longer-life

I posted on the other thread, too, but I just can't get enough of saying it: Sleeved April 18, 2011, lost 100 pounds so far. (BIG GRIN)

I asked to be the first surgery so I was asked to be there at 5:30am. I was put in a private room with a bathroom and t.v. , which I thought was very nice of them. After having the usual attire change, a few nurses come in for all sorts of reasons, from verification of identity, blood pressure, IV etc. The mental counselor from my surgeons office and a preacher visited too. Then my surgeon and the very handsome anesthesiologist came by and I told him not to be shy and knock me out. HE DID!!! Even though I was warned that a lot of people were going to be doing different things to me at the same time in the OR, like CT Fats described, I slept through it all! I don't even remember being wheeled in the OR or the recovery room. My first memory is of waking up is in my room and feeling pressure in my chest and knowing what that was thanks to this site! How cool is that? I knew it was gas, so I didn't panic and I fell right back to sleep. :biggrin2: When I woke up I didn't feel any pain or like I had done sit-ups as many describe. However when I wen't for my first walk I had spasms and horrible nausea followed by what felt like acids in my stomach. It was hell for 45 minutes. I specifically remember thinking " I am NOT going to have buyers remorse!" LOL I was given an injection and it has been AWESOME ever since. I went to the movies on day 4. No buyers remorse yet. :smile1:

The power of ONE pound!!! You were healthy and beautiful BEFORE the loss of this pound but didn't know it. I am really glad to see that this mental hurdle you had, has been blown to pieces. :hug: Congratulations!

I see all the pics everyone posts and everytime I just smile. The sleeve has brought out the inner fashionista in all of us. I just love how much more confident and happy we all are when we pose for pictures. I am sure this translates over into everyone's daily life as well. Keep doing what you are doing. You are making yourself a healthiear person for yourself and your family. We here always saw you shine and now you are shining from the outside as well as the inside. Rock those fashion forward clothes, rock that smile and that new born confidence that has been hiding and most of all rock your sleeve! You all inspire me to keep fighting the good fight.

I'm a little over 5 months out and this is what I take. It took me a while to build up to all of it but probably by 1.5-2 months out, I was taking most of this.
About 7 a.m.:
1x Spring Valley High-Potency D-3 Vitamin, 1000 IU (softgels found at Walmart)
2x Bariatric Advantage sugar-free Calcium Citrate Chewy Bites (Lemon Flavored) (They taste like Starburst.) (ordered online)
Note: Calcium should be taken with D Vitamin to help it absorb.
About 3-4 hours later:
1x Centrum Multivitamin chewables (orange flavored, found at Walmart)
1x Spring Valley Super Potency Biotin (5,000 mcg) (capsules) (found at Walmart)
1x Nature's Bounty sublingual B-12 (2,500 mcg) (natural cherry) (found at Costco)
1x Celebrate Bariatric supplements Iron + C (30 mg chewable) (grape) (ordered online)
1x Nature Made Super B-Complex with Vitamin C & Folic Acid (tablets) (can't remember if we got it at costco or Walmart)
1x Vitamin C chewable (I'm out right now so I can't give you the details on it. I will have it again tomorrow if anyone is interested in the details.)
Note: Iron should be taken with Vitamin C to help it absorb.
Note: Iron and calcium chews should NOT be taken at the same time. This will cause poor absorption of the calcium or the opposite...I can't remember which one.
About 3-4 hours later:
1x Centrum Multivitamin Chewables (orange flavored, found at Walmart)
Right before bed:
2x Bariatric Advantage sugar-free calcium citrate Chewy Bites (Lemon Flavored) (They taste like Starburst.) (ordered online)
1x generic brand of Pepsid AC Complete for stomach acid (found at Walmart and Sam's)
I had my 3 month post op blood work done and at the time I wasn't taking the iron supplement, D-3, Biotin, or the B-complex. I had perfect readings and the nurse practitioner told me to keep doing what I was doing. My surgeon told me to go ahead and add D-3 and iron anyways. So I did. I also added Biotin, B-complex, and Vitamin C because it helps with hair growth.
I hope this helps.

Thank you for the link. I have put in my request to talk to someone and get some samples.

