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I really like the Special K meal bar. They have 10 g Protein. edie Not the snack bar

Just thought I would post these really delicious Protein bars and if anyone else has favourites they recommend please tell us them. I use Protein Bars as a Meal Replacement several times a week if I am on the run or somewhere there is no good food choices to pick from. I only like them if they are really tasty and it satisfies my chocolate craving because they are solid they also keep me feeling full for a long time. My favourite so far is an energy bar called "six star body fuel" that has 15 g of protein. I love the double chocolate chip flavoured one that has a real brownie cake taste. It tastes best when you unwrap it and microwave on high for 10 seconds. It costs about $1.67 at the Real Superstores and at 45 grams it has only 170 calories. My next fave Protein Bar is "PowerBar triple threat", the Chocolate Caramel fusion flavour. It has 225 calories and 10 g of protein and is 53 grams. It sells for about $1.99 each at the Real Superstore. Donna VBG/87 Revised By Dr. Cobourn to Lapband/06 251/164/125 goal

I'm going through the pre-op testing in preparation for banding May 10. Today I had a chemical stress test. The cardiologist said the EKG portion looked great, and they would call with the results of the pictures. He warned me that in obese patients there are frequently "false positive" results. Sure enough, I got a call mid-afternoon by the doctor reading the tests who said there was a possibility of a small blockage, and that they only way to determine for sure if there is a blockage or if it is a false positive is to perform a cardiac catheterization. Has this happened to anyone else in band land? I've researched the cardiac cath and it sounds like it's major testing and more down time, and likely will push back my band date if I can't get one scheduled quickly. I'm very frustrated. Any insight, anyone? :help:

Honestly, I love to shop right now wherever the deals are! i find great buys at Kohls', Hamricks, Charlotte Rouse, anywhere!! And it's fun to pay less than $10 for tops. I find Walmart $15 jeans to be just as good a fit (I will say Lee's are about the only brand that I like in fit...) Sadly though, I owuld love to wear Buckles, but I find them to be fitted more for the juniors. Still too snug in the shldr/bust area even though I''m in a misses med/lg.

As if I were looking in the mirror...I found someone who put what I've been feeling into words. Except for the part about pre-surgery sourness. I never had that. But other than that...I couldn't have described that better myself! Wish I had a tip for you. But I think we're both at the same impass. I really hope there is another sleever out there who knows something more about it. I had my surgery on 09/29/10. I started at 250. Day of surgery I was 236. The last couple weeks I've hovered around 195. So I too have lost 55 lbs.

Sleeved 12/6/10, lost 56 lbs from my fattest, some before pre-op diet some during and the bulk after the sleeve. Gross and vague, but here are my symptoms. This week I have noticed that I have a slight tummy ache, just a little "sick" feeling in my stomach, more or less constant. Nothing debilitating and nothing I'd really call painful just a nuisance. Something between a sour stomach and a stomach ache. It's worse at night. I wouldn't say it was heartburn either as I take a tums and it doesn't really help. Burping helps but it never really goes away. I've also been plagued by frothy spit in the back of my throat and a coated tongue. I've "overeaten" ONCE and had a lot of pain that lasted maybe 10-15 minutes, felt like I was socked in the belly afterwards. So I know my present feeling isn't like that. As I noted elsewhere in the forums I am really turned OFF by food, so I most likely UNDER eating. I am also under a hell of a lot of stress at work - always have been and used to have mild stomach issues before the sleeve, so this all might just be the same thing but amplified because of the new size of my stomach. I'm not worried sick about it but am a bit concerned that it hasn't let up at all this week. Any theories?

when i got mine after surgery it was 2 weeks late. mine finally regulated after 2 cycles. and i have hard the first one lasts the longest. mine lasted 10 days

:sad0: Pennie; I am having a hard time too. Sometimes I am ok and other times....wow! I want to go to a cognitive behavioral therapist. Since I don't do drugs or alcohol the food was my DOC (drug of choice) and now my stomach is dictating to me what and how much I can eat. Since I have had this done (VSG 6/9/10) I feel like it is something I had to do because I was killing myself. Boy did it feel like I was dying...slowly. I feel like the Matthew 5:30; "If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell." I want to eat so much of the gooooooooooooooooooooooood food that is out there. Oh man. Now my addiction is controlling me. It won't let me eat certain things or I get a stomach ache or if I want to take more than 3 bites.....AHHHHHH!!!!:drool5: It's terrible. I know how you feel. I know it is necessary. I know I will feel better. But boy, can your mind make you crave. Now I have to do mental work on that! I know the boat you are in and you are not alone. Feel free to contact me anytime or even e-mail me if you need to talk. I need support too. This is tough. I knew it would be....but mannnnnnnnn! Tlynnles tlynnles4@yahoo.com VSG on 6/9/10 Dr. Aceves

