LindaS

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 always breathe in sunshine and breathe out rainbows :coolgleamA:

I have been hearing that from alot of people that they would have guessed me to be smaller then a 16 too!! WOOHOO!!! I can't imagine what I'm going to look like after another 50 pound loss...This is an amazing Journey!!! and so worth it!!!

I had just finished shopping at Walmart and was heading out the door. As I approached the older greeter, I noticed he was talking to some guy. I could hear what they were saying.
The guy talking to the greeter started staring at me, and as I walked by, his head followed me. He was saying, "I should work here, so I can check out all of the good-looking women."
It was very cheesy, and I was not interested in any way shape or form, but I thought it was hilarious, and I loved the attention. I am now turning heads of strangers! It has been a while since that happened.

I had just finished shopping at Walmart and was heading out the door. As I approached the older greeter, I noticed he was talking to some guy. I could hear what they were saying.
The guy talking to the greeter started staring at me, and as I walked by, his head followed me. He was saying, "I should work here, so I can check out all of the good-looking women."
It was very cheesy, and I was not interested in any way shape or form, but I thought it was hilarious, and I loved the attention. I am now turning heads of strangers! It has been a while since that happened.

Day 19 post-op and so happy to be here. Until September I'd never heard of a sleeve gastrectomy and was not looking at doing bariatric surgery. Being overweight/obese most of my adult life I assumed I'd carry the burden and the health consequences to my grave. I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2004 and have done a fair job of losing small amounts of weight, eating clean food and staying active BUT not enough to stop it's progression. At the age of 54 SO much of my mental energy has been spent on what to eat, how to eat it, shame over emotional binges, isolation due to my size and downright self- loathing. Several people I know had the Lap-band and I was curious about it. I got on the internet and Googled surgeons in the Dallas area (not my home) and filled out a form requesting information. That same day I got a call from a representative of Dr. Nicholson's Clinic and shared my heart and they offered a solution/tool in a Bariatric Vertical Sleeve. To make a long story short I planned my trip to Dallas for an informational class and personal Dr. consultation. I was sold and set my surgery date for Oct. 18th, 2011 at Forest Park Hospital, Dallas, TX.
I was about a month out of surgery when I started doing some research and asking different questions. Because I live on a ranch an hour drive from any medical services the sleeve is an ideal choice. Three weeks post op the risk of surgical complications are nil. That has been a big peace of mind for me. I started my pre-op diet on Oct. 4th and found it to be a bit of a struggle. I despise sweet, milky drinks and gagged down Slimfast, HoneyMilk and Carnation Instant Breakfast sugar free. I did not know about the Bariatric Advantage Products or powders? utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury.....boy I wish I had. If I had one piece of advice it would be to hunt like crazy till you find something that you find pleasant and drinkable. It will make the days after surgery much less stressful. I've since ordered some of the above products. During this time I also meet with the psychologist, nutritionist and went through the pre-admit process. The whole time I wasn't sure I would go through with it. The Nicholson Clinic is really good about letting you know that you can cancel or delay until you are ready. Even the night before going in I was not sure. So many changes, so much to give up, so much unknown. It was by faith and the grace of God that I made it to the OR the next day.....and sooooo thankful that I did.
My check-in was noon on the 18th of October. It went smoothly and I was in the holding area shortly after that. My husband went with me and was a huge support. It is good to have someone with you. Being dehydrated made some of the IV stuff a bit trying but that was over quickly and I was resting when the anethesiologist (sp) came in. I'd had a horrible cold the week before and had a nasty cough. He promised me he would get that cleared out and he was true to his word. Don't remember a thing after he injected a relaxing med into the IV. Woke up being moved to my bed. The whole day I kept dozing off and dreaming that the surgery was the next day and feeling the dread. Then I would realize it was OVER and feel utter elation. The 24 hour hospital stay is a bit of a blur. Good drugs. I will say that it was challenging to get up and walk regularly, not drink, and battle a crazy head hunger. I just wanted to eat big bites of some comfort food like mac and cheese or enchiladas. I thought I was starving to death and ask myself what the heck had I'd done. It was an internal battle. I'm not sure if anyone else has had a similar experience but it has really reinforced for me the need for the Sleeve surgery. It will be the tool that helps me finally overcome obesity and achieve my goals in life. It's just too short to waste sitting around in a love affair with food that doesn't love me back.
Leaving the hospital and going to a hotel in the area worked out fine. I slept and sipped. On day three I was able to stop the pain medication and Tylenol...both were so sweet and gagging that I did better without. I used ice packs on my left side and it seemed to help. I must say that the pain was more than I had expected but not anything to keep someone from doing it. If I could have choked down the meds I probably would have taken them a few more days. Also, do practice sipping before your surgery. I used the one ounce cup for a week before just to get the hang of it. A week post-op and I was able to drink at just the right pace without thinking about it and loved feeling normal again.
On the 8th day I flew home and had a 2.5 hour car ride. It went great and there is no place like home! I really began to heal quickly once I was in my own home. I've been following the Dr.s orders as well as possible and was back in Dallas for the 2-week post op exam. I've lost 22 pounds, yea, and can begin soft foods this coming Tuesday! Hello scrambled eggs! One note, I had really felt sore on my left side and was concerned that there was a problem. Turns out it is text book for week 2 due to the healing process and increased activity. This may not hold true for all Dr's patients but for Dr. Nick's he adds extra stitches in the left side muscles and they begin to pull. Who knew?
Living in an isolated area it was recommended to me to find an online support group. My nutritionist suggested this one. I look forward to this part of the journey! It will be a pleasure to hear about each of your stories and learn from the experiences of others. There is no time like NOW!

