CanyonBaby

Adding to what Babbs has said, some don't lose any the first couple of weeks (could be water weight...), so don't be surprised if this happens to you. It WILL come off, if you follow your prescribed plan. All the best to you.....

Try unflavored Protein powder mixed with cold water and Water Enhancer drops, to relieve the boredom of shakes. You can find them in the grocery store. Also, keep LOTS of sugar-free popsicles on hand for the crunch/chew you will want to be doing. Good luck and let us know how you do!

Let us know how your trip goes...I hope it is for having fun in some awesome place! Godspeed....

Well done, sir! You have done a great thing for yourself AND your family, they must be soooo proud! And you should be, as well. Your statement says everything....thanks for putting it out there!

I can't help with the eating issues, but I CAN say if you're going to eat, eat as many "FRIGGIN" popsicles you want (sugar-free, of course), and give that roommate a good "FRIGGIN" for me, too! Seriously, I am so glad you came here with this. We all have some kind of food issue, that's why we are in the spot we are in. Sharing our frustrations AND our victories with those who have similar situations is an awesome way to go. It helps lighten our load, and helps us to see PAST the immediate situation, into the promising future. Have you thought about getting a new roommate? Just an idea.....OH! And best of luck to you on your surgery!!! Let us know how it goes!

If I could just say to all that are about to have their surgeries, and to those who are just starting the process, please read what others have posted about what happens AFTER the surgery. I read so many posts about depression, hair loss, relationships turning sour, mourning of food, loose skin, complications of surgery......... Just read, get informed, BE PREPARED for what could be the wildest ride physically and emotionally of your life! It is a rough road, and sometimes it gets even rougher. Do NOT go into it thinking it is easy, painless, simple, and a cure-all to obesity. It is a long road, an arduous road. You may lose friends, you WILL lose weight. You may gain weight back. You WON'T get your stomach back. You more than likely will get depressed. You WILL have hormonal changes. You will have struggles that seem Never-ending. BUTTTTTT.....these things pass. You need to TRULY have the strength and diligence that is mentally REQUIRED to do this. Before you go into this process, this surgery, read the list above that I have made. Look in the mirror and ask if you can handle this. CAN you handle this? I don't write these things to scare people off, but to PREPARE you for what is ahead. And it IS AHEAD! I wish someone would have made me read all that folks have written about their experiences. And I'm sure others feel the same way. I wish you all the best, the safest of surgeries, and hope you find the support you will need to go through this AWESOME adventure!

@@une nouvelle vie You humble me, and I THANK YOU! Your intestinal fortitude is a force to be reckoned with, and I am proud AND glad you responded as you did. So many just WON'T get it. YOU DO!!! Thank you, again.

Ok. I had a thought last night (as my cat would NOT let me sleep - too much sneezing - I never knew cats could catch colds!!!). Did you (like I) notice the easing of your pain when you went on your pre-op diet? My arthritis pain in my lower back and hips left me ENTIRELY until about 2 weeks out from surgery. Then it came back in full force, all of a sudden-like. I was totally off any pain meds (under Dr. orders, for the surgery), and only on the liquid pre-op diet. My NUT and I think the inflammation is being caused by something I eat, because there doesn't seem to be any other explanation for it. I am trying to pin-point what food it could be, but no luck so far. I have ruled out dairy (that's what she said it could be - apparently it can really play a large role in inflammation) because I have been drinking the Protein shakes with whey powder in them, both during and after the surgery. HOWEVER, it could be dairy, because the processing of Protein Shakes may neutralize (or whatever you want to call it) the whatever it is that is or is in whey, and things like milk, cottage cheese, cheeses...may undergo a different type of processing that doesn't affect the dairy in the same way (I know this is very confusing, I'm just trying to figure it all out!). But I am really starting to think it may just be the dairy, because the other things I eat (protein, carbs...and the different varieties of such) don't appear to have inflammatory effects. Or as much, anyway. So I guess I am going to try to 1. re-evaluate my pre-op diet, to see what I omitted then that I am now eating again. 2. Evaluate the dairy I am eating now, then try to test the results of them (go off of each item individually) to see which - if any - are contributing to or actually causing my inflammation. If you haven't thought about this yet, or tried any of this yet, it is an idea. I'd love to have that time back where I was in no pain (during the pre-op and post-op periods). SOMETHING is causing it, I believe, from the foods I ate before and the foods I now eat. The plot thickens.........

