healthyme1963

My nutrionist gave me a goal of 60-80 grams of Protein per day, but, you need to call your doctor's office since each one has different requirements. Good luck!

Congrats! I hope you have great success! Keep us posted on your progress.

Wishing you a smooth surgery and speedy recovery! No more reflux pain/coughing/issues after tomorrow; yay!

Good luck tomorrow! You'll do great; just have faith in yourself and your surgeon. I hope you have great success and good health on your journey.

Congrats! You look terrific!

I'm not quite 4 months yet (3/18/14), but have been doing pretty well. I'm down several sizes and 70 pounds. I'm much more active and feel so much better. My arthritis has also eased up some, I'm sure due to less stress on my joints. Some days I still struggle to get my water in, but for the most part, this has been a very good experience.

That's what my surgeon and nut keep telling me. The reason we have to chew everything to 'mush' is because the opening to the new stomach is not much bigger around than a pencil, so any pieces/chunks of food cannot pass through. If you don't chew thoroughly, food will back up on you. I hear that is a painful process and will cause you to throw up the stuck food. I don't ever want to experience that, so I'm very careful to chew, chew, chew.

That is a very attainable goal; good luck!

Thanks so much for sharing your story! It's really nice to hear from someone who had the surgery so long ago and is still enjoying success. It's very encouraging to those of us just starting out.

That's awesome! I do a lot of cooking, portioning and freezing on Sundays so I don't have to think about my meals for the rest of my busy week. It's a good habit to get into.

Wowza! Just thank your lucky stars that this happened before your surgery and not afterward. You might never have known if he had alcohol in his system while he was operating on you. Please try not to be too nervous. Don't let one bad apple ruin this experience for you. I'm sure his partners will take wonderful care of you. Good luck with everything; I hope this incident will be your only 'speed bump' during your journey.

Good luck to you both! I wish you smooth sailing and a speedy and successful recovery. Keep us posted along the way!

Congrats! Keep up the good work!

Well said! Those of us who are in the beginning stages need all the help and support we can get and should not make it our goal to send the vets running and screaming as far away as they can possibly get from us. Thank you to all the vets who put up with the endless (and sometimes really odd) questions and go the extra mile to support everyone! If you don't want an honest response, don't ask for advice. . .

I ate very thin mashed sweet potatoes, cream soups, s/f pudding and I would make a veggie and fruit smoothie with unflavored Unjury protein powder.

You look great! Awesome job!

I have now officially lost more than 50% of my excess weight! Woohoo!

Welcome! You are not the first, nor will you be the last, person to need the occasional kick in the pants! We all need tough love, encouragement and support; you came to the right place. I'll tell you what my surgeon's office drilled into our heads during the pre-op days - 'weight loss surgery is not a quick fix, it's only a tool to help you lead a healthy lifestyle'. You have to commit to following the plan laid out for you by your surgical team. I admit, there are days when I struggle with 'the plan'. Most days, I have to force myself to exercise. I'm not a big fan of it, if you must know the truth! But, I find that once I get started, I enjoy myself, for the most part. I sometimes struggle with food choices. I've never experienced 'dumping', but have been queasy a few times because of a bad reaction to something I ate. The best advice I can give is to stick to the plan your surgeon gave you, drink plenty of fluids, get plenty of Protein, take your vitamins/supplements and exercise at least 4-5 days a week. Contrary to what some uninformed people might say, weight loss surgery is definitely not the easy way out. It is a lot of hard work every day for the rest of your life; but, in my opinion, is so definitely worth it! Stay strong and visit these boards on a regular basis for encouragement and info. Everyone on here is awesome!

My surgical team follows up at one week, two weeks, three months, six months, one year and then annually for a total of five years. They are always available by phone or email. There were several appointments pre-surgery with the surgeon, dietician, physical therapist, psychologist and nursing staff. My surgery center has weekly support group meetings and has a mentor program you can sign up with also. All in all, my entire surgical team offers wonderful pre and post-op support.

That's great! Hopefully, everything will be smooth sailing from here on out and you experience a speedy recovery!

You came to the right place! People here are very helpful and supportive. You can find all kinds of inspiration and ideas on these boards.

Woohoo! What a good feeling, right?! Good luck; keep us posted on your progress.

Congrats! You look great; keep up the good work!

Everyone I know that has had the surgery had a drain. It's really no big deal. It's not painful, just a little annoying. I was in the hospital 2.5 days after my surgery and the nurse removed it just before I went home. It doesn't hurt when they remove it, you just feel a little 'tugging' sensation. From what I understand, a lot of people actually go home with their drain and have it removed a few days later.

I didn't have to wait quite that long, but I know of people who had to wait a couple of months. Call the doc's office and ask to be moved up if they have a cancellation. Good luck!