ready2smile

Well crap, tried to get creative and it backfired. Took 2oz of lunch meat, (chicken) and divided it into two, put a couple slices of avocado and spread a half wedge of garlic and herb laughing cow cream cheese on each and then rolled them up. Ate one and feels like a ton of bricks are sitting on my chest. Hoping the Papaya works because this is painful and I really don't want to have to return it. it must be the lunch meat, I've had the other items before-I chewed really well and took small bites. PHOOEY!

Have they noticed weight loss? Wondering if anyone from my work will.

i wish i was more creative in the kitchen. i'm suffering from what most everyone else is going through-food boredom. had a taste of some of my old foods this weekend, and it was a big mistake. i was sick and now i'm on the straight and narrow. no beef, Pasta or doughy foods for me, (they sit heavy and cause major pain) and i have to stay away from all chocolate-even sf and dark. it's just too addicting. if i never eat another serving of Jello, yogurt, chili, or refried Beans it would be fine with me. i could also gladly give up the Protein drinks, they are so nauseating now-but without them i can't get in my required amounts so i'm stuck. boo anyone have any tips or tricks they'd like to share? on the up side, i am starting to see my collar bones (yay-NSV!) and need to go shopping in my closet to see what i can wear to work next monday-it's been 6 weeks since i've worn any of my dressy clothes. probably better try on my heels and flats as well because my shoes are fitting a little differently too. now that i think about it, do any of you have any tips on how you survived when you started back to work? were you able to get in any walks, how about eating and Water? no one at work knows, they only know about my severe gerd and acid reflux and that i had a hernia repaired.

At my last appointment I was told by both my nurse pract and NUT that if I don't get enough protein and liquid, it would cause a greater hair loss, and at 4-6 weeks it is about the time when it begins. If you are not already, start taking biotin. You can also use shampoo and conditioner with biotin, or hair products specifically made for hair loss. They sell them at salons and beauty supply places. Not sure how often you wash your hair or if that effects the hair loss, but you can lesson the pulling on your hair by brushing it out using a large wide toothed comb starting from the bottom of the strands, working your way to the top of your head. Using heat on it less such as blow dryers, straightners and curling irons also helps keep hair healthy. I know it's stressful, and I may need you to point my own post out to me when I start going through this, but try not to stress about it too much because that will also make it worse. You can always change your hairstyle, and I was told it does grow back. Sorry you're going through this, it's one of the side affects I'm most scared of-mine is already fine.

i can absolutely agree-the papaya enzymes work great!

i tried to eat around it, my family loves it so i reduced it from two cans to one-but when i did get in a piece i just made sure to chew chew chew and didn't have any issues. the chicken was the hardest for me out of all the ingredients-but just because it's the most filling and i wanted to inhale the soup! i haven't had issues with chicken like many others, just the heaviness. i make sure when i eat it that it very moist. i would think this soup would still be good pureed, and even w/out the chicken b/c of the chicken broth. it's very filling. :]

i'm at 5 weeks post op, and am allowed each item in this recipe and can easily digest it (just have to remind myself to go slow because it's so yummy)! it's a super easy, "spicy as you want it", high Protein chicken tortilla soup (minus the tortilla and corn at this point, lol). i like making it in a crock pot, but you can also make it on the stove with a few adjustments. my family can eat on this for days, and still have some to freeze! Karen’s SOUPer Simple Chicken Tortilla Soup in a crock pot Ingredients: • 6 tsp chicken bouillon powder or 6 cubes • 6 cups of hot Water • 10-12 boneless skinless frozen chicken tenders, (or equivalent) • 2 15-oz. cans of black Beans, un-drained • 2 15-oz. cans kidney beans, drained • 1 15-oz. can of corn, drained (was 2 cans, i now eat around this-my kids like it so i leave it in) • 1 15-oz. can of garlic and onion diced stewed tomatoes • 1 ½ cups of mild salsa • 1 7-oz. can of diced green chilies • 2 cups of grated low fat cheese • ¼ cup jalapenos w/juice (sweet or hot) • 1 plain greek yogurt or small tub of low fat sour cream • 1 bag of tortilla chips (can leave this part out for now) Directions: • Pour 6 cups of hot water into crock pot, add chicken bouillon and stir. • Add remaining ingredients except sour cream and chips. • Cook for at least 4-6 hours, depending on your crock pot settings. • Stir every ½ hour, (not necessary if unable). • Pour soup into bowls and serve with the following toppings if desired: Spoonful of greek yogurt or lf sour cream (adds protein) Pinch of lf cheese (MORE PROTEIN) Handful of crushed tortilla chips (if allowed)

