ShelterDog64

@@mollydeez It's not the going IN with bad eating habits that makes it a regret, it's expecting to continue those bad eating habits coming OUT that keeps people from appreciating the limits of the surgery and being successful. You can lose weight with this surgery even if you eat nothing but cupcakes and koolaid, but you won't improve your health and extend your life. Having 3/4 of your stomach cut off and yanked out of your body is not a 'weight-loss plan', it's a tool to help you change your entire relationship with food. People who aren't willing to do the work that is needed to make the most of this tool aren't going to be successful, and you're the only person who knows if you're going to do it or not.

@@skinnyjeansatlast At 4 days out, you shouldn't even think about calories...there's no way you're going to be able to take in a significant number of calories so early on. On day four, for me, I was still taking liquid pain relievers and anti-emetics. I was still on Clear Liquids and trying to get as close to 64 oz of Fluid in as possible. I drank clear Isopure, broth and Water nearly constantly, and was able to get 48 oz most days. Isopure was my main source of fluid AND Protein, and I'm convinced the reason I felt really good during that immediate post-op period is because I kept my protein intake up. I was walking a mile a day and had little fatigue except the normal that's expected from anesthesia. My advice is to make sure your fluid includes protein...use Isopure bottled RTD, add protein powder to your broth or use unjury chicken broth, try Syntrax nectar powders. In those first couple of weeks, your capacity is so limited that you've got to think very strategically about what you put in your stomach. Hang in there, it gets better!!

I mix it into anything/everything that's mixable: pudding, oatmeal, applesauce, sour cream, mascarpone, ricotta, dressings, dips, drinks, smoothies, sauces. If I'm putting it in a warm/hot food, I put it in after the food is cooked or heated up. Use a fork to stir it into liquids, and add it in small amounts to incorporate it more easily.

@@Hiraeth When I started using my CPAP, it was nearly 6 months before I felt like I was sleeping better because I had such a hard time adjusting to the machine. 3 different mask styles later, it finally started helping. And at only 3 weeks post-op, you're still feeling the effects of having had surgery. Keep your Protein and fluids up and make sure you're getting your Vitamins in...you will start feeling better!

@@higher Just wanted to tell you that I decided to buy new bras from soma.com yesterday and they've got amazing swimsuits! Some are even on clearance

@@jkhaik_42 I'd call my PCP and get in immediately for the thrush. You don't need to see your surgeon for it. I had thrush post-op and am still battling with it on my abdomen and under my breasts. I've done oral meds, topical meds, drying solutions, etc and it's still lingering. I was ready for it as I always get some sort of external yeast infection after antibiotic use, and I still didn't catch it before it got bad.

You'll get some great advice from the veterans here, but I'm going to give my .02 as a newbie (sleeved on 6/21). I'm the queen of losing weight, and I've done WW pretty successfully numerous times, getting close to goal but not quite there. My issue is that I've been completely unable to maintain the losses, and every time I gain back, I gain even more. Inability to maintain is why I chose this surgery...I felt I needed the restriction of the sleeve to keep me from going back to eating teenage boy-sized portions of food once I lost the weight. I couldn't keep doing the same thing I've done 4 or 5 times in my life...losing the weight, but watching it creep back on and bringing 10 or 20 extra with it. I applaud your amazing weight loss pre-surgery, you must really have a great deal of willpower, which will serve you well if you do decide to go ahead with WLS. Good luck to you!

@@ChunkyMonkeyGoneSlim I have the same green book with the same contradiction...and I live in WA. We might have had our surgeries at the same facility I'm with @@Dub on this one...I skipped the noodles entirely, and went as low-carb as possible right from the start of soft foods. I do think noodles are listed in the soft phase because they're easy and come in the can of chicken noodle Soup that some people may just mush up and eat. I've been avoiding using anything in a can, as I'm also watching my sodium intake pretty carefully. I trust the surgeon who did my sleeve, and so I trust in his post-op instructions, too. The green book is a great general resource, but at my post-op appointments, my doc definitely talked with me and helped me tailor my eating a bit. I'm over 2 months out now and I eat most everything. My quantities are still very small and I'm avoiding simple carbs as much as possible. I've had some quinoa and a very small amount of brown rice, both sat very well with my new stomach but I've not had any more rice because it's not where I want to be nutritionally. A typical day for me would be coffee with Protein powder and some plain greek yogurt in the morning, lean protein and cheese for lunch, whatever protein and veg I make for my family for dinner. I usually eat a few almonds mid-afternoon, and a sugar-free popsicle after dinner. I keep a Protein Bar and a little ziplock with some almonds and Jerky in my bag in case I get hungry and I'm not at home. I still eat very small bites, chew everything very well and take a long time for my meal. On a great day, I get 64 oz of Water in...on a normal day, I get more like 48 oz. I'm working on it Message me if you want, and good luck to you! I'm down 44 lbs and I feel great...I'm so glad I made the decision to have this surgery!

I wear Body by Victoria bras from VS, the lined full-coverage ones. They're very well made, and I abuse my bras (wash them in the machine not in a bag!). I'm (or was) a 36DD and find that their bras fit quite well. I've also worn Soma bras for years, from way back when Soma was still in the Chicos catalogs! They're very nice as well. The only line at Soma that I've been displeased with is the back-smoothing style. It's too stretchy and the bands just don't seem to stay put, regardless of size. I recently bought a Bali bra at a department store and it feels stiff and scratchy compared to my VS and Soma bras.

