McButterpants

@@finediva, At 2 months, I did the same thing adding milk to my Protein drinks. You need that protein so you don't lose lean muscle mass - lean muscle mass helps you burn calories. In my opinion, it's worth it. Right now, I mix my protein drinks (yes, at 10 months I still have at least one shake a day) with 4 ounces of vanilla almond milk and 4 ounces of milk or sometimes Water. In the mornings before hot yoga, I'll use coconut milk because it has electrolytes that I need because of the exercise. You have to find what works for you - some people will look at the carbs in coconut milk and say I shouldn't drink it because of the carbs - it works for me because of the exercise I do. Some people don't like almond milk either. You have to find your balance. I'm curious, why do you use unflavored protein mix? Were you not able to find a flavored one that worked for you?

Hi guys! We will be having a live chat session on Thursday, September 18th at 8:00 pm Eastern time. This will be a great opportunity to chat with others going thru the decision making process, to ask questions, offer advice or suggestions, etc. Would love to see you there! (This is the first scheduled live chat we are doing - there will be more scheduled and subjects will change. If you have a suggested topic, you can message that to me and we see what we can do about getting it scheduled.)

@@Alex Brecher, Can you answer the above question?

Reminder for our live chat on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern. Set your reminders!

Reminder for our live chat on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern. Set your reminders!

Hi guys! We will be having a live chat session on Thursday, September 18th at 8:00 pm Eastern time. This will be a great opportunity to chat with others going thru the decision making process, to ask questions, offer advice or suggestions, etc. Would love to see you there! (This is the first scheduled live chat we are doing - there will be more scheduled and subjects will change. If you have a suggested topic, you can message that to me and we see what we can do about getting it scheduled.)

Reminder for our live chat on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern. Set your reminders!

Reminder for our live chat on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern. Set your reminders!

I don't subscribe to the carbs are evil mantra...There are good carbs (low glycemic fruits and veggies) and bad carbs (sweets, processed foods, etc.) I don't shun all carbs - I need some good-quality carbs to feel good and keep my body running efficiently. Early on I started to limit my carbs to about 20-25 and I had really low energy. Once I started adding more carbs in (adding berries to my shakes, refried Beans, broccoli, cauliflower, etc), I instantly felt better. I exercise a lot - some days 2-3 hours total. You need carbs to move your body that much. A Protein bar that has some carbs is perfect before a long workout - you feel full and you get the added benefit of the quick energy from the carbs. I think you need to find your sweet spot - do what works for you!

You should always follow your doc/NUT instructions for introducing foods. I am 10 months out and I can only handle finely chopped romaine lettuce and only about 1/4 cup at a time. Raw veggies and fruit can cause me great discomfort...I ate some fresh cherries a few weeks ago and was in excruciating pain! You need to listen to your body when you reintroduce foods.

Stand down from panic...It happens to a lot of us. There are a lot of different theories about why we lose our hair...some say it's the anesthesia, some say rapid loss, malnutrition, etc. My doc says this: Hair is optional to your body. When it need to work on other things like recovering from surgery, healing itself, etc., it stops taking care of the hair. I started losing at 3 months and it continued thru 6 months. Some days it was horrifying what came out. I can remember looking at my hair covered hands in the shower thinking "Is there any left on my head?" Looking down at the floor after fixing my hair brought tears to my eyes as it appeared there was a small animal on the floor, but it was just my hair. My doc OK'd me to use Biotin and Folic Acid - this is for regrowth, not stopping the shedding. I also used a product called Toppik. Go to their website - it works exactly like the video shows. It may seem expensive, however, I am just nearing the end of my first mid-sized bottle, so you don't use much, it should last you for months and months. I'm 10 months out and I can see tiny little hairs growing all over my head. I wear it as a badge of honor!

I had my surgery 10 months ago...If I could go back and give myself advise, here's what I would say: * Be kind to yourself. This is marathon, not a sprint * Do not be a slave to the scale - in fact, don't weigh the first 2-3 weeks after surgery, then only once every one to two weeks. (this is hard because newly sleeved folks love to see that pound a day loss, then panic when they stall) * Be patient - you didn't gain the weight in 5 weeks, don't expect to lose it in 5 weeks * Work on your emotional stuff before surgery - I spent a lot of time researching the procedure and planning for life post-op, I should have been working on the reason why I got to 256 pounds. Tackling your emotion stuff during recovery is hard. I have found that I am more calm and in a zen place than I was on my surgery date. I had expectations of losing 106 pounds - I have lost about a pound in 8 or 9 weeks. That's somewhat discouraging, but I reflect back on my life a year ago and all of a sudden that number on the scale doesn't really have power over me. I'm at 73 pounds lost - I hope I get to 106 and I'm working towards that, but it no longer hangs on me like it used to.

