cajunredpanda

Congratulations!

My nutritionist approves. In fact, she encouraged it when I told her I began eating it once it was permitted on my plan because of the fiber content. I usually have the 100 calorie microwave bags but I can't even eat that much oftentimes (like tonight).

The one time I dumped was when I added half a ripe banana* to a protein shake. I violently shook within two minutes of a couple sips of the shake. I felt like violently going to the bathroom and vomiting, but did not do either. Had to lie down for about 30 minutes to recover. It was definitely a scary experience. If you dump, you will know it. *Ripe bananas always gave me trouble, so I was probably asking for dumping in this case. I've eaten unripe/slightly green bananas since and haven't dumped. Although it took about three months before I had the courage to try bananas again.

I'm two months out on Tuesday. Down a total of 64 pounds from highest weight, 44 since surgery. I think I may've figured out my constipation issue. Only problem is that I think the iron in my multivitamin is heavily contributing. Now, I'm still pooping up to every four days. Some days I do poop on day two, but it's not common.That being said, I've been taking Miralax every other day in addition to my two daily stool softeners and it's easier to go. When I didn't take my multivitamin for a week my stool was much softer and came out less painfully. Started retaking my multivitamin a couple days ago and it's already harder to pass. So I'm frustrated. If the iron is a main culprit, what am I going to do to supplement that? I still menstruate so I have to have iron.

My sense of smell is so out of whack. My mom was eating Cheerios the other day and I thought it smelled like dog food. I'm 60 pounds down from my highest (40 since surgery) and I'm already seeing loose skin on my arms and thighs. I'm dreading what they'll look like after more weight loss. Now, I'm grateful that I'm finally under 300 for the first time in years. It's just shocking that I'm already seeing that. I don't feel much different in my stomach or face despite my body measurements telling me otherwise; my clothes mostly fit the same.

I have a good bunch of Crystal Light and MIO flavors in my pantry, but haven't drank them much. I can get 64 ounces in easily, although I seem to be an outlier since I could drink that much very early on. Still, it's good to get as much as you can. I know you can do it.

Oof, I would kill for some popcorn right now. It's the main thing I miss besides Diet Coke. (I also dearly miss pizza, but ricotta bake helps fill that void.) My diet plan post op has me reintroducing regular food in stages, so popcorn is verboten along with nuts and seeds until six months out. My brother and I have AMC A List so we're at the movies all the time, but we rarely buy popcorn (as much as the smell tempts us). I can't wait until March when I can bring protein bars again; we're often at the movies around dinner time so I usually have to bring something. That something lately has been a shake or a cheese stick so I have something in my pouch versus waiting six plus hours between meals. I've been pretty good at not cheating so far. My nutritionist said that if I didn't have reflux then I could have some tomato despite technically not being allowed to for another month. It's been great getting to eat Wendy's chili and ricotta bake, though, let me tell ya. I don't eat the chili often but those two are some of the easiest things for me to eat along with tilapia.

I'm in Georgia, right outside of Atlanta. It took me a year from consult to surgery, but that was mostly psychological versus diet. It took about two weeks for me to hear from Medicaid after the paperwork was submitted. I got the approval the Friday before surgery (which was on a Wednesday).

I've been fine with water, but find that sometimes lukewarm or hot water (latter in the form of tea) goes down easier than ice water. Especially in the morning. If you can get your fluids in with Crystal Light, that's fine. Any way to get them in, because that's the most critical thing right now.

I'm below 300 now! Current weight is 297. I think the last time I was below 300 was 2013/2014, so late college. Still having trouble with bowel movements. I bought milk of magnesia today because my last two bowel movements were so large, hard, and stuck, that I ended up having to put on gloves and resort to manual extraction. I really hope this helps along with stool softeners.

