BigViffer

I had severe back and joint pain for years. Since Nov of 1992 as a matter of fact. I had a horrible car accident that took me 3 months to recovery enough to walk with a walker. It was another year before I could walk unaided. For the 10 years leading up to my surgery, I had a standing prescription for percocet and vicoden. In Sept of 14, I did something that herniated yet another disc and had reduced my left leg to a piece of deadwood. I was literally dragging it at times. I slept in a chair because I couldn't lay flat.For 2 months I endured awful pain in hopes that it would go away. I finally had an MRI and there was no question, I had to have surgery to correct it. I had put that off for 10 years but it was looking like I had to finally do it. When I went to the surgeon, he said there was no way he would cut on me unless I lost 100 lbs! So when he said bariatric surgery was his recommendation, I actually gave it thought this time. Because of my condition, I was approved quickly. Had the surgery in Feb of 2015. Within a week my pain was gone. I followed my gastric surgeons plan to the letter for 2 years and in that time I have no so much as had a back spasm. I went from dragging my leg to squatting 200 lbs and deadlifting 240. The foods we eat have an incredible effect on our bodies. Not just in the amount of calories, but also in the nutritional content. Loosing the weight and no longer eating junk food gave me my life back.

There is plenty to be said that is bad about carbonated beverages, but I wanted to address this one in particular. Depending on the surgery, the stretchy part of of the stomach (the fundus) is removed (sleeve) or bypassed (bypass). Therefore it is not possible to stretch the stomach again. However! Once the scar tissue has fully healed, the stomach that remains does regain some pliability. I would liken it to a garden hose in the winter versus the same hose in the summer. On a properly performed surgery, when people say that their stomach has stretched, most likely what has happened is that the pylorus (for sleeves) or the created opening to the intestine (bypass) has been weakened and/or stretched and food can move from the stomach or pouch into the intestine quicker allowing for more food to be consumed. To make the myth worse is the fact that doctors/surgeons will put the above into "laymans terms" for their patients. Thus perpetuating the belief that you can stretch your sleeve by eating poorly or too much or drinking carbonated beverages.

Perspective man, we have gained perspective. Just wait until you are cleared for soft foods. My first food after liquids was black bean humus. In a cold and bleak March, as I took a baby spoonful of these pureed beans, the clouds parted and a chorus of angels could be heard vocalizing in beautiful harmony as I savored my meal.

When I had my surgery, there was snow and ice everywhere; walking outside wasn't an option. I would pace the hallway in my house every hour for about 10 minutes. Then when my wife got home we would load up and go to the nearby Meijer. While making my lap, I would inevitably end up in the grocery side of the place. Though I don't remember it being enticing. For me it was more nauseating. However, by the time I was at the soft foods stage, I was having feverish wet dreams about food!

All of the apps and none of the plans are worth a damn if you have no motivation. And no one can give you motivation unless you have a goal. And being lazy is a choice not a condition. The best advice I can give anyone is focus on why you had the surgery in the first place. Did you do it because you want to be healthier? If so, then eating right is not a matter of finding what taste good or what you enjoy; rather it is a matter of finding what foods give you the nutrients you need to be healthy. Your workout regimen should focus heart and respiratory improvement. Did you do it because you want to have more confidence and attract a significant other? The focus on body shaping. Did you do you because you want to be more active in your hobbies? Then focus on a routine that improves your performance. Kayaking? Hit the rowing machine. Hiking? Elliptical or treadmill. Rock climbing? Pull ups, shoulder work and etc... Find a goal and work towards it. You won't find inspiration or motivation in an app or YouTube video.

@janedoe92 - those noodles are... interesting? When you open the package they are overwhelmingly fishy smelling. After lots of rinsing, they have no smell an zero flavor. The texture is hard to describe. I would say almost gelatinous, a bit more substantial than a bean sprout. We only tried them twice. While edible, they are not something most people will crave I'm thinking!

There are plenty of Protein pastas out there, black bean Pasta, red lentil pasta, chickpea pasta... there is also spiralizers that you can make veggie noodles with. There are plenty of options so that you don't have to fall back on the nutritionally worthless carb pasta. Also, you may find that if you try traditional pasta, it no longer tastes like you remember and it goes down horribly. It clings and clumps up in my esophagus something terrible.

Also, Tapatalk formatting is borked. Sent from my phone. Please forgive brevity and spelling.

@@blizair09 beat me to it!

You didn't cheat, you endangered yourself. The liquid diet is not just a diet, it's a prescription. You risked a bleed, or popped suture, or food particulate getting stuck in a healing stomach causing infection that can lead to sepsis... for what? A chicken nugget? We are all human and we make mistakes, but this is one I hope you learn from. Don't think of it as cheating, think of it as taking the wrong medicine because that is a better analogy.

I'm a big fan of homemade Soups. Especially my wifes chicken noodle Soup. However, she has outdone herself this time. She found tumeric bone broth Protein powder and red lentil Pasta. Add that to chicken she pulls apart herself to get rid of as much fat as possible and you get a pretty damn good soup that is not only bariatric friendly, but the perfect macro blend. Protein, complex carb, and fluids! She picked up a rotisserie chicken at the store to save some time. The pasta: Water season the rest however you want This makes 77 ounces. I logged this into my personal MFP recipe as 77 servings. Here is the breakdown: Nutrition Facts Servings 77.0 Amount Per Serving calories 30 % Daily Value * Total Fat 1 g 1 % Saturated Fat 0 g 1 % Monounsaturated Fat 0 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g Trans Fat 0 g Cholesterol 6 mg 2 % Sodium 147 mg 6 % Potassium 7 mg 0 % Total Carbohydrate 2 g 1 % Dietary Fiber 0 g 2 % Sugars 0 g Protein 3 g 6 % Vitamin A 0 % Vitamin C 0 % Calcium 0 % Iron 2 % I fricken loved it. I had two cups and that is about 24 grams of protein. No matter what's in your bowl, you're getting protein! Broth, meat, pasta... all protein! Dammit! The formatting didn't stick. Sorry people. It dud look like a nutrition label when I pasted it.

