lsereno

Hi all, I did good yesterday, eating as planned except for 7 grams of Pork Rinds with my evening Protein shake. I'm on track so far today with a yogurt smoothie for Breakfast and walking fast for 45 minutes this morning. Not sure about lunch and dinner yet, but I will report back tomorrow. Lynda

The scale can be tough! Of course you weigh more later in the day. Everyone does. No big deal. I weigh every morning, but I only track my weight on Fridays. I weigh first thing in the morning wearing the same thing. A lot of people are tracking measurements and clothing fit as well. I do notice sometimes that my weight is staying around the same, but clothing is mysteriously fitting differently. I'm postmenopausal, but I see women who are still having their periods report it can really affect even weekly weigh ins. Even without a period, may weight goes up and down over the week. l

So today I stepped on the scale and was greeted with 189.9. It's the first time I've been in the 180s since around 2000, when I used hypnosis to lose about 25 lb.s and made it down to around 185. Thank you VSG!! I am two months and a few days out. 32 lb.s gone since surgery, 32 in my pre-op diet. Only 4.4 lbs. to go till I am merely overweight!! Thanks to all who post their successes and struggles. Reading your stories helps me every day. Lynda

I'm in! I'm only two months and a few days out, but I've already discovered that I can eat sweets and salty Snacks. So for today: B: Smoothie: 1/2 C. Fage 0 Greek Yogurt - Plain, 1/8 C. OJ, 2 Strawberries, 2 T. Splenda, blended into a smoothie L: Wahoo Fish Tacos: Inside of 1 Grilled Fish Taco and 1 bite corn tortilla Planned D: 1.5 oz. smoked pork chop, 1/4 C. steamed veggies (left-over side dish from Pollo Loco) Planned LNS: Iced Latte Protein Shake: 1 scoop French vanilla Gold Standard whey Protein, 1 C Plain Soy Milk, 1/2 C. Starbucks Via Decaf Italian Roast Water: On target - drinking glass 5 now. Vitamins: Ugh- taking them all and adding Iron today. Went with Kaiser Fremont's recommendation of Ferrimin 150. I had to order it online. Lynda Lynda

Hi Becky, I'm tow months out and I have lost 31 lbs. post surgery and 32 lbs. following the pre-op diet for three months before surgery. My starting weight was 254, 222 day of surgery, current weight is 191 and I am 5'6". My goal weight is 135. I weigh and track everything. Although I'm not a rabid low-carber, I am a de-facto low-carber because I eat Protein first and I simply don't have room to stuff carbs in after eating protein at Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.I do get my Water in almost every day. And I'm working out up to 5 days a week for 30-45 minutes. I hope your nutritionist has some tips for you. Lynda

In addition to lactose, you may have an issue with artificial sweeteners. Although I used them pre-op, after the surgery I ate a lot more (popsicles, Jello, Protein drinks) and I think that contributed to my "potty" issues. After I eliminated most artificial sweeteners and lactose, I was down to 2-3 poos per day. To get rid of most of the sweeteners, I switched to the

At McDonald's, I like the Asian chicken salad (Sorry Starygirl, I guess you'll have to wait till you're stateside to try it!). It makes two meals for me. Lynda

Hope you are feeling better soon! You should be able to enjoy small amounts of some foods. Although I have a wide list of items I can eat without nausea, I know what you mean about food aversion. After a couple of bad early incidents, I no longer like steelhead trout or tuna. And I'm sick of ham and turkey lunchmeat and chicken unless it's doctored till it's not recognizable, like the yummy PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wrap I had for lunch today. I have always disliked eggs and since surgery I've developed lactose intolerance, so cottage cheese and dairy products other than hard cheese and yogurt are also off my list. Lynda

I'm a little over 9 weeks out. At 6 weeks, I had lost 27.5% of my excess weight following surgery (Goal weight is 135, Day before surgery weight was 222, I am 5'6"). Excess weight % is going to vary because everyone has a different goal weight/BMI. Mine is at the lower-end of normal. Lynda

Don't let your Dr. just toss it off. I took Wellbutrin for a few years after my husband mentioned that I was never happy anymore and I realized he was right. Might be the surgery or any number of other things. The only thing for certain is you don't have to just live with it. Lynda