i have an easy recipe for a "spicy as you want it' high Protein chicken tortilla Soup (minus the tortilla at this point, lol). you can make it in a crock pot (or on the stove). my family can eat on this for days, we all love it! Karen’s SOUPer Simple Chicken Tortilla Soup in a crock pot Ingredients: • 6 tsp chicken bouillon powder or 6 cubes • 6 cups of hot Water • 10-12 boneless skinless frozen chicken tenders, (or equivalent) • 2 15-oz. cans of black Beans, un-drained • 2 15-oz. cans kidney beans, drained • 1 15-oz. can of corn, drained • 1 15-oz. can of garlic and onion diced stewed tomatoes • 1 ½ cups of mild salsa • 1 7-oz. can of diced green chilies • 2 cups of grated low fat cheese • ¼ cup jalapenos w/juice (sweet or hot) • 1 plain greek yogurt or small tub of low fat sour cream • 1 bag of tortilla chips (can leave this part out for now) Directions: • Pour 6 cups of hot water into crock pot, add chicken bouillon. • Add remaining ingredients except sour cream and chips. • Cook for at least 4-6 hours, depending on your crock pot settings. • Stir every ½ hour, (not necessary if unable). • Pour soup into bowls and serve with the following toppings if desired: Spoonful of greek yogurt or sour cream (adds protein) Pinch of cheese (MORE PROTEIN) Handful of crushed tortilla chips (if allowed)

seems to be that this will depend on how far out you are and your pouch size. my NUT (and of course they all seem to vary, lol) says that until week 5 about 400-600 calories is normal, then about 600-800. at week 7 up it to 800-1000 and after a year, 1000-1400. realistically-we're all different. i was able to get in more jello than soup, more popsicles than beans, etc. i still have an issue with water consumption, it sits very heavy in my pouch-actually, most drinks do. i don't know if you track your intake, but i like using the MFP (my fitness pal) app on my cell phone. it makes things so much easier to see what i'm eating and when. perhaps that will help you too? you can even track your water, protein, weight loss, exercise, and allows you to keep up with others as well. :]

count every pound!! you lost it right?! :] you ask why did you do this? i'm sure you lost faster and more on your own, i lost over 80lbs on my own between 2009-2010. but i couldn't keep it off. i didn't medically have the ability to. that was just me. look back at all the changes you have made, all the sacrifices you have made to get this far. it wasn't for nothing, it was for YOU. the most important person in your life. a healthy you can better take care of your boys and family. it's hard right now, and slow going-but you know how to be patient. nothing good ever comes too quickly and without effort, if it did, we wouldn't appreciate it. you're short changing yourself-you have come so far. you can count every ounce and inch lost, extra foot walked, pant size changed-any means neccessary to remind you that you are successful and more than that, WORTH IT! hugs to you, feel better soon!

ok you almost made me pee myself a little there! i think someone answered that for ya-sorry i didn't explain the whole "NSV=non-scale victory" better. congrats on returning to work-i'm hoping to soon, it'll be a big NSV for me. but well rested and glowing, PLUS you're down a pant size-whoot whoot! you go girl! keep em coming

i hope you all with any aches, pains, UTI's, and other issues are feeling better soon! one thing i've noticed since having this surgery-smart people who have almost always known how to take care of themselves are more unsure, a bit scared and nervous when it comes to their bodies. hugs to you all.

that's awesome on both counts wdwfreak! i've always had a hard time finding a jacket that's cute fit over my arms properly and that fact that it fit over your sweater-WHOOT WHOOT!

