OutsideMatchInside

A Shaker. I use a shaker for all my protein and it works fine. No clumps.

They told us in our program not to use any of those because they add too much air into drinks.

Wendy's Chili also has 16 grams of carbs. If you subtract the Fiber, it is 12 grams of carbs, 6 of which are sugar. It is basically 1 for 1 carbs to Protein. There are better choices.

1 week out and your stomach is still swollen from surgery.

It gets better.

Most of the people that post here do it on the phone app. You can tell from their posts. Posting on the phone app is pretty different than posting on the site with a computer. The way a lot people are on here reminds me of my friend that had RNY a few years ago. She thought I stopped being her friend because she lost weight but I stopped being her friend because she lost weight and turned into a raging bitch.

Bring a nice big pillow to put between you and the seat belt, and you can lean forward and press it close to you. Probably plan out the stops ahead of time too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DGWTXE/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687502&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001AJ4L1E&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0GMK0F05AA0Y0K6QHFNH I cut them in half, half sized they are perfect for incisions.

How did you get in protein before surgery?

Scar away strips. I have 4 you can barely see and one terrible one.

I'm not sure if it will help just because on weight watchers there are too many way to cheat. The points allowed are too high post surgery. Points is just a gamification of eating, there are so many ways to exploit that system if you want to. The portions and calories they allow are still going to be too much for a sleeve patient. Overeaters Anonymous would probably be a better support option, and it won't cost what Weight Watchers does. What are your portions like? How are you struggling with portion control? Have you tried to reset with liquids for a few days? What is your Protein goal? Are you meeting it daily? Are you snacking? What are your food choices like?

@@shaqkhi Yes! I don't eat much now so there is a savings and I don't really eat out mainly because it is too hard to log the calories. Before surgery I would eat maybe 2 fish fillets in a day. Now I have one for the day and split it into 2 meals. Before surgery I spent $10-40 a day on food (more on days out of the house, and I am counting my coffee and fiji Water habits) I have spent over $200 on Protein powder and bars in the past 8 weeks. Over a whole month I would guess my savings is probably 1/2. I don't really track my spending that closely. Unless I am going to a sit down restaurant daily, it is hard for my food spending to get out of control as a single person. My Whole Foods and trader Joe's bills are cut to about 1/3. I wasted some money pre-op and in the beginning of post op buying things on my approved foods list. Yogurt? Still hate it. Nothing is going to make it taste good, and the nutritonal value is crap now matter how people try to spin it. Still I tried it because it was on the short list of things I could have. I thought maybe my tastes would change after surgery but they haven't. I have enough broth to last me through the winter. I purchased low carb Popsicle knowing I don't like Popsicle or ice cream, I never got desperate enough to eat them. I bought sugar free Jello and pudding. Gross, made one box of each. Going to toss the rest. All these items are low cost alone, but it adds up, trying things. tl;dr I used to spend $10-40 a day on food and I probably top out at $6 a day now.

Call your Doctor.

I break my exercise up. I am exercising more than an hour a day in 30-45 minute blocks, morning and evening. This is just the cardio part, and that is 6-7 days a week I am trying to build muscle so I can burn more calories. I lift heavy with low reps, 3 days a week. I haven't got to the point of being able to say if it is working or not yet, too new, and it takes a while to build muscle.

It is available in STL. There is a UK show called Fat Doctor. It is available on Hulu I think, and you can look around on Youtube also. They used the ballon in the UK on large patients to help them lose weight so they can safely have bypass surgery. You can't have it longer than 6 months, and they have to take it out. I think they can put another back in, but its a limited time you can have one in. Anyway if you have never seen the procedure, Fat Doctor shows it.

I haven't tried them because I can't find them for sale anywhere as singles. I don't really like chips, I am not a snacker. However they are used in some of the Quest recipes. I am going to place an order with quest and get some to cook with.

@@Shainadelphia Children, Mom, and a dog. It seems like you have a great support group! Check if the Y has Aqua Zumba or Water in Motion, those are more intense and a better workout. Yes the older ladies at the Y can be very supportive but I have also found they talk about food the whole time and go out to eat after working out

http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/?s=cake The coconut cake recipe on the site looks great but it seems like a lot of work. http://www.questnutrition.com/cookbook/desserts/cookies-&-cream-birthday-cake/ A low carb cheesecake with almond meal for the crust would be the easiest option with the simplest ingredients. there are tons of recipes, just google until you find one you like.

Surgery on Wed, Home Thursday. Took pain meds at night on Thursday because I didn't want to take a chance on waking up in pain. Stopped taking them on Friday morning. Most of the pain I has was muscle related from the gas, the pain meds they give you are useless for that. Just walk and suffer through.

My program says caffeine and alcohol after 3 months in moderation. I gave up alcohol before surgery, and I doubt it is something I pick up again.

I think surgery and recovery as a single person is great. I don't have the pressure or temptation of people with partners. I don't have to worry about ruining date night, or dinners out. I don't have to watch someone eat a steak and baked potato while I sip on broth. I don't have to prepare meals for kids. The only food in my house are things I am allowed to eat. There is no way to mess up being in my house. Even if I made Cookies with the stuff in my house, they would be low carb. I am an independent kind of person. I have never been in a long term relationship, I value my freedom too much. If you are used to support I think it might be difficult. There is a lot of support available though. You can make a surgery buddy on this site. You will meet people in your pre-surgery meetings. You will meet people when you are in the hospital (if you walk! you have to get up and walk around). This forum is a great resource. I think it is better to go it alone, and stuggle a little than to go through it with an unsupportive spouse and family. You also live in a major city. I am sure there are meetup groups and other things for people that have had surgery. That might be a better option for some of your concern than posting on here. NYC and the NYC dating scene is another animal (I used to work in NYC). People in the middle of the country just aren't going to understand what it is like. Also your support doesn't have to be WLS. Try to find a gym or some exercise classes now, before surgery that are not packed with assholes. If you keep your surgery to yourself (you don't want to be the source of gossip for petty *******), and just connect on a fitness weight loss level, you might make some supportive friends. Another great thing about living in NYC or LA or large metro is that everyone is doing some weird diet. No one is going to care about your weird diet. You can fit right in. I suggest one solid personal friend that can be with you for surgery. I had a friend fly in from out of state. Someone you really trust and feel comfortable with. If you have a family member that can fill that role, even better. You can do it, do not be discouraged. Think about all the services you have available in the city at your disposal. When you are recovering, you never even have to leave your home. Also, at around 4 weeks out, I got a rescue dog. I have built in company and a walking partner. My dog thinks even my baked fish is delicious and begs for it (even though he never gets any). I promised myself if I survived surgery and was okay I would get a dog and it is the best thing post op I have done. We walk multiple times a day and one very long walk at night. @@Bufflehead You sound like me. I like to be alone so I don't have to compromise.

Ask how many surgeries they do a day. Ask what to expect in after care.

The whole weight of the nation series is very good and well worth watching.

sleevedin2015 is a great one to follow on instagram

My Dr submitted me to insurance before the pre-op testing is done. The pre-op testing is to make sure the surgery is safe. If they have your weight history, you are a candidate and you passed the psych eval, that should be enough to submit you.