Greekmom4

Hi everyone, It has been awhile since I have posted. We have been very busy around my house. I will be 6 weeks post-op on Tuesday. I can officially transition over to regular texture foods as of then. My dietician did tell me to not attempt over 1/2cup per meal. She said that is my max goal for a couple more months. Daily goals: 60-80g protein, 48+ ounces of fluids, 500-700 calories, eat 3-6 times per day. Obviously do not eat 1/2 cup 6 times per day though. Lol I am excited about being able to go to the gym and start an exercise regimen. I also do not need protein shakes anymore as long as I am meeting my protein goals. So happy about that. I have found a new product, Nurri, it is an ultra-filtered milk (shelf stable) with 30g protein and only 150 calories. It is honestly better than Fairlife and comes in a can. I have been drinking that for my breakfast and while I take all my meds. I slowly take my meds over the 30 minutes or so I drink it. @draikaina8503 hope you are feeling better. @Justarwaxx the foamies are the worst. I’m glad it has only happened to me once. @ShoppGirl the target heart rate formula is interesting. I can walk across the room and my heart rate would be higher than that. Those goals don’t really work for me but if it’s great if they help you. @Voca my date was also 8/6. Hope you are doing well. I can’t remember who asked about weight going up and down. That has not happened to me since my surgery, but in previous dieting for sure it happened. I have had a couple of days where my weight did not change. I am more of a slow loser so I weigh every day to keep myself honest and to see if something I did the day before might contribute to loss or even a stall. It works for me but might not be good for everyone. I have tried chili from Wendy’s and McAllister’s Deli and they were okay. I do not really count those as “eating out” since they were chili and I could have had almost the same from a can. Last night I went to dinner with some friends for the first time since surgery. I had not told any of them about my surgery and then they were all worried about what I could eat. I had already looked at the menu before going so I knew what my options were. Really not super WLS friendly. It’s a wood fired pizza restaurant. I ordered the best protein option pizza and had only the toppings from 2 pieces. They were small pieces and the entire pizza fit on a single plate. My choices worked because today I am down 1.3 pounds. It made me happy that I knew I made the right choice. I was also not bothered by them eating other foods and seeing them finish their entire meals. They were all super supportive and asked if we needed to go somewhere else. I recently went through my closet and started pulling clothes that are too big and adding in fall clothes. I had previously done a big purge of clothes that did not fit and I did not want to keep so my clothing options are a bit limited right now. My cousin had the gastric sleeve about 18 months ago and she gave me all of her clothes so that has been a huge help. It was like getting new clothes for free. Haha My NSV is putting something on that did not fit a month ago and now is loose. That is a great feeling. Looking at the scale and saying I have lost 25 pounds since 8/6 and that does not seem like a lot to me but knowing how a certain shirt or pants fit before and now they are loose or even too big to wear. That helps keep it real for me and helps to keep me motivated. Hope everyone has a great week and keep focused on those small goals and successes.

@Hiddenroses I also struggle with getting enough fluids in a day. I sometimes feel sick as if I am too full of liquid. I have found that chicken gets me to my protein goal bette than beef. Not sure why but it does. I am also still on eating 1/4-1/3 cup at a meal. Be careful with drinking so much Gatorade, it causes water retention. It may seem as if you are not losing weight as quickly. My doctor said to limit to 12 ounces in a day. As for sleep, I always sleep badly. I am very restless and wake multiple times a night. Been married 22 years and my hubby says I have always been like that. I am just happy now that I can sleep without being propped up with pillows to keep me comfy. Looking forward to when I can sleep on my stomach again. lol

Well tonight I had the foamies for the first time. Hoping it’s the last time. I made salmon salad and I guess I ate it too quickly and my chest hurt so bad, I was sneezing bad, and coughed up white foam. It was so bad. @ShoppGirl I was the one with the “dented” incision. It is a little better but not by much.

Hello everyone, Saturday was my birthday and I went with my daughter to McAllister’s Deli. I ordered a cup of chili as it seemed to have the best overall nutrition. I ate about 1/4 cup and took the rest home. The family really wanted to do a cake for me so hubby bought sugar free cake mix and frosting and made it. I only had 2 small bites. Just enough to say I participated. Haha Honestly I really did not miss eating a big piece of cake and ice cream. I much prefer my sugar free fruit popsicles now. Tuesday makes 4 weeks (28days) post-op for me. My energy level is getting better and I can walk up the stairs one foot per step. Before I had to do both feet per step and then up the next one. I can tell my breasts and a little smaller and my stomach seems a bit smaller also. I am down 20 pounds and very happy about that. I’m on soft food for another 2 weeks and my dietician did not mention increasing my portions from 1/4cup to 1/2 cup. However when I read the sample menu she gave me it does show going up to 1/2 cup per meal. Personally, I can only eat just over 1/4 cup at a time still. I know that makes it tricky with tracking meals. Tracking meals: who all is doing this? It keeps me so honest for myself. I do so much better when I track. I bought a food journal on Amazon and log my daily weight and everything I eat or drink, along with anything notable for the day.

