Comstock

I had my sleeve on 11/26 and am now down a total of 36.5 lbs from pre-op. I still can hardly eat anything, but did manage about 1/3 c of garbanzo Beans last night and a bite of a soy Italian sausage. Talk about yummy! It felt so good to have some actual flavor. I go back to work next week so am stocking up on hummus, chicken salad, egg salad, and a few other things to puree. I'll take some applesauce but will still rely on Protein shakes and yogurt for most protein, I think. Energy is good today; yesterday I took a 2 hr nap after a half hour walk! Hope that doesn't continue.... but am sure it won't. Be well, everyone, and congrats to all.

Nancym, I finally resorted to my old favorite, prune juice, after over 7 days without a BM. (If you are a Star Trek fan, you'll recall that Warf referred to prune juice as a "warrior's drink"). It worked like a charm. I think I drank about a cup. You might try it. I am having alot of trouble getting in my water and protein, and need to keep better track of what I'm taking in. Failed the scrambled egg test today....just couldn't get more than a couple of bites in and I'm at 10 days post-op. Looking forward so much to having REAL food instead of protein drinks, even if they are pureed. If anyone has some favorites, can you please pass along ideas and recipes? Thanks.

Is anyone else having persistent gas pain? It's lodged up under my left collar bone and I can't seem to get rid of it. Really uncomfortable. And I'm so sick of protein shakes I could die. Honestly, I never thought I'd be that way, but most everything I'm eating is kinda sweet and it's getting disgusting. Can't wait for that egg! Might try egg drop soup tomorrow....kinda liquidy but tasty and real food. I had surgery 11/26.

Me too. I took a bunch to the resale shop. My closet is getting kinda sparse, but I guess I will be able to make it through. I can sew, so guess I'll have to alter some of my clothes....I was hoping to trade them in for stuff at the resale shop but they didn't take everything. Grrrrrr.

I had my surgery on 11/26. I have lost 30 lbs from my pre-op diet til now. Finally, I seem to have lost the weight gain from the hospital. I am having alot of trouble getting my Protein and fluids in. Today, I've had 2 yogurts, 1 Protein shake, and about a cup of tomato Soup and about a half cup of thai ginger sweet potato soup. That's about 60 gm protein, but almost NO Water. It's really hard to eat as slowly as I need to. I tried the thai sweet potato soup because I was craving food, not something sweet, but I had a terrible time getting any down. It's soft but guess I am not ready for it. If I try again tomorrow, I will dilute it a lot. It's hard to go as slow as I need to eat, and consequently I often feel a lot of gas pain. I hope to get the hang of this soon. Feeling good, lots of energy, and have stopped pain pills today. That said, after an errand, I come home and collapse for a nap. Next week, back to work. Not looking forward to having a group lunch on Thursday when I don't know what I will be able to eat. Or what to say.....

I'm on day 6 and feeling much better. I am able to eat and drink more easily the last couple of days and can actually consume a mug of Soup if I take my time. I had gained 4 lbs since leaving the hospital but don't know if I've lost that now. People said it's because of gas and fluids from the hospital, so hope that's the case. I'm tired of feeling like an invalid and bored! I don't seem to be able to concentrate enough to do projects so I'm looking forward to next week when I am sure I'll feel more normal. Looking forward to the pounds starting to come off.

I use powdered whey Protein too, 30 gm/serving. I bought some Dutch chocolate and instant decaf coffee to add occasionally, along with Stevia sweetener. It's actually quite good. I've added the unflavored whey protein to Soup and it works very well. No flavor problems at all. Stir it into the cold soup and then heat it all together and it's an easy way to get some protein in. My favorite is Click Mocha Espresso Decaf. It's only 15 grams/serving but added to 1 1/2 c milk (12 gm protein), I think it's a good source of protein. I then add Water and ice if I have it and love it. It's a bit spendier than other Proteins @ ca $20 on Amazon, but it tastes so good that I'm going to continue with it. Good luck on your choices. I think I will always use some Protein drinks, but when we graduate to more regular foods, I think they will be less important. Always good for fallback however.

