McButterpants

Hi guys. Yep that happened to me, too. (I'm 3.5 months out now.) It didn't last long - I think it was gone in the first week. I returned to normal vision - no issues. Best of luck to you!

In the beginning I measured - a lot of the food on my approved list was in cups or tablespoons...1/4 cup of pureed meat, 1/4 cup of cottage cheese, etc. As I progressed, I started to weigh because it's easier to weigh a piece of chicken, cheese, beef, etc.

Thank you so much for posting! You have had such great success and I really appreciate you sharing your struggles. Getting back to basics sounds like a great idea - logging, making sure you get in your Protein and Water. Networking with the folks on here will help as well. I wish you good things!

I wouldn't stock up on a lot of Protein shakes or mixes - your taste may change after surgery and you may not like the one you purchase. I have a smaller food processor and loved it during puree stage. I purchased a Magic Bullet and I LOVE it - I use it every day still. I wasn't convinced I needed it because I have a nice Kitchenaid blender - the clean up is a lot easier with the Magic Bullet, it's just more convenient for me. I'd also suggest a Blender Bottle - I bought two. They were great for immediately after surgery because you don't need a blender - you're just mixing your liquid w/ shake mix in the beginning. They are also great to have in the car - if you get in a pinch and need a shake, it's at the ready.

I think a lot of "nay saying" is lack of education. My dad was especially vocal about not wanting me to have the surgery. He cried and asked "Are you sure you can give up the foods you love?" "Are you sure it's come to this?" I let him ask his questions and express his concerns. It wasn't easy because I just wanted support, not to get grilled with questions. But when I look back, he was trying to help me and he was trying to understand why someone would do this to themselves. He now calls weight loss surgery "a necessary medical procedure". That makes me laugh - he is so supportive now. He asks questions now about my meals, how certain foods feel in my stomach, and can see when something doesn't sit well. I hope your daughter comes around. She doesn't have the capacity or life experiences to know what you live thru every day - she's young. Be patient with her - I bet she does change her mind, it may take a while.

I was worried about having the bars in my house as well and going overboard eating them...that has not been the case. I'd rather have a meal than a bar. I just received my order of Health Wise bars....there are 8 boxes of bars in my pantry. You may want to try getting just a couple and having them at the ready because they really are convenient if you're day gets hectic and you need something quick. You can grab and go and it's better than going thru the drive thru. :-)

I just read a Yahoo article on someone that has lost hundreds of pounds - she was over 600 and lost 393 pounds. Here's a paragraph from the article: Her wake-up call came when, in preparation for a gastric bypass surgery that would ultimately fail, she had to be weighed on a freight scale. There are comments below the article that had me fuming - "I'm glad she lost it the natural way and not thru surgery!" "She'd be pretty if she lost another 50 pounds." Another person commented on the fact that most of the motorized scooters used in grocery stores are used by the overweight people that only fill their carts with soda and chips. People will have their opinions whether they are members of our family, friends or acquaintances. I'm a very private person - I am not an open book about most aspects of my life. I chose to keep things I'm going thru from the flu to my VSG private. I have only shared this with the people I can trust have my best interest and will support me. This journey is about my health and my ability to feel good about myself for the first time since I was about 17 years old - I have not allowed negativity in my life, I don't have time for it.

Yeah, my husband gives up beer for a week and loses 10 pounds!!!!!!!

The poke I feel is in the middle of my midsection, a little off to the left. It's like someone is poking me their finger there. (I say it's my brain saying, "Hey you, stop eating or you're going to feel like crap in a few minutes!" It doesn't hurt, it's just a sensation. Hope this helps.

Tastes, wants and desires definitely changed for me. I thought I'd miss bread - I don't. In fact, I can go weeks without it. I made 1/2 slice of toast this morning and threw 1/2 of it out. I thought I'd miss pasta's and going to my favorite Italian places - nope. The thought of sitting down to a big bowl of pasts turns my tiny tummy. I find I can eat the same things over and over again and not care. I did miss my coffee - I liken it to a smoker enjoying their cigarettes. I like to sit down with a piping hot cup and read a book or watch a good TV show. I have, however, found that I can enjoy some decaf coffee, so that filled the void until I was approved for the real stuff.

