JamieLogical

Is it full liquids or clear liquids? For my full liquids phase I did protein shakes, strained cream soups, and drinkable yogurt. That was about it. The soups were nice.... went and bought pretty much every kind my grocery store sold and tried them all over the course of that phase. My favorites were Campbell's Cream of Shrimp made with 2% milk and Progresso's Chicken Cheese Enchilada.

Definitely at least two full weeks post-op, then it started letting up gradually.

So, shortly after reaching my goal weight I started training for a half marathon. It was initially pretty tricky figuring out how to get enough calories in to stop losing. I had to start tracking my food again as well as my exercise. I got a fitbit with a heart rate monitor in it so I could get a very accurate idea of how many calories I was burning each day. I started looking for calorie-dense foods and added them to my diet. Like cheese and nuts. I also added more snacks into my schedule. NOT GRAZING. Actually scheduled snacks. I added a second afternoon snack and an after-diner snack. So I was eating seven times a day instead of five. That helped and I was able to get in enough calories to maintain my weight through all of my training.

Oh no! So sorry you are going through this along with all the normal post-op issues too. I hope you get better soon and can enjoy your spot on the losers' bench.

Mmmmm.... crab.....

Thanks! I am doing awesome. I have maintained at goal for 15+ month and I completed a full marathon in September!

I blended my shakes with coffee a lot pre-op and once I was allowed coffee post-op. It's delicious!

Depending on what spice level you can tolerate, you can actually make it in some pretty yummy sauces in the slow cooker so it will be very moist and easy to eat.

What did they feel like? Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App Like a really tight, stabbing in the center of my chest. It was bad. But not so bad that I couldn't function. I also found that marching in place while sipping my Water helped a little.

I wasn't allowed nuts until well after I was allowed solid foods. I wasn't allowed anything "crunchy" until 3 months post-op, which included nuts. As fot the OP, try shredded chicken cooked in a slow cooker so it's super soft and just falling apart. That and tuna were the only meats I tried at all really until I was on to solid foods.

Awesome! You don't need numbers on a scale to define you, but it will still feel damned good to make it to Onederland!

Raw veggies are hard for your stomach to digest. Your stomach was literally cut all the way down the long side of it a couple of weeks ago. It needs time to heal before being put to that level of work. Also, cucumbers and tomatoes both have seeds, which you should DEFINITELY not be eating so soon post-op. They can get lodged in your staple line and cause abscesses, ulcers, and leaks.

I had esophageal spasms every time I took the teeniest, tiniest sip of anything in the first two weeks post-op. They were very painful, but not excruciating to the point you are describing. I think you should call your surgeon.

Sleep a lot. I just tried to go to bed as early as possible to avoid eating. Plus I was exhausted anyway.

I never blended a single thing in my puree stage, but I did blend my Protein shakes everyday. For my puree stage, I just ate the whole foods I was allowed in that stage (cottage cheese, yogurt, strained cream Soups, scrambled eggs, refried Beans, etc.). I did make a couple of the recipes from this site: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html

That gets easier, thankfully. Pre-op I drank TONS of Water... over 100 oz. a day easily. Immediately post-op I was worried I would never be able to drink water the same way again. It was horrible just taking the teeniest, tiniest sip and it was like a full time job trying to get my 64 oz. in. But once I was all healed up, I found I was able to chug water and drink tons of it again. Now it just has to be ICE cold (with ice literally floating in it). If you are still having trouble with water 3+ weeks out, try experimenting with different temperatures and flavorings.

This one drives me CRAZY. I bet hundreds if not thousands of people DIE every year because the social stigma against WLS deterred them from getting life-saving surgery. First of all, we all know there is nothing "easy" about WLS. It's weeks/months of misery and recovery and takes a lifetime of commitment and hard work. Second of all, even if WLS was "easier" than doing it the "hard way", why is that a bad thing? As a society, don't we strive for efficiency? They are always coming up with ways of making every aspect of life quicker and easier. So why is "easy" bad? Thirdly, it really seems to be a double-standard when it comes to WLS versus other medically necessary surgery. You never hear anyone saying that getting a knee replacement is the "easy way out". "They should just walk it off and fight through the pain." So why is getting surgery to correct other medical issues okay, but WLS is not?

The week 3 stall happens to 99% of WLS patients and it's not because of anything you are doing wrong. Stick to your surgeon's plan. Drink your water. Get your protein in. Take your meds/vitamins. Get up and walk around frequently and aim for a total of 60 minutes of "brisk walking" each day. The scale will move again when it's ready. If it's driving you crazy, hide it or throw it away. Right now is about healing and starting your new relationship with food. Weight loss is secondary.

I was allowed coffee at 30 days post-op, heavily diluted with milk in the beginning and only one cup a day. I am now back up to 3 cups a day with a normal amount of creamer.

You will get better day by day. It's rough going in the beginning. You just have to work at that Water and Protein like it's your full time job! Congrats on Onederland!

Your surgeon should have told you what your lifting restrictions are. If not, give him or her a call. Please follow your surgeon's direction on this and don't just take anecdotal evidence as proof that it's safe for YOU to be doing.

It's common to feel like you have control over your situation and that you are doing something wrong if you stall, but you genuinely have no control in this. Your body is going to do what it's going to do to heal itself and adapt to your new situation. You are just along for the ride!

You can still have great success with sleeve and there are a lot of advantages to it. GERD is the main disadvantage, but it sounds like your test results have led your surgeon to believe that's not a huge risk for you. Personally, I never had GERD with any regularity pre-op except when I was at my heaviest weight and eating horribly. I do have GERD post-op, but it's nothing that can't be controlled with a PPI, so it hasn't been a big issue for me. I think it was worth the trade-offs to not have bypass. I'd rather take w PPI every day than have to deal with malabsorption leading to malnutrition or some sort of late-stage complication in the unused portion of my stomach or any of my joins. Just much less long-term risk associated with sleeve.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I've been maintaining at goal for 15+ months and I am STILL freezing all the time. I did not adapt to the loss of my insulation.

Good luck at your appointment. Hope all is well!