I was always cold ...my fat layers NEVER insulated at all! They were just plain old fat layers!
I love my sleeve! I do still have the head hunger but it doesn't take much to satisfy when something evil :devil_smile: is calling my name. Oh and my mind tells me ( :blah:) sometimes that when we go out to eat that I am hungry enough to eat a big girl plate and my emotions make me want to throw a big fit if I don't get to order my own plate instead of sharing like a child. My hubby knows just to let me order my plate and waste our precious hard earned dollar(s) so he doesn't have to listen to me have a melt down. Then....as if... I didn't know I had the sleeve surgery, my brain turns back on after about 2 or 3 bites and says...OH MY GOSH, there's no way I can eat any more of this. I mean really, I've wasted some money on this problem a couple of times since surgery. :frusty: What a great problem to have!!!! Did I say I love my sleeve?
And most of the time, I don't feel like that. Then we share and save lots of money AND I'm satisfied because for the most part, most of the time, I'm not hungry and I eat because I have to. Oh yeah, that's a huge problem too...you know, not being hungry most of the time.
So yeah, you have problems when you have the sleeve.....BUT I love my problems!

I was a volume eater and I prayed I wasn't put on a liquid diet. I was hovering around 40 BMI and luckily for me wasn't. Torture is the right word. That is exactly what it would have been. Fast forward 8 days after my surgery and it was Thanksgiving. I was (and still am) on full liquids. I had a house full of family and I did great while sipping my Protein Shakes. I would have NEVER been able to do that before surgery. By your post I can tell you will do great! :hug:

I only had to see my nut once prior to surgery..the psych once too. I will tell you this though. I started out with a different surgeon when I first started my journey. Different doctor and even a different hospital. I went to two or three appointments and everytime I left the office I had the same sort of feeling you described. My dr was also very monotone and didnt really seemed interested in me as a patient (in fact my pre-op appt was all of 10 mins and he described it as only a check off the insurance requirement list!). I finally decided to find another dr. I couldnt fully trust this other man and couldn't imagine putting my life into his hands. I am so happy I changed and for me it was the right decision. I'm not sure if changing drs is an option, if it isn't, I agree with feedyoureye...Speak Up!! This is too important to not feel 100% comfortable :-) Good luck to you!

We're going on a 7-day cruise in February with my entire family for my cousin's wedding (there are about 25 from my family and 60-ish total attending!). I've already decided I'm not going to sweat the eating and drinking. I'm not going to purposely try to sabotage my dieting efforts, but I'm also not going to limit myself from enjoying a taste or two of the things I love. I plan to continue my exercise efforts on the ship (I figure it's got to be pretty motivating to run on the track on the top of the ship while looking out at the beautiful ocean!) and I'm going to remember to still eat my Protein first and DEFINITELY remember to stay hydrated (with more than just rum punch!). I'm going to enjoy cocktails with my family as well. If I stall or gain a pound or two, I know it will come off quickly once I get home and back to my regular routine.
The way I see it is that I had this surgery so I could get the excess weight off and enjoy life as a thinner "normal" person. Every cruise I've been on, most of the thin 'normal' people ate and drank to their hearts' content, so I know it's not going to be the end of the world if I treat myself to an extra sweet at the chocolate buffet or have that second glass of champagne.