@ShoppGirl my biggest incision is kind of dented in also. My surgeon said it will flatten out. It is also where they removed my stomach. Steristrips: I did not have them, or staples. My incisions all have stitches and a strange purple glue covering them. It is slowly wearing off. Food: We had a vegetarian potluck at work today and I did have a small teaspoon of ranch dip, one bite of a very spicy hummus, and a bite of a veggie meatball. I knew I could tolerate the food and did not want to punish myself by not having anything. Today I am 3 weeks and 2 days post-op and wore jeans for the first time. Not the brightest idea but I survived the day. LoL going to change as soon as I get home. I have lost 16 pounds since my surgery day. I am a slower loser and have had a couple of 3 day stalls. I like to weigh daily to see if a certain food or activity affects my weight loss. It also keeps me accountable. I know this may not be good for all people. I can’t wait for my 6 week checkup so I can be cleared to go to the gym. We have a large department move at work coming up in a couple of weeks and know that may pose some problems with my weight restrictions. Hope everyone is doing well and it seems like we are progressing along from all the posts. Keep up the good work. We’ve got this!

@ShoppGirl I used mild salsa in my refried beans. One can beans and 3tablespoons salsa pureed. Measured 1/4 cup into individual bowls and a small sprinkle of mozzarella on top. Yummy! The ricotta bake is so popular in my house that I have been making full size servings for the family. Haha They love it. One thing my dietician told me was to only use canned chicken, or boil my own. She said baked/fried is too fibrous for puréed or soft stages. She also said when I start soft foods (next Monday) to only eat mushy carrots, green beans, or instant potatoes. For fruit, only peaches or pears in their own juice.

@ShoppGirl and @Onemealplan I used canned chicken breast, 2 boiled eggs, some dill relish, lit mayo, and seasonings. Put them in the food processor and blended until it was a similar consistency of mashed potato. Basically no big lumps. It is good and I put 1/4 cup portions into small containers and just take small bites. For the refried beans, I found fat free which doesn’t contain lard and the recipe I am adapting just said to add salsa to taste. I am also going to add a bit of ham. I found a small package at Kroger of diced ham. Add the cheese and puree similar to how I did the chicken salad. Putting it into small glass ramekins and popping the toaster oven to heat through. My final recipe is an egg bake. 2 eggs, 1/4c cottage cheese (low fat, small curd), 1/4c diced ham, 1/4c shredded cheese. Purée all together and split into 1/4c servings. You can cook them all at once in the oven in a cupcake pan or microwave a serving at a time.

I made puréed chicken salad and have done well with that. @ShoppGirl I think you would know pretty quickly if food will agree or not. Tomorrow, I am going to prep some scrambled egg servings, ricotta bake, and refried beans. I found a refried bean recipe that include salsa and cheese mixed in.

Happy Wednesday everyone! I spoke with the nurse today and she suggested I add protein water to help get me to 60 grams and my 48 oz of water. Once I get there I can start to add some puréed food. She also said it will help me start to lose more weight. @ShoppGirl I did not think I would try a vacuum at this point. I can’t even bend over to open a kitchen drawer. I’m lucky though I have 4 teens that have been super helpful with anything I need.

Hi everyone, I am 7 days post-op. Today, I was able to add 1 protein shake to my clear liquids. Taking it a little slower than normal to get my fluids where they need to be. My nurse advised me to go at the speed my body will allow. Tomorrow I will add the second protein shake and see how that goes. Maybe then I will be able to start adding some puréed foods. I was also advised to take my Levsin to prevent stomach spasms and Zofran for the nausea. Also taking Omeprazole. Holding off on the vitamins as they can cause nausea. As far as gas, it was mostly the first 3-4 days and now just infrequent burping. Because it is an inert gas, there is no smell. But the family found it hilarious. lol Getting up and down, and walking is getting easier. Believe me that is a great thing. The best tip from my nurse is that right now the full time job is getting in your fluids and walking.