Mine sounds kind of like yours Donna. Mine will bet irregular and hard, skip a beat and seems to flip-flop. The longest it has done this is for an hour. It is very scary when it is happening, but it doesn't happen often. I was sent to a cardiologist and when the results came back my pcp looked at them and said we didn't need to treat it unless it was bothering me. It doesn't happen enough to warrant medicine, so I am currently unmedicated. This makes my dad CRAZY. He has it and now has a defibrillator thing that keeps his regulated. I guess that is where I will be 10-20 years from now.:smile:

Hi everyone! well, had my sleeve yesterday.... i told my aneshtesiologist that i tend to get nauseous after general anesthesia. she pre-medicated me for nausea before she put me out. when i woke up, i moved in the bed and got really nauseous again - my anesthesiologist was standing right there and she gave me meds again (zofran), and i never had nausea again after that. yay! i had to pee a lot when i woke up, and had a hard time using the bedpan (tried about 5 times and could only have partial success). after about 3 hours after my surgery, they let me walk to the bathroom and i was able to go well - that felt a lot better. i didnt need any pain meds in the post-anesthesia recovery area, or when i first got to my room. i went for a walk, and then i needed something. i had 15 mg of Toradol IV every 6 hours since then and that was all i needed (am trying to avoid then strong narcotics if possible). the pain is not too bad and is definitely tolerable. i alternated between sleeping in bed, sitting in chair, going to the bathroom to pee, and taking walks all afternoon and evening. after another dose of toradol at about 10 pm, was able to sleep almost five hours. this morning, i got up, washed up, walked again and then had my leg vein ultrasound (to look for blood clots) and then my swallow test. that was a little rough - the gastrograffin is gross. my surgeon told me to just take little sips, so i ended up taking in about an ounce of the stuff total. that was enough for them to see everything. thankfully, i had no issues and no leak! luckily i had no nausea aft the test, but i did have some burning and fullness. relieved with toradol and pepcid. when i came back, i passed gas and actually was able to have a small bowel movement... i think the walking really helped that move along... i am now starting my Clear liquids - if i can tolerate them ok, then i will be able to go home later tonight. keeping my fingers crossed! thanks again to all of you for the supoport and good wishes! everyone here has been so supportive! good luck to everyone having their surgeries soon - looking forward to hearing your stories too.... - Sarah

Hi! I had a Lap to RNY conversion on Wednesday. The surgery was scheduled for Tuesday, but the anesthesiologist pumped me up with too much gas & they had to try to do the surgery the following day. I was an add on patient for Wednesday. The procedure was supposed to be strictly a laparoscopic surgery. I noticed when I came home that I have 10 lap sites & 1 open incision on my left side. The site is puckered in VERY deep & looks like a huge/wide/ scary roll with sores inside of it. The "sinkhole" is completely disproportionate to my body. I didn't know if this was normal. It's extremely painful & I am so upset. I'm not trying to complain. I am completely grateful that i was given the opportunity for a revision... I just don't know, if this will look like this forever... Or if it should be this painful... Has anyone else went through this? I don't know if this matters, but I started out at 285. Thanks, guys!

I go to doc on the 19th he said if I'm 250 he will give me my surgery date. Well as of today in 260 will I make it??? Any suggestions??? Sent from my HTC Desire 626s using the BariatricPal App

I never had acid reflux or heartburn before surgery. I was taking 2-3 Famotidine (script for Pepcid basically) since I got home from surgery on 8-23-12. It was so bad for weeks. I noticed that it got so much better the week of 10-8-12. I rarely need to take even 1 a day now. I think it's finally done bothering me, thank God. I suppose we are all different, but I still have a month's supply left in case I need it.

I just had GPS with Dr Watkins on Jan 19, 2011 and was able to go home 6 Hrs after surgery with no complications. I am 4 days Post Op and have some discomfort while trying to drink on the left side of chest more frustrating than painful, I believe this will fade as I learn to slow down and SIP. I feel like a New Person already experiencing somethings I havent in a long time scratching my lower back LOL. I Never thought I would be a Forum Person but I am on here a couple times a day and sure glad for the post as detailed as yours when I am playing Head Games with myself. Cant say THANKS ENOUGH.

I had surgery in July in Mexico with Dr. Corvala.....I actually had surgery the day before Julie....I am down almost 60lbs....I eat everything and do everything...as a matter of fact I just got back from a trip to Las Vegas, tried out new restaurants and (ok not the best choices, but it's Vegas) had a few too many adult bevy's....I am still down 1/2 lb.... I have learned that I need to order what I really want from a menu...yes there will be left overs, and yes, sometimes it is easier and better to order one meal for me and my husband and eat "family" style..... other than that...it has been great.... Read my blog, go back to July, and you can see what I was doing, eating and feeling...I write about 1 a week now, but will get back into the swing of writing with the new year... I started at over 300 and am now in the lower 240's!!!! so yes, would I do it again...in a minute....would I go to Mexico...No doubt! Just think of your stomach at a wayyyyy smaller size....I can eat about 4-6 oz of food, if it is soft and mushy I can eat maybe 8-10oz...but still think about a 1 cup measure, that is 8 oz.....so if you are full (and for the first time in my life I knew what full felt like....).....I have now made it through the Holidays and am down 4 lbs in December...it is a slower month than any other month, but also I indulged in alcohol, Cookies, etc...so all in all it beats my usual 10+lbs gain...... good luck and keep us posted...

