WL WARRIOR

The cheapest price on the Hydracoach is at luckyvitamin.com. It sells there for $19.46 with free shipping. I haven't purchased it yet because there are a few components I am not sure about. You have to suck on the mouthpiece like sucking through a straw. Is it okay to use straws after 6 weeks post op?

I have an enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy) and was approved for surgery. I was worried about having heart failure during the sleeve surgery because it had happened during my last c-section. My heart is enlarged due to rhemaric fever and pregnancy. The condition worsens if you are very obese because your heart has to work harder. In my opinion, an enlarged heart is a good reason to have bariatric surgery. You will feel so much better once the weight starts coming off. My surgery was successful without any big complications. However, you have to listen to the professionals. My EKG, echocardiogram, and chest x-ray was fine prior to surgery,so I went ahead with it. That isn't to say I still wasn't worried about heart failure during surgery. I'm still advised not to ever get pregnant again, which is fine by me for now.

I did get all my water and protein early on and it was very hard to do. I was told to drink an ounce every 5 minutes, which seems to be different from what others were told to do. I was a slave to the clock and my trusty kitchen timer. Every time the kitchen timer rang, I would drink my ounce and set it for five minutes again. I did this the first week and it worked to get 64 ounces water and 100 grams of protein in everyday. After the first week, I wanted to be more active and didn't have my eye on the clock or use the timer all day. I would measure out the liquids I needed to drink to meet my goal in the morning, and that seemed to help me make sure I consumed enough everyday after the first week.

I agree with the others, she has to come to the realization on her own. My own mother was never a good role model as far as healthy eating and regular exercise. I didn't become overweight until eight years ago. My mother would say the most inappropriate things that still hurt when I think about it. She would tell me that she had a dream about me and in it I lost all the weight and was pretty again. I got to my highest weight (280) a few weeks before Christmas last year. My mother wanted to take me out to buy me an outfit for a Christmas Eve family gathering. Shopping for clothes with my mother was a horrible experience. Their weren't many clothes in my size. She would get this disgusted look on her face and say "Oh, you just have to lose weight!" She repeated that phrase four times before our outing was over. Maybe she does have some true concern, but it really just made me hate myself. Her comments have weakened our relationship. She wasn't supportive of surgery even it was the only thing that gave me any hope. I don't visit her much lately because I don't want to hear what she has to say. I'm not giving her a chance to rent space in my head anymore. Cherish the good relationship you have with your daughter and don't bring up the weight issue if possible.

I would think Dramamine would work better than Emetrol. Dramamine Less Drowsy works good to prevent nausea.

I got a card from my bariatric center that allows bariatric patients to order off the kids menu when eating at restaurants. You just show the card to the wait staff/restaurant emplyee before ordering so they don't object to you ordering smaller portions off the kids menu. I don't plan on eating out since I've had surgery, however.

I am trying to prepare myself for the backlash before the holidays arrive. I've tried to keep my surgery a secret, but I think word has gotten around. I have a few relatives that I know are against weight loss surgery. They think it is a cop out or just an easy way out of doing the hard work it takes to lose a lot of weight. I want to know beforehand what would be a good thing to say when they start asking questions. I need something short and witty to say because I don't feel like talking in length about it. It would be nice if I could educate them or eventually convince them that I made the right choice for me.

I loved this article. I even bought the book referenced in the article, "Lessons from the Fat-o-sphere: Quit Dieting and Declare a Truce with Your Body." You can get a used copy at AbeBooks.com for $1 plus $2.46 shipping. I overheard my parents shaming overweight people growing up. They would see someone obese and try to guess their weight. They would comment about huge, fat ankles or butts on others and wonder aloudhow they can even sit in a chair. They wouldn't say these things in a hush tone, but just discuss it between each other in the car or at home. Whenever I overheard these comments, it always made me feel uncomfortable. The children were "seen and not heard", so I couldn't let my thoughts be known about these rude comments. Even as an adult, I still don't know what to say when my mother tells me my sister is like a beach whale or that my shirt isn't something someone of my large size should wear. I am going to take the advice from this article and let her know that her remarks are rude and tacky.

I just started taking a hormone pill today. I didn't ask for it but the doctor found it necessary for women after bariatric surgery. Not only is my period kind of screwy, I'm also mildly breaking out on my face and getting a splotchy appearance. The doc says it is all contributed to hormones from the surgery itself and the release of them as I lose weight. I hope the pills help. I think birth control pills also balance your hormones.

