Charity P

I had to switch to liquid multi bc chewable were irritating my sleeve. The dr said its bc the multi chew can be too concentrated. The liquid does me much better. Also, chewable really means more like suck on till its gone now that youve had surgery. lol

When do you know you're full? My stomach still makes a lot of noise while I eat, but the full feeling is so much different now and comes in with nausea! If I stop when the rumbling and shifting starts I would eat 3-4 bites a meal and that's not enough! I don't overeat everyday bc my meals are planned and pre-portioned. But given a choice to stop on my own I still do not know when to! This surgery def gets me fuller quicker and I'm eating less, but it changes the way "full" feels.... and I'm trying to learn to stop on my own. Afterwards, when I don't feel too great, I ask myself was it really worth it. Whats a good meal if you feel nauseous after? Any tips for stopping short when meals are not pre-portioned? How do you know when you've had enough AND before you feel bad? Eat to Live. Be Well.

I know I'm not supposed to, but I drink whenever I'm thirsty. I don't time my Water intake around my meals. I don't take drinks while I eat, but I will take maybe one sip to rinse my mouth or help something down.

@Tammy You bring up a really good point TEXTURE. Tonight I had some bites of wheat flour (form of crust) for the first time. It was HEAVY. Tonight, we got tired of the chicken, shrimp, fish, quinoa, and veggies we've been eating for 2 months. Otherwise, my breakfasts, Snacks, and lunches are light. I was focused on amount... it was after, when it laid so heavy that I considered how dense the food was I had eaten. I was wondering if anyone had a phrase, a motto, something motivational to help them through the "I want to finish that" drive! I'm also tired of all my food getting cold after a few bites. As I've healed, I'm noticing I'm inching towards eating faster again!!-- mainly bc I'm tired of my food getting cold bc I'm so slow! I don't mean to complain. This surgery was the best thing I've done for myself. This has got to work. I've got to make this work.

I am sixty - some days out.

I am 48 days out. *(maybe I should start counting weeks) and I'm recently down from 3 to 1-1.5 a day just to make sure I get in my 75g a day. I like them. They are very convenient and I have to be in class 3 nights a week.... I use GNC Lean 25 pre-made and they are very tasty. Funny, this topic should come up. I just met with my nutritionist this past Saturday and she explained why we should wean off Protein shakes. Basically, we have to learn how to eat enough to get our protein from food so we can keep ourselves feeling full longer. That will help avoid cravings for bad stuff. Protein from shakes is protein received, but in liquid form doesn't help to keep our tiny tummies full. Therefore, we can end up eating bigger portions than we should as time progresses. Our portions will eventually get bigger as the months pass from surgery. Our goal is to eat 3 distinct meals with small Snacks, but if we use fluids instead of meals we leave room for more bad stuff. Also she warned that patients will think "oh I've made my protein quota, I can eat this and this..." and they can bc there is room. Too much protein with bad stuff will cause weight gain. She gave me a scheduled ratio for protein to carbs to ensure continued weight loss. BC if you eat too many carbs (good or bad) with protein you will gain weight back. I don't have to worry about sugar or calories or fat - yet. She said focus on protein and carbs ratio and if you plateau we will examine the food log and see if sugar or calories or fat comes into play. I can't eat that much yet anyway- and still rely on at least 1 shake a day to meet.

WOW 2 Miles! Walking is encouraged and needed but man, don't push it! You have wounds inside that needs to close! You will LOVE how you feel in the coming weeks! There are times when you feel a little disappointed that you can't have something, but the weight loss and the all day energy, without crashes is worth it. What was hard for me was about 2 weeks out when I felt great and its easy to forget you had the surgery and you want to eat the things you had been... but intellectually, you know you can't. I'm 48 days and learning a whole new way of eating and its a lot better food than I thought! Take it easy!

This made me laugh out loud and my house echos! Awesome! I don't blame your for holding out so long to go shopping! I had to go two weekends in a row luckily Kohls was having some good deals! Oh and all the nice clothes given away!

We can all relate to this even though we may not be in that stage. We all know the surgery is a tool and one day we will back on our own. I am just beginning how to count Protein and carbs and keep a balance and I know its easy for me right now bc my stomach does stop me from overeating. Maybe try to remember how good you felt eating good, healthy foods. That a moment of eating bad foods really isn't worth what it does to you. Exercise will occupy time and make you feel stronger, but we know that weight loss comes from the food we eat. You will never burn enough calories to lose weight. Let friends and family and activity fill your heart and your cravings and make the choice to feel better! I know whats helped me the most is having my meals planned for work and dinners. That way there are no "choices", just a plan every week waiting to be executed. You've come so far. Bad food isn't worth it.

