7 Bites_Jen

I would not invest in Protein shakes prior to surgery unless you have to have them for your pre-op diet. I couldn't tolerate them at all after surgery. You might get some samples to try after to see if there are any you can tolerate without making a huge investment. I would go ahead and stock up on your essentials - at least for the first few days. Water, crystal light/mio, tea, soups and stews, a Magic Bullet (the blender ...). You won't feel like going ANYWHERE - at least for a few days!!

Yes, yes, YES. It is a daily battle. I am a year out and I still struggle with this. food is an addiction unlike any other - unlike drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes, you cannot separate yourself from food - you HAVE to have it to live. So we start the cycle. I think a LITTLE guilt is healthy - to an extent. But riddling yourself with guilt is not productive. For example, I am currently munching on White Castle sliders. I have eaten 1 1/2 and I am feeling insanely guilty telling myself I should have stopped at one. The guilt is not going to change the fact that I ate that other 1/2. It might stop me next time, if I listen and learn from it. But it doesn't change what has already been. A little fear is also healthy - I should be more afraid of what I eat than I actually am! It keeps you accountable and from eating what you shouldn't and eating too much of it.

It happens! You fall down, you get back up and start over again. I think the worst for me was second day out and I ate a chicken nugget. I was sick for hours ...

Thank you! The camera is a Canon VIXIA HF G30 ... LOL that's a mouthful! My husband and his best friend are our production team - they have a production company together.

Toxic people ... That's what I call people like that. Not only when it comes to weight loss, but also life in general.

Water and my pillow!!!

There are a TON of options for soft foods that are high protein and low carb. Canned meats that can be mushed with a fork, refried beans, ricotta cheese ... Lots of stuff. It's easy to fall into the "this is all there is" mentality, but sometimes you gotta get creative

I wonder if it's jealousy? I think sometimes people see us losing weight and they don't like it for one reason or another. What I hate is that now I still have about 40 lbs to lose and every once in a while someone says something about my weight. I'm thinking, "what?? I've lost 100 lbs!!" but it's all about they're own perception. You're OBVIOUSLY doing an amazing job, so don't let them get to you. :-)

It DOES get better!! I am a year out and my scars are pretty much gone. The largest incision really hurt on the inside for a few days, but that went away after about a week or so. Most of may pain was in my shoulders!

Clear liquids was 24 hours after surgery for me - broth, gelatin, water, tea ... Try steeping some fresh herbs and garlic in your broth then strain them out before drinking it for a flavor boost. How long does your doctor have you on clears?

The sleeve is one of the safest surgeries out there. The largest risk is of a leak - but that doesn't happen very often, and when it does it is caught quickly and taken care of. There is little risk of death or dying from the surgery. Your last post was in August - how has it gone since then? Did you have surgery? Where are you at now?

I actually don't remember where I was at 6 weeks out, but I was on soft foods. I ate a lot of refried beans ... LOL I actually have a YouTube cooking show with my mom, and this weeks episode is about exactly that!! Here's a link if you're interested:

What eating stage are you on? When I was at six weeks I was starting soft foods - I know every doctor is different, though. For Protein, I had the HARDEST with protein powders. I couldn't - and still can't (at over a year) - tolerate them. AT ALL. I've heard a lot of people had success with nectar and a few others. You really have to play around with them to find one that you like and can tolerate. If you go to health food stores or nutrition centers, a lot of times they'll have samples for sales, and some places will actually mix you a shake right there.

At over a year out, I am still losing. Yes, it is possible to eat around it, but it is MUCH harder to eat around the sleeve than it is to eat around other surgeries. The thing to remember is that after a certain amount of time, your stomach relaxes, and you will be able to eat a LOT more than you were in the beginning. This is where the REAL work comes in. If you start to eat more carbs and eat junk, it's inevitable that you WILL stop losing, and could even gain some (this has happened to me!!). The thing to remember is that "protein first" is not just for a while - it's forever. Or for as long as you want to continue to lose weight. Be mindful too - your loss will slow down considerably after the first 6 months. You will likely go from losing 5-10 lbs a month down to about 4-5 lbs or less a month. DO NOT LET THIS DISCOURAGE YOU. It is absolutely normal and ok! This won't mean that you're "eating around your sleeve" at all - rather that your body is adjusting to it. As long as you are losing every month, you're okay! Hope this was helpful!

I had heartburn pretty much since day one. I am on prescription meds for it now and they work pretty well, but I still have to carry Tums in my purse!

My mom and I both had the Vertical Sleeve surgery last year. Mine was in July and hers was in September. One thing we both noticed was that there weren't many resources out there that were just for people that have had weight loss surgery. There were a few blogs out there, and of course this forum and others, but one thing we craved was MORE. We both struggled with making the surgery work in the first few months. What could we eat? How could we make it edible without grossing us out? So many questions. It took us months of trial and error to come up with ways to make the high Protein lifestyle we needed work. Thus, 7 Bites was born. Our first episode has aired on YouTube today, and we are so excited. For those of you that know me, I am also known as JenniJune on this very forum. I owe VST a LOT for getting me through the first few months for sure! I invite you all to come check out our show - and be sure to tell us what you think!