ShelterDog64

@@LisaMergs * If you're melting a ton of velveta cheese PRODUCT, well now, that's not really cheese, I would say.* This made me laugh...I have a friend who ADORES Velveeta and that 'cheese' in a spray can. I call it 'cheze' and I've been able to annoy her for 15 years by saying it. It's the little things, sometimes!

Oddly, it boils down to if you like the person who answered or not. I have seen that answer come from one member and it HELLFIRE HORRID BULLYING but coming from another member, it's humorous and lighthearted. Weird. It's the way of the world, isn't it? Lets all have a taco and move on? Through a straw, while chewing gum, on vacation 30 mins after discharge. There.

@@gustavio I've read through this whole thread and it seems that your plan says 4T of banana is fine, and that's what you ate. I don't really understand what you're asking? Soft, mashed and liquid foods will move through your sleeve faster than heavier foods will later on, so you probably could eat more than 4T of some of them, but it probably isn't a great idea. I didn't feel real restriction at 2 weeks, I thought I was but it was only until I moved to non-pureed meats that I felt true restriction. When you feel it, you'll know it. And my plan doesn't allow for bananas at all, so I'm having a little banana envy over here.

@@LipstickLady Newbies are rude, vets are rude....lather rinse repeat. I don't understand why it has to be an 'it's THEM, Mom!!!' situation at ALL times. The newbs vs vets situation was at a peak when I got here and it almost sent me immediately away. This forum would be a nicer place for EVERYONE if people could just take a breath and re-read what they write before they hit 'post'. I know it's not likely to happen because we're all human and all have buttons that get pushed. And now this thread has degenerated into far more rudeness than this topic ever warranted. And PS...the word 'bullying' should be struck from use here. So ridiculous.

@@LisaMergs Oh, I can tolerate the sarcasm...I think that's a problem for a lot of others. I thrive on sarcasm For me, it's the meanness that is, on occasion, instantly directed at people who ask questions or post about their behavior. It serves no purpose.

I've been posting on forums, support groups, debate groups, list serves, loops, etc for years...the single best 'rule' that I've found is to NOT say something on the internet in a manner you wouldn't say it to someone's face. For ME, that means not making demeaning remarks, and trying to be at least civil if not kind. Sarcasm doesn't convey well in written form, either. I know I'm a newb, so I don't have all the time the vets do here, but I do literally cringe at some of the flippant, seemingly thoughtless rudeness I see from time to time. That's my issue to deal with, of course, and my ability to cruise on by that kind of behavior will ultimately determine whether I continue to participate here or not. This forum has MUCH more good than bad, but to some new people, at times the bad really stands out

I agree with @Valentina...if they are truly good friends you enjoy spending time with, don't close that door yet. I have exactly ONE acquaintance, who is very obese, who put a lot of effort into talking me out of this surgery. I've put her aside for now, since I don't want to end our relationship, but she will NOT be a part of my life right now when I need positivity and support. That said, anytime there's a change in a relationship I have with anyone I care about, the first thing I do is check my own attitude/behavior, to make sure it's not me. Especially when I'm going through some sort of turmoil/large change in my world...I can get a little snarky, snappy and withdrawn. Hell, who am I kidding? I'm always kind of snappy and snarky, it's the 'withdrawn' part that isn't 24/7

I buy my Vitamin Patches from here, and they just started carrying my Protein so I'll get that here, too. Shipping is fast and you can do subscription purchasing, which helps me always have my Vitamins without having to plan/think about ordering.

@@theantichick I'm in complete agreement about complex carbs...so much so that I barely consider fruits and vegetables carbs when I'm thinking in terms of eating whole foods. I recently went into ketosis, because the need to push Protein coupled with my restriction was causing me to basically eat protein and drink Water. I didn't feel good at all after a few days, so I upped my complex carbs by adding them in as additional small meals. Now my weight loss has slooooooooowed down. Not sure if it's related, but I can't stay in ketosis. I think, for me, it's less about whether its a carb or not and more about the glycemic index or load of what I eat. Interesting discussion, thanks!

I hate to be one of the support group naysayers, but I have to be honest. Of all the classes, instruction, research...everything I did to prepare for this, the ONLY negative was going to support group meetings. They're required by my program, both pre- and post-op and I swear if I make it through this post-op year without going OFF on some contrary whiner, it'll be a miracle. I privately call them 'Enabling Group' because, much as @@Dub describes, they tend to be dominated by a small but vocal minority of malcontents who just want permission to be miserable and to be off-plan because they 'can't help themselves'. 'I couldn't stop myself' or 'I can't help it, it just happens' are two of the most irritating phrases I've ever heard and I hear them at every meeting. I leave support group not supported in the LEAST, but as I walk to my car, I remind myself that even watching bad behavior being modeled can be a moment of learning. And I'm DEFINITELY learning what NOT to do

I think those negative thoughts come when you're not in control of what your body is doing, and at 1 week post-op, you're definitely not in control! Your sleeve is still terribly swollen, your bowels probably aren't behaving properly, your brain thinks you need to eat but you can't...it's a confusing, tough time. The good news is that it gets much, much better relatively quickly. By 4 weeks I was eating a regular diet of well-chewed foods, walking long distances, sleeping beautifully and had no pain. Now, as I start my 11th week post-op, it's like I didn't have surgery, except for the restriction I get from the sleeve. You WILL be successful if you decide that you'll be successful. Your sleeve is a marvelous tool, but you decide how you're going to use it...start visualizing success and you'll be successful. Good luck

Your broth is lower in sodium and likely much healthier than store-bought! Enjoy it

