Katie713

The grape frost is ok and the Orange Ice...they are fruity but protein makes the liquid a little thick - like thinned out jello water. I added lots of ice and sipped it throughout the day. It counts as liquids too. As the ice melts it thins it even more, some people added a little extra flavor to theirs like a few drops of MIO. It's a great protein source if you don't like or can't have the protein shakes.

You are doing it for the right reasons. Good luck. You'll do fantastic!!

Just pour over the posts on this forum, there is so much information you can learn from. Or purchase one of the books on Sleeve Gastrectomy, perhaps on amazon. There are several things that should be at the top of your list: Get at least 64 oz of fluids in daily - this can be Water, sugar free drinks, etc. Do not drink with your meals (stop at least 30 min before and up to an hour after) Get at least 70-90 grams of Protein per day (protein from meats/dairy/beans/eggs/fish) (Supplement your protein levels with Protein shakes if you need to) With each meal, focus on protein first 60%, then veggies 30%, then carbs 10% (whole grains) Get some exercise everyday - at least 30 minutes, more when you can Track your fluids, protein, and calories - you should be getting 800-1200 calories (for your height/weight) (I use myfitnesspal.com to keep my food journal up to date but you can use a notebook) You need Vitamins, a good multi-Vitamin, Vitamin D3 1000 mg., and take B12 - 1000 mg sublingual 3 times a week, and thiamine 50 mg - or a good B complex, and Calcium Citrate during the day (3-4 times) You can do this. Reach out, research on your own, take this tool and make the best of it and you will be healthier and look better. We are all here because we had our own food addictions. We are not here to judge, but to help!!!

This topic is whirling around in my head....I am speaking to my doctor and nutritionist on Monday to discuss increasing my calories because I seem to be losing very slowly at under 800 calories/70-80 grams of protein a day. I think my body does not like being on such low calories. It's not that I can eat very much, but I think by adding some avocado or nuts as snacks I can bring myself up to closer to 1000 and see if that helps kick it in gear.

Do what works for your body. I've read that taking in too little calories causes the body to go into starvation mode and your body refuses to let go of weight, but when you fuel yourself up to a minimum of 1200 calories with high protein, veggies and healthy whole grain carbs that is your balanced diet approach which is the healthiest way to go. Primary is protein which is generally around 70-90 grams per day. Good Luck!

I was fortunate to have a great team at the Kaiser Options program beginning last September 2011 - classes once a week with a group, 6 sessions with the nutritionist and 6 with a behavioral therapist to help us uncover the emotional components of our eating habits and getting us ready to deal with many life situations and life after surgery. The nutritionist guided each of us in our pre-op weight loss (10% loss expected prior to surgical approval) I was started on 1400-1600 calories for 4 weeks, 1200-1400 for the next 4 weeks, and then 1200 from that point forward. It helped alot to do the tracking and at that time keeping a manual log, eventually I moved over to myfitnesspal.com, it's easy and the database has tons of values already there for you to just click the button. Today I'm six weeks out from surgery and from last Fall, I am down 60 pounds. The weight has come off slow but steady, even after surgery, but I am making subtle changes that I hope will increase the rate of my loss, mainly cutting carbs and increasing physical activity. Mostly I was doing daily walks on my breaks, and I bought some resistance bands to use at home, and a couple of exercise DVD's including Richard Simmons - Sweatin to the Oldies. Anything to get that heart pumping and burn some extra calories. You sound like you have a good attitude. Keep that up and try hard to follow any plans your medical team has for you. Good Luck!

There is nothing wrong with us physically except that our stomach's have been trimmed down 75%. The rest of the body needs exercise for generating muscle and increasing metabolism. This is a natural component of healthy weight loss, expending more calories than consumed, cardiovascular work and strength training to increase muscle mass. I was advised that at six weeks I should begin a full excercise routine that includes strength training and that's what I intend to do.

What do you mean by "open"? Are they not stitched or glued shut with the bandaid on top? I would advise remove the bandaid and let the incisions dry out naturally. That's what was recommended to me, but my incisions were glued shut.

I have also heard that increasing calories to between 1000-1200 helps with the weight loss, and that at below 900 the body goes into starvation mode and actually holds onto the weight. I am in a similar boat, I am pleased with my overall progress both pre-op and post-op but the weight loss is slow. I decreased carbs this week and it helped, but I have a follow up appt with my doctor on Monday and will be asking about increasing calories to speed up weight loss.

For those that are interested, on the official Atkins website they have a comprehensive food list indicating full nutritional information including Carbs/Fiber/Net Carbs that can be used for meal planning. I find this to be helpful in meal planning and of course their regular guidelines are on the last pages for each stage. I never thought I might have to use this info as a basis for contined weight loss, but I could tell that with the higher carbs, MY body was losing very slowly or stalling out. So whatever resources are there for me to use, it can only help me. Right now I'm trying to stay between 40-50 grams of carbs to see if that helps my weight loss. I see the NUT next Monday and will ask if I also need to increase calories. I'm losing slowly at 800 calories/ 80-90 grams of protein, 64+oz of fluids.

