Lissa

I let my coffee cool off a bit before I add the protein powder. It works fine.

I doubt that's it. But, it's now on you to make the sleeve work by adding in more exercise, or refining your diet. Our bodies seem to have "set points" where they like to hang out. Mine got stuck between 265-260 for a little over 2 months and I've fought like heck to get below that number, but the scale is now moving again. Of course, on the way up, I was between 260-265 for over 8 years. I now know that I will have to fight harder and work more to lose the weight...and I'm fully expecting to stall around 210 and have to power my way through that number as well, since I was THERE for quite some time as well. Step up your exercise and Water intake and change up your food routine, making sure you get the Protein you need. It WILL happen, but it may be very slow. However, you're not in a race and you've done an amazing job with your sleeve so far! Good luck!!

I also think it would be great to have a trainer who knows that there are unique challenges for someone who has had bariatric surgery. You'd understand that we're NOT being wimpy when we tell you that we don't have the strength to do something like the pull-ups mentioned above. You also would "get" that there are health issues that may not show because we've lost weight, but that still have to be addressed. And, you will get that cardio is more important, initially anyway, than pumping huge amounts of Iron. Good luck!!

I can definitely vouch for don't buy too many of one size. I bought a pair of size 20 jeans that are already too loose on me and, even with hot Water washing, are loose coming out of the dryer now. I'm going to skip the 18s, since the ones I tried on yesterday are barely tight and buy a pair of 16s in a week or so. But, I can now find jeans at Goodwill rather than needing to buy at regular retail! I'm really ticked off about one thing, though. I've been really working hard on the bike and walking, so now I have no clue what size undies to buy! It's not like I can go in and try them on!

Spirit Fire, (Love the name, btw!) Be careful with carrying pills in baggies. If you ever get stopped and searched by the police for any reason, they can legitimately arrest you for having pills outside their "approved" containers. I seriously doubt they would follow through with the arrest unless it's pain pills, but a friend of mine got hassled a lot by the police at the courthouse over this.

JsWilbur, I'm sorry. I haven't tried the protein ice cream yet. I've had this pesky thing called work, along with real life, get in the way. I need to put that on my project list for this weekend.

Kenni, where did you get that list? Most of those "snacks" would constitute an entire meal for me at this point, and I'll be 8 months tomorrow. I wasn't allowed apples or strawberries until six months. Is this list aimed more at VSG patients who are farther out? As a matter of fact, a mini babybel cheese is usually a snack for me all by itself.

Congrats to you and to hubby! What an amazing gift you're giving one another... a happier, healthier, better looking spouse! That beats Christmas any day of the week!

Whoot! Whoot!! There's a hottie in da house!

I'd say that bananas would be fine, especially if processed into a protein shake. I eat them before I work out sometimes.

You will be successful! Dump that scale. It has nothing good to tell you when you weigh every day. Yes, TOM does make most of us gain a few pounds, but then we drop them plus some right after. Keep on doing what you know you should do and the weight will come off almost like magic!

Yep. Sugar will hurt you. Avoid it like the plague..It's the pesky carbs in the sugar that cause us problems because they make us feel hungry and want more sugar. Get used to one of the artificial sweeteners or learn to drink it without sugar. I use Protein powder in my coffee instead of creamer and I NOW like it that way. Good luck!!

For most people, no it really isn't that bad. I had two c-sections and this was a breeze compared to them, IMO! However, if you have a complication, it can seem like the world is ending. One thing I have noticed is that every time I'm stunned by someone's complaints about pain, nausea, etc, it turns out that person has some kind of complication. The complication rate is very low, but it's sure painful when you're the one who has that complication. The other thing that could be going on is that your friend could have a very low pain tolerance. There are people who can't handle much pain at all without feeling like they are dying. If she's young, has no previous medical procedures, or has never had a child, your friend may truly be feeling as if the pain is overwhelming. I've unofficially noticed that people who are older seem to have less pain with VSG. Maybe that's luck and maybe it's because we've dealt with so much more than the younger folks. Don't let your friend's misery become your misery. Just because she's having a tough time does NOT mean that you will have a tough time if you're considering revision to the sleeve. Oh, and from what I understand, the pain from a tummy tuck is way worse than the pain from the sleeve as well!

Add more Water to your daily routine. Walk more, even if it's 20 feet at a time, it will add up. Make sure you are tracking what you are eating on a site like My Fitness Pal (I'm Lissa912 if you want to add me). Make sure you get your 70 grams of Protein per day, together with your 64 oz of water. I drink a few cups of decaf coffee a week to help with the bathroom issues. Quit stressing over the scale. Your clothes are fitting looser, which is great! Did you take pre-op measurements? Take some now and compare them. Look for the non-scale victories (NSVs) and determine that you are going to enjoy this journey! Good luck!