My pre op diet is a 14 day diet with liquids and authorized bowl or can of soup, only restriction stay away from creamy Soups and basil. I’m scheduled for my Gastric sleeve on 07/29/2013 I’m currently on week 2 day 10 OF 14. A few things I have noticed during my pre op diet Day 1,of my actual diet was quite easy because the day before I started, I ate several large meals that consisted of a bunch of Protein and salad type veggies, with very little carbs for example I had taco salads with no tortilla(s) or chips. So on my first day of liquids I spent a lot of time in the Restroom taking care of business because of the large meals. Day 2-4 I found myself battling with the temptation of cheating with cheat meals, only to then start battling with myself on what type of cheat meal to eat. I was goggling every web site and ad I could find on how many people cheated on their diet, what they ate, did their surgeries go ok, and etc. The majority of information I found that people were cheating and still made it successfully through their surgeries. No one that cheated badly even reported they didn’t have their surgery. Some people had binges and ate like the surgery was a funeral for food. I did cheat on my 6th day; I gave in to my mental distress of not having what I wanted. For my cheat meal I had a light chicken salad instead of dressing I had salsa to replace it. At this point I figured hey I really need this because I’m oh so hungry and I can’t go on. Well this couldn’t be farther from the truth in reality I only wanted to cheat because I’m an emotional eater. I was bored stuck at the hospital with my wife the night before and the stress of everything was piling on top of me. I also found out by goggling in different states various surgeons were requiring little to no pre op diets. So how dare they put us on this crazy diet (lol)? I wondered with me drinking a bunch of fluids and having no solid food for 2 weeks really that healthy for me, in my opinion it’s no more healthier than the taco salad I ate, and it’s no healthier than the guy or girl who has that binge meal every night because the depression of being overweight, and their dissatisfied with their quality of life, I included. So my food addiction like so many others have made us seek out a surgery that lowers the appetite, our intake of food, strict guidelines on when we can advance our diets. So why was I so shocked and paranoid about a simple diet, lord knows if someone told me that I would need to eat a medium pizza, drink several beers ,and eat various sweets like cakes or ice cream for 2 weeks straight I would be like you’re crazy. Why would I eat all that unhealthy food on purpose. So the pre op diet is not that bad in my opinion, is it hard hell yes, can someone really do it yes you can, why, because your new life depends on you, and the food choices you make. The pre op diet in my opinion is more mental than physically damaging. I believe this because my ego, my man hood was challenged because I had to be told what I could eat and drink , this just can’t be right because I’m my own boss right (lol)? Not so fast remember I’m the guy who got me into these bad eating habits and I was the one who was so quick to look for an excuse to blame my mental health, my work conditions, the bad news I got, and that failed promotion that didn’t go through. At the time these excuses seemed to make so much sense to me. But 10 days later now my Food detox is complete , my caffeine detox is complete but I’m not cured by a long shot. Since day 8 I have removed my soup and just made it with all liquids and Protein shakes. So it was and is all in my mind that I just couldn't do this 2 week liquid pre op diet. My starting weight was 316 lbs and day ten I’m down to 289 lbs, with only light walking as exercise. 4 more days to go and I’m actually looking forward to it. I have had a lot more energy than I have had in years, my head is a lot clearer, I even have more patience with people than usual. This by no means is something I (us) could do for life, but two weeks no problem. I’m excited about changing my life in a positive direction and welcome the new relationship with food. So stay busy and don’t stress about the diet just take it one minute, one hour, one day at a time. I’m doing it and you can to.

One way to minimize the pain is to get your walking in. Walk around 30 minutes each day before surgery and then walk while you are in the hospital post-op. I felt very little pain after the operation. As a matter of fact, I refused any pain medicine after I left the recovery room. My pain level at most was 1 on a scale of 10. But I am an exception. The fact that the surgery was done laparoscopically significantly reduces the pain level after surgery. Walking really alleviates the soreness. Fear of failure is a common fear. Just follow the program requirements and you should do fine.

