JamieLogical

I am 18 months post-op and still have to make good choices about what to eat every time I eat. Is that what you mean? I have to get 100 grams of protein a day, so I keep a running tally of protein in my head all day long. Sometimes it's a pretty rough guess. I also always have to think about how much I can eat. Like when I go out to eat, I have to first find something that's pretty high protein, then figure out how much of it I can actually eat. I usually try to eyeball it at the beginning and tell myself, "okay, I'm just going to eat 1/3" or whatever and sometimes I will even separate that amount out before I start eating.

It comes from the gas they pump into your abdomen to expand the work space around your stomach. It just allows them more room for their tools and to maneuver. Some of that gas gets trapped inside you when they seal you back up and takes a while to work its way out. Walking definitely helps. And pain meds....

I was still on full liquids and not cleared to exercise yet when I went back to work, so that wasn't really an option for me.

Thanks for pointing those out! The use isomalto-oligosaccharide instead of soluble corn Fiber, so I might be able to handle them and the nutritional info looks good. Only slight red flag is the amount of sugar alcohol, but I think I'd be willing to give them a try. Do you know any brick-and-mortar stores that sell them?

I was completely exhausted until I was up to soft foods and could get more calories in. I went back to work at 15 days post-op, but literally went to bed as soon as I got home each day the first couple of weeks and I just had a desk job. The fatigue was definitely my main challenge in those first few weeks.

I'm 18 months post-op and still don't eat rice. Not because my stomach can't handle it, but because it's a complete waste of space. Same with pasta. When you need 100 grams of Protein a day and can only eat maybe 3-4 oz. of food at a time, who has room for rice and pasta?

@@songsmith I am very sensitive to the taste and temperature of water post-op, so I think it makes sense that your water at home is easier for you to drink. Probably has a different taste and temperature than what you were given at the hospital.

You should really protect them if the incisions are that new! You might have to suck it up and have some awkward tan lines for now.

Well. 4 pounds in the grand scheme of things isn't much. Especially if a fair portion of it is water retention. Good thing you realized it quickly and can take steps to turn it back around right away.

As long as your job doesn't involve any lifting, you should be able to go back after two weeks. You may want to look into FMLA (Family & Medical Leave Act) coverage and short term disability if you don't have enough sick time.

@@ready4therealme I'm glad you are pleased with your losses so far, but 12.5 pounds per month every month is probably an unreasonable expectation and I'm afraid you are still setting yourself up for frustration and disappointment a couple of months down the line. Just please promise me that if/when the losses slow down, you won't give up. This is a marathon, not a sprint and setting deadlines for your weight loss is a recipe for disaster.

@@Mom26 I can't even begin to imagine what you have gone through. It's good to see both you and your son are hanging in there and trying to get through this day by day. And it's good that you are finally figuring out how to eat and sustain yourself post-op. Congratulations on joining Onederland!

Definitely NOT tortillas or bagels. First of all, those are carbs and you should be steering clear of them in general (not just through the post-op food phases). Second of all, I wasn't allowed any "soft whole grains" until I was in my solid food stage. For soft foods I was allowed yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken and tuna salad, scrambled eggs, oatmeal with Protein powder, flaky fish, ground or chopped meats, legumes (Beans and lentils), and canned or steamed veggies. I recall doing a lot of string cheese, shelly's baked ricotta (Google the recipe), scrambled eggs with melted cheese and taco sauce, refried beans, and Wendy's chili.

I was coming here to post the link to Shelley's Baked Ricotta when I saw the subject of your post, but I see you've already found that site.

I have been allowed coffee since 30 days post-op and drink it every single day. But I also take 20mg of omeprazole twice daily.... could there be a connection? I don't know. Not sure I'm willing to give up the coffee to try to find out!

My surgeon prescribes a PPI for all his patients for the first 2 months and then you are supposed to try to go off of them. If you have issues with GERD at that point, then you go back on them, if not you stay off of them. So if you aren't having any acid issues, I don't see why you would NEED to be on a PPI....

The early days are TOUGH! There is no way around it. There will be pain: both gas pain and incision site pain. Sipping will be a challenge. Eating will be a challenge. You just have to hang there and live one minute to the next. Sip, sip, sip, and walk, walk, walk as soon as you are able. I found that marching in place made sipping slightly easier for me. But it is going to be a rough couple of weeks here. I promise you will feel normal again eventually, but right now you just have to focus.

Any idea what caused the gain? Has to be water retention if it was rapid.

I really wonder where these low numbers come from... hadn't heard 27% before, but I've heard the 60% of excess weight one. I guess it's the people who post here that their sleeves "failed" and they only lost like 16 pounds post-op that drag down the average. I see far more people posting here that have lost 100% or more of their excess body weight. I'm still technically slightly above a healthy BMI, but I wouldn't want to lose another pound. My excess weight is all skin and muscle. I am below 20% body fat.

Congratulations on your decision and your commitment. I find it so unfortunate that the societal stigma against WLS prevents some people from doing it for so long if ever. This ridiculous notion that it's the "easy way out" reminds me of when we were kids playing sports and parents or coaches would tell us to "walk it off" or "rub a little dirt on it". I can't think of any other medical condition where the surgical treatment is considered the "easy way out". If I needed a knee or hip replacement, would people think I was taking the easy way out by getting it instead of just enduring pain and immobility for the rest of my life? Of course not! Plus, there's nothing easy about it. It's major surgery, requires drastic lifelong lifestyle changes, and still requires you to exercise and eat right.

@It's Time Sorry your first post-op appointment didn't go as expected, but it's good to hear you are doing well!

Could be heartburn or acid reflux? Are you on a PPI? I also feel constriction in my esophagus if I eat too much. Are you experiencing this feeling right after eating?

I cried every day in the early days post-op and the only reason I didn't fully give into regret was that I didn't want to admit I was wrong in choosing to have the surgery. But it got better day by day and I eventually started feeling human again and then eventually started feeling NORMAL again. Now, at a year and a half post-op, I consider my surgery one of the best decisions I ever made. Hang in there! This feeling of regret is VERY normal and just a part of the process. Since you've had a harder time than most, it might linger a bit longer, but ultimately you will come to realize what a great thing you have done for yourself.

@@Rdsegobia Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

@@KristenVSG2014 I am excited for you. I know how emotional it can be to make the decision to have plastics. It is a lot of money and feels selfish, but this is the body you are spending the rest of your life in. You have to live with it and feel comfortable in it every second of every day. It is worth the investment.