HI everyone, I just wanted to share these few pictures..they made me realize what a difference!! from size 24 to 16!!!

She looks prettier than a newborn, congrats to all!

Way to go! I am really looking forward to meeting this milestone myself.

I still hate to get my picture taken.
Here I am around Thanksgiving 2010, size 52 pants, XXX shirt - both are tight

And here I am today 11 months later ~170 lighter. Size 38 pants and Large shirt - and both are baggy:

The sleeve WORKS!

Great job so far! I think I am addicted to this forum. I log on just about every day and usually several times a day.

Hi guys! I am better this week, recovering well I think. Had a loss of 5 lbs over the last 2 weeks since I last officially weighed in. Down to 170.6. Getting there! I am able to eat more since my surgery last Friday, it would seem the abscess/infection really was causing my body alot of issues. I am sure hoping my sleeved life is on the upswing now!

This Halloween I'm so grateful to be sleeved! And now I can just be a normal size crayon versus one of those huge toddler size crayons thanks to my sleevie LOL!

I've also posted a before Halloween pic
...I feel so sad when I look at it, my eyes were literally drowning in my face.

Sophia, only YOU could wear a big red crayon and make it look absolutely adorable!!! SO CUTE!!!
Even in your before photo you were beautiful (I know what you mean about feeling sad when looking at it...we are harshest on ourselves) but truly you are a beautiful woman!

Hi Guys!
Well of course my Winter coat from last year, size 18, is way too big on me now so I went to my favorite thrift store, The Assistance League, alot of the money goes to help under privledged school kids in Charlotte for school uniforms, supplies and such. They have gotten a lot of stuff from me lately lol. I dropped off my coat and picked up a new one. SIZE 8 COAT!!!! I've mentioned before how I have big shoulders so I was not looking forward to coat shopping because more times than not, it will fit in the shoulders then is too big everywhere else and visa versa :/ Well karma was on my side because it fit perfectly EVERYWHERE! And to top it off, I paid 14 bucks for it, along with a sweater vest, sweater hoody w/belt and a pair of dress pants for 4 bucks each. :smile1: I love thrift stores. Just thought I would share!

YAYYYYYYY CONGRATS! I LOVE THE GOOD WILL! I purchased 99% of my new winter wardrobe there! Some items with brand new tags on them! Gap, banana Republic, Anne Taylor.
I saw a winter coat at TJ Maxx that I wanted to get, it's black wool with fox fur on the collar, maybe I should go check out my good will first ...we'll see.

Great job so far! I think I am addicted to this forum. I log on just about every day and usually several times a day.

I'm only a little over a week post surgery so I can only imagine how cold I'll get. I work in an office that is notoriously freezing and I've found 2 really helpful things. One, I sit on a heating pad (keep my behind warm and toasty) and two, in addition to the space heater I have a heated throw blanket that I keep under my desk and when I'm sitting at my desk I pull it up over my legs (so no one sees it) and ..... Ohhhhhh it is soooooooooo nice and warm!!!!!
I love my space heater but for me there is just something about the warmth right there next to my skin that really warms me up.
Give it a try if you're struggling!

