terry1118

There are some great cookbooks for WLS patients on Amazon. Also websites like 'The World According to Eggface' have lots of recipes and food suggestions. Weight loss surgery is becoming more common so some nutrition stores may carry specialized products just for us, especially if they are located anywhere near a WLS center. I go to Faunce Corner Nutrition in Dartmouth MA for my snacks, supplements, and high protein/low sugar items like hot chocolate and pudding mixes. In this day and age almost everyone does online sales. Your nutritionist may be able to tell you where to find these things in your area. Then there is good old fashioned trial-and-error. Find things that fit into the guidelines your doctor has set for you by reading nutrition labels. When you find something that looks good try it. If it's good and doesn't cause any upset YOU can be the one to share your find here, so other people can benefit from YOUR experience. :-)

Yesterday I found some DKNY jeans that I LOVED. I'm in a sz10 now but they only had a sz8 so I tried it on and it was too big. I looked for a sz6 but they didn't have any left in that size. I was elated about the size but bummed because I couldn't get them in a size that fit me. That being said, no I am not a sz6 or even as sz8 - I am comfortably a sz10. That style of jeans ran big. But it was pretty awesome to think that sz8 was too big for someone who used to wear a very tight-fitting sz22-24 just last Spring! :-)

Lol! Don't know if that is really a NSV! More of a 'What Not to Wear' situation! :-D

If not meds maybe you need food? What is your diet right now? I know some docs want their patients only on liquids. Mine allowed full liquids for two weeks, which allowed me to eat creamy soups, yogurt, pudding, soft cheeses, mellow, and protein shakes. I progressed to soft foods after two weeks. Then I could have scrambled eggs, hummus, refried beans, thicker soups, and pureed foods of a more substantial variety. I felt stronger with something more like real food in my pouch.

You can have yogurt and it is highly recommended as a great source of protein and is considered a 'full liquid'. But even yogurt will make me puke if I eat it too fast. This happened to me Sunday and I fought to keep it down but lost the battle in a Walmart restroom. Also, if my stomach is queasy for any reason eating anything including yogurt will make me puke. When that happens I can't eat or drink anything for a few hours till my pouch calms down. I end up headachy from mild dehydration. So much easier to avoid the whole situation by eating my safe foods slowly and carefully. I am 7 1/2 months out.

Check out the website 'The World According to Egg face'. She has a LOT of recipes for protein shakes that sound awesome. :-)

Possibly gall bladder pain? Do you still have yours? Talk to your doctor or his office. When I left the hospital I was concerned about how to tell the difference between a gall bladder attack and pain from complications if they were to occur (I had gallstones). He said left side pain is most common for gastric bypass pain or complications as that was where most of the surgical work occurred. Right side pain is more commonly associated with gall bladder attacks, and can range from mild to severe. And just to really keep you guessing, if your surgery was in the last couple days to a week it could be gas pains. :-)

How long and at whats temp do you bake the cheese?

I get free shipping from Amazon. :-)

My goodness, I'm in heaven!!!!! THANK YOU DAVE!! I'm going to order a TON! BBQ is ,my new favorite! :-) :-) :-) :-)

My pharmacist said to put it in the fridge way ahead of time so it's nice and cold. It doesn't taste as bad that way. I didn't have a problem with it.

Wow! Big difference already! You look great! :-)

I want to stay here till May! Lol

I'm sitting on my couch just five feet from my wood stove and I'm wearing a sweater. It's 72° in my living room - and in front of the stove it has to be 80°! I'm feeling all warm and cozy right now... :-)

It's a personal decision. Maybe it's not the right choice for you... or maybe it is. Only you can say for sure. For me, surgery was the right choice. I was overweight for close to 30 years, losing and gaining over and over again, each time gaining more. It was affecting my joints, my back, my health, and my quality of life. It was necessary for my health and well-being. I don't regret it for a second. Whatever you do, do it because it's what YOU want to do. God luck with with your choice, whatever out may be. :-)

I used to be hot ALL the time. Now I'm freezing! I lost all my insulation! But that's why we have coats and sweaters, right? :-)

Are you eating and drinking enough? Mild dehydration makes me dizzy, as does not getting enough to eat. Waiting too long between meals will too. My nut suggested 5-6 mini meals when my activities prevent me from eating on a normal schedule.

Probably little protein, if any. I buy snacks called 'CrunchO's' from Faunce Corner Nutrition in Dartmouth MA. They carry a variety of products that are recommended for bariatric patients, including vitamins, calcium, whey protein, and high protein foods and drinks. CrunchO's are shaped like cheerios but are the texture of captain crunch cereal. The come in Sour Cream & Onion and Barbeque flavors. Each individual single serve bag is 12gr of protein. They are delicious! I pay $1.75 per bag. I think Faunce Corner Nutrition might do mail order. Check out their website or try to find them at a nutrition store near you.