I would like to add a different perspective. I too was a smoker/addict for years. I quit all drugs except the cigs when I took a pregnancy test that came up positive. That was September 9, 1999 and I have not touched anything since. I quit smoking in Dec of 2003. Unbeknownst to me, I transferred my addiction to food. One's too many and a thousand is never enough never goes away when you are a recovering addict.
I saw an add for Weight Watchers and at 235 lbs, decided to join. I was instantly hungry, no starving! That is when it hit me that I had transferred my addiction. I yo-yo dieted for a few years then found out about the sleeve. It's not covered by my insurance but my husband is retired military so I qualified to have it done at an MTF (Military Treatment Facility). I saw the doctor for the first time at 258 lbs and was sleeved at 240 lbs.
I had to do two weeks of the liquid pre-op. It was really miserable and I even went so far as to go buy things that were zero calories or pretty close to it (pickles, celery, lettuce). I kept thinking that it would get better after surgery. If I can be pregnant for 9 months then I can drink for two weeks. As an addict, it did not get better after surgery until I realized that it was my addiction, not hunger that was plauging me. I was distraught because I couldn't eat to soothe myself and get my "fix".
I went through what I call a grieving process but it was more like withdrawls. I view it now as something that had to happen. I will forever be an addict of something, be it exercise, shopping, shoes, crocheting, etc. But, I will never be an addict of food. That took a lot of getting use to and I am still working on it today. It is a battle that does get easier as time goes by.
Therapy helps. So do meetings and support groups and this forum. You have quit drugs, alchohol, and cigs and transferred that addiction to food. It will be tough but you can do it! You will transfer that addiction as well so be prepared to find something healthy to get addicted to, like spending time with that precious little one in your picture, or anything that occupies your mind, hands, and body.
Having the sleeve is the best thing that I could have ever done for myself (and I'm less than 6 weeks out!) and I would go through all of it again!
Shae

Hello everyone! Better late than never. Please see below our November Sleeve Roster!! If I forgot anyone, or you need your name added or changed, please just reply to this post, no need to quote. I'll update as we go!! Isn't this exciting????
Also, consider writing banana BABES in orange on your signature! (see my signature). I would love to add a dancing banana but couldn't. I will "friend" you all. We must stick together!!!!
NOVEMBER BANANA BABES ROSTER
1- Sandy123, nateeks
2-
3-jenni_867
4-sbsheila
5-
6-
7-snoozyoulose, Michell
8-Brandy Gilbert, StrasVegasGirl
9-
10-NewJourney4me
11-
12-FionaB
13-
14-scottiff, dying2Bhealthy, biggestloser,gfawcetti
15-Raquel's moving forward, VSGme
16-longer-life, Luvata amberj, marwi
17-
18-
19-
20-
21-
22-Geno
23-CeeCeeFree, Sonja,
24-
25-
26-
27-
28-Ann10, Britgal
29-VFB, belabbr
30-KTT, Felicia

Ceecee, Geno, Luvata, Healthy, Vegas, congratulations to all of you! It will take time and as long as we all stay positive and continue to support via this forum it gets easier, right Longer-Life
I am thankful for this opportunity to share with folks of different stages in this journey. It truly is just that to me because it is new. We all have to retrain our thoughts about food, timing, quantity and quality. Think about all those late night fast food stops because it was convenient. Really? What does it do for us, today we become stronger individuals and have control over cravings and when/what we eat.
Please let's all make a goal to get that Water in...it helps for everyone if you are 5 days out or now like me 27 days (including my second complication surgery). We must get the hydration and Protein in to promote healing. We CAN do it. Look what we have all accomplished to this point.
Hey Longer, thanks for keeping up the list of banana babes. Hello to sandy123 hope you are doing well.
Take care all!

I think I fared pretty well during my first Post-Sleeve Thanksgiving. I did put a little bit of everything on the plate, but I surely didn't eat everything that was there. I did feel a twinge of gult for not cleaning my plate like mom taught me to do, but I was also very careful so I wouldn't have to chuck it all up. I even had a fe bites of dessert. Not to mention, I got up the morning of and did apre- Thanksgiving run at the park. Then, I got up at 5am the next morning for a fitness bootcamp. Overall, I LOST two pounds last week .

Admittedly I am struggling to not gain weight before my surgery in January. I have gained 5 lbs since my initial consultation in October. I felt a bit out of control for a few weeks after I finalized my decision and got my surgery date. I guess it was the food funeral stage.
Something happened to me this week though and it clicked in my brain that I am having this surgery to change my life forever. This is actually going to work! Any weight I can lose before January 9th will not come back!! It will be gone forever! So I think I owe it to myself to prepare my body for surgery to have the most positive outcome. I have started walking daily, have cut out carbonated beverages, and I am drinking 100 ounces of Fluid daily. I have also promised myself that I will eliminate my 2 trigger foods from this point forward: Ice cream and chips. I know they have to go forever because they will slide right down that sleeve and I refuse to spend all this money only to sabotage my efforts.
Anyway... just know that you are not alone. But all it takes is a decision to honor your body and refuse to treat it disrespectfully anymore. You are worth it! (And so am I... talking to myself here too!)

