smg

That's not true for every plan. With my plan, we were "allowed" to eat soft foods that could "easily slide through a funnel" immediately after surgery (even though I didn't personally, you could according to our plan). Having said that, mac and cheese certainly wasn't part of that nor was any other Pasta. If mac and cheese is part of your plan...even once soft foods are allowed, I would personally question that plan. It's just not healthy. Also, when trying new foods for the first time, you should take a tiny bite, chew it extremely well, and then wait a few minutes to see how your sleeve reacts, but I would definitely stick to YOUR plan as they are all different, but I have never heard of any allowing mac and cheese at any point...surprised by that for sure.

With all of the nerves and second-guessing that sort of "comes with the territory" with this or any elective surgery, the one thing that I did feel extremely confident in and never second-guessed was my surgeon AND his team. They made me feel comfortable throughout the entire process, they are always there to answer questions, no matter how many I send them even now through email...lol...and the atmosphere at the office and surgical center is super relaxed and everyone there goes out of their way to make sure you have everything you need. It has been a great adventure so far and a big part of that is because of the people that were involved.

So now I have to ask @@Dub , what's in the magical pre-workout energy drink....sounds like good stuff

I did a lot a research on Vitamins during pre-op. Luckily my NUT is a Vitamin and supplement "snob" (meant in a good way) and really only recommends them if she thinks they use "clean" ingredients, such as not using ingredients from China. She recommends a few brands, but after doing my own research, I tried a few and fell in love with the Opurity Brand. I really like them, they are easy to take, formulated for Bariatric post-op use and have "clean ingredients", as well. I chose these for a few reasons. The B-12 comes from Methylcobalamin which is easier to absorb in bariatric patients. B-12 typically needs "intrinsic factor", a Protein secreted by your stomach to be absorbed (methylated) properly. However, since the sleeve, there's not as much intrinsic factor being produced to properly methylate B-12 and have it be fully absorbed, so getting B-12 from Methlycobalamin is already methylated and therefore making more available to your body for absorption. I stay away from B-12 from Cyanocobalamin as that type is not methylated and therefore not absorbed as easily. It includes 250% of your daily Iron needs. This prevents having to take yet another supplement as it's included in a high enough amount in the multi-vitamin. Iron is another that is not easily absorbed, especially after surgery so having 250% available is nice to make sure you get what you need. These include Vitamin K, Zinc, Selenium, Chromium and Molybdenum which a lot of other multi-vitamins do not, or at least not in the amounts included in this brand. EDIT: Forgot to mention another reason I like these is that they do not contain any ingredients from China, which has had a questionable track record in the vitamin/supplement industry. They're not the cheapest, but they have been the best choice for me. You'll notice that some people get along just fine with regular multi-vitamins as well, so I think vitamins are much like anything else in that it becomes a personal choice based on what you feel works best. Best of luck!

@@madisunshine1 Yes scrambled eggs were a lifesaver. Also, refried Beans and the famous "ricotta bake" recipe during the soft-food phase got me through it with ease...the ricotta bake is delicious during the soft food phase...it was so good, I still make it sometimes. https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1793517

I remember that feeling My plan was a little more lenient than others in that I could some soft foods as soon as I could tolerate them. The way they described it to us was foods that could "easily slide through a funnel". I was very nervous to try solid food though and the first few days after surgery I stuck to mostly broth and Protein shakes...and sometimes I would just use less Water in the shakes to make them a bit more "substantial" feeling. You'll get through it. I do remember my first bite of anything real was a bite of runny scrambled egg that I probably would have found unappealing normally, but that day....that wonderful day....it was the best bite of any food ever Now that I'm back on regular foods I'm doing great. It's been a great tool to "reboot" and start making better food choices. I do my best now to stick to a diet that is rich in whole foods and lean protein, and stay far far away from anything and everything processed. I would definitely suggest starting off slow and taking plenty of time after each bite of anything new to see how your new sleeve reacts before taking another bite. Best of luck and enjoy that first bite!!!

Definitely agree that you should ease in and get comfortable. One of the mistakes I tend to make when starting workout routines is jumping in too fast, waking up the next day feeling like my limbs are literally going to fall off, and then being in so much pain I don't want to continue working out....not the smartest thing in the world lol. I started using a site called workoutlabs.com and they have some interesting tools that allow you to either build workouts for specific muscle groups based on the equipment you have access to (or no equipment), or you can choose from pre-made workouts. So I went through and built myself plans for "starting out", and then scaled up a bit by adding a few new exercises per week. Worked out really well for me. Also I agree 100% with @@Inner Surfer Girl on the swimming! We have a pool in the back yard that is used daily since I was cleared for swimming and there's nothing like it! It's great exercise and it's so much easier on your joints. I tend to do a lot of my cardio in the pool. You might also consider a trainer. They can help ease you in and show you proper techniques for exercises. Proper technique is really important for avoiding injury and getting the best results. Congrats on your decision to start working out and best of luck!

