Djmohr

You should definately follow up with your nut as every body's program is different. I was allowed no more than 1/4 cup of food nor could I handle any more until I was nearly 4 months post op. At about 4 months post op I was able to eat about 1/2 cup. Keep in mind the way to think about that is chewed up food. That means with Soup and salads, you can usually eat more than 1/4 cup because of the liquid in the soup and salad chewed up means you can eat quite a bit more depending on which Protein you use. Once I got to the year mark I was able to eat about a cup of food and that is where I have remained. I am 22 months post op.

Many people go back to work in a week. From a pain perspective it should be no problem. The toughest part of having WLS is getting used to having to sip liquids like crazy. Every few minutes you are sipping on something. Me personally, I would not put off surgery. I would try to do both. You will just need to make sure that you always have liquids on you such as Water. Even now 22 months post op I carry my water bottle every where I go. This is just my opinion, you might want to ask your surgical team what they think.

@@Elyse519 I am not sure how you are trying Water but temperature really matters as well. I still to this day have a hard time drinking my water icy cold. It has to be at room temperature. The cold actually causes my pouch to almost clench. I learned this from my Bariatric team when I could not get enough liquids in. This happens especially in the am. My nut told me to try a warm water in the morning so in the beginning I did that. Now I am perfectly ok with room temperature water. For my all the flavored stuff don't work because it has to be icy cold and my tummy just don't like it.

@@Tonya83 Hi Tonya! Welcome! This process can be somewhat confusing as you are getting started. Most insurance companies and Bariatric programs are more concerned with showing that you will put the effort in to lose weight. For me, I didn't have to lose a set amount, I simply had to show that I was following the program which meant not gaining. You jump through all these hoops that seem a bit crazy when you are going through it but honestly they all make sense. Insurance companies and Bariatric team want to make sure if you get the surgery you will follow the program because it is the program that helps you become successful, not the surgery. The surgery is simply a tool. You have to fuel the weight loss by what you put into the tool. A high Protein, low carb diet is critical to long term success. I can honestly tell you that once you lose all the weight and get to goal, maintenance is even harder! If you go back to old behaviors at any point you are likely to gain back your weight. So, they are working with you to build a lifetime of good behaviors now. Hopefully this makes a lot of sense. I remember being so frustrated because I needed this surgery so bad but it took 9 months to get through it. Now, I totally get it! It was all about giving me time to get my head and heart in the right place and I am thankful for everything I learned in the process. I never want to go back to weighing 310lbs.

@@Terri70 Explain that between now and May, you certainly don't want to gain weight and need some help trying to actually lose. The bad part about appetite suppressants is that the minute you stop them everything comes right back but in your case, you are simply ensuring you don't gain and may even be able to lose a little before hand. It is always a risk telling people outside of your immediate family. I made the mistake of telling a couple of my coworkers that I thought I was close to. You find out who your friends are after this type of life change that is for sure. Best of luck to you and I hope the suppressant work for you!

Yay! Glad things are going well. Welcome to the losers bench!

@@UalreadyKnow Most people are very happy following Brachioplasty. However it is the surgeon that matters there are some bad ones out there. Have you been on realself yet? You can find a lot of information on there about this surgery and that is actually how I ended up finding my surgeon. She had such great reviews and from her before and after pics, it was easy to see that I was going to love her.

@@Cassie111 Honestly slim fast are definately not the best option. Also don't know if you know it or not but the premier Protein just came out with a caramel and a banana shake. Maybe give them a try?

@@sammywammy Thank you! And yes, round the clock ice packs laying on my arms. The worst is at night. My poor hubby literally went to 5 different Walgreens here in WI and bought them out of the one time use packs for me on 3 different occasions. Those worked very well but did not last long. Then he bought these two cryo ice packs. You freeze them and they stay cold for 8 hours so they say. Honestly it's really about 4 hours but they were fantastic. He also bought me every itch cream they had! LOL. None of it worked. The only other thing that definately helped what Young living peppermint essential oil. I rubbed on my arms but of course not on the incisions. That takes the itch away for a little while. It has only been the last two days that I have been able to go without ice and I think it is because I switched to a compression garment that is very very tight on my arms. When you compress them they feel better. I really hope you stop itching soon.

