hrhlaurie

I had same thing, like poison Ivy, red, bumpy and itched like crazy. I had to use anti-itch creme and wait it out. Turns out some of us become allergic to the adhesive they use to help seal our incisions. This was the worst part of early recovery because it was so constant and would wake me up in the night. I stayed on pain killers an extra week to get through it.

What's funny is my doctor doesn't tell me what to eat, just to follow the nutritional guidelines of the program and keep carbs and calories low. He lets the Nut and surgery program manager hand out the dietary instructions and follow up. I guess I'm on a sort of modified Atkins now, eating Protein, low or no carbs, but mostly low fat also. The only off the shelf Atkins product I buy is the shakes to mix for my morning Protein shake. Otherwise, I just eat healthy proteins from Whole Foods and am really watching carbs and sugars and chemicals. Since I'm not eating much, I'm trying to make sure I'm not adding the hormones and antibiotics and junk to my food. I didn't mean to be on a quasi-Atkins diet, but by focusing on protein, I'm full before I can think about adding much else to my meal so hard to avoid being protein centric. I also eat low fat cheese, almond cheese, some cooked onions and peppers, and a bite of fruit now and then. I feel good, am losing and not violating my diary rules I hope. Next visit with the Nut is Aug 15 and I think she just wanted me to be eating more by then but I'm still at 3-4 Tbsp per meal.

Me either. I remember how nervous I was before surgery and if I could go back in time, I'd tell my pre-surgical self how great it is to wear smaller sized clothes, look and feel better. How unimportant is food now.

Ditto. Really want to stay in touch with the May 2014 group. I love the NSVs and meal selections.

I use the chocolate unjury powder, 21grams of Protein, mixed with an Atkins chocolate pre-made shake, 15 grams protein, 1 cup 1% milk, 8 grams protein, ice and a fat -free flavored syrup like mocha or hazelnut. I love my shakes and start my day with lots of protein and Fluid. Of course, it takes me 1 to 2 hours to drink them also!

It seems like you could be eating regular food by now. I was on liquids for a week, mushy/soft foods for two weeks after that and then I could eat almost anything protein. Why so long on mushy foods? As long as you chew something to mush with your teeth, isn't it still mush when it hits your tummy? I'm just six weeks out and can eat anything my tummy is OK with but I'm sticking with proteins, of course. Trying chewing a piece of chicken really well and swallowing it and see how your tummy does.

Oh, I hated my 3 week stall. For a week I stayed at the same weight but I was eating right, drinking lots of fluids, exercising... I know I'll have another one but I'm prepared this time. I do avoid all carbs so anything that will be burned is fat.

Thanks, I'll check this out too since I'm also in a bit of a rut. I start my day with a protein-loaded shake, lunch and dinner are usually some pieces of chicken or pork with some low-fat cheese and maybe a low-fat dipping sauce. I have low -fat string cheese, lunch meat, almond butter, and Parmesan cheese crispies for mid afternoon snack about 4pm. Parmesan cheese crispies are just baked Parmesan cheese with a dash of garlic and Rosemarie. Low fat but yum!

Went to dinner and I ate some chicken breast until I got the usual hiccups, burping and rumbling that told me to stop eating. Since we were with friends, I quickly ate a mint so I wouldn't be burping the smell of chicken and what a mistake. I immediately felt sick and it's taken over two hours to recover. So dumb, chewing up a mint and sending it down to full tummy was like sending down a grenade. Another lesson learned. On the other hand I wore a pair 14w shorts today, down from my former size 20, got rid of a bunch of pants that don't fit any more and I fit, once again, into a pair of favorite jeans that I had outgrown a few years ago.

Same here, Lots of support and info on this site. I'm thinking I might try a few days of just shakes and liquids once I think my own losing honeymoon is over. I might try a lot of things if not at goal yet!

Before my surgery, I visited several medical site pages with articles written by doctors for doctors citing studies on weight loss surgery. Overall, this surgery is highly successful and has a higher success rate than just diet alone. There is a long-term risk of Calcium deficiency so I'll need to take calcium the rest of my life, along with other Vitamins. I never took vitamins before and probably needed them so I'm already healthier. I can now only eat about 3 - 4 tablespoons of food at a time. Could I abuse my new little pouch and shove more in? Not without discomfort but if I really worked at it, blew off the whole program, and ate until I was sick often enough, I bet I could stretch my little pouch out. Instead of eating Protein, I guess I could fill it with carbs and sugar. I'm sure I could hang on to my old eating habits, stay on the couch, and try to ensure the major surgery I just endured was for nothing. The success of the surgery rests with your ability to make food a bit player in your life and not give it a starring role. I think of eating like a car where I just add some fuel at certain times and as I'm walking off calories I'm imagining new clothes in new sizes. Being healthy and looking good is more important to me than shoving food in my mouth. Find a doctor you trust and a Nut who can help guide you and commit yourself to your own health. If you feel that food is a mental issue for you then see a counselor to work through your dependence on food to help ensure your success. We've all had some side effects along the way, nausea, sorting out our bowels, feeling a little sick but it was surgery so there is a recovery period. I'm still reintroducing some foods and for some reason cantelope went through me like a bomb a couple weeks ago but I can have a bite of watermelon now with no ill effects. I take it slow and if there are side effects, I deal with them and I imagine that any discomfort I feel is easier to handle than weight-induced heart disease or diabetes would have been. That so called study feels more like a scare tactic than unbiased research. To motivate me before surgery, I just visited the success stories thread on this site. That's seems more valid and had pictures too!

