MyGrammyLife

Good morning everyone! I think everyone would agree, the two week pre-op diet and post-op diet requirements are TOUGH! Especially if you haven’t found a protein shake that you actually like. I want to share info about a company I found that has great options! Ideal Fit ( idealfit.com ) offers many options of whey protein isolate shakes and clear fruity drinks. I have tried several flavors and LOVE having a choice! Protein shake burn-out can happen so easily! They ship quickly and have 50% off sales all the time. Check out these flavors: caramel mocha birthday cake vanilla) chocolate brownie cookies and cream cold brew coffee white chocolate peppermint chocolate mint chocolate peanut butter red velvet cake And there are still several flavors I haven’t tried yet! They offer clear protein fruit flavored options that are delicious too! Strawberry Lemonade mojito passion fruit peach mango These are nice because they aren’t as heavy as the protein shakes and they are easy to get down. I AM NOT GETTING ANY KICK BACKS FROM THE COMPANY FOR SHARING THIS INFO. I just want to share my find with others because I think it makes this journey so much easier and enjoyable. I had the dietitian review the nutritional elements and she confirmed that these shakes have all the required nutrition for bariatric surgery patients. Now......does anyone know of any protein bars that actually taste good??? I’d like an option for those on-the-go days! 😃

Thank you! I’ll give them a try!

Wow! Make that 3 votes! Hooray! 🤪

Thanks WishMeSmaller! Two votes for built bars...sounds like a good place to start trying some. 😃

Thank you Catwoman7! Wow, I’m getting lots of options. I can’t wait to try some of them! 😃

Thanks Big Sue (although it looks like Little Sue is a better fit...congrats!) I will definitely look into those Built bars! I LOVE chocolate coconut!! Thank you! P.S. I never thought of adding the protein powder to my Greek yogurt! Hmmm, I’m going to give that a try too!

I’ve never heard of the Think brand. Do you get them at Walmart? Most brands I have tried just have a horrible taste, and I know there must be better options out there! Thank you for your suggestion, I’ll look into those.

Hello everyone! I’m glad to be a part of this group and look forward to sharing and hearing about everyone’s journey, whether it’s contemplating weight loss surgery, newly post op like myself, or those with years of experience. I feel there is value in learning from everyone. so for me, I have struggled my whole life with my weight. I have been up....and I’ve been down, but for me the weight always finds it’s way back to me. I know everyone has their own personal reason for having this procedure. My reason is more than just to lose weight. I have very significant spinal degeneration and have already had three spinal fusions on my low to middle back. Every surgery I am left with more debilitating symptoms. My hope is that with the gastric sleeve as my tool, I can lose the weight and actually keep it of. Less stress on my spine may buy me time until I need another spinal surgery. My journey has been a long one, but I hung in there! Lol I began my 6 months of managed weight loss on December 18, 2019. I only had one month left until I would qualify for surgery, but my back surgery in March of 2020 left me unable to return to work. I lost my job AND my insurance. Luckily I was able to get on my husbands insurance fairly quick, but because I skipped a month of weight management appointments I had to start the whole process over again! Needless to say, it was a long road to travel, but on February 1st (surgery day) I was down 60 lbs! My starting weight was 275, so I went into surgery at 215lbs. Here I am today at day 20 and for the most part things are going well. I am down another 13 lbs and starting my second week on puréed diet Monday. My biggest issue so far is heartburn!! I was already taking Omeprazole 40mg but the reflux is persistent! My bariatric nurse advised me it’s ok to take 1 tums and that has helped some. Has anyone else had persistent heartburn post op, and did it go away after a while? So far that is my biggest concern. By the way, I didn’t mention my goal weight is 150, so I now have 52 lbs to go. I see many of you are losing lots of weight very quickly. I sometimes feel like my surgery wasn’t as effective, but I try to remind myself that it may be slower for me. well, that’s my story! I look forward to hearing from others as I continue my journey! Thank you!

