Dub

5th day out here. I take my time and work through 3 a day. I'll sip on i for a while....pu the lid back on and it goes back into the fridge for a while. I'm sorta behind today. I've had 1.5 of the 3. I've been more pushy on my Water.

Are you supposed to be eating solid foods now? Many of these bars are very dense and not only take forever to chew, but I suspect would work a new stomach really hard.....thus the reasons we are put on shakes initially. There is also unflavored Protein powder that mixes fine with Water. Please be safe. Don't push your new stomach beyond where your surgeon has planned.

I agree! I haven't had surgery yet (3 days away) but I've already canceled my one week post op plans bc my dr said for the first 3 weeks my only job is to get outta bed, sip, sip, sip, and heal! I think that's wise. Plus you'll still have sutures that are healing. The last thing you want is unnecessary exposure to germs and folks with colds, flu, pneumonia, etc. There will be tons of time in the future you'll want to go out. Your energy level and desire to have fun is going to grow and grow. Good luck with your surgery next week.

I plan on losing 1/2 my bodyweight. Yes, I told. Any other cover story would have come across as ridiculous. The folks that matter will see how hard I work in the gym and know that I'm adhering to the diet plan strictly. I didn't do this to deceive anyone, impress anyone or for any other reason that to improve my health. If they want to make fun or think poorly of me for having wls then it's just Water off a duck's back. I will be the one benefiting from my health. I already know that I have the full support of my family and close friends.

There are a lot of drugs that have to work through your system. A basic headache is no mystery. Now a blood clot is a different story. Have you been up and moving around frequently ? I'm just getting through the same timeframe myself. The pain meds gave me a mild headache.

My surgeon is very strict and has been since day one. Our program has two nutritionist. One seems more strict as well. I will try to direct all my future appointments to her. The surgeon has been very open with his concerns and the future possibilities. I have faith in his abilities, insight and direction. I am following his plan to the letter. It was truly sad to me in our various group sessions with the surgeon, nutritionists and others that many of the patients do not wish to put for much effort to change. We are having freaking surgery to assist us with weight loss and we don't want to make changes ? It really shocked me. What saddened me is that there didn't seem to be much "weeding out" as we progressed through our timelines leading up to surgery. Many had the same complaints and wanted to be told that doughnuts and pizza would be just fine. Some of the folks, though, some....were outstanding. They showed tremendous motivation and were very inquisitive during the group sessions. They asked very well though out questions and I must say were a benefit to the group's progress. I hope to encounter them in the future to shake their hands and thank them. I had the benefit of my own Q&A sessions with the surgeon, group sessions, reading the Big books and the session & videos from the psychiatrist. My family doctor helped me better understand what I needed to ask and be clear on. Ultimately, it came down to trusting my surgeon. He has done his initial work inside my body and now I"m awaiting for his ongoing instruction. I have faith that I will reach my goals. I am grateful for the education I received leading up to this surgery and I really feel like the phycological evaluation process should have been longer and more thorough. I still feel like the mind is our greatest tool on weight loss and maintaining it.

Thank you.

I've never used anything other than a shaker bottle, Water and ice. Vigorous shaking is all that's been required for total blending of any powder I've tried.

Big day is coming !!!! You are going to do great !!!!!!!!!!

Then only eat the amounts you are supposed to eat and on the schedule you are supposed to eat them. Follow the guidelines your surgeon and nutritionist established for you. Eating until you are satisfied isn't the goal. Getting proper nutrition is. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but it simply is the truth. It's the same truth that all healthy people live with.

Really? When do you suggest weigh ins? When I was newly sleeved, I only weighed at my doctors appointments. Now, I weigh no more than once a week. I now better understand why this is a great strategy. I should've thought it through before I stepped up on the scales. My abdominal area is still real puffy and swollen around the hernia (just like the surgeon said it would). It's obvious that there is Fluid retention in my body. I should have known intuitively that the scale would read higher. I guess I felt that since I'd had no food intake on Tuesday and only one shake on Wednesday that the scale would would reflect this. It all makes perfect sense and doesn't bother me a bit. I'm taking all my Vitamins according the recommended dosing schedule provided by my NUT and getting 3 shakes in a day along with almost 200 ounces of Water. I know that I will see some friendly readings soon. It's simply a matter of my body getting regulated and flushing out this fluid. Also began taking the recommended Milk of Magnesia today....hoping for some constipation relief. I'm still a wimp with the sore hernia region and don't want any uneeded internal pressure. Life is good. I have a fairly early appointment with my surgeon tomorrow. I'm planning on driving myself as getting in/out of my pickup is really easy. It will feel good to get out for a while. He'll probably chastise me for not running in a 5k event this weekend. He was a bit of a taskmaster in the hospital. I can hear his football coach-like voice "Get up.....get moving.....no sleep for you !!!" while I was in and out of the pain killer haze. Dude was relentless. I'm grateful for it, too. A lot of healing happened in that 36 hour hospital stay. The last two days my body has seemed to really come around more and more. Good stuff.

Well done !!!!!!

I was sleeved on the 13th and started Milk of Magnesia today. It is all my surgeon suggested for constipation. Hope it works.

Well done, Sharon. You have arrived. If we never reach that point then no amount of surgery will help.

