mylighthouse

Wow, that is fantastic... 22 pounds in 4 weeks! You should be proud of losing that much. Try not to compare yourself to others.... we all lose at different rates. Also, you will most likely hit a "stall" sooner or later. Most everyone does... when I was at 3 weeks post op I stalled and didn't lose anything for 2 whole weeks. If and when that happens to you, just accept it and know that it happens to everyone. Keep sticking to your plan and the weight loss WILL come, even if it is slow... you will just have to accept it.

I am currently using Isopure unflavored Protein powder to mix in things such as decaf iced tea and Crystal Light. You can also mix the unflavored protein powder in things such as broth, cream soups, and then when you get to the pureed food stage.... you can mix it in your foods such as yogurt or refried Beans, etc. For flavored Protein shakes, I've tried Bariatric Advantage (I thought it was too sweet), and Premier ready-to-drink protein shakes. My favorite one is the Premier Protein shake in chocolate. You can purchase a 4-pack of shakes at Walmart for around $7. But if you have a Sam's Club, you can usually find a 12-pack for $16-$18 on sale, which is really good. For Vitamins, I was told only to take bariatric vitamins. I have tried both Bariatric Advantage and Celebrate. I am currently taking the Celebrate brand, which I like best flavor and cost-wise. I take Calcium with Vitamin D and a multi-vitamin with Iron.

I drink a Starbucks iced skinny mocha for a treat every now and then. I love them and have no problems with drinking it whatsoever. The only thing to watch for me are the empty calories, the carbs and the sugar. I make regular coffee at home and have 1-2 cups every morning. No problems. Started drinking regular coffee at about 8 weeks post op.

You could try an unflavored Protein powder. I use Isopure and it mixes well in decaf iced tea and Crystal Light. Great way to get your protein in.

Yes, I have that exact same container size of Isopure. I like it a lot... mix it in a glass of decaf iced tea everyday to get that little bit extra of protein.

Hello, I'm almost 15 weeks post op. My doctor wanted me to start my Vitamins two weeks pre op so I did. Started taking Celebrate multivitamin with Iron and Celebrate Calcium with Vitamin D. Then the first week after surgery, my doctor told me not to worry about my vitamins so much, just concentrate on my liquids and Protein. So I didn't resume my vitamins until about a week and a half after surgery. I take my multi 3 X a day and my Calcium with D 2 X a day.

I'm 14 weeks post op. On the pureed stage, one of the first things I tried that sounded good to me was refried Beans with a little bit of light sour cream. Not bad at all. I also tried mashed sweet potato and Egg Beaters. The food I ate the most of on the pureed stage was canned chicken. I would mix it with a little bit of light mayo and make a little chicken salad out of it. I concentrated on getting my Protein first, which is so important, so I didn't venture out into starchy mashed veggies that much. I can't say I was very adventurous, but the mashed canned chicken turned into chicken salad worked great for me for the short two weeks of the pureed stage. Also, I made a ricotta bake on the pureed stage once that was really good. The recipe can be found at theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com. She has other pureed food recipes on her site for bariatric patients.

I had a bad headache for about the first 5 days of my pre-op diet. My headache was most likely do to caffeine withdrawals... if you have stopped your caffeine intake, you can expect the headaches, but they will pass after about the 5th day or so. Just keep up the good work. You are working your way to a healthier you. It will never be easy, even after surgery, but it is definitely worth it. I am 14 weeks post op and the only regret I have is that I didn't have this surgery sooner.

Hello Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with the liquids and shakes. If you haven't tried these already... Crystal Light 0 calorie mixes come in a variety of flavors. My favorite is the lemonade one. But my all-time favorite drink now that I am post op is iced decaf tea. And even though I am 14 weeks post op and get most of my Protein through eating these days, I still use my Isopure unflavored Protein powder and put it in my decaf iced tea. Have you tried getting your protein in through one of the unflavored protein powders? You might want to try it. And I know you said you can't handle many of the Protein Shakes.... the only one I like that I've tried is the Premier Protein shake in chocolate. It is a ready-to-drink shake... no powders to mix in Water or anything like that. Good luck.

Congratulations.... keep up the hard work! I introduced lettuce and some other fresh veggies at 8 weeks post op. Had no problems with them at all... I was thrilled! Now I have a little bit of lettuce for lunch everyday with my chicken topping it. Love it!

Hello I am currently on quite a few bipolar meds (been taking them since 2006). Before I started those medications my weight was around 170. I definitely think that the meds played a big part in my weight gain over the years. Since my sleeve surgery, I have steadily been losing weight, with only a few stalls. I think that the sleeve is working great despite my taking some meds that are known to cause weight gain.

You should definitely not be disappointed. At all. You frickin' lost 10 pounds! What's to be disappointed about? I lost 12 pounds on my pre-op 2 week diet and I was thrilled! What did you expect to lose???? Don't compare yourself to others, that is a mistake. Your body is different. Everyone is different. You will go through times after the surgery where you won't lose anything! One week you will lose, the next week.... or maybe weeks.... you won't lose! Don't be so hard on yourself.

