smg

Yep @@sanjumelts is right on the money. Bad breath is a typical occurrence during ketosis. It might not be the most inviting thing in the world, but it's a good sign you're doing things right!

Hoping everything is OK. Great advice to call your surgeon from @@KristenLe . Hope it's nothing serious. Keep us in the loop! Best wishes!!

When is your surgery? If you are close to surgery I wouldn't suggest taking anything without first speaking with your surgeon/NUT first....including over-the-counter supplement/suppressants. It's hard to answer the question without knowing what your dietary restrictions are. Each program is different. When is your surgery? What type of diet have you been prescribed? liquid only? Low Carb? Have you talked with your surgeon/NUT to see what they recommend? Without knowing some of this it's hard to give suggestions. I didn't have a liquid only restriction so I'll tell you what helped me, but again, without knowing what your dietary restrictions are, this is just my experience and not a suggestion for your specific situation. Steamed veggies...high Fiber veggies worked best pre-op for me. Broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, leafy greens kept me feeling full the longest. I was also allowed a lean Protein with each of my meals as well. That coupled with the high-fiber veggies did the trick. Let us know a little more and I'm sure you'll get the help you need but I would speak to my surgeon/NUT before taking anything prior to surgery.

I would definitely check with your surgeon before consuming alcohol. I realize it's before your pre-op diet, however, the entire point of the pre-op diet is to reduce the size of your liver as much as possible to give the surgeon easy access to the area he or she needs to work within. Alcohol effects the liver directly, and could certainly have an impact on your success during the pre-op phase. Nothing would be worse than going in for your op and having the doc close you back up because your liver was too large to proceed. Obviously that's worst-case, but probably not worth the risk tbh... Even with your doctor saying it's ok, I *personally* would probably opt against it just for the fact that alcohol directly impacts the organ in which the entire pre-op diet is geared to address. Obviously you spoke with your doc and they are fine with it so the choice is up to you....best of luck!

I really hate the fact that they "limit" your pre-op weight loss. Personally I think that sets the wrong example, but I understand the hoops that the insurance companies make you jump through. I was cash-pay so luckily didn't have to go through this, but I feel for you because if it were so easy to "control" the amounts of weight we lose....we wouldn't need the surgery in the first place!!!! Anyhow at least it doesn't sound like you have to wait a year like some have...so there's that. Best of luck to you...hope it all works out!!!

I use the Opurity brand multi-vitamins, and then some other individual supplements, as well as a B-complex patch. When to start them would be a question for your NUT/Surgeon, but in my case, I actually started them pre-op and they helped with some of the headaches... There are a lot of good brands out there, and I suggest you talk to your NUT as they may have some samples for you to try. You can also contact the various companies and they may provide you with samples also. Best of luck!

Thankfully, I didn't have to go through a pre-op liquid diet, although I did have some headaches during the pre-op diet. The second week of mine I started with the Bariatric multi-Vitamins and those seemed to help as I really wasn't eating much to gain the vitamins/minerals that I needed. I also increased my Water intake quite a bit, opting for electrolyte enhanced water and decaf green tea which also helped. The headaches are pretty normal as your body is going through lots of withdrawals. They will get better with time. Hang in there...it's worth it!!!

Mine was pretty easy also. Just had a few forms with what seemed like general questions that I filled out at home and returned. As a cash patient, I don't think they are as strict as some of the insurance requirements. For instance, I know there is a psych eval person on the team I used, but I didn't have to speak with anyone. The term 'psych' is what's scary in the subject I think. It's much easier than it sounds in most cases it seems.

I was also a cash patient, but didn't have to give up caffeine prior to surgery, although I did give it up the week before just to stay more relaxed. The 'delivery method' of the caffeine is probably the important part. For instance, drinking a cup or two of black coffee/tea per day will most likely get a different reaction from your team that if you drink 4-6 sodas per day! Speak with your NUT and they will guide you as to what your surgeon allows/prohibits. It's best to stick with the plan your surgeon/NUT prescribe as each one is different. Best of luck!

There are a couple that I frequent, but I try to stay away from the ones that are clearly pushing certain brands/products as they don't appear to be genuine. Some of the ones I like are: Beauty and the Bypass - There are some good stories and motivation here. It's kind of "all over the place" meaning a bit unorganized, but you can find some inspiring stuff there. WLSHub - This one is quickly becoming a fave. Well organized, good resources like independent product reviews, news articles and GREAT recipes. Its still a 'young' site but it reads really well and doesn't seem to be aligned with any specific product/brand...and the recipes are great. The World According to Eggface - Most likely the most well-known. I really like the info, but unfortunately the site is so frustrating sometimes as it's just not well organized or easy to navigate. Great resources if you want to fish through everything to find them though. The ricotta bake saved me early post-op...no denying that! Other than those there really isn't a lot of "blog" style sites unfortunately. I think it's a difficult subject to advertise and perhaps people just simply don't have the time. For now, for me, WLSHub.com is about the closest to a 'blog' or news source that's out there and, even though it appears to be newer, it seems to add new content (especially recipes ) fairly regularly. Aside from those, there are forums, which really is only this one and one called Thinner Times (this forum doesn't allow links to them...lol) that seems to be picking up quite a bit of traffic recently. Some good info on there, but not as robust as this one.

