Daisee68

Don't panic. All scales are different first (especially if you are weighing at home without clothes and now you have clothes on - hopefully anyway ). Also, not sure how far post-op you are, but 17 pounds is amazing. Many gain right after surgery due to swelling and fluids from surgery and then nearly everyone hits a stall at 3 weeks because your body is adjusting. It's all part of the process. You are doing great. Hang in there! Oh and what are you using for Protein? Have you tried the Premier Protein ready to drink shakes? They are really good. Only 11 oz and 30g of protein. Highly recommend them if you haven't. For powder I use Precision Engineered whey Protein Isolate (be sure to get Isolate). The chocolate is great and the vanilla is too (and it smells heavenly). I add 1/2 scoop of Protein Powder to greek yogurt in addition to using them to make shakes.

@@FocusOnMeNow - I think you misunderstood somewhere. She stopped taking pain meds on day 3. It's a long post, so I am sure you just missed that part.

You need to wait until your surgeon releases you to move to the next phase. Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

Here is the recipe for Ricotta Bake (may be the same one you have above - I cannot see it). Also some other good ideas. http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html I ate a lot of fat free refried Beans with cheese melted on top; hummus (yes just with a spoon); Pimento Cheese spread; Laughing Cow cheese wedges; sugar free pudding with 1/2 scoop Protein Powder mixed in; Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt (Key Lime and strawberry Cheesecake are my favorites) with 1/2 scoop Protein powder mixed in....

I think most people have doubts - not just right before but also right after surgery. I know I did. Hang in there! Perhaps see a therapist that specializes with bariatric patients can help you talk it out?

For what it's worth, I found that the portion size they show on the bottle is way too much, but as long as I use lower amount (sometimes 1/2 tbsp. sometimes 1 tbsp.), then it works pretty well. I use them in shakes but I like the idea above of using it in yogurt. May try that...

@@VSGAnn2014 - What a great list! That's WLS in a nutshell!

@@future Mrs - Welcome! To be fair, this is more assembling than actual cooking.

@@ironpoorer - Glad you got in to see him and all is well!

Congrats!! Getting closer....

@@isa209 - Oh let me tell you that I have weighed pretty much every single day in the last 10 1/2 months (only when I didn't have access to my scale did I miss). As I have neared goal, I need to try and wean off the scale before it drives me crazy so my therapist challenged me to put it away and only weigh once per week. That was Thursday. Today is the first day I actually didn't weigh. So definitely easier for me to say than do!! Keep up the great work!!

Great advice from @KristenLe. You will have to give us more info to help you identify any issues - how much Protein per day are you getting? Carbs? Fat? Calories? etc.... What kind of foods are you eating and how often?

Have you tried Ricotta Bake yet? http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html It is actually pureed food technically but boy does it hit the spot! Good luck! And PS - If you haven't seen this on the board yet, please know that MOST hit a stall at 3 weeks. Do not panic if you do. It is normal. Just stay off the scale if you can and focus on how your clothes are fitting.

@@future Mrs - First, let me be clear. I am not at all saying these are necessarily the healthiest things to be eating, but honestly they aren't too bad. It will cure your wing craving though.... Oh and just eat the dip with a fork. Tiny bites at first. I had a tough time with shredded chicken early on. Buffalo Chicken salad (apologies to the person who posted this originally - I didn't write down the name so I cannot give credit where credit is due!) Shredded chicken breast, about 9 oz. (I usually poach my own, but I've also used canned or rotisserie chicken) 2 oz. crumbled blue cheese 5.3 oz container plain Greek yogurt chopped celery/onion garlic powder/dried dill/S&P to taste Frank's Red Hot until it's at your preferred spice level (as @@Valentina said - take it easy on this until you know if you will tolerate spicy) Buffalo Chicken Hot Dip - not sure where I got this one - probably here also - I have taken this one to parties and it was a hit. No one even knew it had lower fat options in it. • 2 cups Chicken Breast, chopped • 1/2 cup Reduced Fat Blue Cheese Crumbles, crumbled • 6 oz 0% Yogurt • 8 oz Cream Cheese 1/3 Less Fat • 1 tbsp The Original Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Powdered Mix • 1/2 cup Low-moisture Part-skim Sliced Mozzarella Cheese, shredded • 1/2 cup Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce Oh also - not buffalo flavored but if you like lasagna, check out the Ricotta Bake from theworldaccordingtoeggface.com. It is to die for! Basically lasagna without noodles! http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html

Lots of people gain weight immediately after surgery due to fluids given during surgery and swelling. Stay off the scale for a few days. It will all come off (though know now that most encounter a stall at 3 weeks after the immediate drop during the 2nd week). And please don't take bites of anything right now. Your stomach is healing and you could really do damage to yourself. This isn't just about 'will power'. Think of it as having your arm in a sling after shoulder surgery and not being able to go out and toss a baseball around. You have to let your stomach heal. There is a reason for the liquid diet at this stage. As for your boyfriend, please please tell him to stop with the tempting. That is completely unfair and could be detrimental to your health. If he doesn't stop, then kick him to the curb. Your health is the most important.

Ugh. I can only imagine how frustrating that is! So sorry! Hope they figure out what is driving the elevated WBC ASAP!