Protein shakes are an acceptable supplement to regular food once you're past the liquids/mushies stages. They are NOT a complete substitute for eating. I know everyone has a bad WLS story, but bear with me.
My best friend's sister in law had WLS surgery about 3 years ago (don't know for sure what kind), and she has successfully lost all of the weight she wanted to lose. However, about every 3 months since surgery the SIL ends up in the hospital with dehydration and malnutrition. She is SO terrified that she will gain the weight back that she will not eat regular food. Her daily routine consists of a Protein shake or two and that's IT. No Vitamins, very little Water, and absolutely no regular food.
Every time she ends up in the hospital, the nutritionist tells SIL that she must learn to eat regular food and drink plenty of Water, and SIL pays lip service to it, then continues with the Protein drinks when she gets out.
I think most of us want to end up slimmer AND looking like real people, but this SIL has very thin hair, sallow-looking skin and very loose skin on her face, with wrinkles in the upper chest area as well. This SIL is in her mid-30's and shouldn't have such old, crepe-papery skin. I think it's lack of hydration and some fat in her diet.
When I first started talking WLS, my friend took me to meet her SIL. I spent very little time with her before I realized that it was super important to meet my hydration and protein goals for each day. Whenever I catch myself slacking off the protein or water goal, I just mentally bring up a picture of my friend's SIL.
So, my point is that, Yes, you can always substitute a Protein Drink for a meal, and there is no reason that it can't be part of your diet. Just remember that they don't have all of the nutrients we need. Even our high protein diet still requires that we take Vitamins, and most of us are taking a slew of them daily to protect our future health. I certainly don't want to look like my friend's SIL.
Good luck with your journey!!

Another way to save time is to call your insurance and ask what their requirements are. Believe it or not, a lot of people do not do this. If you pick a surgeon of excellence (which you should in my humble opinion), the insurance coordinator will call your insurance at the very beginning of the process and CONFIRM what you were told so there are no surprises. They might even provide you or your primary physician forms to fill out so it is all in the exact way the insurance wants it.
I see a lot of delays here because the surgeons staff is inexperienced and they send the wrong or incomplete information to the insurance. An experienced team is essential for your health and speed. Best of luck!

It's been like I need to get something off my chest around my sisters (I have 6 of them). I had told a couple and it was mixed but I talked to all of them together last night after Thanksgiving dinner and to my surprise they were saying how exciting it is and they are happy for me. They just want me to be healthy. I explained that I had 5 dr recommendations for this surgery and they said it sounded like I was doing the right thing..I'm really excited now that I can share this whole experience with them.

Didn't we do this crap enough when we where fatter? Didn't we beat ourselves up enough? Why should we feel so guilty over everything we do? We have this wonderful tool and helps with restriction. We will never again eat like we used too. Never again will we be 100 lbs, 150 lbs, 200lbs, overweight. . . aren't we allowed to live our lives finally? I can tell you something. . I love me, I am a success, and I will never again feel guilty because I ate something I truly enjoyed. . . good luck ! And enjoy YOU!