I forgot to ask for a nausea med after surgery so I just picked up some dramamine on the way home. I took it only a few times when I needed it, but it seemed to have worked. The regular strength works for 8 hours and they have a new brand that works 24 hours. The generic name is dimenhydrinate. Ginger root capsules are more natural and work just as well. The Dramamine will make you very sleepy unless you get the less drowsy kind. Another similar one is Meclizine (also known as Antivertand Dramamine II), which is prescribed by doctors but also available over the counter.

You can get Isopure from GNC. I only drank it post op because I no longer liked thick chocolates shakes. I just bought two more three pound jugs of Isopure powder online at puritan.com It was actually 55% less than GNC and they ship it for free. I wouldn't buy too much of it, many people don't like it. You mix it with water and it is translucent like kool-aid. GNC let's you return protein powder even if it is opened.

I had surgery a month ago without support from any relatives or family because I didn't tell anyone except my mother. My mother didn't agree with my decision, but I had to tell her because I needed a ride to and from the hospital. The lack of support wasn't terribly bothersome. During a holiday like Thanksgiving, I just find it important to be prepared so that I don't let other people's negativity ruin my day. I'm not going to leave just because of their negativity because I'm just going to have to deal with it up front at one time or another. I've come to realize that the best thing to do is to ignore it. It's a small house that about 30 of my relatives gather into for the Thanksgiving holiday, but I can always go outside and play football with the kids. I don't talk to others about weight loss (except on this forum or at follow up appointments) because I am not seeking approval for what I've already done or my success so far. I was just hoping to get an idea for a smirky remark that I could make that would cease or lesson the discussion about my weight loss/surgery among my relatives over the holidays. When you are stuck being around others who are non supportive, it is hard to not be affected. Losing weight after surgery boosts your self esteem, which is such a turn around compared to all those years you feel like a failure from not being able to keep off the weight. When others disapprove of your surgery, it makes you think (for a second) whether you are making or have made another failure inducing decision. I wish I could be super confident and carefree, but I'm not there yet. I'm only a month out and still learning about this new way of life and the emotions that go along with it. I've made other life changing decisions without approval from family and relatives (going away to college, having a baby, accepting a job far away from home); this is just another one.

Thanks for the quick response! I love this resouce! It really helps for people like me who don't get these type of resources from their clinic or nutritionist. If I go to Kinkos, do I just give them the web address? Do they print off the book from their own computer?

What is the exact address so that I can type in the URL to this cookbook on a different computer?

How much do you usually smoke in a day? I quit by decreasing the number of cigarettes I smoked over a two month period. I slipped and had a cigarette last Christmas and it stalled my chance of beginning the process to get surgery. I think the medication Zyban (Wellbutrin) helped a little. I think the hardest thing is the fact that you have no reward system when you have to give up food on top of smoking. I think that is why the statistics say there is a high rate of addiction and alcoholism among many that had bariatric surgery. I've been in therapy so that I don't start going down that slippery slope. I wish you the best of luck. Like you said, you can't lie about it to your bariatrician because it will cause problems later down the road. Smoking interferes with your body's ability to heal after surgery. The thought that you will never get to smoke again for the rest of your life is hard to swallow. Think about all the positive things you will gain by quitting; a new, healthier life.

I also searched for a shake with the most Protein. It is hard to find another Protein Shake that can beat 80 grams per 12 ounces. Isopure might come close to that, which is what I drink. You also have to keep in mind the amount of calories, fat, carbs, and the kind of protein. Isopure also has added Vitamins and minerals, which something you can't find in other Protein drinks. The previous post was correct, your body cannot metabolize a large amount of protein at one time (anything more than 25 grams at once is too much). However, most people forget that it is almost impossible to gulp that fast after surgery. A 12-16 ounce Protein Drink will take you over an hour to drink after surgery. Most people drink 1 ounce every 5-8 minutes. At that rate, you are slowly digesting and metabolizing the protein. So, it is perfectly okay to have a 12-16 ounce protein drink with 50-75 grams of protein as long as you are drinking it slowly like everyone is advised to after surgery.

I've watched the video that you posted a few months before surgery. He is not an advocate of "protein first" 6 months post op. As a vegetarian, I found this philosophy and his research to back the idea, quite interesting. I am doing further research into the notion of eating vegetables first before doing it myself.

