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Vegetarian broth for egg drop Soup with tasteless Protein powder. Sent from my SM-T357T using Tapatalk

I've seen it before, I find it fascinating on so many levels. For example, the African woman's diet: FIRST MEAL OF THE DAY: Cornmeal porridge, 1.7 lb. with sour whole milk, 11.3 fl. oz. • SECOND MEAL: Cornmeal porridge, 1.8 lb. with sour whole milk, 11.3 fl. oz. • THROUGHOUT THE DAY: Sour whole milk, 26.3 fl. oz. Bird plums (not pictured as she ate what she had picked before the photo was taken), 3.5 oz. Water from nearby river, 12 fl. oz. Shows you how so many people, especially in the developing world, subsist on an entirely vegetarian diet....but also makes you wonder about her nutritional status. Yeah, she ate a lot of food and a reasonable amount of calories, probably a good amount of Fiber and Protein, but you bet her Vitamin and mineral intake is significantly less than that of most people in North America. Yet presumably, she's doing ok - she looks to be a normal weight and her muscle mass seems to be fine. The obese American man's diet is probably a good representation of the average North American diet - yeah, he's eating a fair amount of processed food, but there is a decent amount of fruits and vegetables in his meals; there are quite a few animal products, too. It's amazing that he doesn't eat much more than the African woman, as far as calories are concerned, although the article mentions that on other days, he may eat a lot more. The Chinese teenager - she eats quite little considering she must be very physically active! Note that she doesn't seem to eat dinner at all. She also doesn't consume very much protein, yet she's obviously in amazing physical shape. The young American woman from Mall of America - it's amazing how unhealthy her diet is! Just shows you how having easy access to cheap, low-quality food can egg you on to make unhealthy choices. All of these chains offer much healthier choices (e.g. grilled chicken sandwiches, juice), yet she selects the deep-fried, sugar-laden items. I can't help but wonder if a decade from now, she'll be 50+ lbs overweight. Then compare her to the next man - his activity level is obviously limited because of his disability, but he's able to maintain a healthy weight by making nutritious choices most of the time. The model....she eats very healthy, I think it's about as healthy as most of us can get without getting into orthorexia territory! But notice that she eats more than all of the preceding subjects, as far as the calories are concerned. The woman from Yemen. It's interesting to compare her to the Chinese acrobat, because they are both female and very petite, yet the Chinese girl eats way less and is most likely more physically active (although you bet that the homemaker in Yemen also probably does a fair amount of physical labor and walking throughout her day). The Yemeni woman eats 1000 calories a day more and maintains the same BMI range! It's also amazing how varied her diet is, especially when you think back to the African woman. Camel meat - I've got to try this! The farmer from Ecuador - just shows you how much energy you need to sustain a lot of physical labor. Makes me think back to the very rich and fattening meals my grandmother always cooks and offers when I come to visit her in the countryside. They still eat as if they have to spend ten hours a day tending to the fields and the animals.....except for hardly anyone does as much physical labor anymore! Not surprisingly, my grandmother is quite overweight. The US soldier - note how many calories he consumes, yet he's in great shape, presumably thanks to a combination of a fast metabolism and the physical demands of his work. But you wonder if he's going to proceed to eat just as much once he's done with his physically challenging training/work and balloon like so many former pro or even high school/college athletes do. You'd have to pay me to eat a lot of the stuff the Japanese man eats.....natto and umeboshi are two of the VERY few foods I detest with a passion. The Iranian man's diet highlighted another pattern you see in a lot of foreign diets - a lot of people like to start their day with some vegetables. This is rather rare here - the only vegetables most North Americans eat for bfast are potatoes and then sometimes some veggies in an omelet. And I want that giant plump fish so bad!

I've told people I've cut out sugar and starches, and therefore am eating mostly at home, since being a vegetarian, this greatly restricts the kinds of things I can find in restaurants. But I've also said that I still wanna socialize and they shouldn't feel weird eating around me. It's been fine so far. I also just get soup or tea or coffee or something (my surgeon said coffee is fine, but I know that's not the case for everyone).

