newbiesleever

I got sleeved last Monday and I'm only on liquids right now. I keep getting the hiccups, like 3 times a day and when I get them, they last for like 45 minutes! Need your help and any advice!! I'm not drinking too fast and too big of sips. I take a sip, wait 5-10 minutes then take another sip. My only thought is I'm getting air down when I drink. I don't know what's going on but these hiccups suck!!!!

I just starting adding 45 minutes of intense cardio to my routine last week... I wasn't doing the walking that I was supposed to do after my surgery but I have been doing strength training 2-3 times a week for the past couple months. I feel much stronger so I finally got myself into the gym and hit the treadmill. Instead of starting out slow, I went full force 45 minutes of cardio. Sweating like crazy! I made it through and kept pushing myself. I did 3 days of cardio and 2 days of strength training and by the end of the week, I was dead. I was so exhausted. During and right after my workouts, I felt great though! A few days later, it caught up with me. I definitely should have just started with like 30 minutes and work my way up but I have that all or nothing mentality that the cardio doesn't count unless I do 45 minutes! Lol Definitely a habit I need to break... I thought since I workout this hard, the scale would go down. It didn't. I've only lost a pound in the past few weeks but I really haven't had a stall yet so maybe my body is just in reset mode. I'm wondering the same thing though, am I not eating enough? If I burn like 300-500 calories from working out and I'm only eating like 900 calories, my body is going to go into starvation mode. I definitely felt hungrier after doing cardio. I logged in all my food and I'm eating around 800-900 calories with like 85 grams of Protein. I do have some carbs in there and I've added a half a Protein Bar before and after my workout. I'm just not sure if this enough to sustain my body while working out. I'm only 21 pounds away from my doctors goal and like 40 from my personal goal. I know the last pounds are the hardest to come off which is why I want to have a good workout routine: 3 days cardio and 2 days of strength to get these pounds off but I want to make sure my body is getting the nutrition it needs.

Congratulations! My stats match almost exactly to yours. I had my surgery on October 6th too and I've lost 40 pounds! That was my personal goal to hit before the New Year and I hit it a week early. I'm loving my sleeve. I know there's no way I would have been able to do this without my sleeve. Eating is good, no problems with food at all. I can't wait to reach my ultimate goal and for the first time in my life, I know that I will actually get there! Wishing you continued success in your journey!

Well, I survived my first Thanksgiving being sleeved and it was a success! I was able to eat a little bit of everything. My mom makes this killer spinach artichoke dip for an appetizer and I had a few chips with that. For dinner, I had a yummy salad (haven't had a salad in a looonnggg time- so good!), some bites of turkey and ham, and half a roll. I felt comfortable, definitely not too full as everyone else was. I did feel a little weird that my plate looked like I didn't eat anything but that's okay! No one is staring at your plate anyway. I'm loving my sleeve, it's been very good to me and I haven't had any complications with food! I love that part. It was my first time trying chips and bread and they went down well. I brought some leftover turkey and ham home with me so I can enjoy the leftovers for the rest of the weekend. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

I can't believe people are suggesting you to get counseling, that is hilarious. Real quick to diagnose someone. Sheesh.... I think the girl was craving pizza and did the right thing instead of SWALLOWING it, just chewed it and spit it out. I remember when I was 10 days post op, I wanted anything and everything. When I was not eating food during the first few weeks, all I could think about was food. I was miserable. You will be so happy when you can have soft food. Try the Ricotta Bake. It is amazing and satisfies my pizza cravings and i LOVE pizza! Just try to fight off those urges and take each day at a time. That's what I kept telling myself, one day at a time. Now, if you really like to torture yourself like I did, I would go on pinterest and different blogs looking for recipes to try when I got to solids. It was like food porn for me. Lol But now I have lots of recipes bookmarked and excited to try! The time will fly by and before you know it, you'll be at Solid Foods! Hang in there!

When did you all start eating fruit by itself? I'm going on my 7th week and I'm currently on solid foods. My doctor recommends eating at least 1 fruit of day with Protein. I've been adding a half banana to my protein smoothie in the mornings but wondering when I should start branching out and trying other fruit like berries, oranges, peaches, etc? A mandarin orange sounds so good right now!

ok, thank you!!

ive been making a Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie in the mornings and add a half banana... I'm going on my 7th week and would like to try a Strawberry Banana smoothie with vanilla protein powder but I need to buy vanilla protein powder! Sounds yummy though!

They don't put you in a hotel right after surgery. You stay the night at the OCC after your surgery (nurses check on you throughout the night) then the next day, if you're doing well then you go to the hotel.

Yes, that's what I use, the unsweetened one.. 1 Cup is only 30 calories!

