Tootles1975

Finally hit the 50 lb loss mark at 110 days out. It's going a bit slower than I'd like but trying to be patient as I lost 45 lbs before surgery too and my nutritionist says I'm doing good. How's everyone doing? I still get the foamies a few times a week when I eat dense Protein -- not sure if it's because it's too dry or I eat too fast, so trying to slow it down further. Other than that, no complications though.

Well you have to get the protein in somehow and until you can tolerate more food....liquid's pretty much the only option. It's just a necessity. If you really hate the sweetness of the shakes, adding unflavored powder to Soups, Hot drinks, puddings, yogurt is also a good idea. If you can only stomach 1/4 cup of yogurt, then mixing a half scoop Protein Powder in with it will give you an extra 10-15 grams on top of the 7.5. (At two months out though, you should probably be able to eat a little more than you are--did you check with your doctor to see what he or she says about only being able to tolerate so little?)

For the slow cooker? You don't need any recipe at all. Just put a beef roast or pork shoulder/butt roast in there with a cup of Water and any seasonings you like and after 8-10 hours, it'll break down really tender and make its own juice/gravy. Also check out The World According to Eggface for lots of protein powder-heavy recipes.

I'm at 13 weeks out and most days I don't need to have a Protein shake and can get my 60 g from food. I eat a lot of fish or shrimp, rotisserie chicken, ground beef, eggs, ricotta cheese (I don't care for cottage cheese), PB2 or even regular peanut butter), cheese, nuts, low-sugar greek yogurt, and lunchmeat. The greek yogurt is really the best option because it has the most protein for the lowest calories; sometimes I have those twice a day. For those having trouble with solid meat, try a slow cooker/crock pot preparation--they make the meat super tender and much easier to digest.

@@ready2B -- Thanks. It's comforting to hear others' responses, even though intellectually I know this is probably pretty common. I do generally end up having one protein shake a day to supplement meals. Maybe I'll try some softer foods the next few days too. Dinner tonight was cut up turkey meatballs with sauce and some ricotta cheese and that one gave me no trouble thankfully!

Anyone else having issues telling when they're full? I'm just over one month out and eating mostly "real/normal" foods at this point. I felt no real restriction up until this stage but now my plan calls for 3 oz of fish (or ground beef, or turkey, etc.) and even if I eat slow and chew lots it seems like it becomes a problem if I eat the whole thing. I don't get any cues as to when I'm full really, so it's only after I finish that I feel really distressed for a while. It's more of a feeling of pressure/stuckness than dumping. I feel like I have to burp a lot and can make a lot of foam/saliva, though it doesn't make itself exactly. Any good tips on telling when you're getting full? I know we're not supposed to stretch meals out past 20 or 30 minutes, and if I don't eat the allotted amount, I'll be missing out on some protein. It also seems a mistake to let myself backslide to liquids or mushies.

If you don't mind me asking, how has the weight loss been for all the no complications folks? I've been losing about a pound or so a day. I'm 9 days out and down 9 pounds, which seems on the lower side of what people report (I know, I know--don't compare!). Though I lost about 20 pounds on a 2 week pre-op semi-liquid diet and 25 pounds on my own before that. I'm eating about 400-600 calories and walking 30-45 minutes a day.

Just got approved by my insurance for this and wondering if the liquid Vitamins that Insure sends are all-encompassing or if you have to take additional Calcium, B-12 ,D, etc. I currently use Bariatric fusion chewables (2 in am, 2 in pm) that I buy from my surgeon, and I don't need any addiitonal calcium or other pills with those. Just wondering as there isn't much info about the liquid vitamins on Insure's site.

@@Rovobay Sorry to hear that! I'm very surprised a federal insurance plan doesn't cover it. I have BC BS of Massachusetts through my husband's company (a private engineering firm).

So glad to see this thread! I just had surgery two days ago, went home yesterday afternoon because I had very little pain (just some gas discomfort the first night) and could drink all my water and protein shakes. I'm actually sort of worried I'll forget I had the surgery because I feel so normal!!

My surgery went great and I had very little pain at all. Some gas discomfort but even not much of that thankfully. I also seem to be able to tolerate water and protein shakes just fine. Drank all that they gave me in the hospital and got discharged late afternoon yesterday! My biggest fear right now is actually forgetting I had the surgery! I don't feel very different at all. I visited my mom's last night where they were having thanksgiving dinner/dessert and though the food looked and smelled good, I didn't really have any desire to eat any and that was a nice change.

