Dub

You are quite welcome and I hope you don't let the new way of living throw you off. It's actually very, very simple. So much more so than other conventional diets for non-wls folks. Keep on the simple path and all will be well. You may get slightly bored at times with the diet....but please remember it is just a phase.....gut check time.....stick with it and advance to the next phase that will lead to more variety.......and so on. Here's a culinary pro-tip for you in case you are unaware, like I was: There are a plethora of flavored tuna, salmon and chicken packaged in foil packets. These packets make a decent serving size for those early days. Flavors are wide ranging and very tasty. The Proteins are very moist and go down easy. No preparation required. My desk drawer at work stays loaded with them. Just beware that the Tai Chili flavors can be hawt. Keep it simple. Don't go muck things up by adding in foods that aren't directly relevant with the specific phase you find yourself in. You've got this and have the ability to kick arse and take names.

Thank you. And you are very welcome. Please don't let things like this stress you during your walk towards surgery date. It's a great process and one that can be filled with self-discovery. Things can really be quite simple once we get out of our own way. You are gonna do great. Remember to keep taking deep breaths and stay relaxed. Nothing to worry about except cleaning out your closet and getting ready to have a justification to shop, shop, shop for new clothes. Fun stuff. You are going to see so much new energy and enthusiasm. Life is good, but sleeved life is better.

Aw...hail no to the shots !!!!!! Straight alkeehawl on a surgically altered stomach that's still barely healed ????? I'd give it while yet.

It's better in every aspect. Being all I can be and all that........... It's simply not often enough and I find myself behaving more like a bull in a china shop.

I'm trying to wrap my head around just eating protein as being healthier than protein and veggies. Do you just take Vitamins for what you are missing in veggies? All my life I have been told to eat more veggies to be healthy and that vitamins are a poor replacement. Is this outdated science? You'll hear things from your bariatric surgeon that seem to conflict conventional dietary advice over and over again. On the surface it may seem to bit a bit wonky. There is one underlying premise that you must embrace for your nutritional needs to be met after having VSG surgery...at least in the first year. That rule is SUPPLEMENTATION IS KEY !!!!!! You have limited room in your new stomach. Get your protein in. Supplement with bariatric Multivitamins, Iron, Calcium citrate, B-12 and Fiber drinks like Metamucil. Be mindful of the timing of this supplementation as calcium needs to be taken at distant time intervals from vitamins and iron. Your surgeon & hopefully your NUT should coach you up here. As you gain the capacity to move from the initial 1/4 cup up to the full cup meals....you will be able to add in wholesome foods that contain the nutrients that may allow you to cut back on the supplementation....YMMV. Remember....the goal is to lose weight and spare muscle structure in those initial months. The diet you embrace during the first year is geared toward maximum fat loss. The diet you embrace later will be more in line with what you'll do for the rest of your life. Now.......these are just my own opinions........based on the numerous conversations I've had with my surgeon and my own experiences. It works for me and is relevant to my own goals. It's all about finding your stride and blazing you own trial. Just understand that this wls path comes in stages & phases and our gameplan needs to be in accord with each step of this. Change is the only constant during this first year. Trust & Believe.

First repair was done with mesh. Second was with deep stitches. This last repair, done during my VSG, was done with deep stitches. My Achilles heel, it would appear, is my beer gut, lol.

Scivmtion now makes a version of Xtend that has a pre-workout mixed in........trying to find some....grrrrr. Has serious potential for being a good product. Post where you find their pre workout. Not sure how many flavors you've tried. Grape Xtend is good, green apple is even better. Watermelon is just okay. I agree completely on the green apple goodness. It really is nice. One of the things I love about the flavors of Xtend is that you can Water them down and yet they still taste great. I use a shaker bottle with ice & water and sip during workout. Damn tasty. Rinse add ice, water and Protein powder after for the ride home. Good stuff.

My son, then 15, and I have a "no bs" relationship. I almost lost him a couple years back and adopted a different tack after that experience. I am 100% straightforward and honest with any question he has on any subject. Nothing off limits. No parental filters. The truth and nothing but the truth. The good, the bad and the ugly. I sat him down and told him about my first bariatric appointment in June 2015. He wanted the rundown of the procedure and then asked if it was risky. I told him that any surgery had inherent risks but this surgery was much more safe than living the way I was currently living. He accepted it and said he was all in and supported me. Here is a pic taken the afternoon I came home from my first bariatric appointment: Here is a pic taken not quite a year later.....standing in almost the same spot in our driveway....just facing the other direction..lol Just sit down with each of them.......and tell them. Tell you love them and want to be around for them for a long, long time. You've got this !!!!!!!