Hi everyone, well, my surgery did not go as planned. It has been quite the journey since Tuesday. Everything started out great and I was not even nervous. Woke up in recovery and in my half drugged state realized my permanent bridge was not in my mouth. They called the surgeon and he ordered an x-ray which showed my bridge was in my esophagus. The nurse anesthetist knocked it out when he extubated me. I was taken back into surgery, more anesthesia, and all my incisions reopened. They had an endoscopy surgeon go down my throat to retrieve the bridge. Because of the second surgery it meant I had to stay extra days in the hospital and my recovery will be longer. Also, my potassium is extremely low and I need to supplement that at home. My maiN incision is pretty painful. I’m struggling to get my fluids so I can begin to add shakes back in. I'm very happy to finally be home and hope to feel better soon. Hope everyone else is doing well.

@BigDane good luck tomorrow! Tomorrow is my clear liquid day before my surgery on Tuesday. Not nervous yet. Started packing, just taking the basics since it is only one night. I went to the grocery yesterday and stocked up on my post-op food. I will start puréed on day 5 and that is where I am more nervous about picking the right foods. How is everyone else doing with preparations for surgery?

@AndreaJD my doctor uses binders after surgery also. I also have to use a spirometer to breathe into for 2 weeks to make sure I am getting full lung expansion. I agree, the “before” pictures are hard to look at. But they are also motivation to make a change.

@AndreaJD my date is the 6th, so just 4 away. Starting to feel real.

@Onemealplan Best of luck to you. You are so close. @AndreaJD My doctor's office just started doing before and after photos. We did them when I went to my education class. One thing I have not see anyone mention is how long they are taking off work. My surgery is on a Tuesday (8/6) and I am off the rest of that week. I plan to work from home the following week and hopefully be back in the office just after my 2 week follow-up appointment. I have a desk job so it is not physically demanding.

@AndreaJD and @ShoppGirl, I also had a pre-op call from the nurse today. My PCP had ordered a bunch of labs that I felt were not needed. I feel so much better because the nurse and surgeon agreed with me. I also leary that I might pass out if I needed to have so much blood taken while on a very low calorie diet. Here is how my pre-op diet works. It lasts 13 days. Days 1-12 I have to eat all of the following: 3 protein shakes w/skim milk (8oz), 1/2c oatmeal or cream of wheat, 1/2c SF pudding, 4-6oz CarbMaster yogurt, 1c low-fat soup, 1/2c unsweetened applesauce, 1c of any combination (baby carrots, celery, cucumber, broccoli, tomato, iceberg lettuce) with 2T FF dressing, and 60-84oz clear liquids. Day 13: 64-80oz clear liquids only. Today is day 7 and as I have progressed it has gotten more difficult to get all the food/water in each day. Several days I did not eat the pudding. I decided to prioritize my protein. Also, starting today I am not taking any vitamins just maintenance meds. I will restart vitamins one week after surgery. I still do not know my surgery time, as they call the day before to tell me when to be there. So, this time next week my surgery will be done and my new journey begins. How is everyone else doing? Getting anxious, scared, excited?

@ShoppGirl I can say that I was really losing my patience yesterday. I don't know if the pre-op diet had anything to do with my mood though. Saturday, I was out for 8 hours and prepped my food pretty well but it still threw me off. Sunday, I was replacing flooring in one of our bedrooms and did a better job at keeping up on food, but still did not get all my food in for the day. Today is day 6 of my pre-op diet. I have one week until my surgery and I'm actually getting more nervous about what I will eat after surgery. I have a coworker that had the VGS and she has been encouraging me. I like to plan and it is hard to plan when I don't know what or how much I will be able to eat, or what I will even be able to tolerate. For everyone that was talking about crocheting, I think that is great. I have zero talent with crochet, believe me I have tried to learn and it is useless. lol When is everyone else's surgery dates and have you begun your pre-op diet yet? Happy Monday!

@ShoppGirl I start my pre-op diet tomorrow. 12 days of a very specific low-calorie menu, followed by 1 day of only clear liquids. I can post for anyone interested. I prepped 4 days worth today so I can just grab it and go. My daughter and I went to Delaware this past weekend and were stuck between airports for almost two days. I did my best not to stress eat and to drink plenty of water. My ‘last supper’ today was a steak, salad, loaded baked potato, and ice cream. I wanted to finish in style. lol Has anyone else started prepping for their pre-op diet? julie

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I will be having hernia repair and vertical gastric sleeve on 8/6/24. SW 295.9 CW 270 GW 150 My food education class is this coming week, and I hope to learn a lot more about what I will be allowed to eat. I do know that I will be on a 2-week pre-op and 2-week post-op liquid diet. I will actually get all my vitamins and protein powders during my class. I am fortunate that my insurance covers the surgery at 100% and I only had a 4 month waiting period from my first doctor visit. I stopped all caffeine, carbonated, and high calorie drinks back in April. My daily water goal of 64oz is pretty hard to reach sometimes, but I do my best. Ironically, I do better on the days I am at work as opposed to at home. Best of luck to those of you giving up smoking.