BLERDgirl

Get a bunch of samples and try them. Try powders, pre-made and protein waters/drinks. A few popular brands are premiere protein, genepro, isopure, syntrax, unjury to name just a few. There are soy isolates, whey isolates and plant based formulas. Most nutritionist recommend whey isolate. Concentrates are not as potent. Unflavored powders can often be mixed into warm things like soups, broths, and teas. I did not have a pre-op diet, but I was on full liquids for the first 2 weeks post-op. By week one I was tired of the same drink so I began experimenting. If I hadn't figured out a way to add variety I would have gone nuts. Word of advice; buy only enough to last the first week or two post-op. Some people's palate's change after surgery. Some people become lactose intolerant. Save your receipts in the event you need to return something because these drinks can get pricey.

You've gotten good suggestions. In Store Vitamin Shoppe ad GNC are great places to go. Whole Foods and most drugs stores also carry Protein shakes and powders. I am the rare person who hated the taste of premiere protein. I like Isopure. I can drink their green tea, black tea with lemon and coconut waters. I also liked CVS brand Protein powder. Try to get a variety and try to find one that can be mixed with Soups and teas. I also ate and still eat loads of FAGE 0% greek yogurt. Early on I used to make a Soup by pureeing Beans, straining it and thinning it with vegetable broth. Add in a ½ scoop of unflavored protein powder and it makes for a great high protein, nutritious soup.

Echoing the above. At 2 weeks I felt great and returned to working out with my doctor's blessing. I had one incision that took a little longer to scab over so I had to wait 3 weeks to resume Water aerobics which is my main exercise.

Add some natural fiber to your diet & up your water. I was blending spinach into my protein shakes from day 1. It doesn't really change the flavor but it does turn it green. I also get fiber & protein from beans. Early on I puréed them and mixed with veg broth & unflavored protein powder for a protein packed soup. At 10 mths my BMs are pretty much back to normal. I go at least once a day, sometimes even more.

Slow is not necessarily a bad thing. It gives your skin more time to recover & may lessen the amount of sag you have.

Also keep in mind the weight loss is different based on age, pre-existing conditions & co-morbidities and sex. As for total loss, those who did preop diets will almost always have bigger numbers than you. I didn't have a preop diet so my total lbs loss at 10 mths is different than those who did. That said, I am happy & pleased with how my body feels & looks. Even though I still have a long way to go, I know I can do this.

Where did you find this?

@lauraellen80 - I had a pretty big weight loss the first 2 weeks. I lost 26 lbs. However I was also pretty big to start with. My highest weight was 414, day of surgery I was 412. However at my 6 week f/u I only lost 6 more. Still 32lbs in 6 weeks was a good start. After that things settled down and I've lost between 10 -12 lbs a month pretty much consistently. Like @@VSGAnn2014 said, at the end of the day it doesn't really matter. What matters is that you make the lifestyle changes necessary to lose consistently and maintain it. Those initial big numbers are likely to never be repeated.

This question is a slippery slope. Some people are fast losers and some are slow losers. Some even gain weight in that first month. What often happens with post like this are the majority of the post are from people who experience big loses. If you aren't one of them you may be setting yourself up fro discouragement. Take the responses here with a large grain of salt and NEVER compare your weight loss journey to someone else's. There are too many contributing factors to guarantee just because one person lost 30 pounds in one month that you will as well. If you are a slow loser and lose 10 lbs in that first month you may feel bad. Worse yet, if you are the random person who gains 5 lbs (it happens) you may really feel bad.

it varies greatly. Sucrolouse (Splenda) which is sugar based is really popular. If it says "no artificial sweeteners) it's typically stevia which is derived from the stevia plant. I prefer to buy unflavored whey & make my own in the nutra bullet

Most people try to keep carbs at 50 or lower. Most doctor's recommend at least 60gms of Protein. My carbs run higher because I'm vegetarian so a lot of my plant base Proteins contain carbs. My carbs run in the 50 - 70 range. I also find I lose better when my protein is at least 75gms or higher @@MoJo119 are you tracking your food? The only way I figured out what works for me was by examining my food log.

One scrambled really soft to an almost custard consistency with a bit of Greek yogurt & shredded cheese mixed in. The first one took me nearly an hour to eat.

I can eat 1and a half.

Sounds like dumping to me. It may be a combo of the spices and fat in the broth. At home you are likely to go easy on them, but you can't be sure in a restaurant. FYI - While it is not uncommon to have loose BM's while on all liquids, it does not happen to everybody.

Pretty much everything. Added to yogurt and mix ins of choice for morning protein drink, mixed with cold yogurt for an extra protein punch. Added to coffee or tea and added to soups or broth.

Listen to your body and talk to your doctor. I did a lot of walking the first week, light exercise the second and was back to water aerobics (including squats) by week 3. However I had literally no pain or issues throughout the entire processed. I was able to walk in recovery and didn't use any pain meds from day1. I checked in with my nurse and surgeon before advancing to all activities.

There isn't a forum, but I can create a new thread once I get home

Agreed. Eggs were allowed for me in the purée stage but you should follow YOUR doctor's advice

Because your tummy is tiny you don't want to fill up on fluids. Also drinking while eating may push the foods through before your tummy has a chance to begin digesting. I would advise taking even smaller bites and chewing more. Only take the tiniest of sips if you absolutely have to. Even then it should only be water you are sipping on. The sugar & carbs in something like a cordial are most likely too high for your calorie count.

I thought I didn't have one either. The other day I was reading my op notes. Apparently they put it in while I was out & removed it before I woke up.

If they do use one they typically put it in once you are out and remove it before you wake up. I doubt you'll know you had one.

What are you eating/drinking? If you are have diarrhea, it may be digestive issues.

I think it's likely part from column A, part from column B. Part ketosis, part a side effect of the vitamins and partly not getting enough water. I try to go beyond my 64 of fluid. I just aim for drinking until my urine is pale. For some reason post WLS it take a lot more water to get to that point than it did pre WLS.

I didn't take pictures before but they were raised, red and lumpy. I'm Black and tend to keloid. I used scarfade gel initially. I've used it on scars I had on my face from shingles and knew it worked really well for me. That flattened them and helped reduce the redness. When I ran out I was using bio-oil . This helped fade them a bit. You can still see one or two ,but most are unnoticeable.

What time did you stop eating today? The liquid diet is a matter of preference that varies doctor to doctor. However when stop eating the day before surgery is important because that food may still be in your stomach/system being digested. That can sometimes cause problems. They will likely review with your last time you ate/drank anything. Be honest with them.