I still like all the same foods... I don't think healthier eating as a vegetarian is automatic - chips, Cookies, candybars, pizza, full fat cheese, white bread, rice, potatoes, white Pasta, cake and pie for example have no meat in them but aren't real healthy. But so long as you do your research so as to make healthy choices and get a balanced diet, vegetarian eating can be healthier than omnivore eating. I still eat the flesh of animals, but really try to emphasize eating finfish, shellfish, chicken and turkey for my "meat", and to sample from beef and pork only occasionally.

Well, just because I seem to "have it down" doesn't mean it's easy by any means. I can see you know what that's about. Glad to know I'm not alone and I just need to suck it up and do what I gotta do! I saw someone mention that their band is a vegetarian and now I see you speaking of it regarding what "it" likes. That's hilarious! Everyone speaks of it as if it's a thing... LOL! That's great. Might as well personalize it...it's personal! I've struggled to follow things well. I'm not losing much...but I think a fill will help. I'm working it out, but it's been a challenge. The doc said to eat 750 to 900 calories a day...and yet I found that it's not too hard to do 1500 calories in liquids when you're doing Protein shakes with skim milk and light juices. I only did that one day, but it DID surprise me. I think the key to what we're all doing here is awareness. If we don't know what we're doing, we can't change it. Hey good luck to you! My hat's off to you as you improve your quality of life. I wish I could convince my Dad (age 67) that this is a positive thing and get him to consider it. He's 5'8" at 250 and miserable. Maybe I'll be that influence to get him to make the changes he needs as well. Take care!!!

Are there any vegetarians out there ? And is it possible to get enough Protein if you don't eat meat ? Never give up ╰☆╮

I keep reading that I need to make sure I have enough protein, but how much is enough? It's hard for me to find stuff, I'm a vegetarian. Someone said I'm to have 160g a day! Holy shmoly!! Help please!!

I’ve been a vegetarian for 20+ years and have started the pre-op diet. Getting my protein in has been very hard. I’m drinking shakeology which I know Is vegan. I will eat eggs/seafood too. Do you have suggestions for protein options?