Back when I was banded, when finding the sweet spot, I did .1 adjustments to get it right. Kept weight of for several years before my body just rejected band. Sleeved on 10/7/16, and wowser, its a different world. Sent from my SM-G900P using the BariatricPal App

I'm doing a count down like several others - I have two goals I'm pushing toward, the first is my healthy BMI goal, and my Doctors goal for me - 155. I'm currently at 171 and 16 lbs to go for that goal. After hitting the 155, I will push for my goal of 145. It has been 20 years since I was in the 170's. Of all the diets I have been on, I never thought or never did, get this close to goal. The fact to be just 16 lbs away from being NORMAL, is just amazing to me, its almost unbelievable. I am wearing a 10/12 now. I used to wear an 18/20. I went shopping this weekend and bought a size 10 jeans - and it felt so great to walk out of the store with them - even though they were $80! I wanted to shout at everyone at the mall, "hey these are a freaken size 10 people"!!!! Anyhow, I don't want to stop now, I don't want to think this is it, I want to complete this race, I want to finish it to the end. So my countdown to goal, 16 lbs!:embaressed_smile:

I am 10 months out. Yes there is a very very small chance of a leak which is usually out of your control. I think the stats are 1%. Personally I have had no issues except a few gallbladder attacks from losing weight too quickly - which a lot of us unfortunately have to deal with. I can eat and drink whatever with no issues including alcohol it is the same for me as before. I have not experienced any form of dumping. So I still have my "treat" days. Weddings, parties etc. I am at first goal now of a normal BMI for the first time in my life and of course I have no regrets! My only concern now is maintenance and keeping vigilant about regain etc. Goodluck with your surgery and decision

I am out of the 230s, by only 2/10 of a lb, but out neverless. I almost fainted when the scale settled on 229.8 tonight. I will weigh in again on Fri night, but I don't write the "poundage" in my book until Sunday. I will be so excited to write 22...something, anything, but I don't want to write 23... something. Once I am firmly in the 220, my next goal will be 219. I believe a 10lb goal is manageable and will keep me sane. If I have to look at the "big-picture", I will get flustered and I don't want to do that to myself. I will be seeing a really good friend of mine in early September and I can't wait until she sees the new me. I wasn't supposed to see her until November, where there would be a much larger difference, but this will be good too. Then when I see her in November, she'll get the see more of a change. My journey has been going along very well, so far. Still no fill and no hunger between meals. My doctor has scheduled me for a fill next Thurs. I am curious as to whether or not I will need it, but only time will tell. This past Monday started my 7th week since my surgery and I have lost 24lbs so far. Have a great evening everyone.

Mine did the exact same thing. Lost 9 the first week and then nothing for 10 days. Just be patient. It'll come.

Started liquids 9/4, sleeved 9/19. Lost 14 pre-op, 6 post-op, but scale hasn't budged. Is this the stall I hear about? I'm not freaking out or upset, just mind blown to stall one week post-op!

Yeah, my doctor already gave me a medicine (Metzolov, i think is the one for nausea...I have like 10 prescribtions for this surgery, one for gas, nauseauosness, and more, the names are getting mixed up), I am supposed to take it before surgery so that the morphine doesn't make me sick, and he gave me dilaudid (because there is a shortage of Hydros), for pain management. I think my biggest fear is those damn staples in my stomach, I am so worried about poppin those! Thanks for all the advice!

I am in WA state near Everett in a small community called Lake Stevens. We have a Team Fitness very close and another another gym not much further ( both less than 10 min away). If I drive about 15-20 min, I can find LA fitness and 24 hour fitness. I have been a member of both in the past. I like LA fitness because of sheer size, number of machines, pool, sauna, etc, but the dues tend to be high and I usually always only see the gym rats there. No normal folks like myself. The 24 hour clubs tend to smell like locker rooms and are over crowded. For some reason, they tend not to maintain their machines as well. The Team fitness is nice because it is small, has a good set of high quality machines and typically has the normal people in it. However, they have a high enrollment fee and high month dues. I like that they interview everyone and keep the membership low. I have not joined any gym yet since surgery because I have two good Precor machines in my house to use. They are older ( off Craigslist), but have served me well. Both are commercial quality. treadmill is from 12 years ago and elliptical is from 15-20 years ago. They both do the basics very well, but tend not to have the bells and whistles you see on newer machines. Besides, i enjoy working out at home because it gives me less of an excuse to miss my workout. i have dumbbells of 2, 3, 5 10, 15, 20, 30, 50 lbs and use them occasionally, but have not committed to a program that leads to results. I think I like running too much and give less attention to the strength training. I have Bob Harper Inside and Out, but I think his easy workout is too easy and can only make it 20 minutes into his hour long workout. It is very challenging. Maybe I should just keep Bob as my trainer and keep at it. For some reason, I think that having a personal trainer (in person)would help me focus better and would not allow me to push stop on the DVD. I need to get to a point in my strength training where I am progressing from week to week, much like my running has progressed. For some reason, I have no problem kicking my own butt when running. It comes naturally.