Inner Surfer Girl

Congratulations on your first post! I look forward to many more from you. To answer your question based on my experience: "no". I am four months out and just now getting where I can drink a little more than 2-3 oz at a time. This is one of the reasons we have to stay hydrated and sip Water constantly. If you get behind and get dehydrated it is really difficult to "catch up". The difficulty in drinking plain water was one of the most surprising things for me post-op. I am finally getting to a point where plain water (either with ice or room temperature) goes down fairly easily. I still drink a lot of water with water enhancers which goes down a little more easily than plain water for me even now.

RNY -- gastric bypass. Sleeve or VSG -- vertical sleeve gastrectomy. DS -- duodenal switch. Band -- lapband (this might be a brand name).

Be open, be honest, and you will be fine. Mine included a pretty standard assessment (pen and paper), and then a discussion about my history and experience with obesity and weight loss including my expectations about weight loss surgery. I left with an approval and a recommended book title to read. Some people are approved right away, some people receive recommendations for follow-up work and are approved after addressing particular issues. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone being denied outright. Again, just be honest. The psych eval is for your benefit.

This really is a decision you need to make with your surgeon. Go in with an open mind, learn as much as you can, and ask lots of questions.

If you need something savory try the ProtiDiet soups. I used the creamy chicken and tomato basil a lot during my liquid phase.

11 days post-op all you really need to be doing is moving. Walking is fine. For me, I have to find exercise that I enjoy. I'm a Water baby, so anything in the water is my preference: water aerobics, swimming, etc. When I am able, I also like dancing. Try signing up for a dance class. You can take exercise classes like Zumba or technique-oriented classes. I've enjoyed belly-dancing in the past. I know people who love to waltz and others who like country line dancing and Salsa. It wouldn't hurt to try something you have never done before. A lot of people like yoga and I hope to take a yoga class as I become more mobile. Best of luck. I hope you find exercise that you enjoy doing.

This is just crazy and not healthy at all. You need to go into surgery as healthy as possible. How are getting enough Protein with just one meal a day or chicken broth? Sounds like you need to have a good talk with your NUT and/or surgeon.

I think you might want to recalibrate your expectations. Everyone stalls, and everyone loses at different rates at different times. You are still recovering from major surgery. Listen to your surgeon. Listen to your NUT. And, stay off the scale.

It may be that your surgeon was weighing risks vs benefits and leaned towards the sleeve for that reason. Most all of us are told no NSAIDs, ever. But, for people with other chronic medical issues, your surgeon should know your situation best and can make the best recommendation.

Stay off the scale!

Definitely check with your NUT. For me, there is no way I could get in my 100 grams of protein without snacks.

The way I understand my recommendations, I take my C and Iron together at a time I am not eating any dairy/calcium. The rest I take at other times. I take some with my meds in the morning and then the rest around the time of another meal.

Also, jerky has a lot of sodium. Pre-op, I wasn't required to lose a certain amount of weight but I tried hard to not gain. One of the main differences between pre-op and post-op is volume. Pre-op you really do want to try to fill up to be satisfied. I ate a lot of broccoli and cauliflower. I would get frozen and add a steamer bag of vegetables to many of my meals. Post-sleeve that doesn't work.

I have no idea. For the sleeve, they remove the stretchy part of the stomach. Since everyone's stomach may have stretched to different proportions over the years, it is hard to compare apples to oranges. If your surgeon did as you asked, and didn't remove all of the part of your stomach that stretches, then it sounds like you are defeating the purpose of the sleeve. By overfilling your stomach you will continue to stretch it out. Maybe not as much as before, but some.

I want to ask too, has she already had a psych consult? If she is like me, she might find it helpful to talk with a counselor or therapist, attend support group meetings, and/or even explore overeater's anonymous. Is she on BariatriPal, too? This is also a good source of support. Obesity is a complex disease, and using every resource available doesn't hurt.

The only person who can give you a definite answer is her surgeon. Just stay positive and don't give up. Best of luck.

I can't answer because I am not her surgeon. But, I would guess that if she hadn't lost enough where he felt it was safe to operate he might postpone rather than cancel outright. I too had a hard time losing pre-op but fortunately didn't have a weight loss requirement. I carry most of my weight in my lower body. For people who carry their weight in the abdomen it can have a significant impact on how easy it is for the surgeon to operate. Has her NUT given her a food plan to follow. Has she tried cutting out carbonation, drinking lots of Water, and eating high protein/low carb? That seemed to work the best for me.

Have you considered Water exercise? I have a bad knee and walking is difficult. If it wasn't for the pool I wouldn't be able to get much exercise either.

Not all carbs are the devil. Chili is made up of Beans. Beans = carbs. Beans are good for you. If you're on the go and your options are limited Wendy's chili is a pretty good choice. That's actually something they drilled into our heads at my nutrition classes. It's the only fast food option they ever mentioned and they mentioned it often. I agree. I avoid starches, not all carbs.

I get mine at the local Amish store so don't remember specific brands. Troyer is one but there are others.

You need protein: to heal from surgery; to build muscle and tissue, like skin; to avoid losing muscle in organs (like your heart); to let your body know it is not starving/keep your metabolism running; and to not feel hungry. According to my surgeon, getting enough Protein is what helps us both heal and lose weight. If we do not get enough protein, our body thinks it is a time of famine and will store everything it can to keep from starving, even if we are consuming enough calories.

I like Premier Protein, GNC Lean 25, Syntrax nectar, and ProtiDiet liquid beverage concentrate. There are many, many posts on this site with Protein shake recommendations, but the best thing to do is to try them and see what you like.

I don't remember exactly but two or three weeks. My incisions were glued.

I disagree. From everything I have learned from my surgeon and NUT, it is critical that you get in all your Protein. If you don't eat lunch every once in a blue moon it is not the end of the world, but it is very important to keep up with your protein. Best of luck and keep trying.

Probably just the way it feels. Remember, you are still really swollen. Just keep sipping slowly. You will feel more "normal" soon.