I started five days after surgery, which was 10 days early from my regular cycle. My cycles have been quite regular for the past 3 years, so this puzzled me as well. I had to go through a detox program 13 years ago because I was addicted to prescription painkillers. It was a terribly stressful experience. I didn't have my period for two months. When family members have died, it also made me go without a period for a month. It just seems odd that surgery (which is also stressful) makes me have my period so early. Nevertheless, I do believe that extreme stress messes up your cycle. When I was in my last year of college, I had a living situation in which I shared a small house with eight other people. There were five of us girls sharing one bedroom. Within 5 months, all five of us had menstral cycles during the same days of every month. I always found that very odd.

You look amazing and I love your hair. I have super thick naturally curly hair that I've let grow out way too long as I gained weight. I guess I thought somehow all my hair would mask my overweight body. I want to get a major haircut once I hit onederland and I would love to get a haircut similar to yours. Congratulations on your weight loss!

I am a month out and haven't gone in two weeks. I've been taking FiberCon the past few days and nothing has happened. You can't take it within 2-3 hours of your other meds, so I keep forgetting to take it more than once a day. You can take it up to four times a day. I guess that is what I will have to do. I'd like to switch to a different product, but the bottle was quite expensive.

Why does your NUT not like protein shakes? I am in the soft food stage, but I still get most of my protein from the shakes.

I have the one ounce medicine cup, but I gulp mine once every 5-8 minutes. I was told to do it that way because I wasn't getting enough in by doing a little sip here and there. I think it is about how your body reacts. If you feel any discomfort, then I wouldn't suggest gulping a whole ounce at once for awhile. I actually don't gulp, but take two swallows rather quickly every 5-8 minutes. I never had trouble with dehydration doing it this way.

Yes, the powder and ready made bottled Isopure is the same. Isopure contains 50 grams of Protein per 12 ounces. I just mix it with Water. I've never tried the chocolate flavors becaue I didn't like strong flavors like chocolate after the surgery. During my two week pre op diet, I did drink generic chocolate whey Protein shakes from Wal-Mart. After surgery, I didn't like it and found that it wasn't nutrient rich as I would have liked. That's another rare thing with Isopure-it has added Vitamins and minerals. I've had vanilla, peach mango, and strawberry so far. There are many people that don't like the taste of Isopure or can only put up with it for a week or two after surgery. I had no problem getting my water and protein in after surgery. Here is my drinking schedule I stuck to for two weeks after surgery: 8 AM-10 AM.....12 ounces of Isopure (50 g protein) 10 AM-1PM.....20 ounces water, broth, or sugar free drink 1 PM-3 PM......12 ounces of Isopure (50 g protein) 3PM-6 PM......20 ounces water, broth, or sugar free drink I usually drank 1 ounce of Fluid from a plastic shot glass (they give them to you at the hospital) every 5-8 minutes. I also ate Jello when I got tired of drinking water. You sort of become a slave to the clock. I always wanted to get a timer that went off every 5 minutes, but did okay without it.

It makes me weary when a doctor pushes a specific brand on you or even sells it himself. You know he is getting kickbacks from the company. It's somewhat similar to when doctors convince you to take the newest medication on the market because the pharmaceutical rep promised them extra cash or a vacation package if they gave lots of samples away. When the drug Celexa was new on the market, I had three doctors (general physicians, pyschiatrist) give me samples and write me a script for it even though I never asked for an antidepressant and said I didn't really want to try anything new that was going to cost me another $40 copay a month. Anyhow,it is my opinion melodysss, that substitutions like the ones you mentioned, should be okay. However, I would double check with a nutritionist (not the one involved in selling the Bariatric Advantage) or check the nutrition labels yourself and compare. My bariatric clinic gives patients a two and a half page list of Meal Replacement shakes that they recommend. The ones you mentioned are on there. I used Isopure and was happy with the weight loss outcome. On one last note, the clinic I go to actually make their own dietary supplements for bariatric patients. They strongly suggested it as the only Vitamin I would need a month after surgery. I researched it myself and realized it was actually a good choice. A month supply was actually less than $15. The $300 price tag for the Bariatric Advantage meal replacements sounds quite hefty for just enough for pre op use. You can get a 3 pound canister of Isopure for $42.49 with FREE SHIPPING at puritan.com. This is just helpful info., I am not selling it or getting money from the company for recommending it. Good luck!

What kind of medication are you taking for your hypothyroidism? I've done well with Armour Thyroid, but I still need a lower calorie intake to lose weight. I am hoping my thyroid improves as I lose weight. You might try a medication or dosage change before doing something so drastic like surgery.