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I weigh what I weighed when I met my husband 12 years ago! That would be 60 lbs less than my consultation weight in September '09. (HAPPY - :thumbup:) My jeans are sliding down and yesterday while I was rolling around on the floor giggling and playing with my daughter, my boob fell right out of my bra because the cup was too loose when I was upside down. She had such a good laugh over Mommy's booby suddenly appearing that I may hang onto that bra for parties! LOL (HAPPY - :tt2:) Seriously, I am feeling very slender (for me) but it has come with a price. I don't feel good. I mentioned in my last entry that I thought I wasn't getting enough food but the doctor thought I was doing ok on 2 oz. per meal. BUT....I don't have any energy. I'm tired. My muscles seem to be shrinking. I feel every morsel that goes into my stomach and not in a good way. I haven't had a meal in a month that was actually easy or even enjoyable. I have discomfort from liquids even.... (SAD - :thumbup:) So, since the doctor didn't want to unfill, even a little, I've added to my diet. I'm having a protein shake at least once a day. I'm also adding a bit more fat to my diet with half n half in my coffee and starting to think of high calorie foods that will go down easily. (SAD - :glare:) My next appointment is in 3.5 weeks on 3/31. If I lose more than 15 lbs by then, I am definitely getting an unfill so I can feel eat a little more and feel better. (HAPPY - ) Now that THAT's all worked out, if I could just sleep.....

I have been doing alot of looking on this web site and it's very :hat: to me lol. It said that I'm not a member and it didn't show my target goal that I thought that I had posted???? What happened to it? But anyways I'm very sorry that it has taken this long for me to get back to you. So I have been doing alot of reading on here and I'm seeing lots of people that still eat the same but just not as much so I'm thinking I was over reacting but I still like meal ideas.....Now with Protein shakes I still need to find a good one for me. Will I have to drink shakes for the rest of my life or is it just for the liquid diet? Oh yes one more thing this site is one of the best support systems I have seen with all the other people cheering you on stuff like that. Thanks so much for your time to e-mail me and giving me that at a girl love!!!!!!!! 11 days to go now:clap2: !!!!!!!

Hello! March 5th is my date, bright and early in the morning. This Thursday I start my pre op diet to help shrink liver. Pretty standard for WLS. Of course I am nervous, but I have found that if I "embrace" what I am doing.... and do what I can to research and prepare myself, it lessons my fear and helps me feel empowered. I know that I don't have a choice to not have the surgery if I want to live an extended life . One with out health problems. Feeling good about your surgeon and the hospital makes a big difference . I am fortunate to have an excellent surgeon and at a "center off excellence" hospital I am having my house cleaned the day before I go in, fresh sheets on the bed for when I come home. I am stocking up on my waters, Soups that will be mixed with Protein , and sugar free pop cyles.. that's for the first two weeks. I am also looking for ways to "pamper" myself through the hospital "experience" . I feel like I might as well make the best if it! I bought a new night gown and bathrobe to take to the hospital. I'm bringing my own pillow and a fuzzy throw for the bed. And of course my own toiletries , cell phone and charger. I"m bringing a sound machine that has nature sounds. I like the white noise to lull myself to sleep. If you have someone to rub your feet or back, lotion would be helpful too. I am very blessed to have an awesome and supportive husband Your doing something positive and wonderful for yourself by having this surgery, your taking care of yourself!! I'd love to hear about any other tips and suggestions that any one of you would have

I quite like the USN protein bars

Hi, sorry you are feeling under the weather. I just wanted to say your shake sounds yummy..if you can, you should try it once with Molasses instead of the Splenda (I love splenda myself)...Molasses is a dark sugar, so its not as bad as white sugar...but the reason I say this is because Molasses has protein in it....I had a tablespoon of it in skim milk the other night "taffy" milk....it was oddly good....lol!! (just a suggestion) Best Wishes to you!!!

