terry1118

I took them night and day for four days, then only at night for a few more. Everyone is different. Don't suffer, take it if you need it. :-)

I like Sparkpeople. I didn't log the first couple of months. I worried about getting enough Protein and fluids and sometimes I worried about eating too much or not enough. Logging is used by a lot of people here and recommended by my team for tracking food, exercise and fluids. When you don't log you tend to estimate. Over or under, either way you're usually wrong. I found that logging is an accurate way to see what I'm doing every day. I'm eating more calories than I thought (but still well within my range) and most days I'm getting all my protein. In the evening, if I see I'm short on protein I'll have another Protein shake to make up for it. If I'm short on fluids I'll have another bottle of Water before bed. Not enough (or any) exercise? A longer walk with the dogs is in order. The point is I now KNOW where I stand. I love it - no more wondering and uncertainty! :-)

I've always loved baking as opposed to cooking and my coworkers also benefit from it. They often joke that I am making them fatter so I can look thinner! Lol In my nurse education class when talking about food they told us to become a gourmet. We eat so little we should ENJOY and SAVOR what we eat. There are a lot of great cookbooks for RNY cooking, and countless low carb cookbooks for when you are fully healed. And so many people here share recipes they've discovered for any stage of eating. There is no reason not to enjoy cooking and eating good food!

I had my 4mos post-op appt today. It was supposed to be a 3mos but it was rescheduled back in Aug. I've lost 65 pounds so far and all my labs are perfect! They told me to just keep doing what I'm doing. :-) We also discussed removing my gallbladder. I know I have stones and had one really bad attack a year ago. I was supposed to have it out earlier this year but I opted to put off the gallbladder removal and have the rny first. I'll be having the surgery after the holidays in January. Then I'll have no worries! :-)

I've had gallstones for years but never had an attack till last year. It was my one and only, so far. My surgeon doesn't like to remove gallbladders at the same time as rny. It increases complication risks dramatically. By the time I have the surgery I should be at a healthy weight w/a normal bmi. It will be better for me, and recovery should be only a few days. Another plus? I won't be able to shovel snow! It'll be 100% my husband's job this year! Life is good! :-)

When you are able to move onto the next stage, Guacamole can help dry foods go down easier. I had it with a burger and I had no trouble (I can only eat 1/4 - 1/2 of a burger, no bun). I was worried that the ground beef wouldn't sit well but the guacamole definitely helped. I can't eat a burger w/o it. :-)

Good luck! :-)

I'm almost four months out and still don't feel 'full' in the same way I did before surgery. You shouldn't eat till you feel FULL. You should measure your food and eat no more than your serving, or less if you feel SATISFIED. Sometimes I can eat it, sometimes not. How do I know when to stop? I don't feel full - it's more of an "Ugh, I don't really feel like eating anymore" feeling. If I push it beyond that point I start to feel a slight pain or tight feeling below my breastbone. From there I'm one bite away from absolute misery - pain, nausea, cold sweats, gurgling in the back of my throat, and feeling the need to vomit but not able to. Measure your food and you'll be fine .

You can look for recipes to get ideas but there's no right or wrong in trail mix. Just put in whatever you like. :-)

Doesn't sound like much, you say? It sounds fantastic to me, too! :-)

I don't get it. I had cottage cheese around 6pm. Four hours later I'm sitting on the couch and very suddenly feel the foamies starting. I'm gurgling, burping, and feeling that very uncomfortable feeling you get - and it was totally out of the blue! No food, no drink, no nothing - just sitting there. I threw up about twenty minutes ago and it was just foam. It didn't make it better, I'm still all gurgly. I don't dare lay down but it's bet time and I'm tired! I'm at a loss. I have no idea why this happened. Anyone else have this happen? Anyone know why? (Feeling uncomfortable, tired, and confused)

Thanks! I'll give it a try. It's frustrating when you think you've got it all figured out and things were going along just fine, and then your body starts doing something totally unexpected.

Kudos to all of you who quit and good luck to those trying. I'm not a smoker but my husband was. He quit cold turkey in '80 and hasn't smoked since. He told me that to this day when he smells cigarette smoke it STILL smells good to him and it takes willpower not to give in. It's a powerful addiction.

Stickers, small toys, or popcorn, goldfish or pretzels (individual portion bags). You can make your own trail mix w/any combination of nuts, dried fruits, pretzels, goldfish, and cereals. You can keep a big bowl of it or package it in ziploc snack size bags for freshness. Having candy around 'for the kids' just tempts you more. I spent many years buying junk 'for the kids' and then eating it myself. And my two of my children battle weight issues that, to be brutally honest, are completely MY FAULT. Even supposedly 'healthy' sugar-free candy has no nutritional value. And it's not good for YOU either. Candy isn't good for children or adults and also bad for teeth. It starts habits of unhealthy eating. Children often like healthy alternatives or even substitutes like stickers. A non-food treat teaches them to appreciate things other than food. Keep activity books or coloring books for them so they look forward to an activity at your house. When my kids were young my in-laws had activity books and special puzzles for them. I purposely never had the same things at my house. It made the trip to grandma's special and unique. They got to do things at grandma's that they didn't do at home.

My Alex & Ani bracelet bought for surgery - "It's not a sprint, it's a marathon". A gentle reminder if I have a slow or no loss week! :-)

I see a difference! Sometimes it's harder for you to see it yourself because you see yourself every day. I use my clothes as a gauge. :-)

I work in a bank and sometimes we are so busy I either can't drink or forget to drink. Then at lunch time I can't drink w/food. I try to make up for it by drinking in the morning before work. I drink a bottle when I get up, then my Protein shake, then I drink on the ride to work. Then I challenge myself to drink a whole bottle of Water on my ride home (20 minutes). In the evening I drink more and sometimes I add another Protein Shake if I need more protein. If you find a ready made protein shake that you like you can use them at work - it's a great way to get protein and liquid at the same time. Chobani little champions Greek yogurt is good for work too. They're a smaller size so you can eat one fairly quickly. The same with Think Thin Bites (small Protein Bars - about half-size). I carry the bars in my purse. When your able to, try Ostrim beef and Ostrich meat sticks. They're tasty, portable, and have 14gr of protein - another purse staple. I like Cracker Barrel individually wrapped cheese Snacks too. I also carry an insulated lunch bag with a cold pack everywhere I go. I have a good routine down for my Vitamins but I find taking my Calcium more of a problem because I can't take it near my multi or my thyroid med. I keep some in my lunch bag and some in my purse so I can take it whenever I think of it. With time you'll figure out a routine that works for you and a back-up plan for your busier days. Good luck to you!

Tried going to bed but it got worse when I lay down. Threw up one more time, then it eased up enough to go to sleep (but not completely). This morning I'm fine so far. I just want to know what causes it so I can avoid it in the future. Usually when it happens I know why - food too dry, ate too fast, didn't chew enough - but this was totally out of the blue.

I'm logging religiously now. I should have started from the beginning. I didn't realize what a helpful tool it was! Now I know exactly how much protein I'm getting. If I come up short by the end of the day I add a protein shake and it usually puts me where I need to be. :-)

I had no trouble sleeping in a bed. I was worried that I might not be able to get up by myself but I managed okay (my bed is pretty high). I'd roll onto one side, swing my legs over the edge while pushing myself up with the arm on that side. Then I'd slip off the bed. To get into bed I had to use a step stool. :-)

I'm almost four months out and still have trouble w/pills. If yours bother you, call your doc to see if you can get a liquid equivalent.