JamieLogical

Forgot to mention how I get to 100+! Breakfast is a protein bar: 21g Morning snack is a cheese stick: 8g lunch is leftover meat: variable Afternoon snack is greek yogurt & granola: 14g dinner is meat: variable Evening snack is protein shake: 17g So as long as I get 20g at lunch and dinner (sometimes go as low as 16, but as high as 25 depending on what I'm having), then I am close to my 100 per day.

Originally I was told to aim for 100 grams as soon as possible post-op. I got there maybe sometime around month 3? After I'd been on solids for about a month? But then in my latest consult with the nutritionist at 6 months, they said try to get to 100 grams by one year post-op, so I guess they've changed their tune, but I've already been at 100 grams for a while, so I'm just staying here.

Hang in there!

I was allowed coffee 30 days post op as long as it was mixed with a lot of cream.

I didn't have my surgery with Jesus Lopez, but I'd be happy to try to answer what questions I can. I'm not home right now (still at work), but I'd be able to chat later tonight. You can send me a personal message with your contact info and when you are free if you want.

Nope. I don't see lap-band as a "less extreme" alternative to sleeve. It's still a significant procedure with it's own whole list of potential complications.

My nutritionist refused to give me calorie targets as well, just a Protein target of 100 grams and a list of foods to avoid. If you are putting protein first and actually getting 90 grams a day, you likely won't have room for a whole lot else. So stay focused on that protein target! That may help you cut out some of the unhealthier foods just by default, because you won't have room for them. With spring coming, could you get outside to walk at least? Ideally you would want more intensity and more variety, but walking would be a great start!

Are you eating a snack between meals? When I increased my exercise intensity, I had to add a snack (usually a cheese stick) between breakfast and lunch, otherwise I was feeling "hungry" but lunch time and prone to choose the wrong thing or overeat. I also added some granola to my afternoon greek yogurt. By doing those two small things, I was able to get my hunger back in check and still eat well within my ranges and, more importantly, eat the RIGHT things.

What specifically have you been failing at that caused you to gain back 20 pounds? Have you been getting your protein in? Your water? Your exercise? What are the "wrong" foods that you are eating and how much of them are you eating? I don't think it's ever too late to turn things around, but you will definitely have to go back to the basics of protein first, getting in your water, and exercising regularly.

I took the Vitaleph multivitamin (still do) and probiotic (now take insync) pre-op. I did not order the Vitaleph shakes, calcium, or B12. I made my own protein shakes with Now brand unflavored whey isolate and sugar-free Torani syrups. For ready-to-drink shakes I used EAS AdvantEDGE Carb Control with a little extra unflavored whey isolate added in (they only have 17g of protein and Lucia said 20g minimum per shake). For Calcium I take my grocery store's generic version of Citrical Maximum. And for B12 I originally was taking a sublingual, but during my 6 month post-op consult with OCC, they suggested I switch to a liquid, so I just started taking one I found on Amazon that's a spray. Edit: As for pre-op weight loss, I was expected to lose a minimum of 5% of my body weight, but aim for 10%. I lost somewhere in between.

I've been losing MUCH more slowly than you, having only lost 50 pounds in almost 7 months post-op, but I lost the excess weight from my face, arms, and torso first. I've always carried most of my weight in my legs, so that's the first place it goes on and last place it comes off. You can take a look at my progress pics in my gallery to see my pre-op pics and then the first set I took when I got to Onederland. I'll be taking more pics tonight, because I just got to an "overweight" BMI yesterday, so it's another major milestone, even though I've only lost 12 pounds since the Onederland pics.

I was required to take a probiotic daily by my nutritionist pre-op and starting again 7 days post-op. I haven't had any problems with them. I take one Insync brand with my morning pills (ppi, birth control, mutlivitamin, and vitamin C).

Here's a site with some good ideas and recipes: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html I practically LIVED on the baked ricotta. I also just did a lot of cottage cheese, string cheese, yogurt, pulled chicken, and scrambled eggs.