Dub, You were the first person on here to let me know some surgeons operate on it. I'm hoping to hear mine does. I really don't want to keep going for so many surgeries. Do you think it made recovery harder ? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I'd already had umbilical hernias repaired on two prior surgeries...10 & 5 years prior to my VSG. Both were open type out-patient surgeries that hurt like hell to recover from. Outa work for 5-6 weeks for both. Then there was my VSG surgery with a simultaneous umbilical repair done with same tools he used for the the VSG. I was out of work for 3 weeks. Had it just been sleeve surgery, then I'd have only been out a week. I knew at the time of my VSG & hernia surgery.....that the hernia repair should be considered temporary. Losing the weight over the next 18 months would have my ab muscles tighten and be in a better state for a more permanent repair. It wasn't bad at all, though. The recovery this time was a cakewalk compared to last time. Two things that I would advise you having at home and making even easier work of it: 1) a recliner to sleep and recover in. Much easier than trying to lay flat in a bed. 2) raised toilet seat insert. They simply fit over the bowl and raise the height of the toilet seat a few inches. So much easier to sit and stand from an elevated height. I used the liquid pain meds for just a couple days and then was good.

Kinda......I fell ya, mayne. Piss on a stall. Hate those damn things. I got powerfully pissed off with one two weeks ago and went back to the basics and busted through it. Low carb Protein powder mixed with ice & Water.....and daily gym visits. This kept my carbs und 20 grams each day and my protein elevated to the 120 grams per day level. The only solid foods I had were ham omelettes, some tuna and grilled chicken. I had a couple days where I went bonkers for something to crunch on. Bell peppers, celery and a daily apple helped keep my crunch beast satisfied.

No such recipes, my friend. However......spent 5 weeks in Japan and while there I went native. Thank the Lord above that the weekends were mine....all mine....and I could hop aboard trains and get back to Tokyo & Kyoto for some menus that were more in line with what I was accustomed to in the states. Hard Rock Cafe spared my sanity on those weekend getaways. The weekdays were spent further out in the "country" areas where I was working. The stuff I ate was.....well....by our standards here.....vastly different.....but everything was perfectly prepared and tasty. Funny story is that one of my co-workers was dead set on sticking with KFC, Wendy's and McDonalds while we were there on one of the trips. He contracted a bad stomach virus while there. I'd chose to go all in with their food....their culture.....had a blast and came home no worse for the wear. And as far as the skewering comment goes........I've been working a long string of consecutive workdays with a few more to go. Trust & Believe that I'm ready to do some skewering. It's becoming an undeniable need that must be met. I can't wait until my next day off when I can skewer my back out !!!!!!!!!!!! Kampai !!!!!!!!!!!!

So damn cool !!!! Living the dream right there.

Looks tasty and loaded with protein.

Well said @@Womanvsmirror There are a lot of whines, gripes and complainers. Quite frankly, they drain me....sap me of energy. I can't stand being around folks without drive and motivation. I can't take lazy folks. Can't freaking stand it. Work hard. Play hard. Spend more time on the "success stories" threads and all is well in the world. Positivity breeds positivity. Looking forward to seeing your progress and observations along the way. It can be a fun and exciting time. Once we get the fire lit beneath our rumps....the real dancing starts.

Well done !!! October 2015 was my surgery month. It'll forever be a new birthday in my life.

I've simply used the profile tools available here on BP to do this. Weight loss, progress pics and etc. One stop shopping. lol

As I was coming out of the soft foods stage.....there simply isn't enough room in a 1/4 cup sized meal for anything but Protein. All that other stuff simply doesn't fit, thusly was avoided. Now that I've been told to push towards 1 full cup of food there is room to get my protein in...and add some vegetables, too. 1/4 cup isn't much food. Stick with protein. This is the point in the weight loss focus where we shouldn't be concerned about food focus....it's not about wonderful flavors and such......it's simply about getting the nutrition and moving on. Break the food focus and get going with the losing.

LOL on surgeon working around it and waiting until later to repair. My surgeon looked at mine during my pre-op visits and said without a doubt that monsta had to be dealt with during the VSG surgery. It was insanely large.

Santa Claus came today !!!!!!!! Dressed like a UPS dude. Or actually a dudette. Scivation now makes a version of Xtend that has a pre-workout mixed in........trying to find some....grrrrr. Has serious potential for being a good product.

Mess with the horses.........then prepare to be skewered.

Interesting concept. I like it. I'll not post food porn for a while. I know I'll get a twitch......and itch....but I'll not do it. Gonna be working everyday until Monday anyway. Know this.....on Monday....my grill will be hot and my pitcher of 'ritas will be on ice. Porn goals will be met. On the serious side......I try....truly do try......to stay with the content. Now.....I may be more reserved on my replies based on who the poster is...my knowledge of their history and perspective come into play. Sometimes, though....a Darwin award winner emerges and I can't hold back.... FTR......I was a Darwin Award Recipient......almost......and then I found this place..............

That link will be very useful to many people here. Thanks for posting it.

This was one of the reasons I went with the sleeve. Arthritis meds are a must when I need them .

The night before and the morning of.

Agreed. Even the NUT's who are the least helpful seem to cover this much, usually.