Sammi_Katt

I was so excited to try these- I know, I know, carbs are still not good, but these are high protein and I can only have a small amount... I found it on a bariatric website, and guys, these are AMAZING. (I didn't include the berries in mine, so the carbs are closer to about 5 for what I made, and I used 1/2cup of liquid egg whites instead of 3/4cup, so it tasted closer to real pancakes rather than eggy.) https://www.froedtert.com/bariatric-surgery/recipes/peanut-butter-jelly-pancakes Peanut Butter and Jelly Pancakes Weight Management & Bariatrics SERVINGS: 4 INGREDIENTS ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese ½ cup instant oatmeal 2 tablespoons powdered peanuts 4 large egg whites 1 cup frozen mixed berry blend DIRECTIONS Put Items in a blender in this order: cottage cheese, oatmeal, powdered peanuts and egg whites. Turn on blender and blend until smooth like pancake batter. Pour into a bowl and fold in berry fruit mix. Use cooking spray in skillet. Makes 4 to 7 pancakes depending on size. NUTRITIONAL VALUES Serving size: 1 pancake Calories: 90 Fat: 1.5 grams Cholesterol: 1 milligrams Sodium: 195 milligrams Carbohydrates: 9 grams Dietary Fiber: 1.5 grams Sugar: 1 grams Protein: 10 grams

It was pretty painful, I'll admit. I took gas-x (chewable) and it helped with the belly pain. The shoulder pain does dissipate, but you have to walk, walk, walk. That said, everyone's level of pain tolerance is different. Some people might feel almost no pain at all, whereas others will hurt to hell and back. When I had my surgery, I took only gas-x and tylenol. I didn't need anything else. If you have someone that will be with you, another thing that will really help with gas pain is having someone pat your back (kinda hard, too). Pretend you're being burped like a baby. It is a great feeling and it gets those gas pockets out quicker. Also, and I can't stress enough, WALK. Walking around, even just going around a room in circles, helps the gas go away. You've got this. Take a deep breath, and good luck. ❤️

I did. The swelling went down after about three days, but my throat was scratchy for about a week. Hang in there, and keep drinking water. It hurts, but it will actually help it feel better faster if you can stay hydrated. ❤️

So I was... "fortunate" enough to have my gallbladder try to kill me about a month after my sleeve. So I was still recovering from my surgery when I had my gallbladder removed. I was miserable, vomiting and weak and slowly dying of dehydration. It took a week to figure out what was wrong, all while I was wasting away. It sucked. I *will* say that the recovery was surprisingly easier than after the sleeve. There wasn't any gas to deal with, and just slow walking was easier to do. It was tender because I was still tender, but it wasn't as miserable as it had been the day before. I *immediately* felt better when I woke up after that surgery. I had not lost a single pound the month before my gallbladder was removed, and then, as if by magic, I immediately started to lose again. To be fair, I was starving to death, so my body was probably trying to hold onto every bit it could, but I did lose weight. I have a problem with SUPER high fat foods (so no butter, no egg yolks), but I wasn't really eating those before anyways, so it's not been too hard. I just eat a lot of lean meats and egg whites normally, so it didn't change my diet too much beyond keeping me even further away from fast food relapse. It was a horrible experience that I am just happy to have gotten out alive through. I felt so much better after, and I was able to heal and recover and feel like a normal human being again. It is horrible that you have to go through that, and I hope your gallbladder comes out soon or they can get it under control.

I'm eating around 4oz per meal, and around 250-350 calories per big meal (50-150 per snack). I've slowed down on my weight loss because I'm enjoying where I'm at, and I maintain around 1350 calories. If I eat 1200 or less, I lose.

I generally wear briefs (just generic, fruit of the loom or hanes) for right now. Since I'm still in weight loss mode, I don't wanna spend on anything fancy or pretty since I'll only be able to wear it for a few months at best. I wear tighter fitting stuff (like yoga pants, tights, tank tops) that hold my belly and pooch in, and then layer over those most of the time (skirts and shirts) to hide it a little. If it's about comfort, just keeping it from flailing around while you do daily stuff is nice. If it's about looks, shapewear isn't always a bad thing, just make sure it's not too tight and you're not wearing it too often. People make the mistake of buying binders and things that they're hoping will help "shape" their bodies, but it just ends up damaging their muscles and making their body a little more saggy.

Hey, congrats on your surgery. ❤️ I am a southern girl myself. For soft food, you have a few options. You can always look up bariatric recipes (there are a lot of good ideas floating around the internet, and you can modify a lot of them if you have allergies or intolerances to anything). Cottage cheese, ricotta bake, turkey burger (well cooked and crumbled), scrambled eggs (oooh, I LOVED scrambled eggs when I was in my soft food stage!), tuna fish (honestly, I cooked a lot of fish during this stage and just flaked it really well... I did a lot of salmon and tilapia)... there are a lot more options than you think. I know it's overwhelming to feel so limited. Make sure you take your time when introducing new foods. Sometimes, your pouch might be a little silly and not like something (or vice versa!) from before surgery. When I introduced new foods, I would try it by itself (so scrambled eggs, then trying to add cheese, and if my stomach agreed with that, I would add some spices or something). I stopped protein powder right after I was off my liquid diet (I can't physically stomach it), so I had to get protein in with food. It's quite a journey, but hang in there, and you'll do great. ❤️

So, part of the thing I love the best about having lost so much weight and having so much energy is what all I can physically do. Back in September (since I live in Nevada), I went opal mining, and yesterday, I went to Tonopah to go do turquoise mining. We dug, broke rocks, and did basically hard labor for 5 and a half hours. Over that time, my garmin recorded me having burned over 1000 calories, and despite my soreness today, I had a blast. Does anyone else do mining stuff? Does anyone know of any good places? I went opal mining in Virgin Valley in Nevada, and turquoise in Tonopah, Nevada.