SF popsicles are my recommendation as well. That gives you the chewing sensation plus some hydration at the same time. Good luck!!

So, you've decided to air brush yourself like they do the pictures of models in magazines? I'm all for it. I mean, us ladies get to wear makeup to cover our imperfections, why shouldn't they have something for the guys!?! Enjoy being a brozed god for a few days! Jergens also makes a lotion that has darkening properties that, IMO, looks more natural than the spray tan stuff. I use it to even out my color. I'm of native american extraction, so I tan really fast, but areas that don't get sun regularly are very pale in comparison without the Jergens lotion.

You're not giving up your fun entirely. You'll still be able to cook amazing food and eat it, although you won't be on solids for a few weeks. I was watching the Food Network while I was still on liquids after surgery. For some strange reason, that was soothing to me, lol. Exercise WILL become fun. I was the original non-exerciser before surgery, but now I'm addicted to that endorphin high that I get when I exercise. I think that it's gotten worse/better as I've seen results of the exercise. I walked the mall last night with a friend just because I could. Yoga sounds so relaxing and zen-like. Maybe I should try that!

Welcome to the loser's bench!!

It sounds (to me, and I'm not a doctor) like you're having circulation issues. I recommend NOT crossing your legs or sitting on one leg for a while. I also think you should report these symptoms to a doctor ASAP. Searing pain in your leg could be a blood clot. Couple it with the dizziness and I'm having deja vu to when I was diagnosed with a blood clot in my leg last year. If the doctor rules out a blood clot, then you need to do something to keep your blood pumping well. So, basically 30 minutes of cardio a day. When my pulmonary doc took me off coumadin, he told me that 30 minutes a day of cardio/blood pumping activity was a requirement to prevent future clots. Other preventive measures include not sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time. Get up, stretch, walk around, even if it's only for 10 seconds. Never drive more than an hour without stopping to walk for a minute. I literally will stop, walk a couple of times around my car and get back on the road. I make sure I stay hydrated, which helps keep your blood flowing well, and I try to maintain my eating schedule so that I don't have hypoglycemia issues. Good luck, but please call your doctor. If this is a blood clot, it can kill you fast and with NO warning.

Because I take Tums for Calcium, I bought a pill organizer with 4 slots. It was the only one big enough to hold the Tums. I only use the morning and bed designation boxes, though. I refill it once a week and take my Vitamins and meds as soon as I get up and right before I go to bed. It works very well for me. I bought my pill box at wally world for a few dollars. Find one that has separate lids for each compartment and one that is small enough to keep close to where you eat your morning meal discreetly. Mine is white with see through purple lids, unlike some of the neon colored ones I saw. I use a small basket to corral all of the pill bottles and that sits in a cabinet unless I'm refilling the pill box. Note: Tums is not the generally recommended way to get calcium for VSG patients. I take Tums because other calcium sources interact badly with some prescription meds that I take.

First, WHERE on your right side. Is it up high, down lower, near your kidney/bellybutton area? Have you tried resting some? Are you picking up your son? You really shouldn't pick up anything, even a gallon of milk, until you are about 3 weeks out. If you're picking up your child, then you may be tugging on a muscle. I was told to wait until at least six weeks for weight lifting, so there's definitely a concern about the stitches. I don't think you're being a hypochondriac. This is scary stuff and it's hard to know what's normal and what isn't normal. I do think that maybe another call to the doctor's office is in order before a trip to the ER, though. Ask the medical staff to give you a better idea of how long it should take for this pain to go away. Has the pain subsided at all? If not, are you still doing too much? This is not the time to be Super Woman and keep up with the house, the kids, and your work obligations. Right now you should be sipping, walking, and resting to get your strength back. Good luck and please let us know how it goes.

My drain was in for 8 days and the amount of drainage got progressively less, but the color did vary somewhat from pinkish red to red if I did a lot of activity for the day. I was told to watch that it didn't turn bright red and that the smell of the fluid didn't change. It's still a good idea to call your doctor about this. S/he may want you to go at least have it looked at to make sure you aren't developing an infection and that you haven't popped a stitch somewhere. It's worth the phone call.

Congrats!! I think they made an excellent choice for a spokesperson and I can't wait to see the finished product (ad)!!!

Great job!! I'm impressed with what you've lost! Isn't it a wonderful feeling?

I've found that most places will let me order what I want rather than being forced to order "meals" as described on their menu. I went to Bob Evans tonight with a friend. They have a sirloin steak with portabella mushrooms which I can't stand these days. So, I ordered the steak with a side salad instead of mashed taters. I ate the tomato, cucumber and cheese from the salad, about 2/3 of my plain steak and one blueberry from my date's plate. It was yummy... then I had one of those little chocolates they sell at the register for dessert! When I logged tonight's dinner in MFP, I logged as if I'd eaten the whole meal. I'm STILL under my calorie goal for today.