I know exactly what you guys are going through.. This past weekend, I felt super weak and dizzy, I would black out after I get out of bed or from the couch. I got so fed up with the protein shakes so I gave myself a break from them. I know I know, NOT good! This weekend, I got a "AH-HA" moment.. A couple years ago, I went to the Biggest Loser Resort and they had this really good Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie. I thought to myself, that's what I need to do! I need to make a smoothie. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. Lol..I've been drinking the Chocolate Premier Protein shakes and got so sick of them so I went out and bought a blender, got it on sale (yay!!) and made my smoothie. Here is what I used: -Chocolate Premier Protein Shake (30g Protein) -2 Tbsp of PB2 (This is a dry mix of Peanut Butter, the healthiest form of Peanut Butter, has 5 grams of Protein for 2 Tbsp) -1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder Unsweetened -1/2 Banana -6 Ice Cubes (give or take) Total Protein: 35g It was pretty good. I think I will adjust the PB2 to only 1 Tbsp.. I bought a Protein Powder online from Amazon so until that arrives, I will just keep using the Premier Protein. Here is the Recipe I Found w/ Protein Powder: -1 or 2 Scoops Protein Powder (Depending on the amount of protein) -1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (Almond Breeze only has 30 calories in it) -2 Tbsp of PB2 -1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder Unsweetened -1/2 Banana -6 Ice Cubes (give or take) Search Pinterest and online for different protein smoothies. I think this is the ONLY way I will be able to get in all my protein. You will feel a difference in getting all the protein you need in. I worked out today and I feel full of energy! I'm going on my 4th week today. I just made Sloppy Joes with Ground Turkey and I'm super excited to eat them! Only 2 weeks away from Solid Foods! I'm almost there and the worst part is over... You guys can do this!!!

I feel you...When I got home from surgery, I was feeling great, like I didn't even have surgery. Then a couple weeks went by and it hit me. After work, I'm just too tired to do anything. On the weekends, it's even worse. I sleep like 10-12 hours a night. Since I wake up late, I can't get in all the Protein I need to get in. I think part of the problem is I need to force myself to wake up earlier so I can start eating earlier in order to get all the food and Water I need to get in. When you start your day at 10-11am, it's hard to do that. My goal this week; to wake up earlier, to walk, and start an exercise routine. I did do some squats and resistance band exercises last Sunday. I felt the burn. I was sore all week from that exercise! I just need to keep it consistent and do something active every day!

There's also another good ricotta dessert. This one is served cold but it's super good and easy! Vanilla Ricotta Creme 1/2 Cup Part Skim Ricotta 1/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract 1 Packet Truvia or Stevia Mix it together, put in Frig to let it cool and eat when it's chilled. I just made it and put in the frig and I'm going to have that for dessert tonight. 10 grams of Protein for dessert? I think so!

If you pick a new doctor, I wouldn't tell them about going to Mexico. You can ask to get blood work done and ask for a nutrition panel. Just say you want to make sure your vitamin levels are all normal. Any doctor should be willing to do that. I usually only go to my doctor once a year for a physical so when that time comes, she usually gives me a full blood work order anyways and I just plan on asking for the nutrition panel as well... I did talk to her about weight loss surgery the last time I saw her, just to get thoughts on it, but that was before I decided to go to Mexico. She's a really laid back doctor but I still wouldn't tell her about going to Mexico.

Yes, I've had dreams about binging and eating pizza... I had one dream that I was going to Little Caesars for dinner and I woke up thinking for a second, that sounds good, I'm going to get some breadsticks for dinner.. Then I thought, Oh wait, I can't do that anymore. lol... Better to binge in our dreams then in real life!! lol

No problems at all... When you go into Mexico, the van goes to a special line, you get out with your luggage, go into a building, they scan your luggage, you press a button (green: no bag search, red: they will search your bags), go out the building, wait for the van to get cleared, get back in the van and that's it. On the way back, the van drops you off at the border, tells you what building to go through, have your passport ready, they ask why you came to Mexico, scan your bags, then walk out the building and meet where you Van told you to meet. Ours had us meet outside a Bank. It was very non eventful crossing, no big lines, no issues.

Do what you can and try to be diligent the week before. I tried to do 2 weeks but it was my birthday and I gave in to temptation. It was worth it. One week before my surgery, I did my own version of the pre op diet. Shake in the morning, snack was string cheese, lunch was deli meat or chipotle salad, dinner was eggs. No sugar and no carbs for me. I lost 9 pounds that week. I tried to do just shakes but I couldn't so I did a modified diet and it worked for me. I would suggest following exactly but if you do a somewhat modified version, you will still lose weight. I started at a lower weight so I'm not sure how much they told you to lose but I was told to lose 13. I also put my starting weight a little higher than what it actually was (I know I know, not a good idea to lie) but it worked for me. If you lose some weight, I'm sure you will be fine. I met someone who was being sleeved the same day as me and said she didn't follow the pre op diet at all and she got the surgery! Although, I wouldn't advise that

You guys will not regret going with Dr. Ortiz.. I'm 2 weeks out tomorrow and feeling great. No incision pain. No real pain after my surgery. Energy levels have been great since coming home. Went to work the following Monday (1 week after surgery). No real complaints other than I want food! Lol I get to start the pureed stage on Thursday and I can't wait to have a scrambled egg. I'm getting over these protein shakes fast but I'm almost to the next stage so I i know I can do it. My experience with Dr. Ortiz at the OCC was great, what everyone on this board has said. It's all true. Make the appointment, get it done and you will be so happy you did!

