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GNC will refund or exchange within a certain time period if you keep the receipt! I took THREE different Protein powders back.....this was BEFORE surgery when I was trying to find something I could do. I was at a loss until I got the bullet sample when I was discharged from the hospital!!!

Protein shakes, ugh, I could NOT gag them down!!! I got a protein bullet in my 'to go goodie bag' when I left the hospital. They saved me, just over 3 oz. Must easier to get down and 42 gr of protein when it's all said and done. I sipped a little 3x's per day. I got IDS brand from GNC. Grape was strong, the blue raspberry is what I like best. Is it "good" you ask....NO.....but it is doable if you hold your nose and rinse your mouth afterwards!!! It's much easier than a protein shake!!!

Get rid of all the bad stuff, the temptations in your house. Stock with 1% cottage cheese, a bag of frozen shrimp, frozen chicken breasts, (it's easy and fast to bake one) tuna packed in water, Lite mayo. Get your Protein with food, rather than relying on powders and Protein Bars. Get some skim milk, a couple glasses a day is 16oz of protein. Oh, and eggs, probably the best source of protein there is. You can do it.

I got one in my 'going away goodie bag' the day I went home. I hated EVERY SINGLE protein powder I tried. I took three different ones back to GNC. The bullets saved me. The whey protein is probably 'the gold standard' but my physician said these are fine. I never had a hair issue and was healthy. IDS brand at GNC is 42 grams of protein in just a little over 3 oz. I'd hold my nose and take a couple of sips 3x's a day, rinse my mouth out afterwards. Beat the heck out of a big protein shake that took me three hours to gag down. I started getting ALL my protein with food by two months out. Cottage cheese, eggs, tuna, Cod fish, chicken. I still keep a bag of frozen shrimp, it's easy to steam and easy to eat!

I paid 12,500 and it was the best money I ever spent. I love, love, love my sleeve! Dr. James Davidson was my doctor, Forest Park Medical Center in Dallas. It's hard to put a price on this, it's soooo life changing!

My doctor said we SHOULD weigh daily so we'll know if we put on a few pounds, it will be much easier to get back on track. It's more difficult if you gain 9 or ten lbs. We know how quickly that can happen!! I never got upset about the ups when I was losing, I'd go up a lb or two, then back down before I "LET GO" of the couple of lbs and move on to the next pound or two. It's just part of the journey. If I was up two, I'd up my Protein and liquid and it worked like a charm! I've been maintaining since Jan '11

My doctor said we SHOULD weigh daily so we'll know if we put on a few pounds, it will be much easier to get back on track. It's more difficult if you gain 9 or ten lbs. We know how quickly that can happen!! I never got upset about the ups when I was losing, I'd go up a lb or two, then back down before I "LET GO" of the couple of lbs and move on to the next pound or two. It's just part of the journey. If I was up two, I'd up my Protein and liquid and it worked like a charm!

I loved sugar free jello with a little sugar free cool whip. Come to find out, I don't think I should have had the SF cool whip until full liquid stage, but it didn't hurt me and made it seem like i was practically having something naughty. Jello had no nutritional value, but it counted as liquid, a little of it anyway. Lime was my favorite!

Crackers are probably a no no. When you can have them, my dietitian recommended Special K crackers. They're good and I eat them instead of bread, with my tuna salad.

These things are on the 'mushy' stage, aren't they? This doesn't sound like my liquid or puree stage.

If you haven't been to a restaurant, GO and order some of their soup. Vegetable, vegetable beef, chicken, I even got chicken tortilla soup at a TexMex joint here in Dallas. (Panera Bread has great chicken noodle) Of course you can only have the broth, but it is soooooo good. It was like heaven, I was sick of Campbell's!! It's also nice to get out in a social setting, in a restaurant with folks around.

Hi Kinny's mom! A word of caution, look at the sugar grams in the yogurt. We buy the PLAIN Greek Yogurt and 'add' stuff to it. I add a Stivia packet and then use your imagination. A few blueberries, but remember, fruit is a 'treat'. I've also added sugar free jelly to Greek yogurt. Someone suggested a little SF choc pudding was good. I think there's a lot that you can use!

I've heard from the 'professionals' that not drinking with a meal and waiting for 30 mins after eating before drinking, is very important. I have a glass of tea with me most of the time, if I'm not eating and as soon as I finish eating, I'll get another glass of tea, or at night I drink a glass of skim milk. I gave up on the 'water' thing. I don't like crystal lite and things like that. I drink coffee and tea. I always have Water when we eat out, and when we go to Star Bucks, I leave with a Venti iced water. I am fine doing this, the nurse said, just drink something other than soft drinks or sugared drinks! Ever since she told me this, my skin is better, my urine stays close to clear. All is good!!