I had the same problem with ground meat at first also. For whatever reason, it didn't go down easily and it was a bit painful once it was down, yet I had no issues with shredded chicken for whatever reason. Keep doing what you're doing....the best advice I could give is take a bite and WAIT a few minutes to see how your sleeve accepts it. Best of luck!

I agree with @@Christinamo7 that you have to talk with your surgeon, family and team to see what's best for you, but I don't know that I would classify any surgery as the "cadillac of wls" because I think that differs for everyone. For instance, the sleeve was definitely the cadillac for me because it was less invasive than either a bypass or duodenal switch and none of the "plumbing" was changed. This was a big deal to me because even though Vitamins are an important part of life post-op with the sleeve, they are imperative with a bypass and they are the difference between life and death with the duodenal switch. I have seen and heard from people that are both happy and unhappy with each procedure and it seems that those who are unhappy always fall into one of two categories. Either they were one of the small percentage with complications, in which case I can understand their feelings, or they either weren't informed of or didn't research entirely what was expected and required of them moving forward post-op. As long as you fully understand what the requirements will be immediately following your surgery, and even 1-3-5-10+ years down the road, then you should make the decision that makes you most comfortable. Best of luck to you!

I try not to be *afraid* of certain foods but I do categorize foods in ways that make it easy for me to quickly make decisions on what I will eat (or not eat) and how often. I try not to make it so complicated that it becomes inconvenient. Basic rule of thumb for me is to stick a whole-foods based diet. Stay away from processed or refined products. I really feel that's been the key for me. Watch the documentary called "Fed Up" and you might be afraid of processed foods when you're done. It really hit home for me. As a father, it was one of the most moving and infuriating docs I've ever seen...and it explains so much of how I got to where I was pre-op. Unlike the doc, however, I don't blame anyone but me for that, but at least now I know what to avoid

Typically, it's that competition with friends and family members that motivates me, but on days where you just don't feel like doing it, but know that you have to, I like to put in the headphones, turn on Netflix and before I know it, I'm a couple of episodes into whatever I'm watching and just about done before I know it! It was tough at first because I went to the gym without a specific plan and would often find myself getting there and either wasting time looking for what I wanted to do or just walking around wasting time. Once it registered I was getting very little benefit from that, I built a regimented workout from workoutlabs.com and used that to keep me on track with the exercises I wanted to do and based on the equipment that was available to me. As I get farther into working out, I can increase the amounts or difficulties of the exercises. It's really been a great tool for me and they also have some free workouts to try, but the customization is worth the money....

I also used information from my Nutritionist. There is a pre-op diet plan that most surgeon/NUT teams include in their programs and what I did was just start on this earlier as mine was not as strict as some others I have seen. Basically, it's whole foods. Lean Proteins and lots of veggies. It's still the diet I use today, except now I've included fruits into the diet as well, but I would check with your NUT before doing that as I don't know your specific situation and some don't like fruit as part of their diet plans (which is an entirely different discussion )

I actually use the Patches for extra B-complex Vitamins...and I really like them, but for multi-vitamins, I use Opurity brand that has been formulated for Bariatric patients. They use extremely clean ingredients and NOTHING from China. There are several brands out there, but I like these for a few reasons No ingredients from China Great source of Vitamin K which some others don't include Full array of B vitamins Source of B-12 (Methylcobalamin) is better absorbed for bariatric patients than those from Cyanocobalamin Includes Iron Includes Iodine Includes Selenium Very minimal ingredient list outside of the vitamins There are a lot of good choices out there, and I would suggest trying a few different brands until you find one that works best for you. Best of luck!

Obviously, this is more of a personal choice, but I try to stay away from anything and everything processed or refined...which would include any flour. I truly believe that a diet rich in whole foods is what's helping me to reach my goals and so that's the path I'm on now....and it's been great as well as satisfying. I don't find myself craving things that I used to and I don't feel that I'm being "deprived" of good food....just the opposite actually. I feel that I was depriving myself of good food before the surgery. Sticking with whole foods, I don't really count carbs or worry about them as the vast majority of carbs I consume come from natural sources like fruits, veggies and Beans. I do stay away from colorless, starchy veggies such as potatoes though. I opt for a sweet potato instead which I believe is a much better alternative. The only thing I really "count" is my Protein...just to make sure I'm getting enough. In the end, you have to find a program that works for you and I would encourage you to get with your NUT and speak to them about plans specifically for you. Best of luck!