My husband has clinical depression also. It's physical, not caused by outside factors. I could see it come on. He'd be fine and out of the blue spiral downward till he couldn't function at all. It's hereditary from his dad's side and one of my daughters also has it. It worsens with the shorter dreary days of winter. He tried meds years ago but side effects made him miserable and seemed worse than the cure. About four years ago his new doc tried him on Effexor, citing it as a miracle drug for depression with little side effects. It worked great! For the first time in his adult life he can function normally, he can cope with unexpected problems as a normal person. He hasn't missed any work since then - he gets some pleasure out of life now and suicidal thoughts are gone. My daughter is on it now, too. Ask your doctor about it. Maybe it can help you too. You don't need to suffer.

The needles must be very thin, I didn't feel much either. Either that or it was because of the morphine. :-)

Fortunately it's a non-issue for me. I had my husband fixed. Lol Seriously, I'm too old to get pregnant. :-)

I understand. I'm stuck in my first real stall since surgery - three weeks with no movement. And I can't wait for spring so I can walk outside again. It's going tho be a long, long winter! :-p Hang in there Dorian! :-)

I have been overweight since the birth of my twins in 1986. A few years later I gained even more with my second pregnancy. Over the following years I lost 50lbs w/WW - gained it back plus some, I lost 75lbs w/Atkins - gained it back plus some, and I lost 80lbs w/Optifast - and gained it back plus some. Last winter I was 233lbs (I'm only 5' tall). My back, knees, hips, and feet were killing me. I couldn't do anything without getting winded. I was on my feet all day at my job (I'm a bank teller) and it was getting hard to get through my pain-filled workdays. I'd come home and sit on the couch. I'd eat, thinking it would give me energy. I was pre-diabetic, on high cholesterol meds, and my blood pressure was beginning to edge upwards. I couldn't button my coat, I had only one pair of pants amd a couple shirts that fit for work, and one pair of jeans for home. They were getting uncomfortably tight. I bought things to wear whose only criteria were that 'they fit' but for an obese short person they were hard to find. My husband is a body-builder who is amazingly fit for a man his age. I was embarrassed to be out with him - not embarrassed BY him but embarrassed FOR him. He enjoys riding his motorcycle which I hadn't been able to fit on on years. One time I saw a big woman who had 'back boobs' and I asked my hubby if I looked like that from behind. He told me not to ask questions if I didn't really want to know the answer - which was answer enough. I was depressed and miserable - I couldn't imagine getting through the rest of the years of my life feeling this way, and getting bigger... and bigger... and bigger. And probably eventually dying at a comparatively young age. My boss had the lap band and did well with it. I started to ask him questions. When I found out that our health insurance would pay for WLS providing you met certain criteria, I talked to my PCP about it. He thought I would be a good candidate and got me into the informational seminar. There I learned all about the options and the statistics for each one. I chose RNY because it had the highest long-term success rate, and it virtually reversed certain obesity related health issues. I did a lot of online research but couldn't find anything bad about it. Even people who suffered complications did not regret the surgery. My insurance company strongly suggested finding an experienced surgeon because, as they clearly stated, there is definitely a 'learning curve'. I chose to have my surgery at a center for excellence where they have performed this surgery over 4000 times. Their complication rate was almost nonexistent. They set up all my appointments and worked to fit them into my schedule. I had my surgery on 5/30/13. No complications, minimal pain, quick recovery. To date I have lost 102 pounds - I weigh 131lbs. I feel great, am off meds, all my aches and pains are gone and I'm healthy. My clothes fit and I look good. I'm enjoying shopping for nice things. I can do things with my husband - we did a motorcyle run for 'Toys for Tots' in October. I'm living life instead of being a spectator. I'm happy!

Since I got married in 1982 there has been not much time for friends. Friendships take time to nurture and maintain - time that family life often doesn't allow. My husband has been my constant friend and my grown children are now my friends. Other people who I have called 'friend' over the years have been friends of convenience - people from various jobs, parents of my kids friends, people from school, neighbors with shared interests, and one friend I met while walking my dog because we both had Basset Hounds and loved them. They have come and gone as our schedules/interests/locations have changed. I have loved each of them and sometimes still see them and am very happy when I do. We catch up, promise to get together (and sometimes really do), exchange a hug, and go on our way. I am fortunate to have lived long in a small community and have made many 'friends'. :-) Twice I have had 'friends' who turned out to be bad choices. Immature, jealous, and vindictive people who have used me and hurt me. I learned a long time ago that people like this don't matter even a little bit in my life. The people who REALLY matter are the ones I go home to every night. Theirs are the only opinions that matter to me, the ones whose good opinions I want to keep. They are the ones who know me, love me, support me, and would never do anything to hurt me. If someone hurts you they are not your friend. You don't need people like that. You deserve better and more importantly, you need to BELIEVE that you deserve better. Be strong, be proud, and be happy! Soon you'll meet people who will like and appreciate the person you are now. The happier, more confident you!. :-)

I quit caffeine cold turkey six weeks before my surgery. Like you I liked my iced coffee and had a minimum of two per day. It was hard to quit but I toughed it out. I had a headache for a week! After that I felt fine. And then something amazing happened.. I began sleeping through the night! I hadn't been able to sleep well for years and suddenly I could! Never connected my sleeping problems to caffeine because my second cup as always gone by early afternoon. I guess the affects of caffeine last a lot longer than the cup of coffee does, at least for me. :-)