alwaysvegas

Warmest congrats on One-derland!!!!!

Congratulations in advance to you all! And an early welcome to the LOSERS' BENCH! *clap, clap, clap!*

A pizza.

My surgeon/nutritionist list spicy foods "as tolerated." Some foods you may have to test to see if/when your sleeve is okay with it. I've had no problem with spicy foods, but others have.

My favorite with eggs are egg whites/Beaters with: goat cheese/feta + tarragon alone or Herbes de Provence cheddar or monterey jack + cumin + red chili powder + hot sauce + guacamole + cilantro cottage cheese + black pepper + thyme (or Herbes de Provence) parmesan or mozarella + italian seasoning Ragu double cheddar + thyme + black pepper Swiss + parsley + black pepper Gouda + chives + black pepper All the above go fine with onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, ground turkey or chicken. I usually use olive oil with eggs. And for lunch/dinner I love, love LOVE egg drop soup: egg beaters + chicken broth + soy sauce + tofu + ginger + garlic + shiratake noodles

I'm a fast eater (but workin' on it). Once I went on purees, I got the slimes every few days from certain Proteins like tofu, ground turkey, or tuna. If the slimes were too bad and my sleeve too full, I'd make myself throw up just to get the excess saliva out. It's not at all like throwing up with a regular tummy that's for sure. Now I overeat and get the slimes maybe once every 2-3 weeks. I don't worry about it. It's a learning process. I weigh all my food to keep my portions honest. I am eating a bit slower or at least chewing more. I do eat very slowly when I eat out because I can only estimate how much I'm eating by how full I feel.

I ate 4-5 meals of about 3 oz each (almost entirely protein) during puree stage. I didn't really differentiate between snacks and meals. I was also exercising quite a bit, so many nutritionist said it was fine if I ate more than just three meals and two snacks.

Wow that's a seriously long pre-op diet! I can say that my hunger difference between pre-op and post-op was night and day. I felt very hungry even when they were wheeling me in for surgery. Post-op was like they turned off the hunger switch. I hope it goes the same for you Are you allowed other low-cal/low-sugar items like Gelatin, popsicles, cottage cheese, non-starchy vegetables, and so on?

Wow that's a seriously long pre-op diet! I can say that my hunger difference between pre-op and post-op was night and day. I felt very hungry even when they were wheeling me in for surgery. Post-op was like they turned off the hunger switch. I hope it goes the same for you Are you allowed other low-cal/low-sugar items like Gelatin, popsicles, cottage cheese, non-starchy vegetables, and so on?

Those caramel chews were too good! I was afraid I'd binge eat on them and switched to a pill.

I've heard that this practice may cause a stall.

I used to drink 2-4 litres of diet soda a day. I stopped drinking soda about 4 months before my surgery as part of changing to a healthier lifestyle. I have to admit, getting out of the soda habit was harder than quitting smoking. Now that I'm almost a year out from soda and smoking...the idea of them sounds good at times, but it passes very quickly. I actually enjoy the Mio and other liquid Water flavorings because I enjoy some of the subtle flavors. I also found that not drinking 1/2 hour before and after meals was tough to get used to, but so much of what I do is simply habit and not necessity. All these lifestyle changes are still just choices that we make. The farther you are from the day you made that change, the easier it gets. Best of luck to you!

As @@Kindle stated so well, try and get samples of other shakes if your surgeon will allow that. I didn't care for the Bariatric Advantage shakes, but I do like the Multivitamins. If your surgeon is requiring you to buy these specific shakes and Vitamins, I'd be interested to know why. My surgeon/nutritionist had a huge list of vitamins/shakes that they approved for pre- and post-op. In addition to what @@efierke suggested, you an also to change up the shake flavors with sugar free Torani or DaVinci syrups. They have dozens of great flavors.

Best of luck on your sleeve!

They've been delivering to me for six months now (protein drinks, scar cream, vitamins). They've always responded to my emails within a day or two.

I'm a fast eater, and have made some progress on slowing down to maybe 10 minutes, but I likely won't go longer than that when eating at home. I cut my Protein into small pieces and I always weigh out my food. I know that any more than 4.5 oz down too fast and I'll likely get the slimes. The only time I eat more slowly is when I eat out as I don't know exactly how much is 4 to 4.5 oz. I can't say any get any more/less enjoyment by eating more slowly, but I suppose I appreciate the taste a bit more.