Me!! I started at 228 at my first pre-op appointment. (siminar and scheduling appt) I weighed 205 the day of surgery and my doctor's goal was 150. I reached that just a few days shy of five months. My goal was 145, I got there a month later. I am back up to 150, as of today. Summer has been brutal with vacation, family reunion and company. I started getting back to basics yesterday. I should be able to lose this 5 lbs to get back down to MY goal without much suffering, in a couple of weeks.

Dr. Davidson's dietitian, when she was going over the different stages after surgery, day 1 through week 6 said she wasn't going to ask US to do anything SHE didn't/wouldn't do. Two things; one, she likes her coffee, but we had to be caffeine free for the first six weeks. Two, she didn't eat FF things such as sour cream, cottage cheese, sliced cheese. Low fat was good except milk - that's skim. I personally use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream in casseroles now, and on baked potatoes too. Although, I only eat MAYBE 1/4 of a baked potato, a medium sized potato at that!!

I have a lot of NSV's but my most memorable, my favorite is when I could see my collar bone!!!

I'm 26 months out and I seldom eat a sandwich at home, just a few times I've eaten a half a peanut butter sandwich or bologna sandwich, but we do go to a place here in town called Which Wich. Yum!! I get all sorts of goodies on it, cucumbers, tomatoes, banana peppers, on a toasted wheat roll. I still can only eat half of a 7" sandwich and half the time I do not eat all the bun of that little 3.5". It's wonderful. The roast beef, turkey and ham sandwiches are all decent protein and low in fat. Unless you NEED the calories, leave off the cheese.

I weigh twice a day, I have for over 2 years. My physician recommends weighing every morning. He said it is best to know where you're at, he said it is much easier to lose 3 lbs than it is to lose 8 or 9. It's a game to me to weigh at night, I guess what I'll weigh in the morning, some times my husband plays the guessing game as well. I am 1 lb above my doctor's goal but I am up five lbs above MY personal goal. I wanted to be five lbs under his so I'll have a pad. We've had company, gone on vacation and had a familly reunion the past two months, so putting on an extra five lbs was easy. As of yesterday, no more traveling or guests expected. I'm back on track NO MORE SWEETS!!! I can have a bite here and a bite there, which is how my NORMAL life is, but with all the sweets around the past couple of months, it's just easy to over do!!

First pre-surgery (seminar and scheduling) appt 228lbs Day of surgery 205 lbs Today 150 lbs I had 2 months between my first appt and surgery, I did not have to do a liquid diet until the day before surgery. I had to lose between 15 and 20 lbs. I cut out all chips, I ate NO bread at home and I stopped any and all sweets. I made life changes that were not difficult. I never was a 'coke' drinker, so that was not difficult. I rode my husband's Airdyne bike 3x's a week for ten minutes per ride. Nothing was difficult, of course had I not had surgery, I'd have gained it all back plus some, I'm sure of it!!!

I attend a support group at Forest Park Medical Center, it's the 2nd Wed of every month. If you're interested I will find out the time, I didn't go this month, we were in Galveston....my memory is horrible right now!! It's at 6:30 I think!! Anyone is welcome and there are those who are pre-op and those of us who are post-op!!! Just let me know! stacy

Hey there!! Nicer temps yesterday and today! I'm in Dallas, where are you located?

Your doctor is going to remove about 85% of your stomach. It's forced portion control. You cannot eat like you are now, not without throwing up or pain. I still eat sometimes to where I am uncomfortable, but over eating now is such a tiny portion compared to before surgery. I.E. eating a whole tortilla (to dip in salsa before the meal) and then eating a full enchilada and TB of Beans and TB or rice. Seriously!!! LOL I need to stick to a half tortilla, and I KNOW that or else eat only half the enchilada! You can drink your calories or eat things like ice cream, cake.....etc. and gain, but you will probably have little or no hunger. It is not anything like before!

You can always ASK him about it, ask him why the different instructions. That's what I'd do, but I love to ask questions!

don't forget about skim milk. i started and ended each day with a cup, 8 grams of protein each cup. I still put the glass glasses in the freezer so the milk will be COLD!!!!!! i never could drink the water I should, the nurse told me at the one yr check up that they prefer water, but drink liquid! I usually only drink water when I have lemon or when we eat out....I drink iced tea and coffee, a lot and the 2 cups of milk. I have been watching the color of the water in the toilet for over 2 yrs now!!

I learned 'unflavored' doesn't mean no flavor, it just means it isn't choc, strawberry or vanilla!!! LOL