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@@JamieLogical You are so correct, I too am finding it funnier and funnier how different people are told such radically different things from people who profess to be all about bariatric nutrition. @@VSGAnn2014 I had a little lol, yeah we'll talk about it. You talk, i'll shake my head, but the probiotics will be here today and I'll start taking them then. Then next Wednesday, she can say whatever she wants, I'll just yes her to death. She may even be like, okay go ahead, whatever.

This is a direct quote from my surgeon and how he opens the informational seminars. "There is only one, lifelong, successful tool for treating morbid obesity, bariatric surgery" He goes on, and feel free to read the latest in JAMA these numbers are real, Weight Watchers, system wide, has a 8% success rate. That is not winning. You may do well for a month, or a year, but it's just another yo-yo diet. Even a Bypass is not a cure, it is a tool. My best friend went through this 10 or so years ago, and has yet to create a drop of sweat due to exercise. So he went from 700 lbs to his current and sustained for the last eight years 400 lbs. He eats whatever he wants, when he wants. He does not dump. His ass, gives him a hard time occasionally, but that is most likely diet. He is dying. He is chronically anemic, in fact it is so bad, the ONLY way he can get Iron is to go sit for a one hour slow infusion of iron at the hospital 3 days a week every 3 weeks. He's on 250,000 IU of Vitamin D and still low. As are a number of other Vitamins and minerals. Does he take a multi? Nope. He's just waiting to die at this point. So, your friend had a bypass and is not going to make the deep changes needed for success. There are a lot of people who lose weight and gain it all back, only now they get to take supplements for life. You can fail at this too if you are unwilling to put the work in. Portion control works well in the early stages but the pouch stretches over time. You have to limit yourself to what you are supposed to eat. The future for your friend does not bode well. She should see a therapist and fast, to get over her food issues, she still has it in her to be a success, but with her current attitude, sadly, and not to be a negative nelly, but she does not sound like she will be.

I did some research on which brands are the best (found a couple of independent labs that do that sort of stuff) settled on the #3 rated one across multiple tests, ordered from Amazon, talked to NUT and she was like, WHOA there, bring it with you next Wednesday for your one month and we'll discuss it. She said I usually don't allow supplements until the 2 month checkup. I retorted, um, not to be disrespectful but you do realize what is in all this yogurt I eat.... daily.... Probiotics. She said we'll talk about it. So one more week of unpredictable ass, at least. It's actually been pretty good for the last couple days. No Volcano Ass to speak of, had a few emergency runs, but it was gas, and had it not my hallway outside the bathroom would look and smell quite different now.

If you opt to go to the November 10th meeting, bring a voice recorder, place it on the table, and explain you are recording this appointment at the request of counsel. That will put the fear of god in the surgeon. Force him to explain, in graphic detail what "difficulty making my pouch" means. If he tries to shrug it off, or talk over you, or around you, note the voice recorder and that what he says is admissible in court. Two reasons for the voice recorder, first, duh, lawsuit. Second and probably at this time more important, for you to bring to the next surgeon and say, "here is what the last tool said" it may lead to them understanding whatever may have happened without having to do exploratory surgery. Oh and those papers you signed very near the time of surgery, you know the ones that supposedly indemnify the surgeon "This surgical procedure is not designed to treat any specific condition" blah blah. That is how the surgeon will try to hide when the malpractice suit begins. He'll say he promised you nothing. The judge will toss that, as the surgeon did indeed provide a service that he was well compensated for, you, as a customer has a reasonable expectation that said surgery will provide the benefits clearly explained to my by the surgeon. Remember the only way in America that you can sign your rights away is to join the Military. As I see it, if you do decide to go down the legal road, here is what you would need to do. First give your current surgeon a chance to fix his mistake, again voice recorder is critical, if he refuses to speak with a recorder on, ask him why? It is your right to record the conversation. If his lips even move, note to him, that HIS office records EVERYTHING that happens when you are there, why is there no reciprocity? Second, if he does go on record, and says, everything is fine, get the explanation on tape about what was so hard about making your pouch. Request a copy of your records before you leave the office. Seek new surgeon. Play the voice recording, and show him the OR records. And get fixed. This is known as "The Win". You are not going to get millions of dollars, but a couple hundred grand for pain and suffering as well as punitive damages is reasonable. More if the surgery to repair the prior surgeon's work is especially difficult, and showing errors. Start the process of seeking the best medical malpractice lawyer in your state. Yes, state. Never limit yourself to local. In fact that can be bad, as the closer in proximity to one another the Doctor and Lawyer are the better the chance they have crossed paths before. Anyways, /rant off