I'm 10 months out and I have an appetite. It's not the same as before surgery, but some days I feel strong hunger and some days I can graze all day long. Here's how it's different than before surgery - when I feel hunger, true hunger, I eat a Protein filled meal. Breakfast is a Jimmy Dean turkey sausage pattie and a scrambled egg topped with some cheese. This keeps me satisfied for hours, especially if I wait 45 minute to drink anything. Prior to surgery, I'd be snacking in an hour or two. So I'm eating less than before at the meal and I'm not eating as soon after the meal...the sleeve is working. On days that I graze, it's usually because I gave in to the carb monster. Maybe I ate part of a bagel for breakfast or I ate something else with a lot of carbs. For me, carbs are like a drug - once I give in, it affects me the entire day. If I identify it, I can usually break it with a shake and a lot of will power. If I don't identify it I will spend a lot of time in the kitchen grabbing a few bites here and there. Early on, like the first 6 months, you need to change your tastes (cutting carbs), start moving your body, and change your lifestyle (getting Snacks out of the house, living the "protein first" rule, etc.). The sleeve helps you with that - it's simply a tool in your toolbox along with your will power, good choices, exercise routine, etc. Those are all tools you have in your toolbox that you need to use. WLS is not a magic bullet - it is hard work, harder than I ever expected it to be. Every day I need to make a commitment to myself to life my life a certain way - I need to eat protein packed meals, I need to limit my carbs and I need to exercise. Those are the things I can control. Some days it's hard work, other days are easier. I wouldn't say I have a "dieters' mentality", this is just my new normal and how I live my life now.

You should check with your doctor - as with everything else, different doctors have different thoughts on coffee. Some sleevers were given coffee in the hospital after surgery. Some docs, like mine, made me wait until 3 months, then made me pinkie swear that I wouldn't go back to drinking 5-6 cups of caffeinated coffee per day. I'm at 10 months and I enjoy 2 cups of real coffee and 1 cup of decaf every day...it's heaven in a cup!

What a great opportunity to share this with your sister! You have a person share the milestones with, complain about the bad stuff and Celebrate the victories! That is so awesome. Even though I had this site and a Facebook group, having someone close that is going thru the same thing would have helped. Welcome to the site! You will find lots of valuable information on this site. Ask lots of questions and search the site for past posts. Best of luck to the both of you!

Perfectly normal! When I set my tentative date, I panicked a little. When I sent in my deposit a few weeks later, I panicked. Each step as I got closer and closer to surgery date, it seemed like each milestone made things more and more real.

Hi there! Click on this link: http://www.bariatricpal.com/page/bariatricpal_chat.html We'll see you on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern!

You may not feel much restriction early out - I didn't. You are still healing. You need to follow your doc's portion control. Also, you want to eat until satisfied (the hunger is gone), not necessarily full. You need to eat very slowly and pay attention to your body and how it feels. You may not immediately identify how it feels - it takes practice. Good luck! You're going to do great!

@@snowkitten - you're going to be fine. Make sure you're drinking your fluids. You could be experiencing acid - talk to your doc. Lots of newly sleeved folks confuse hunger with acid - I did. Now, when I know I'm not supposed to be hungry, I pop a Tums and am usually OK. I drank decaf green tea - if it's OK with your doc, you might give it a try. It helped me with hunger as well. Good luck and hang in there!

I'll be honest, I wasn't prepared for the mental/emotional part of this journey. I had to work thru my food addiction and overeating issues while recovering from surgery - not optimal. Fear of failure is an issue - we have all tried and failed numerous times. I worried as well - this is NOT a magic bullet. You need to be committed and need to know that your life will not be the same post-op. You will not be able to binge eat - can you eat around your sleeve, sure! You have to be committed to not doing it. Can you stop at Starbucks and have a Venti extra-sweet whatever with extra whipped cream - sure, but you shouldn't. The sleeve doesn't make your decisions for you - the sleeve is a tool. It will help you reduce your portions, but you still need to decide what to put in your mouth and how much you move your body - that's what YOU can control. Do some people gain their wait back? Yep. According to my doc, it's mostly people that don't exercise and don't follow the "Protein first" rule. I went into this wanting to lose 106 pounds - that would get me to 150 pounds which was a magical number to me a year ago when I decided to have surgery. I'm at 73 pounds right now and I've lost about a pound in 8 or 9 weeks. That's a long dry spell. BUT, I'm not letting that get to me. I feel great, I'm very active and I'm happy, truly happy for the first time in about 20 years. I'd like to lose more, but I consider myself a success even if I don't lose any more. The scale does not rule my life any longer - I live by how I feel. I don't eat "bad things" very often because they make me feel bad.