been a minute since i've posted-i've been sick (i blame my 16yo for the cold, can't blame her for the confusing pain on my lower right side-might be a hernia from surgery, but we'll find that out during a CT scan tomorrow night). quite honestly, i've been super exhausted just about every day for the last week and i'm tired of it, i want my energy back. i've seriously missed catching up with all of you although i do read through a lot of posts through the e-mail feed on my phone. it looks like a lot of us are being plagued by the same things, slow weight loss being the front runner. i decided i'm losing the scale, until i feel like it will have moved significantly...maybe. because i'm sick of letting it dictate my mood for the day. i won't participate in any more weigh ins, i know i've lost weight, inches, i can fit into 5 pairs of jeans i was way too chubby for before surgery, i can wear some XL tops, my hubbys hoodies (that i live in) dwarf me now, and yesterday when i got my monthly massage my massage therapist who didn't know i'd had surgery noticed i'd lost weight-THAT'S good enough for me for right now. i want to feel good about me, and i want that to translate to all of you. i want to be proud of you and your accomplishments too. please feel free to be excited and announce every victory you notice. let's start posting our NSV's, i think it will be helpful to us. for those of you who don't know; an NSV is something positive that's not related to the scale moving. it can be someone giving you a compliment on how you look, noticing your own cheek bones, getting on a bicycle for the 1st time in years, walking a mile, getting your wedding ring back on, passing up a bad food without batting an eye, not having to take an obesity related medication you used to have to take, your hubby fitting his arms all the way around you, etc. the list is endless! i posted some of mine above-my favorite was my compliment from victoria and the fact that i can wear (and zip!) so many pairs of the jeans i used to flow out of! how about you??

have you tried the papaya enzyme? i bought the chewables from wal-mart and they're heaven sent! if i've eaten something that disagrees with me or a little too much, i can chew two of those and feel better fairly quickly, (of course i still learn my lesson, and i don't use them as a crutch-just nice to have in an emergency).

I had the same issue. Don't feel like a dork-it's a lot of pain! Feel better soon :]

I don't think there is such a thing as normal with this surgery. I was after you, 1/10/13 and I have lost 21lbs, (5 are pre-op. I don't count down from the water and air weight from surgery-just the number on my scale the week before surgery to current). Its not a big number, about 5 a week but I'm taking it! I keep reading about a lot of people having little blips around the 3-4 week mark. When I went in for my staple removal at 2 weeks my NUT said weight loss will significantly slow as it was mostly water, and fat is harder to lose. Most of us newbies have just recently lost our water weight and our bodies are trying to figure out how to handle the next step. I was advised to do my measurements and only weigh once a week, same time and in the same clothes. I was also told that the further we get out, the more we need to slightly increase our protein, water and calories because we are becoming more active. Don't be too hard on yourself-we are all new at this and it's weight we weren't able to shed before. It's working, you've gotten this far right?!

Thank you! Power of prayer is amazing! Hugs

Still can't always do it and my surgery was 1/10/13. However I am getting much better. Mommywifeandfat gave me a good tip about drinking a bottle of water before having the 1st protein drink of the day. I keep a full one by my bed. This way you're getting half your fluid in by 11:00-2:00pm (protein drink counts as fluid per my nutritionist). Lovealways (and a couple others) mentioned how she uses crystal light in her water and has no trouble getting it all in-this is a great help to me too. I love the orange and the lemonade. Once you find a good protein shake that will help a lot. I hated the vanilla powder I'd bought until I started mixing it with a 16.9 oz bottle of orange crystal lite flavored water. Tastes like a creamsycle. Several people on here use MFP to track their water, food, exercise and vitamin intake. I do as well and it keeps me accountable. You can add me, I'm karefulme on there. We like to support each other, and appreciate getting it as well.

Oops, wasn't done.... Been having persistent pain thats been getting worse over the last week in my lower right abdomen under the area of one of my incisions. There is a lump under there that's not present where my other 5 incisions are. It's minor until I get up from having sat in one position for too long, laying on my left side unsupported, sitting in the car, walking, etc. I also get back pain after walking about 20-30 minutes. I had to use my scope patch this am so I could take my loratab, which I haven't taken since the 1st week of surgery. I was actually in tears this am after getting up to use the bathroom. I'm going to call the doctors office but am curious if any of you've experienced this.

Ok surgery family; now I need your help again

Lookin good girl!!!!