DaniCan

Thanks for the feedback!

I'm definitely noticing a difference in my skin elasticity everywhere since the surgery. Any tips to prevent it from worsening? And how much Vitamin E are people taking? And favorite lotions? Thx!

Are you getting the recommended amount of Protein (my nutritionist recommended 60-80 grams a day). If you can't get that with food, make up for it with Protein shakes or drinks. This also helps curb the late night snacking. When I didn't get enough protein I was a slug, I felt really nauseous and craved everything! Also, be mindful of the time between drinking and eating. If you're doing either too soon and not waiting (times vary by surgeon), it can make you very nauseous. I wait at least 30-60 minutes after I eat to drink. I wait at least 30 minutes after I drink to eat. And, I've learned to not overdrink at one sitting. I suffered nausea almost every day during my first month. At my check in, I was told I wasn't getting enough to eat! I had been eating 1oz of food at each sitting. Apparently, I should have been eating approx. 3oz. Hopefully you'll find your trigger soon and get some relief! Healthy regards.

I was sore for 3-4 days but after that I was at about a 2 for pain. I couldn't stand the liquid pain killer they prescribed so I went without and it wasn't bad. Now I'm sure everyone has different experiences. I went from a band to a sleeve and they did mention my band came out really easy. I had had it since 2005. The surgeon said that it was the easiest band he's had to remove so that could mean the difference in my pain level. Anxiety is a given going into this. I'm so proud of myself for staying the course and going through with it because I am so happy with the results! I've lost 25 lbs as of today and the hard part (like getting use to the completely different eating habits) is getting so much easier during my 2nd month. Try and spend less time worrying about how you'll feel and try and prepare for the big day. I know, easier said than done right? To get your mind off it, go out and buy your sugar free liquids, look up some tips and recipes, maybe buy a few books or new pair of exercise shoes and try focusing more on the vast upcoming changes to your life (positive changes by the way). I sincerely hope all goes well. Healthy regards!

I was told to get between 60-80 grams of protein as soon as stage 2 starts (after the clear liquid phase). I eat 3 meals a day and log in my protein, sugar, fat and calories. Then, I've kind of figured out how much I need to make up for with supplement shakes. I was drinking 2 shakes a day in between meals but the last few days I've noticed I can eat a little more now so I've cut it back to 1 shake a day (30 grams of protein per serving). I've noticed I really need to read the labels because the amount of protein varies a lot! But the extra protein has really helped me control my head hunger. And others have mentioned drinking more Water. Its funny, I was drinking a lot of water but I was also getting really nauseous every day. When I spoke to my doctor I was told to cut way back on what I'm drinking in 1 sitting. It was explained that a lot of surgeons follow 1 guideline for both sleeve and gastric bypass patients. And yet gastric bypass patients need more water than sleeve patients. I don't have all the medical reasons behind it but for folks out there suffering from nausea...something to ask about. I'm religious now about limiting my water to a certain amount at 1 sitting. I wait the appropriate time before and after I eat and that has helped me so much. To get more in, I start the morning with ice water, get ready for work, drink water in the car on the way to work, eat my Breakfast, wait then drink more water wait, drink my shake, wait and so on.