I have always enjoyed "eating green" and for a few years was a vegetarian and for two of those, a vegan (as in, no animal products at all--no meat, dairy, honey, Worchestershire sauce, eggs). So I have a sort of fondness for that way of eating--my body did feel fabulous and I did lose weight when vegan; however, as we all know, the trouble really isn't losing it, it's keeping it off! Thus, the sleeve. This time around, at a weight considered "normal" post-surgery, I'm finding that I need to focus on eating for nutrition. Because I have a fairly picky sleeve that doesn't tolerate some big categories of food (grain products, meat/fish--although shrimp, crab, crawfish, and scallops work okay), I have to think about my overall diet in terms of nutrients, and not just Protein. I've been looking for ways to maximize the nutrition in my food while still being able to enjoy it--I do love to eat (don't we all!), and I want my food to taste great AND be the best for my body! Enter our local farmers' markets...there's one here in Covington, where I live, and one close to my job in New Orleans. I have recently started going back to shop, and I have to say, there is NOTHING like fresh-grown, fresh-picked produce and dairy produced at a family farm!! One of the markets has a "box" deal, where you pay a flat fee and go through a line, filling your box with whatever is available (for instance, there might be sweet potatoes, and it says, "Take 2," or for baby turnips, "Take 8," etc.). Sometimes the box deal has produce that I'm not familiar with preparing; I just got some beautiful Swiss chard, and now I get to figure out how to fix it. There are some GREAT resources online for vegetable recipes. Here's a couple of recipes that I made up--they're delicious!!! Last weekend, the box had a bunch of beets in it. I had never made roast beets before, although I had seen chefs on TV do it, but I decided to be brave and try. SCORE! ROAST BEET AND MICROGREENS salad WITH FETA cheese AND ORANGE VINAIGRETTE Preparing the beets: Take your beets and scrub them carefully. Take off the tops, leaving about an inch of stem, and take off the roots, leaving about an inch. Wrap them in foil (they've still got their skins on). Wrap them individually and then put the wrapped beets into a baking pan to avoid any potential seepage during roasting. Roast for an hour at 400 degrees; I just put them in and left them alone, and they did fine. After that hour, pull them out and allow them to cool. Get a pair of plastic gloves or slip your hands into some produce bags for protection--working with beets will stain your hands and no amount of soap will help! Carefully unwrap the cooled beets and pinch off the skins; I was surprised how easily the skins came off. Put the cooled, peeled beets into a bag, secure, and refrigerate until ready to use. This sounds like a bunch of work, but I promise, it's fast and easy! Dressing: Whisk together with a fork: 1/2 c. fresh-squeezed orange juice (I used the juice from one very small orange, and I used the pulp that I could squish out of there, too) 1 teaspoon of prepared Dijon mustard, Creole mustard, or hot/sweet mustard Add 1/8 c. good quality olive oil while mixing with the fork. Serving: Arrange 1/2 c. microgreens or lettuce on a plate along with 1/2 c. sliced or cubed roasted beets. Spoon dressing over the top. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of crumbled feta cheese. RESULT: YUM!!! Gourmet-quality food from the farm to your table. I use the rest of the dressing to pre-marinate more of the beets; sometimes I add a bit of chopped shallot or a squeeze of lime juice or some herb that I'm trying to use up--it's just going to help flavor the beets for next time's enjoyment. SAUTEED SWISS CHARD So much better than cooking it down to a dark green icky mess with a bunch of salty meat--eww. Prepare your vegetables: Take the bunch of chard and wash it thoroughly; it has big leaves and some tough stems. Pat with a paper towel but don't worry about getting it all the way dry. I rolled the leaves together like a cigar shape and trimmed them into long strips, and then I ran my knife through to cut into fairly large pieces. I cut the stems into short lengths and split the especially wide ones so that they would cook faster. I stuck all of this into a bag and refrigerated it--I cooked it a few hours later, but if it was going to be longer before I cooked, I wouldn't wash or cut that early (don't want icky mold or anything). To cook: Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large pan that has a lid. Add 1 clove of garlic that you minced up really fine--don't burn your garlic--just get it sort of warmish in the pan. It will finish cooking, don't worry. After a minute or so, add your chard. It probably won't all fit, so put some in and stir it around until it wilts; then add more until it's all in the pan. Add 1/2 c. of stock or water--I used vegetable stock--and put a lid on the pan. After a few minutes, stir the chard around--if it seems to be soft, turn up the heat and cook and stir frequently until the stock or Water has reduced to a minimal amount--you have steam-sauteed your greens, which should now be gently salted and removed from the pan and eaten!!! I like a squirt of lemon juice on these, but you might want the traditional spritz of vinegar. Chard is delicious and very good for you!! ROASTED VEGETABLES It's a method more than a recipe. Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your pan--I like to use a heavy baking pan, sprayed with nonstick spray. Prepare your vegetables--scrub thoroughly, cut into regular-sized pieces (you want everything you're cooking at the same time to be approximately the same size--or do what I do, heat the oven once and put several different pans of veggies in to roast--you can take them out as they are done, leaving the ones in the longest that take the longest to cook). Sprinkle with a LITTLE olive oil--do not over-oil your veggies!!! Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper--I also like to use powdered garlic sometimes. If I have a few sprigs of rosemary, I will add that to the pan. Pop these pans into your hot oven, uncovered. In around 30 minutes, check your veggies and turn them over. If you're roasting asparagus, you'll want to check it after 10-15 minutes because it can easily burn. Other root veggies are pretty forgiving and flexible. I like roasted turnips, roasted cauliflower (like CANDY, I'm telling you), Brussels sprouts--my sprout-hating husband now fights me for these, broccoli, sweet potatoes, eggplant chunks, carrots, peppers--you name it, you can roast it, and there's just not a veggie in the world that doesn't get improved with roasting, in my opinion (well, maybe lettuce). I always make extras and save them in the fridge--you can make a terrific salad out of roasted veggies and vinaigrette, or add them to eggs for a frittata (if you can eat eggs!)--I like them with hummus on top. If you can eat wheat products, tabbouli or couscous with roasted vegetables is fabulous--I'd use a lemon-juice/olive oil dressing for that with plenty of herbs--can't eat wheat, but that's what I'd do if!!