Hi,
I have always said that the 1st month is the hardest month you will ever have to do after sleeve surgery. I know it sounds like you are frustrated. The weight will come off. Relax and don't panic. For exercise, try walking a little each day. I have posted this before. It might help you. I is long, so you might want to print it out and have it to read.
Hugs,
Suzanne
I have been asked so many times on this board about what Protein drinks are good and some sample meals that I used during the first month and things I did after the 1st month. These are very valid questions and I know when I first started out I had all the same questions. Again this is long so please print this out if you would like.
Protein Drinks.
My all-time favorite is:
Premier Protein Drink. It comes in 11 oz. drink boxes already mixed. There are 30 grams of Protein in each box, 160 calories per box, 1 gram of sugar and 5 grams of carbs. The flavor I buy is Chocolate—that is all I can find at costco. I get mine at costco and I understand that you can get them at Sam’s Club too. You can order these on line at Costco and Sam’s club. They are also available at this Web Site. http://www.premiernutrition.com/product.html
I pay about $25.00 for a carton of 18 drink boxes at Costco in the city where I live. I drink one of these every morning for my Breakfast and nothing else and it has been almost 3 years since my “sleeve surgery.”
The next Protein Drink that I have tried is called:
Matrix 2.0 Mint Cookies made by Syntrax. You can check this out on this Web Site.
http://www26.netrition.com/syntrax_matrix_page.html
The cost for 2.16 lbs. is $22.99 plus postage. Item # 39-0963
My next Protein Drink that I have tried and like is:
nectar, variety pack, you get 13 single servings in a variety pack.< /span>
The cost is $22.95. This is the Web Site and they are made by Syntrax also.
http://www6.netrition.com/syntrax_nectar_page.html
There is one other Protein Drink that I found on Obesity Help.com that was rated really high by 188 people. I have never had it, but you might want to check it out. The name of the protein drink is: Carb Solution High Protein Power—it comes in more than one flavor. They also have cans of it already mixed. The Protein Powers cost $12.99. It has 110 calories, 1 gram of sugar, 4 carbs, and 20 grams of protein. This is the Web Site for Carb Solution at Wal-Mart.
http://www.buycheapr.com/us/result.jsp?q=Carb+Solution&qs=ti&ga=us7&ts=go
On www.ObesityHelp.com they have a lot of different information about Protein Drinks and they list so many different brands and people have rated the ones they really like check this site out. It has a lot of information about almost all the protein drinks that we find out there.
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/nutrition/a,prodsearch/searchtype,1/criteria,11/
I hate Isopure. It does NOT taste good to me—I know that some people like it. I call it Isopuke, and it reminds me of pond scum. I have been told if you buy it at a GNC and don’t like it and still have your receipt they will refund your money if it hasn’t been more than 30 days since you purchased it from them. I guess they will do that with protein powers too—ask before you buy what their policy is about returning something if you don’t like it. So if you want to try it remember this. There always seems to be a GNC in most Malls.
This 1st month after weight loss surgery is going to be the hardest one to do. You just get tired of what they want you to do. It is for a reason—the doctors know what they are doing. You need to let your new stomach heal from a major surgery, so that is why you have to do these things the 1st month.
You should try to keep your calories at 800 per day and no more than 20 carbs a day if you want to lose weight. The 1st month you really don’t eat a lot. So in the following months keep track of everything you are putting in your mouth.
You can track what you eat on this site. I found it to be very helpful to write down EVERYTHING I was putting into my body. If I didn’t write it down I was going over 800 calories per day and would not know I was. It does take time to keep track of it—you are worth the effort, but once you get the hang of it you will know what 800 calories really are. When you exercise this site helps you figure out the number of calories you have burned and that allows you to eat more than 800 calories. It is an easy site to use and it if FREE. http://www.livestrong.com/
The 1st 10 days for me had to be clear liquids—you had to be able to see through them.

broth. I used and love “Better Than Bouillon.” It comes in a jar and it is like a paste. I like it because it tastes great and you can make single servings. It is located with bouillon cubes and Soups in the grocery store. I had chicken and beef. I also made some home chicken Soup and strained everything out of it and just had the chicken broth. I would try to have ¼ of a cup of it for part of my meal, but sometimes it was just too much for me. Remember you have a new smaller stomach and it is swollen and can only hold about as much as the size of your thumb.
Jello-- sugar free. I might have 2 tablespoons of Jello. That was something I had fixed and ready when I got home from the hospital.
I tried to drink 64 oz. of Water and sometimes I could get it in and sometimes I couldn’t. Do the best you can, and just sip it all day long. I would add Crystal Light to the water—it made Water taste a whole lot better.
Apple juice, white grape juice, sugar free sports drinks, Decaf hot tea, also decaf ice tea.
Veggie broth or the broth from French Onion Soup.< /span>
Sugar Free Popsicles if my stomach was upset this really seemed to help.

