Indymom

5-6 months for me. It started close to the 5 month mark, and didn't stop until about 2 months ago (I'm almost 13 months post-op). It is now growing back in. I was lucky to have a lot of hair to start with, but it was pretty noticeable at the end.

chips are the worst for me. I can have tortilla chips in the house (I measure them out and track them), but potato chips are a huge trigger. I don't buy them anymore, period.

I waited over 3 months. I really worried about those little sharp hulls getting stuck in my staple line. Plus, popcorn is a really nasty slider food (at least for me). It's like my sleeve has disappeared when I get started on popcorn (usually when I buy it for my daughter after a trip to Target). Addicting slider foods = trouble for Indymom.

I only have a sip or two if I am eating something spicy and need to "cool the burn." I don't always wait for a full half hour after eating, but I also don't feel like drinking after eating is pushing food through any faster. If I ever got to the point where I was trying to drink + eat in an effort to eat more, I'd end it completely.

On mushies/soft foods I loved the hungry girl buffalo chicken dip (just google it!). Before I was able to do any chips or crackers, I would dip peeled sliced cucumbers.

If you're not overly carb-sensitive, you might find you can eat more carbs and still lose than others. I tried the very low-carb thing early out, but ketosis made me feel awful so I don't worry too much about my carbs at this point (nor do I worry too much about fats). If I stick to my 1200 calories a day and hit my Protein targets, the rest seems to fall into place. That said, I have been picking/grazing a bit more lately, and not tracking very well - and I've stalled at the 168-170 mark for about a month. I'd say that just make sure you're tracking everything, and if you find your weight loss stalls with too many carbs, then drop back until you find your "sweet spot."

Can you eat them? Probably. Is that a great food choice? Not so much. At less than a month out, you can eat so little that it's generally best to focus on your Protein and keep your carbs low.

Just measure everything, then you don't have to worry about overeating.

I agree with the others, the first few months are agonizing but you'll get through it and feel like a million bucks soon! I will be a year out in just a couple months and feel amazing.

I loved hot dogs pre-op, but they don't sit well in my sleeve now. I can do a bite or two, but they are generally too greasy. I don't care for the lowfat or turkey dogs, so I just pass on them unless I don't have a choice.

Early out (in the first months) I measured by volume instead of weight, but once I started eating dense Protein (chicken/beef/firm cheese) I measured by weight. I made sure that I was getting at least 15 grams of protein for Breakfast and 30 grams for both lunch/dinner to be sure I would hit my 75 grams per day. I always focus on my protein first, and then if I have room I have a little veggie or fruit, or sometimes a bit of carbs. Make sure you're tracking!

I think there's a pretty significant difference between 5 and 12 months out, actually. I think at 5 months I was still on about 2-3 oz Protein MAX per meal, and had difficulty adding anything else in (veg/fruit/carbs). I'm now at 10 months out (as of yesterday!) and I can generally eat 3 oz of Protein, sometimes another oz of cheese, and a very small serving of fruit or veg with my meals. I generally eat about 1200 cals/day, with 75 grams of protein, about 40-50 grams of fat, and 60-80 carbs.

Examples of meals:

B ~ 1 scrambled egg, 1 oz diced ham, 1/2 oz shredded cheese with some sliced mushroom & Tomato

L ~ today I had a turkey sandwich with 2 slices bacon/slice of cheese (ate open-faced so only 1 piece of light wheat bread), and a few kettle chips.

D ~ 3 oz brisket, 2 tbsps tzatziki, about 1/8 cup cucumber/tomato salad, 1 oz cheese. I have calories left so I might have a little fruit for a snack or a bit more cheese to get a little more protein for the day.

Sorry, I'm not sure about the stuck feeling - but the chicken finger - was likely the higher fat content that made you feel lousy. I still feel pretty crappy when I eat anything breaded/fried, and I'm almost 10 months out.

I was a social drinker prior to surgery. I waited until about 3 months post-op (my doc said 3-6 months, so I opted for the 3!). I have drank beer, wine, mixed drinks, etc. with no problems. I avoid too much fruity/high calorie options and prefer either vodka/diet tonic, light beer, or rum/diet soda. I know that it will likely slow down my weight loss, but just as I've learned how to eat differently and in moderation, I'm not going to deny myself an important social aspect of my life either.

I agree with using MFP to track your food intake. Early after surgery, it's also good to measure by volume rather than weight. For example, 1/4 of a cup is about 2 oz by volume - 2 tablespoons is about 1 oz. Once I was able to eat dense Proteins like meats and cheese, I started measuring by weight - but for the first few months it was all volume measurements. That's what my nutritionist recommended.

Had my surgery on a Wednesday (early) - released from hospital Friday - worked at home on Monday and returned to the office Tuesday. Like others, I have a desk/office job and had schedule flexibility to work shorter days the first week I went back. I was pretty tired but otherwise didn't have much pain or other issues.

I am still taking my BP meds. Unfortunately because I'm so close to goal and still having BP issues, my doc thinks it is likely hereditary rather than weight-related. My mom, dad and brother all have BP issues too so that would make sense. Luckily I had no other co-morbidities.

Ha ha, now I really feel good about chewing watermelon till it was just pulp, then disposing of it.

Watermelon's a funny thing. It seems like it should really just dissolve and be easy to eat, but it was one of the harder fruits for me to eat once I was in the mushy/puree phase. Yummy though, especially since I was at the end of the summer at 1 month post-op!

Glad it resolved itself! For the record, I had surgery the same week as you and am eating at least 1200 cals/day (sometimes a bit more) and losing very slowly - currently in a stall because I've dropped down on my exercising. I think 1600-1800 cals will end up being close to my maintenance calories with regular exercise, so that's definitely not too off-base.

I've spent a lot less time here the farther out from surgery I am - especially since the weather has gotten so nice and the kids are busy with sports, etc. I wouldn't worry too much about it, just send another PM and ask her to check in with you. Chances are she's just busy!

That sounds awful. Have you asked your surgeon or nutritionist if that's normal? I haven't heard of that happening before, especially as far out as you are. Good luck!

I drank Powerade zero a lot - the grape flavor - it wasn't too sweet, but it did make my reflux a little worse. I didn't like crystal light that much after surgery. I drank mostly regular Water . . .

Congrats on the engagement and hitting goal!! Like some of the others, I can eat the meat from a 6-inch sub with veggies and half the bread . . . sounds like you are doing just fine.

I ate this a LOT on mushies. I was allowed to have cucumbers when I was on mushies, so I put it on cuke slices!

August is a good time for surgery. That's when I had mine - I was able to enjoy my summer with family and then start off fall with my weight loss.