Shakes would take the guess work out, but the lap band doesn't work with liquid calories. A Protein Shake won't help your band work because it won't stay in the banded upper pouch of your stomach. So you might be getting the protein you want, but you'll still be hungry and may end up eating more calories. A better way would be to eat solid protein that stays in your pouch longer. Then you can keep the calories down, be satisfied, and get your protein. It doesn't have to be meat if that gives you trouble. There are lots of options. Fish is a good one, tofu and soy products, a lot of the vegetarian meat substitues are very good, and eggs (egg whites) are good lean protein. I would encourage you to try measuring what you eat for a few days. You may be surprised by the actual size of your portions. This of course affects how many calories you are eating and how much nutrition you are getting from them. Part of the banding journey is learning how to eat like "normal" people...but we have to learn, and the best way to learn is to train your eyes to recognize an appropriate portion. Don't forget, "normal" people aren't banded and they aren't as restricted in how much they can eat as we are now. You shouldn't have to measure forever, but it is important to do it so you learn what the right sizes are, and to periodically go back and "remind" ourselves when things aren't going the way it seems they should. I would also suggest increasing your exercise a lot more. 30 minutes a day is a good starting point, but as you continue on, your body gets used to that activity and it no longer stimulates your metabolism like it used to. Whenever the weight loss stops, it's time to shake something up so your body doesn't get stuck in its rut. Increase your speed, or try a different, more challenging exercise. Do some sprints, where you go as fast as you can for a minute and then walk your normal pace for a few minutes. Are you doing strength training? This will help a lot. Muscle is more active than fat and helps you burn more calories. The thing about exercise is that our bodies adapt to it very quickly, so we have to keep changing things and challenging ourselves to keep the scale moving the right direction, and keep getting healthier! Good luck, I hope things get moving for you again!

Wish I could say I weight 142lbs. That would be great! HI I am 43 years old and weigh 142 lbs. I have gained almost 20 lbs over the last 5 years. I used to weigh 151 when I was 32, but lost 26 lbs just exercising and eating normal. Nothing crazy but not over indulging. After I had my son, I have found it extremely difficult to get back to 120s. I am a runnner, vegetarian and indulge only sometimes. I am fed up with struggling to get my weight down. I just started weightwatchers and realize that I am eating beyond my allowance, but I seem to so tired all the time. As for working out for some reason the pounds dont seem to be coming off like it did 11 years ago:-(. I guess after 40 the efforts need to be doubled. I try hard but sometimes I feel that this cycle will never end !. Sorry for such a long post, but I was looking for some guidance regarding the lap band.

Well we made it home, round trip five and a half hours to go to the doc. I got the pain pump out and about half of the lipo stitches. I have to go back next thursday to get the drains and some more stitches removed. I am smaller and smaller every day so weird. I said that today to the doc that I feel like I am shrinking and he said you are. He said that every day I will be smaller as the fluid escapes through drains or just normal every day life. I finally had some relief with the bowels. It was ok until I started having a coughing fit holy moly that was terrible. I advise no coughing and no sneezing with garment down, up it's bad enough. My doc was thrilled with my incisions and said they are healing so nice and flat. My hubby is a wonderful nurse lol. The doc also was so excited when my garment came down he was telling danny look how nice and flat and see how she now has muscles on the sides, I can't see since my boobs are ginormous now but was excited to hear him say it looks like I will have a 6 pack when I am done .. who would have ever thought. lol. We talked about my thigh lift and he says I don't need one but will do one if I really want it. I think I do. I didn't do all this not to go the whole way lol. My teen daughters are making a vegetarian Thanksgiving for us so sweet. I have friends bringing turkey lol. I am bummed not to be out there shopping on black friday. :cursing: So all in all appt went great, I feel great, I didn't take any pain meds not even tylenol today and still feel great just tired. Going to go nap. But first I want to say how Thankful I am for all of you my lapband friends xoxoxo Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Hi guys, might be hard for some to believe but I'm a vegetarian who is about to get the VSG surgery. (crazy how I still have weight issues) But I'm wondering if people can successfully consume the food items I have listed below. If it does work for people, I plan to do this for a while I guess :S (2) 30g premier Protein shakes (http://www.premierprotein.com/sites/premierprotein.dev.manifest.com/files/styles/height_150/public/ProductImage_PP_Shake_11oz_Tetra_Choc_DC_US.jpg?itok=t1EYFNlt ) (1) 14g Greek Yogurt ( http://printablecouponsanddeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Chobani-Greek-Yogurt.jpg ) Would you guys be able to fit all 3 of these things in a whole day to satisfy a day's worth of protein? And how long would it take for someone to finish the premier Protein shake which is 11mL. Can you guys also tell me how far long are you? And lastly including consuming all of these items, would you be able to eat more than just this (fruits/veggies) in a whole day? Sorry for a lot of questions, but I would appreciate the response! Thanks