I'm eating from my salad plates and 4-6 oz ramekins a lot. Used the salad plates a lot when I was on Weight Watchers so it wasn't a difficult transition. I used a food scale before but I'm more reliant on one than ever. I had been using disposable water bottles and refilling them to track my drinking (except for when I was drinking protein shakes from my shaker etc), but I'm switching back to glasses and reusable water bottles most of the time since I know I can reliably drink 64 ounces or more a day. Stainless steel water bottles are essential for me because I love cold water. I'm also a peppermint tea addict now.

Okay. I wouldn't say that I have an iron stomach (my brother basically eats like a goat; he's eaten obviously expired food just because and never so much as turned green) but my pouch is tolerating nearly everything I throw at it well. Some things sat heavier like spiraled ham or tuna, but I never threw up until last night. I can eat a single scrambled egg. Maybe that egg bite was too dry? There are a lot variables to eliminate. I was advised to start taking stool softeners pre op by my surgeon. I think they help. I just need a little more assistance. The magnesium citrate worked within 30 minutes. I feel like I'll need to go back to the toilet soon, but it was much easier pushing that crap out in 15 minutes versus an hour plus. Currently sipping decaf tea to hydrate and soothe my stomach. I was never much of a coffee fan, unfortunately.

Well, I had my first food "rejection." I ate an egg bite I baked in the oven for dinner. Within a minute after eating I was puking in the sink. I felt so sick afterward that I went to bed early. I was able to eat an egg bite earlier that day so I don't know if it was because it was cold, I ate too fast, or what. I usually make my egg bites in the Instant Pot but I derped and poured water into the contraption when the cooking pot wasn't in it. Gotta test it out in a few days after letting it dry. The oven egg bites were firmer than the IP ones. I'll have to experiment. (Though I'm holding off for now.) I saw my nurse practitioner yesterday. She advised me that bowel movements every two days is normal since we're eating far less, but if it's going on for four days or more I need a laxative or enema. I'm currently drinking magnesium citrate to clean me out completely (her instructions). After that, every couple days I should drink smooth tea or milk of magnesia on top of my daily stool softeners and liquid intake. If I don't poop for longer than a few days again, then it's enema time. I need to get both of those. We won't use Benefiber for the time being. Let's see how it works. If nothing works after a period of time, including probiotics, then I'm going to be prescribed something. I had IBS-D before surgery so I was very rarely constipated. I haven't been this constipated since I went to a Girl Scout camp and didn't poop for days because I was scared of the outhouses lol It's just awful, isn't it? Many of them tend to be the size of my fist or a soda can. My routine is a little like yours. I tend to drink a shake for breakfast, half a tilapia fillet or deli roll ups plus 1 oz veg for lunch, and turkey meatballs (w/ or w/o 1 oz veg) for dinner. I may have a cheese stick, peanut butter, or unsweetened applesauce for a snack. (I'm supposed to get up to 5-6 small meals/snacks a day.) Are you incorporating fruits or veggies at all into your diet? Or were you advised to? My dietitian wants us to eat soft fruits and vegetables with our meals starting with puree stage. They're good carbs. It is good that your measurements are going down. It shows that the process is still working. Two or three pounds is also very good weight loss. (I'm averaging three and four pounds a week at the moment). You appear closer to your goal so it will slow down as it gets there as well. Congratulations! I just got cleared to reintroduce strength training yesterday. Don't wanna lose muscle if I can help it.

It is a very new phenomenon where I don't clean my plate every time. Not gonna lie, while it can be annoying if I don't get as much protein as I like, I kinda like it. I've had half a salad plate left the last few times I can eat. I made shrimp (and green beans) the other day and it was great that I could have two meals with my portion to make my purchase "stretch." Not gonna lie, it felt a little more "normal" being able to eat out. I don't try to make it a habit (I already feel like I'm going it too much after doing it three times in a month). It's still nice to be able to order eggs a la carte, for instance. I can't wait until I'm cleared for protein bars and beef jerky in March. I have protein powder packed in my purse but it feels so awkward mixing and drinking one while everyone else eats "regular" food. I'm also scared of cheese sticks being room temperature for some reason. When I do "pack" them I eat them immediately. Do you mean January 28? December 28 has come and gone. Rough either way. I was over broth by day seven. The first time I cried after surgery wasn't over incision pain but because I couldn't bring myself to drink broth anymore. I still drink shakes and introduced peppermint tea back into my diet. But I'm not drinking broth unless I absolutely have to (or if I make something with it). Your weight loss is fantastic!