I've baked thin strips with chicken broth poured over the top and sprinkled with Chef Paul Magic Seasoning Blend - Poultry Magic. When I do eat fish I like to bake it with Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce which only has 2 grams of sugar (compared to other teriyaki brands that have much higher sugar content. I just buy the cheap frozen tilapia, cod or salmon in the frozen section. They come packaged in 3 oz portions. Yesterday I just got to eating 3 ozs of food at 1 sitting. My surgery was on 8/12/14. I eat my Protein first then some green Beans with garlic powder and a little garlic pepper. I just bought Molly McButter and the spray stuff but I hated it. I've also bought caned cooked crab which comes without the shells! I sprinkled it with Chef Paul Magic Seasoning Blend - Seafood Magic. Tonight my husband made fajitas with green, yellow and red pepper out of carne asada. I'm just really careful to look at the fat/sugar content on everything I add to my food. I'm also staying away from the low carb tortillas and fat free beans for now but I'm really craving them! I supplement with 2 Protein shakes a day. I've found that Optimum Nutrition brand has a really good Turbo chocolate flavor. There's another one I really like called Jay Robb whey Protein Powder strawberry. When I want to add ingredients I use a vanilla one (haven't found one I truly like yet) but I will add vanilla protein powder and a peach. After 1 month post-op I was told I can try blending in spinach leaves which I now do. You can't taste it and it helps get the vegies in your diet (if you have a good blender). I've read that you shouldn't eat more than 6 oz of canned tuna per week to avoid mercury poisoning. Similarly some fish should be limited to 12 oz per week. Dr. Oz did a show on it and you can probably look up a video online or find other related articles. I was eating a lot of tuna before I started reading about the symptoms of mercury poisoning and it was too scary to chance it. I'm really trying to like cottage cheese and greek yogurt but the only way I'll eat that right now is sprinkled with sugar-free Jello (I love the strawberry, cherry and lemon). I'm looking for more recipes - this is a great topic so thank you for starting it!

I sprinkle a little sugar-free Jello over it. You can also add things like Splenda and there are stevia flavors you can buy. I've mainly seen them online (Amazon) but I haven't tried them yet.

Thanks for these suggestions! I am newly sleeved on 8/12/14 so I'm still on soft foods right now. I too go out boating and miss the sandwiches! Small world. The other day I went to a pizza b-day party and brought a Protein shake to curb the drooling! I kept repeating to myself that I chose this for better health. And that's the truth. The sleeve is definitely a great tool but I'm still struggling with wanting carbs every hour of every day.

I'd like to reach out to folks who have seriously fought to treat and cure their 'head hunger' and have been successful at overcoming constant snacking and thinking about food every minute of the day! My goal right now is to take in 70 grams of Protein daily along with all of my required and preferred Vitamins and Water every day - waiting 45-60 minutes after my last bite of food before I drink water (or shake) and then I wait at least 15 minutes from my last sip to start eating again. I was becoming so sick of chewable vitamins I finally called my surgeon and begged to be approved to take pills. I now take them with my 2 Protein shakes each day (in between the real food). I use very little water in my protein shakes. Just enough to get my pills down (about 6 ounces). I make sure I buy powder that is at least 20-30 grams of protein per serving because otherwise I would never get the amount of protein through regular meals. Still, I'm finding that I keep a timer to let me know when I'm ok to chow down again because my next meal is all I think about right now. Any advice, recommended books, websites, are greatly appreciated. (My insurance doesn't cover therapy or I'd be very open to that!)

I hit a stall also in between week 2 and 3. For 6 miserable days I didn't lose a pound. Now I'm finally noticing a slight loss. Very frustrating when you're barely taking in any calories but I'm trying to hang in there and be positive. The way I look at it is I can't possibly NOT lose weight with the healthy food I'm eating now and so little of it!

My surgeon is recommending 4 weeks and to wait and see if I need more time once we get closer to that date. 3 close friends who have all had the bypass surgery said that regardless that I had the sleeve, they recommend I take the full 6 weeks because the food stages are difficult to adjust to and it also can become very emotional being around friends at work who bring in the candy, potluck treats, fast foods, deli sandwiches, etc. Although I think I'm exposed more to food at home between family, books and tv!

I ran it by my surgeon and was told I can't add unflavored or any other type of Protein during the stage 1 clear liquid diet but I can start adding it to the pureed food beginning on day 8. I can't wait for day 8 to be here!! I'm going to scan the posts for some liquid diet options besides Jello and broth.

I'm getting ready for surgery on August 12th and a question I forgot to ask my surgeon - is it ok to add Protein to my liquids during the 1st stage post-op and also to pureed foods in week 2? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thx.

Bali no-slip...they are the only ones I'll wear now!

I initiated the appointment in April and my surgery is finally scheduled for August 12th. Every insurance has a set of hoops to jump through. Every time I met the requirements, they changed them. 1st was the BMI. Then it was 3-months of nutrition counseling + a psychological eval. The last time, they finally said I needed a recommendation from my pcp - regardless that I qualified for all of their previous requests. It truly takes all the patience you can muster!