I haven't eaten any meats that come from mammals (beef, pork, venison etc) for 18 years but I do eat boneless poultry and fish. I have been vegan, vegetarian and all other sorts of combos and find my current diet to be the best- I didn't even have a fatty liver when I was operated on :smile2: My fat was from my carb addiction!!! But since my meat eating is limited I do look for non meat sources here is what I found. Obvious non meat choices are cheese and eggs (try sneaking them into things if you can tolerate them as the main dish) Also check out the vegetarian/health foods in the supermarket- plenty of "veggie" meat high Protein choices (at least where I live) Other options: amounts can vary somewhat Tempeh — 1 cup — 41 g Lentils — I cup — 18 g Chickpeas — I cup — 12 g Tofu — 4 oz — 9 g Peanut Butter — 2 tbsp — 8 g Soymilk — I cup — 7 g Brown rice — 1 cup — 5 g Whole wheat bread — 2 slices — 5 g Broccoli, cooked — I cup — 4 g Avocado- 1 cup- 4.5 g Peas- 3.5oz- 7 g Yogurt-8oz- 7-13g (greek is higher) Baked Potato- 8oz- 9g List of High Protein Foods - food Exchange List for Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats - Zone Diet - Weight Loss

Ok everyone just read a new release from John Hopkins basically saying no meat. I am not a huge red meat fan but since I was banded do tend to eat more meat and less Fruits and veggies. I need ideas I am sure there are vegetarians out there. I don't like eggs, fish or sea food. I know a fatty with limitations. I am more of a carbatarian. Anyway I need ideas. I have been eatting a 20g protein bar but it is too much of a slider for me. It doesn't satisfy Thanks Jessica

I am losing so slowly and some days I wonder if I'm doing it all wrong? I'm 5 months out and have lost 42lbs which is nowhere near as quick as a lot of you in this timescale. I am vegetarian. I try to stick to 800 cals per day but sometimes I creep over that. I was a slow loser pre-surgery due to PCOS and hyperthyroidism but I really hoped this would work. Don't get me wrong, I still think it will get more of my weight off but I'm beginning g to wonder if I'll actually get to goal weight. I still have around 70lbs to lose and I'm not too sure it's going to get me there. I am trying to follow all the rules but I'm worried.

First off I will contact my doctor. However I want to hear from you guys on this and how you dealt with it. I was able to eat meat, like steaks chicken, lean pork, ground meats up until about week ago. I'm not sure why but now animal Based Proteins hurt or sit like a rock in my stomach. Its,taking an hour or more for that heaviness pain to go away. I hate that feeling. I am chewing throughly, taking my time eating, serving the proper portion for this stage of my diet. I've even just ate a couple of bites and still had the feeling. I've been trying to eat plant based proteins and or depend on my genepro. Since I don't really have an experience on eating a vegetarian style, I'm struggling. I Pintrest recipes and read up on it however I worry if I am going to eat too many carbs or not get enough protien . My team pushes eating good proteins pretty hard. I do understand why. I just don't get how I can go from eating and tolerating to not being able to. I was sleeved 9/19/16. No real issues other than the normal bitching and moaning newly sleeved folks grapple with. I appreciate your input. Thanks

