terry1118

Mahi-mahi burger. My sis-in-law found them at BJ's Wholesale Club. They are pretty good!

I'm 54 and had twins girls my first pregnancy followed by my son who was 10 1/2 pounds. My stomach is shot. I've been overweight for 28 years. I knew I would have loose skin but my goal was to be healthy and I am. I lost 120 lbs - over half my body weight. I don't care about the loose skin on my arms and belly. If I can fix it w/help from my insurance I will. If not, I won't. I'm okay with that. Clothes fit okay and more importantly, I feel good. Best of luck to you! :-)

Nothing. :-)

Being so soon after your surgery it's probably more likely normal anxiety combined w/effect of anesthesia and pain meds. It's very common to have emotional ups and downs in the first few months. It was explained to me that some hormones are stored in fat. As we burn fat fastest during the first three to six months those hormones are being released into our systems creating typical hormonal effects such as acne and emotions going crazy.

Definitely ask your surgical team. They would know. There can be many factors in surgery length. Quite a few end up with unexpected hernia repairs and it seems fairly common. I had an unplanned hernia repair when I had my gallbladder removed 6 mos after my RNY

There are many reasons for plateaus and everyone experiences them from time to time, some more often than others. It could be Water retention (possibly from Aunt Flo), less activity, not enough Protein, or your body could be going through an adjustment. You could be losing inches during this time. Don't cut back on food (if you snack you could back on that) and DO continue getting your protein and fluids in. Stay away from the scale for a week or two. Focus on NSV's (non scale victories) like clothes fitting better, not needing a medication, climbing those stairs w/o being winded, or whatever changes you are noticing in your life. These are the little things that mean so much more than a scale number and are the things you are working hardest for. Celebrate every one of them! The scale WILL move again, and most likely you WILL stall again eventually. Note: My first and only stall happened at 7 months out. It was a doozey, lasting almost TWO WHOLE MONTHS! :-)

Mine took 1 hour and 15 minutes. My team always does it in between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, providing there are no unforseen problems or complications. They say there is a direct link to recovery time and length of time under anesthesia. Don't know how true it is but my recovery was fast - I felt good by four days out, was driving at 7 days, and cutting my 1 1/2 acre of grass (with a self-propelled push mower) by 9 days. I felt guilty about my second week out of work - it felt more like vacation than recovery. :-)

In the beginning maybe up to a 1/4 cup. Now I can eat 1/4 to 3/4 cup, depending on food density.

Search for the recipe for Ricotta Bake - think lasagna w/o the pasta. It's good for pureed and soft stage and is very delicious. Even my husband likes it and will finish the whole pan after I take my share. You can beef it up when you reach the regular food stage by topping it with sliced meatballs or meat sauce. Or add spinach and your favorite veggies. :-)

Immediately following surgery and in the first few weeks following it everything tastes 'not right' - for me that lasted about 5-6 weeks. Combined with the mild to severe nausea that many of us feel during that time it's hard to get the protein we need. It'll get better eventually. One tip someone gave that was helpful to me was this: measure out a full scoop of unflavored protein powder and put it in a bowl. Over the course of your day, sprinkle a little onto/into EVERYTHING you eat or drink. It's such a small amount you can't really taste it and by the end of the day you've gotten an extra 20 plus grams of protein. Good luck! You'll feel better soon! :-)

Never had the surgery but it IS surgery with all the same effects of anesthesia and pain management. Take it easy and recover - it always feels worse before it gets better. I hope you get the reassurance you need from others who've been there. Take care! :-)

This might be a better question for your doc or nutritionist, especially at this early stage. :-)

If you make your Protein shake in the bender w/crushed ice it'll be just like an ice cream shake or frappe. You can create your own favorite flavors by starting w/a base flavor of protein powder like choc, van, coffee, or cookies&cream, and add your favorite sugar free flavored syrups (like Torani or DaVinci). You can add fruits when cleared by your doc. Add razberries or strawberries to chocolate, peaches and cinnamon or blueberries to vanilla, etc. Visit the website "The World According to Egg face" for many, many protein shake recipes. She also has recipes for homemade protein ice cream. I like Healthy Choice Greek frozen yogurt. I don't eat it often but I keep on hand for anytime we're having ice cream so I can have a refreshing treat, too. A tip: when cleared by your doctor you can add some ground flax seed, raw spinach, or oatmeal to your shake. Small amounts of these things give you added nutrients w/o changing the flavor of the shake. :-)

I'm 54 and was a little afraid of turkey-neck. I've lost 120 lbs and I now weigh 116 (I'm only 5' tall). I have a little pot belly, saggy baggy thighs, and bat-wings on my arms. I am very glad to say my neck is small and tight - no sag there at all! It's probably genetics but I'll take it! I could really do without the bat-wings, though - especially in the summer when everyone can see them! Lol But you know what? It beats being fat! :-)

