OutsideMatchInside

I doubt you will be able to eat the yogurt early on, it can be dense. You might be better off with 3 shakes a day. It took me about 1 to 1.5 hours to finish a shake. Since they were a liquid, I could just sip on them as long as it took to get them in. The 20 minute rule didn't apply to liquids like Protein shakes. If you know a good veggie broth you like, I would suggest getting an unflavored Protein powder to add to the broth. All of my vegan or vegetarian friends are fat, except one that I think is just naturally thin. They are the worst sugar addicts I have ever met in my life. And there are tons of great Vegan treats in Chicago, which doesn't help. The metaphysical place that closed down about 12 years ago on the north side use to have the best vegan Cookies, I wasn't even Vegan and I used to devour them.

@@Kaze those crackers I linked you would be a good option just because they have a decent amount of protein.

@@Kaze I don't think people are trying to shame you. Most programs say no crackers so people really don't even have a response. Most people seem to eat wheat thins. I would say try eating the things you want without crackers. If you are going to eat hummus, what about adding some unflavored Protein powder to it, so it has more nutritional value. Also check out netrition if you are determined to have crackers. They have low carb options and their shipping is low, they also have lots of other good low carb items and a bariatric section. Just using search I found these http://www3.netrition.com/andres_crackers_page.html I can't vouch for them. I don't eat crackers but they are some place to start.

And if you don't have a scale get one. Weight is far more accurate than volume measurements. If I didn't weigh my food I could easily eat an extra few hundred in calories using volume measurements

@@illailla I had more pain from the morphine make my intestines shut down every time they gave it to me that my actual stomach and incisions. The pain was minimal. It just felt like I did 1000 crunches. I walked around my ward all night after surgery and went home the following afternoon. The worst thing post op was the shoulder ache, that was brutal because it was dull and constant with no relief. I wish I knew post op life was going to be so easy and enjoyable. I would have had surgery years ago. I wish I knew how much pain I was in from carrying around a whole entire person in extra weight. I had no idea I was in so much pain until it was gone.

I use an app called loseit, I have a premium account. You can make recipes and set the servings and it does all the math for you. Other than that you can do it all by hand or in excel. What does your program say your portions should be at this point? It should give you an ounce goal

I took my Vitamins starting next day. My b12 was a weekly nasal spray so I started it a few days after surgery. My doctor said they put 2 week start date for vitamins because they assume some people are nauseous or having trouble getting things down. He told me if I could keep things down, I could start them asap. Never has nausea issues so started all the vitamins on the Vitamin protocol right away.

You can swallow pills. I had pills within 26 hours of surgery. You will have to discuss all those meds with your team.

My intent wasn't to debate just offer other options for people reading the thread. Most programs post op don't allow for items with that many carbs in the losing phase. Carbs 2 to 1 to protein are usually a no no, especially with that little Fiber.

Thanks for the links @Jenn1. I am on the app but if I remember correctly OP is still pre-op. I could be wrong. I don't see eating low carb as a punishment. I enjoy it and I have for years long before surgery, and will for the rest of my life. I find it encourages better btain function and facilities greater mental clarity, it is a life and body hack. I enjoy finding substitutes or better options for things and I think it is important to have a range of options to be successful. Everyones is free to whatever they want.

@@Wendyfm what are your net carbs if you subtract the fiber? If you are just getting carbs from veggies and fruits, you are probably way under 100 net carbs.

I would skip bananas. They have a lot of carbs and sugar. Berries are a better low carb choice. Just use fresh not frozen. If you are still trying to lose it just seems like a waste of carbs and calories. When I want banana flavor I just get a banana flavored Protein shake.

@@chycky That isn't the label for Bob's but when you see a label and it lists the fiber you can subtract the fiber and the rest are just useless carbs from the flour and the sugar. So the net carbs for those Kodak pancakes are 25. The Bob's has 8 net carbs. You subtract the fiber because you body isn't supposed to process the fiber, it just goes as waste. In Europe they do net carbs on labels, but not in America, mainly because of the lobbyists. I still think the cream cheese are the best option and if you add a little coconut flour to them you can get a little puff from them. The Bob's would be good if you were making pancakes for the while family once in a while and you wanted something everyone could eat. If you are low carb eating, it is good to use net carbs because you need some carbs in the form of fiber, but those carbs should come from green veggies, not flour even "whole wheat" flour. Oat flour is a little better on your body because you body processes it slower. Still when we think fiber and carbs we should think veggies not flour.

@@BestDayEver It does cost more in restaurants but not if you cook real food at home. A lot of people flat out don't know how to cook real healthy meals and don't understand nutrition. Eating at Panera (even though a lot of their calories are too high etc at least they use real food) is more expensive than eating at Rally's or Checkers. Until we get back to teaching people how to cook, and more about whole foods, this is always going to be the response.

They have too many carbs for bariatric patients. The Bob's Red Mill Low Carb bake mix makes good pancakes for a far lower carb count. http://www.bobsredmill.com/low-carb-baking-mix.html Or you can make pancakes with http://www.eatmeguiltfree.com/collections/diy-mix/products/blondie-brownie-diy-mix for only 3 net carbs. A better option with nothing special required are cream cheese pancakes. Even the banana pancakes people post about have too carbs, http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2012/01/cream-cheese-pancakes.html Top them with some calorie free http://www.waldenfarms.com/products/syrup_pancake.html

If you can wearing a bathing suit, you are beach body ready. It is nice to see someone with a healthy self-esteem posting on here. Those are great pictures and you look like you are going to be one of the lucky ones with very little loose skin. Your skin right now is awesome and you barely have fat rolls. Great luck with surgery!