The 2nd 10 days.
This was much easier to do. If I didn’t mention it, it was difficult for me to swallow my medication so I would crush the medication up and mix it with about 1 tablespoon of applesauce and some Equal and mix my meds in the applesauce and take my medication that way. You will have creamy foods the next 10 days
I loved so many of the creamy Soups. I used regular Campbell’s creamy soups that they had. I was only having about ¼ cup or maybe a few tablespoons of soup.
Jello was still good for me.
Sugar Free pudding, maybe 2 tablespoons full.
Yogurt a few tablespoons of it.
Frozen yogurt.
Applesauce a couple tablespoons.
A little cream cheese.
Sugar Free Fudge Cycles.
Premier Protein chocolate Drink mixed in blender with about 4 ice cubes and 1 cap full of Miralax. When you have a lot of protein you get constipated and Miralax works for that. It is tasteless and blends really great in the blender with the protein drink. I use the Miralx daily and it is NOT habit forming.
Soft boiled eggs or soft scrambled eggs—eggs didn’t work that well for me.
Low fat chocolate milk.
Cottage cheese.< /span>
Sugar Free Popsicles
Creamy Peanut Butter.

The 3rd 10 days and final part of the first month. Yeah the 1st month is almost over.
I could eat mushy food. This was more of a challenge than I thought it would be.
Mashed sweet potato or mashed yams with a small amount of butter on it.
Mashed up chicken noodle soup.
Mashed up homemade veggie soup.
Eggs that were soft boiled or soft scrambled.
Applesauce.
Cottage cheese.
Premier Protein Drink with miralax blended in the blender with 4 ice cubes.
Mashed up steamed carrots
Mashed up and blended a little tuna with a small amount of mayo.< /span>
Blended chicken breast with no skin on it.
Ham blended with a small amount of mayo.
Water with Crystal Light
Jello with fat free cool whip.
Yogurt and frozen yogurt.
Sugar free pudding.< /span>
Protein Bars chewed up really well—I could never eat a whole one—just a few bites.
Mashed potatoes and cream cheese mixed in with them.
Mashed black Beans they have a lot of protein in them. I would have about 1/4 the a cup and that is about 9 grams of protein
Sugar Free Popsicles
Hard Boiled eggs made into egg salad.