You are going to want extra pillows....many of them. You'll need them in the hotel bed to elevate yourself and support the sides of your abdomen. That would be my top priority with the hotel.....securing these extra pillows. I'm on day 6 from sleeve & umbilical hernia repair and have only experienced pain and discomfort from the hernia. I don't know if this is normal or if I've just been lucky. I still use a crutch every time I stand up. The first 90 seconds after standing is painful and the crutch helps steady me. Once I'm walking, all is well. Slip on tennis shoes are awesome. New Balance makes a version for men & women. You can easily step in and step out of them. Very supportive during walking, too. Great comfort.....I am very, very glad to have these. Several days supply of bottled Water. it'll be easy to keep track of your water intake as well as sanitary. No hotel tap water. Pre-mixed Protein drinks. You may not feel like having to use a shaker bottle and then have to wash and sanitize it. Tossing several protein shakes in the hotel fridge will work so much easier. My tastes did not change at all after the surgery. I like the same ones I liked before. I did, however, stick to the thinner shakes. I felt these were easier on my new stomach. Loose fitting comfortable clothes. I've been chilling with UnderArmour pants and t-shirts. They are loose from the pre-op weight loss and perfect for the slight swelling I've had post op. Good books and magazines to read. An iPad and some ear buds for your iTunes has been great, too. No obligations. No appointments (other than your surgeon). No shopping or going out. Your only job is to heal. You don't want the exposure to germs. Now is not the time to pick up a cough or sneeze. Frequent sips of water and frequent standing and walking around. Whatever laxative your surgeon recommends if you need it. You don't want to be straining or having undue internal pressure at this time. Best wishes !!!!!!

I'm sorry to hear you are struggling. I'm sure it's no fun. There are unflavored Protein powders from unjury. I've tried them and mixed with my ice Water. No issues. It just went down like water. As far as the cheese.....in addition to it being calorie dense, her main concern may have been how difficult it is to digest. You are putting a workload on your new stomach before your program allows. This is a safety concern that hopefully you'll understand. Getting past the smell or taste thing seems like something that can be safely battled through.....especially with the tasteless protein available. Go to a GNC today and get something that will work.

It's no mystery that you have no energy if you aren't even getting a single Protein shake in. This could account for all sorts of feeling bad. There are many brands and types of low carb Protein shakes. Variety can be your friend.

Milk is full of sugar. I've bought my last gallon of it weeks before I started the pre-op diet. The Protein shakes all mix just fine with Water as far as I am concerned.

What has your surgeon said in regard to this ?

Well said !!!

Good deal. Work hard on your weight loss and pray hard, too. Weight loss is the ultimate goal. No need to wait for the surgery to begin. Those three young kids are great motivation. Use your friends as motivation, too. Make a game of beating their results by strictly following your surgeon's plan. Best wishes. Nail it.

I was well over the 400 lb mark when I began this process. In fact, I wasn't too many pan pizzas away from the next mark. I always assumed that I'd get back on Adkins diet and kill it in the gym and get my weight back under control again. Back & leg injuries earlier this year kept me from doing any type of gym work.....and even made doing my job impossible for a several weeks. I knew it was time to take more aggressive action and do something that would help me lose weight wile still healing from these nagging & reoccurring injuries. I assumed I'd need gastric bypass for the simple fact that my younger sister had it done 15 years ago and has maintained incredible weight & health ever since. I consulted two surgeons and went through classes with each as well as two nutritionists. By the end, my surgeon helped me to see that the sleeve was the best choice for me. This, in no way, means it's best for everyone. Each patient has unique demands and needs. You have to take all that into account, along with your surgeon's advice. I'm only 6 days out from my surgery, still recovering, sore as hell from the hernia repair and waiting on the post-op inflammation to clear from my abdomen and the 9 new holes in it. I say that to say this.....I regret not one part of it. I'm glad I had the surgery. It's going to be a huge aid in my new way of living. I will get lean, stay lean and build my strength. I had my 47th birthday last month. I am going to feel 15 years younger by my next birthday. By my 50th, I'll most likely feel better than I did on my 30th. There has been zero pain from the sleeve portion of the surgery. I have to pull my shift up and look to prove that I've had it. The only pain has been from the umbilical hernia repair and it is less than it was on two previous open repairs. On day 4, 5 and 6 I've been able to get in 3 Protein shakes each day. On days 5 & 6 I've been able to drink as much Water as I've wanted, but making myself drink at least 8 24oz cups per day. No gulping or chugging. Just frequent small sips. Life is good. The tool has been delivered. There are no excuses, no whining, no complaining. It's time to get busy and get lean. There will be no compromises.

You are definitely not alone !!!!! That is unacceptable that you weren't given clear instructions upon being discharged. Do they have an emergency after hours / on-call number ? Does your bariatric program have a webapge with possible links ? How about your nutritionist.....do they have a private Facebook page you contact them at ? There has to be a way you can contact your surgeon and/or their staff to get instruction.

Well done. Don't cave in for any reason. Stay strict and reap the results. Good job.

Today is my 6th day since surgery. The first couple of days it was work to get 2-3 24oz cups of icewater down. The last two days, however, I seem to be able to drink as much as I want. I'm up and walking to the bathroom every hour. The key has been to have a glass within reach at all times. I continue to take small swallows all day. It is very natural and occurs easily.