dashofsunshine

My severe shoulder pains subsided after 1.5 to 2 weeks (somewhere along in there), but I had horrible crampy, gassy pains every time I drank/swallowed anything for like 3-4 weeks. It was heinous and miserable and all I can say is I'm glad I survived, LOL. I think your surgeon is giving you an estimate - everyone is different. You may get lucky and it may go away in a week or you may be stuck with gassy pain for weeks. Heating pad DEFINITELY helped me, I had forgotten about that!!!

The gas pain is very common, very brutal, and mine didn't go away completely for about a week and a half. I remember being at home in my bed and sobbing because my shoulder felt like someone had impaled it. Every day will be easier. You had major, massive internal surgery. Your body is pissed, haha. Give it time, take your pain meds, walk, and ride it out. I promise - it WILL pass. The surgery IS worth the pain, though I know it doesn't feel that way now. Good luck!!!

I have chosen to make this surgery, and the way I live my life now, a total lifestyle change. Meaning, I will eat/drink this way for the rest of my life in order to maintain my weight loss and not regain everything 5 years down the road. For me, that means all things in moderation. I lost 70 lbs several years ago, eating no carbs, drinking no alcohol, basically starving myself, and of course - it was not sustainable, and I wound up at 323 lbs. I am determined not to make that same mistake again. Unless you are a nun or have decided to give up your social life entirely, it's kind of ridiculous to think that you will NEVER EVER touch alcohol (or French fries, or a cupcake, or whatever) again. A healthy relationship with food is about making good choices as much as possible, indulging occasionally, and being active. That being said: OP, when I have a beverage I generally have a small glass of wine; but since that has been ruled out, my suggestions are.... Vodka with lime juice and a splash of simple syrup Vodka with light cranberry juice (sometimes the bar has it, sometimes not) Or, my favorite, a Bloody Mary ???? vodka and v8, basically I am 9 months out and 120 lbs down, and still dropping. I eat carbs and drink wine occasionally, as a treat. Has that made my weight loss slower? Maybe. Is this lifestyle something I can keep up the rest of my life? Absolutely.

Quick, easy favorites in our house: -Ground turkey Asian lettuce wraps -Bunless burgers topped with homemade pimiento cheese (the slider size burgers are perfect!) -Marinated Rosemary ranch chicken (on the grill) -Lemon pepper or blackened salmon (I use the weber spice/marinade packs from the store - eaaaaaasy) -I eat tuna pretty frequently for lunch...throw in some romaine and a few olives, a vinaigrette and bam - easy lunch! -Beef stir fry with veggies (my hubs has rice, I don't) -Frozen mini meatballs from Sam's - these are glorious. I cook several and keep them in an air tight container and eat 2 at a time for lunch every day. Add some marinara! My hubs loves this, and he adds chopped squash/zucchini and onions to his (I don't have room for those, lol) I love getting chicken with broccoli or beef with broccoli from the Chinese place and eating on it for a week ???? makes me feel normal, haha! Also, if you're in a pinch, Taco Bell pintos and cheese with a scoop of ground beef was one of the most glorious post op foods ever. Lol! The Beans have some carbs obviously, but not too bad, especially if it's an occasional treat.

I was on liquids only for two weeks before surgery, two weeks after surgery - then two weeks on purees/mushies. I couldn't have real food until a month after surgery, and I remember thinking I was going to absolutely murder someone. So miserable. All I can tell you is - it will be a distant memory soon. I promise ???? and it is so, so worth it. I know it sucks horribly right now, but you can do ANYTHING for a few days!!

Your body is literally in shock from surgery. It's trying to figure out what the crap you did to it, lol. And it will feel somewhat weird for a while, as all of your organs and bones and muscles try to adjust. I was on my period when I had surgery and I ended up bleeding for two weeks, then didn't have a period for over a month...when my doc put me back on my BC pills, things started to straighten out. Major surgery like the sleeve is a pretty large trauma to the body. Things will straighten out!! As long as you know you aren't pregnant, you're fine.