Edamame is the Japanese name for soybeans cooked in the pod. Shelled they are good in salad or eaten like a snack. They are typically served at Japanese bars and restaurants with the shell on and accompanied by soy sauce/ wasabi for dipping. You dip the pod in soy sauce/wasabi mixture then suck out the beans. McDonald's Asian Chicken Salad has edamame. You can make a similar salad at home by using snow peas, mandarin oranges, edamame, and a little jarred red pepper on a bed of lettuce topped with Newman's Own Low-Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing. Yum! Lynda

Hi Carolina, My family is from the south too (southeastern Oklahoma in the Ouachita mountains). I feel your pain! I am so glad you are going to take charge of your health and make the changes you need to ensure a long, healthy, and happy life. With the Vertical Sleeve you will be able to eat special family dishes at events and gatherings. It's one of the reasons I preferred the sleeve over the bypass. It would be a shame to never have biscuits and gravy, fried catfish, cornbread, or banana pudding with vanilla wafers again! Welcome to the forum! I look forward to hearing about your journey! Lynda

At Kaiser Fremont, our plan recommends returning to full liquids or Clear Liquids for a day or two if anything upsets your tummy, Try adding one new food per day so you can judge whether it is bothering you. Stop as soon as you feel full: When I first started soft foods, I overate and had a tummy ache. I just assumed I could eat a couple of ounces. Now that I quit as soon as I feel full, even if it is only an ounce, I feel much better. Be more careful in the morning: I (and others on the list) have problems with many foods early in the day. I can eat them later, but at Breakfast I cannot. Hope you are feeling better soon. The first few weeks are the hardest! Lynda

Hi all, On Sunday, I'm two months out from my surgery. It's been quite a ride so far! Post-surgery, I have lost 30 lbs. I lost 32 lbs. on my three-month pre-op diet for a total of 62 lbs. I have met some mini goals on the way: I'm now merely obese, not morbidly obese. And I'm in onderland! My surgery was uneventful except for a small, undiagnosed hiatal hernia that my surgeon repaired. That added about an hour to surgery. Recovery has been pretty smooth too. I did discover in the first few days that I am now lactose-intolerant. I'm hoping that will go away in a few months. I've read here that many people become lactose-intolerant for a few months after surgery. I also had a couple of weeks of diarrhea, but that resolved by itself. So far, I've tried to be very compliant: eating on plan, taking my Vitamins, getting my fluids in, and exercising 5 days per week. I'm following Kaiser Fremont's post-op plan. Currently, I'm downing around 600 calories, mostly low-fat Protein, in three meals and one evening Protein shake per day. I have had a few uncomfortable incidents after eating. Sometimes, food just doesn't sit right. I've had the slimeys twice, spitting up copious amounts of foamy saliva. I got sick and threw up for the first time since surgery this week. I had eaten 1/4 c. fresh peach and 1/4 c. greek yogurt in the morning. I can eat fresh peach later in the day, but first thing in the morning, my sleeve is p-i-c-k-y! One good thing: I had been worried I physically could not throw up because I've felt really sick but hadn't puked since surgery, but I know that is not true now! My energy level is still not 100%, but I feel stronger and better the more time goes by. I'm back to my pre-op exercise routine of five days per week, but I am moving less throughout the day. I've been doing less yardwork and housework and just generally moving less. I hope my energy is back to 100% by the end of this month. In the last couple of weeks, I have eaten some foods I shouldn't, such as salty Snacks and sweets. And last night, I had popcorn, Cookies, and fruit instead of my evening Protein Drink. Not a lot of any of them, but I can see they are the devil. I'm going to try a diet trick I've used before: Cheating one day per week only. So for this week, I've already had my cheat day on Friday. I'm looking forward to being three months out. I expect to be gaining energy this next month and meeting a couple mini-goals: A weight that starts with 18, and A BMI that's merely overweight, not obese. Do I regret the surgery: No I don't. I can see it is just a tool, but it's the best tool I've ever had! Lynda

I'm still slightly ahead of my schedule of two lbs per week to reach goal. I'm at 191.6 today. Less than 2 lbs. to my first mini goal: A weight that starts with 18!!! This week has been more challenging for me. I've eaten some foods I shouldn't and I had some intense dental work done so I missed exercising on three of five days. Lynda Labor Day Goal: SW-197...............CW-191.6...............Labor Day goal-179 July 4: 197 July 8: 193.7 July 15: 191.6 July 22: July 29: August 5: August 12: August 19: August 26: Sept 2: Labor Day!:

