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I know a lot of people are scared about/unsure about the first doctors appointment, so I thought I would share mine. Everyone is different, of course, and I know my surgeon's office did a lot, but here goes! My appointment was at 8:15 AM. I checked in at 7:30ish, and was called back by 7:45. I weighed (shoes on for first appointment *ahem* - the nurse laughed at me lol) and they checked my height. I was put in a room, and within 5 minutes the nurse was back along with the Bariatric Nurse. They spent the next 45 minutes asking medical questions, getting history, etc. They also took photos (close up from the front, full body, and front the side) and did body measurements. They of course also checked my BP and temp. After finishing, I waited about 15 minutes, and then the surgeon came in. She reviewed my history with me, checked my heart and lungs, and we discussed my weight history briefly. She also discussed my current weight and that I would need to lose just a little before surgery, but that the nutritionist would discuss the exact number with me. The visit with the surgeon, of course, was brief. But it was enough for me to know I *really* like her. Probably about 5 minutes after the surgeon left, the nutritionist came in. We discussed the exact amount of weight I need to lose before surgery (~30 pounds), my goal weight, what my diet needs to look like now (~60-80g of Protein, less than 200g of carbs, less than 50g of fat, and approximately 1600 calories per day). She gave me a handout on high protein foods, some tips for changing eating habits, etc. She also gave me a handout on daily Vitamin recommendations post-op, a pre-op nutrition plan, and samples (they use 'New Direction'). The pre-op diet is different from most. I start 4-6 weeks before surgery. *Breakfast: Meal Replacement or shake equal to 200 calories *Snack: Fruit or low-fat yogurt equal to 200 calories (optional) *Lunch: Meal replacement or shake equal to 200 calories *Dinner: Ready to eat meal (ie. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, etc.) - around 400 calories. If it is not that many calories - add some veggies to get there. Since I'm on blood thinners and cannot eat a side salad, she suggested a baked or lean meat, Beans, green beans, or even 1/2 a sweet potato. *Snack: Meal replacement or shake equal to 200 calories (optional) --64 ounces of Water per day I think this is a VERY generous plan, considering what I see others having to do on their preop diet. Yes, it is for 4-6 weeks, however, considering the amount of protein I will be taking in, it will be easy to follow and will allow weight loss. The only complication will be getting bored with what I am eating/drinking. So I am trying to plan ahead (I took advantage of the sale on all 3 flavors of Premiere Protein from costco, I have placed an order for sample packs from Syntrax and unjury, and I will be purchasing some items from the clinic of the New Direction items). I am noticing I am not a fan of items 'made' for protein - I loved the candy bar samples she gave me (and I don't care for sweets, ha), but when I tried the Soup, after a few bites, my stomach started to 'turn' and I had to stop eating it - I'm hoping that was a one time thing, or I might be in trouble! After the nutritionist, I went straight to the financial counselor/wizard of the clinic - in other words, she takes care of everything. She gave me the intake patient packet which goes over all the steps and phases to surgery, all the clearances the doctor has ordered, all the tests I will need to have done, etc. At this point, I still had not asked all the questions I had written down, so I started asking her, figuring she would not be able to answer half, as most were medical. She had the answer to every single question. Even better, we had already been corresponding via email - so I have access to her via email - and she responds within a day, at most. Finally, I went straight to do my labwork. They drew the blood, and I was done! They did tell me a nurse would probably be calling to tell me I had some vitamin deficiencies somewhere, that everyone does - usually Vitamin D. That's 5 appointments, essentially, in one visit. They are EFFICIENT! I have already been meeting with Active Health via my insurance company. They have a requirement of 6(7) months with them via telephone, or 3 months face-to-face with a doctor/nutritionist. Since I did not know how long it would take to get in to see a doctor, I was doing Active Health. Now that I'm in the clinic, I'm going to see the doctor. It should get me cleared approximately a month earlier. While not a big deal to most, there's a timing issue - end of the year (deductibles!) plus a family event in December I want to be 'healthy' for. So they set up that appointment before I left. Let me just say - this appointment could not have gone better. For anyone who does not remember, I met with another doctor in April, and it was a horrible experience - the staff were rude, they argued about the diet (told me to eat salads, when I'm on blood thinners, and cannot consume much Vitamin K), and the doctor told me he would not do the surgery because of my medical history (I was dxed with Crohn's at 8, treated until 13, no treatment since then). I told him I had not been treated since 13, and that his website recommended the Sleeve for patients with Crohn's and Anemia, that's why I chose it. He said it did not. I showed it to him on my phone. He said, "I still won't do it." They also said I must lose 135 lbs before they would work with me, yet gave me no diet or any suggestions - even when I asked the doctor for suggestions, since I'm on the Depo shot and his nurse had just told me that made things more difficult, he just shrugged and said he didn't know. SO - I was a nervous wreck going into this appointment. I left the April appointment in tears - it had felt as though they never intended to work with me, and had no interest whatsoever in my care. This appointment, however - I could not have asked for better care or compassion! All that to say - it was a great experience, and I am so thankful to finally be moving along on this journey! I hope this information will be helpful to someone out there!

Btw not sure how to just reply to a single post and if I am doing it right! I had grits today ( didn't really like cream of wheat)and tonight had ricotta with Parmesan cheese and marianara sauce which was very good. Yogurt of course,,,,

Keep sipping away at the liquids and Protein (yogurt, etc.). If I remember correctly, my mouth was dry early out, too. I wouldn' t worry unless you aren't getting fluids down. Keep working on it. It gets better every day as the swelling goes down. Also, stay off of the scale. You are still swollen and healing from surgery. I don't know what resources are available in Egypt, so your surgeon's office would be a great place to start for suggestions about protein sources. I do know yogurt is a good place to start. Keep us posted on the n how you are doing.

Whoops, I'm drinking yogurt Greek now. Can t to talk to you tomorrow. Very confused.

I am on full liquid diet post ob right now... So let me share some advice 1. Don't let your self get hungry 2. Get you some unflavored protein mix in yogurt will help keep you full 3. Drink water crystal light what ever sugar free 4, Stay positive 5. Think of how you will feel year from now

I feel bulimic too. I throw up my food 3 or 4 times before I can get ANYTHING down even yogurt or pudding. Been doing it for 7 years...

Any one struggling with pre ob diet...get you some unflavored protein and mix with anything it has 30gm per scoop. I love it in yogurt. It didn't resolve well in soup or jello. It keeps you full I have no will power but have done wonderful on pre diet. No hunger

Yogurt, sugar free jello, protein shakes, watery cream of wheat, sugar free pudding, I can't remember the whole list. Pretty much anything sugar free and liquid like. They gave me a complete list of what to eat and what not to eat.

I eat mostly baked chicken breasts, fish, salads, beef jerky, yogurt, other veggies and fruits, protein bars, steak, eggs, a variety of things. I am almost a year out though.

I do a low-ish carb diet. I have meat and/or eggs and green vegetables at virtually every meal. I do moderate dairy: yogurt, whey protein powder, grass-fed butter, and occasionally small amounts of cheese. I eat fruit and nuts as snacks (in addition to jerky and more green veggies). Excluded: grains, starchy veggies, dairy milk, alcohol, beans and legumes, and sweets. I make rare exceptions on special occasions, but they really are rare. This particular plan works well for me because if I eat sweets or other carby foods my cravings go absolutely insane. This diet keeps them in check.

Thanks for the information and explanation of lactose intolerance and how it works. It may also be worth noting that a super important consequence of eating less dairy is the lack of calcium intake. Milk, yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese contain calcium, which is very important for bone health. All weight loss surgery patients need to be on top of their calcium intake, and you need to be even more careful to get in your supplements if you’re skipping the dairy products due to lactose intolerance.

Thanks so much!! Ahh the tuna isn't the problem I ate the tuna after my hunger, as in I was extremely hungry therefore I ate the tuna , not the other way around. I only ate tuna at the hospital and then during that one hunger pang. I should've been more clear it seems like everyone thinks I'm eating tuna daily. And the tuna is Pureed to mush not solid tuna. In between I'm eating soft scrambled eggs and yogurt, cottage cheese, Protein Shakes, Soups, nothing crazy. I can tolerate these no problem I just have hunger pangs here in there. And I'm still learning what my body is telling me if it likes certain things or not. So it's a learning experience. Thanks!!

Ok what I've been doing is pouring a whole scoop in a separate container each day and eating the protein throughout the day. I add half to a shake and later to oatmeal or yogurt cause I figured 60g a meal was too much. I just wanted to make sure. Thanks for letting me know!

My doctor's office pointed out that it's not "carbs" that matter so much as the kind of carbs. In other words, there's a big difference between the carbs in soybeans or a piece of fruit than those in potato chips or a candy bar. I was told to keep carbs under 120, but…see above. They said the quality of the carbs is what matters most. They also said I wouldn't be ABLE to eat enough carbs to cause any worries at this point, what with my tiny stomach capacity so early on. Of course, I do follow the mantra to always eat Protein first. I'm not a vegetarian, but have been a pescatarian (eat some fish, plus eggs and dairy) for 40 years. I have always had trouble getting enough protein (I log it every day on Sparkpeople), so I was worried about this. I'm just 10 days post-op, and just started pureed foods. I'm eating yogurt, vegetarian refried Beans with cheese, blended cottage cheese, ricotta, cream of wheat, applesauce or other fruit blended with unflavored unjury, and tofu. (You can do amazing things with tofu!) I haven't yet tried any fish or eggs. 'm not having any troubles to speak of and am hitting my protein goal every day. I'm also using protein powders and drinks. For example, every day I put 1/2 of a New whey Protein Shot (fruit punch flavor) in a 20 ounce bottle of Water. That gives me 21 grams of protein, plus helps me hit my liquid goal. The oddest thing so far for me is that plain ole H2O has always been my favorite drink -- I've never been a big soda drinker, and if I ever drank juice, I would cut it to 1/5 juice, 4/5 water. But since the sleeve, plain water tastes weird to me. So I hope you won't worry! I am finding it very manageable. And you know what else? It may be crazy or sacrilegious or something, but I WANT to lose somewhat slowly! I figure a slower loss will help with the skin sagging (I'm in my late 50s, and concerned about this). I also feel that an extra few months of getting to goal is not a big worry; after all, I plan to lose this weight for life. Unlike all the other times I've lost weight, this time I know it is going to come off and stay off! So if it takes a bit longer (and gives my skin time to catch up), I'm not going to stress out about it! Best of luck to you! Keep us posted!

Had my rny on July 7 2015. I've been so nauseous and constantly dry heaving and vomiting up saliva. I have a constant sweet taste in my mouth that makes drinking reg Water or crystal light water a chore. I don't eat at all I just feel so sick to my stomach. I try to take zofran but the taste of the medicine makes me vomit. My blood work came back bad all my lvls are low so I got some prescriptions today and I'll have my blood drawn again in 1 week. If my blood levels don't go up they will have to admit me to the hospital. Anyone one else on the same boat. This whole week 7 days I manage to eat half a cup yogurt and 1 bite of mashed potatoes for a 7 day period. Can't see my surgeon cause I can't afford the $200 charge. ugh!!!! Had MRI everything looks good no blockage or leaks

@@Woodland4807 Ok, you asked us to keep you in check. That says to me you already know you are doing something you shouldn't be. #1 - you are likely not getting enough Protein in. If this is close to your daily routine, then you can expect to get sick down the road or lose more of your hair than you would if you were getting your protein. You are in control of this. #2 - I would not expect to see pizza on your approved foods list at 5 weeks post op. It is clearly not the healthiest choice for you right now. It does not mean that you can never have a piece of pizza again, but it will be sometime before your new tummy is ready for that. If you need a snack at this point, I would suggest either adding another protein shake in which would boost your protein count or stick with things that have a high protein value like lunch meat, cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese, nuts or seeds. Jerkey is also an excellent option You are doing fantastic! Steer clear of things that can make you stall like the carbs in that pizza. Many complications can be avoided from WLS by following the plan provided by your doctor exactly. It is fantastic that your exercise routine is so strong at this stage as well. Keep up the great work and you will reach your goals before you know it!

As someone else just said--you aren't getting enough Protein. Do you track your protein? You should. Protein should be your main focus now and always. You could have a snack of nonfat greek yogurt or some nonfat cottage cheese, some edamame (this is always a nice treat), there is also the unjury Protein powder you can put into other things, or other protein powders. maybe another Protein shake in the evening. But NOT pizza. According to my NUT, I should never have pizza again. Or, at least pizza as you used to know it. I do have it but only eat the toppings if there is a protein on it, especially chicken. I have seen other recipes where you use a big mushroom or eggplant as the crust and then the normal toppings, there are other creative ways you can have pizza eventually. But not now. Way too soon. I think there is a recipe somewhere on here that is kind of like all the toppings and sauce, baked that is supposed to be awesome and you just make it and eat it like that. Just get back on track, keep a journal of your food and track the protein in it. It's amazing how easy it is to not have much protein and that is supposed to be your main focus.

I feel like an unwilling vegetarian since surgery! I eat Greek yogurt, cheese, lentils, beans, protein shakes etc. meat just doesn't sit right. I'm 7 weeks out.

Crystal light my hubby bought chicken noodle soup that I strained the broth had more flavor s/f/popcycles. I could not have yogurt or pudding or fudge pops. I did have s/f. The second week. I got to add protein shakes(only) then 4 days after that mush mush now I'm on soft food. I'm 3 weeks out.

Hi. Yes, I still get at least 80 grams of protein a day. It's pretty easy since I center my meals and Snacks around protein. I'm gluten free, so there's really no room for much "junk". I always make myself a Protein shake for Breakfast. I enjoy them and it keeps my mornings simple and they travel with me. I like Click decaf mocha. I add extra things to it (spinach, ground flax, chia, benefibre) etc). I have chicken, tuna, and some veggies or if I'm lazy (unprepared) a Premier shake at lunch. Usually a Greek yogurt for a snack. And a good dinner. Sometimes a Quest bar in there too.

It sucks, but you are healing. I had yogurt, sugar free Jello, and sugar free Popsicles too. Once on full liquids my husband "doctored" a few soups to make them more savory for me. Most days looked like this: Breakfast - Dannon Oikos greek yogurt (no added sugar, no artificial sweetners, no fat ... several flavors) with 10g added Protein power. Snack - 8oz Protein Drink lunch - 1/2 cup blended Soup w/ seasoning Snack - 8oz protein drink dinner - 1/2 cup blended soup with seasoning & 10g added Protein powder. In between ... 64 oz Fluid. Mostly Water with Mio or Crystal Light drops for flavor. Soups were all 99% fat free and alternated between the following (put through a blender & strainer first): Cream of chicken with Adobo, onion powder, garlic powder Golden mushroom with cumin, curry powder, paprika Cheddar broccoli French Onion I also alternated sugar free pudding, jello, custard, etc when I wanted a different texture. Hope this helps. You've only a few days til full liquids!

I had surgery Tuesday and have to be on clear liquids until next Tuesday. Then I can add cream soups and yogurt.

I am 3 weeks post open and have been a vegetarian for over two years. I did try being a vegan (no animal products at all) and ethically I identify more with vegans, but I just found that for me, personally, I do better with dairy in my diet. I know post surgery vegans exist, but I imagine it came with some challenges. To get my protein post surgery, I rely on beans, soy based products including tofu and faux meats (gardein and Quorn brands being my fave) as well as eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk. Once I am further long and have a better handle on eating, I will transition back to unsweetened original almond milk for use in cooking and in beverages. I am also going to try a tofu and spinach scramble instead of egg scramble. I had an organic frozen entree of this made by Annie brand and ioved it! Was expensive for my budget, though. Try using textured vegetable protein TVP or gardein's meatless ground "beef" in beef recipes (chili, texmex) or Quorn faux chicken. I have added that chicken to soup,.pasta, as the main focus, or under a lemon butter sauce and goat cheese with sundries tomatoes (aka chicken Bryan). I want to explore cooking tofu better, though. Seems to be better when others make it but I haven't given up, yet! (Ps, soft tofu can be used as a base for fruit smoothies or freeze mixture and eat as frozen treat. I really liked both!)

I have been a vegetarian for over two years for ethical and health reasons. I recently had the roux n y done so most of my thoughts and advice are from pre surgery, keep that in mind. That being said, it is entirely possible and not difficult to be a vegetarian! Before or after surgery! Protein staples post surgery will be eggs, dairy in general, beans, tofu/soy products, including faux meat like my favorite, gardein's meatless ground "beef". I love black beans and chickpeas, lentils, peas.....Bob's Red Mill makes a veg soup mix that I add additional beans, corn, tomatoes, etc to with some veggie broth. Moroccan Chickpea soup is a fave, too. I also love cheese and dairy so I make quiches , add cheese to up flavor and protein, as well as use plain greek yogurt as a topping replacement for sour cream. Experiment with veggies and recipes you can find online, especially through allrecipes.com. tofu can be substituted for any meat, though there are premade tofu dishes that you may want to try first. Also, once onto regular foods diet, Tempeh is great to make veggie reubans. Yum! Oh and Quorn makes excellent faux chicken. Highly recommend! I find this stuff I. My grocer's organic aisle, Wal-Mart doesn't carry this stuff yet to my knowledge. Commit for a week, preplan and pre make your dishes because healthy vegetarian done right requires some cooking and planning. Then go for two weeks. If you are craving tuna or some other meat, indulge and then go back to no meat products. I still will eat a burger every now and again, and then I move on. I have felt so much better since becoming a vegetarian. My food tastes better, I can isolate the individual flavors without the heaviness of meat drowning it out. Also, season I.g is a big key component to making veggies and food more than just ordinary. It became a lot of fun for me to try new stuff and introduce my family to it! If you are interested in any recipes I utilize, please let me know. I don't like anything too complicated or time consuming. Sorry I kind of jumped around, I get so excited when other ppl take interest in bettering themselves and the world through their forks. OH...YOU MUST WATCH "Forks Over Knives". Must. I saw it on Netflix. It is a great documentary, will change how you look at health and food and history.

???????????? this is so hard do you guys think a yogurt is ok?