miserable for at least four hours. Indiscretions are hard lessons to learn, but easy to remember the unpleasantness it brings. This is not the last time that your taste buds will try to overule your brain. Go for the substitute like Blerdgirl mentioned, and stay strong. You may not have done damage this time, but if you talk to anyone who has had a leak or complications and they will tell you to respect your new tummy and give it time to heal. Recovery is hard because we have soooooo many adjustments to make. Therapy is not a bad word.

Your Grandma may have given you a hard time, but it looks like she is coming around. Show her some extra love when she gets her knee surgery. A knee replacement is as painful as a surgery can get, the physical therapy is torture and the recovery is long. Maybe Grandma will be convinced now that bariatric surgery would be instrumental in relieving joint pain.

As soon as I could tolerate fish, I got the tuna salad / cracker single serving packs from Aldi's and just did not eat the crackers. It comes with a little scoop and is $1 here in Chicago. They have ham salad, too, and they are ground pretty finely. Totally portable

I use Greek yogurt and add vanilla, sweetener, and a little nutmeg....tastes like eggnog.

All I got was 4 shakes a day plus all the water I could drink for ten days.

My dear sweet boyfriend and I (both in our 60's now) met online and have been together eight years and sharing a home for the last 4 1/2. I was new to the area and had been looking at Craigslist.com for a job. One day I realized that there are other catagories too, including personal ads. So, as a twisted social experiment, I laid out the unvarnished truth, baggage and all. I got 93 responses! After sorting out all the ones that were inappropriate or did not hold my interest, I picked out six that I though might be worth a first date. I dated a couple of frogs, and then came across the kindest, gentlest man I have ever met. Second date was all day for lunch, a White Sox game, and dinner. We have been together ever since. Never did check out the other three. I said all of that to say this: Just tell the truth and run. If he has an objection to your method of obtaining health and happiness, then you are wasting your time and his. You don't want to be a human bait and switch. At this point, you are hoping he is not holding back any deal breakers from you, either. Get the truth out there. Why start out with a unsupportive mate? Don't settle. You know what you want now. Go for that.

Please understand where I am coming from as the survivor of a ten year marriage to a diagnosed psycho-sociopath who kept five loaded guns in the house. (He and his family kept the details from me, but his condition got worse and became clearly evident by the escalation of mental/emotional/physical abuse) What your husband did was not "scared" or "an honest mistake." It was mean. Weight loss surgery exposes the dynamics behind a relationship, and your husband's support or lack of it will give you a clear and unmistakeable picture of how he feels about you in spite of any statements to the contrary. He is not dense. He knows that you had surgery and are trying to get healthy. Unless he has lived in a mole hole his whole life, he knows that cupcakes and ice cream are not healthy for you - or himself. I am guessing that this is not a surprise to you and that you have encountered resistance up to the surgery as well. Just be prepared to stand up for yourself and do not give away your voice. Go ahead and when he is not around to intrude, start reading up on the cycle of abuse. My excuse for staying too long was that "At least he doesn't hit me", but damage to the psychological me was just as devasting. And then there came the day that his bombardment of words because a bruise the size of a 7 ounce steak. He only hit me once. I did not stay around for the bloody nose and broken bones. Anytime I would lose as little as fifteen pounds, he would object and kept bringing in the pastries. As I was putting dinner on the table one evening he got upset and threw his ash tray at me because "You ruin every meal with those damn vegetables!" I was so used to him throwing stuff at me that I did not see that as violence, even when he threw a camping lantern (with a heavy nine volt battery) at my ankle and refused to take me to the doctor when it swelled up and turned a rainbow of colors. Those were just "tantrums" and apparently MY fault because I made him mad. Well then, he was mad all the time at everybody. You have a right to good health and nutrition and regular medical care, no matter who you are married to. He is not being tired or cranky or scared. What is doing is insensitive and hateful, and he is deliberately trying to sabotague your recovery. I am sorry that you have to endure an unsupportive mate. Start keeping a secret journal because when he has you doubting your own sanity and memory, you can go back and see that a certain comment was indeed said or a certain action was indeed done. And "I was just kidding - can't you take a joke?" is bullying and not acceptable either. My journal was my lifeline to sanity. This is not about whether you are patient and long-suffering. It is about your health and longevity now, and you have to put up your armour and come out fighting. In the back of your journal write these two things down to refer to: 1. Why are you still there? 2. Why would you love someone who treats you that way? I have been accused on this forum before of being anti-marriage. However, I am all for marriage, but I am against being mistreated. If you need to, send me a private message. Anyone who needs to talk to someone who understands the cycle of abuse can give me PM. If you would rather talk to a certified counselor, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 | 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) (United States) The apple does not fall far from the tree. This man's daughter would berate her husband continually, throw things at him, manipulate their relationship and give him a thorough beat-down frequently. This mess is a two-way street and guys can be taken advantage of, too. Bariatric brothers and sisters, just be aware of your reality. You deserve to be respected and encouraged and supported. My heart goes out to everyone who is struggling. Don't lose your voice.