Hi everyone! I am so glad to have found this site. I am 35 years old and I weight 247 and I am 5'8 which puts me at a BMI of 37. So that means I need co-morbidities to get approved. It has been a long wait. I started the process in March with the LB workshop. I got word that my insurance (which is Aetna PPO) requires you to do a 3 month weight managemet with your surgeon, 1 physic consult, and 3 nutrition consults and a letter from my PCP. We have everything submitted and it has been 2 weeks today since I had my last appointment with the surgeon. I am to the point I am ready, but scared. I have never been this size, but started to gain weight after my hysterectomy 8 years ago. I have tried many things, but nothing seems to work. I am an active person. I already have asthma, just diagnosed with rheumotoid arthritis, sleep apena. I hope that is enough to get approved. The only part I am worried about is the protein shakes. I have not found one that I can learn to like. Hope I make lots of friends. The waiting is killing me.

Finally, I got a call confirming the all my records were faxed over.:thumbs_up: It only took 2 weeks. I am so excited about my first visit next Tuesday. Hopefully things will start falling into place. Still working on upping my protein and not snacking between meals which is something I have to get used to. Hopefully I have made some good habits before I get the band that will stick. My husband and daughter and I took family pictures. I said to myself these are the last fat pictures of me. The next time I will be slimmer. :biggrin2:

1. I don't cook much. Neither do I. I get a lot of pre-cooked meats from Trader Joe's and frozen veggies. I also used things like cans/pouches of tuna and salmon, canned sardines and mackerel, bags of peeled and hardboiled eggs, cartons of yogurt, string cheese, etc. There is no rule that says you have to become a gourmet cook! I can't be bothered. 2. I work at night and the options for ordering in are limited. I realize it will be better to bring my food most of the time anyway, but as I said - I don't cook much, so this will be new. Get some tupperware type containers. Add in a few ounces of meat (pre-grilled chicken breast, packet of flavored tuna, etc.), an ounce or two of thawed frozen veggies, and a tablespoon of salad dressing. shake. Or bring in yogurt or a hardboiled egg (you can buy bags of hardboiled eggs at Trader Joe's and other places). If you don't want to turn your life into slaving over a stove, don't! 3. I've never been one for chewing my food thoroughly. I tend to swallow my food in large quantities and one reason that accompanies that, though certainly not an excuse, is that my teeth aren't great. If there is any way you can, start working on getting your teeth fixed. Just as a general rule, this will be great for your overall health. If you can't do that, then at least practice taking in smaller quantities. Your teeth should not be too much of an impediment there. One additional reason you may want to look into getting your teeth taken care of -- many surgeons and anesthesiologists will not do any elective surgery on someone with a tooth infection or a loose tooth. So if those are issues for you, you may *need* to get them taken care of before your surgery, and preferably as much before the surgery as possible. 4. I have an over 2 liter a day of Diet Coke habit. I actually think I can kick this one This isn't a "think I can kick this one" item -- this is a "I will kick this one." It isn't optional . . . start practicing good mental habits now as well as good physical habits. Don't debate with yourself whether you can make the changes necessary. Tell yourself it isn't up for discussion and come up with a plan as to how it will happen. 5. I love food!!!! - I feel like I'm giving up my best friend, but it does feel similar to other addictions and I do want to be healthy. I can see myself in a new lifestyle regarding food - though, for me, it will mean changing everything. I think that's true for everyone here! We can all relate. We all love food and had to change how we expressed and indulged in that love. So make the best use possible of your medical team as well as resources like this forum and hopefully we can all learn and change together. Good luck!

Everything changed for me when I had my consultation. I got off soda, I bought all sugar free stuff, I eat 4 oz of food every three hours to get used to it, I chew and chew for practice, I've started not drinking while I eat and I'm doing 2 Protein shakes a day so it will be easier on my liquid diet. YOU have to decide to make the changes and start practicing them. WLS is just a tool to help you eat less. It's up to you to do the rest.