I'm also a fast eater! But I love what the sleeve has helped me achieve and I love that I have to eat quite a bit more slowly. I just cut my Proteins very small (sometimes while cooking) and I tend to use more liquids or sauces to keep everything wet so it doesn't get stuck in the sleeve and fill me up too fast. It's a learning process...most of us are trying to undo a lifetime of bad habits and it does take time. I don't think I will ever be the 1/2-hour eater that my surgeon/nutritionist aim for, but I'm definitely working towards a happy medium! Best of luck to everyone!

BIG congratulations! Welcome to the other side aka the "Losers' Bench!"

So many great responses here. Most people know I had the surgery, which allows me a bit more clarification. So I say in a friendly manner, "I really appreciate your concern, but I'm seeing a nutritionist, surgeon, PCP, and bariatric psychologist, so I'm being well-cared for." Nobody has been outright rude yet, though several people immediately told me how they "know someone" who lost it all with surgery but gained it all back. Ah, well. That's a fear of mine too and keeps me honest with my eating.

My surgeon had me on full liquids for two weeks pre- and post-op for four weeks total. The liquids were actually no problem post-op. I had so little hunger and so little room that I felt perfectly satisfied on liquids. The transition to mushies will be a huge leap room-wise and you will fill the difference big-time. In fact, I did half-mushies half-liquids to transition over. Surgeons' requirements (which vary quite a bit) help to ensure we don't damage our sleeves and that we determine what we can tolerate slowly as the sleeve heals. If you're handling liquids easily, then ask your surgeon if you can try to transition to mushies early. Most of us have no problems transitioning, but some do. It does seem like a long time to get back to 'real food', but it's very doable. We have plenty of fat stores in our body post-op to make up for the calorie deficit. Our heads tell us otherwise, which is why we packed on so many pounds over the years. It's very tough to fight the head hunger, but for the majority of us, it became much easier post-op. I'm six months out and I'm still not back entirely on regular foods, but it's fine. I have plenty to choose from and the weight loss has been fantastic! Best of luck on your surgery and hang in there!

I started by checking in my insurance to make sure I was eligible. Then I checked the insurance network and located several doctors near me. One doctor worked with the same group who had performed my hernia surgery the prior year. So I attended her seminar where I also met the clinical psychologist and nutritionist. I was leaning toward the bypass, but when I met 1:1 with my surgeon, she though the sleeve was best for my situation. I also called my insurance company to obtain their specific approval requirements. Your insurance requirements are very important and you need to make sure you follow them to the letter. Many surgeon's offices keep very good track of all the information they'll need to provide to the insurance, but I recommend you double-check that they're putting together all that your insurance company requires. With so many patients, information can be misplaced or forgotten. My PCP also vouched for my surgeon and I was very impressed with all the information her staff provided, so I actually went with my first choice. Best of luck on your journey!

Best of luck to you and sleevie! It's such an exciting day!

That will be one busy day with all those tests, but I would've loved to had it all done at once. Talk about efficient! Best of luck on your surgery!

Exercise lowers my stress, increases my energy, and makes me less hungry. When I do get hungry, I tend to crave healthier foods. Also, for every pound of muscle you gain, you burn 50 more calories per day AND you continue to burn additional calories after working out. So many benefits, it's amazing! I also recommend keeping the carbs in check. My nutritionist recommends 5g or less of sugar carbs per serving (meaning no rice, Pasta, bread, etc.) I find that when I do have carby foods, I simply crave them more. I actually mix a bit of Protein drink with unsweetened almond milk on ice to drink during my workout. Best of luck to you and continued success!

I've lost about 130 (down from 305) and I have a small amount of loose skin. It's under my navel and inner thighs. It's more like what a co-worker calls "crepe skin" (like crepe paper)...it's just a bit saggy, but not literally hanging. I recommend doing strength training in your exercise regimen as the muscles will help push the skin out. Also, it can take up to a year for the skin to snap back, although it may not snap back fully. But it in all honesty, some hanging skin is much better than diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or any other life-threatening co-morbidity that can manifest due to obesity. Hanging skin can be fixed or lived with. Being dead can't be fixed.