In the more detail than you probably want department, I have started taking Colace twice/day. I'd like to keep my intestines moving, ya know! I was having trouble with constipation even before my surgery, since I started a high Protein diet. Unpleasant, and I want to get a solution to staying with normal activities in the intestines. Was able to get all of my protein in today (I think I even exceeded at about 87 gm) but short of Water. Most of the protein was in drinks and Soup, so will keep on sipping tonite. Walked about 30 mins tonite and it felt quite good. I was pooping out a bit on the last leg, but made it home and am glad I did it. Onward, all....thanks for listening.

I think being anxious is to be expected as you've made a big decision. If you think it's really too much to handle can you get your doc to get you some anti-anxiety medication? In the past, I took some and it really helped take the edge off. My surgery was 4 days ago and for the few nights before it, I didn't sleep at all well. I was up for a couple of hours most nights....trying to take care of details, get stuff ready, read more blogs of people who were facing the same thing. It did help. That said, after surgery you'll be sleeping for a couple of days! It's actually quite a blessing as you get rest and just sleep through the most challenging pain. Take the meds as much as you need and you'll be surprised at how well you'll do. Good luck! You're feeling what every one of us has felt, I'm sure, and you'll be so glad you stuck with it. Hope to hear soon that you've had the surgery.

Thanks for the reminder, Susan. I did turn over on my side last night and felt like a pillow to rest on would have felt good. Looking forward to the day ..... say, next week, when I step on the scales again and have all the excess gas and fluids gone!

Yes, I'm sure you are right Tink22. I just wasn't expecting and am not panicking. I'll give it a few more days!!!

Hi 7 Bites! I watched several episodes of your show and was surprised that you use so many full-fat ingredients. Would the recipes work just as well if I used low fat cream cheese, non-fat half and half, and light butter? I also buy the low-fat shredded cheese and low-fat Irish cheddar so would prefer to use that instead of full fat cheeses. Any experience with those products? I'm curious why you chose full fat for recipes used by people after weight loss surgery. I thought we were supposed to avoid a lot of fat.

Lyndy, my surgeon told me when I was pre-op to avoid white foods: Pasta, potatoes, rice, bread, sugar. I found that when I have a hard and fast rule like that it's easier than having to make a judgment call every time I face food. I lost 25.5 pounds before my surgery and didn't feel deprived because the Protein was so satisfying. It was a struggle to keep portions small, as it always will be, but you might give this some thought. It's good practice too, for me, because I don't think I will want to go back to eating these items with any regularity because they are such triggers for me. Good luck! You CAN do it! This whole process is easier than living with the extra weight and health problems for the rest of your life. It's a little bump in the road. Hang in there!

Hi everyone.....today is much better (day 4). I am quite comfortable and am moving around more normally today. I was able to finish my 30g Protein shake this a.m. and am sipping a chai latte now. It all feels quite normal. My sweetie and I even ran a couple of errands today and it felt good. I only slept in the recliner a few hours last night and then went to bed. I was really comfortable and slept soundly til this a.m. I think it's because my incisions are far less painful than they have been in the past few days. It really is remarkable how fast we heal up. Just want to report a surprise though: I checked my weight this a.m. and I GAINED 4 lbs since my surgery. What a shock!!!! I know it's just retained Fluid and no BM yet, but I wasn't expecting it. Still, I wanted a little reward. Hope your journey is going well. It is so encouraging to have the pain subsiding and feeling more normal.

Greetings November Sleevers..... I've had some difficulty getting enough liquids and Proteins, but today is the 4th day and everything seems to be settling down. My sleeve feels pretty comfortable and I'm moving around pretty normally. I didn't have any difficulty finishing my 30g Protein drink this a.m. and am sipping a nice chai latte now. Feels pretty normal. Not hungry, and feeling much more like I will be "myself" soon. But, get ready for this: I went downstairs to weigh myself this a.m. because I am/was convinced I must have dropped a few pounds since I went in the hospital. I have GAINED 4 lbs! I know it must be Fluid retention, no BM yet, but it was a shock, I have to tell you. I have barely eaten anything (maybe 400 calories/day?) so I wasn't expecting this. I am not alarmed but I am shocked. Has anyone else experienced a weight gain after coming home? Jeez.