I am 8 weeks out and I follow my post-op plan, which is three meals per day, with a Protein shake in the evening till I can get in 60+ grams of protein at meals. My day looks like this: Breakfast : Somewhere between 9 and 11 a.m. Lunch: Somewhere between noon and 2 Dinner: Somewhere between 5 and 7 Protein Shake: Around 9 p.m. Lynda

I think it's do-able with a break every 2-3 hours: Before work/breakfast: 8 oz. Eat Breakfast On way to work: 8 oz. First break (2 hrs in ): 8 oz. Second break (5 hrs in): Eat lunch Third Break (7 hrs in) 8 oz. Off work and on way home: 8 oz. At home, relaxing before meal: 8 oz. dinner After dinner Protein drink with 8 oz. of fluids Late nite drink: 8 oz. It's gonna take some effort. I recommend buying the bottled Water in the 8 oz. bottles. It makes it easier to tote and measure them. Also, I do think its a good idea to let the boss know. The biggest issue is eating lunch and getting liquid in. I know for my plan it's not preferred, but maybe have a Protein Drink for lunch. That way you could skip one of the drinks after work and get more hydration mid-day. With 1/2 hr. break to eat and drink, I don't see another way to get both in for lunch. Best wishes for a speedy recovery after surgery! Lynda

My BMI was fairly low (just over 40) and I heard that a lot from people. Here's what I said: You're not big enough: Thanks! I carry my weight well, but it is a health issue for me. I want to be healthy and have a long life. Why don't you just diet and exercise? I wish I could take the weight off another way, but that hasn't worked for me. WLS has the highest success rate and I want to be healthy. Surgery is so risky! Yes, WLS surgery has risks, but those risks are less than the risks that come from being overweight. Best wishes on your journey! Lynda

I had diarrhea the first couple of weeks. It went away on its own. I did discover I was lactose intolerant and after cutting all milk products except hard cheeses and yogurt, I got down to 2-3 poops per day by day 5. Like others here, after a couple of weeks, I developed a little constipation and finally got things on an even keel- with an occasional need for a stool softener. One thing my Dr. told me to watch for: Is the diarrhea really smelly and is it getting worse? If so, that's a sign it might be an errant bacteria that has taken up residence in your intestinal track. The first few weeks are the worst! Hang in there. Lynda

Besides what others have mentioned: Small spoon like a tiny dessert spoon or a baby spoon. One oz. cups or shot glasses (shot glass generally holds 2 oz. when filled to the brim) Measuring cups ( I used these like a pitcher so I could drink 4 oz. per hour without getting up every few minutes. Extra pillows if you don't already have a few ( I slept propped with lots of pillows the first couple of weeks) Flushable wipes ( I had diarrhea for the first two weeks and most people do) Only Protein powder I tolerated at first was

Congrats! I'm so glad you made it to Onderland: the land of merely overweight, not obese, and -gasp! even normal BMIs! The land of normal size clothing and shopping in any store- not just the ones with Plus-size departments. The land of theme park rides, airplane seats, and restaurant booths. The land of happy knee joints, normal blood pressure, and feet that can walk for miles without screaming for mercy. Onderland - it was the land of my dreams for more than 10 years. I'm happy to say I'm with you and looking forward to the 180s!! Lynda

Hi Kelly, Sounds like your 3 month post op appt, which is a group appt. I got details on it with my discharge info. For Fremont, it is a 2-3 hr. group appt at which we will see Dr. O'Brien (medical dr. associated with bariatrics; she is not a surgeon), the nutritionist, and possibly the psychologist. We are supposed to bring our Vitamins to the appt. Lynda

My pooh has has been dark green since my VSG on May 17. I assumed that was normal and never thought to ask about it. Lynda

Try the Greek Yogurt in a smoothie - it masks the taste and the texture. This one has 10 grams of Protein and about 95 calories: 1/2 c. Fage 0 Greek Yogurt ( I buy it at costco, comes in a giant tub): 65 calories 1/8 c. OJ: 15 calories 2 strawberries: 15 calories Splenda to taste ( I use a couple tablespoons) Lynda

Kelly, Which Kaiser in Nor Cal did you go through? Kaiser Fremont counts Protein and calories. I know each bariatric center has different requirements for surgery, but I didn't realize the aftercare was different too. Lynda