Yes, that's true! Wait - it gets better! When you start introducing foods. Stop drinking 15-30 minutes before you start eating (follow your doctor's rules), take minutes to eat 3/4 of a scrambled egg, wait 30 minutes after eating (again, follow your doctor's rules), then start sipping again! Then you have to start thinking about your next meal! But, it does get better - it can be overwhelming when you're new and into the first few months. I'm 10 months post op now and it's my new normal. Hang in there - it will get better! Congrats on making the decision to change your life!

You may not feel restriction this early - that's why it's important to follow your doc's or NUT plan with regard to types of food and serving size. Your "full" feeling may feel different post-op than it did before surgery. Another thing to think about - you want to eat until your hunger is gone, not necessarily "full"...There's a difference. I had to figure out the full feeling...I realized that when I was starting to get the full feeling, my nose would run or I would do a hiccup/burp thing. I learned quickly to stop at that point - 2 or 3 bites beyond that was painful! Make sure you're taking your time eating - it would take me 20 minutes to eat an egg at this point. Eat slowly and chew chew chew! Hope this helps.

I'm 10 months out and cannot chug or take more than 3 drinks in a row. If I do, it hurts. I've heard that some people can get back to drinking quickly, I am not one of them. I have learned my limits and strategies for getting in more liquids - I do hot yoga and staying hydrated during an 80 minute practice can be challenging when you can only take in a couple of ounces at a time. During meals, you should not drink. You should not drink 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after a meal (follow your doctor's rules - some might be slightly different from this one). This will help keep food in your stomach longer, giving you a full sensation. This is important - if you drink while you eat, you will force the food out of your stomach and will need to eat sooner than if you didn't. If you haven't had surgery yet, this is the perfect time to start "practicing" for post-op lifestyle. Start cutting back on the amount you drink during meals, eventually cutting back to nothing. As far as diet soda, or any soda for that matter, carbonation is bad. It's bad for your body, it has no nutritional value. Post-op, the carbonation is bad for your new tummy. I've tried to have a couple of sips of soda and UGH, it made me feel bad. Again, start weening yourself off the soda. (I had to be caffeine free prior to surgery - my vice is/was coffee. I had to slowly cut back, then pinkie shake with my doctor that I wouldn't go back to my old coffee drinking habits.) This journey is a series of gives and takes. I can tell you, if I was given my choice to live my as I do today or going back to my old way eating copious amounts of food and doing what I want, I'd chose my life today. All the sacrifices, all the frustrations, pain, hours a the gym....so totally worth it!

I wasn't that close, but was in admitting and thought "I could bail right now and only be out $500" I was so scared, I think it was my "flight" instinct kicking in. I had three months from my decision day to surgery day - I worked to hard during that time. I changed my diet, started exercising, practiced eating like a WLS patient, started incorporating shakes, etc. I was prepared as you could be when I walked into the hospital. I was just so scared sitting there in admitting and the more I thought of leaving the more scared I got. I then glanced over at my husband and for some reason, I knew at that moment, this was the right thing for me to do. I CHOSE at that moment to go thru with it. That gave me power - the choice was mine to do it. It was weird. That was 10 months ago...short of marrying my husband and having my son, this was absolutely the best decision.

Best of luck to you! You're going to do great. I consider my surgery date as my re-birthday! It truly was the first day of the rest of my life. The first few days are going to be rough. You may have thoughts of "What did I just do to myself?" "Did I make the right decision?" All perfectly normal thoughts and feelings. Just ride them out. Remember you're recovering from major surgery - listen to your body. Rest when you need to. Walk when you can. Sip your Water - you don't want to get dehydrated while recovering (that happened to me and it sucks). Know that you may not get your minimums for water and Protein those first few days - do the best you can and get as close as you can. I'm 10 months out (today, actually!) - short of marrying my husband and having my son, this was the best decision of my life. Good luck! We'll see you soon on the losers' bench!