I'm very sensitive to laundry and perfume smells. Always have. I don't have asthma but I once had trouble breathing after someone spritzed floral spray on herself in class. Walking by or in the detergent section can trigger a migraine. I have to use unscented detergent (and deodorant) because I break out from the scented and I lose sleep because it's all I can smell when I wash my sheets or nightclothes. When my sister was home for the holidays she used scented detergent and dryer sheets and ran multiple loads of laundry. The smell was horrific and I ended up in bed a lot from massive headaches. I used to use Ibuprofen for those. Obviously can't go that route now!

How hot is the soup? If it's over 140F it'll clump and get gummy. I was able to mix Unjury unflavored into broth but it was below that temperature threshold.

Yes! He was my surgeon! I have my 30 day follow up appointment on Tuesday. (BTW- the clinic has its own Facebook support group if you want to join)

My sense of smell was very out of whack right out of surgery. It's getting better, though. I love wax melts and candles but haven't melted since surgery because my nose was so off half the time. I'm currently taking a break on those. That being said, when I was given beef broth the day after surgery it smelled so bad that I could barely eat it. Haven't had beef broth since because I can only remember that stench.

12/11 and down 30 pounds in one month. I lost 16 pounds my first week (or ten days, rather). Currently averaging 3-4 pounds a week. I'm fantastic on fluid intake and usually pretty good on protein and vitamins. Some days, for instance, I only get 56 g of protein or take two of the three calcium chews I have to take. But I often hit my targets. I reintroduced walking at day six but have been building up. Right now I average 20 minutes a day but want to increase it to 30. I only have two issues. First, I have no energy. Some days it's so bad that going number one takes me out. The second is constipation. I take stool softeners every day and add fiber however I can. The first week after surgery I could pass no problem, but now it feels like I'm trying to birth Mount Everest from my butt twice a week. (And you know what? In a way I am. I keep wanting to call them elephant spoors.) I have my 30 day appointment on Tuesday so I'm sure to ask what else I can do to become regular.

First off, congratulations! My clinic gave me a list of approved vitamins (and protein supplements). I'm currently taking the one a day Procare multivitamin with iron in it because I was having trouble with my Celebrate chewable multivitamins. They made me nauseous to the point of nearly becoming non-compliant. Opurity and Bariatric Advantage vitamins were also recommended. I'm currently taking Celebrate calcium citrate chews and they're pretty good. Getting bored with the fruit mix I got, but I have a bag of caramel ones I'll use next. I would mostly focus on samples of powders right now. Not a giant amount, though. I second Syntrax. I prefer the Sweets line (the traditional chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry (plus cookies and cream)). A lot of people like or can only tolerate the Nectar line (which are more fruit juice type). You could also get a sampler at Unjury for $30. It includes two packets of all of their flavors, a thermometer, two premade shakes, and a shaker bottle. Most of my shakes since surgery have been Unjury Chocolate Classic in unsweetened almond milk or Kroger Carbmaster skim milk. (Oh, and while it's not listed, Unjury will also include Opurity vitamin samples in their sampler pack.) Both Unjury and Syntrax are lactose free. In terms of RTD/premade shakes, I like Premier, GNC Total Lean, and Fairlife Core the most. GNC and Fairlife are often sold individually. Fairlife milk (and the shakes) are also lactose free if you find you are or become lactose intolerant. If you find you can't tolerate milky shakes, protein water is a thing. Protein 2O and Premier Protein water are popular. Or you could use unflavored protein in Crystal Light. I use Unjury's unflavored protein and add it to soups and broths for added protein.