​Very exciting time! Hi! I'm Charity. I am 46 days post op and down 40lbs. I know I could not have lost the amount I need to get back to real health. And this process has taught me why that was. Its not just about will power. There are many things going on between the mind and body. This surgery is a tool and if you embrace the changes long term your life will be changed forever! This has been the best thing I could've done for myself. I've extended my life. And I know my weight was about to start killing me. This has forced the changes that would have been just about impossible for me to do on will power alone. And the changes made will last SO MUCH longer than some fad diet! Each day after surgery feels better and better. I never realized how bad I felt on daily basis. Now, I have energy every day and continue to learn about how to eat to live instead of live to eat. You won't miss things as much as you think you will! There will be some disappointing times when you cant have everything you want, but its worth it! And soon enough You will learn how to eat what you want safely and in healthful ways! This surgery works on so many levels. I'm a big advocate for Sleeve.

hi There! I'm Charity! I am 46 days post op and down forty lbs. I am 5'5 and my high weight was 210. I too have always been thick, but it didn't start interfering with life until the last ten years. I'm 37 years old. I tried several things and nothing ever worked. This is a big decision and life has changed so much! I am lucky to have great support at home! There are tough times when you may want something you can't have, but the results are worth it. And the fact is that after you make it through some phases and learn how to eat for nutrition, you will not have to deprive your self again. I have really expanded the kinds of foods I can eat. There are really good food out there that tastes great and they are good for you. It's pretty exciting. I miss Taco Bell sometimes, but then I look at the mirror or get on the scale and I know I've not only improved my life (I feel so much better now every day), I've extended it. Good luck and start the count- down eh!

So great to read! Thank you for posting! I am 46 days out and down 40lbs. I am just learning how to go out to restaurants. Some things are disappointing, but not as much as I thought they would be. I, too, am motivated by the progress and honestly, there is good good out there that you can feel good about eating! Its more expensive, but we eat such small portions the food goes farther. I haven't had any complications either. I have been able to handle all the new things I've introduced. So I have to be sure to not get carried away! I have become such an advocate for this. I know I couldnt have made these changes without this surgery.

Generally you don't want to start you pre-op diet until you know you are having surgery. So you will want to wait for approval. The pre-op diet is to shrink the fat around your liver to make surgery easier so the dr can maneuver easier. And to put your body in ketosis for fat burning and so your stomach is empty on surgery day. So it needs to go right up to surgery day. I have never heard of just one week to do this. My dr wanted 14 pre-op liquid diet. It takes 3-4 days to go into ketosis. You may feel fatigued and "off" in the first few as your body withdrawals from not having what you regularly eat, but when ketosis kicks in you will feel much better! They told me all this before I started and didn't believe them, but it was true. Sure, I wanted things other were eating, but I just avoided temptation bc I wanted to be the best condition I could be on the day of surgery. It can be disappointing bc this time, but its temporary. I am 46 days post op and 40lbs down.

Very happy for you! I would say not to fret over the aches and gas pains right after. They will pass and every day gets better. Things will happen fast from here on out. I had my VSG on a Tuesday and started a new job on Monday, you will be up and around in no time. Get a plan and listen to your body and focus on your Protein. You're doing the right thing!

Hi there! Welcome! I'm new here also. I am Charity, 46 days post op. 40lbs lost. I have become an advocate for weight loss surgery, mainly the sleeve. Bypass comes with a few more hassles that sleeve doesn't and sleeve doesn't mess with your intestines. During my EGD (down the throat look before surgery) they found a hernia, though I had not experienced reflux yet. During my sleeve, they just stitched it up. So maybe, if you have something similar it can actually be fixed. My journey, thought only 46 days post, has been uncomplicated and my battles have only been with myself. I hadn't yet developed health concerns and I KNOW this surgery saved me from what was coming. I also knew that I had tried so many things over the last 10 years and nothing ever worked. This journey has taught me so much about myself and my relationship with food, physiology involved, and real physical/chemical challenges that we as morbidly obese face when trying to lose weight. We have some responsibility, for sure, and we know what we've done to get there. But the fixes are even harder to overcome- and torturous. This has been the best thing I've done for myself. But you have to decide if you AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD is ready for the lifestyle change. I am lucky to have the best support at home. The last thing someone going through this needs is the people close to them making it harder! The first couple phases out of surgery can be tough. Wanting the stuff you used to and not being able to eat it. But they are just phases. And with right plan and support you will be eating good food that you can feel good eating bc you know you are giving your body what it needs. I'm still not skinny but I'm 40 lbs down and I feel great, every day. I have energy, I don't get ups and down that sugar and bad carbs can give you, I'm even keeled every day and ready. I miss Taco Bell, I do. And one day I will have something small from there, but I am eating good food that tastes good and I feel great. And every week that goes by and the scale come down a point or two brings me motivation to keep going. I never knew I felt so bad until I felt this good. And that's the truth.

I've always been thick, but active, but this last decade all my bad habits caught up with me. In the past few years I'd gone up 2 sizes. My big issue was large meals and just not considering anything I ate. I wasn't a snacker or a late night eater, but I ate anything I wanted at meal time. Daily movements became laborious and every time I tried something it never worked. I knew I was on my way to Diabetes. A few things come together to make this decision: 1) I reminisced on all the attempts of the past 10 years to lose weight, with no success. 2) We had a friend in our midst worked for a bariatric clinic as their nutritionist and conversation reached this topic somehow. She was able to explain the recent findings in the chemistry and challenges that the morbidly obese have and why it is so. and 3) the last thing I tried: veggie and fruit shakes only for over 3 weeks only netted me 5 lbs lost. I was over it. I knew I needed help. And I wondered if something wasn't wrong with my body, why wasn't it responding?