Inner Surfer Girl

Good for you! I think you will find much more peace from not weighing every day. As to when to weigh. Early out, you have so many doctors appointments, you will get weighed. Later, you can come up with a strategy that works for you. Do you go to a gym? Do you have a personal trainer? You could weigh at a gym once a week (or even less often). If not, you could even drop in at your doctor's office to weigh. I know I have done that in the past and was never charged a co-pay or anything. Congratulations on taking control of your scale.

I try to eat things naturally low in sugar, no sugar added, or sugar free most of the time. I haven't yet tried anything high in sugar (like ice cream or cake). I do eat fruit. And use honey on occasion. What my surgeon wants us to avoid like the plague is high fructose corn syrup. You have to read labels carefully, because it is in everything. I even found Its even in children's liquid Tylenol.

So glad to hear!

Very elegant and beautiful. You certainly don't look 12!

Within a month of surgery I made an appointment with my sleep doctor to get an adjustment. Now I use an automatic C-Pap that automatically adjusts the pressure. I do feel more hopeful and optimistic. Some of it is probably due to the fact that I am becoming more mobile and active and can exercise more. Spending the summer outside in the pool does wonders for my emotional state.

This early out I wasn't concerned with "meals". I was sipping all day. My primary goal was to get in all of my Protein and Fluid. My surgeon was adamant that getting in enough protein was critical for healing. With one exception, I was able to get in my 100 grams of protein every day from the second day after surgery. Fortunately, when on clear and full liquids, you naturally have a boost toward your fluid goal. Was it easy? No. But I set a goal, and just didn't go to bed each night until I had reached my goal. Just keep sipping, it does get easier.

For me, it has taken a combination of a whole arsenal of tools and experiences throughout the years. It isn't an instant fix, but a process. I think that one of the reasons I have had such a relatively easy post-op recovery is all the many years of preparation that led me to this point in time. It has taken years of therapy, support groups (12-step and group counseling), reading, listening, journaling, practicing, failing, maturing, praying, crying, and just living. Personally, I think you get the biggest bang for your "buck" from counseling and 12-step work. You also have some great resources to use with your bariatric team: your NUT, your psych, and even support groups if they are available. This forum is also a great resource! If you haven't done any intensive work around your emotional eating and you feel that this is an area where you need help, then now would be a great time to bring out the big guns.

I am puzzled by your question. If you are cleared for soft foods then you should only be trying to eat soft foods. I was allowed canned chicken for my fourth week (when I could add soft mechanical foods). Otherwise, if it's on your list of allowed foods then you should be able to eat it. Are you saying you are eating allowed foods and not having a problem or that you are eating off of your plan?

I'm surprised your NUT answered your question about calories at least without qualifying it with an emphasis on Protein. For my NUT and surgeon, the important numbers are protein and Water. You have received some outstanding advice from some very experienced folks in this thread. I hope you are able to use it to help you get back on track.

There are many, many posts on here about stalls. Here is one I wrote not very long ago. http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

It is very common to hit a stall about three weeks after surgery. You are recovering from surgery and your body is adjusting. The most important thing for healing and weight loss is to follow your post-op plan and focus on getting in all your Protein and fluids. You can't avoid stalls. If the number on the scale is going to drive you crazy then the best thing to do is stay off of the scale. The first several months after surgery, I only weighed at my doctors appointments. That worked great for me. Stalls are a normal and natural part of the process. Our bodies are complex systems not simple machines. None of us lose weight at a consistent rate. Even when the number on the scale is not moving, you are still losing fat. Take your measurements if you haven't done so already. You may find that when the scale is stuck you are losing inches. Stay positive, stick with your program, and Embrace the Stall!

Congratulations! What an awesome accomplishment. You should be very proud of yourself.

If you aren't doing what you need to do, you don't have to figure it all out before you do something about it. I would suggest you go back to basics. Are you getting in all of your Water and Protein every day? If not, then start there. If you aren't or don't know, then why not? Why not make an appointment with your NUT to check in? Why not make an appointment with a counselor or therapist? Is there a local bariatric support group you could attend? You don't have to do this alone. In the meantime, write down everything you have accomplished since you started this process and why you wanted to have surgery in the first place. Best of luck and keep us posted on how you are doing.

My NUT suggested adding a bit of gravy to meats to make them moister. I eat a lot of Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. Have you tried refried Beans.

I was allowed them under my soft food stage (week 3).

I was sleeved and was able to take everything in pill form the day after surgery. I was told the difference between taking pills with the lapband or bypas and sleeve is that with the sleeve the entrance to the stomach isn't restricted/narrowed.

@@Miss Mac, can I just admit how jealous I am. The more you post about what your Mediterranean boyfriend does for you the more I want my own!

Since I am disabled and unable to work, I went through my states' Vocational Rehab office. As part of my plan to get back to work, they laid for the surgery. I did have to pay for some testing, etc., but they paid for the bulk.

My sister lives in Chattanooga and I have never seen Rock City because I knew it would require a lot of walking. Thanks to your reminder I just added another item to my bucket list: to See Rock City!

This is a great question to ask your NUT. If you aren't already reaching your Protein and Water goal daily then you certainly will need to do that as a minimum. The more you exercise, the more water you will need. Your NUT can give you advice for timing and amounts of any additional protein, healthy carbs, and fats.

any words of wisdom on how to increase calories? I'm around 475 a day and at my 2 week post op appt they said that I should try to be around 800 by my 6 week appt. Try as I might, I cannot seem to increase. Please share your secret! You can increase your calories by eating more often. Are you reaching your daily protein goal? If not, then reaching it will help you to increase your calories.

Starygirl is right that most anorexics begin anorexia at or near normal body weight and "diet" way below safe levels of restricted intake. So you have someone of normal BMI who is eating very few calories and who has few reserves to burn. We sleevers have fat to burn. The body will use the fat we have as an energy source until it is gone, which is when true starvation begins and the body begins to consume muscle, nerve, and other tissues. However, because we don't have the disordered thinking, we will never reach the point of true starvation. We will increase calories to prevent the body from consuming itself. Edited to add: Plus, it is about the mental--anorexia is considered a mental disorder in the DSM-IV, the manual of the American Psychiatric Association that has the criteria for diagnosable mental diseases/disorders. I doubt that many of us here on the forum would presently meet criteria for an anorexia diagnosis, and it would certainly bar someone from receiving this surgery without a psych eval and treatment. Actually, the way I understand it, even if we have fat to burn, we will still burn muscle and organs if we don't get enough Protein. That is just one reason it is critical that we get enough protein daily.

I get my Bariatric Advantage calcium chews through Bariatric Choice and the rest I get through Drugstore.com.

My favorite GNC Lean 25 is the Orange Cream. I just get so tired of chocolate everything that it's a nice change!

Here in central Kentucky, autumn came roaring in this week. Its cold, rainy, and definitely feels like hibernation weather. I got out my crock pot a couple of weeks ago so plan to use it a lot this season. I posted another thread and have gotten some great recipe suggestions. Today, I made a cup of Harney an Sons decaf tea and am putting some pumpkin/spice ingredients on this week's shopping list. What have you found post-op that serves that need for warmth and comfort and still fits in a bariatric plan?