@@blondebomb And to that a big AMEN!

I never understand why people feel the need to interject themselves into other people's business/lives when they have not been "invited" there. Most of the time I can get away with big smile and a "ain't it great!" and walk off, but then there are times where it is all I can do to hold my tongue. Because my tongue is a nasty one, when aroused in the wrong way. And then I can't take it back. And then I have to live with the consequences of my tongue. And then I have to STILL live with the morons with which I have just engaged. It always comes back to me. I guess I'll just smile and be happy with ME!

@@amchurch12000 Yes, even though they don't flavor it (hence the "unflavored" description of the product), there definitely is one! It sure sounds like you have an intolerance to it. Maybe call your NUT for suggestions. There are other types of Protein out there. Let us know what you find out and figure out what is good for you, if you don't mind. Thanks!

I am disgusted with Protein shakes and the cardboard stuff they call Protein Bars. So I made a new (for me it's new, anyway) drink that I think actually tastes good, has less calories than the shakes and bars do (at least the brands I've used), and is fairly inexpensive! Here's the scoop (PUN intended!): I use an unflavored Protein powder (whey powder) that has 25 grams of protein per scoop (30 gram scoop), a large glass of very cold Water, and a few drops of liquid Water Enhancer (which has up to 10 calories per serving, depending on the brand you use). Stir really well (you may have to keep stirring throughout the drinking part, to keep it mixed), or use a blender... to mix it - I don't like using the faster blending methods - too foamy for me. It will be cloudy from the powder, but the taste is, in my opinion, millions of times better than the shakes and bars. And it is not too thick and gross. The brands of liquid water enhancers I use are Nestea (tried iced tea with lemon and peach iced tea flavors), Sunkist (tried Orange Citrus), Minute Maid (tried Fruit Punch and Mango) and Lipton Tea and Honey (tried black Cherry Dragonfruit and lemon flavors). They mix fairly well, and the large variety of flavors available is fantastic, I don't get tired of them! The calories from the whey powder is 125. I get my protein powder from Amazon.com. Since I am now on this for life, I have found that if I buy it in larger quantities it is less expensive. I try to drink 2 of these dinks per day, and supplement with other sources of protein to get in my daily quota. I am anticipating summer and making slushy-type drinks, or smoothies with this blend. I might even try making an ice treat with it! Have fun and enjoy!

@@Wendyfm I'll bet you get lots of compliments...let me know!

And now, my friend, it is time to make friends with...YOU! See you from the OUTSIDE looking in...what I mean is this: Imagine you are looking at yourself, as if in a dream. You can see yourself moving about, doing things..... Now see the INNER you. The REAL you! For the REAL you is NOT your body, it is your heart, your soul! And it is a beautiful thing! Separate the two, body...soul. Love the soul, work on the body. The surgery on the 16th is just the beginning of your new life! Your family loves you, the real you. The surgery will help your body "bloom"! With tender loving care, it will become what you have only dreamed about before. Like any garden, it will need tending; pruning, weeding out of bad thoughts AND bad habits. It will need LOTS of watering, it will need proper nourishment. It will need you to get rid of the "pests" that will devour it and destroy it (bad thoughts, nasty people). With hard work and diligence, you will get rid of the thorns that have made your life miserable to this point. And like any vine, it will need SUPPORT! You have come to the right place! Good luck to you friend, and all the best.....

One thing to remember, you CANNOT make her (or anyone else) jealous. It is THEIR problem. So don't feel guilty about that. You know what they say "Guilt is the work of the devil", and it is. Jealousy is something that comes from within, not from what is outside. So, now that's dealt with, onto the other issue here: YOU! How do YOU feel about you? If you are happy with you, that's as it should be. How she feels is important to you, yes, but is it important enough to make you feel bad about your success? How about potentially ruining your success? If someone can't GROW with you, sometimes you have to OUTGROW them. They can keep up, or not, it's their choice, and one you cannot make for them. Have a frank discussion with her, lay it on the line. Tell how you value her and her friendship, but it's time to get past the immaturity and "grow on". Either grow together, or grow apart. Her decision. Good luck to you, dear one...