When I felt like that, I was advised to increase my Proteins, have denser proteins, add Protein powder to my yoghurt, and to drink more Water. Eat my 1/2 cup allowance at regular times. I also had to get a stronger reflux med. This phase of extra hunger is gone for now, my appetite is lot less. All of the things I mentioned above helped me. MyFitnessPal helps with protein, carb, portion sizes and calorie count. My trusted 1/2 cup and 1 cup measuring utensils help me with portion sizes. Dense protein fills me up. Good luck

You are doing a great job. Curling you hair is an awesome option to keep your hands busy. Next time come do mine. LOL Keep up the great job. Scales suck sometime but you know none of them give the same numbers so take those high numbers and watch them go down. Kick but girl.

Very silly question. I'm a week post-op. can we stretch our pouch with clear liquids or protein??

i was just going to write a post about loosing hair. I am in my third month and just started loosing hair. I brush my hair and a whole bunch just comes out. I have a doctor's appoitment on Wednesday so i am going to ask, but just like you i am eating enough protein, take vitamines, use the right shampoo. Maybe i need to start taking biotin. I have very thin hair to begin with, and if its temporary, i am not afraid but what do i do in the meantime to decrease amount of the loss?

I had my surgery on Sept 18 and I am still also losing hair. It has gotten to the point that I don't wash my hair as often because I am so tired of pulling the hair out of the drain after each shower. I lose enough in the shower that it clogs the drain. I also hate to brush my hair since I get a handful in each brush. My hair won't hold a curl any longer either. Not sure why, but I used to dry it then put curlers in it for about an hour and the curl would hold for two days. Now I take the curlers out and the hair goes stick straight within minutes. I eat alot of protein in each meal and either drink a 35 gm shake or a 49 gm protein shot every day so my protein intake is sometimes more than 100 gms a day. I asked my surgeon and all he says is "take more protein" and "it will grow back". I had chemo and know it is not a death sentence to be bald, but this is not what I expected. I am finally thinner but people are not noticing, all they say is "what did you do to your hair?"

I am officially 3 weeks post op, and have not lost any weight for the past week, whereas I was losing a couple of pounds consistently each day for the first week. The first two or three days of this stall I experienced in complete denial. It's water weight, I would think to myself. Day six and seven of my stall brought me to google searches for answers. I've read countless reasons as to why I am possibly stalling, the following being more believable (at least to me) than others: It is a normal bodily response to drastic water loss and decreased caloric intake Your body is storing every bit of calorie you take in to burn for the healing process for your surgery, instead of burning actual fat itself My searches also brought me various methods, or "tricks" people used to break them from the vicious three week stall: Take in 200 more calories a day Increase physical activity Get one more hour of sleep each night Make sure you are drinking 2 liters of water every day, and 70-120 g of protein I have yet to be cleared safe by my surgeon to hit the gym just yet because at this point, I am taking in so little calories each day (300 to 500) that I would be so dangerously exhausted. As for increasing my caloric intake, I will have to do it in the form of protein shakes. I am still on a full liquid diet (thick liquids), so solids are out of the question for me. I also finally brought myself to sign up for a gym membership for the first time in three years. I work three days a week which leaves me 4 days of nothing but free time. Hopefully this will allow me to get back into a steady routine for the next year. At least I'd better get in there regularly! For one year of membership, it cost me $459 total but with no monthly payments. I'd be lying if I said I'm not excited about going to the gym. I vaguely remember the feeling of my body after a seriously intense workout. How I somehow just felt "light", and my limbs ached and felt like jell-o because I pushed myself harder than the last time. I also felt stronger. Anyways, I hope this week three stall breaks soon.

I'm sorry to hear you're going through this. It's so frustrating but one commenter on my latest post just gave me some advice I am very willing to try. Hide the scale, measure myself naked with a measuring tape, then don't check my weight for 4 weeks. We are more than just a number! Yes that much protein via powders. It makes me constipated if I don't get 2+ liters in one day though :\. Best wishes to you! Hope we get out of this rut soon.

