Dischord

Quest bars are actually incredibly low in carbohydrates, 4-5 net carbs, with most of it made up by Fiber. That looks like a decent meal plan to me, but post-op vets who are further out than I am would probably be more qualified to weigh in (pun not intended) on it.

For me it was a history of mental abuse from my peers, and an inability to cope with my emotions. I ate rather than dealing with the problems that were around me. I ate to cope with everything from sadness to depression. I'd done the yo-yo dieting thing since I was 12. I'd tried going vegetarian, I tried cutting out carbs, I tried Weight Watchers, TOPS, Jenny Craig, all before I ever hit 21. Well, as you can guess, I kept going up and up and up, always gaining about twice what I'd lost. But I managed to hit and stay at a maximum of around 300-320 lbs, thanks to a stupidly high amount of exercise, since I was 'active', even when I was fat. I could run up and down a flight of stairs without getting winded, and I was starting to work around my emotional issues, and things were looking good! Then at 23 I fell and blew the cartilage out of both knees, after which I was diagnosed with PCOS and had to have surgery, coupled with losing my father to cancer. Between the emotional and physical issues, I just went immobile. I stopped being able to dance and run the way I used to, and I just quit caring about anything, so I started trying to eat myself to death, despite having a wonderfully supportive husband and a halfway decent life regardless of the troubles I was having at the time. I ended up almost 500 lbs at my heaviest. It wasn't a pretty journey, but I'm determined not to go back to where I was.

I sometimes take tiny sips with meals because my mouth gets dry very easily (even when I'm past my Fluid goal!), and I drink with a straw because it's easier to take in less air for me. I'm following everything else (calories, Protein, etc). Eating for twenty minutes and then sitting an hour after a meal with no liquid at all makes my throat too dry and gives me a hacking cough that turns into heaving, so it was a choice I had to make. I decided I had to do what I needed to do in order to prevent myself from getting to that down point. I'm losing weight, not as fast as I'd like (also hitting that three week stall), but I'm doing good, I think. Meeting goals, dropping weight, and losing inches with ease.

I think the most appalling thing to me was the last bit about surgery being the easy way out. It certainly makes weight loss easier, but it's definitely not the easy way out. Best example I have is that my sort-of Sister also had the Gastric Sleeve a year ago, and she ate around her sleeve and maintained roughly the same weight she'd been at pre-op, and is now having a revision done. Meanwhile, I'm sticking with it and my weight loss is still dropping. She'd veered off her path as early as one week post-op, and kept at it. So you can definitely eat around the surgery if that's your goal. Meaning it can't be the 'easy' way out, because it takes so many lifestyle and diet changes to maintain proper weight loss and really take advantage of the surgery. That's a really bad message to give to post and pre-op people who want to have/have had this done. If they underestimate the changes necessary for these types of things to be really effective, they're going to go to their doctors thinking it's a quick fix, and it isn't. It really isn't. That said, there are a lot of valid points in the article about eating, and types of foods, but it feels like, especially two of the points up there really undermines the achievements and hard work that post-oppers put into losing weight and keeping it off, and all of the work we go through before and after the surgery. Especially the emotional/mental stuff that factors into our weight loss. I just can't agree with those bits.

Reading this article made me pretty genuinely angry. Surgery is absolutely not the easy way out, and my first hundred pounds are only partially the surgery. The other part of it is the vastly different diet I had before surgery (I lost more than 50 lbs pre-op), and then the vastly different diet post-op as I changed my eating habits (20+ lbs gone at last weigh in). I'm appalled at this article. You're right, it's definitely things we don't want to hear. That said, I didn't have this surgery to cut carbohydrates (especially the right kinds) out of my life forever. There will be times that I know others, and myself down the road will be having types of carbs that they enjoy, at sensible portion sizes, and this article just feels so very.. toxic.

When it comes to certain flavors, I'm planning on SF puddings mixed in with my Protein shakes. A great example is a vanilla Protein shake base with a TBSP of SF Cheesecake pudding, and whatever Torani SF Syrup matches the flavors I'm craving. I'm a little under two weeks post-op, and I'm adding SF English Toffee to my shake for the evening (I keep late hours), and it's really hit it on the nose for the flavors I was looking for. I'm not up to the puddings yet (require puree stage first), but the syrups have been great. That said, I suggest BariatricFoodie or Eggface's blogs, as both of them have a great array of dessert type treats that are WLS friendly! Sadly, I can't offer you any help on the Coke or Beer front, as I've never been a big drinker of either, and don't miss soda or alcohol at all. I'm sure one of the more seasoned vets will chime in soon. Edit: Kate's also got a great point, in that WLS friendly mug cakes are a fantastic option. They were my go to pre-op, because I didn't want to load down with junk, but I still loved my sweets.