At taco bell I ordered refried Beans with red sauce and cheese, and lately I've added a scoop of taco meat to the order for more Protein. I also made mashed potatoes and used a can of dark & white chicken (drained) and added it to chicken gravy and just pour the concoction over the potatoes, very Thanksgiving like in flavor...the only drawback is that the potatoes are high carbs, but for the soft food phase it is easily tolerated. I am just starting regular foods and eliminating most high carb options to continue losing at a higher rate. Brocolli Cheese Soup was a favorite, and quiche if you can tolerate eggs. Good Luck!

Good for you. I started my weight loss journey at 276 lost about 50 on my own doing Weight Watchers and then pre-op dieting thru Kaiser Options program, had the sleeve surgery almost 6 weeks ago....and this morning I was 216 pounds. Best thing I ever did was commit to getting healthy - and now I have my little tool to help me down this path. It's not a magic wand, but it helps ALOT. It's great that you are focusing on yourself. I finally learned to do that...I have 3 young adult children, and I am my new priority after decades of looking out for everyone but me.

I can't wait until it happens to me!!! You rock!!

It is the most comforting feeling for me to know that I have this little restrictive tool to help me on my path of getting healthy. The surgery was actually a breeze for me. A little discomfort afterward, but not much and they gave me a morphine pump if I needed a little. I was walking the same afternoon, and went home the next morning. Take some nice deep breaths, and they will normally give you something to help you relax before you actually get wheeled into the operating room. It's gonna be fine and you will never regret this decision!

I'm 5 weeks out...I get to start regular foods next week. I had some raw spinach earlier this week though and it went down fine. I decided I'm cutting out as many carbs as I can to speed up my weight loss, it was harder on the soft foods because of hot cereals, soups and alot of beans. Today I'm low carbing it...brought a mushroom 1 egg omelette with mushrooms for breakfast, brought some salad greens, a little cucumber and tuna salad to top it off for lunch, my Premier shake for break, and I'm having a turkey burger for dinner. I really chew everything good...but have already started a week early on normal foods...hope that salad at lunch goes down ok, I love salads in summer!!

Unlike the gastric bypass, I've read over and over that it is rare for sleevers to have dumping sydrome related to the ingestion of fats or sugars. It's not good for you, but an occasional treat shouldn't actually make you sick.

Wow, what a difference!! Good going!

I've come to a similar conclusion...time to start figuring out the "rest of my life" when it comes to eating, and the follow-up appointments with the bariatric department will be a formality only. We've done it, made the decision to move forward with WLS and going through these tough weeks of drinking shakes and having pureed foods, tiring of mashed potatoes and refried beans with a dollop of sour cream. I got into a bit of a stall at 5 weeks, and I'm just about to be released into the world of being able to tolerate most foods, and so I'm planning for next week to lower the carbs and get moving on salads. I'm so tired of soup and oatmeal...as soon as I can get to not needing the protein shakes, the better, but I've done a few days of menu planning using this website, and I can come up with some pretty easy routines, having an omelette for breakfast, a salad with a protein at lunch, snacks of turkey slices/cheese or nuts, and fish or chicken and a steamed veggie for dinner....looking forward, not dreading the future!!

That's what is referred to as the "slimes". I know it sounds gross and it is gross. Are you taking a PPI like prilosec? This happens when you are not able to tolerate certain foods, and it is your body's way of eliminating the food from your stomach. Completely normal, but if you don't want this to happen, eat slower, smaller amounts, chewed very well. And if not already, talk to your doctor about a PPI to reduce acid.

You are right about what kids say...over the years I've been embarrased more than a few times by school aged kids who have commented on my weight - and one of my children has made some rude comments from time time that were hurtful. I let him know and I don't think he will be so crude anytime soon. Losing weight was MY choice and that is why I underwent WLS and not because of the rude comments of kids. This is my journey and I'm taking ownership.

But how many millions die from the effects of obesity? So far I haven't gotten much negative feedback about my WLS but my mother did tell me that my niece had the lapband and she gained back all her weight and then some. So my mother said, "I hope that doesn't happen to you" and I felt like suddenly I was in the spotlight in a weird way. Sometimes I think people want to see you fail. I don't really care, this is my journey and I'm giving it my best shot!!

Same thing happened to me but I tried again each week and I can finally tolerate eggs. Happy cause its high protein, low carb breakfast! Putting cereal on the back burner as I'm about to eat normal not just soft foods.....too many carbs...looking forward to the crunch of salad!

I think frozen yogurt is ok as long as you are on full liquids, as it melts down to liquid as soon as you consume it. Get a non fat version if possible and pass on the toppings.

Try the Premier shakes from Costco or Sams Club. Really fantastic and 30 grams of protein. The price is good too.

Hello my name is Kate. This is my coffee addiction salutation! Just kidding...but I am also a coffee lover. I drank it til the end, even the last day before surgery. I had surgery 4/6 and am 5 weeks out today, and yesterday was my first cup of caffeinated coffee. I had decaf at home a few times, but I never could stand the stuff and I still can't. The real stuff didn't have quite the same appeal at this stage of the game, and I came back to hot tea this morning. I do have dreams of hitting Starbucks for a Skinny Iced Mocha sometime very soon though!! And, by the way, the caffeine did not upset my stomach when I reintroduced it at week 4.