My team recommends 3 meals and 2 Snacks. Some say yes to snacks, some say no. Those who recommend them stress healthy, Protein rich snacks in carefully measured portions. For people who have trouble meeting protein goals or schedules that make it hard to have regular scheduled meals, then 6 mini meals are recommended. I choose this option on 10-11 hour long work days (at least once a week). It's much easier to find time to eat a mini meal without rushing and getting sick, than it is to find enough time to slowly eat a bigger meal. The point is, bigger meals or smaller meals, snacks or not, your daily total should be the same regardless of the number of times you eat. As long as you are meeting protein goals and not eating junk it should be okay. :-)

Meeting protein and fluid goals are something to strive for but in the first weeks following surgery many don't come close. I know I didn't. My doc said to concentrate on fluids first and work on the protein. Fluids are very important to avoid ending up back in the hospital due to dehydration. I think I was probably somewhere nearer 8-10 weeks before I finally topped 60gr of protein for the very first time. It gets easier. Whenever you eat try to make it count. We eat far too little to be filling up on empty calories!

It's normal to be nervous about things you've never experienced before. Just keep following your doctor's instructions and you'll be fine. You are on your way to better health! :-)

My PA said to use Miralax three times a day. It helped some. But my constipation CURE was when I began using Chike High Protein coffee back around the beginning of April this year. I was looking for a protein I liked and someone suggested I try it. It's coffee flavor and actually has two expresso shots in it (bonus!). I make it w/water and crushed ice in the blender and it tastes just like Dunkin Donuts Coffee Coolatta - delicious! I have one every morning instead of coffee. And suddenly I became regular - as in comfortably every 2-3 days regular!!! No more constipation with bloating, straining, and pain. I have been happy, happy, happy ever since. This is the best I have felt since my surgery 5/30/13! I'm not saying it'll cure everyone's problem. I'm not even sure why it helps mine. I do know a few months ago in support group they were talking about caffeine and how it used to be forbidden forever until it was realized the caffeine helps w/constipation. Then they began allowing it after healing - at about three months post op. So maybe it's the real expresso that is helping me? All I know is that it has protein, it tastes good, it wakes me up in the morning, and I am regular once again!

From what I've read it's not uncommon for a lot of people who've had WLS to have trouble w/chicken and/or turkey. My surgery was 13 months ago and I still can't eat chicken. I can eat ground poultry, though. I love shrimp, scallops, turkey chili, refried beans, tilapia, smoked salmon, turkey meatballs, buffalo balls (meatballs made w/ground chicken, blue cheese, and hot sauce), spaghetti squash w/meat sauce, sushi w/brown rice, steamed clams, and Greek yogurt w/chopped pecans.

You are recovering from major surgery. Rest as needed and slowly increase activity as you recover. Rest assured that as you heal, and as you lose, you will feel better and better and better. :-)

I had severe bruising on my lower belly following surgery last year. It's normal and will fade. It's always a good idea to ask your own doctor, especially immediately following surgery, because they know you and your health issues. Keep sipping, sipping, sipping. It takes time to get used to new habits but eventually you'll be doing this w/o even thinking about it. It's very important, but especially this time of year when heat can make it harder to stay hydrated. You're both on your way. Follow your doctor's instructions as closely as possible. You'll be feeling better in no time! By Christmas you'll be looking for a little black dress! :-)

Some nutrition stores have great portable Protein Snacks. I like CrunchO's - they look like cheerios but are crunchy like MunchoO's and come in sour cream & onion or BBQ (12gr protein). They come in single serve bags but you get a fair amount and are good if you crave a criunchy snack. There are all kinds of Protein Bars but Quest makes the lowest sugar ones w/a huge variety of flavors. As many have said, nuts are good but high fat - pay attention to serving size. Maybe package a single serving into a baggy so you don't end up 'grazing' on them. I like 'Perky Turkey Jerky' - all natural, low fat, low sugar, low calorie - available at Walmart and Target. A little pricy but tender, tasty, and very portable. sugar free pudding cups - the kind that don't need refrigeration are great for work. Hummus chips, Beanitos (like a tortilla chip but made w/beans), veggie slices, etc. The list is endless. All you need to do is hit the grocery store or Walmart and read labels. Maybe a nutrition store for higher protein, low sugar options. :-)

Mine, too! I love cookies&cream and apple pie flavors. Also, because they're not covered in chocolate like so many bars, they can be kept in my car and purse for those times when I need a little something to tide me over till I can get a real meal. :-)

I am hoping to do a zip line tour this year. I was always too heavy to try. I'm also afraid of heights but, after taking my very first ever trip alone (from RI to Southern Cali), I am ready to conquer my next fear. :-)

Walk, walk, walk. It should ease up gradually. Keep in touch w/your doctor's office. Most likely they are right but call them back if it doesn't slowly improve or if it gets worse.