You will definitely have to become accustomed to leftovers. I always hated them before too, but it's not been so bad post-op. Once I was back to eating mostly "normal" food, what my husband and I have done is this. He is the cook in our house (just the two of us) and I just eat the protein from whatever he makes. We mostly eat the same things now as we did before my surgery, but I just don't eat whatever carbs are involved. So if he makes meatloaf and mashed potatoes, I just have meat loaf. If he makes chicken and rice, I just have rice. If he makes turkey kielbasa and perogies, I just have the sausage. If he makes shrimp and pasta, I just have the shrimp. You get the idea. We still split the protein in half between the two of us, like we always did, but now, I put half of MY half into a Gladware container to save for lunch another day. So I am eating half the meat I did for our usual dinners pre-op and none of the sides, but he is able to keep making the same things he's always made.

The question is, would your BMI stay that low or drop even lower without the surgery? I have always been very very good at LOSING weight. I have managed to lose down below a 30 BMI on multiple occasions. However, I have never been able to maintain that weight. This past summer, when I was once again over 40 BMI and determined to lose weight, I decided to look into WLS, not for the weight loss, but for weight maintenance. I knew I could lose back down to near a healthy BMI on my own again, but I wanted this time to be the LAST time. So this time I decided to go ahead and pursue WLS so once I was down to a healthy BMI, I could stay there. So for me, this was weight maintenance surgery, not weight loss surgery. Ironically, since having my sleeve, I have been losing weight much more slowly than I had managed to on my own in the past. But I am still feeling very confident that once I am to goal, I won't regain like I have in the past.

I always wondered what people who got banded in Mexico did for fills. I guess, in your case, the answer is "nothing!" One of many reasons I chose NOT to get lap-band was because I was self-pay and going to Mexico and I had no idea how that could possibly work. With sleeve it was easy to do the op in Mexico and then come home and have my PCP handle my follow-up labs and whatnot. For my nutrition and follow-up advice, I still communicate closely with my surgeon's office in Mexico via phone and email. I hope your experience with your sleeve will be much more positive than with your band and that you will be completely successful!

Posts-op stages for me were: Clear liquids: Day 1-3 Full liquids (Protein shakes and drinkable yogurt): Day 4-9 Full liquids (add strained cream soup): Day 10-17 Pureed/soft Stage 1 (greek yogurt, cottage cheese, scrambled egg, chicken/tuna salad): Day 18-27 Pureed/soft Stage 2 (ground meats, legumes, canned veggies and fruits, soft whole grains): Day 28-39 Solid Foods as tolerated: Day 40

As BLERDgirl said, how long it takes between now and your surgery is up to your individual insurance company and your surgeon's program. I think the vast vast majority of the people on this site will tell you it is most definitely worth it! It is hard, that is for sure, but it will change your life for the better in so many ways that it is well worth the effort. You need to be ready to make some serious changes in the way you deal with food and the way you cope with you emotions. I would say the bulk of the hardship is in the first few months. Your pre-op diet will likely be miserable. In the first few weeks post-op, you will be dealing with pain and discomfort and constantly struggling to get in your fluids and Protein. Then you will have a big learning curve as you progress through the various food stages and learn what and how much your new stomach can handle. But by 4 months out, you will really have the hang of it for the most part and you will feel like a normal human being again and at that point you will start really feeling confident that you made a great decision and that you really can handle it for the rest of your life.

One of my best friend at work is a really big guy. I'd say he's well over 400 pounds. He's one of only two coworkers who know about my surgery and one of only two people I told who were opposed to my surgery. I wish there was some way to change his thinking about WLS, because I think it would be very beneficial for him. He's in his early 40s and already has knee and back issues due to his weight. I try to just be a good example of what WLS can achieve, but I don't dare bring up the subject of HIM getting the surgery, because I know he was opposed to my having it. It's such a sensitive subject, which is unfortunate, because I think if we were able to bring it up in a relaxed and casual way, it might really help a lot of people in our lives.

To the OP, I would encourage you to do your research regarding GENEPRO before hopping on this bandwagon.