@@gladiola64 I was going to suggest the same thing! I swear by them. I recently had Brachioplasty and I am alergic to the dressings used which can not be removed for 3 weeks so I am stuck. That caused a bit of a rough recovery for me. I started diffusing and using them topically on my arms. I am a true believer, they are calming, help with migraine, with pain, with stress, with nausea. You can treat just about anything with therapeutic grade essential oils.

Not sure if it anxiety or maybe you did have something stuck last night and after throwing up it has irritated you. Maybe try going back to liquids for a day or two and see if it improves. Are you a sleever? It also could be a nasty case of reflux brought on by your food and stress combined. If you are RNY then, I am guessing it might just be irritated. I am really glad that you are going to the doctor though. That is the right thing to do if you feel you cannot eat at this point.

I had mine 3 weeks ago today! YAY! My arms look amazing and they are still a bit swollen. I found a fantastic surgeon who gave great contour. My little girly biceps look fabulous an you can even see the tendons where my arm bends and I am still quite swollen. I am including some pics for you. Sorry, for some reason when you post these they turn sideways. The first is pre op and the second batch is 2 weeks post op. I am even further along now but waiting to have my dressings removed on Monday. Before: 2 weeks After: If you want to see the actual incisions, I would be happy to send them to you in a personal conversation but I don't want to gross anyone out. The cost of mine was $5950

Incidentally, eating gets better with time. It took several months before I felt like I could eat normal. Every once in a while when I eat too fast, I have a problem as well and it causes me not to be able to eat my meal. That being said, it does get better. Promise. For now Water and clear fluids are critical to ensure that you are hydrated. food is secondary. My nut did not even have me start on Protein shakes until week 2.

@@curlysue86 Which surgery did you have? 7 days out seems awfully fast to try solid foods. I had bypass and my doc had me on Clear liquids for a whole week, the full liquids for a whole week, then pureed for 2 weeks which I did not do well with. Finally at week 4 I was allowed soft foods, Proteins that were very moist, veggies that were overcooked. Even getting used to that at 4 weeks was slow going. Just wondering if your surgical team gave you direction on what to eat, how much and for what period of time. I have found that every physician is different but at the end of the day most of us figure it out. I was given a huge binder with every food stage. What foods I could and could not eat. You name it was in there. Then again, my Bariatric center of excellence made me sign a contract too that ensured I would follow the rules and also that I would not drink alcohol for a year. They were very throrough and it worked for me.

I had this problem when my bladder was not emptying all the way. It happened to me after bypass and I was not Catheterized. I am guessing they checked for that? It did get better fairly quickly after.

Unfortunately itching is part of healing. It will past. Try not to scratch and maybe even try a little benedryl. It will take the edge off. I know this feeling oh so well. I had Brachioplasty 3 weeks ago today and I have incisions from my armpits to my elbows. Unfortunately I am alergic to the mesh covering or the surgical adhesives used and I have to wait until Monday before that gets better. Nothing is working for me with the exception of gentle rubbing and ice. Until two days ago I had ice on my arms all day and night because I could not stand the itching. I do remember having this issue with my 7 post op incisions for RNY as well where they used surgical adhesives to take care of it. I do hope you feel better soon!

@@Daniel2015 I am so very happy for you! You look fantastic. Congratulations!

Ok so tonight I experimented with stuffed green peppers and so far it is my favorite. They tasted better than when I make them in the oven and they cook for an hour or more. I used 1lb of ground beef - I used 85% because I didn't want them to be dry 2 green peppers 1/3 cup of minute rice. (You can leave this out) 1 onion sautéed in pot ahead of time Salt Pepper Egg 2/3 cup of chicken stock I preheat the pot on sautée and sautéed my chopped onion in about tablespoon of olive oil. Then I took the ground beef, onion, rice, salt, pepper and 1 egg and mixed it until it was combined. I sliced my peppers in half and cleaned out the seeds and ribs. I filled each pepper with ground beef mixture On the bottom of pot, pour 2/3 of 15oz can of tomatoe sauce, add about 1/2 cup of chicken stock or Water (I used 2/3 of a can but I would back off a little on the stock or water to 1/2 cup) Then on the trivet place your peppers Cover pot until it is closed and plays music Set the thingy (don't know what you call this LOL) to sealing Press manual and use the arrows to get to 15 minutes. Wait until your pot is done (it beeps at you), I waited 5 minutes and then released the rest of the heat. Within 2 minutes I could smell the green peppers. It made my poor little pouch go crazy because I was running late with dinner and it was after 8pm already. Enjoy!