@@jane13 My doctor gave me Ondansetron (Zofran) for right after surgery, and I'm now out of that almost a week off, but I'm finding that, of all the combinations, 1 1/2 cups of beef broth with half a cup of skim milk, and a bit of powdered ginger really helps with the nausea, and it helps me get in a bit of extra Protein. That said, I'm doing really great, only been up about five hours, and I'm already around half of my Fluid ounces. I'm finding protein still really hard to choke down, but it's easier every day.

When I was still very heavy, a woman I considered my sister invited me to attend a support group meeting with her. I reacted very negatively and lashed out at her because I felt like she was trying to force her method off on me, and I was 'happy' with how fat I was. But as painful as that was, I started researching into the method of how she managed her weight loss, and what the surgery was all about. That was what prompted me to get moving in a direction where I did and could lose all of the weight. While I didn't appreciate the intervention, that first conversation between us started a landslide of activity that led me to where I am now (six days post-op from the vsg), and while a little queasy, very happy with the choice I made. I hope that your sister sees your success and eventually decides to get motivated from that, to look into it on her own. I know that it's a decision she has to come to on her own, but I hope for your sake and hers that it comes sooner rather than later, before the worst happens.

Waiting eagerly for my nectar to get here so I can get in some real Protein. I've started in on Vitamin Water Zero, though, and already I can take in more sips per hour than I could with plain water. I know some people have said they prefer warm drinks, but I've had issues with warm beverages as opposed to cold ones - the cold ones liquids seem to go down much better. I've also been doing crushed ice chips when I can't handle sipping, and my sleeve definitely likes those more than just liquids right now.

I'm three days post-op and I'm grumbling and struggling hard with getting in fluids, much less the Protein that my nutritionist said I needed. I've managed about 20 grams over the last two days (the shakes are so hard to take in), and the fluids make me feel so full I could burst, even when sipped slowly. I managed 16 ounces of Fluid on day 1, 25 on day 2, and today I hit a very full 35 ounces. I'm going to try and stretch that out to 48 tomorrow, with at least half of my ounces as protein, but I know it's an uphill climb so long as all I have are the shakes that I do. They're just too thick. I might have to see how quick I can get my hands on some Syntrax nectar, as that's been recommended a bunch as a thinner option.

Good to know I'm not the only one feeling like this. Less than four hours before I head out the door to the hospital. I think we'll both do great.

@jane13 I wish I was able to let you know how things go after surgery - I don't have a smart phone, no tablet, and I won't be out until sometime on the 6th or 7th, depending on how things go. I will be doing a proper post once I'm out of surgery and home and resting comfortably. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't very nervous, but I know this is necessary, and things are going to be so much easier once it's done. I only wish it was already 6 AM so I could be in and getting this all done and over with!

I know that with my surgeon, I thought there would be an extended pre-op diet, but he told me to keep at Protein shakes (3/day), and a small salad with fruit for my one meal. That said, I'm now at the day before surgery, and this is the only day I'm required to do Clear liquids.

Also May 5th for me - I'm still meant to be on weight loss rather than weight gain, and I won't know until Wednesday if I'm on a pre-op liquid diet, though I've been doing the liver shrinking thing since October, and it's pretty far reduced from what it was, but still bigger than the doctor would like it. For pre-op, I've been doing Optimum Nutrition, and the flavor isn't bad, but it's kind of heavy. I discovered Premiere Protein, and it's probably my favorite shake out of the ones I've tried (a few), and I'm going to be sticking with it post-surgery if I can. I've seen a lot of different brands recommended, both around the internet and on this forum. Body Fortress, nectar, Any whey, Syntha-6, Premiere, Click, Chike, Celebrate ENS, Isopure, and a lot of posters on forum have seemed to swear by unjury. Good luck to everyone going in on May 5th!

(First post here). Last pre-op appointment or class is going to be on April 29th - the big day is May 5th! I'm excited, scared, overwhelmed, nervous, ready for it to be over!