JanetBP

Hi all, I am going back to work on Thursday, 3 weeks and 2 days after my surgery. I am still in the tiny meal stage (2 oz protein/1 oz fruit or veggie if I can eat it). My question is, what is your favorite Protein bar? I really need something high protein, low fat, low sugar blah blah blah that I can throw in my desk drawer. I know that when I get back to work it will be just as busy as it was before and I'll end up not eating all day. I'm going to take a couple of shakes with me and some cheese but I know I'll need something else portable. Suggestions anyone? Thanks! Janet

Thanks everyone! I am def going to check out the Oh Yeah and the Quest bars...I'll go to Amazon and get some of each. The Pure Protein I know they have at my grocery store so I'll look at them too. I already have some nectar in the pantry, that stuff is GREAT!! That's the shake I mentioned, the ONLY shake as far as I'm concerned. :-) Janet

Same here! I have the heat on 72 and a portable heater blowing on me and I'm still cold. I was also the hot one, sweating in December. I sit in my recliner now with a big blanket pulled up to my chin. I used to sleep with just a sheet in all the months but January and February...I have now rounded up every extra blankie in the house and I'm sleeping under them. I can barely move from their weight....LOL. From the other replies this sounds pretty normal. I'm sure the lizard-women I work with will be happy not hear me say "dang, it is HOT IN HERE". :-) Janet

the first rule for no-gallbladder people....eat low fat. i hear this from all my female friends and family members who no longer have theirs. Bile is the main substance responsible for the breaking down of fat in the digestive system. The gallbladder is the organ that gets the bile from the liver and stores it until needed, so no GB means any fat shoots straight through with very little deconstruction. sounds like you are up close and personal with this! i always had pretty normal poops until i had a colonoscopy in september. up until i had my surgery poo-ing was a hard and painful situation if ya know what i mean. i was scared to death that i would continue like that and rupture something trying to go. i take Fiber gummies every day and so far, so good. janet

FIBER GUMMIES...they taste like candy. i love them. i take 2 or three a day.

hi, my surgeon said not to bother crushing mine, even right after surgery. i was very glad because i know i wouldn't have been able to get them down. if you are vomiting you need to call your doctor!! i was told NOT to vomit (don't know how i would have stopped it). i did feel like i was going to when i thought i could eat a little bread, scared the crap out of me. PLEASE call the doc and let them know what's going on. they are there to help!! janet

hi kelly, i had my surgery on 12-10, so i'm 18 days out. dang it seems like longer!! i've had a FEW hunger pangs but mostly i am really not hungry. i know i'm not taking in enough calories - probably averaging 500-600 a day. the nutritionist at my surgeon's office said i should be getting a minimum of 1200. what??? the only way i'd be able to do that is to start adding 3 or 4 extra Protein shakes a day and that just ain't possible. almost everything i eat is protein, i'm on "real" food...rather than chopping it finely i am just taking tiny bites and chewing the crap out of it. i do make sure i get my Vitamins in every day and try hard to get at least 5/6 servings of fluids. it's hard though. hmmmm.... hard to take in enough food...what a concept!! i'm guessing that our appetites will start to pick up after a while, i guess we should just enjoy not feeling hungry? as for the drips, i would call your surgeon's office. they may want to take a look at it. better safe than sorry. i was told if i developed any kind of oozing i should call them right away. janet

I started my preop diet the day after Thanksging and as of today, 19 days later, I've lost just over 30 pounds, my surgery was 12/10.

Well, it seems to be a theme here but I'm also in the medical field. I can take up to 4 weeks, but I think I'll go back at 3 weeks on January 2. Just found out right after my surgery I have a very serious medical issue that I may need some time off for so I want to save some.

I have the gurgles too, 5 days out. Burp too. I am relieved to reveal that I finally went poopoo in the potty - which had been a scary prospect for me! I just had visions of myself doing an Elvis on the toilet trying to push out some brick...ROFL...where else but here could you post something like that?? My inner-gurgle and I have to go eat some yogurt. Hope you are all having a good weekend.

Andrew! How flipping scary...that BP is sooooooo low. I'm glad you called for help when you did (to hell with the blizzard!!). Too many people wait thinking they'll start to feel better... you will bounce back in no time with an extra staple or two and some more super glue. (sorry I have a very dark sense of humor). {{{gentle hugs}}}

I understand. I'm doing the same thing. I could actually cry right now just taliking about crying. My daughter was supposed to pick up some flowers from my mom, it turned out to be a plant. I was so upset (because I had been expecting a big gorgeous bouquet for two days). I know, I know...ungrateful etc etc. But that just ruined me for the rest of the evening. I had already been crying on and off because my sister had said something to me about what I was going to get my mom for Christmas. The flower thing just pushed me off the edge. Could not seem to get myself together al all. From what I've read here and there, this is pretty normal. Might not make sense but it's not ABnormal. Hang in there!!

same here, band removed revised to a sleeve 12/10. not even a week out for me yet. after i failed to lose anything with the band (and being hungry most of the time) i felt like i was a failure. i decided to try the sleeve but also worried i'd be a failure at that. well, i have done it. i feel ok about the prospects for weight loss.

that really made me laugh!!!