@@BananaSplit Please please please don't gain to have the surgery. Exercise alone will not get you there. With a 30 BMI, you can do this! But 90% of weight loss comes from diet with exercise being a much smaller portion though still really important. If you have that good habit built you can begin to change your diet to get rid of this extra weight. Go speak with a nutritionist, they really really can help you. Moving toward a high Protein, good carb diet is the way to go. Learning about portion management is critical and lastly staying away from sugar, rice, potatoes, Pasta and bread also critical during weight loss. Here is the thing, if you had this surgery, you would have to change your lifestyle to the above in order for it to be successful long term. So, although I am very thankful for having bypass, if I could have done it withou surgery I would have. My BMI was well over 40 and I had almost every comorbitity. Gaining weight to get there will only do more damage to your body. I hope that you find the best solution for you, I am just saying having your insides cut out or rearranged when you are not morbidly obese seems like a risk you don't need to take. This is just my opinion. I wish you all the best!

Premier Protein ready made shakes. I was lactose intolerant after surgery and this is what my Bariatric team recommended. They have 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar and 160 calories in an 11 oz. shake. I will just call out that it is best that you try to get some of your protein through your food. Have you just not had any luck with foods?

I like to do meatballs, cheeses, even a homemade ranch dip with veggies as dippers. I also have made chicken salad lettuce cups using Bibb lettuce. Very healthy but they don't taste that way. I actually make naked buffalo wings baked in the oven. I bake them until they are really crisp, then I use the Louisiana hot sauce but I leave out the butter. When I eat them, I tear the skin off. Enchilada dip is great for football season too. Especially chicken or ground beef, just use ground round instead. With the sauce and cheese it is excellent. Use veggies to dip or just put some on your plate and eat it with a spoon. Deviled eggs although I can't eat eggs so I don't make these any more. Any type of chicken salad or tuna salad on a crisp cucumber slice. But......meatballs are my favorite snack food for football. I cannot wait until our season starts next week. GO GREEN BAY PACKERS!

You are young enough to do something totally funky if you want. Love the idea of one of those different shaped clutches. They are totally fun if you are confident enough to carry one.

If I can help in any way, just personal message me. Can you share more of your story. There are many people on here who would love to help.

My plan is heavy dairy and I do eat red meat about as much as I eat chicken. So far, and I am 22 months post op my blood levels have been checked 3 times and all 3 times my cholesterol good and bad have been excellent as well as my triglicerides. I had terrible cholesterol and triglicerides prior to surgery and it runs in my family but so far everything is excellent, better than ever before in my adult life. This is not the first time that I have heard this but I am not sure we ever got a clear answer as to why.

I made up a lot of dishes but that is how I roll. I would sautée chicken breast, onions, garlic, shredded carrot and then use a low sugar marinara sauce or make your own with pettite diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, Italian seasoning. It was my version of chicken cacciatore and it was delicious, not boring at all. If you like it spicy add some red pepper flakes. I also made taco meat and topped it with cheese and a dab of low fat sour cream. Once I could eat raw veggies I started adding lettuce, tomato and black olives. You can make the taco mean with ground chicken, turkey or 90% or better beef. Soups - I ate a lot of chicken and veggie, beef and veggie, chicken tortilla Soup sans tortilla. There are many many recipes on Pinterest if you search Bariatric foods. I know I have a whole board of recipes I found and new I could change to meet my needs. It has worked wonderful. I will caution you on eating bread, rice, Pasta, sweets or any kind this early on. It's up to you but at the end of the day those types of carbs can cause stalls as well as set you up to crave them. Yes, you will likely go a very long time before you eat a sandwich again but you begin to crave what you eat so please be careful. You did not go through all of this pain and change just to fall into old behaviors. You can do this! Keep your goals front and center and it will happen.