SOOOOOO proud of you, and AM feeling your JOY! Pictures, please!

No, not failing. Failing is giving up, the fact hat you did this surgery SCREAMS success! It's just time to figure things out. It's like I told my husband earlier today: I have 3 things I have to figure out; IF I am hungry. IF I am thirsty. IF it is my head. S, the first one I can tell when I get ornery, shaky, low on energy. The second one is pretty obvious to me; my tummy isn't hungry (I'm learning to truly FEEL the condition of the tummy, weight in it, all the symptoms previously mentioned for hunger). Third: none of the above, plus it's not time yet to eat, plus I'm bored, plus I'm watching/thinking/reading/seeing food or food-related things (TV, cookbook, magazine, am in the kitchen, watching husband eat.....). Any and or all of the above. If I can refocus, I'm good. If I drink a ton (gallon?!) of beverage, I'm good. If it is snack time, eat. If not, GO DO SOMETHING! Get your mind OFF of it, no matter what you have to do. And that's what I'm doing! Good luck to you, too!

How are you with the unflavored protein powder? Does it bother you, as well? If so, I'm thinking you may have a serious intolerance of whey, and may have to find an alternate source for protein. Soy (tofu), pea, and others are out there, maybe do a google search. Have you tried any alternatives yet? How are they on your new tummy? I guess I would call you NUT to see if they have any suggestions for you. All the best to you....

8 weeks, which is the standard for my surgical office. I know it takes longer than most, but I'm glad it did, because I think being that far out allows for full healing, thus I have had absolutely no issues with ANY type of food since I started on the normal foods.

I had a sneaking suspicion you would start to like shopping! It is creeping in where you wouldn't expect it! Have you gone to a salon about your hair? If you haven't for awhile, you might find they have some tricks up their sleeves for the issues you (and all of us!!!) have. And a special treat for yourself doesn't hurt, either! Since I had breast surgery years ago, I have a very challenging time finding bras, and now it is even worse. So I have been going with Barely There, which kinds stretches over the "awkward" areas. BUT they don't conceal enough for me, so I have to use inserts for that. Sure would like to find a type/brand that has all that built in, so I can just throw and go! My joy today was at the Harley-Davidson dealership, where I could wrap around me a jacket in the size that used to be too small for me. I just couldn't stop laughing about it! Poor sale's gal never did understand......

Thanks for the reminders. Today I threw out the remainder of a sandwich that cost me almost $9.00, and it was hard to do, as I had only had a third of it. But I knew it was going to be gross later on, I knew I not only shouldn't but COULDN"T eat any more of it, knew ahead of time it was going to come to this, but it still hurts - the pocket-book as well as the mind-set of normally finishing a meal (clean-your-plate mentality). It's gonna take me awhile to get this through my head! I need a new Psyche!!!

I can relate (I guess we ALL can!!!), today I went to the Harley-Davidson dealership just to see what was new in motorclothes. I tried on this jacket in the sale section, it was a 2x. Last summer there would be no way it would fit, it would've been too small. Today I could wrap the darn thing AROUND me!!!!! The salesgirl couldn't figure out why I was laughing to the point of tears! Normally I would have loved finding a pink leather jacket in my size, today I was laughing because there WEREN'T any in MY size, a large! NSV of a different sort!

It sure sounds like gas pain, from the gas the "blow you up" with during the surgery. If you start walking everytime you feel it, it should start dissipating soon. The heating pad should help with the back. Feel better soon!

Totally normal, kids! A lot of us go through this, and it shouldn't last too long. I am 4 months out, and still have my "frozen" moments, but it has definitely dropped off. It used to be so severe, I would be all bundled up plus have my heating blanket on! Now it comes and goes. I think it is just the metabolism readjusting, plus the loss of "blubber" (in my case!!!), plus the fact that the body has NO STINKIN' IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO IT and is now in utter survival mode, sending all vital heat to the core. Just another thing to endure as we plod along finding total joy in WLS!!!

When was your surgery? It could be spasms. Did you have your gallbladder out during the surgery? Could be gallbladder pain. How severe is the pain? It would probably be a good idea to call your surgical team, if you are concerned. Try a warm heating pad for 10 minutes (not hot) to see if that helps. Let us know how it goes...Good luck to you.