I agree, it is easiest just to stay in your hospital gown. Bring your clothes in a bag (they give you a bag to keep your belongings in).... and if you want to put on your bra and underwear when you are ready to leave they hospital you can. If you aren't comfortable in the hospital gown, then bring a robe to cover up when you walk the halls. Keep in mind you will have the IV in though. When I walked the halls, they gave me an extra large hospital gown to put on backwards so that my back section wouldn't be exposed. It worked out great.

The night before surgery I didn't have any food. I don't know of anyone who does. Most people are on Clear liquids the day before surgery. I was.

Stalls are perfectly normal. It happens to almost everybody and it's very common if you've read some of the post about stalls here that the 3 week mark is when a lot of people stall.... including myself. I stalled after week 2 and didn't lost anything for almost 2 weeks. Your body just went through major surgery, is getting used to the weight loss and changes that are going on with you. Most likely this will not be the first or last time that you stall. Don't get discouraged or down about it, be happy with what you have already lost and in knowing that if you stick to your plan, get your Protein and liquids in everyday.... you will see the scale move again very soon.

@Karazonathank you for the link and nutritional info.... I love pizza!

@sleevinpopsthat sounds awesome! I definitely will google "chicken crust pizza" and try making it on my own before spending money on the pre-made pizzas I mentioned. Thanks for the info!

@puppyloverls3 My local bariatric support group runs the facebook page. It is only open to local people that have had bariatric surgery here in my area. Check with your bariatric team/support system and maybe they have a bariatric support group on Facebook in your area.

Congratulations! Keep up the great work!

Hi, I'm 14 weeks post op and a couple of weeks ago I had been dealing with dizziness and severe fatigue for several days. My doctor's office told me to go to urgent care, and urgent care sent me to the ER. After lots of tests, they found out I was dehydrated and had a UTI. I was at the ER all day on IV fluids. Most likely, the UTI was brought on by the dehydration. I thought I was getting in plenty of liquids.... not the case. It is so important to get those fluids! Sorry to hear about your UTI... hope you feel better soon, and remember to drink, drink, drink!

I am 14 weeks post op. I definitely feel hungry when it's time to eat. My nutritionist recommends to eat 6 small meals a day to help with the hunger. You may be waiting too long in between meals to eat. Four to five hours is quite awhile for your stomach to have to wait for more food in between meals. Try eating a Protein snack like an ounce of chicken or rolled up sandwich meat, yogurt or string cheese in between your regular meals of Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Stay away from carbs for Snacks. That should help with the hunger. It certainly helps me.

I agree with SarahSleeve. I am 14 weeks post op and have had a few stalls. My first stall was after 2 weeks post op and I didn't lose anything for 2 weeks. It happens to just about everyone at some point.

Really watch this closely... if you are dehydrated, it will be hard to catch up on your Water and get rehydrated on your own. You might need to go to urgent care or the ER, or at the least, call your doctor's office and please let them know how you are feeling. A couple of weeks ago, I was having dizzy spells and lightheadedness and I went to urgent care. They sent me on to the ER. They ran tests and found that I was dehydrated and also had a urinary tract infection (most likely brought on because I was not getting enough liquids, even though I thought I was). Stayed all day at the ER and they did IV fluids to help me out. Drink, drink, drink. Please make sure you get enough. It is so important. And please don't hesitate to call your doctor or go get treatment today.

It took me 8 days before I had my first BM after surgery. After a week, I finally felt like I needed to go, but I was constipated so I called my doctor's office and asked them if it was normal that I hadn't had a BM yet. They said that it was perfectly normal to go several days without one and that I could take Miralax and/or Milk of Magnesia if I was constipated. So I took Miralax and that didn't do anything. Added the Milk of Magnesia on Day 8 post op and I finally was able to go. Keep in mind that prescription pain meds as well as Tylenol can make you constipated.

I have used the Celebrate brand of multi with Iron (forest berry flavor), chewable tablet. It tastes ok. But now I have switched to the multi capsules (now that I can swallow at 14 weeks post op). I still take the Celebrate brand of Calcium with Vitamin D-3 and the flavor is orange burst. They are okay.... not crazy about the flavor. I also tried the Bariatric Advantage chocolate soft chews, they were real tasty, but I decided they were too high in calories and carbs for me and I switched back to the Celebrate brand for calcium. At my pre-op class they gave us a little bag with different Vitamins to try and that's how I made my decision to go with the Celebrate brand. I am sure there are a lot of different ones to choose from. I was told that we should not do vitamin gummies as they didn't have the appropriate nutrients for us after bariatric surgery. I think it's important to go with the bariatric vitamins after surgery, and not just your regular vitamins that you would find at a grocery store.