I just re-read my last message to see where I left off and it brought it all back and I'm giggling again. I want to be clear that I mean NO disrespect to anyone that was part of my adventure...I'm definately NOT an elitest who thinks that Americans have it all right...but it is my point of reference you know? I would do this all again in a heartbeat! Let me again assure anyone thinking of going to Dr. Kelly and or this facility. The methods and the practical equipment (i.e., my mospital bed...) were all pristinely clean. Housekeeping came through twice a day and my every need was attended to. They may not have the 'polish' of an American hospital, but they also were much more personable than most medical facilities I've ever had to deal with...and that's not saying I've had bad service or treatment stateside, it's just different. OK...here we go: I was having the most incredible deep sleep when I was suddenly annoyed by someone gently slapping my cheek, "Susanna, Susanna! Wake up..." I immediately was aware of pain in my upper left quadrant. "OWWWWWW" I said, a little irritated by the interrupting to my sleep. Things are a little fuzzy to recall...sort of still sleeping I seem to remember being wheeled through the double doors and seeing my dad. I believe I said something like, "Hey, that's my dad everybody." Yes...there is a reason I no longer drink. I am an absolute fool when intoxicated. Somehow I got onto my mospital bed...I don't recall this at all but by Saturday, I had little bruises that undoubtedly came from fingers in my biceps. I'm guessing I didn't scooch my fat butt over but was hefted. I'd rather not think about this too much. hahahaha OK...I was all snuggly warm covered in heated blankets and compression stockings! OH I forgot to tell you about those. I've never had to wear them before. It was quite funny to have poor Dilynn struggle to get them on me. She is a kick. By the time she got the sausage sleeved (excuse the punn...) we were both laughing hard. Also, she was the one who told me I had to take my undies off just before my ride to the O.R. In my defense, I was very worried about my period. I am a VERY heavy flower on day 2. It was truly freaking me out. I can't even imagine having to ask for help with tampax every hour. OK, sorry. TMI to the max (yes, I'm an 80's gal). So I threw a little tantrum and Dilynn went toe-to-toe with me. She was tough. When it was clear I wasn't going to win, I poked my tongue out at her. Universal language wins again!!! She responded in kind and we both ended up laughing like idiots. I removed my panties. OK...now I'm never going to talk about that again. Something was put in my I.V. but for the next 20 minutes (truthfully, I have no idea how long it was...could have been 10 for all I know) I was pretty sure I was either giving birth to an alien through my chest or I was having a heart attack. I must have missed the post on the forum that described the incredible pressure. Reaching deep, my lamaze breathing came in handy and I was moaning for a while. It was indeed more painful in an "extreme discomfort" sort of way...not like OMG I just cut off my finger...but like the worst rolling, wave-like contractions you've ever had, but in your chest! I am one of the unfortunate ones who had it travel to my shoulder. That's not a first for me, I had experienced the same thing after a C-section...so that part, while very painful, did not take me by surprise. I slept on and off for the rest of the day and through the night. I did manage to get up about 4pm that afternoon and start walking the halls. It helped considerably with the "gas" pressure and gave me minor relief in my shoulder. I think I walked 3 times that evening. I woke up at 3 a.m. and was able to get out of bed fairly easily. By now I had burped a couple of times and the big event the nurses were interested in was whether or not I "pass gas". I had a party of 1 in my private bathroom as I did indeed 'pass gass' that sounded a lot like what the 'final trump' may sound like when Jesus returns! heeeheee I'm sure I woke my Canadian neighbors. God did indeed have my back as my period had come to almost a no-flow...whether it was due to trama or what, I'm taking it as a personal favor from the Lord. Friday morning arrived and I was instructed to shower and given a fresh tent-gown. Dilynn changed my dressings, poked out her tongue at me and went about her business. Throughout the day, I had a visit from Trish and Dr. Kelly. Trish arranged for one of the hospital workers to take my dad down the road for some Arroz Con Pollo...and I spent the day walking, watching TV...chatting with some of the lovely patients from the Oasis Hospital. Oasis is primarily a Cancer treatment facility and they lease the one wing to florence Systems. They share the cafeteria which is more like a small buffet of fresh food...all organic and I believe primarily vegetarian. My dad gives it 2 thumbs up. Every 6 hours (I think it was 6 hours) I was given something for pain in my I.V. I protested weakly once saying I had no pain, and I asked what the other syringe held. It was for 'gas'. I explained I didn't have much and didn't need anything for pain. I only said that the first time...because the stuff for gas, made all the latent gas in my system all move at once. HOLY COW, I think I suggested that they come in and give the pain meds about 10 minutes earlier....I came to dread that visit. But each visit resulted in less intense bouts and it wasn't like they were listening to me. I want to say that took place for 24 hours post-op. I'm not sure. I was anxious to leave because I wasn't truly resting. You know how it is when you are not in your own bed and there is a lot of activity going on. Strange noises all night from the races out front, the bass pumping from the club across the street. It seemed to drag on and on...but I think that had a lot to do with coming in the night before surgery. 