I'm only a couple weeks out from being sleeved but I was wondering for those of you have been sleeved for months now, when you started to introduce carbs into your diet. I know you're supposed to eat Protein first, then veggies, then carbs. I'm just wondering how long it took to add veggies and carbs into your diet. I hear once you start on solid foods, you're just focusing on getting the protein first and then later you can add veggies. At how many months, can you start to introduce whole wheat bread/crackers/tortilla, brown rice, quinoa and other healthy carbs like that?

So now I definitely need a new Vitamin... Today was my first day on Vitamins and after taking the Celebrate Multivitamin chewable, I threw up When I first opened the package a few days ago, I kind of knew that it was going to be a problem. They are too big and too chalky.. I used to take Vitafusion Gummy Multivitamins and I think I might just get those for the time being.

Hi Bennettkathyn, I was just on Amazon looking for the Vita4Life Vitamins.. How big are the capsules? I really hate swallowing pills, especially big Vitamin ones.. Any change you can send a picture of the vitamin? Would greatly appreciate it!

Yes, my taste buds have definitely changed...My surgery was last monday... Whats so weird for me is when I brush my teeth now, I can't stand my toothpaste. It tastes super strong and it almost makes me want to gag... Anyone experience that?

I can relate to being nervous and scared out of my mind before this surgery. When I was on the liquid diet (supposed to 2 weeks, only did 1 and lost 9 lbs) and it was kind of a modified liquid diet (breakfast: shake, snack: string cheese, lunch: deli meat salad or chipotle salad- YUM, can not to have that again, dinner: eggs). I was mourning food that week and thinking I'm never going to be able to eat again and it's very traumatic for someone who loves (addicted) to food, who uses comfort for food, who looks forward to food. I used to plan my weekends around food. Crazy, right? I didn't want to do that anymore. I didn't want to have the power of food over me. As my surgery got closer and closer, I kept second guessing myself over and over and over and over again until the day I took my "before" pictures. I took a good hard look at myself and realized this is NOT the person I want to be. This is NOT the life I want to live. There is no WANT to do this, I HAVE to do this surgery. I too was scared about having a bad recovery, no energy, going to be starving, all of it. I was sleeved last Monday. I know everyone is different, but I feel pretty darn good. A couple days before my surgery, I visualized having a successful surgery and recovery. The power of positive thinking goes a long way. When I got home on Thursday, I was shocked at how good I felt, how my energy level was, how I wasn't hungry. Today, I went out to dinner with my family at a BBQ restaurant and I was thinking, oh great, everyone is going to be eating BUT me. How fun will that be? It actually was fine. I smelled the food and it smelled great but I didn't want it. I sipped on my protein shake and that was enough for me. Muffins right in front of my face. Breads are my ABSOLUTE weakness but I survived. I wasn't hungry at all. Getting ready for the first time this morning was a bit of chore and I didn't have a lot of strength but it was because I didn't have anything in my system yet. I know everyday is going to get better and better. You just have to believe that. I go to this forum everyday and read stories to help me through this journey and it really does help. I chose my surgeon because of this site. I know what to expect, all the good and all the bad so I can prepare myself. I'm a planner so I like to know EVERYTHING. Just know, everything is going to be okay and once you get this surgery over with, you'll be so happy and feel like the worst is over. Then comes the liquid phase, the pureed/soft phase, and then before you know it, you'll be adding solid foods back in. I've been bookmarking recipes for pureed and soft foods like no other. I can't wait to try them when I get there. Just have to take each day at a time. You will do great.

Thank you all for the advice! I really appreciate it!!

So I got my drain out today! Yay!! It wasn't too bad but definitely felt uncomfortable as he was pulling it out. The OCC told me I was okay to leave tomorrow. So far, no real pain or issues... I'm more worried about getting my liquids in. How often did you all drink? Little sips every 5, 10, 15 minutes? Also, did you keep up with the medicine that they give you? I got an antibiotic in liquid form to take for the next 5 days, an antacid, a pain pill and an anti-nausea pill. I'm excited to go home and start having protein shakes and yogurt in a few days. It also hasn't really sunk in that I've had the surgery. It doesn't feel real yet. I guess when I go home and change the way I eat, it will feel real.