catwoman7

I used powdered peanut butter, too (mixed it into things like chocolate protein shakes). PB2 and/or PBFit - in fact, I still have some and use it occasionally.

I agree it depends on your program. I'd ask them. As far as the comment about carbs, that also depends on the program. Ours was a balanced plan so we didn't have to count or limit carbs - just protein (we were supposed to have 60+ grams of protein every day).

we were also told to take calcium citrate - it's much more easily absorbed by us. And yes - unfortunately, it's more expensive than calcium carbonate.

I didn't have any pain at all I didn't even bother opening the bottle of pain pills they sent me home with. The only thing I had, like someone else said, was tightness in my abdominal muscles. I didn't feel it if I was just lying there - or sitting there - or standing there - but when I was transitioning from one position to another, I could feel it - felt like I'd done a bunch of crunches. pain is really all across the board. Some of us have it, others have little to none. But they'll send you home with something if you do. The pain usually just lasts three or four days if you have it, so you're not likely to need a refill (although I would assume they'd refill it if needed)

depends on what it is. I eat that much yogurt almost every morning (I make my own - thus, it's not a typical 5.3 oz container). Eight ounces of meat, on the other hand, is way too much for most people (I could never eat that much anymore). I go by calories more than by volume now (and have for awhile - I'm eight years out). Plus I stop eating when I'm feeling satisfied (or when I'm feeling discomfort - but I try to stop before I reach that point)

I wasn't allowed to gain any weight, either - although in addition to that, (my insurance company) required a six-month supervised diet (supervised by a physician or dietitian), and I lost about 50 lbs doing that.

as someone else said, pre-op diets vary widely. All of the patients at my client, even the "light weights", had the exact same diet - that is, 4-5 protein shakes a day, all the no-cal or ultra low-cal fluids we wanted, sugar free Jello, sugar free popsicles, and one cup each of tomato juice/V8 and chicken broth. consider yourself lucky. The diets like the ones a lot of us are on are a huge PITA.

they seem to work for some people, but not for others. I've never tried them since I'd probably be one of the ones for whom they don't work. Although I've considered getting them for traveling, since even if they didn't really work for me, I don't think a few days or a week would matter much.

if there are certain items you really loved, maybe give those particular items to a friend or relative rather than donate them with rest. I did that...

agreed - realself.com is good resource, I used that plus a recommendation or two from here on BP to come up with my short list.

tofu and paneer would be soft - but not pureed re: rice and noodles - I didn't eat those at all for at least the first year. I'm not sure if they'd be considered "soft", but they're not very nutritious and take up real estate in your stomach when you should be filling it with mostly protein since your protein needs are very high the first few weeks. Also, even at eight years out, even though I do occasonally eat rice and noodles, i can't eat much of either since they sit in my stomach like a brick. So you'll eventually be ALLOWED to eat those things (all my food restrictions were lifted once I was about six months out), but they do bother some people.

my clinic said to wait for a year - but I waited three years. Just be aware that it's likely to hit you much faster than it did pre-surgery. I really feel the effects after just one glass of wine now.

nope - I love being normal weight and I never, ever want to go back.

I agree with Carmen. Years out, I still get a street taco (although I did start eating the tortillas once I was several months out - or maybe even a year - I just ate the "innards" before that), or else a fajita and just eat the meat and vegetables.

some surgeons will tell you not to gain more than 10-15 lbs after plastic surgery because doing so can affect your results, so if you think you can get down to your lowest weight and stay there indefinitely, then go for it. However, if this new weight is your body's new set point (the weight it's happiest at), know that it will likely be a constant struggle to keep it lower since you'll be fighting biology to stay at that lower weight. most people don't see a lot of loss after plastic surgery - usually five lbs tops. Although I suppose if they do A LOT of lipo, it could be more. They did a ton of lipo on me (I lost over 200 lbs), but I didn't have a significant loss after plastic surgery. I looked a lot better, though - and my clothes fit better.

chronic constipation is a common issue after bariatric surgery. A lot of us do take a capful of Miralax every day to keep on top of it - others take Colace (stool softener), Benefiber, smooth move tea, etc (or some combo of these) - whatever works for you.

you're not very far out yet - you may change your tune about the bypass. The first few weeks can be rough, regardless of the surgery type.

you'll likely get several different answers here, but here are mine: 1) I had GERD prior to surgery. I knew there was a 30% chance it would get worse if I'd have had sleeve, and I wasn't willing to take that risk (some people are, though - and some luck out) 2) VSG was still pretty new when I had my surgery eight years ago. It didn't have much research behind it yet, and I was a little afraid it might turn out to be "Lapband 2" (it's been several years now and VSG has proven itself, so I wouldn't have this particular concern if I were choosing between surgeries now) that said, I'd still choose RNY because of reason #1. Plus, I've been really happy with my RNY. I did far better with it than I ever dreamed I would!

a 12 stone loss in a year is great!! Don't forget the rate of weight loss invariably slows over time. After I hit the one year mark, my weight loss slowed to a crawl. There were months I only lost 1 or 2 lbs. But...I kept at it and it kept coming off - a lb at a time...

a lot of women have hormone-related issues the first weeks or months after surgery. This includes screwed up menstrual cycles and...moodiness! Estrogen is stored in fat cells and supposedly some of it is released during rapid weight loss - so you get a huge surge of it. I'm guessing that might be what's going on. It'll eventually stabilize.

that may be an individual thing. I don't remember being any more "gassy" than I was prior to surgery. I do know certain carbs can make people gassy, though.

a lot of women experience hormone surges after surgery because estrogen is stored in fat cells - so it could be that. If so, that's temporary. Also, maybe your skin is drier since you're taking in fewer fats now?

very common. For some it's only temporary. For others, they still get cold even when they're years out.

exercise is great for overall health, but it really doesn't make a significant difference in weight loss (some difference - yes - but weight loss is 90% food intake, and only 10% exercise). If you're running marathons or spending half the day in the gym, well, yes - but hardly anyone has time for that. Exercise supposedly is more effective when trying to maintain weight. Suffice it to say, it's probably not going to make a significant difference - and if it hurts, don't do it. I have arthritis, which is a gazillion times better now that I'm 200 lbs lighter, but I've always done aqua fitness classes - even when I weighed almost 400 lbs. Swimming, water aerobics, or anything in water is very easy on the joints and is often recommended for people who have arthritis. So that's a possibility if you want to exercise and have that option. Otherwise, walking is always good as long as you can tolerate it.

it could be just an intolerance to something in the chili (maybe the beef - but maybe the beans?). Dumping involves cramping, heart palpitations, chills or sweats, and diarrhea - and supposedly it can go on for a long time