3 nights in a mospital bed with a 5" thick mattress is not conduscive to beauty sleep. I'm going to skip ahead to my release. Trish came bearing gifts of various flavored Gatorade and Jello. She is very lovely and very happy to see to your every need. Between the two of them, I couldn't have asked for more. They even arranged for a recliner to be brought to my room on the Friday so I could sit comfortably! Finally, Dr. Kelly arrived to do the dasterdly deed of pulling the drain. This had become the source of my only discomfort. It felt like constant pressure and restricted me from taking a full breath. On his command, I took a deep breath and he pulled it all in one smooth move. It didn't really 'hurt' but it was definately an uncomfortable moment. Think of it as pulling the bandaid off quick. Anyway, instant relief!! The pain in my shoulder and the discomfort in my left upper quadrant all left immediately. WOOHOO We talked for a while. The plan was that Dr. Kelly would not be able to accompany me over to Angeles Hospital for my big "Swallow Test" because he was speaking at Congress. (I believe it was more of a conference on Bariatric Surgery and he was one of the main attractions). He had arranged for his son, Sammy to pick us up, go with us for the Swallow Test and then deliver us to the Lucerna Hotel. As promised, Sammy arrived and he had my "prescriptions" in hand. I was given a packet of Facelit, which is penicilen. I was given something for nausea and something for pain. I have yet to open either the nausea or pain meds. After a harrowingly bumpy ride to town, we arrived at Angles Hospital. What a spectacle of wealth and technology. This place was palacial. White marble floors and walls in the lobby...just beautiful. It could have been the decadent lobby of a very nice hotel!! Now, here is where it got sort of weird for me. Sammy didn't speak a lot of English. I was taken to a desk where he spoke with a woman...I got the distinct impression that she was not thrilled to see me. I cannot put my finger on it, but the entire staff was very judgmental and condescending. I'm sure it would have been different if Dr. Kelly was with me, but perhaps not. After the fact, my dad and I both had a mutual assessment. It was a if they were paid to look the other way while I was ushered in for an un-official visit to use their advanced imaging equipment. I really don't care what they think...but it's part of the story. I was asked to write my name and birthdate on a little piece of paper that she had literally torn from some lined notebook. We were seated in an offshoot waiting room with some other people and Sammy disappeared behind one of the doors. He returned in minutes and tersely commanded us to, "Come!" We quickly followed down another hallway, past large impressive rooms that contained state of the art equipment. I recognized an MRI among other assorted devices. Finally we arrived at what seemed like the end of the maze, an attendent met us and took me into the very spacious room where there was this HUGE X-ray tablet suspended from the ceiling. When I say huge, I mean it was probably 10 feet tall and 7' feet wide with a ledge on the bottom (suspended about 8" above the floor). He gestured until I understood that I was to stand on the ledge with my back against the tablet. My feet didn't exactly fit and my 'butt' clearance is slightly more than was provided, so it was a little bit of a joke to see me balancing up there, I'm sure. Sammy brought in a clear plastic cup holding about 4-6 ounces of some clear liquid. He put it in the cup holder (i'm not sure what other features the tablet had...but it did have a cup holder!). Both of them disappeared behind a large window and an anterior room...I vaguely heard the command to "drink!" Well, being a good little rule follower, I took a sip. I heard the sound of the xray...and then I heard "drink!" So, I took another sip. I was following the "sip, sip, sip" rule. VERY important for us sleevers!!! Well...unbeknownst to me, I was totally frustrating the tech who was taking it out on Sammy. Sammy, who doesn't have a large English vocabulary was at a loss as how to communicate to me. My dad was with them and seemed to gather that there was some sort of problem. He and Sammy played charades and my dad realized that I couldn't really hear them and I didn't know what they wanted. He took the bull by the horns and yelled, "they want you to drink half of it in a big gulp". I argued, asking if they knew I just had been sleeved and that this stuff tasted like CRAPOLA? Clearly I was distressed because I actually thought they might understand that word, crapola. So. we started again and I swallowed half of what was left...."click/buzz" "click/buzz" went the xray machine. "Again!" I shuddered and downed the rest. I had to breath through the next minutes as I don't think anything as disgusting as that liquid had EVER past my lips before. It was like drinking liquid hairspray or something. Even now, just thinking about it I am shuddering.

