Lissa

SK is right! I totally forgot about asking if you are taking an acid reducer! Once I started taking Tums (for Calcium, per my doctor), I stopped having hunger pangs unless it had truly been several hours since I ate something. I actually looked at Prilosec today at the store, but it seemed like it was overkill (for me) and the Tums are working for me right now. Good luck!!

I didn't have a leak test until 8 days post-op, unless the surgeon did one in the operating room. Obviously, I came through with flying colors...or, no color, as the case may be. I really tried to baby my sleeve as much as possible. The thought of more surgery really scares/scared me because I had surgery before and after to install/remove a filter. The filter caught two clots, so I'm grateful that my doc insisted on it, but I wasn't too thrilled at the time.

I'm down 58 plus pounds since I started my pre-op diet. Have only lost about 8 pounds in November. I shouldn't say only, because that's still darn good! I'm down 2 pants sizes since the beginning of the month. So, instead of 26/28, I'm in a 20/22. Also, my shirts are getting way too big. I'm working on a closet purge this weekend. Libbe, Here's hoping that you get out of that darn hospital soon! Are you at least losing weight since you're on IV food? That would be some kind of bonus, I guess. WE ROCK!! Look how well we're doing with losing weight and being more active! I'm proud of us all!

Broth!!! I loved chicken and beef broth while on Clear liquids. I got sick of the sweet stuff fast, too. But, the broth saved my sanity. If you drink it warm, it gives you a wonderful warm, full feeling in your tummy and it tastes like you had real food. It's not high Protein, about 3g per cup, but it helps with that hungry feeling. Be sure to look for the low sodium versions if you're buying broth. I prefer mine out of the box because you can heat up 1 or 2 oz and keep the rest in the fridge. Good luck!

Great Job!!! I'm happy dancing for you!! Besides, dancing burns calories, right?! I know you're feeling great and hubby is in for a Onederful surprise!!

I agree with Amanda. Call the doc's after hours number and let them know what's going on. Your doc may say to wait until Monday, but better safe than sorry.

I haven't been given a guideline number on carbs or calories by my doc. I did ask if 1,000 a day is too much/too little, and he said that's a fine number to use. He didn't recommend restricting carbs at this point, although they are naturally restricted by trying to get in the Protein I need. His only guidelines were to stay away from fried foods and sugar. I can do that! You're doing great at 52 pounds lost in 3 months!! Good luck!!

I thought we had one, but it's not very active. I'm game. I'm here every day anyway.

you definitely need to have your Iron levels checked. I've never met anyone who ate ice constantly that was NOT anemic. Get thee to a doctor asap. It's a huge issue, especially after being sleeved because you are not going to be able to correct the anemia through diet alone. Good luck!!

Welcome to vst!!!

There are a ton of sugar-free syrups that you could add to change up the flavor in the shakes. If you look at the blog "World According to Egg Face", she has tons of recipes for better-tasting Protein shakes. Try mixing the powder into other drinks: coffee, broth, Soups. Maybe you could sprinkle it onto something in your meal? Good luck. You are doing great!

If the soup is part of your meal and you are still hungry after eating/drinking the soup, I'd say you could have the entree if you like. The big BUT is that you should be eating your Protein first and the soup may not qualify as protein. So, the answer is: Eat your protein first, no matter what form. If you have finished your protein and still want food, then you are supposed to eat the veggie, then worry about carbs. Soup can be one, none, or all three, depending on what kind of soup.

You go girl!! You are using your knowledge and tools to help you through this. Have you noticed your clothes getting looser? It will happen and the stall will break as long as you aren't eating junk and you continue to walk and drink! Good luck!!

You should probably try to drink a little slower, since there is some danger of stretching the sleeve or possibly causing a leak by ingesting too much too quickly. However, with liquids, it's easier to drink and not feel restriction because they tend to slide on through the stomach. Good luck!!

It's really frustrating trying to get through the process. Then, suddenly, you're having to do all the pre-op stuff all at once. I had 3 weeks before surgery where it seemed like I did nothing but run to a different doc every day! Of course, I had tons of co-morbidities to get clearances on, but it was very frustrating. It sounds like you're getting really close. Just try to have patience with the process and it will be here before you know it! Good luck!!

I couldn't sleep on my left side for a while, but that's where my drain was and the incision there was a bit sore. Because of the incisions, there are places that hurt some after surgery. For each incision on the outside, there was an instrument placed inside our bodies, and that gives many opportunities for soreness. I'm not sure how far post-op you are, but I'm assuming you are under a month out. If the pain is just soreness, I wouldn't worry about it too hard unless you can feel a lump or bump under there or you see blood, pus, or other evidence of infection. It's definitely something I'd mention at the next doc appt, but it's probably nothing. I have a new ouch spot near where my drain came out. It hurts when I sit hunched over with my elbows on my thighs. I asked about it last week and it turned out to be a fibroid. I knew I had the fibroids, but didn't realize that it would be something I could feel from the outside. Losing the fat deposits that have covered it for so long makes it tender to the touch. Perhaps this is what is happening to you? If you're having sharp pains, or if it affects your ability to stand, walk, or exercise, then it is a good idea to call your doc sooner. And, of course, if you're really concerned about it, it's always a good idea to call the doctor. It's better to have them tell you that it's nothing than to go in and find out it really was a big deal. Good luck! Let us know what happens.

