suzannethemom

YES, I was initially denied. I have BCBS of Minnesota. My BMI was 38.1 with two co-morbidities (pre-diabetic and high blood pressure). They DENIED surgery because I take BP medication and therefore my blood pressure is under control and no longer a risk. That is so ridiculous! Fortunately, the bariatric office manager fought for me and argued with them. BCBS approved me the next day. I had surgery on 4/12/22.

The rule of thumb for almost all bariatric patients is three meals a day with no snacking in between. This is because snacking allows you to overeat and exceed calories. We are supposed to be drinking fluids between the three meals. I have never heard of a plan that has you eat every 3 hours. Recommended serving size is 1/2 cup per meal. After six weeks, you can increase to 1 cup per meal. It should only take you 20 to 30 minutes to consume your meal. If it’s taking you an hour, then something is wrong. The food is too dense or not diluted enough or too high in fat content and causing restriction.

I started the SOFT stage last week and it’s not going very well. I did okay with 2 oz. of baked fish, but chicken and eggs didn’t sit well in my stomach. It felt like a rock in my stomach. I didn’t throw up, but I felt so yucky that I’ve decided to stick with soups for a few days.

Puréed stage is always before soft foods. Soft foods is the final stage before you graduate to regular foods.

The stomach noises are normal. The stomach “flip” is concerning. I gotta ask a few basic questions. Did they teach you how to take small sips in the hospital with the little 15ml cups? Do you use a baby spoon when you eat or take small amounts? Do you stop drinking 30 minutes before you eat? I am at week 4 and things feel pretty normal when I eat or drink unless I eat too fast or take a large amount by accident. I don’t want you to get dehydrated, so focus on drinking more often. Lack of protein is not going to put you in the hospital, but not drinking enough fluids definitely WILL.

Today was DAY 1 of soft foods for me. I had 2 ounces of baked tilapia and refried beans for dinner. I ate every bite of fish mixed with the beans. No issues or side effects. It was so good!

Heck ya I add cheese! I have to restrain myself from adding too much! I will definitely add taco sauce next time. I’ve been eating the ricotta bake almost every night because it’s so damn good.

I’m on week three after surgery and stuck eating runny soups and refried beans! It’s crazy how different the rules are. I can’t wait to eat a plate of food that looks like that. It looks like heaven!

My husband and sons (age 24 and 26) have been doing all of the cooking. We planned their meals to NOT include the things that I really love (like mac n cheese). I help out a little and prepare my own little bowl of soup. I made it a point to always eat dinner with the family EVERY night, even when I was just drinking a shake for dinner. It’s really important for your morale and mental health. I get a little sad that I can’t eat what they’re having, but I keep telling myself it’s temporary. Hopefully, in about two months I can eat the same meals in small quantities.

I was super nervous as well. The psychologist asked me questions about being overweight, how long have I struggled with my weight, what are my eating patterns, and what is my activity level. Then he asked me about bariatric surgery, why I think it’s a good option, what kind of support system do I have at home and what are my expectations and goals. I took the MMPI test and a psychological evaluation exam online about a week later. Then I met with the psychologist a second time to discuss my test results. Then he approved me for surgery at the end of the appointment.

I agree. If you don’t exercise, you will start losing muscle and that’s not good. I walk 20-30 minutes every other day. It helps boost my mood as well.

I took your advice and made the ricotta bake for dinner. I decided adding one egg is fine because it’s blended into the cheese. I also added 2 oz. of ground turkey. OMG, so good! It was like eating lasagna. And it has 15 grams of protein. I could live on this (like you said). Photo below was taken after I took a serving.

YESSSS, that’s my plan as well. I love tuna salad with egg. I’m also thinking about trying potato salad in the soft phase. It’s kinda high in fat, but for a lousy 1/2 cup serving, I don’t care. I will think of it as a special treat. My family will eat the rest of it anyhow.

HOORAY for you! I had refried beans for dinner. I added 1/2 cup of Fairlife milk to the entire can of beans (heated). It wasn’t runny. Then I added a big pinch of cheese to my individual serving in the bowl. It was amazing! No stomach issues at all. I’ve been eating Campbells bean and bacon soup (blended) for the past two weeks, so my stomach is totally used to beans.

Whoa, nobody called you names. We ALL offered you support and advice. You rejected all of it.

During my very first visit with my surgeon, he told me that my high blood pressure will disappear immediately after surgery. I’ve been on BP medication ever since I turned 35 (I’m 54) and had two mini strokes in 2009. He told me to stop taking my BP medication the day of surgery and monitor my blood pressure at home. He was right. My average BP is 117/71 with a HR of 74. It’s crazy! So far, it’s the best non-scale victory.

I know, the inconsistencies with food stages is ridiculous. It actually made me depressed last week when I read how quickly some people get to start eating puréed. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself and spent the entire day in my pajamas, LOL. It’s funny how the dumbest things can make me emotional. I can’t wait for my hormones to level out again.

Oh yes, I know about the amazing ricotta bake! When I looked up the ricotta bake recipe, it was recommended for SOFT STAGE because of the egg. I can’t have eggs until soft stage. I keep reading about how eggs are a problem food for so many people, so I’m okay with waiting.

Tony, my thoughts exactly.

Feelings of regret is completely normal and part of this journey. They refer to it as the “what have I done” stage. Our hormones are so out of whack for the first three months. You are not alone. I cried every day for the first two weeks after my sleeve surgery on April 12th. Today is the start of week 3 and instead of feeling sad, now I am in the angry stage. I’m sick and tired of my stupid food choices and eating the same boring things every day. I just want to eat like a normal person! I have to keep reminding myself that this is only temporary and part of the process. Have you thought about therapy? I think it would be really helpful for you to share your feelings of regret with a therapist. I saw a therapist for two years for help with depression and a binge eating disorder. It was the best thing I ever did. Unfortunately, my therapist recently transferred to an office far away and I don’t want to start all over with a new therapist right now, but I know that if I start to feel that dark cloud looming over me and feel hopeless again, I will schedule to see anyone for help.

YESSSS, refried beans are at the top of my list! I love Mexican food too. I can’t wait to have a chicken enchilada when I get to regular foods.

I have been walking about every other day since my surgery. I started at 10 minutes and now I’m up to 25 minutes. I graduate to PURÉED foods on Tuesday. Do you have any suggestions? Things that didn’t make you sick and were satisfying?

Wow, you lost 44 pounds in 8 weeks! I’ve only lost 7.6 pounds since my surgery two weeks ago. I can’t even imagine losing that much so fast. How often were you exercising? What type of exercise? P.S. Sorry about your injury. Fingers crossed for quick healing.

I have had a sore spot on my outer thighs ever since I got home from surgery. It feels like a giant bruise that you cannot see. I asked my surgeon about it and he explained that it is NEUROPRAXIA. My legs were tightly strapped to the operating table so they could tilt the table 45 degrees during the surgery. It is temporary and will fade away with time and exercise. Neuropraxia is the mildest form of traumatic peripheral nerve injury. It is characterized by focal segmental demyelination at the site of injury without disruption of axon continuity and its surrounding connective tissues. This condition results in blockage of nerve conduction and transient weakness or paresthesia.

What do you use for sauces? My dietician wants me to use low fat gravy, but I cannot find any. Any suggestions?