I feel like such an idiot, but the allure of hitting the scale proved too much for me this morning...... Down 4 pounds. And that is after pee number one, I don't know about all of you, but I get so much liquid in me that my "floor weight" cannot be determined until after pee number two in the am. At least the scale did not go up! I have two more days this week to lose weight before my official weight in on Friday morning. I'd go for my am walk, but it's 03:15 and fargin cold outside, oh and dark. The park system where I walk is great, however, it's massive and reclusive, and a number of homeless setup tents in the woods and sleep there overnight. Between 0500 and 0600 when the local corner stores open, they start drinking, I've had to put down several, let me restate, I was forced to take aggressive action to subdue drunken idiots on several occasions. No police, I was also kind enough not to break any bones or do any serious damage, just make my point "Don't F with me" and move along. My fear, is the duo, one or two of which is armed, I can drop one quick, but if the second pulls a (insert weapon here) I don't know how casually I would take it. And honestly the last thing I need is to be on the news for killing an armed homeless alcoholic. Thusly the end of an overly long paragraph is I try to avoid the park before the sun comes up, as the homeless take down their tents and move out before the police begin patrols. I guess tomorrow will be the real testing point. If I continue to lose weight, the stall lasted nearly a week, if not it's still going on, and today was just a 'teaser'. BTW my NUT indicated that "The Dreaded Three Week Stall" happens for a reason. She said, "You ever notice how it's always right after a dietary change?" then she went on to describe a variety of different dietary reasons that could cause a stall, but her logic was sound. This did not happen until the day I began eating pureed foods instead of liquids. I am not saying it's not real, obviously it is, nor am I saying that anyone is doing anything wrong, it may just be, the body reacting to a new diet component or something. Anyway, Thanks for those who posted.

@ Thanks so 1/3 of a pound of each. Got it. Looking forward to this, I need a good go to meal I can make in bulk and freeze individual portions, this may work!! Fiber, check, Protein, check, low cal, check, low fat, check.!! <3

@@Threetimesacharm 20 years in New York. I don't drive, I walk everywhere. I was also in the military and despite having more vehicles that you can count, they LOOOOOOVE to march everywhere. I just have very strong legs and a ton of stamina. I shoot for about 700 calories a day, some days I am under, some over. I don't feel any massive restriction when I eat, I feel as if I could go on, but I weigh my portions and eat what I supposed to eat. I am also fully aware of the Honeymoon period, in fact I yelled at just about everyone who told me to back off post op, when my Surgeon was like WTF, get marching! I told them all, they cost me 2 weeks of time I will never get back, and while well intentioned, unless any of my friends suddenly becomes a Doctor to more or less either support me or STFU when it comes to what I am doing. I just got off the phone with my NUT and she has no issues whatsoever with my increase in mileage in my AM walk. In fact when I gave her the numbers, HR, Cadence, speed, time, she was very happy. Next week I start stage 4 of the diet, and that is when things will start to get interesting. As I can eat real food again, and actually chew, lol. Thanks to everyone who posted, but as I said before, I feel like a tool for not using the search feature, this is a well documented things, the stall that is.

@@goblue9280 From your mouth to my scales ear...... I have decided to just avoid the damned scale until Friday. I mean it's mathematically impossible to run a 3K calorie deficit every day and not lose weight. Backed up intestines, or Water retention will add some, but at some point that has to give as well.

@@Inner Surfer Girl Great article, Embrace the Stall. I lost a great deal of weight very quickly after surgery, and I was not being very active, because, bascially everyone was screaming at me to back off, and heal. So I did. Two week Doctors appointment, he admonished me for not pushing the limits of my walking. I was walking 5.2 miles in the am, every day for a year before surgery, it just was not a challenge anymore, I mean my heart rate was not even breaking 100. So, I added 1.5 miles and now it's a great workout again. But I get the stall thing more, now. I still feel like a tool because I did not research it prior to posting. Thanks for the help and direction.

@@Inner Surfer Girl I have not spoken to my NUT since this just began at the end of last week and persisted over the weekend. She was off yesterday, I expect a call from her today. That being said, she is super easy going. I do not have an eat between x and y calorie target. It's just don't overdo it. The topic I had for her is when is it best to drink my am Protein shake, before or after my walk. There are a ton of articles both ways, I think before makes more sense though.

@2goldengirl I was walking 12-14K steps a day while still in the Hospital. At my two week check in, my Doctor wanted to know what I was up to, and I told him I had stepped back, slowed down, and he admonished me, he told me to get out and get pushing! He'll be thrilled I have increased my walk, and it's really just that, a long walk. I drink 32oz of Water while doing it and wear a long, tight undershirt that holds my fat in place, so I am not jiggling. Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it though, but the more I read it sounds like the dreaded three week stall, and there is not a lot I can do about it, except keep at it.

The first part I guess I get. The second, that's going to be hard. I look forward to getting on the scale, it's like my own little reward for everything I have been through the day(s) prior. Perhaps, for this week, I am better off just checking on Friday and either being happy or really pissed, lol.

@@MeMe8264 Now I feel like a tool for not searching. I did google it, but kept coming up with sleeve results, and I expect that is different than RNY BP. Thanks

Tell me more about this "Legendary Stall"......... please.

@@dhrguru Thank you for reminding me, I too never stand still. It's another trick I discovered, if I am waiting for a bus or anything, I am walking laps. The people at the bus station think I am a meth head, but whatever, I get there 15 minutes early, and walk laps around the building for 15 minutes until my bus is ready. Same thing with a Doctors appointment, if I am 1/2 hour early, i'll go outside and walk around the building for 25 minutes then head back inside. This developed not so much as a healthy choice, it hurts to sit for long periods, I had no ass before surgery, now, it's worse. lol.

