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style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! We’re heading into the longest days of the year, so it’s a great time to take advantage with some morning or evening walks and healthy barbecues. I hope this newsletter finds you making progress in your WLS journey, thinking about your summer goals, and maybe planning a little summer vacation! Here’s what you’ll find in this newsletter. The Weight Loss Surgery Journey: A Test of Patience Member Spotlight: Meet RogofUlm! Strawberry Recipes Enjoy the newsletter, then share your own recipes and whatever else is on your mind at BariatricPal. Thanks for sharing your summer with us! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal The Weight Loss Surgery Journey: A Test of Patience You’ve worked hard to get to this point. You’ve researched your options for surgery, chosen a surgeon, figured out your finances, completed the pre-op tests and diet, and gotten surgery. You’ve done a lot…and you’re only just beginning. You’ve followed 1 or 100 diets before, but weight loss surgery is different. It’s not a month-long commitment. It’s a lifestyle. That’s what makes it so challenging. WLS patients who are just starting to realize this can easily get discouraged, but that’s normal. The solution is to be patient, whether it’s with the scale or with your diet. Yes, You’re Losing Weight Fast Enough! A lot of WLS patients secretly hope the pounds will melt off and they’ll be skinny in a month. It doesn’t happen like that, but if you’re following your diet to a “T,” you’re losing weight fast enough. You may be losing 5 pounds a week, or 1 pound a week, and it’s good enough. It may take a year or more to hit goal weight, but so what? As long as you’re eating right, you’ll be stronger and healthier every day. Don’t Jump Ahead in the Diet Plan Feeling good about your diet? Have you been able to get through the first days or weeks following the liquid and pureed foods stages of your WLS diet without much pain or discomfort? Are you wondering if it’s okay to jump ahead in the diet progression, maybe add in semi-solid (soft) foods or a greater variety of foods a little bit ahead of schedule? We say…don’t do it! That’s great you’re feeling so good, but don’t take it for granted. Keep doing what you’re doing so you can keep feeling good. If you jump the gun, you risk: Developing intolerances unnecessarily. Developing complications, such as delaying recovery from surgery. Slowing weight loss later if you develop a complication. Of course, ask your surgeon or nutritionist all of your questions, and let the experts have the final say. Member Spotlight: Meet RogofUlm! This month’s spotlight is on RogofUlm from Germantown, Maryland. This gastric sleeve patient lost nearly half of his body weight, and is now a svelte 143 pounds with a BMI of 23.1. Rog agreed to be in our member spotlight and was willing to write up his own feature, which follows. This is the shortened version, but you can find the complete version in the Share Your Story forum. I went on my first diet at the age of 7, and sometimes feel like I've started a new diet every Monday morning for the last 48 years. I've done 'em all – from a 40-day hospital stay in 1974, to Weight Watchers (3 times), Diet Center (2 times), Jenny Craig, Nutri-System, Atkins, South Beach, Cambridge, Slim Fast, Fen-Phen, grapefruit and egg, and even self-starvation. I've probably lost close to 1,000 pounds throughout my life, including three or four nearly 100-pound losses. And after all that, at the age of 55, I still found myself 110 pounds overweight; with diabetes, apnea, asthma, arthritis, high cholesterol, and borderline blood pressure. With a wonderful wife and 10-year-old child at home, I was a heart attack or stroke just waiting to happen. So why was I able to lose weight so effectively at times, but never keep it off? Same as most people, I guess. When fully committed, I could “flick the switch” in my brain and resist anything… for a while. I'd lose a bunch of weight and start looking and feeling better, and then I'd be at a party with lots of goodies and think, "What the heck. I've done so well, so I’ll treat myself just this once and get right back on my diet." Hello, slippery slope! And then the cycle would begin again. That “switch” doesn’t always stay flicked, you know? Then, 20 years ago, I lost a bunch of weight and maintained it for quite a while. But then I had some surgery and even quit smoking in the process. Great, right? Yeah, but after that the weight started coming back on, and eventually I gained about 50 pounds. So then I bounced around between 60 and 100 pounds overweight until I got married and we had a baby. Of course, during the pregnancy I gained 40 more pounds of "baby weight". But unlike my wife, I never delivered mine! So that brings me to the more recent past, when all those years of being overweight finally caught up with me and I began getting all the "fat diseases”. Before my surgery, I was taking daily injections plus pills for diabetes, sleeping with a CPAP machine for apnea, and taking fistfuls of pills every day to manage the other co-morbidities. And that brings us to last year. In addition to all the diseases, I was exhausted and achy all the time, and had trouble dragging myself out of the recliner to play with my kid like I should. I'd take naps after stuffing myself at lunchtime, and exercise as little as possible. We all know the drill, right? And gradually, I got more and more disgusted with myself. During that time, two of my co-workers had weight loss surgery: one bypass and one sleeve. Every day for about a year, I watched them get smaller and smaller. They didn’t keep their surgeries a secret, so when I asked about their experience, they graciously shared all the details with me – the good, and the bad. And gradually I got to the point where I said, “I WANT THAT!” Once I decided to get sleeved, I went all-in. I followed all my doctor’s post-op rules to a tee (with the exception of coffee – my one remaining vice). But this time something was different from all those past diets. Because of the restriction in my stomach, instead of losing momentum and giving in to temptation, my new “tool” gave me the strength I needed to consistently make the right choices. I lost 110 pounds and made it to goal in 8 months. And in the two months after that, I lost