I feel a pressure forming in my chest. I stop once I feel it forming. Sometimes I get the runny nose symptom but it's less common. Like others it's only in one nostril (my left) and it's just enough for a sniffle. I can eat up to 3 oz of (soft) solid food at the moment, but sometimes 2 oz is pushing it. I don't really feel restriction with liquids. Sometimes I drink too fast and my stomach hurts for a minute, but otherwise I can drink all day long no problem. I think I've missed my fluid goals only three times after coming home from the hospital.

I live in the metro Atlanta area and I went with Wellstar Kennestone Bariatrics. The surgeon there is Doctor Fritz Jean-Pierre. I've felt very supportive by his team and him. He has a very calming demeanor the few times I've seen him (including the day after surgery), and a good sense of humor.

All I took out of my bag was my phone, my power bank, and my hairbrush. Probably would've worn chapstick too, but I didn't bother. I packed a couple pads just in case I started in the hospital, but I didn't start my cycle until the day after discharge. Wore the same clothes I came in, but did not wear my bra when leaving. My Kindle and deodorant were neglected; I simply showered when I got home. The hospital will not like it if you wear lotion to the hospital. You're going to be given sanitary wipes to completely clean off when you are there (plus antibacterial soap to use prior to arrival). I barely had enough energy to go to the bathroom, walk down the hallway, watch TV, and read social media. You'll be sleeping most of the time you aren't being poked and prodded for medical tests. Not necessarily for the hospital, but I'd pack a pillow and leave it in the car for when it's time to go home. The ride home was bumpy and I coughed a lot so it helped having that brace.

I’m three weeks out. I followed my plan to a T post op, excluding the turkey chili that I for some reason thought had no tomatoes (no tomatoes until March because acidic). My family has done absolutely little to support me during the holidays. They forced me to sit down at watch them eat steaks on Christmas, they go to the movies and buy the largest popcorn and Coke combos, they’ve made three pans of brownies in four days... Meanwhile they move my food to the back of the fridge or throw it out of the pantry because “it takes up too much space.” I eat something on my plan and they accuse me of cheating. I didn’t expect a lot of support but it sucks so hard. New Years Day they prepared the traditional New Years meal. I figured it was soft enough so I had a small amount of cabbage, black eyed peas (which I was unaware of my sister loading a lot of hot spices into until I ate one), sweet potato, and spiraled ham. I think it was less than 3 ounces in all on my plate; didn’t eat all of it. First mistake- tried more than one new thing at once. That being said, my second mistake, the ham, was too thick despite me chewing and chewing. It went down, but it stayed there for hours. Also had mad gas pain (cabbage?). I’ve taken chewable Gas X but it’s not doing much. I sipped in water throughout the night and my stomach is so sore. I waited until 5 pm tonight and it took me almost 45 minutes to drink an 8 oz protein shake. Got nauseous afterward and had to take a nausea pill. If it gets worse I’ll see a doctor or the ER but I feel so stupid. My mom kept telling me pre op that she had little faith I’ll follow the plan and instead go immediately back to my pre op portions, etc. In a way, I fulfilled her prophecy. I was doing so well, and I think I ruined it already.

There is a support group, but it's all over the metro area and rarely near my house (I can't drive, and I'm already crapping myself at the idea of paying $50 I don't have in Uber just to get to appointments that I can't reschedule). They also tend to focus on just one topic during the meeting. There's a Facebook group but it's pretty mediocre. I'm disabled and live with my family. My girlfriend is supportive, but she lives overseas. I lack a real life social network. My sister makes my life miserable in general when she's home and is the worst offender. She told me I was being immature for snapping when I found out what she did to my protein powder. That is my main food source atm! I'm struggling with my protein and calorie intake as it is. She also moved my body wash from the caddy to the shower floor when I wasn't allowed to bend, so that's nice. /s I had tuna lay like a brick for hours, but this was the first time it was actually painful versus uncomfortable. Also lasted far longer. I waited the prerequisite 30 minutes after eating to drink and that was the first time that water hurt after surgery. It still hurts a little, but not as bad as yesterday. That's what spooked me. Leaving isn't an option.