@@Hey Man - I read all these posts this morning and have been thinking about it all day and want to throw my 2 cents in. I had surgery last June and made the decision to do so in January of the same year; however, it is something I thought about and wrestled with for probably 10 years. And in fact, part of my reasons for not doing it were the exact reasons you mention. And to be honest, even once I decided to have the surgery, I was still in the same frame of mind - moderation. I remember having a total meltdown during the pre-op diet screaming at my sister "How on earth can a person live on 1500 calories?! If I could do that I wouldn't need the damn surgery!" Now at 10 1/2 months post-op, I am still at around 1100-1200 calories per day and satisfied with it. (Oh by the way, I had bypass not sleeve.) I still struggle with my food addiction. (I am not saying that is your issue - you have to decide if it is or not which therapy finally made me realize.) I don't struggle as much everyday as I used to, but it is always going to be the monkey on my back (or well it will be something I have to be aware and cautious of the rest of my life.) I LOVE chips and cheez-its and I mean LOVE. I always think I can do "moderation" and I will buy them and even portion out and count my 1 oz portion the first few times and then all of sudden, I cannot take it any longer and grab that bag and eat until I am miserable. Why? Because I am an addict and for me, this is a slippery slope. Does it mean I am going to quit eating those things completely? Probably not, but I do have to have a better strategy for it (like not having them in my home). What I am still amazed by though is sort of what I think you might be getting at and that is that the surgery gives you a jump on the issue. Look it is way easier to avoid potato chips when I see the scale dropping, but I also think the diet restriction (especially in the first few months) gives you a head start and you start craving better / healthier foods. My food tracker is my barometer - not everyone tracks, but for me, it allows me to see what nutrients I have had that day and what nutrients I still need to get in for the day. I am a very visual person, so I need that check and balance. (There is something about accountability when you actually have to face it and be honest with yourself and write it down too.) I don't eat as healthy or clean as some people on this board do. Nor do I exercise as much. Is that the right way to do it? Probably not, but when I look at how I eat or how much I exercise now versus how it was a year ago, I know that I have made huge strides and I am still growing and changing in that area. My therapist (who I continue to see even this far out and will see for at least 2 years post-op) constantly reminds me that I was obese and lived with those thoughts and habits for many years (at least 30 years if not more), so how can I expect them to change completely in 10 months? I can't. But what I can see is that I am continually changing and that the surgery gave me the jump start to begin new habits, improve my health and get the weight off while I was learning new habits. I agree with @@Babbs, that I think you are asking all the right questions. I just think you are really early in the process of deciding if it is right for you. (I will say the one thing that really concerned me that you said was not knowing they removed 85% of your stomach. You definitely need to do some more research on the actual procedure. I think your wife is downplaying that part a little. Be sure to look in to and begin mentally and emotionally processing the actual surgery portion of it all. I thought I was more than prepared and had read a lot, but honestly those first few months even, I kept thinking "what the heck did I do?" I got starry-eyed at the thought of being healthy and thin and didn't really realize the potential of the needs I will have for the rest of my life.) Best of luck with your decision.

You might even be able to add a little Franks Red Hot sauce to your Beans. Now some people cannot take spicy food post-op (especially this early) so if you do it, just try a tiny tiny bit and see how you do. I use that stuff a LOT post-op. I make a buffalo chicken salad (that I got recipe on here somewhere) and a buffalo chicken hot dip (really good). Both of those work well during even pureed stage, so when you get there, see if you can find the recipes or send me a message and I will send you those recipes. These are both way better choices than buffalo wings but give you the taste you are craving.

@@YumiMumi - my doctor gave me Zofran (specifically the sublingual formulation so it would process better / easier). I am so sorry your doctor will not help with that. If it continues, I think I might push him on the issue. I took it off and on for 6 months BUT it turned out I had a stricture that we didn't find until 3rd month, so I think my nausea was relatively unusual to last that long. I also did drink ginger tea which did help some.

PS - I just had a popsicle in your honor! Honestly I was fighting a craving to eat something different and again, this forum came through for me! And now I am hiding in my bed so I don't eat anymore tonight!

Did this resolve? If not, it is worth a call to the dr...

@@Chaelove0810 - This site has been one of the biggest things that got me through this journey! Be sure to keep checking in as you go along. I find it even better than a support group. Sometimes you will get tough love and sometimes just hugs but either way, these amazing people help you along. On my second to last day of pre-op, I came home from work to find my sister had invaded my home and left me post-it notes everywhere. I cannot do this in your home, but hoping these help... YOU GOT THIS!! ONLY A FEW MORE DAYS! YOU ARE TOTAL ROCKSTAR!! KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE!! IMAGINE WHAT YOU WILL LOOK LIKE IN 1 YEAR!! SO PROUD OF YOU FOR HOW FAR YOU HAVE COME! DON"T STOP NOW!

What you are feeling is pretty normal this early. I recall day 5 being my worst day, so take heart that it will get easier from here on out! 1/2 cup actually might be too much (depending on how long it is taking you to drink it). For the nausea, you may have to get an anti-nausea med from the dr. I had to take it for quite some time. I had regrets for quite a while, but I can honestly tell you at 10 1/2 months and 110 pounds down, I do not regret it for one moment! Hang in there. Keep sipping Water. Not dehydrating is the most important part this early. And don't hesitate to call the dr if you need to. HUGS!

Try a sugar free popsicle if allowed. Or you can even chew on ice. Or honestly, I just had to go to bed and shut the door and go to sleep a few times. You are almost there! You can do it! (But just know that many of us agree that it is a VERY tough time!)

That is my one year anniversary! Lucky day! ???? Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App