I had surgery May 29 and have lost 24 pounds since surgery date and 20 during pre-op. Feels slow to me too but if I keep it up, in another 5 weeks I will be down about 50 pounds in the 3 months since surgery and those numbers sound good. (although, I have a recurring fantasy that one morning I will wake up and just be at my goal weight... ) Just keep doing what you are doing, and the weight will keep coming off. Don't give up and let chips or sweets sneak back into your diet and keep moving, even if it is just walking.

I took my granddaughter to McDonalds and I ordered a grilled chicken snack wrap, opened it up to just eat the chicken and threw the rest away. Pretty easy.

I've been out to eat several times and the one person who notices how much I eat is my wait staff! My husband says when we go out and I order a side of refried Beans or baked chicken wings or whatever, and then only eat some of my food, they always ask if it was OK, did I want something else, take it to go... the wait staff thinks I don't like their food! All of my friends know about the surgery because it is helping me have a healthier life and not eat like a great white shark. I just make it no big deal and they soon do the same. If they ask questions, I tell them medically what's going on and that my stomach is smaller so takes less to fill me up. Just people really don't care what you eat and friends probably just enjoy your company.

5 1/2 weeks out and 23 pounds down from surgery but it seems slow. Can I get to 'onederland' by Aug 20? Not if I don't lose a bit faster. I'm doing everything I can but my age and metabolism might be working against me. I'll just be slow and steady and hit my goal eventually. Stepping up my exercise now to try and lose faster. Still just eating Protein and avoiding as many carbs as possible except for an occasional small bite of watermelon. It's good to get to know you all going through the same types of struggles.

CW 227 GW for challenge 197

SW 250 CW 227 Really want to get to 225 soon...

I don't eat over 4 Tbsp, about a quarter cup, of protein per meal. More than that and I am sick and really uncomfortable. I am just over 5 weeks out from surgery and can have anything but sticking to protein and shakes.

Good for you! That's what the surgery is all about, creating a new, better lifestyle!

I love my blender bottle and use it every day. I mix my chocolate unjury powder with Atkins shake, almond milk, a little ice and either sugar free mocha or hazlenut syrup. I love my morning protein shake and not only do I get 36 grams of protein but plenty of liquid to start my day. I'm going to be traveling too, in August, and I've decided to pack my atkins shakes and a supply of Unjury protein powder and my blender bottle. I'll have a fridge and will just mix my shakes in the room. The Atkins shakes don't have to be refridgerated and when they're gone, I'll have more room for souveniers! I'll pack some little peanut butter packets, they sell them at Whole Foods, cheese sticks, and maybe almonds as snacks for the trip. I think I'll be ok, but I am a bit worried about about the trip too. So much unknown with travel.

My tummy couldn't handle cold drinks at first. I couldnt use ice or the rumbling would start, only room temp or warm drinks. For a tiny, little tummy it sure can growl!

I'm in and will record my starting weight tomorrow. Thanks!

I agree with you. My weakness was carbs and my diet weaknesses were pasta, nachos, pizza... see a theme? Carbs loaded with melted cheese. I'm so grateful that this surgery removed most of my hunger and food cravings. Right now, I'm good with Protein and as long as it lasts, I'm going to keep it up. Some day I'll have a nacho again but, since I know the foods full of empty calories are where I might overeat, I'll hold off for now. This is major surgery, and what I consider my last chance to have a healthy, slimmer body. I don't want to mess it up by giving in to non-protein foods too early. I did have a little piece of watermelon yesterday and it tasted sooooo good. Now, that bite was a treat! That said, I'm still eating too fast. That's been the hardest bad habit to unlearn.

There's a honeymoon period?! But my tummy is so small, what happens? What if I haven't reached my goal when my honeymoon is over?

I went from 250 to 228. I didn't hit my goal of 225 but I came close!