If I went out to eat I found that a cup of soup was about the best thing I found that I could eat. I also felt like I was on display sometimes because family and friends would watch me eat. It used to bother me, but not anymore. I watched them eat and I thought to myself. “Oh my gosh they inhale their food and they hardly chew it.” I was always the last one to finish eating. That is OK too. At first I actually mourned the loss of food. Later on I was thrilled that I had the restriction of a sleeve because I was losing weight.
I found that chicken and fish were easier to chew and I liked them a lot more than red meat.
I said that chicken was one of the main sources of protein for me. I found Kirkland (Costco brand) grilled Chicken breast strips. It is already cooked and I would put one bag (1 pound) in the freezer and use the other (1 pound bag later.) It is really handy to have around and a quick meal to fix if the chicken is already cooked. We also ate more fish. I would buy Halibut or Sole—a mild fish. I would marinate it in OJ or crushed strawberries or blueberries all day. I would also marinate it in law calories Italian Salad Dressing all day. I would cook it in a pan with Pam spray and put garlic or rosemary in the pan when I was cooking it. I don’t eat a lot of red meat and I used to be a real red meat lover. For me it took too much chewing and it just didn’t taste as good as it used to. I will now have a small hamburger and only eat 1/3 to ½ because it just is too much food for me. Ham was something that worked well for me too. I found I could get a large think slice of from the grocery story deli and I would have it for a protein—I would slice off about 2 oz. of the ham. I also enjoy a Taco salad and I make mine with chicken instead of beef. I love Shrimp and lobster too, so those are my treats that I reward myself with.
A typical meal I ate starting the 2nd month after WLS.
Breakfast: Premier Protein Drink with Miralax and 4 ice cubes in the blender.
Lunch: 2 oz. of chicken or ham with a small amount of cheese melted over it. I would have a bean salad—it has 4 different Beans in it.
Snack: I would have about 10 dry roasted almonds and maybe 10 dried cherries
Dinner: 2 oz. of Chicken or Fish, steamed veggies of some kind.
Sometimes my husband and I would split a small baked potato
I put a teaspoon of butter and sour cream on it.
Snack: Some type of fresh fruit or a Protein Bar.
Carbs and what to eat and what NOT to eat
About the 3rd month after WLS I would add a little bread in my diet—I could only eat about ½ a slice of bread or ½ of a hamburger bun and they are the “thin” Buns that they have out now. They also make a thin bagel. You just have to look when you are shopping in your local grocery store for these things. Try to find Whole Grain carb products and if you can’t the do the whole wheat. Try to stay away from WHITE carbs. They are white refined carbs and that is how we got fat eating a lot of them.
Rice should be brown rice and only a small amount—NO white rice. Pasta comes is Spinach or Whole Wheat and you can have only small amounts of it.
banana – Medium size has 27 Grams of carbs—I stay away from the banana, and I love them, but I just don’t want to spend all my carbs for the day on a banana. I use a Mexican soft flour shell made of spinach or sun dried tomatoes for making a small sandwich too—you know they call them wraps.
Beverage: They do not want you to drink something when you eat—you need the room for the food so that you can get your protein in firsts. During the day I would have water or decaf tea for my liquid after I ate or all during the day. As I said the Crystal Light Individual packs and different flavors worked well in a bottle of water. It seems like it took me forever to eat and drink all the things I was supposed to be eating and drinking. I was always sipping on the protein drink and water.
supplements you should take.
It is important that you take a Multi-Vitamin. I had a difficult time trying to swallowing large pills. Look for an Adult chewable multi-vitamin. I also have the Chocolate Chewable Calcium that I buy at Costco. As time goes on it will get easier to swallow larger pills. Do NOT take the multi-vitamin on an empty stomach, it may make you sick.
My Primary Care doctor was very helpful and after I had been home 2 weeks from WLS, she had me come into for an office visit. She ran a full blood panel and made sure all my levels were ok. I knew my potassium was low when I left Dr. Aceves in Mexicali—they ran my blood test before I left and gave me a very detailed report about my surgery to give to my doctor here in the US. Dr. Aceves told me to have it watched when I got home. I now take a potassium tablet prescribed by my doctor and work on eating food high in potassium.
Starting the 3rd month
I started to eat more salads about here. I had a favorite and still eat it. It is Fresh Spinach, with slices of almonds, feta cheese, dried cherries, or fresh strawberries, a tablespoon of bacon and Paul Newman’s Light Raspberry & Walnut dressing on it. I sometimes add some of my Kirkland (Costco)
Grilled Chicken breast strips to it and then it is an entire meal in one bowl.
Chef’s Salad is a great one meal in a bowl thing to have and I just use any kind of dressing I want on it. This salad has lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sliced hard boiled eggs, turkey or chicken, and some ham sliced on it with some cheese. REMEMBER make this in a much smaller bowl than the normal Chef’s salad comes in. Sometimes I will add a small amount of Whole Grain dinner roll or some bread with it.
Stir Fry is a great way to get meat and veggies all in one meal too. I have a pan that works great on the BBQ grill and I do a stir fry on the BBQ in the summer time.
Have a sense of adventure and take some of your old recipes and see if you can convert them into a healthier recipe. Use veggies that you have never tried. Try some “rubs” on you meat located in the spice section or the grocery store and try to marinate some of your meats all day before cooking them—it really changes the taste of them.
Desert
I don’t want you to feel deprived. I learned that sometime just a bite or two of a desert really satisfied my need for it. Instead of the WHOLE piece of cake or pie, just a sliver of it worked for me to satisfy my need for it. When you want a cookie have just one small cookie and not the entire bag OK. Sugar free pudding with a small amount of Fat Free Cool Whip is good too. Use Splendia to make a desert that you like. So everything in moderation works.
Exercise
I was never a fan of exercise until I started to walk and I found out how much I benefited from it. Now I try to exercise 5 days a week. Find some form of exercise that works for you and do it. Start slow and then add more until you are comfortable with it.
I am sure I have missed a few things, and I will write those down as I think of them and make a Vol. 2 if I needed too.
These are just my suggestions, spice them up and make your food interesting and don’t get in a rut. This is not a diet, you will learn to adapt it and find things that work for you and that you like eating. This is a LIFESTYLE change. Make it work for you. You have the tool of restriction now use your new tool to your advantage. The fat doesn’t just melt off of you. It does require work and effort on your part.
Stalls—No weight loss for a period of days.
Be prepared you may have periods where you lose NO weight. We call those “Stalls.” You will panic and think for sure that you are the “one person this is NOT going to work on.” I know I was sure that was me. NOT true at all. Our bodies just do this. Mine lasted for 9 days—no weight loss at all. Just keep doing what you are doing and the weight will start coming off again I promise you. I can tell you not to panic but most of you will anyway—that is pretty normal too.
Hugs,
Suzanne
Sleeved 10/21/2008
Lost 105 pounds.