CONGRATULATIONS !!! You are doing great! I have read all of the responses above and I feel like I’ve already heard some of my responses mentioned there...... However....I also had my weight loss surgery for other medical reasons. (My spine is deteriorating and I have already had 3 surgeries to fuse it together and I’m only 53!) Like you, me losing weight and keeping it off is critical for my quality of life. I have only told my 5 kids and an aunt who I am very close to about my surgery.....even my mother doesn’t know because she would react as your friends have. Try daily affirmations. Look at yourself in the mirror and say out loud so you can hear it.... I am STRONG! I am BEAUTIFUL! I CAN DO THIS! I am DETERMINED and DYNAMIC! I’m doing this for ME! Negativity will not bring me down! If everything you hear is negative comments, it’s hard to get those feelings out of your head. Give this gift to yourself, you deserve it! Really listen to your affirmations and let them sink in. YES, I AM strong, beautiful, dynamic, etc. I hope this is helpful because you are a superstar! You deserve to SHINE!

Hello, and thanks for your input. I see my surgeon today and will ask about the protonix. Don’t let yourself get too upset about what the scale says! Everyone will lose weight at a different pace. Plus, 12 pounds in less than a month is a LOT of weight to lose. My doctor told me, as long as I make sure I’m getting 80 grams of protein each day and at least 64oz of water, the weight will continue to come off. My husband had this procedure 5 years ago, and I recall he would stall out and stay at the same weight for a few days, then all of a sudden he would drop a couple of pounds all at once! I just saw your statistics....we are nearly the same! I’m 53, my surgery was Feb. 1st, I’m only 5’6”, I was 275lb at the start of my 6 months pre-op and 215 the day of surgery. I am down 14 lbs. We could be great support for one another! Please feel free to continue to share! Best Wishes!

My surgery was February 1, 2021.

My husband had the gastric sleeve over 5 years ago, and I just had mine Feb. 1st. There is a LOT that I can’t recall about his first year following surgery, but one thing I recall very clearly is how I felt... Everywhere we went people would compliment him on how great he looked! I was definitely feeling a bit jealous because I too was dieting and losing weight, but because his transition was occurring so much faster than mine, he got all the compliments and no one noticed my progress. I recall that in my mind I justified it by saying “he took the easy was out”! (Boy was that thinking WRONG, there is nothing easy about this journey!) I remember researching diet options and recipes that would work for BOTH of us. I wanted so badly to be on the “same page” in our weight loss journey’s but that was never really possible. We were in completely “different books” ! Jumping forward 5 years, he has managed to keep the majority of his weight off, but his diet choices haven’t been the greatest. He doesn’t follow the “rules” of Sleevers....eat your protein first, then vegetable, and IF you are still hungry have a few bites of the carb. He uses straws, drinks carbonated beverages, and far too much coffee and not enough water. My decision to have the sleeve has given him a reset and Finally....we are on the same page! I guess I went astray here, but my point is this.... I wouldn’t say I was totally jealous of him because I was supportive and proud of his achievements. However, I still felt sorry for myself because I worked SO hard and never would achieve the level of weight loss that he did. I have to agree with the comment above that suggests it would be helpful for couples to get counsel on what feeling to anticipate and work through them before hand. It would be beneficial to both parties.

Hmmmm, that’s interesting. I am taking Omeprazole 40mg. But I don’t know if that is considered extra strength?? It would be nice if there were a slow release that lasted 24 hours (maybe mine already is?) I will definitely talk to my surgeon about this at my next appointment. Thanks for the input, I greatly appreciate it.

Thank you all for your input. It’s comforting to know you’re not alone! I heard a great analogy today regarding weight loss surgery... ”You can choose to ride the wave til it ends.....OR, you can open your sail and keep on going!” Im going to choose to open my sail (my mind) to new lifestyle changes and just keep on going! Best wishes to all!