@@ready?set.go It is just an excuse people have because it is something visible. And lots of the low self-esteem people whine about the loose skin constantly. Like loose skin is no fun, but there are so many other good things, even if I can never afford to have my skin removed, it was totally worth it. Life is just overall better. Still, it is the one thing that people can complain about that no one has a good solution or come back for. When you think about it objectively, is as shallow as a puddle. @@her1981 I have wasted so much time talking to people over the past year about losing weight. One friend admitted they just weren't willing to make the changes flat out, and they would give up carbs over their dead body. She was considering surgery but when I explained after surgery you are following a high Protein, low carb diet, she wasn't interested. (Why do people think you have surgery and still get to eat the same??!?!!?!!?!?!!?) Okay, girl. Do you, at least she is honest. Another friend pretends like they want to make improvements and change, but they are years out from Bypass, never followed any plan and just gaining. They can't make any real lifestyle changes. Even though we might love these people we aren't responsible for them, they have to come to surgery in their own time. These moments can remind us, especially those of us who still have a way to go, how far we have come. I just keep thinking about how far I still have to go, and not celebrating how much I am have improved. Pat yourself on the back @@her1981

@@hamoudi Just never heard bypass used with the sleeve. I know what the sleeve is since I had one. I thought maybe you were in an area where they called the DS, the Gastric Sleeve Bypass.

@@hamoudi What is Gastric Sleeve Bypass?

@@chele367 15lbs is good for someone at a lowerish bmi. How many calories are you having per day? How many grams of Protein?

@@Red_lips_and_confidence The idea that your taste buds change is one of the things that really turned me off about surgery for years. It didn't happen to me at all. The things I liked before I like now, and the things I didn't like, well I hate them. That is the biggest thing, everything is exaggerated, the things I loved before like steak, I love even more. Things I was on the fence about, I hate. I am sure if I had red velvet cake I would still find it delicious. The difference mentally thinking about red velvet cake, doesn't drive me to physically want red velvet cake. My body has no reaction to my mind thinking about it, and it becomes a fleeting thought. That is the benefit of not having the hunger hormone to worry about. That is the only change that I have, I am not obsessed or drawn to foods. I have a wide variety of things I like and I eat those things. Right now I am avoiding steak, even though I love it because fish is lower in calories and I am trying to bank calories each day for more variety in other things besides Protein and if I have protein that is high in calories, less room of other things. The ability to resist is easier than it was in the past.

They hurt, and lots of terrible gas. Even now, eggs are still a toss up on if they will create a lot of gas and by gas I mean like gas in my entire digestive track.

Fried or over easy eggs work better for me than scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs are like bricks. I don't think I will ever eat them again. The first time I had some after surgery was a horror show.

1) Regret - what if I regret my decision? Unless you are unlucky and have a complication, I seriously doubt it. I thought I would regret it and miss out on a wonderful life with food but, my life is so much richer, and I still love and enjoy food. 2) Age - is 54 too old to do this? 54 isn't old, you probably have another 20-30 years of life, don't want to spend it fat and uncomfortable in bad health. 3) Post-op diet - along with the pre-op 800 cal. a day diet (wow!), I'm worried about the weeks of liquid diet. I have to work, how will I do it if I'm starving? (my job can be intense and I have to be on the ball all the time). The diet is tough I won't even lie. Not sure about doing a physical job, it will be hard, but you can live off 800 calories for a little while it won't kill you. 4) I have chronic migraines and see a Neurologist. Will the weight loss alleviate/lessen migraines, or make them worse? Not sure, but low carbing is usually good for brain issues. I would see someone about getting botox injections for the migraines, research it. 5) Will I ever actually enjoy food again? Or be able to? We have a favourite restaurant - would hate if I can never again enjoy that sort of outing Yes. Maybe more than you do now. I still eat at my favorite places but I just order differently. I also find I can enjoy a lot of expensive and trendy resturants with small portions because they satisfy me in a way they didn't before. I can enjoy the flavors of food more, because my concern isn't on being full at the end just enjoying the food. 6) No caffeine, no alcohol! OMG - that's harsh! I love wine and would miss that. But think it's 6 months off of it? Caffeine. Due to migraines I'm not supposed to have it at all, but I now just have a tea in the morning so guess I could do that. I do love my tea and wine though :-) I drink coffee every day. I don't drink really but I didn't drink before surgery either. I can drink if I want to, I just don't want. I take a sip and I am not interested but there are plenty of people here that after hitting maintenance have a glass of wine with dinner each night. Most of the big changes are short term, 6 months until you heal. Then once you are healed and the bulk of your weight is off, you can play with what works with you.

The laffy taffy and the starbursts, I haven't had any in about 25 plus years but I think the texture might be something you won't want. The skittles I am sure you can have long term. Again 6 months from now you might be WTF at this post yourself. Just because you might not ever want candy again. I am always baffled that they give WLS patients all these sweet chewable type Vitamins that taste like candy and expect people to not want sugar. chewable vitamins and having to stomach their nasty sweet taste along with sweet Protein shakes all the time was terrible. Can you tell I really don't like sweets? And that wasn't a post-op thing. I have always been a savory type person. I will always take steak over cake.