It sounds like you're right on track, then. I know it's tough to be patient when you see others have dramatic drops very quickly, but we all lose at different rates. One thing I've found really helpful for the patience part is to be actively looking for the non-scale victories (NSV) that happen. There's a few NSV threads in the VSG Success Stories area and I hit those whenever i start feeling frustrated. It really helps me to recognize things other than just drops on the scale.

I had a lovely Thanksgiving. I ate some of everything I wanted, and even had a small piece of each pie (pecan and pumpkin). With the sleeve, I couldn't overeat if I wanted to, and I logged what I ate on MFP. I still didn't hit 1400 calories! In years past, T-day was an opportunity to pile up the food, eat till I was in pain, and gain a few pounds. This year was so much nicer, knowing that I could have a little of anything I wanted and be satisfied with that. It was also lovely NOT to have my tummy hurt because there was so much food in it!!

Can you be more descriptive? It's really hard to give you any advice without having a better idea what you're experiencing.

Crystal, Congrats and welcome to the loser's bench! I did refried Beans a lot on full liquids. Also, pureed scrambled eggs aren't horrible for that stage. I loved chicken and beef broth before I was allowed to have solids. The warm just felt so good on my tummy. Hopefully your doc gave you some guidelines about what is and isn't allowed at each stage. Mine gave us a book that I have completely worn out looking for different things. If you search around on here, you'll find lots of ideas for other meals that are compatible for various stages of the diet. Good luck on your journey!!

Estelle, My husband had the same attitude yours does. "If you'd just eat less, you'd lose weight". I basically told him to talk to my hand and I had the surgery anyway because it was life or death for me. Now that I'm nearly 3 months out and 60 pounds lighter, he sees what an improvement it's made in my health and he's more positive about it. Keep in mind, though, that usually they are afraid for us to go through surgery. Big, bad men can't admit that they are scared they'll lose us, so they become macho and say stupid things. They're afraid we won't make it through surgery, or they're afraid we'll lose weight and get attention from other men and leave them. Either way, they can't/won't say that...they say things like "You don't need surgery" or "You can do it without surgery". Lots of spouses are also subtly sabotaging the weight loss we try to do without surgery. I doubt they do it on purpose, but they do things like bring home ice cream when they know you're dieting. Or you say that you've lost 10 pounds, and then they offer to take you out to dinner...then order that high-fat yummy appetizer for the table. You need to do what you know is best for you, and reassure hubby that the sleeve will help you do what is necessary to lose the weight. It's not a magic wand. It is a tool to help you lose weight so that you can start living a more normal life again. Why not have hubby read some of the VSG Success Stories thread? LilMissDiva has great info on here about her journey, and hers will definitely show that the sleeve isn't a magic wand! She, and many others, have been quite open about their struggles and successes. Maybe reading some of those threads will help your hubby to see that this just jump starts us. We have to them keep the engine moving in order to achieve long-term success.

Burgandy, Most of us have some weight gain right after surgery from the fluids given via IV. Then, the dreaded 3 week stall hits almost as soon as we start seeing some improvement. It sounds like you might have both over-lapping. You lost 21 pounds pre-op? That might also contribute to the stall you are currently experiencing. TMI, but consider whether you are having BM's yet. I noticed that I lost some every time I had a BM, especially in the first couple of weeks. Are you feeling okay in general? Able to walk and move around without significant pain? As long as you are, then just keep following your surgeon's plan as much as possible. Walk, sip Water, try to get your Protein in, and repeat. Your tummy is so small after being sleeved that it's virtually impossible to not lose weight. It might take a little bit for that weight loss to kick into gear, though. For me, when I stall I find that patience is the key. I have to just keep drinking my water, getting in my protein, and doing my exercise. I have noticed that my clothes get bigger quickly when I'm not losing pounds. I am doing the stair-step plan, apparently. Lose a few pounds, then get stuck at a weight for a week or so, then lose a few more pounds. During that "stuck" period, I usually end up having to consign more clothing to the give-away box. If you are following your plan correctly, then you should start seeing weight loss within a couple of days...and it will probably be pretty dramatic. If you don't see some weight loss by early next week, check in with the doctor's office. I doubt there's anything wrong, but it will make you feel better.

Veda, It might have been the milk, not the sugar. Ian and Debi, SouthernSleever is right, you do not want to cause a leak in your new tummy. You both just need to get back on track and keep moving forward. Debi, you don't need to beat yourself up, though. Just follow your plan and do what you know you need to do from here on out. You had a tiny cheat, but you recognized it and you are now back on track. Once you're back on solid foods, things will be much easier. Your "bad eating habits" will be much easier to kick because you will have restriction from eating solid foods. Good luck to you all on your journeys!!

Even in the LBC, you look thin! Great accomplishment!!

I should have taken a pic of my plate, too! I wish I'd thought of that. I posted mine to MFP, but I ate about 4 oz of ham, 3 oz of mashed sweet potato with marshmallows, several devilled eggs (over the course of the day about 5 half eggs), a few bites of stuffing (which I wanted so badly!) and a small piece of pecan pie. I made sure I logged everything and I did work out this morning and last night, just to make sure I didn't ruin my week and gain. My 2 plates which totalled the food above, aren't one-third of what I'd have eaten before. I also took a walk after dinner and I'm working on the rest of my Water for today now. It was a lovely day spent with family.