vdub_tx

What stage are you on at the moment? I'll be 4 weeks on Wednesday and I'm on soft foods. I have been told "anything I can cut with a fork." I still have to have at least one Protein drink a day or I don't hit my protein goals. I eat protein almost exclusively, with the exception of some overcooked veggies. I typically have a mini-fritatta for Breakfast (eggs, turkey sausage and spinach are what I have right now), some tuna fish, or an oz or so sliced deli turkey with a piece of laughing cow cheese, or a veggie fritter with Greek yogurt for lunch, and then some fish or meatloaf or a meatball with ricotta cheese and sauce for dinner. If I want a snack I eat yogurt or cottage cheese but that's pretty rare. I fit in a Protein shake between breakfast and lunch, typically. I do eat the same things over and over a lot, just because my portions are TINY and so I have to save food. I freeze a lot so that I can kind of mix it up as I go. Are you on My Fitness Pal? Somewhere on these forums there is a post with a lot of users MFP names, so you can add them as friends and view their daily food diaries. I love MFP because it makes it easy to see if I'm getting my protein which is still a struggle!

Not to be negative, but I wish I had known how really, truly bad the nausea was going to be the first couple of days post-surgery. It seemed like every report I read here on BP was all "no pain, just gas...I'm great!" so I was unprepared for my own experience which was....difficult. Worse, that made me feel like something was wrong with me, until I found out LOTS of people feel this way. So while I pray that you are a person who recovers quickly and relatively painlessly, if you don't...just know that it is normal as well and that is get sooooo much better. I also wish I had known to try different temperatures of liquids for the first week or so. I had a hard time getting fluids down and was very close to being hospitalized for dehydration when someone told me to try hot tea. Once I figured out that warm liquids were easier, I started feeling significantly better very quickly. I couldn't tolerate anything cold (or even room temp) at all but some people do...experiment to figure out what your new baby tummy likes. On the positive side, even though it's the reason we had surgery....I wish I had known how quickly my body shape would change! If you are like me and have multiple sizes in your closet, I would organize your clothes now. I wish I had done so because I'm constantly digging through stuff to figure out what fits. I've dropped about a size and a half so some things fit from one size and one the next and it would be easier if it was all neatly sorted out in my closet! Good luck on your surgery...you're going to do GREAT!

I didn't sleep all the way through the night until about 2 weeks post-op. I was 3 weeks on Wednesday and am doing fine now, so from my own experience, I would say it gets better.

I felt the exact same way about my nutritionist. I left thinking "well glad I paid $50 for her to read me the packet." Even more frustrating, I TOLD her that I'd already read the packet several times. I've now met with 2 different nutritionists at my hospital and found neither of them helpful. I'd like to find a good one but I don't even know how to go about that, so I'm just kind of figuring it out on my own, and with the help of my bariatric coordinator at my surgeon's office.

It is perfectly normal for weight loss to slow down significantly after the first 2 weeks. Your body just went through major trauma and now thinks you are starving to death. Give it a little while to catch up and you will start losing weight again. It would be impossible not to lose on the amount of calories you are taking in at 2 weeks post-op. Weight loss is like a stair step, meaning you hold at the same weight and then have a loss and then stay at the same weight again and then have a loss. You might even gain a pound here and there due to Water weight. My suggestion would be to step away from the scale. There is no need to weigh more than once a week and really even that might make you nuts. If you can stand to do every other week or even once a month, that would be better.

Congratulations! You look amazing!

You look great! Way to go!

I'm in Houston and had surgery at Cy-Fair on 3/5.

I used Dr. Ata Ahmad at Cy-Fair hospital and was very happy. I'm about a week out from surgery so still brand new! I was also self-pay.

Fantastic! Way to go!!

My doctor wants you to quit but doesn't check. You know what got me to stop? He said that it makes you significantly more likely to have loose skin after surgery. When I heard that, I was done.

Thanks guys!!

Holy. Crap. That is amazing. Thank you so much for posting. I have surgery tomorrow and photos and stories like yours are so inspiring to me!

Congratulations! You look amazing...quite an inspiration!

Well I had the opposite problem...but I think it could go either way. Our bodies are definitely adjusting to dietary changes!

I don't have "doubts" exactly...I know I need this. However, my surgery is now less than 48 hours away and I'm now getting scared. Not for me really, but the "what if's" are driving me crazy. My kids are 8 and 10 and the slightest possibility of leaving them motherless makes me shake with fear. But I'm focusing on the positive...I'm going to be fine...and I will be a better, healthier mom. Doubts are normal. This is surgery and it's a big deal, but you will be just fine!

Congratulations! How exciting...you look great!

Thanks for the update! I'm so glad to hear you are doing better. Hydrocodone always gives me a headache too. Hope you continue to improve. It has to all be uphill from here!

It's powdered peanut butter with 85% of the fat pressed out. 45 calories in 2 tablespoons and delicious in protein shakes. You can buy it on Amazon.

I'm the 5th so just a little ahead of you!

Congratulations! You look great! And it certainly encourages me!

I'm on the 5th too. Packing my bag this weekend because I'll be too busy during the week and will feel better knowing it's done. All of the sudden it seems very close!

Well my doctor says generally 80-100 pounds overweight will make your BMI high enough but really you should just go in for a consultation. There are a lot of factors involved in deciding if you're a good candidate. I don't know where you're located but in my area consultations are generally free of charge, which made it easy for me to find a surgeon that I liked.

How cute! Is it ridiculous that I hope my hospital gives me a bear??

Does it have Iron in it? I specifically asked to take Vitamins without added iron because they made me so incredibly sick when I took prenatals with iron that I had to stop. If so, that may be what's causing it.