@@kbuck3779 Actually my nutritionist suggested we start with smaller utensils so that actually may just work! Good luck!

The ricotta bake recipe that's now famous in the wls community is simple to make and really....really good! It's a good "transition" food that helps you get back in the habit of chewing, and while it's already relatively soft the chewing is more of a "practice" than a necessity. The other things that helped me and are easy to make in large quantities so they last a few days are various Soups with some textured ingredients that are soft but give you the feeling of "solid" foods, of which Beans, tofu and eggs being the most versatile I think...along with veggies of course. I would chop the veggies rather small, and after cooking for an extended period of time, they were soft enough to eat easily as they would soften quite a bit. Experiment....check out the recipe section here and on some other sites, like http://skinnytaste.com / http://seriouseats.com / http://wlshub.com Just sift through the recipes to find ones that are easy to make and that can be made in large batches and either eaten over the course of a few days or frozen for easy meals down the road. Best of luck!

I definitely experienced this in the beginning and I found that if I eat slower, not just chew more, but actually eat slower, meaning take a smaller bite, chew thoroughly, and then set my fork/spoon down and take a break between bites it helped tremendously. This is not much of a concern anymore though, as long as my bites remain relatively small and I chew them well, it seems to have worked itself out. The other big no-no (for me) was drinking while eating. I would have the same issue. The feeling as though I needed to burp but couldn't, and if I continued to drink (even a small sip) it could actually get quite painful so I don't drink while eating any more either. Also helped. It's certainly an adjustment but one that worked itself out for me. Wish you the best!

I had not considered any of this prior to surgery and was surprised that, the day before surgery when I was signing my consent and waiver forms that there was a form stating that what I was doing would cause significant changes in my life and that could also effect my marriage. Basically it was a waiver stating that if I get divorced I agreed not to hold the surgeon responsible which made me realize that apparently this is a much larger problem. I did discuss this with wife and was actually concerned for a brief period because, like so many others on here, a lot of our social life revolved around food, whether it be eating out, parties, BBQs, etc. Luckily, it has not had a negative effect thus far and the effect has been extremely positive. My confidence has returned, and it has improved every aspect of our relationship. We still eat out and I have not found a restaurant (we stay away from fast food....it's just bad all the way around imo) where I couldn't find something suitable. Even if they don't offer a "small plate" portion, I have no issues whatsoever eating asking for a to-go box. In fact, for the first time since surgery I was craving a Hamburger and we went to a up-scale restaurant and that's exactly what I ordered. I had 2 bites...lol....and the rest lasted me for 2 more days until my son finally finished it off. Most of the time, however, I opt for something a lot lighter, such as a Soup or a salad, or a small piece of grilled or steamed fish/chicken, along with veggies or fruit as a side. Breakfast is easy as well. Scrambled eggs or an egg-white omelette are on every breakfast menu so I haven't had any issues. You mentioned Las Vegas. I live in Las Vegas and have a second home in Reno so we are constantly surrounded by buffets. I have gone to a few since surgery and, again, have not had any issue finding something suitable. Sure, you're certainly not going to get your money's worth, but if you're gambling, you shouldn't be paying for your buffet anyway! If you are receiving comps for meals, ask your casino host for comps to restaurants that offer healthier alternatives. Stay away from the "deli" restaurants and opt for the higher end places. If you do go to the delis, stick with soups/salads, or ask for sandwich meats without the bread. Most will make it for you and just charge you for the sandwich. Vegas will do what they can to make you happy in most cases because they want you to be happy...so you keep gambling If you want to venture off of the strip there are some wonderful restaurants that will cater to both of you. There's a place called Skinny Fats that has been an absolute gem in my family. They have 2 versions of every meal....one that is healthy, and one that is traditional. It's a wonderful idea and the food is extremely good. Check it out... Aside from everything, communication is the key. Talk to your husband....let him know how you feel and try and get him to tell you how he feels. Once the issues are out in the open it will be much easier to tackle and work through. Best of luck to you!

I use my pressure cookers (stovetop and electric) quite often, for many different things, but my favorite thing to use it for is hard-boiled eggs! I can make large batches and even when using fresh eggs they are simple to peel when cooked in the pressure cooker. Every machine is different I'm sure with regard to times, but I do 18 at a time and in 6-8 minutes (once at set pressure - low) they are perfectly done! Times don't seem to change regardless of how many I cook at a time either, making it easy to test with a few to get your timings down, then add more to suit your needs. Great Snacks and source of protein!