I didn't like any of the unjury products :-P For my clear liquids, I used the Isopure ready to drink fruit flavored drinks, and Syntrax nectar. When I went to full liquids and beyond, I used Premier Protein shakes and some Isopure powders (which I HATE now and gave away). Now that I'm in my 9th week post-op, I use an unflavored Protein powder in my morning coffee and eat high-protein foods mostly. Good luck!

@@Jane1979 Those are NOT gross feet. My post-winter 'dragon feet' are gross I've only lost 43 lbs so far and my feet are already thinner...I didn't gain a lot in my feet even when I was really heavy, but I can tell that my calves and feet are thinner from the way some of my shoes fit. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. My big goal for this fall is to fit these calves into a pair of Hunter rain boots. I want them soooo badly!

I'm glad to hear you're doing well enough to be irritated Nothing but empathy here, I have a mom who sounds a lot like your sister. I love her to bits, but I swear, if something isn't HER idea, it's a BAD idea. When I told her and my dad I had decided to have this surgery, the first thing out of her mouth was "I TOLD you to try those diet pills I told you about!! If you'd just take them, you wouldn't need surgery." And then it was off to the races with every false narrative about WLS that any of us have ever heard. Once it became apparent that I was going through with it regardless, she came around and has surprised me by NOT becoming an expert on all things VSG. Hang in there, and as you well know this is temporary. My worse hormone dump was more of a hysterical crying jag, only one little anger explosion...it gets better

@@higher I'm a fan of Miraclesuit swimwear, their suits have enough power mesh to hold all the jiggly bits firmly, pull your waist in and keep your breasts up where they belong. They're generally under $200, so less than half of what you'd pay for Malia Mills.

I do much the same, Magoosmom....I have Protein in my coffee right when I get up (I am one of those people who staggers to the coffee machine immediately upon waking), then some greek yogurt an hour or 2 later. I had not been able to tolerate an egg at all, but then I tried making shakshuka the other day and it was fabulous! Eggs poached in tomato sauce and onions, with some cumin. Maybe them being poached, maybe the tomatoes? I don't know, but it's the first egg I've been able to eat. I see you're down 48 lbs...that's so fabulous! We're all fabulous!! But where is Maggie? I worry.

Yeah, so does mine. Hahahahaha. <---- that's the sound of my bowels laughing at baby food prunes I bought the Ollie brand fiber gummies at Target last week...the dose is 2 gummies. I urge you to start with ONE gummie. I had a SEVERE 'emergency' at a friend's house about 2 hours after taking 2 of them. I can take one and 2 hours later be in the bathroom...it's like magic!

I don't tell them anything, other than to say that I enjoyed the meal when I ask for my to-go box

If I could soak mine in a dirty gin martini, then MAYBE.

I'm trying to avoid feeding my cravings, honestly, because those cravings and my inability to resist them are what made me fat and miserable. When I start craving food, I find something else to do. I drink Water. I go for a walk, I call a friend, I do some laundry, I clean my house....whatever it takes to get me over the hump of my brain telling me I need something that I just want. I'm being very rigid about sticking to meals and not snacking, and I've almost completely eliminated sugar from my diet. These are all changes I've tried to make before on Weight Watchers and other diets, but I'm using my limited capacity now (surgery 6/21) to try to break some bad, old habits. When I absolutely CANNOT ignore that voice, I have a sugar-free popsicle. That's my 'give in' food now, a sugar-free popsicle. 4 months ago it would have been a pint of Ben and Jerry's.

I've had to resort to Fiber gummies, but they work. Good luck!

You're going to end up hospitalized on only 10oz of Fluid per day. You need to contact your surgeon's service and have them tell you what to do. Are you only taking in 10 oz because of the pain? I had a cramp-like pain every time I drank Water (or anything, for that matter) for probably 10 days, but it wasn't bad enough to keep me from drinking. I didn't have a hernia repair, it was just my stomach announcing it's displeasure Please consider contacting your surgeon or her/his on-call team today.

My stall has ended too!!!! I'm -43 lbs since 21 June :-) I agree about not feeling deprived, I've had meatballs, beet and feta salad, quinoa, spinach, steak and oatmeal in just the past few days. Plus, the fridge in my hotel room has a tiny little freezer space so I got a box of my beloved sugar-free tropical Popsicles. Happy Sunday, losers!!

I give great side-eye glares and eyebrow lifts. A good single brow lift combined with an unblinking stare shuts most idiots up. They want a verbal reaction so I refuse to give them one

My leak test was done while I was still in the OR. My doc puts Water in the abdominal cavity and air in the stomach, then checks for bubbles. MUCH nicer than a barium swallow

@@Theresa.86 My diet was advanced pretty quickly, too, and I've had no issues eating real food. My portions are still small and I take a long time to eat, but with very small exceptions, I can eat everything I've tried. eggs are still iffy, although I tried shakshuka again last week and it was great, no discomfort at all. I had a tough time about 10 days ago with a Soup that I've eaten 4-5 times a week for 6 weeks. And there are a few foods I used to love that I just can't get myself to put in my mouth, like canned/pouched tuna. No rhyme or reason :-)