lol, it's funny you say "regular yogurt". It's really only America that eats what you probably consider normal. I have to admit, it took some getting used to, but I accidently grabbed one of my daughters yogurts not too long ago. Oh god, it was awful! It was slimy like mucus to me! It's all about what you are used to. Take any greek yogurt and put it in the freezer for a while. Just before it freezes, it's almost like ice cream. That's how I transitioned over to it. Hell, half the time now I just eat plain unflavored yogurt.

@@_Kate_ perfectly stated. One other thing that has personally happened to me. I tried to sip on something and the liquid got stuck in my esophagus. I could just feel it slowly trying to seep into my stomach. 30 seconds later, out it came!

HA! IN YOUR FACE! That's what you should have said!

@@pixiechick & @@savyourdvine1 - I hope the cake thing works out for you guys. There is no way I could hit my protein goals all the time through just food alone like some. I am guessing their protein goals are far lower than mine at 2 years out and lifting heavy. More power to them though!

Ugh... the damn thing double quoted for some reason. Sorry. As I said though, there are people on this board that swear by it because their blood test came back good after their 6 month or whatever. However unless you are talking more than a year, that could be from breaking down their own muscle tissue or the fact that they are getting the minimum needed from their diet to be in the normal range. Genepro is pretty much just BCAA's (amino acids that build proteins). That would leave protein markers in the bloodstream. Now, with all of that being said. If someone chooses to use it, it's no skin off my nose and doesn't matter to me one way or another.

I have pretty vocal about my distaste for Genpro and nothing has happened to change my opinion of it. There were some pretty vocal supporters of it in the past, but most of them are gone for one reason or another. If you will allow me to quote myself: They are saying their 10g of special protein is equivalent to 30g whey. I believe this says it best about Genepro: Long story short, they are selling lies. Most likely they are selling BCAA's and calling it protein. Do yourself a favor and buy a reputable protein brand. Gold Standard is good brand. There are so many manufacturers that lie on their labels, you almost have to look them up and see how many lawsuits they have against them before you buy! If their process was true, every other maker out there would be following suit because it is such a cutthroat business. The fact that most retail chains refuse to carry it is evidence of the company's reputation. They are saying their 10g of special protein is equivalent to 30g whey. I believe this says it best about Genepro: Long story short, they are selling lies. Most likely they are selling BCAA's and calling it protein. Do yourself a favor and buy a reputable protein brand. Gold Standard is good brand. There are so many manufacturers that lie on their labels, you almost have to look them up and see how many lawsuits they have against them before you buy! If their process was true, every other maker out there would be following suit because it is such a cutthroat business. The fact that most retail chains refuse to carry it is evidence of the company's reputation.

I think I read a long time ago that uric acid is fat soluble. Meaning that is stored in our fat cells. At 5 weeks he is in prime fat loss mode. I imagine that his uric acid levels are getting higher because of the fat being used as fuel. It may take a while, but once the fat is off his levels should return to normal.

Stay away from the rice! I would go for the shrimp personally. Shrimp are not too calorie dense and when chewed well reduce to mostly Water. So you can feel like you are eating more normally with everyone else. Whatever you do, don't drink alcohol. 6 weeks is still pretty close to surgery and you don't want to risk a bleed.

I am almost 2 years out and I still cannot stand Protein drinks. Hate them. The first year they did make me want to vomit, now they are just gross but I can stomach them. If it were not for the protein cake I never would have made my protein goals though. It looks like everyone so far that has posted are pretty new, so maybe they aren't familiar with the protein cakes either. It's really simple though. In a big coffee cup or a small bowl add one scoop of Protein Powder. I use Gold Standard whey, but you can use whatever whey you want. It needs to be whey though. Add just enough coffee creamer to turn it into a batter. Add one half teaspoon baking powder (not soda). I microwave mine for 25 seconds for a lava cake type consistency. Others will go for about 45 for a fluffy cake. If I am feeling really fancy, I use my add Peanut Butter to the batter and "ice" the cake with plain yogurt.

Damn. Looking fantastic! Sent from my phone. Please forgive brevity and spelling.

Also, don't freak out if you gain a pound or two. It's just your body retaining water from the increased sodium.

Just be aware that Powerade and those sports drinks are filled with electrolytes (sodium). So if you're BP has been low or dizzy spells coming that weren't before surgery, they will help with those effects. However if you are fighting high BP, they are a bad idea. Also, by design they make your body hold on to Water. Sent from my phone. Please forgive brevity and spelling.

I can totes relate. I told my bestie of 25 years about my surgery and I didn't get support either! After I told him I had surgery, all he said to me was, "Huh... I can still eat in front of you, right?" In all seriousness, stop talking to people about it if they aren't on board. You're just wasting your efforts. Sent from my phone. Please forgive brevity and spelling.

We aren't as vocal and chatty as our female friends. More often than not there are a lot of discussions about feelings, food, or fashion. I'm not sure how many male vets are left around here, but after a while we just get tired of the same questions over and over. It's not that there is anything wrong with the questions, we just don't have anything new to add to the discussion because the 6 month to a year members have already taken over the role of answering the common questions. I have several threads and/or posts on workouts or food ideas. Snoop around and dredge some of them up if you want to generate some discussion on those topics! Welcome to the forum and good luck.