GretchenInDE

UPDATE TO 2-WEEK STALL: I met today with one of the nutritionists at Christiana PMRI, and she said a stall this soon is totally normal. She reviewed my FitnessPal food diary, and said I was doing great at 600 - 800 calories and over 60 grams of Protein a day. She said one month post-op, I'm still recuperating and detoxing the anesthesia (I'm also allergic to Dilaudid, and they insisted on giving it to me anyway). Because I'm still sleeping a lot (I go to bed at about 8-8:30 and sleep straight thru until morning, whereas my normal bed time pre-op was about 10:30) and am not moving with as much energy as I did pre-op, my body isn't burning what it will be in a couple of weeks. In addition, the stall seems to have passed, as of today. I got on the scale there and have lost 4 lbs. in the last 3 days. So, yay! I hope it's passing for everyone else, too!

pureed meats are easy to freeze and add to Soups for an extra hit of Protein. I baked a whole chicken rubbed (and later, basted) with 1 Tbsp. mayo mixed with the juice of 1 lemon and 2 cloves minced garlic, sprinkled with Celery Salt & Rosemary (stuffed the squeezed lemon halves and a small onion into the cavity). After baking, I picked it clean and pureed it with chicken broth. It's flavorful, and I froze it in 2 oz. portions. I can take them to work and add them to any of the Healthwise soups for added flavor and protein. Another thing I've discovered is baking everything first adds so much more depth and richness to every dish. Here are a few recipes I've concocted: Zucchini and Goat cheese Soup 1 Zucchini, sliced 1 Onion, sliced 2 Tbsp. olive oil Juice of 1 lemon 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 package plain goat cheese, cubed 1/4 C. parmesan cheese 1 C non-fat milk 2 Tbsp. fresh dill Grease an 8x8 pan, and in it, layer the zucchini and onion. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, oil and lemon juice. Drizzle over the veggies. Dot with the goat cheese and sprinkle all with parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for 40 minutes. Into your blender, add the milk, fresh dill and cooked veggies with all the juices. Puree. This is wonderfully rich and surprisingly bright with the fresh dill added after the veggies are cooked. You can add a scoop of unflavored unjury Protein Powder to your serving, and you'll never know it's there (just make sure the soup is not over 130 degrees). Pesto Tomato Soup 1 Zucchini, sliced 1/2 C fresh Spinach 1 small Vidalia onion, sliced 3 Beefsteak Tomatoes, sliced 1 C. non-fat Cottage Cheese 1 jar Basil Pesto 1/4 C. Parmesan Cheese 1 C non-fat milk In a greased 9x13 dish, layer the vegetables. In a bowl, mix together the cottage cheese and pesto. Pour over the veggies and smooth. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Puree with 1 C milk. Again, you can add a scoop of unflavored Unjury protein powder to your serving (just make sure the soup is not over 130 degrees). Super delicious!

I love hearing about all of these successes! Congratulations, everyone! I also had surgery June 23 and stayed an extra day (3 nights) because I was really dizzy and unable to walk more than 30 steps or so. I was not prepared for the nausea, but the meds helped. By Day 2 I was also questioning whether it was worth it, but by the evening of the 25th, all nausea stopped. I'm also allergic to Dilaudid, and so had to have some mega doses of Benadryl, which makes me really loopy. By Thursday morning, I hadn't had any Dilaudid or Benadryl for 24 hours, I had a hot shower, and I felt like a new person. I was able to sip 3 oz. of Water every 30 minutes and I was so ready to come home to get some real sleep. Since then I've felt great. My only discomfort comes from not eating the right consistency (going too thick on the liquids -- Greek yogurt was really painful in the first few days of full liquids). Black bean Soup was too thick on the first few days of pureed. I'm figuring out what my tolerances are. Now, 3 weeks later, my main focus is trying to get 80 grams of Protein in each day. I'm introducing 2-3 Tbsp of pureed chicken meat into my Healthwise Soups and drinking 2 unjury Protein shakes a day with Greek yogurt and fruit Snacks.

I've noticed a slight nausea after using 2 scoops instead of 1 of the Unjury. I also feel nauseated if I drink too quickly. Have you tried to drink it more slowly?

Zucchini, Tomato and Onion Soup: This is delicious and low-fat! I'm also in the pureed stage, and this Soup got me through this first week. I have discovered that baking everything first adds a richness and depth that most other methods of cooking (before pureeing) don't offer. 2 zucchini, sliced 1 tomato, sliced 1 onion, sliced 1 small jar basil pesto 1 C non-fat cottage cheese 1/4 C parmesan cheese Grease a 9x13 pan. Layer the zucchini, tomato and onion. Combine the pesto & cottage cheese and pour onto veggies. Sprinkle parmesan on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Dump all into the Vitamix or blender and puree. Enjoy!

A Mexican gave me his recipe for "authentic" guac, and it's really simple: for each avocado, add 1 minced clove of garlic, a good pinch of salt, and the juice of half a lemon. That's it, and it's amazing!

I've been on pureed for 6 days, and I was also dying for fish. I poached a 4oz. salmon steak in caramelized onion, lemon juice, garlic and fresh dill and chives. I cooked it JUST til done, so it would be juicy and slide down easily. I promptly took a small, scrumptious bite, chewing 30x, and after swallowing, it caused me some major discomfort. I was so bummed! I probably had 3 - 4 bites before giving up. The next day, I added some mayo and parmesan cheese. Delicious and it went down a little easier, but it still caused me notable discomfort. By far, it has been the most uncomfortable thing I've eaten. That tells me I'm just not ready for something that bulky yet.

I had Gastric Sleeve 2 weeks + 5 days ago (June 23), and once I left the hospital, it was very easy. I had very little pain, was alone at the get-go after leaving the hospital, and never felt unsafe or even ill, just tired. I will say while I was in the hospital, I was not expecting the level of nausea I had during the first 2 days, but they give you anti-nausea meds that help a lot. This procedure is just a shock to your system, and they explained the nausea was a normal response. Because you will not have eaten, though, it's just a sort of dry heave, and I only experienced actual dry heaves in the first few hours. Exactly 48 hours after surgery, it was like a switch was flipped and all nausea left and never returned... have not experienced even a hint of it since. You are going to need some help at home; however, as you won't be able to lift your boys for several weeks (nothing over 25 lbs. for 4 weeks). Is getting help at home possible?

I'm so glad to see others experiencing a weight loss stall so soon after surgery! My surgery date was June 23 (2 weeks + 5 days ago), and I quickly lost 15 lbs. in the first 2 weeks post-op. Since going on the pureed diet 6 days ago, however, I have only lost 1 lb. I don't understand it. I am eating so little (2-3 unjury Protein supplements a day for about 50 grams of protein daily + some fruit & cooked veggies). I've tried meat (baked a chicken and pureed it with chicken broth), but I'm uncomfortably full after 1 - 2 tablespoons. I also made black bean Soup with some pork shoulder (delicious), and I can only get about 2-3 tablespoons down before feeling very full for hours. I can drink 1/2 cup of milk in about 15 minutes, however. That probably means the meat mixtures I've made aren't thin enough. I'm going to mix them into the Healthwise protein soup mixes and see if that makes it easier to get some meat down. So, my question is, have we stalled because we're not getting in enough protein?