Wow, only 600 calories a day at 9 months post op? Are you getting in all your Protein every day? That seems really low. What does your NUT say? I get 60 g of protein every day, and yep, my NUT and my doctor both have me on 600-700 calories daily. I'm down 120 lbs and still dropping, so it seems to be going ok! Everyone is different, though

I am 9 months post op and still only eat 4-5 bites of food at a time. I'm still on 600 calories a day. I don't eat fruit or carbohydrates of any kind (except the occasional beans in chili, or something like that). I'm frankly amazed that you are able to eat those particular foods, in those volumes, that often, at only 3.5 weeks out. I was still on purees at that point. I would definitely give your NUT a call.

I would thoroughly encourage you to get off the forums, bariatric websites, Instagram, whatever - unless you need to ask a specific question. Early on, I was on Instagram with a lot of WLS people and all I did was constantly compare myself - "why is she losing more weight than me?! I had my surgery two months before her!" That sort of thing. It was really getting me down and making me upset. So I stopped. I stopped reading forums and I quit Instagram and I focused on doing what I KNEW I was supposed to do in order to succeed. I check these forums once every few months, I still do what I'm supposed to do, and I'm down 120 lbs. in 9 months. Was it "slower" than some others? Sure. Did the weight still come off? You bet it did. Try to focus on yourself and your journey. You got this!!

Gonna be honest with you, I struggled with gas (from surgery) for about a week. However, it took about 2.5 weeks for me to be able to drink normally without burping/taking in air when sipping. Every sip I took for the first 2.5 weeks caused me major discomfort and some pain. Doctor said it was gas, totally normal, and one day I woke up and it was gone. I'm 2.5 months out now, 60 lbs down. Keep pushing forward ????

I am 2.5 months out, 60 lbs down, 120 lbs to go, and my stats are as follows: 500-600 calories a day, 40-60 G protein, 60-80 oz of water a day, and less than 30 carbs a day. All of this was suggested and approved by my nutritionist and my surgeon ???? good luck!

My goal with this surgery was obviously to lose weight. But one of the best things that has come of it so far is my development of a more sensible, healthy relationship with food. When I was in high school, I had a 22 BMI - I starved myself every day and worked out two hours a day to stay thin. I was terrified of food. When I was 323 lbs, I was addicted to food. Both were sicknesses. You have to develop a healthy viewpoint. Foods are not "bad" - they are just food. Food is for nourishing your body 90% of the time and for purely enjoying 10% of the time. If you look at eating something you enjoy on a vacation twice a year as a "failure" or "bad", you are going to be miserable for a long time. This is not a diet. It is a way of life. If you eat something higher in fat or carbs or sugar as a treat, that is ok - as long as it remains a TREAT (a treat is something you have once a week, or once a month, etc - not every day). Teach yourself to enjoy healthier foods, enjoy exercising, and enjoy cooking wholesome meals. Make it a lifestyle, and allow yourself a Bloody Mary every once in a while. Food is not the bad guy. Everything in moderation ????

Have you tried unflavored isopure protein powder? I mix it in with whatever I'm eating. Regular yogurt, pimiento cheese (yum), chicken salad, smoothies, you can even bake with it. 26 g of protein in one scoop ????

@@Kmgaustin are you asking just the people who are still early out, or anyone? I'd be happy to tell you what I eat, but I'm on solids, so I wasn't sure if you wanted to know! Lol

Cellucor whey protein. I have tried syntrax nectar, premier protein, unjury, and isopure. Cellucor beats the pants off of ALL of them in terms of flavor. It is amazing stuff. I'm picky about protein drinks (obviously lol) and Cellucor is all I drink now. Good luck!

I am 2.5 months out and have had sushi maybe twice. It's one of our favorite meals (we just don't eat out often). I can eat 3 small pieces (sometimes just two). The rice gives me no problem, but if you don't want it or it gives you issue, just ask them to wrap it without rice ???? seaweed or soy/rice paper wraps the fish up nicely. You will hardly miss the rice. Cheers!

@@mhuntoon I wasn't allowed ANY solids for 6 weeks, so I'm surprised, too. The "air bubble" feeling you are getting is quite common - I struggled with it until about a month out. It happened with everything I ate or drank, and I'm sure it would have been worse for me had I been trying to eat solids. Check with your doctor of course, but I would consider the feeling normal. Don't forget, if you struggle or have pain or discomfort that you don't deem normal or tolerable, go back down a stage (purees) and try again to advance in a few days. Good luck!