Nothing like "real labor" to get the blood flowing and muscles burning! I know where you are at. I started a fairly good sized garden thinking it would be an "easy hobby"....not even close! When I moved what seemed to be an endless supply of wheelbarrows full of dirt from the curb to the back yard I thought my arms were going to fall off! Luckily I have a 13 year old son to help, although I think even he was feeling it the next day!! It gets easier the more you do it, as everything does, and it is very therapeutic when you can actually see the fruits of your labor...it's very fulfilling and certainly good exercise! Congratulations and best of luck!

I take a fiber supplement and have no issues with my sleeve. Of course, that's just my experience and you should always check with your doc before starting anything new, but I haven't had any issues whatsoever. I use both the Fiber Well powder packs (unflavored) that you can put in water or the Fiber Choice Sugar Free Gummies....either works great.

They sound really good, but if sodium is an issue or something you're trying to watch out for (we all should be IMHO) then you might try cutting it with some Water, or low sodium broth. They all have 800 mg of sodium which is about 35% of your daily recommendation based on 2,300 mg/day (FDA recommendation) which is already pretty high. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1,500 mg per day which would make this 53% of your daily intake...from only 1 cup of broth. Obviously this would be a personal choice, but the flavors do sound yummy. Maybe they'll offer them in low sodium versions at some point Also, as I mentioned above, you could cut the salt content in half if you use 1/2 cup of this and 1/2 cup of unsalted broth.

I think it's great that you know the issue. Makes it a lot easier to address. Sounds like you have the proper motivation, so now it's about making the right food choices. I'm surprised that you were able to drink and eat at the same time, and eat much larger amounts without it being physically painful. Was it physically painful? I think you have the right mindset moving forward and you know exactly what you need to do to succeed...you've already done it once, so it's just a matter of getting back to it....best of luck!!

I try not to limit myself to a set number of meals and/or Snacks. For me if I set a specific schedule, and I happen to break it because I'm too busy, I start to stress out about it so instead I just eat when I'm hungry and I eat slowly and stop when I'm full. Some days, 3 meals might be it and others maybe 4, but they're all small and they're all healthy and so far I've been really satisfied with that...no bad hunger or anything like that, and it hasn't slowed my results. I brought this up with my nutritionist and she thought it was a good idea, so long as what I'm eating is healthy.

I've been pretty lucky so far. I've lost close to 100 lbs but skin is pretty elastic (somehow) and haven't had to deal with it too much, although we did discuss this at length in a post-op class with my surgeon and they said that just keeping the area cleaned well...even several times per day may prevent most bacterial infections, but that there really is no way to prevent it 100% without having it removed. You might try some powders too to keep the area dry such as Gold Bond medicated powder...that may help a bit.

I don't necessarily think that the vets who have "disappeared" have been the (only) ones who have "sparked the issues"...I think there's probably plenty of blame to go around from both sides of any conversation that goes awry. I do think it's unfortunate that the vets who have disappeared did so, as they are undoubtedly the most knowledgeable having gone through quite a bit more of the process than me, and I learned a lot from the information that they offered. I'm certain that are other vets who may not have been directly involved in any of this and chose to stop posting with little to no interest in having to carefully word responses to avoid being offensive to anyone, and subsequently yelled at for it). What may sound "offensive" to one may not be to another and if we choose to mold the "model response" around only those who are easily offended, I think that's a dangerous game to play and lot of questions will either go unanswered, or perhaps some people just won't get the "push" that they need in certain situations. If vets are here to help and really, why else would they be here, yet they find themselves unable to address specific situations with responses that they feel are warranted for that specific situation, then there is no longer a reason for them to want to be here....so they go. Sadly, more than I would like to have seen go have done just that, and it's really unfortunate. Additionally, we automatically go after the offender, but I don't always think that's the right answer either. If a person is offended or doesn't care for a particular way his or her question is answered, rather than immediately going on the defensive, they just simply bring it to the other person's attention. "Thank you for taking the time to reply, however, i really am not comfortable with how you are responding". If it escalates beyond that, then that's the job of a moderator (IMHO) as the thread has gone off-point and serves no productive purpose any longer. There's a difference between being straightforward and being outright rude and unhelpful, and I've seen it be "the fault" of both new and old members alike. I've seen threads recently where a new person asks a question, and a vet asks a clarifying, follow up question, a follow-up question that was completely legit and necessary to offer further assistance, and having the new person simply tell them to go away for "answering their question with a question". That's not the vet "sparking" that issue....so if we treat the vets a specific way, and then have others (not Alex -- he's been pretty universal in that his comments apply to all members as they should) tell the vets that they are the ones who need to watch their responses, why on earth would they want to stay for that. What are they getting out of that experience? Not everything is "roses and candy and skipping through the meadows"...nor should it be...lol. This isn't an easy process or an easy change to make and sometimes you need to be "slapped upside the head" and told to get back on track. You might not want to hear it, but it also might be the only response you remember BECAUSE it p****d you off. Chances are, unless the response was just rude and belligerent, it probably p***d you off because the person responding was right on the money. If it's to the point where you truly are offended by a response or a response was rude and not helpful, and you just simply don't see the value in hearing from that person any longer, there is an ignore button that will solve it immediately. Honestly, I don't know where to go for more advanced questions at this point so I've just been focused on helping as many new people as I can. I'm not interested in waiting for more vets....by the time that rolls around, I might be one myself and I'd rather not navigate this road on my own...that's what drew me to this community in the first place...so it would be nice if those values and benefits were still present...but they just aren't at the moment, and that's unfortunate. There will never be 100% agreement on this issue, and personally I don't think there's much value in continuing the conversation much longer as it's starting to become nothing more than people "picking sides" and really not moving any closer to any type of solution to the problem....my 2 cents.

