BLERDgirl

Like many things this is probably something that varies from program to program. Some doctor's may require that and others may not.

That's a lot to be hit with at once. So sorry to hear about your son. However, you are to be commended for trying. You didn't let yourself fall down a pity hole. You got out the scales, weight and measured. You are taking all the right steps. Just keep doing the best your can. That's all that anyone can reasonably expect

Depending on where you live you may also want to check out Vitamin Shoppe and GNC. They both have membership cards although you pay for GNC's. The coupons and discounts make it worth it. If you buy something you don't like, it's easy to return with a receipt.

You can work this out for free with your nutritionist. In my handbook it list not only recommended shakes, powders, etc.. but it included sample meals plans for each eating stage. Your NUT can help you develop something similar. Call them. I tried several powders, drink etc.. pre-op but only bought 2 weeks worth for post-op life. I wanted to make sure I liked and could tolerate whatever I purchased. I also did a variety of things including buying kefir from the market.

I'm at 40C down from a 46DD. I had no choice, my bra cups were saggy and sad looking under my clothes. First I wore a few bras that had gotten too small. Now I just buy 2 -3 and wash them out at night. I used to love having a bra wardrobe, but it doesn't make sense while I am not getting that much wear out of them. And here's a vanity tip. When you girls are sitting where they should be it makes your torso look leaner and longer.

Email the company and ask. They were very responsive when I emailed them asking if using the powder in warm things like Soups or coffee would denature it. I'd be interested to hear the response. I'm trying to cut back on how much I supplement, but I like having the powder on hand for days when I'm not really hungry.

If I understand this correctly it's another variation of Phentermine. I guess my question is are you planning to take this under medical supervision or just buy it on your own? Personally I am against so called weight loss drugs. For me the risk to your health far outweigh the weight loss, especially if you are not taking this under a doctor's care. I would look into getting some supports for caring for your mother and tending properly to your health. Shortness of breath +speed sounds like a recipe for trouble. If you can get a home health aid to assist you with caring for your mom, perhaps use some of the maintenance skills linked above. Sounds like you need to be food prepping so that your diet is more balanced to correct your anemia or at least plan better Snacks. I'd be trying to focus more on eating better than exercise.

Call the doctor. Regardless of insurance, no need putting your health at risk.

Sounds like this Doctor needs to get rid of Gina. She is costing him business. I had my surgery done via robot and couldn't be happier.

Feet first. By the time I came home from the hospital, they were notably smaller. Now it's from the top down. My upper body is a size smaller than my lower half. My hips and thighs require exercise.

Perfectly normal. You will have stops and stalls.

@@Fatty McFatster - focus on the protein, fluid and exercise. We have enough fat reserves to eat low cal for a while. As a male you could even try increasing your protein goals. I aim for 100gms a day. If you are unclear, call your nutritionist and have them review your eating plan.

This is the mental work of WLS. Use this as a learning experience. 1. Develop a list of 3 or 4 things to do the next time you are feeling this stressed that do not include food. Write them down. 2. Find something positive to say about yourself. Try saying something like you reacted negatively to stress instead of calling yourself a hog. You are not a hog. Love yourself enough to no longer allow anyone, yourself included to call you names.

As others have mentioned dumping is rare in sleevers. That doesn't mean there won't be foods that disagree with you, but in general if you eat slowly and remember to separate eating from drinking you should be fine. I am 14 mths out and have never experienced dumping.

This was the same issue with aspertame/sweet n low. In the 70's they came out with this study showing how it caused cancer in lab rats or something but the truth was it was an outrageously high level that the rats were given. I'm not knocking anyone's choice of sweetener. They all have pros and cons. To the OP, if you like splenda, and your NUT okays it, go for it. My body reacts to most artificial sweetners and stevia. I seem able to tolerate small amounts of sucrolose and monkfruit, but I don't push it. I find agave & brown rice syrup too sweet. Raw honey is my sweetener of choice if I am adding it to a beverage. Keep in mind most flavored Protein powders & bars have some variation of a sweetener. Like I said, pick your poison. That's really the best we can do.

No artificial sweetener is really that good for use. There are pros and cons to using them all of them as @@jess9395 pointed out. Even the sold called stevia is not real stevia. It's a processed stevia, usually mixed with dextrose or something to make it shelf stable. Stevia herb is green because it's just the dried leaves from the stevia plant ground to a powder. They also do the same thing with monkfruit. This allows them to call monkfruit and stevia based sweeteners "all natural". So I say, pick your poison and go with the one you like. I have used the monkfruit sweetener but ultimately I prefer raw honey or real sugar. I just plain for the extra calories. It's not the product that puts on the weight, it's the over use of it.

Perfectly normal. many don't feel any constriction until they are on more solid foods.

nothing. tummy made of steel.

Is there a medical reason why you have a PICC line at 8 weeks post op? Are you getting parenteral nutrition? For most of us between 6 -8 weeks is when we are allowed all foods as tolerated. My question is whether this would be too heavy. If you like tacos, a small one could fit into your eating plan by following the basic WLS rule; Protein first then veg. Just be careful not to overdo it.

There's a medical term for that. Orthostatic hypotension It can be a lack of Water or your blood pressure. If it persist call the doctor and get checked out.

Sounds like me. I worked out pre-op. I swear having a stronger core made recuperating easier. I felt sore, but not in any real pain. I was able to get out of the bed to use the bathroom in recovery. I was an "active fat" I did Water aerobics 4 -5 days a week pre-op. Returned to the pool on week 3. I was and am a vegetarian. Eat clean a good 80 - 90% of the time. Can't do artificial sugars or food dyes and don't drink sodas or a lot of highly processed foods. Yes I was still fat. In part to to hormonal issues, in part due to health conditions (pituitary tumor), in part due to meds that make weight loss a challenge and in part to disordered eating/skipping meals/not eating enough one day, too much another day. I'm not a weight lifter, but I have made great effort to increase my protein. For the first year I supplemented. My goal this year is to have supplements decrease to no more than 10% of my daily intake. I will say as long as I met my Fluid and protein goals I never felt weak or tired. One thing I will say is key; find a program that meets your needs. That includes post op life. Part of what I liked with my program is they listened to me. Once my nutritionist understood I knew what I was talking about, her manner of speaking to me changed. I like feeling I can approach them with questions and get answers. They tend start at a low, basic level because that's where most people are. I like feeling that there is more of a give and take in the discussions.

@@LipstickLady - Thanks! Going to look for those. Unless I go to the dinner movie theater, I usually have to grab mine from Whole Foods.

Speaking of edamame, I went to the movies this weekend and they offered them as a snack. I was super happy to have a safe movie snack!