Now THAT is something to be proud of!! I'll get there I am only 3 weeks out, but down 32 pounds, so just starting, lol

@@gpmed I completely agree on the Fucktard surgeon. Look for the silver lining though, get to a center of excellence and have fixed whatever Dr.IHaveATurnForABrain fu*ked up, get a lawyer, sue, and the KEY to winning that case, is that you have DOCUMENTATION that you gave the aforementioned Dr. a chance to fix his mistake (KEEP CELL PHONE RECORDS TO HIS OFFICE and get ANYTHING you can WRITTEN from him, even if it is a copy of your chart at your next visit) Courts look at malpractice this way, anyone can make a mistake, especially in a hectic surgery setting where life and death decisions are made in split seconds. What a court will NOT tolerate, and what they pay BIG bucks for is pain and suffering and Punitive damages when you HAVE GIVEN THE DOCTOR A CHANCE OR MANY TO FIX HIS MISTAKE. Courts are very reasonable places where outcomes often times are determined long before a trial, such as your case. Your surgeons insurance would settle, as you have a problem, you have been vocal about it, yet the surgeon refuses to fix it. That is not a reasonable action, and a court would admonish such a surgeon, perhaps to the point of sending a letter to the States medical board recommending the revocation of his license to practice medicine. In addition, the burden of proof lies on you. Look up your states laws on recording phone calls, if you can record them, use your cell and any of the billion conversation recording tools, and record you pleading with the Surgeon or PA to help you and fix your problem, the pain, etc. Why am I so evil? I am not. However we have a legal system in place specifically for instances like this. What is important is two things, first and foremost that you and your GF get repaired. Secondly, and this is where the law comes into play, you prevent this from happening again to the next guy. My Mother is a retired Lawyer, I grew up around this, in fact I probably could have been a really good lawyer if chose that option, but that is another story. GO GET FIXED!

I found it funny, I assure you the hospital security staff did not. It was funny at the time though. While I got the guy on the ground in double submission locks, I taunted him.... a lil. When the nurses came in and saw this sight, they called some code, and security, like 10 of them showed up. I started tearing into each one verbally. Then the boss man showed, realized I was too big to secure, asides from restraints, which I did not meet the threshold for, as the first guard attacked me, not the other way. And he realized, leaving 2 or 3 guards in my room to monitor me, would go badly if I decided to get out of bed again, as they would have probably hurt me. So, they left me to my own devices. Next session i'll tell you about how to hack your morphine pump, lol.

@@heather5565 Fitbit was not as high as I expected, I totaled 17K, however I missed my morning walk, so that was 15K I started in the hole. Your words were very kind. I don't see myself as anything special. Just a guy doing his thing. If I can help someone, I will. I have never been on a pedestal before (looks around), it's quite nice up here. lol and thank you, your kind words do as much for me as mine do for you.

@@Kimberly Bouche-Perez A, it's an endoscope. B. "RUN don't Walk to the Hospital and DEMAND an Endoscopy to measure the output port from the pouch to the intestine. I think 10mm is the upper limit size. If it is any larger, boom there is your problem, sadly, reducing the size of this opening, means, quite literally redoing that part of the surgery, and now there is scar tissue to deal with. C. You are a big guy, use that. Hell I do all the time, I have no problem intimidating someone. My surgeon was a Commander in the US Navy, I was a mere Sgt, I see him as an officer, and even refer to him as sir out of habit. He is an outstanding surgeon, who as far as I can tell did a fantastic job. I would never intimidate him, but when my nurses decided (due to low heart rate) to alarm my bed if I got up, we played a game. I got up, they came running, then they called Security, now THAT was fun. This little guy, sat next to my bed and acted all tough. I decided it was time to piss the nurses off and started to get up, the guard sprang from his chair, to stop, me, one wrist lock and an arm bar later, with him on the ground, it was a sh*t show. Funny, the head of security came in and I was like, is that the best you got? They decided to turn the alarm off..... GO GET WELL!!!

@ One pound of each, Kidney, Black and Pinto, or total? And I assume you buy fresh tomatoes and dice them, how big a tomato are we talking? I am just trying to make a visual picture, because by this time next week, i'll be eating this. I think, the whole Crock Pot thing has me a little spooked, there are too damned many of them and I am cheap. lol

@skepchick That sounds tasty and doable, now I just need to get a crock pot...... Why do you use canned Beans instead of dried ones and reconstitute them yourself? I avoid cans (long story), I have like 5 pounds of dried kidney beans here already, I just need to re-hydrate them. I'll get a Crock pot next week and make a batch of this, it sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing!!!

I've been finding that I am wasting a great deal of food due to expiration dates expiring. And I made a Riccotta Bake this evening, and I am thinking that there is no way in hell am I going to use all those materials before they go bad. Aside from making a giant batch and freezing it (I guess I could), has anyone found any good ways to prevent food from spoiling? I tossed like 5 yogurts today, and about 1/3 of a gallon of 2% milk (for coffee, so I don't use a lot each day), and I see a lot more stuff that will go bad before I get a chance to eat it.