ShrinkingPeach

For me I had to do 3 Protein shakes a day for the first week after surgery so I did the Premier Protein Shakes that are ready to drink. I never did shakes mixed with Water. It would take me a while to get a shake down and those are 11 ounces. Week 2-4 I was on soft foods so I still did the Premier Protein shakes for breakfast only. Week 5 I was allowed to reintroduce regular foods so I use Jay Robb protein powder. I mix with unsweetened almond milk and add flavors via SF Torani syrups and Folgers coffee drops. Now I can drink a 24 ounce Protein Shake in about 30-45 minutes. I ended up with Jay Robb because I got a few samples at The Vitamin Shoppe of several kinds and that was the only one I liked. Make sure when sampling shakes you only get ones that are whey protein isolate as those are higher in protein.

This is the test of your new life. We have to make healthy food choices and watch what we put into our mouths. Good luck and godspeed lol

Sadly I haven't even told my family. All my co-workers know and they Celebrate every pound with me. My family is out of state so they will see me at Christmas, their jaws will drop and I will only say that I am on a high Protein and low carb lifestyle. That is all they need to know. I am sorry that you don't have great support. Find a support group in your area and share. I go to one every month even though I have the support of my co-workers and my husband. It is nice to talk to people who are having the same issues. Maybe you can also be support for someone who has none.

Just keep working your plan and the weight loss will come. As you see the stall is completely normal. It is still unsettling even when you know it is coming lol Good luck and hang in there, it is quite the ride.

Unless there is some personal obstacle that is causing you to hesitate then the sooner the better. Get going on that new healthy lifestyle. Good luck!

I started walking right away after surgery. I was released to do weights after 6 weeks. I now do cardio 3 times a week and weights 2 times a week sometimes 3. We are all told no heavy lifting until released to do so. Give your tummy time to heal after surgery but walking is great for you! We only have a small window to make the most of the surgery. Get moving as soon as possible!!

The surgery is a tool and it all comes down to what you do with it. There are plenty of people on here who have succeeded and maintained for years. There are also people who have gained their weight back. I am not at my goal weight but here is my 2 cents from research. With healthy eating and exercise along with the surgery you can get to your goal weight. Those same habits will have to stay with you the rest of your life. Those that fail or gain their weight back fall off the wagon. They start grazing or making unhealthy choices. They stop exercising. Most of the successes I see watch the scale. They give themselves a 5 pound or so grace and when they get even close they step it up to get in control. If you have 20k for the surgery and you want it now then do it. Or you can use that year to change your eating habits to high protein/low carb. Join a gym or begin true exercise at home. See what you can lose in a year, you might be surprised. Every pound you lose is a step toward your goal. You can be making progress and learning while you wait. I know it would be frustrating for me too if I had to wait or make such a potentially expensive choice but you didn't get to this point overnight and surgery will not make it go away overnight. For me I could not afford to pay that kind of price so I would buckle down and lose what I could and start preparing. For me I had my consult January 29, 2015 and my surgery was May 15, 2015. I started high protein/low carb 2 weeks before my consult because I was determined to make a change to my life. I lost from 331 to 299 by May and have now lost to 252 this morning. Good luck to you in whatever you decide!!

Seriously?? Chef Boy Ar Dee?? Alphabet Soup???

Biotin does not stop hair loss. Biotin CAN possibly help the hair you lose grow back faster. I see this question constantly on here and I repeatedly post it DOES NOT STOP hair loss.

Hubby and I boarded the dogs so when he went back to work I didn't have to deal with them. I had surgery on Friday and he went back to work on Monday. I didn't need any help really but if I dropped something I wasn't supposed to bend over. I did fine on my own.

@@VSGAnn2014, agreed. fried Animal skin...so healthy.

The biggest thing I see here is that you need to make sure you understand that the sleeve is just a tool. You still will need to change your eating habits for the rest of your life to be thinner. The sleeve cannot do that for you. It will restrict how much food you can consume in a meal but it will not control how much you COULD eat throughout the day. To lose the weight you will need to eat properly, exercise and stay forever cognizant of what choices you make. I am not quite halfway to my weight loss goal and I felt like I would be the one that failed also but I am making great strides. Do I get hungry? Not really but I don't expect that to last forever. I am hoping by the time the hunger pains come back I am in my routine and will not want those unhealthy foods I ate before. For me I have to change the relationship I have with food. This isn't a "diet", diets are not permanent. I can't center my life around meals and ideas of food. I plan out what I need to eat to stay on track and exercise 5 days a week. As they say, the surgery is on our stomach's but not our brains. We have to train ourselves to see food as nourishment and not entertainment or something for comfort. When you see someone on here asking "When can I eat _____ again?" It typically means they are trying to use the sleeve as the fix, I see success stories all the time from people who truly use it as the tool that it is. Good luck on your path to a thinner you!!

I was told no rice, no Pasta, no bread, those sit hard in our stomachs. I can eat eggs and meat. Red meat is tough on our tummies so maybe try it again in a few more weeks.

Depends on your plan. Have you been given your pre-op diet yet?

Grab some dumb bells and do a quick workout for your arms, do some pushups against the wall or on a chair, run in place, do stretches. Good luck!

Welcome to you and congrats on your decision!

I also use sf mints. The amount of sorbitol is so minuscule that I don't think you should worry.

That scale is a love/hate relationship for sure! We love it when it drops and yell at it when it doesn't move. Just because it doesn't move doesn't mean you are not changing! If it bothers you now, just wait til after surgery. Good for you that you took your measurements, they will help your sanity after surgery. Have a heart to heart with your scale, get your relationship straight with it and what your expectations are. Your scale will understand. Good luck! You can do this!

look for the biggest bang for your Protein "dollar" and look for low carb/sugar...try many til you find one you like! Good luck!

Well dang it now I am stumped! Sounds like you will just have to get the PCP appointment to solve the mystery. Let us know how you are!

Dehydration? Getting in enough fluids?

Iron or B-12?

I know steroids can be a problem for healing. I would speak to the surgeon about specifics and get his/her input. She may have to go off for a short period of time. Don't panic just yet and speak directly to the surgeon with any concerns you have. Good luck!

Funny what can make us appreciate an egg!!

Hang in there, pre-op diets are tough but so worth it. Plans vary from office to office and even between patients. It depends sometimes on the state of your liver. The more fatty the more at risk when they retract it for surgery. Think of all the pounds you will lose pre-op just gets you closer to goal. Good luck ladies, this too shall pass...then the post-op diet begins!!! lol