I finally lost a whole pound over the weekend but unfortunately, it found me again We also went to dinner at friends' home and I grazed/ate over a few hours...got in a LOT of calories and way too many carbs. They didn't know I'd had surgery so it was a teeny bit awkward. I told them about it and they were super supportive but I didn't prepare well for being in a situation where we sat and chatted, nibbling on food and drinking wine. Not as much exercise as I should get, either, so not my best weekend. I'm back on track this week! I did have a lovely NSV, I had ordered some denim capris from Talbots end of season sale in a 12 and a 10...I wore the 12s this weekend! I haven't been out of plus sizes in forever, so that was great! Focusing on THAT and getting over my food stupidity is what I'm planning for the coming week. @@magoosmom I'm so happy to hear that you're seeing good results on the scale. I don't envy you younger women who have to contend with your cycles while doing this weight loss thing...I've been menopausal for about 18 mos (although the hormone dumps have caused some bleeding ) and it's nice to not have to deal with the water weight gain. @@suzzzzz That's tragic about the popsicles...I've been eating them too and had no idea they have that many carbs. May have to reevaluate them, but they've kept me sane at times! I hear you about the shot metabolism...all those years of losing/gaining/losing have destroyed mine.

1) You should not eat tacos at 3 weeks out. 2) You should not eat even the filling from a taco at 3 weeks out. 3) You should not eat taco shells, whether hard or soft, at 3 weeks out.

@@SoExcited101 Congratulations on your new, healthier life! Letting go of people AND pounds is sometimes the best combination of all

@@jtellechea001 I was sure the sleeve was the right procedure for me, then I started wavering right before my final appointment with my surgeon. I was having some of the same thoughts as you about weight loss, and I was concerned that I wouldn't get the same result from a sleeve that I would with a RnY bypass. My surgeon and I talked for almost an hour, and it turned out (for all the reason I already knew but had started doubting) the sleeve was the right surgery for me. I'm in my early 50s and have a long history of moderate to severe iron-deficiency anemia. At my age/history, I didn't think I needed to introduce malabsorbtion into my life. My BMI wasn't crazy high and I wasn't diabetic. I've always been able to lose weight, just haven't been able to maintain. All of these factors had convinced me that the sleeve was the way to go, and despite a lot of noise from friends who've had bypasses, the sleeve was absolutely the way to go. My best advice is talk to your surgeon about your thoughts and concerns. My opinion, at only 10 weeks out, is that a huge portion of success with WLS is your dedication to using the tool you have appropriately, whether it's the sleeve or the bypass. We'll see where I am at one year, and I may be fooling myself, but I think I made the right decision. Good luck and can't wait to hear how it goes for you

@@blu2020 I could definitely tell when I drank too fast...I accidentally gulped about 3 huge swallows of Water just a couple of weeks post-op and after an excruciating cramp, it all came right back up! @@Omieliz You won't feel restriction with fluids the way you do with food. It's hard to understand what the feeling is like until you have it, it's completely different from the pain some of us get if we drink too fast early on. For me, my restriction is like a switch that flips...I'm eating and enjoying my small, slow meal and then all of a sudden, I'm done.

I ate steel-cut oats with Fairlife milk, stevia and Genepro powder early on, probably until about 6 weeks post-op, then I cut out grains/cereals entirely. I know what those kind of carbs do to me and I don't think they're a great idea while I'm in weight-loss mode. Lots of great advice from some very successful vets here, thanks for bringing up the topic. I struggle with whether or not to have many carbs in any form, always eat my protein first but my body really wants vegetables and fruit right now. My garden is producing squash like crazy (my husband's co-workers are starting to hide from me, I'm the Crazy Squash Lady!) and I'm eating it frequently and I wonder if it's part of the reason I'm in this irritating .5 down/.5 up/.5 down loop right now. My dietitian is zero help with this, she mumbles vague things about 'everyone is different, there are different schools of thought about carbs, if you eat carbs eat fiber too'...I need to find someone to really talk to me about calorie intake, resting metabolic rate, protein:carb ratios, offsetting exercise, ketosis, etc. specifically for WLS patients. It's frustrating!

I knew immediately if I was pushing too hard with fluids...a quick, sharp pain from my stomach was my signal. Once you figure out what that limit is, it's easier. It gets better, and once you're a couple of months out this will all seem like it's a LONG time ago. Good luck and congrats on being on the 'loser side'!

Really, your whole life should be centered around those Fluid and Protein goals right now...I sipped constantly during the first week. Try any Water additive that appeals to you to help get it down, and if you're drinking crystal light or lukewarm broth, add unflavored protein to help with that goal as well. The shakes do the job, but they can be heavy and hard to get in...I didn't have any temperature issues with my sleeve immediately post-op, so I dumped my shakes into the blender with some ice and blended it all together to lighten the texture of the Protein Drink. It helped a lot early on.

Cast-Iron before, egg-hating now. And like @@Candygyrl there are a few things I haven't tried because the idea of that food is revolting. Unfortunately, tuna is one of them. And I've limited carbs, so not sure how I'd do with refined sugar right now and I have no intention of finding out.

For what it's worth...I was a HUGE Isopure fan pre-op. Post-op, I literally could not get it past my lips. I liked Syntrax for a very brief couple of weeks post-op, and I can't stand it now. I'm a GENEPRO fan now, no smell, no taste, doesn't change the consistency of food. Whatever you do, don't over-invest in anything pre-op, because almost everyone's taste changes after surgery. You can get samples of lots of different Protein powders on several websites, and that's a good way to go.

@@charlie24 That wouldn't be surgical gas pain, and I'd be concerned about left chest pain radiating through the shoulder and down the arm...that's a cardiac sign that you need to get checked out. Soon.

Surgery was 6/21 and I was cleared yesterday to take Celebrex and motrin as needed. In the meantime, you could try turmeric capsules for the inflammation.

@@ppressey24 My min-pin barks at my stomach noises sometimes