another 10 pounds to give myself a comfortable buffer. I’m off all diabetes, apnea, blood pressure, and asthma meds, and after my next doctor’s appointment, I should be off the cholesterol meds too. So now that I’ve reached my final goal weight, I’m exactly where I want to be for the first time in my adult life; which, quite frankly, is a totally mind-blowing thought! My big secret? Just follow the danged rules – all of them! (And mind you, I’ve been a rule breaker all my life.) If you do exactly what your doctor or nutrition program recommends, the weight will come off. After a month or two of making good (but difficult) choices, the cravings for the foods that got you to your pre-surgery weight will start to fade away, and the pride in your accomplishment will have a stronger pull than the food. That’s when you really get on a roll! My philosophy has been that there’s plenty of time to learn how to eat for maintenance once I get to my goal weight. That way, if I add something back into my food plan and it causes me to gain a few pounds; I only need to re-lose those few pounds. I don’t need to lose them PLUS all the rest that haven’t come off yet. I also believe that we get a 9–12 month “honeymoon period” (when the weight comes off more easily and the hunger is more manageable), to get our heads in the right place for the long haul. I firmly believe that people who take maximum advantage of their honeymoon period are far more likely to get all the way to goal weight; and hopefully, to keep it off. And now my theory will be put to the test... Over the next few weeks and months, I’ll need to start experimenting with what works and what doesn’t. I’ll need to add back some foods that will stop the weight loss, without causing a gain, and without putting me back on the slippery slope. But what are those foods? My doctor suggests that if you want to increase your carb intake, to add only foods that you would eat cooked as part of a meal (like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, barley, quinoa, oatmeal, and green peas). No white bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes, no refined sugar, no fruit juice, soda, or ice cream – and nothing that would tempt you to go to the fridge or pantry for a handful or bowlful as a snack. That sounds reasonable, so that’s what I’m going to try. So how do I feel about my weight loss journey so far? Believe it or not… it’s been a total blast! And see, that’s another reason to follow all the rules and lose the weight quickly – the compliments, your reflection in the mirror, clothes that fit and look good, the extra energy for family and friends, and most of all, your new-found health, are a thousand times more fun and motivating than anything that could ever go into your mouth! And here’s one final thought… Several months ago I ran into a woman I hadn’t seen for a while. She’d been thinking about weight loss surgery, but was afraid to take the first step. But when she saw the “new me”, she said the exact same words I had said a year ago, “I WANT THAT!” Well, a few weeks ago she got sleeved and she’s doing great! And that’s how this wonderful story continues… I wish all of you great success, and a healthy, exciting, and fun journey to good health!!! Thank you, Rog, for being in our newsletter and for writing such an inspirational and engaging bio! Congratulations on your success – you look fantastic! Don’t forget to check out Rog’s full story! Let us know if you want to be in our Member Spotlight or if you want to nominate a member. Post your nomination in the Member Spotlight Forum or send Alex Brecher a private message (PM). You can be at any point of your WLS journey – you don’t need to be at or near goal weight. And, you don’t need to be a frequent poster on BariatricPal. We want to hear from all members! For Dessert…Fresh Strawberries! Strawberries are in season in late spring and early summer. If you get the chance, go strawberry picking at a local farm. It’s worth the effort. You can spend quality time with your friends or family, burn a few calories while picking berries in the sunshine, and get some of the sweetest and best strawberries you’ll ever taste. Strawberries: The Good and the Bad Then what? Strawberries are high-fiber, low-calorie, and naturally sweet. A cup of sliced berries has 53 calories, no fat, and more than 3 grams of fiber. But don’t turn your strawberries into a high-calorie, sugary disaster. Here’s what not to make with your berries. Strawberry shortcake, with 600 or more calories and 50 or more grams of sugar. Strawberry pie, with 350 calories per slice, before adding ice cream. Strawberry jam or syrup, with 60 calories per tablespoon. The Best Recipes Need some healthier choices? Try one of these. Plain strawberries. Yep, they’re actually really good! Think of them as one of nature’s fast foods. Sliced strawberries in your oatmeal or with fat-free cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or ricotta. Strawberry pie with alternating layers of sliced strawberries, sugar-free strawberry gelatin, and low-calorie vanilla yogurt. Top with non-fat or sugar-free whipped topping, optional. Strawberry protein smoothie with strawberries, plain or no sugar added vanilla or strawberry Greek yogurt, skim milk, and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. Strawberry Substitutes Not able to eat strawberries? Maybe the seeds are a little much for where you are after weight loss surgery, or they’re too acidic for you? There are plenty of other fruits to try. Apples – fresh or cooked if you need them soft – are available year-round, and other summer fruits are coming in. Try peaches, nectarines, apricots, and the season’s first melons. Of course, frozen fruit works fine, too. Just be sure to choose unsweetened varieties so you don’t get extra sugar without realizing it. Be Patient Enjoy the summer fruit if you’re able to tolerate it. If you’re not quite there yet, don’t rush it. Since fruit does have sugar, it can cause dumping syndrome, especially in gastric sleeve and gastric bypass patients. If your WLS was recent, you need to be careful to avoid peels and seeds – like those in strawberries – until you’re sure you’re completely healed. In the meantime, if you can tolerate it, enjoy peeled, soft fruit like ripe honeydew and watermelon. Have a wonderful start to the summer. Good luck setting and working towards your summer WLS goals!