I don't think there's many nutritionists out there who will ever tell you it's "good" or "permissible" on their plan and if they did, I would be a bit concerned of that by itself, since it's nothing more than poison in a can (my opinion). Having said that, I don't think anything is a "must stay away from forever" for reasons of possible complications more than for reasons of health. It's simply unhealthy and I think that's the biggest reason to stay away from it, but obviously in time your ability to drink it will depend on your specific situation and sleeve reaction. I think in the beginning, when you're still healing, there are a lot of people who experience pain or discomfort because of the carbonation. That gas can cause pressure in your new sleeve which can certainly be painful. As far as sugar is concerned, any sugar in liquid form can cause some discomfort, or even symptoms that mimic "dumping syndrome" common in bypass patients. Do I think some soda now and again down the road is the worst thing in the world? No. Of course not. But knowing my personality, I think if I even let it in a little, then I'll justify a little more....then a little more....then other things, and I just don't want to go down that path. What I (my opinion only) do think is important is that you use the time post-op (especially the first year) to re-train yourself on healthy eating and making better food choices. That's what I've chosen to do and, unfortunately, soda (regular, diet or other), doesn't fit into that plan. Best of luck!

@@SilentBotts Congratulations! Big victory!!! Woot!!!

I didn't have any burning or gas pains either. I couldn't drink regular filtered Water...just didn't agree with me but spring water or enhanced water (smart water) was/is fine. I've never heard of the burning before, you might ask your surgeon about that...especially if it's all liquids causing it and not just one or two things. Probably minor but never hurts to ask and be safe!

I had issues with regular filtered Water also. For some reason, spring water and enhanced waters (smart water, etc) are fine. Not sure if it's the additional minerals that make it easier to get down for me but I have no issues hitting my water goals with spring water or enhanced water. Also I add lemons a lot too for taste and the fact that they add some nutrients into the water also!

You can get any sub in a chopped salad form. They are very good and filling! I have them put the dressing on the side so that the salad will last me a day or two....very very good.

Have you looked into financing? Many surgeons offer financing programs where you can pay the amount off over time.

I had one as well. Doc said it's actually super-common in all people, not just those overweight and that most never get treatment as it doesn't always cause major complications or even symptoms. Mine was small, but having never had either surgery before this one, I couldn't tell you if it added to the discomfort or not, but I will say I never had anything I would call "pain". I would label it as discomfort and nothing more.

I was pretty lucky as well. I don't think I would call anything I felt "pain" as much as I would call it discomfort. I was fortunate that my surgeon was doing a trial on a new type of "inflation" machine that works a bit differently than the typical machines. Most of what I see people mention is the "gas pain". This is because the surgical team "inflates" your abdomen with a machine using (I believe) CO2. once your abdomen is inflated, typical machines continue the pressure to keep it inflated, and once the abdomen is full the gas begins to escape into your tissues and other parts of the body that can cause pains after surgery. This is one of the reasons it's so important to walk walk walk as soon as possible after surgery. The machine used on me was a trial and it inflated the abdomen, and once inflated, it actually backed off the pressure until enough CO2 escaped that it needed to kick on again. I had no gas pains and really no pain to speak of at all.

About Time Prohydrate was a great one for me. It's sweetened with Stevia and includes 20g of protein in each bottle so double-whammy! Also the vitamin water zero (I like the lemonade) is really good too, also sweetened with stevia and includes electrolytes as well so it helps hydrate you.

Forgot to mention in my original reply. I do think it's important to lift some weight during workouts (once cleared by surgeon of course for those still healing). The reason being is that most of us are on a low-carb diet and our bodies will use stored fat for energy, but they will also use muscle for energy as well. I think it's important to workout with weights to build up this muscle and prevent/replace the loss. Also, protein helps repair the muscles after workouts so be sure to keep your protein intake where it needs to be.