If someone who has actually been through the process already comes to me and says that they feel something I'm thinking of or am already doing will cause me to fail, I ABSOLUTELY would like for them to let me know. Saying "Oh don't worry you'll do great" is NOT a proper answer to everything and simply letting someone know that what they're considering doing or are already doing is not going to help them and could actually hinder their results should be welcomed, not discouraged. Let's make this a little more about the big picture also, shall we. When someone who may traditionally speak out if they feel something is wrong/counterproductive decides to stop speaking out because of these "you must walk on eggshells" dictations, it might save the fragile feelings of one person, but it could potentially hurt quite a few more. We tend to only consider those that are actually participating in the discussions and there's little mention of the many who read posts to get information without ever posting themselves. If the forum is full of "less than ideal" <- (read=terrible) suggestions that have not been challenged by those perhaps more knowledgeable because they've been muzzled or decided to leave because of over-moderating, these bad ideas could potentially get followed because there's no posts correcting, questioning or offering explanations as to why they are bad. Now that's something that should not be taken lightly. Not sure about you, but as someone who needed the surgery due to terrible eating habits, if I saw a post or discussion on a forum that starts with the (ridiculous) questions of "Can I eat just a few potato chips or french fries or chocolates...", and that post had no contradictory responses and only those "Don't worry about....you're amazing!" responses I'm pretty sure I would run (not walk) to the nearest store and get chips and french fries and chocolates. After all, nobody said not to and as a food addict it wouldn't take much for me to justify that trip to the store... If a cocaine addict posts on a drug user forum that they want to try "just a line or two", do you think the response there is gentle? I would hope and expect it NOT to be. This is a forum where people of DIFFERING points of view meet. If you don't like what's being said or "what could be said" in response to a post that YOU are FREELY making and by doing so, SOLICITING responses, then don't write the post. To try to put thousands of members "under the thumb" is simply going to do nothing more than stop the productive dialogue that has helped so many and replace it with mindless, non-essential, canned garbage that will help very few, if any at all. Debate and FREE conversation is what makes any forum valuable, and when you take that away you take away the value. Having said all of that, I hope that FREE debate and conversation (even those of differing points of view) continue on this site without unnecessary suppression or over-moderating. I do, however, believe that personal attacks, violence, or threatening remarks have no place in ANY forum or discussion, and should be dealt with accordingly.

Full disclosure, this is a Bobby Flay recipe, but I wanted to post it here because it has helped me tremendously...and it's just delicious. I love coleslaw, but eating traditional coleslaw with mayonnaise has been difficult as the mayo is a bit "heavy" for me. If I were eating coleslaw as a primary meal it would be fine, but using it as a side dish has been tough because 1 or 2 bites of traditional coleslaw and I'm done. I saw this and figured I would give it a try and it's been great. It's a bit lighter tasting and goes well with just about anything. Cabbage is such a healing vegetable IMO and I like to eat as much as I can and this is a great way to do that. INGREDIENTS (Dressing) 1/2 cup olive oil (I use extra virgin) 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice 1/2 tsp ground cumin 2 cloves garlic, chopped Few dashes of hot sauce (optional but really good) INGREDIENTS (Slaw) 3 carrots, peeled and shredded 1 medium head green cabbage, shredded 1 red bell pepper, julienne 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley if you're not a fan of cilantro) Kosher salt and black pepper to taste Directions For the dressing: Place the oil, lime juice, cumin, garlic and hot sauce in a blender or mini food processor until smooth. For the slaw: Combine the carrots, cabbage, bell pepper, onion and cilantro/parsley in a large bowl, toss with dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste. NOTES You can eat immediately after making, but I've found it to be better after being chilled in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Also if you miss the vinegar "bite" of traditional coleslaw, adding a tbsp of red wine vinegar is great also

I think we all know that words can certainly be hurtful, especially when they come from those who are supposed to be closest and most supportive of us. Comments as blatant as this one, however, make me smile a little because they stink of envy, IMHO. Unless this person has always been a direct, pampas ass for as long as you've known them, then I would be willing to bet that it was said more from a place of envy than anything else. This may be a person who "must have the attention" and can't deal with anyone else getting any, or someone so insecure with themselves that they must project negativity on whoever they can for fear that their flaws are ever under the "spotlight". I know that it's hard, but all I can say when hearing things like this is to smile...know that what you are doing is clearly effective, and be happy with your progress. People like this are certainly not worth getting upset over. Consider this: There were several people at your party. All but one saw the progress and expressed their positive comments and support. Majority wins...stick with the majority Stay positive, keep up the hard work and best of luck on your CONTINUED success!!