I'll give you a couple of my favorites... chocolate Protein mix, 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder, some sugar free peppermint syrup. Whiz up with some ice cubes. Tastes like a Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie. (I mix my shakes with 1% milk or a combination of 1% milk and water) Vanilla or Chocolate protein mix, 1 tablespoon of PB2. Whiz up with some ice cubes. This might be a little lighter than using real Peanut Butter. Vanilla shake mix, add in a little bit of sugar free pudding mix (flavor of your choice - lemon was good, butterscotch, etc). I also purchased some Health Wise Hot Chocolate mix (www.mybaraitricpantry.com). This helped break up the monotony of cold shakes. They have 15 grams of protein, so not as much as a shake, but is a nice change. Sometimes I'll add some sugar free vanilla or peppermint syrup. Best of luck to you!

I purchased a sample pack of Quest bars from Amazon - I love them. I heat them in the microwave or bake them and it's like a cookie! I also like Health Wise Protein bars - I get them at mybaritricpantry.com. My current favorite is the Caramel Crunch. I have a new order due to arrive tomorrow!

My first stall was between weeks 3 and 4 and it lasted 10 days. My most recent stall was the entire month of February - GASP! A couple of suggestions - Be patient Be kind to your self - your body is just trying to figure things out Continue to follow your doc/NUT provided plan with regard to food, fluids and exercise Take your measurements - this is really helpful when you're in a stall; you may not be losing pounds, but I can almost guarantee you are losing inches Stay off the scale - weigh once per week. I had to go so far as to have my husband hide the scale and pull it out on Fridays only. If you can go longer than a week without weighing, do it. Focus on your non-scale victories (although your weigh loss is very impressive!!!!). This past month, even though I haven't lost any weight, I can feel my clothes getting looser. I tried on a pair of pants that I have kept for 17 years - I never knew why I kept those jeans...they went thru three cross country moves with me. I feel like I kept those jeans for that very moment yesterday when I put them on, pulled them up past my hips and yes, buttoned and zipped them. Immediately after surgery, three months ago, I couldn't get them over my thighs. THAT was a victory that the scale will never give me.

I love coffee and couldn't wait to try it again after surgery - it was such a pain. It would take me an hour to drink one cup. Ugh. I just didn't enjoy it. Now three months out - I am back in the coffee saddle. Life is good again!

Are you eating too fast and maybe missing your sign that you're full? This happened to me the past few weeks - I started eating faster, not chewing as much and taking bigger bites. That all leads to eating more. My body hasn't had time to tell my brain to stop and I barreled right thru those signs (I get a runny nose sometimes or I do a hiccup/burp thing or sometimes I feel a poke). I went back to eating with my Eat Slower app on my phone - I set it to 45 seconds between bites, I turned off the TV and I sat in silence while I ate. I was surprised at how I was again able to feel the sign and stop eating. It may be worth a shot. Another thing to consider is acid - are you on an acid reducer? Sometimes I'll feel hunger when I really shouldn't and i realize it's not hunger, it's acid. I hope a Pepcid and that feeling goes away. Another question...sorry, things are popping in my mind as I type - did your doctor give you recommended serving sizes? My doc's instructions early on were to measure everything and remember, you don't have to eat it all. That takes some discipline - I want to finish everything on my plate. Also, another tip - don't take longer than 20-30 minutes to eat your meal. I let myself eat for 20 minutes - taking my tiny timed bites, then stop.

I agree about body shape - the scale says one thing, but my clothes say something different. I think because we're losing fat, our sizes are going down more than the scale. I have kept certain clothes thru various stages in my life - I think always in the back of my mind saying "I'll fit into this again some day" I've tried on some things recently that actually fit better now at a higher weight than they fit me when I bought them.

I was allowed scrambled egg three days after surgery - my doc was progressive on introducing foods immediately, even if it was only 2 tablespoons (which took me about 20 minutes to finish). You can make them soft by adding a little 1% milk. My doc said no need to puree since you can dice them up easily in the pan. I also like fat-free refried Beans - my stomach handled them easily. I used canned chicken quite a bit - whiz up some fat free mayo and mustard. You can add some broth to make it a little more wet if needed. (You can make your own in the slow cooker, but I am not that organized!) I don't like the texture of Greek Yogurt, but sometimes I had to eat it because of the Protein you get - I mixed it with a little bit of 1% milk and it changed the texture enough that I could tolerate it. I got some Health Wise oatmeal that has 15 grams of protein and made it thin - that was a nice change for Breakfast. The shakes were getting old, so I had to get creative - I still use them to keep my protein numbers high. Try using some different flavored syrups. Mix a little banana or frozen peaches in (if they approved for you) - I used about 1/4 cup in a shake. Just enough to change the flavor and texture. One of my favorite shakes is mixing a chocolate shake mix (I use Unjury), add about 1/2 tablespoon cocoa and some sugar free peppermint syrup. Add some ice cubes and it tastes like a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie.