hi andrew, i had my surgery on 12/10 too. i am soooo glad i don't have a scale at home or i would be doing the same thing you are. my belly is still feeling swollen a bit so i know i've still got extra Fluid in me. my first weigh in will be on 12/19 and hopefully i'll see a loss there. BUT IF NOT then i know i'll have a whooshie at some point in the near future. (whooshie is when you suddenly drop a big chunk of pounds out of nowhere). hang in there and put your scale in the trunk of your car. :-) janet

It'll be over before you know it Abby. I had my sleeve on Tuesday and I am feeling much much better today. Get some rest!! {{{hugs}}}

I don't think anyone has EVER told me I didn't weigh enough!! That rule sounds a bit silly since you started at 41, but I think as long as you keep carbs to a minimum your liver should still be shrinking, even if you aren't. :-)

I had mine on the 10th too and my back's a bit sore also. I didn't even think about it being gas. I had to report my gas-passing to every nurse that came in my room...ver odd! LOL Janet

By far the best Protein drink I've tasted is the nectar whey Protein Isolate. DrVita.com was having a special on it, don't know if it's still going. It's a bit more expensive but well worth it. There are tons of flavors, all carb and fat free with gobs of protein. There are fruit flavored ones you mix with Water and more traditional ones that can be made with milk or water. I ordered the vanilla Torte, the Cappucino and the Fuzzy Navel. Janet

Hi all! Thanks so much for all the good wishes. I had my surgery on Tuesday morning and got home a little while ago. I feel OK, a bit sore and bloated/swollen in the upper belly area but really not too bad. My surgery went off without a hitch, NINE incisions - but I had a lap band revision so maybe that's why so many? I was kept on an every-4-hours schedule of pain killers and that was just the ticket. I'm on full liquids 2 days after surgery. Oh, and so far no nausea!! I think the hardest part is going to be getting in all my liquids!! Tiny sips of water, protein shakes, tiny bites of low carb yogurt, sf jello and popsicles, broth or fat free cream soup all count toward my 64 ounce a day minimum. But that is a LOT at half a teaspoon at a time. I'm definitely going to have to log this stuff on myfitnesspal to make sure I'm getting it all. And I am NOT HUNGRY! Which is a good thing. All I really want is a big cup of COFFEE. My husband is making me a big pot of homemade chicken broth from the bones of a few rotisserie chickens, I know it's going to be sooooo yummy. I just had the liquid drained from a can of chicken noodle soup mixed with a little plain chicken broth and a few tablespoons of half and half. Sounds odd but it was very tasty. So good night all... my pain killer is kicking in. You all are GREAT!! Janet

i was the same, absolutely starving. so after some research i added one meal a day of solid protein...3 or 4 ounces of white meat chicken or turkey, a couple of boiled eggs, a few oz of cheese. it really kept me on the straight and narrow.

My surgery is Tuesday 12/10 and I'm extremely nervous too. Additionally not looking forward to 2 weeks on liquids post op. The shakes make me gag and I've tried many kinds. Also I tried my chewable vitamins, calcium and vitamin D and they all suck. Can't image chewing those nasty things for the rest of my life. I'm second guessing my decision tonight but know I need to do this. I'm going in tomorrow too. Have to be there at 5am. Hope my surgeon gets a good nights sleep. See you all in a few days. :-)

My work had a pizza party for lunch too, so I got to sit around and watch everyone eat pizza while I had soup. I held strong though! Good for you! A drug company catered for us today (and my surgery is TOMORROW!!)...chicken parm with pasta, two kinds of bread, fried chicken, meatballs, a big fruit salad, cheesecake and a bunch of other goodies. I got a glass of unsweetened tea and went back to my desk. I wanted to throw myself face down on that table and just scarf...LOL I believe you had your surgery today? Hope it all went smoothly! Janet

Hi everyone, My surgery is set for Tuesday, Dec 10. I've been on a mostly liquid diet since day after Thanksgiving. I've been doing Protein shakes and one meal of solid protein (chicken, fish, eggs) daily. I was told to do 2 weeks of all liquids but after researching I decided on my own to modify a little. I've been having one low carb yogurt a day and lots of Water and splenda tea. Lots of sugar free popsicles too. I decided to go all liquids tomorrow and Monday to get ready for the big day. Cheating? Yes, 2 pieces of toast and a small Wendy's fries. The best carbs I EVER tasted! LOL I am a bit nervous, I had a lap band 5 years ago, so I'm a revision. The worst thing about that surgery? Those god-awful TED hose!!!! I buzzed the nurse about every 30 minutes to come pull up my socks...heehee. Good luck to all of you fellow December sleevers!! Janet

Hi all, my name is Janet and i am a band-failure. :-( i got banded in 2008, lost about 30 pounds total and then started regaining. I've had four fills but have never felt really restricted. I have yoyo-ed up and down the same 10 to 15 pounds for the last few years and have been at my heaviest weight ever for a while. i have an appointment for a consult set for 10/3 at the same place i was banded...they now have a new medical director and some new aftercare stuff going. they're a center of excellence in bariatric surgery so i'm not worried much about that aspect. what I AM worried about is that i'm going to be told NO. if you failed with the band why should we revise to a sleeve etc etc?? I am soooooo sick of feeling like crap. I am nearly 200 lbs overweight. my legs hurt. i don't want to do anything or go anywhere that isn't my job. i am ashamed of the way i look. i am so self concious. any tips for my consult? i just want to get this done, start losing and start living.