Oh, so you wanted to know what the people who are at goal did to get there? Personally, I am a fairly strict Vegetarian, eat organic and unprocessed foods as often as I can, walk everywhere I can, run 5km a day and do strength training 3 days a week. Sorry if I misunderstood your question!

@@Skinny Steps - at 8 months you should be able to tolerate more protein heavy food such as tuna, chicken, beef, pork, cheese, Greek yogurt, beef jerky, etc. At 5 months post-op, I do still have 1 Premier Protein shake per day but I am easily getting 50 to 70g per day from food. Are you not able to tolerate these things? What are you eating? If vegetarian, there are also choices such as beans, legumes, nuts, etc. You need to meet with a NUT ASAP and get your intake evaluated.

I've been a vegetarian (mostly) for 34 years and the only meat I can stand eating is chicken. Do you think at this phase (8 days post-op) I can eat finely shredded rotisserie chicken? I guess I don't really understand the degree to how soft things must be and why.

I love beef any way, any how. I'd never make it as a vegetarian.

Hi everyone, I just got home from a good friend's house and it was the first time I've got to see her and sit and chat since I decided I was definitely going ahead with surgery and got a surgery date.. I was hoping she would be excited for me but instead I got the "why don't you take that money and spend it on a personal trainer and a nutritionist instead? I can show you how to eat vegetarian and you can come work out with me whenever you want." She just doesn't get it and I was so disappointed.. I really shouldn't have expected her (or anyone for that matter) to be supportive and excited. But seriously, I can't believe that in this day and age there are still SO many people who just don't get it. She actually told me that she understands because once when she was younger after having kids she had to lose 30 lbs. LOL I guess I just needed to vent a bit because I'm so tired of people who tell me to "just diet". Like I've never done that Anyway, I've decided that all the important people that I wanted to know about my surgery now know about it and will be there for me to support me next month when I have surgery. I feel like I need supportive people in my life right now and so I'm SO grateful for all of you!! The rest, well maybe I'll tell them someday and maybe I won't. God it was so disappointing to have such a good friend be so judgemental about WLS though. *sigh* It reminded me to not have expectations of other people and to be grateful my family is so supportive!! Thanks for letting me vent.

I take one I got from a health food store, the brand is Pioneer they are vegetarian and gluten free. It is dark chocolate flavor (but just tastes like chocolate) I take 3 halves a day because that's all I need to get my required calcium. However when I am done with these I will be taking Citracal petites. They are small and easy to swallow. My sister had the band and she takes these. I also bought Opurity brand chewable multivitamins and hate them as well. I will be looking for a better one when these are gone. I try to chew and swallow as fast as I can. Eeesh they are nasty.

Feedyoureye, that's amazing! What were you doing here? My parents are from Agra, but I currently live in Bangalore. I've read that you're a vegetarian, so once I get back to California, I'll definitely be trying out a lot more of the foods that you have been eating! You're right about learning to use the weighing scale as my friend. I need to get over my fear. Thank you so much for your response, but I tried Seitan once, and the texture grossed me out! We do get soy meat here, which I have not tried. I'm not sure what the Protein content is like, but I'll have a look when I find it! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textured_vegetable_protein