I walked - I walked a lot thru week 6. I didn't feel comfortable doing much more than that. I got tired easily, so I stayed on a trail close to home. I slowly built my endurance up while still allowing me to heal.

I had food funerals - I didn't binge. Bingeing in the true sense of the word, is a destructive behavior. My food funerals were more, "Let's to to Ciao Mambo for dinner tonight" or "Let's have some barbecue" I didn't overeat when I did it. BUT, now that I look back, the food funerals were not necessary. I could care less if I ever go back to Ciao Mambo for dinner. The thought of sitting down to a huge bowl of Pasta doesn't interest me in the slightest. And that bread that I used to devour - blah, I don't want it. (Prior to surgery if someone told me I wouldn't care about bread I would have called them crazy!) One thing you'll learn after surgery is food won't have a strangle hold on you any longer. I used to think about food all the time. When am I going to eat again? What are we having for dinner? What is there to snack on? Now, I eat because my body needs fuel to operate - I can seriously eat turkey lunchmeat and cheese every day for lunch. It does not matter to me. My husband asks what I want for dinner...I say, "I seriously do not care. Make something with Protein and I'll be fine or I'll have a shake." I'm not saying I don't enjoy good food - I do. I just don't think about it all the time. I don't crave it all the time. I agree with Diva above - change the mindset. It's not a funeral - you're not saying goodbye forever, maybe it's so long for a little bit. I can still have pizza - one of my favorite pre-op foods. But now, I make a pizza with a carb balance tortilla, pizza sauce, turkey pepperoni and cheese. My husband actually requests me to make that rather than order out.

Ahhh the coffee debate! LOL. You'll get many opinions. My surgeon required me to be caffeine free 2 weeks before surgery when I started my pre-op diet. I tried cold turkey the month before and it was a disaster. I weened myself off and was caffeine free when I started my pre-op diet. I'll admit, I had a cup of coffee or two every week because it helped with the constipation after surgery - sometimes that was the only thing that helped. My doc didn't approve caffeine until week 8 and I had to make a pinkie promise to not go back to my 4-5 cup a day habit. Her reasoning is the acid in the coffee can irritate the stomach lining and also the diuretic effects. I have one cup of real coffee a day, some days, I have two.

I almost backed out of surgery the day before and the morning of surgery in admitting. I was scared. I was mad at myself -thinking, "has it really come to this?" "have you tried hard enough to lose on your own?" "What the hell are you doing to yourself?" I was terrified. That's when I thought of all the reasons I wanted to have this surgery in the first place. If you're committed to the surgery, don't let fear stand in your way! Best of luck to all of you - let us know how you're all doing! You got this!!!!

One more sleep!!!!!! You're going to do great. It's perfectly normal to be nervous. The knock out for me was pretty funny - I was getting strapped down to the table (which is normal for surgery) and a voice from behind me says "Take three deep breaths" I remember taking one. The next thing I know I'm waking up. I asked the nurse, "Are they done?" Yes replied with a "Yes." I said, "Are you sure they operated on ME?" She asked if I wanted to see the incisions. I declined. Best of luck to you tomorrow - just keep thinking about all the reasons you wanted to do this. Keep your eye on the prize!

I think you can eat 1/2 cup of cottage cheese because it's pretty "liquidy". One thing my doc said to me when I started on real food - make sure you measure and remember you don't have to eat it all. I don't try to eat until I'm full - I eat until my hunger is gone. Some days that is more than others. If I eat chicken for dinner, I I can do about 2 ounces, any more than that and I get uncomfortable. If I eat chili, I can eat 1/2 cup and feel like I could eat more. I'm not surprised at the amount you're eating, I would be concerned you're not getting enough Protein. Are you tracking your protein intake and following the doc or NUT's plan? At three weeks, I was still supplementing with shakes - that was my doc's plan. I still supplement my diet with Protein Shakes and bars.

Yep, I'm with Bufflehead - I would weigh my food before I ate it. If it didn't finish most of it, I weighed it after to get an idea of how much I ate. If I ate most of it, I considered "good enough" and didn't obsess over it. (I will confess, I'm a datahead, so I want things to be precise.)