dms75

Short term, Miralax. Careful with laxatives, including teas with Senna leaves, some create dependency if used a long time. Long term, double the Water intake and add Fiber supplements. Eat plenty of raw cabbage, peas, snap peas, tomatoes, blackberries, raspberries, apples with peel, etc. I had to up my water intake to a gallon a day to fix my constipation issue. I take 5 of these gummies daily. https://www.costco.com/Vitafusion-Fiber-Well-Sugar-Free,-220-Gummies.product.11516194.html No choking hazards with these gummies.

Older, but still check out. Baritastic full report 082920.pdf Baritastic full report 082420.pdf Baritastic full report 061620.pdf

I used Baritastic religiously for 18 months. It's - as the name says it - fantastic! Completely free, great customer service whenever there was a glitch, easy to use. Stick with it.

Do you drink water/liquids during/after meals? If so, don't. For at least an hour after eating.

A nice warm pad around the shoulder/neck always helped me with this type of pain.

Local grocery stores (Giant, Harris Teeter), but most conveniently on Amazon.

No, you're not doing anything wrong. https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=3 week stall

18 months out. 422 lbs to 216 lbs.

Have a nice meal on TG. Do a 10-14 days full liquids only, between TG and Christmas. Protein shakes, soups and water. Have ONE nice (not big, nice) meal on Christmas. Then, get the Baritastic app (or something similar) and count calories. Eat 3 meals a day, no snacking. Stay below 1,400/day. Focus on protein (meat, fish, shrimp, eggs) and mostly raw vegetables (cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, celery, kale, spinach, salads, etc,.) and fruits. Drink 90-120 oz of water a day. Come back here for chats every time you feel like you're stumbling. You should be able to drop 30-40 lbs in less than 3 months. Good luck!

Also, because you're going to eat a lot less (and a lot less fiber as a result), you'll be prone to constipation. Drinking a lot of water (I do 96-120 oz a day) helps keeping you regular.

Scrambled eggs!!

Try the Fairlife Core Power shakes. They're delicious! Taste like real milk. I drink the chocolate one blended with ice, and the vanilla one I blend with ice and a shot or two of espresso. Better than the Starbucks frappucinos! https://fairlife.com/core-power-brand/elite-chocolate-protein-shake/

The answer is: Yes! All of the above. Low cal, low fat and low carb. At least low complex carbs (like bread, cake, rice, potatoes, pasta, etc.). Simple carbs, like vegetables and fruits are welcome. One suggestion: eat 3 "big" meals instead of 5 small meals. And by "big" I mean until you feel your stomach full. Then don't drink any fluids for an hour (I go up to two hours) and that will stave off the feeling of "hungry", because you're not flushing the food out of your stomach. The point is to fill your little stomach to capacity (not over!) and keep it full for as long as possible. If you eat small meals, you'll always feel hungry, and may end up eating 6, 7, 10.... small meals, which add up to more calories than 3 full meals. IMHO, at 6 weeks, you should be cleared for raw veggies and fruits, so have 3-4 oz of meat each meal, then fill up on salads and fruit. Then stop. No snacking in between meals, because you still feel full. Should shoot for 600-700 calories a day at this stage, all included.

Pay attention to the teas. My surgeon told me that the senna leaf tea is creating dependence, meaning if you drink it for a longer period of time, you won't be able to go #2 without it, or other help. Do your own research on "Senna dependency". Better to increase water and fiber consumption.

This was the visualization that shocked me realizing how much weight I was carrying around.... 😲 We all know how big and heavy those 50 lbs suitcases are, when traveling... Well, at some point - while packing for a vacation - I realized I was carrying 4, yes F O U R !!! of those suitcases around on me, at all times. 😲🤪😭 Boy, does it feel good NOW, to have put down those four bags and stroll around with my hands in my pockets! 😊😁