What are you eating right now? Protein, carb, Water intake? Are you exercising at all? Also, how long have you been stuck?

I'll add more water and control cards and eat more protein food. See how I get on. Thanks x

I keep pretty much the same diet rules that were given to me post op. I eat at least 60 g of Protein each day, normally it ends up being between 70-80. I also drink water- although lately i've been having trouble since school started back up and I get in about 6.5 each day at the moment. That is a goal of mine for this week. Also, are you taking your Vitamins? Sometimes missing Water and/or vitamins blocks the process of breaking down body fat. You need both water and certain nutrients for your body to be able to do what it needs to do. I do not ever eat bread, rice, potatoes, etc. I LOVE(d) them, but they do not do anything good for me. I eat cheese, meat, and protein bars/shakes, and some nuts. Wait 30 minutes after meals to drink so that you get the full feeling/avoid washing food through prematurely. I also weigh/track all of my food. That helps me a lot I think because I know I'm eating good portion sizes and I also know where I am protein and carb wise for the day. My PA told me to limit carbs to 50g/day. I hope this helps!

My nutritionist said one protein shake per day and to get the rest of my protein from lean protein choices. I get anywhere from 600- 900 calories per day. I've gotten 1100 calories on two occasions but I had two protein shakes that day.

My doc said anything through a strainer.but he said slurpees are too thick so im just taking it easy. Im drinkin the isopure( pineapple orange bannana) got some nectar too. I got the unflavored Protein powder too im going to make some broth with extra flavor. Some creamy soups would be good though. Am i the only one that is tired of seeing fast food comercials. I aske my doc if he could do a cool scar pattern so i could connect the dot. Guess it didnt work that way lol

Perhaps uping your protein intake and water will give you a boost. Just a little at a time. This could be your 3 week stall as well. It happens. you will lose weight and have that beautiful slim new body that's shouting out "SEXY."

When you say you're getting enough protein, what do you mean by "enough?"

Hi. I haven't had surgery yet. They are suppose to be getting the paperwork together to submit to insurance. Just waiting. I am terrified of losing more hair. About a year ago I lost a lot of hair when my thyroid went out of wack. Tons of hair on the bathroom floor, in the drain, in my hands, on my clothes....frightening. It stopped falling out about 7 mths ago but is noticeably thin to me. Its also starting to grow little fine hairs now. I had super thick hair....couldn't see my scalp when I parted it.....now you can see my scalp, some what, and it scares the holy mess out of me. Having surgery and the thought of losing more of my hair because of it almost made me stop the process. But....after surviving the thyroid issue and hairloss, I know that my hair will grow back. A month ago I started using Nioxin hoping to get a jump start on the hairloss. Honestly, I noticed a difference the 2nd time I used it !! I get less hair in the drain now.....even though my hair loss already stopped....I don't notice hair on my clothes and when I put gel in my hair there are only a couple strands on my hands. It gives my hair a little body too...which helps disguise the scalp where I part my hair. I have also been taking 5000mg of Biotin a day and I take B12 under my tongue 2xs a day. I also make sure I get Protein with every meal now too. I am going to do anything and everything I can to avoid the hairloss. But, If its going to happen, regardless of what I do, I know that it will grow back and life will go on. Its a small...all be it, scary....price to pay to drop this weight once and for all!

I was sleeved March 21, 2013 ... Down 40 lbs and feelin great! Have had a few minor headaches but crazy energy, down from a 20 clothing to a 14... What are you eating?? Breakfast: oatmeal with splenda, 6 bites with Vitamins Snack: Protein shakes Lunch: cottage cheese and grilled chicken Sometimes a few bites of a Chipolte protein bowl, then the rest for dinner Dinner: either small crab cakes, grilled chicken, salmon or shrimp with cottage cheese or soft veggies Snack: Protein shake Water: 64-70 oz daily Anyone else??