Samara1974

Missed Monday but my weight was 277 Goal to lose is 20lbs

My goal weight is 180 and I am 5'9". When I was 150 a LONG time ago I looked good but my Dr. was very concerned that I was too thin. My body shape has lots of muscle so the180 weight will allow me to keep my muscle and still be thin but according to BMI I will be overweight.

Everything was sweet to me too, for me that went away about week 3 of post op. I was able to use the broth packets out of ramen noodles. The flavors are stronger and weren't as sweet add your unflavored protein powder to them.

Pretty much, from all the vlogs and blogs I've read get used to the cold until you reach your goal and your weight stabilizes. The weight loss throws everything out of wack for awhile. I have been freezing since surgery too, it is normal.

I went to Hospital Angeles in February 2016 & they took my credit card so not too sure where the cash policy is coming in. They told me I could pay with a cashier's check a credit card or a debit card.

I would add a light (cotton) robe to the list for when you are walking the halls. I too received compression stockings from the hospital as well.

It might be dehydration or low blood sugar, how is your fluid intake? At one week out it was a challange for me. Can you add pedialyte to your water; they have flavor packet you can add to your juice or water.

I don't know all of your program but you might be gaining muscle and losing fat. Have you measured yourself? My old job we did "biggest loser contests" and found out after the first one that it was unfair for the folks who where working out vs someone who just quit drinking beer. We used some of the entry fee money to hire a personnel trainer to weigh us, measure & do the pinch test to get body fat percentage and then used all three numbers to declare a winner.

Genepro seems pretty popluar too it is unflavored protein powder that mixes well. Lots of folks put it in their crystal light drinks in the morning. You get if from Amazon, I haven't tried it yet but it is on it's way to me now.

I wished I had packed a robe, I was missing a tie on my hospital gown so my husband had to hold it closed for me. I used the chapstick, gas-x strips & slippers I brought. At some time through the process you are going to freak out or just be done with the whole thing. About two weeks out I got really grumpy with my husband and just started bawling when he came to give me my shot (some surgeons prescribe anti-coagulant shots.) I was tired of the whole after care process and just wanted to be normal. After surgery Water may taste sweet to you & it may make you nauseous, it faded after 2-3 weeks but it is really tough to get water in when your main source tastes nasty. For me the whole process doesn't feel real, I had an easy recovery & am losing weight pretty quickly. I wish I knew that I would be able to drink normally. When you are in post op liquid phase you may be able to drink more than 4oz if so it will freak you out and get you worrying. Just make sure to measure what you drink and keep to your timetable. If you one of the lucky folks you also won't feel restriction during this phase but when you move to more solid food you will. Also the dreaded three week stall is real. The worst part of the stall is the mental games it plays with you, all your previous diet fears & emotions come bubbling up and you just can't help it. It will break as long as you follow your program. Almost every surgeon has their own plan and post-op instructions, I am following my surgeons instructions and tucking things I am learning from my online support group that follows my guidelines. Even though you feel fine one month after surgery, be careful a this is when you can really hurt yourself (your internal stitches have not dissolved yet and if you do something wrong you will feel "pinching". It is not pleasant.

I love water and hated it after surgery (it was sweet) 2-3 weeks out it returned to normal and I was able to drink it again. I hope the same goes for you too.

I have very long and thick hair, I have started to thin a bit but it is not noticeable. I agree with a previous poster it is actually making my life easier because it now takes less time to do.The research I did said it is usually only noticeable if the person already has very fine and thin hair to begin with. Drainage tubes are truly a surgeon's preference. My surgeon chose a drain with me I believe because an incision was in a fat fold. It was removed the day I was discharged, a few seconds of pain when they snipped the stitch and then a weird feeling and I was done. That incision actually has healed the quickest and looks the best. I have only vomited once and it was because I ate too fast. I did not have any gas pain after surgery but that is because I followed other posters advice and snuck in gas-x strips and took it the first thing I could. I also walked a lot. I do have gas pain now if I eat too quickly or drink too fast. It stops me in my tracks and reminds me to SLOW DOWN and then I take a gas-x strip wait 30-40 minutes and finish my meal. Just remember everyone's experience is different for the good and for the bad. Try to gather information and then go for what happens to the majority of people. If you look for and only read the bad you are going to be a wreck.

I would like to join

I have timers set on my cell phone that go off when I need to eat, because I am never hungry. You have to eat even if you don't feel like it to get your protein. Like previous posters said it can lead to serious health conditions if not.

I too am lactose intolerant, some whey isolates I have no problem with, while other make me sick as a dog. Max Muscle's gourmet protein I can handle. I have also been using the J.D. Robb's egg white protein, the chocolate is really good I just bought the vanilla this weekend.

I've been using benefiber.

I agree the calories, fat & carbs seem really high, most Dr's recommend 600-1000 calories max per day. Max Muscle, Premier protein & muscle milk provide 30-40 grams of protein with 3-9 grams of carbs and about 190-200 calories.

One of the ladies on my facebook support group found this article about why we have the three week stall (which I am currently in) http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.php

This was my first surgery ever, I was a bit scared but when I went in to the pre-op holding area I was holding it together; not having my husband with me dropped my guard. My surgery was delayed by two hours because the person ahead of me had some complications because their stomach was too big. I had been napping off and on and just getting more nervous as time went by. I was tearing up and then trying to "suck it up", distract myself by counting ceiling tiles, grommets on the curtains etc. The nurses were checking up on me and asked if I was ok and i lost it and started bawling. They went and got the Dr. and Anesthesiologist and they calmed me down and gave me some drugs to help. After that all was good. They wheeled me into the OR a bit later and last thing I remember was the Anesthesiologist telling me to "enjoy the good stuff." Next thing I know I was done. P.S. I am a control freak so this was all me.

I am the same way, I haven't had any problems drinking from the start. Solids I definitely can feel the restriction.

I had surgery by Dr. Lopez- Corvala Feb 16th, the hospital and surgical team were amazing you are in good hands.

If you want post-op nutrition counseling and follow-ups go the US. route. I felt I could do this on my own so I went the Mexico route, I got written post-op instructions and my primary care physician is going to take over my healthcare. My surgery and hospital was amazing and way better care than I would get in the US. My surgery and stay was in a hospital so maybe a bit different than other experiences.

I've lost 5lbs since Tuesday.