Changed up my food plan today after talking to my daughters yesterday about my crummy food choices. Committing to saying buh-bye to my favorite greasy fried foods. I made it through today just fine. One ounce of leftover beef tips for Breakfast, cheese sticks for a snack, tomato Soup and grilled chicken chopped salad for lunch, yogurt and pumpkin seeds for dinner. Tomorrow will be fresh, healthy choices for breakfast and lunch, and a healthy meal cooked by my daughter for supper. This last fifty pounds is coming OFF, people!!!

I was sleeved on 12/12/14 and have done really well with my program. I still have a protein drink for breakfast every morning. Here is my issue & I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing or did experience this. I will think in my head something sounds so good...a few weeks ago it was a chipotle bowl (no rice) I was on the treadmill thinking how good it sounded, after the gym I went there got the bowl, went home had a bite & it wasn't nearly as good as it was in my mind. (It was dinner for the week and I still threw quite a bit away) tonight I thought sloppy joes sounded good & I found these potatoes that were a weight watchers recipe that sounded good...got home from work made the sloppy joes and potatoes, had 2 bites and it just didn't taste good at all. Has this happened to anyone else? I'd rather eat protein drinks & a Greek yogurt because my head is playing so many games with me .

The short answer is "yes"... WHen I was in hospital recovering, I was very careful with my fluids. They had given me a choc milk (300ml) at breakfast and the doc asked me why I'd not finished it. I told him that I thought I was supposed to be taking it easy with my intake. He replied that yes, I should take it easy, but that as long as I sipped slowly, that would be fine. The fluids/yogurts/shake go thru you differently to solids. Keep doing what you're doing... You'll REALLY notice the difference when you get to food that is more solid. Good luck with it all. Kinda...

Hi all, Sleeved last Monday (25 May) and discharged from hospital on the Wednesday. Apart from the Wednesday, since then I have been able to consume, what I consider, to be large volumes of Fluid without any side effects. For Breakfast I have an Optifast shake. Midmorning I have a glass of V8 vegetable juice. lunch I have 300ml of skim milk/low-fat yogurt blend. Mid afternoon I have the milk/yogurt blend and at dinnertime I have another Optifast shake. In between I easily get down 1.5L to 2L of Water. I feel as if I could easily have more...much more. I don't ever feel hungry, but I never feel full either. Some would say that I am luck to be able to do this, but I am genuinely concerned the surgery did not work on me. Has anybody experienced this and did it change when you started on more-solid types of foods (your punch filled up with solids, but liquids just slide on right through)? Thanks for any help you can offer.

Go back to liquids for a day or two. Avoid yogurt for awhile, you may have become allergic to milk products.(lactose). For the pain all I can suggest is to keep walking and to sip warm broth, tea even just warm water, hopefully they will soothe your pouch. Best wishes

During week three I was on soft foods/purees. I was eating refried Beans w cheese, Dannon light n fit Greek yogurt, sugar-free Jello and pudding, ricotta cheese with marinara, chicken salad, cottage cheese. I think i ate chicken salad everyday, lol. It and cottage cheese were like heaven at that point, and seemed to be my favorites. All plans are different, but i was also able to have Tilapia. Dont buy or prepare too much of any one thing... you probably wont be able to eat more than an ounce or two per meal or snack at first.

I had a really hard time with pre-made Protein shakes in the beginning. (Muscle milk and etc...) So I thought that unflavored powder would be the way to go. I can't remember the name of the one I got, but it was only usable to me in heavily flavored Soups like curry lentil & tomoato. Anything else I put it in made me want to gag. I recommend UMP vanilla & JavaPRO protein powders. They go great with fat free milk, yogurt, almond milk, and even Water. After you acclimate to those you can branch out. I still stick to the vanilla for the most part though.

i am at 1 year out and i still drink a shake each morning - Syntrax Nexctar i love the chocolate - and i have some greek yogurt or a hard boiled egg around 10 - lunch is going to be something high in protein as well - my afternoon snack is going to be a protein snack too - peanut butter or a protein bar is my favorite - i also drink a syntrax nectar somewhere in the day that mixes with water for added protein (23 grams) and it helps with my water intake - then supper is going to high protein too and then right before bed a snack. i do this every day. I tried to cut out the shakes and supplements but my protein levels were low each time i went in to get a check up and it isn't worth it to try and just eat enough - i couldn't do it - so i drink the supplements.

At 8 weeks, I was just barely meeting the 60 gram requirement without Protein shakes. I was told to start weaning off of them at six weeks. But at the 8 week mark, my capacity was 1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons. Even at that, to get 60 grams in with that volume, I was eating about 15 grams with Breakfast ( one egg with 1/2 ounce of cheese and 1/2 ounce of meat). A midmorning snack could be 7 grams of protein (maybe an ounce of meat or a string cheese), then 15-20 grams at lunch with 1/2 hamburger - 2oz=14 grams protein with two tablespoons of refried Beans (another 7 grams). For a mid-afternoon snack a 1/2 cup of Greek Yogurt is 10 grams, for dinner I could eat something like 2 ounces of baked chicken with 2 tablespoons of veggie for another 14 gram. Then a bedtime snack might be 1/2 slice of deli ham rolled up with 1/2 slice of cheese for another 7 grams. That example would be a total of 80 grams. When I was further along, I might roll that up with a leaf of lettuce outside, a thin slice of tomato inside and paint a little dab of mayo onto the ham. If I am having a stregth training day, I might substitute of of my Snacks with a protein shake that has yogurt or milk blended in for 23 grams plus 7 grams = 30 grams I, too, heard that 30 grams max for one meal is all that can be absorbed. The rest is just expensive pee. You might have to work your way up to your 60 grams of protein, but it can be done.

I eat a lot of greek yogurt,also I have to snack otherwise I don't get enough protein in.

