JamieLogical

Thank you for the encouragement. I'm not drinking enough but I'm trying and I keep water next to me all day. Sent from my SM-N900V using the BariatricPal App My nutritionist had my work on drinking 1 ounce every 15 minutes. By concentrating on such a small amount at a time, it really made it easier. I would just measure out 4 oz. (half a cup) and try to drink that over the course of an hour, then refill it. Having a big container of water next to me seemed too daunting.

Definitely VERY common to experience "buyer's remorse" in the early weeks. It is a rough road for most of us. But SO WORTH IT once you get through that period. A few months in and you have adapted to your new life, lost some weight, and are feeling great!

I tried the Quest Chips. They definitely were NOT the texture of normal potato chips. More of a puffed, rice cake, kind of texture. The flavor was good. I had the BBQ. But I just didn't find them worth the money.

For future reference. I have had nothing but great experiences with contractors through Thumbtack. I just saw they have national commercials on TV now, but I've been using them for a couple years. It seems like a pretty active site in my area at least. But I guess it's like a lot of those local-based sites like Craigslist where it's more active in some locations than others. I had Angie's List for a little while when we were selling our old house, buying our new house, and moving. I never ended up using a single one of the contractors through there and I was like, "why am I paying money for this?!?!" It is definitely SUPER annoying when people are all enthusiastic at first, but then just stop returning your calls and emails! Edit: I just went back through my Thumbtack project history and it looks like the first "project" I requested quotes for was whole home cleaning after a renovation project (drywall dust everywhere!) back in March of 2014. Didn't end up hiring anyone to do that, though. The first "project" I hired someone for was mowing an acre lot my husband and I own. The guy we hired through Thumbtack for that is the guy we are still using this coming summer! We've also had carpet installed, had our front porch concrete resurfaced, found a home inspector for our new house, hired movers, painters, and window cleaners, and had a whole home humidifier installed. We also recently got quotes on some re-tiling work in our master bath, but haven't pulled the trigger on any of those yet. It definitely does depend some on how active the site is in your area though. I have had a lot of good luck, but one of my coworkers lives one county over and he had a harder time finding people on there, because the are he lives in is more sparsely populated.

Hang in there. It's a rough couple of weeks. Don't be put off trying other purees. It's all trial and error in the early days. Also, don't hesitate to try the same food again in a couple more days. What doesn't work one day, may work a few days later, so don't give up on foods just because they don't work the first time you try them. It's important to start working to get your protein in as soon as possible. Even if you really really don't want to. How are you doing with your water?

I think that's all pretty par for the course. It's a rough few weeks in the beginning! Hang in there. Focus on meeting your water and protein targets. Cry a lot. And push through!

Wow! Sounds like things are moving right along for you!

For me the left shoulder pain was gas, but that was gone by 9 days post-op. I think it might be worth a call to your surgeon.

Thanks, tell me about it, feeling better now, I am hydrated & finally getting the hang of my Fluid intake I haven't started exercising & need to go out walking. Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App You should try to get up and do a little walking every hour or two. Even if it's just laps inside your house or marching in place in front of the TV. Not so much for "exercise", but to get your blood circulating. It will help with healing and ward off potential blood clots. Plus, it will make you feel less like a slug. It's counter intuitive when you feel so run down, but moving actually helps INCREASE your energy. It also helped me with the gas pain and the discomfort I had when sipping. I found it much easier to get my sips in while marching in place.

Oh, my whole first few weeks was like an endless pity party. I probably cried every single day. Some days probably every waking hour! Hang in there. It really does get easier. I promise!

My husband's coworker calls any movie without space battles a "chick flick", so that's become a running joke with my husband and me. Sit down to watch something like Deadpool... "ready for a chick flick?"

For the liquid phase you will likely just be on Protein shakes, broth, and strained Soups. This site has some good recipes for the puree stage: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html

At 7 weeks post-op I had JUST been cleared for solid foods. I was aiming for 100 grams of Protein a day. My day looked something like this: Breakfast: Protein shake Morning Snack: String cheese Lunch: 2-3 ounces of soft meat (pulled chicken, tuna salad, etc.) Afternoon Snack: Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt Dinner: 2-3 ounces of soft meat (pulled chicken, tuna salad, etc.) Evening Snack: Protein Shake Hope that helps!

Glad to hear you are doing so well! Staying on top of water, protein, vitamins, and walking is like a full time job in the beginning. Sounds like you are getting the hang of it!

I think it's good you are focusing on following all the doctor's instructions. It's a lot to manage and keep track of in the early days. I remember feeling like it was my full time job just trying to time everything out, make sure I was getting an ounce of Water every 15 minutes, taking my meds/vitamins on the right schedule, getting up and walking every so often, and napping (there was a lot of napping!). You really have to work at it and do your best to meet all the guidelines. Eventually you will get used to it and figure out how to make it work for you. Welcome to the losers' bench!

You can't expect to keep losing at a rate of almost a pound a day forever. It's going to slow way down at some point and probably stop entirely several times along the way. You just have to keep focused on your program. If you are doing everything right, you have nothing to worry about. The weight will come off.

The idea is that you want to give your skin some time to bounce back a bit on it's own first, which it WILL do. Also you want to be sure you can actually maintain your weight. Losing or gaining weight after surgery will compromise your results.

I did. I take omeprazole now to keep it under control.

Ideally you want to be at/near goal and maintaining for 8-12 months before having plastics. Do NOT expect to lose any significant amount with plastics. While the skin and fat removed will have weight to them, you will have swelling for months post-op and likely have limited activity for several weeks. By the time you are healed up, the swelling is down, and you can get back to working out, you will be lucky to be back to the same weight you were at pre-plastics. It should be okay to lose a little weight after that, but if you lose too much more, you will risk additional saggy skin.

Congratulations! You'll be joining us the losers' bench in no time!

I just suffered through the pain to get my water in.

Our Dr said we might could except more like 20-25 the first 2 weeks. I just was concerned she was eating too much or not enough or something Sent from my BLU LIFE ONE using the BariatricPal App See my edit above. Rate of loss really should not be a concern at all right now. Recovering from major surgery should be the focus.

Um.... on what planet is 15 pounds in two weeks not enough weight?!?!? Edit: Sorry. That probably sounded harsh. It sounds to me like you and/or your wife have very unrealistic expectations about the rate of loss post-op. First of all, everyone loses differently so there is no "normal" or "right" amount to be losing. If she is following her program, moving through the food stages at the correct pace, getting her Protein and Water in, taking her Vitamins, and moving as much as possible, then she is doing everything right. These early weeks are all about healing and adapting. The scale should be the least of her worries right now.

It's normal to be anxious and apprehensive in this home stretch. Just focus on the day-to-day and try not to think too far down the road. There will be a lot of learning and adapting along the way, but you will figure out how to make it work and fit into your life. Don't worry.