I had a sleeve and I have the same reactions. I think it's just a change to your body chemistry from the surgery?

Things taste really different to me. I had surgery almost a year ago, and I cannot STAND the smell of tuna anymore. Yogurt makes me gag. I used to love those things before. Changes in sense of smell and taste are apparently pretty common, according to my surgeon. I do, however, enjoy the way some healthier foods taste and smell now. It just takes some getting used to to figure out what you can handle now. ❤️

When I had my surgery, I lost weight for the first week, then I got sick. I didn't eat anything except for applesauce and a cracker or two for almost four weeks, and was vomiting uncontrollably (my gallbladder was dying, but the doctors took forever to figure it out). In that time, I didn't lose a single pound, but as soon as my gallbladder was out and I was eating like I was supposed to, I did. When you don't eat, your body is starving and hanging on to everything it can so it won't die. I understand that it's frustrating, but you have to try to eat something. If you have ulcers, your doctor needs to help by getting you a ppi or something to help your stomach out. But you *have* to eat to lose weight. I hope you feel better soon. Just hang in there.

I was cleared eight weeks out, but I didn't feel comfortable starting up doing anything beyond walking until about four months. It's honestly up to your body. If you've been cleared and you think you can, start slow and see what you can do. I went from walking every day to walking 3.5 miles every day and doing cardio/strength workouts five times a week. You'll get there. I have video games that I use (ringfit on the switch, Beat Saber on PSVR, and Just Dance) that help me out. We also purchased a stationary bike to watch tv on, and we have a treadmill here. If I feel like strength training, I have a jug full of sand that I use in lieu of a kettlebell, and I also use body weight exercises (Wall push ups, planks, the dreaded burpee, etc.). It's actually really easy to work from home, it's just getting started. ❤️

I hit 100lbs lost for my birthday back in September, and NOW, just in time for Thanksgiving, I've FINALLY reached onederland!!!!! I had to run out of my bathroom and cry into a pillow so I didn't wake my husband with my excitement lol. I still have a ways to go, but I haven't weighed this since I was a preteen, and... just... AHH!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ I celebrated with air fryer shrimp and turkey bacon for breakfast lol.

lol He got up about 15 minutes later and he giggled with me. ❤️

I have named my sleeve Claire and she speaks to me a lot. We have full blown conversations about food sometimes lol

I actually take mine before I eat. everyone is different, but it's easier for me to do the small sip before food than it is after. Sometimes, that extra sip will be just a little too much. If it doesn't work well after, try before.

I *love* laughing cow. I did one slice, and maybe will have two now (ten months out). My sleeve really liked it when I was in soft foods.

I agree, talk with your doctor. I had little red bumps on my stomach, but it was my skin reacting to the sutures (turned out to be hives for me). It could be anything, though, because your skin goes a little bonkers after a major surgery, so you should ask your doc. For the pain, are you eating slowly? Are you taking your time? Are you eating hot/cold when it happens? Are you eating the wrong food for your current recovery stage? If you moved on and it's hurting you, like switching from liquid to puree, you can always move backwards and give yourself more time. I understand hating the protein shakes, but protein is super important. If you can, maybe find some unflavored? Or is it just the texture? Congrats on the surgery. ❤️ Hope you feel better. Talk to your doc!

I unfortunately had to get my gallbladder removed shortly after my surgery, so I can't eat whole eggs anyway. However, when I was at that stage, I was able to eat an entire egg's worth of egg whites in one sitting. It did very much fill me up, even if I didn't add cheese or something to it.

I got a coffee mug warmer, so it has two heat settings on it. I have small, appetizer sized plates and while I'm eating, if it's something warm, I set it on there. If it's something cold (if I'm home), I'll usually take half and leave it in the fridge/freezer if possible to keep it cold. Just be aware if you use the mug warmer, leave it on low or you may end up slightly burning your food lol. It was a life lesson.

I was going to say something, but... That hits the nail on the head. You realize you made a mistake and you're taking care of it. You're a human. It's okay to screw up once in a while, even more so since you've acknowledged it and are willing to keep trying.

I did it at the beginning with beef jerky. I was so tired of sweet stuff and just wanted something different. I chewed it really well, made sure not to swallow any, and spit it out when I ran out of flavor.

Yes and no. I don't belch uncontrollably anymore like I did after surgery, but some wind does like to go through now and again depending on what I eat. And sometimes, belching relieves that gas buildup, so while it's kind of embarrassing, it's useful. Do you walk a lot right now? That will relieve some of the gas and slow the belching down a little, too. If you're drinking too much water/eating too much or too fast, you'll have a lot of gas from that. Congrats on the surgery, and hang in there.

Because you're so recently out of surgery, I feel like, in your case, you may want to try to bring it up with your manager to see about getting water breaks. Think smoke breaks, but... you know... healthy? If that's not doable, just do your best to drink what you can before and after work. I know it's difficult when you're in a work environment, but water is very important, especially after surgery.

Elastic clothing is still your friend up to a point, and belts, belts, belts. I finally lost so much that I had to get an entirely new wardrobe, but I hit up (like Lanie said) a thrift store and Walmart. I know it's stuff that won't last forever, but I need to not be walking around with my clothing falling off. lol If you can buy size downs here and there, that's fine. The hardest thing I figured out was underwear- it gets bunchy and baggy and uncomfortable. I went out and bought three packs, each in a consecutively smaller size.