Getting ready to go to the hospital in 15 minutes! So nervous/excited to get started. Wish I could already be in recovery!

I'm in pre-op stages and hope to have surgery in late October/early November possibly. I'm on my husband's insurance plan (Blue Chip/MA), which is much better/cheaper than my own company's insurance. However, he'd really like to change jobs early next year. After the surgery is done and insurance has paid for the bulk of it, I can't really see this being a problem. Obviously I'll have to see if my surgeon is on the new plan, but just from a surgery coverage perspective, anyone see any problems with changing after it's all done?

Hi all, I'm brand new to the forum (though I've been lurking and reading the past month or so). I'm 38 and 339 pounds. I've been heavy my whole life, since childhood, and 10+ years ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I also have poor circulation and edema in my legs that necessitates wearing medical compression stockings all the time. I've successfully lost 75 lbs (on a low carb diet of my own design) in 2002 and 60 pounds (on Weight Watchers in 2012) in the past, but eventually gained back all of the weight plus the first time and most of the weight the second time around. I'm finding it harder to keep my fasting blood sugar numbers under control and I know it will only continue to get even more difficult as I age. My PCP recommended I look into WLS two months ago. I've been researching since then and attended the seminar on April 9. I've learned a lot, and rationally, I know the surgery is my best chance at a healthier future. I have a good friend who was about the same weight (less health issues but knew they were coming) and had bypass surgery 3 years ago and has been the picture of success -- lost half her body weight and has kept it off, has had zero complications, has no food restrictions, looks and feels great. She's been a big inspiration. But...the dreaded butt...I fear that I will be that person who has horrible, life-threatening complications. I also fear that I won't be able to conquer the emotional attachments I have to food and will feel deprived and restricted eventually after the honeymoon stage wears off. (I'm also looking into ways to recognize and break down those emotional ties and triggers now.) It even makes me a little sad to think that I won't if I wanted to be able to eat a huge meal on a holiday or a special occasion. The idea that the rest of my life will not be the same is both exhilarating AND frightening. Before I saw my friend's success with my own eyes, I don't think I would've even considered surgery. It still scares me sometimes to think about the long-term possibilities of basically chopping off more than half my stomach. I've read that people who have an easy time for it for the first five or even ten years, sometimes have terrible problems after that. I know a lot of people say the risks are worth the misery of being fat. I don't know that I've ever considered myself to be miserable though. I've certainly had many terrible moments because of my size over the years, but overall, I've always been a fairly confident person, I'm happily married. I feel I've lived a pretty happy, successful life thus far. I dieted off and on over the years but mostly off to be honest, and only with any real conviction on two occasions (mentioned above)--both of which were prompted by bad medical news that scared me. Part of me feels like maybe I should have struggled more/tried harder before attempting surgery, despite intellectually knowing that dieting is a losing game for most obese and esp. super obese folks. I wonder if I need to want this more to be really successful at it. I'd say I'm about 85%, maybe 90% on the best days, convinced that I need to do this. How do I get to 100%? Do I even need to get there? Or do you just have to recognize that this is the best option you can take to ensure better health and push the remaining fear aside and take that leap of faith? I'd love to hear your stories of how you finally made the decision to do this. Thanks.

Was just in the "Most positive post" thread where we all are talking about what we're thankful for. It made me think of this first post I made 6 months ago and how encouraging and knowledgable everyone was. I'm now 6 days away from surgery and really thrilled with this choice and very excited for the future. So thank you, everyone!

I'm thankful to be having surgery the day before Thanksgiving! My thanks also to @@CowgirlJane, @@LipstickLady, James M. (whose exact handle I've forgotten), and tons more vets for always having such sage advice.

I'm 5 days away too! (Can't believe it!) The nerves haven't hit me yet, and I'm hopeful they won't at all. A positive mindset is your greatest asset, I think. I try to keep my goals in mind and think about how much I've already worked and changed and had to do to prep for this surgery. The thought of backing out now is just not an option. I'm on day 9 of a 14-day mostly liquid diet and it hasn't even been very hard! Nothing has changed physically in me to make this diet easier yet, but I'm doing it anyway! This is proof to me both of my desire for this chance to change my life for the better, and my capability of meeting these challenges and succeeding. Months ago, I don't think I could have imagined me being able to do what I'm doing already, right in this moment. It's just setting that positive attitude and refusing to dwell on any other outcome except success. Staying in the NOW is very important too. Don't worry about what might or may happen. Deal with what you have to do right now--drink some Water? Have a shake? Go for a walk? You can do that. All manageable. One step at a time. You got this.