I agree with the other posters... you have done sooo well! And, yes the last part is the hardest! I am struggling with the last 10lb and have been doing so for many, many weeks! There are lots of different things to take in to account....
Please don't compare yourself to anyone but YOU! Gauge your success by how far YOU have come! 85lb in less than a year is truly a success... you have gained your health back and that is so important!
I went through a phase where I compared myself to others... it took me to a very dark place that I didn't like or enjoy. I had to find the courage to stop doing it and just look at what I had done and how well I had done. Before the sleeve I could NEVER lose more than 7lb, and like soooo many others it all came back plus some! And now, here I am 74lb down, 10lb away from my surgeon's goal and wearing a UK 14... a size that I haven't worn since the day I got married 17yrs ago. So, I am not at my weight 'goal', but I have my health and my life back to a place that I finally like.
Congratulations on your success so far...

Lol I just posted something similar. I had surgery on the 16th and "only" had a bad episode of nausea/heaving etc for 45 minutes at the hospital. After that it has been easy peasy. On my 6th day post op (today is 8th), I got to my highest of 107 grams of protein/ 71 ounces of fluids PLUS 1/2 Jello, 1 popsicle & 2 ounces of pureed fruit! GULP!!!!!!
I did not have a pre-op diet, but I do have a positive attitude. I am attributing it to good luck or...... not being normal. :blush2: LOL
I am thankful too! Best wishes on your journey!

This is the hardest part. Some of this you'll get over soon, once you're off liquids. I remember in the early months feeling horribly frustrated by my inability to eat anything more than a few bites. Getting in my calories was a struggle and nothing ever sounded good or even tasted as good as my food memories!
You'll get through this. You're going to learn to live with your sleeve. You're learning your limitations. And you're doing the right thing - you're following your dietary guidelines so that you can heal properly and avoid complications. With time you're not only going to be used to life with the sleeve, you're going to love it.
Yes, we all mourn the old eating habits. We don't realize how much of our lives revolve around food until we can't eat non-stop! Once I had surgery I realized food was everywhere and part of every social thing we did. Muffins at work, lunch with friends, dinner and drinks with the husband and even our get togethers with extended family revolved around a meal. It's hard to learn to enjoy these things without feeling like you have to eat to enjoy yourself.
I promise, you will get there.
In the meantime, let your body heal. You're only a few days away from realizing that the food you're salivating over now isn't going to taste nearly as good as you remember, and you're only going to be able to eat a few bites of it anyway.
~Cheri

Oh, please don't be frustrated! I know it's hard to do the pre-op diet, and for so long!!! But, you'll be so much ahead of the curve when you have surgery. Your liver will be smaller, and you will be smaller, which both mean less risk for you during surgery. You may experience a slower weight drop right after surgery, but you will have less to lose to get to goal. You've already lost more than me and I'm 2 months post-op!!
It's great that you are doing so awesome!! I'm looking forward to seeing you on the loser's bench!

Hello November Sleevers!
Please come and introduce yourselves! Scorch picked our name a few weeks ago in another thread. We are the banana BABES, because like she said, " our stomachs will end up looking like a banana".
I will start.
November 16th is my big day! I would have LOVED to have accepted the 7th, but I have tickets to see STING in concert. Don't you love my priorities? (Actually the tickets were expensive, non refundable & my husband would kill me).
So the 16th it is and I couldn't be happier. Before Thanksgiving is probably not ideal, but being sleeved and somewhat recovered by January 1st ,2012 is way more important to me. I can't wait!
Banana Babes :Banane01: