lsereno

yep - I cleaned, shopped, drug out the boxes of too-small clothes in case I couldn't lift for a while and I needed them, paid the bills, got dentist, nail, and hair appts out of the way, stocked up on movies and books, and trolled this forum non-stop! Lynda

I thought that bone felt bigger than it did when I was younger! I attributed it to age, but now I know! I also have a knot on my right collarbone where it ends at the middle of my neck . I swear that wasn't there when I was younger either, but the Dr. looked at it and just said it was normal bone. Also finally got a diagnosis for Rheumatoid Arthritis when I lost weight and the Dr. could see how swollen my joints were. Sheesh! Lynda

Cheri, Thanks so much for a fabulous post that really tells it like it is for the long haul. Wish I knew how to pin this so it was required reading for everyone considering this surgery. Lynda

Try the unjury chicken Protein powder. It makes a nice change from the sweet ones. Lynda

I was not hungry and didn't have cravings at first. I realize not everyone is so lucky. Lynda

I totally agree. I haven't been met with much negativity, and maybe that's in part because I have been so positive about the surgery being the best thing for me and a great step forward in getting healthy and fit.

I am 5'6". I started at 254 (this was at the Dr.s office fully clothed with shoes and a heavy sweater) and today at my Dr's wearing jeans and a light shirt I weighed 138.9. I am a little over my goal of 135, which I reached last March. I have been bouncing around 138 since last Fall. Goal weight is very personal. I prefer a thinner, long and lean look. I feel like I'm there enough for my age (57). If I was younger, I'd prefer to weigh 10 or 15 lbs less, but I think that would be too bony on my face now. I weighed daily and still do. I only recorded my weight on Fridays. I often bounced up a little during the week depending on what I ate the day before. I prefer to weigh in daily and seeing a little uptick just reminds me to cut the crap. Also, your new scale may not be as accurate as you'd like. Be sure it's in the same position each time you weigh. I can change my weight by a pound or so by moving the scale around. Lynda Lynda

I followed a pretty basic diet of approximately 1200 calories per day pre-op. I was on the diet for about 4 months. Here's the gist of it: Breakfast: 2 Proteins (1 oz. lowfat meat, 1 egg, or 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese is one protein), 1 dairy (1 cup fat free milk or yogurt), 1 fat (1 tsp oil or butter or 1 tbs. lowfat mayo) 1 fruit, and optionally 1starch (slice of bread, cup of sugar free low calorie Cereal, 1/2 cup rice or 1 serving oatmeal) Lunch: 2-3 proteins, 2 vegetables (1 cup raw veggies or 1/2 cup cooked is one veg), 1 fruit, 1 starch, 1 fat Dinner: 3 proteins, 2 vegetables, 1 starch, 1 fat, and 1 dairy

I mention it to people if it comes up and I told everyone before surgery - friends and family. I didn't want friends and family to worry about my rapid weight loss. I wanted others who were overweight to know the choice I made. I want to help remove the stigma associated with WLS. I am a terrible liar and I don't like keeping secrets. I chose to tell people before the surgery because it was easier to address their questions and concerns before I was recuperating from surgery. For people I really cared about (My Mom, for example), I spent as much time as needed to help her be comfortable with my choice, including taking her with me to a pre-op appt and to a support group meeting. For people I care about I spent a little time addressing their concerns but for those that kept saying they were worried, etc. I then moved on to saying "My Dr. and I have decided this is the best option for my health so I'm moving forward with it." For those I felt were out of line right off the bat, I went straight to the "My Dr. and I have decided this is the best option for my health so I'm moving forward with it." Lynda

Colace is a stool softener that works wonders. I had to use it here and there in the first months after surgery. Now that I'm further out and eating more fruit, veggies, and whole grains, I haven't needed it. Be sure to drink enough Water (at least 64 ounces a day) when using it. Lynda

Hmh. My plan (Kaiser Fremont) is aggressive on the Vitamins. I take: Daily morning: 3 Calcium Citrate 1 Multivitamin D-3 B Complex Daily before bed: 3 calcium citrate 1 Multivitamin Twice per week: sublingual B12 My levels were good at my one year check up. I have my two year checkup and bloodwork in May. Lynda

Haha. You'll need a new screen name in a few months. Here's a typical day for me when I was one week out: 7:00 a.m. I cup Water 8:00 a.m. 1 cup decaf coffee 10 a.m. 1/2 cup Fage 0 Greek Yogurt, mixed with Splenda 11:00 a.m. 1 cup water 11:30 a.m. Protein Drink (Unjury chicken flavor) 12:15 p.m. 1 cup water 1:00 p.m. 1/3 cup cottage cheese 4:30 p.m. Protein Drink (Unjury Chicken flavor) 5:30 p.m. . 1 cup water 7:00 p.m. . 1 cup water 9:30 p.m. 1/2 cup Fage 0 Greek Yogurt, mixed with Splenda Lynda

I am back to using straws. Two reasons to avoid them early out: 1. You get too much air (not sure how this works, but that's what I've been told) 2. You suck down Water too fast and it's painful or worse. Lynda

Oh boy me too! I try to have a snack under 200 calories, which works for me. Generally, my snack is some kind of treat (pretzels, crackers, popcorn) that is also a bit filling. If I eat a more calorie dense snack, like a 200 calorie cookie, I'm still hungry for more. Sometimes I have cut up fruit, a cup of yogurt, or a glass of soy milk. Before I went into maintenance, I had fruit or a little more low-cal Protein for an evening snack. Lynda

It's always best to call the Dr. when symptoms get worse over time instead of better. Let us know what you find out. Lynda

Butterthebean, I couldn't agree more about the scale. I'm almost two years out and I still use mine daily. It's a trick I learned from Weight Watchers. It's easy to misjudge amounts even with a measuring cup (1/2 cup packed ice cream vs. 1/2 cup spooned ice cream for example). Also, I have had to rely on good eating habits, not just restriction, to get to goal and keep my weight stable My capacity has increased and especially my capacity for foods that are calorie-laden, such as a few of my favs: buttered popcorn, potato chips, cake, and Cookies. I can't rely on restriction to limit these foods. I have to choose when I eat them and how much I will have. I also avoid calorie-laden drinks. Not that I'm saying restriction is not helping me. Pre-op, I had to eat a much larger meal to get full. Now I am full after 2-3 oz. of solid Protein, less than 1 cup of vegetables and 1/3 cup of starch. Lynda

I'm with PDXMan. I didn't add starches back in till I was able to eat my Protein and veggies and have a little room left over. It was probably at least one year before I was able to eat rice and untoasted bread. Before that they made me feel sick. If you really love the rice and feel deprived without it, have just a small spoon to see how it settles. Lynda

I don't see why not. It's 60 calories per serving. My plan allows for one starch at each meal once you are far enough out to be able to eat more. The one at breakfast is optional. Lynda

I chose the sleeve because it seemed the less-complicated surgery, it has less dietary restrictions, and NSAIDs are allowed post-op. The one advantage of the by-pass is that it allows you to eat more without gaining weight because food is not as fully absorbed as it was pre-op. Lynda

Pretty much any protein. Here are a few of my favs: beef jerky low fat string cheese alone or with a slice of lunch meat wrapped around it Laughing Cow lite cheese on cucumber rounds Tuna with a little lite mayo on cucumber rounds hard boiled egg lite salami Little Smokie turkey links

I was speaking of the ones at the grocery store. Be sure to check out a restaurant one before selecting it to be sure it has enough of the foods you will eat to make it worth your while. Early out my go to meal at restaurants was a crab or shrimp cocktail. I love them, it feels like a splurge, and generally they are about the right size. Hubby never minded eating a few bites if I couldn't finish it. Lynda

Early out when you can't eat much, salad bars can be a great deal, even if you don't want "salad". They often have cubed meats, chopped eggs, and grated cheese. Bigger ones have cooked veggies, cottage cheese and cut-up fruit. Very handy for those that don't need to cook for anyone but themselves. And when you are ready for salad, it's much more cost-effective than buying a lot of stuff that will spoil before you can eat it. Now that I can easily eat 1/2 cup veggies with my meal, it's not longer such a great deal for me :-) Lynda

Everyone heals differently. I've seen several people who were lucky like you with the fluids right away. You will feel the restriction when you move to solid foods. Lynda

You're welcome! This list has been a life-saver for me.

I took 15 minutes to drink an ounce. Try slowing it down even more and just keep after it. At first, I could only drink lukewarm fluids. Not too hot, not too cold. I felt like Goldilocks. Lynda