As soon as I got the go-ahead to move on to whole cooked foods, I stopped and had Wendy's chili on the way home from the doctor's office. At a year out, Miss Tummy still does not like jalepenos, but I can tolerate mild sauce on stuff.

Something as simple as changing a chair????? I will have to try that because one of my geatest temptations is to snack while I read. HMMMM.

When I had my surgery I was 235 pounds at 5'4". I had already had a stroke at 185 pounds. That nutritionist is out of her mind and should not be working at a bariatric clinic. So far I have lost 66 pounds and my waist has gone from 53" to 39". I feel a lot better and do not feel doomed to an early death anymore. And even though I am 63, I, too, have a pair of white jeans waiting for me to get one more size down. Keep advocating for yourself. When I was getting an EKG prior to surgery, the technician told me that I wasn't big enough for bariatric surgery. I submitted a complaint in writing to the hospital adminstrator, because that woman had no right or training to counter the surgeon's diagnosis. Geeze, some people just wear out my good nature. Here is a list of co-morbidities that insurance companies look for when deciding whether or not to approve bariatric surgery. It is from NIH.gov, the National Institute of Health. Obesity Comorbidities Family history of heart disease Family history of stroke Family history of diabetes Family history of heart attacks Hyperinsulinemia Diabetes High blood pressure Coronary-artery disease Hypertension Migraines or headaches directly related to obesity or cranial hypertension Congestive heart failure Neoplasia Dyslipidemia Anemia Gallbladder disease Osteoarthritis Degenerative arthritis Degenerative disc Degenerative joint disease Recommended joint replacement from specialist Accelerated degenerative joint disease Asthma Repeated pneumonia Repeated pleurisy Repeated bronchitis Lung restriction Gastroesophageal reflex (GERD) Excess facial & body hair (Hirsutism) Rashes Chronic skin infections Excess sweating Frequent yeast infections Urinary stress incontinence Menstrual irregularity Hormonal abnormalities Polycystic ovaries Infertility Carcinoma (breast, colon, uterine cancer) sleep apnea Pseudotumor cerebri Depression Psychological/sexual dysfunction Social discrimination Premature death in the immediate family

I was trying to ride between 30 and 50 grams, but my primary told me to eat some crabs for crying out loud because I was passing out. Whatever. So, I am probably riding between 50-75 now, but not every day.

I don't ususally watch these things all the way through, but your video was like a good book that you can't put down. Congratulations. Well done. Thank you. Very inspiring. P.S. This did not come up in the Guy's Only forum, so I guess it's ok for a chic to respond.

Hi there. Welcome to the forum. Opinions and tact will vary.......just sayin'. Sounds like you are doing fine. This is not a race. There is no price for losing quickly, no penalty for losing more slowly. Some people wish they could lose a pound a day, but at that rate, you would be vanished into thin air by Halloween. Just follow your plan and don't get discouraged with stalls. Stalls are like lovers. Your first will probably not be your last!

When I had my surgery 12/23/2013, I packed GasX Strips because I had on this forum that they were handy for post-op gas. as it turns out, they are good for funky horse breath, too.........and they dissolve in your mouth.

You can still dilute your foods with a little broth, milk, Water...whatever. Your new tummy is the boss of you now, and you HAVE to listen to what it is telling you. I was on full liquids for a week, then puree for a week, then soft foods at three weeks and whole cooked foods at 4 1/2 weeks. Some folks are on liquids or purees for a whole month. So, even though your doctor says you can, your tummy is saying it wants to discuss this with you first. The baby spoon idea works. I used baby spoons for the first two months until I was confident with what I could process in one bite. Chewing helps break the food down, but it also incorporates saliva which helps your new tummy digest your food. You may still be able to process only 1/4 to 1/3 cup of food per meal for a while yet. At two months I could eat 1/2 cup if I did not gobble-gorp my food without coming up for air. At a year, I can eat a cup of food, but some days Miss Tummy has a different opinion. If she does not like what or how much I ate, she either gives it back or makes me miserable for at least four hours. One of the first soft foods I tried was mashed steamed cauliflower. Boy what a mistake that was! Your tummy is just letting you know that it demands thoughtful consideration and what you used to like doesn't matter. Tummy has you in training and some mistakes you will make only once.

I agree about the xrays. I had a one year upper GI barium swallow follow-through on Tuesday this week, to see how my tummy is doing one year post sleeve. What is normally a two hour test took all freaking day because I could only drink about an ounce of that nasty stuff at a time. They took images every fifteen minutes from 9:30 am to 3 pm. My tummy is fine, but I was just exhausted and starving and thirsty when I got home.