I went clothes shopping the other day, as everything I had (and most of it purchased since my surgery June 18th!) was getting too big! I had to use a belt on every pair of slacks, jeans, and pants that I owned, or they would fall off.
I previously posted (about a month ago) how thrilled I was when I bought a pair of size 12 jeans. Well for some reason, I never expected it to be a permanent change! Instead, I expected (DUMB me huh?) to go shopping and have to go back into a size 14 or 16. (I mean, that has been my history my whole life! Lose a few pounds, be a size smaller and the next time I go shopping, I have gained those few pounds back, PLUS a few more, and I am back up a size or two!) But low and behold, I tried on about a dozen size 12 slacks, AND THEY ALL FIT ME!!!
Just to live dangerously, I tried on a pair of size 10s! And guess what? They went on, and zipped most of the way up. It won't be long (I hope!) till I can wear a size 10 comfortably! I only bought one pair of size 12 slacks, as I am holding out for those size 10s!
I am so happy, I am thinking of having a sign made that says "I am wearing a size 12, for the first time in my life!" and wearing it strapped to my back! I mean, I still have about 30 pounds to go till I am at my goal weight. But if I NEVER lose another ounce, I am happy! I have NEVER in my life worn a size 12 before! I went from childrens sizes straight into a Misses size 16 or size 18, and of course shortly after THAT, into Women's sizes. What a thrill. I can't stop telling everybody I meet "I now wear a size 12! Did you know that Marilyn Monroe wore a size 12?" People I work with are beginning to look at me funny when they hear me say it for the umpteenth time each day! But I don't care! I LOVE IT!!! I am SO thankful for my sleeve!

I weigh 100 pounds less than my husband and he's 215 and 6' tall. I used to outweigh him by 15 pounds. It's all good.

The other day, I followed a link in a post here that went to MSNBC. While there, I saw a link to a story about a personal trainer who gained 70 pounds in order to learn what it is like to be overweight. His goal is to be able to have more understanding of what his clients are going through in their weight loss journey.
The guy has been deliberately gaining weight for six months. He even posted pictures on his web site, and it is like seeing our progress pictures here in reverse. He stared out with a six pack ab, and it is gone. When I looked at his photos, I was actually surprised to see how fast the abs were gone.
In November, he plans to start dieting and working out to lose all of the weight again.
It was interesting, but I was just saddened about what he did to his body deliberately. I hope it works out for him. As a publicity stunt, it has brought him media attention.
I am also amazed (although I shouldn't be) at how fast he gained weight. He went into this thinking he would gain around 50 pounds in six months. He has gained more than 70 pounds, and it hasn't been six months yet.
His website is fit2fat2fit.com.
Would you hire a trainer who has gone to this length to empathize with you? Other thoughts?

I'm with ya girl, one of my favorite things to do is to flex and feel my "new" muscles, especially my calf muscles in the shower. I sit on the shower seat lean over (which is now possible ) and flex them.
So neat to see my body in some other shape than ROUND!

I'd hold off on the psych eval. One of the things I had to explain was the surgery I planned on getting and why. I learned a lot of this at the initial meeting. It gives you an overview of all of the options. Although when I went, I didn't realize there was a sleeve. Still, I recommend waiting on the psych eval. You want to make sure your evaluation covers what it needs to, and your bariatric surgeon's office is qualified to make sure it does. They usually recommend a psychologist to use as well.

I have been out to eat a few times since my surgery including when I was on an all liquid diet. I've relied on ordering cups of Soup. I don't explain myself. There are a lot of reasons people might not be eating such as they just ate but went along with friends, etc.
The hardest thing for me is ordering something to drink in a bar. They don't carry Sobe Water. I tend to order Tomato juice, which comes in a little can.
The other day I had chicken alfredo. I ate the chicken and broccoli but didn't eat the noodles. I scraped most of the sauce off. Someone with me ate my dinner roll. I ended up taking most of it home, and my husband had it for lunch the next day. I have no idea if anyone was watching me eat. I concentrated on the people I was with.