Make greek yogurt your new friend. I'm 4 months out and still have 1 shake a day and most days I have at least 1/2 cup of nonfat greek yogurt - either in a smoothie with Protein powder, or just with a little bit of preserves added. Especially right at first getting all your protein in is difficult, but it's also essential - your body needs it to heal.

I usually get about 75 to 80 grams of protein a day but I eat a lot of cottage cheese and drink the muscle milk protein shakes. They have about 25g in one shake with less sugar than others, plus they taste good! Also, Greek yogurt has lots of protein.

While you are waiting and hanging out here for support, you can initiate the following steps that most of our plans have us do for our pre-op preparations. Drink no calories. Drink Water until your eyeballs float - 64 - 80+ ounces per day. Don't eat anything made in a factory. You can do this by shopping the perimeter of the supermarket and avoid the aisle unless you need a spice or paper towels...that kind of stuff. Eat at least 60 ounces of Protein per day, and at any meal, eat your protein first - then veg - then fruit. Dessert should be something like an apple, not apple pie with two scoops of ice cream. Avoid sugar, grease, and salt as much as possible. Eating clean will help you discover the real taste of natural food. If it weren't for sugar, grease and salt, McDonald's would have no business. When I gave up candy bars and started eating dark chocolate, I realized that it wasn't the chocolate I missed - it was the sugar. Try to wean yourself off of soda and diet soda. Most bariatric plans discourage soda pop and anything with bubble post-op. Reduce starchy carbs like bread, flour, sugar, rice, noodle, biscuits, white potatoes, macaroni, spaghetti etc. So what is left to eat? meat, eggs, cheese, Beans, Peanut Butter, yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts, and fresh fruits and non-starchy veggies. You can adjust your current recipes to reduce carbs. The World According to Eggface is a good place to start. We have a forum here for recipes. Also, Sparkpeople.com and Myfitnesspal.com. Many of us use Myfitnesspal.com for logging our food every day. It is really an eye-opener if you are honest with yourself about what you eat. Weigh and measure your food to acurately acknowledge your actual portion size. There is a scientific principle that says, "You cannot control that which you do not measure." Exercise where you can. Move your body every day. Don't become part of the sofa. I have 35 exercise DVDs of all kinds and variety from bedfast exercises to chair exercises, to Zumba, Hip-Hop Abs, Pussycat Dolls, Bollywood, Salsa, Strength Training and Toning, etc..... and ridiculously enough, my favorite is still Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies. If you can't afford videos, crank up some loud music and dance like nobody is watching, or take wal There are also a TON of Youtube videos with exercises you can follow. Now is a good time to make regular visits to a physician so that your weight can be monitored. Many plans require several months of medical diet supervision as a pre-requisite for approval. My plan was two years. You may also have to provide a list of all the different diets that have failed you. I wish you best and hope that you can have your surgery with an uncomplicated recovery. Good luck, and visit us often. And just so you know, opinions and tact will vary here.

Yes we will. I've not had the bathroom problem yet. I'm only doing one protein shake per day but very slowly. I have had some intent mashed potatoes thinned with chicken broth, and less than half a small mashed potatoes with gravy from KfC and did well with that. Just a couple tbsp of anything fills me up. I've liquefied some peaches with Greek yogurt, ice and low fat milk and that was okay (the kids really liked it). I'm just taking it very slow. I'm posting things get better for us all. The struggle is harder than I imagined it would be.

I'm nine days post op and suddenly I'm slowly gaining weight. I've read other postings on here and I know that my body is still healing and I could definitely be retaining water since it's my time of the month. But I'm freaking out. I'm wondering if I might be eating too much sugar. The only thing I eat that contains fructose is my Greek Yogurt. And I might have 2 of those a day. How much sugar is too much sugar? Please help.

Got a lot of soreness and abdominal pain/gas again today. I was feeling really good yesterday and this morning, perhaps I overdid it a bit. Feels like maybe the yogurt or cottage cheese may have blew a staple, ouch. Going to stick with the clear stuff through tomorrow and see if this pain goes away. Hope everyone else is feeling well.

you can add the unflavored powder to pretty much anything. I've added it to my scrambled eggs before I cook them, yogurt, cottage cheese, jello (add it to it when it's still in liquid form).

Hey there - I am feeling really good, a bit sore on the belly and still some shoulder pain from the gas. My doctor pumped tons of liquid through my IV so the discharge nurse suggested not weighing until tomorrow morning to give the Water weight time to dissipate. Getting the water in will forever be my challenge. Unfortunately, my doc has me on full liquids for another week. I'm dying for yogurt or something substantial. Head hunger has me a bit cranky.....but I knew that this would be my challenge. food is a major source of entertainment for our family - so re-training my brain is the focus! Glad everyone is doing well!

I'm trying to understand what I can add them to.... I am not a milk fan and I only need to be on full liquids for 7 days. Can I add to yogurt? Coffee (if so how and yes I'm allowed coffee). How do you add proteins to savory foods?

9 months post-op, RNY, protein is my main focus then healthy carbs (veggies ) then grains if I have room. I eat 4 oz max at a meal ...2 oz is dense protein meat usually, 1 oz veggies (carrots ,asparagus , green beans etc.) and 1 oz grain (quinoa, lentils, chick peas etc.) A day would go like this Breakfast - 1/4 cup egg white , 1 oz chicken ,fish, or shrimp, and 1oz of hard cheese. I add 11tbsp salsa for flavoring and make a high protein omelet . Snack - protein shake with 2-4 oz of fruit added Frozen berries and or Bananna . I use Body Fortress Whey Isolate from Walmart. Lunch- fish of some kind (tuna, salmon, tilapia whatever is on hand, 2 oz. Plain Greek yogurt (1oz) , I use it like tartar sauce for my fish Beans (1oz) chick peas, lentil, kidney beans etc Supper- chicken or whatever dense protein , ( beef, ham, pork, fish, ) 2 oz. Veggies raw or cooked, 1 oz. right now I am in asparagus mode Quinoa (1 oz) Snack - (slider protein) fruit flavored Greek yogurt cup or 2 oz cottage cheese with 2 oz fruit or veggies cut into it. This is just my menu for today, it will get me around 600-650 calories Around 95 protein. Around 35 to 40 carbs and 18 -20 sugars depending on your choices. I very rarely can finish all four oz. so I make sure I eat my protein first then veggies and grains. I get between 64 - 80 oz. of liquid daily. Good luck on your journey.

I would say, pick protein-forward meals and eat protein first when you are served. If you see protein-heavy snacks like jerky, cheese sticks, or yogurt, choose those. Other than that, relax, don't worry, and have a good time! 10 days of going slightly under your protein goals is not going to hurt you in the long run. Just don't go crazy with high carb foods, sweets, and alcohol.

Hi everyone! I was sleeved on Tuesday and I'm on full liquids. I had some clam chowder today (my family went out for lunch). Obviously I only sipped the liquid and I didn't have very much, but after many sips, I felt like my face and head was very hot, I was dizzy, and my stomach didn't feel good. It wasn't nausea and it went away maybe ten minutes later. I can't tell if I just took a few too many sips and this was my sleeve's way of saying "too much!", if it had something to do with dairy/ingredients, or if it was something more serious? I'm not lactose intolerant or anything, and I've been doing fine with Greek yogurt, but the symptoms (and trip to the bathroom shortly thereafter), made me think of that. Thoughts, suggestions? Should I be worried? I feel totally fine now but I wanted to get some input do I can avoid that in the future!

Vsg dessert night!!: 1: load family up and find nearest self-serve frozen yogurt shop (TCBY) worked for us. 2. Ask for a few sample cups or spoons to try some flavors 3: while family is deciding and getting theirs, try all the different flavors (built in small portions and slow consumption). 4: total consumption is about 2 ounces and cost nothing and adds some Protein (according to mfp). 5: couldn't find a flavor I liked (wink) and head home. awesome!!!!!!!! Anyone else have great tricks like this? I'm thinking BaskinRobbins is next, eight or nine sherbet types in there..

Feeling good now, got a little brave this morning and tried some scrambled eggs and cottage cheese, maybe a tbsp of each. Ouch.... Food is going to take time! Not drinking with the food is also a huge challenge. Only takes about 2 tbsp of yogurt to fill me up as well. Thought I was feeling good enough to skip pain meds today but starting to get a little more pain and soreness, may have to get a small dose.