DebiC

Have you tried the Wasa Crisp'n Light? Comes in light rye and 7 grain. Only 20 calories perslice. I have almost entirely given up on bread. I do love the Wasa tho. If I'm in a real hurry for breakfast I spread 1 Tlb of peanut butter on the Crisp 'n light and have that. It's an entirely different texture than the regular Wasa, so I keep both on hand.

Don't drink-so I don't know this from personal expericence-but I was told by my surgeon that 1 drink with affect you as 3 would have pre-surgery. So just allow for that.

I know that I started out this journey MUCH larger than most of you. But it's so hard to hear how after losing 30 or 40 lbs you've gone down like 4 or 5 dress sizes!! I have lost almost 70 lbs and not one thing has changed-size wise (yes I probably should measure-but I know that won't happen). So 70# later and I don't even get to buy a new, anything! I bought a new bra yesterday-and it is the same size as my old one-and tight! I know from prior weight loss experiences that it takes about 100# before you can notice on me. And even then only some people notice. Don't get me wrong-I'm thrilled to have lost what I have. It now seems doable thst I'll hit the 100# mark by 5 months. I love my sleeve and have absolutely no complaints. Just want to go out and buy some new clothes!!!!!

Your recipe sounds delicious. But I thought cheese was a no-no on a Paleo diet? Also what store is BJ"s?

I'm with Lissa. I'm only about 9 weeks out and all that seems like a distant past. I only have 3 meals a day-no Snacks. So when I wake up I figure out what my timeing for the day will be. I take my pills twice a day (although my surgeon only has me on 1 multi and 1 calcium, but I have other meds). With Breakfast and at night. I carry Water around with me all day and thankfully no longer need to sip. I can just take a drink. Things got much more normalized once I was on a full diet-which for me was 4 weeks. A lot easier to plan your eating.

I found it hard to believe, but I started with a BMI of 69! I refused to consider a Bypass for many reasons, and was thrilled when I first read about the sleeve. My surgeon tried to tell me I could do better with the Bypass, but I felt very strongly that I wanted a sleeve. For many people the sleeve is done, and then later converted to a bypass if you don't lose enough weight. I am only about 2 1/2 months out, so I can't say whether or not I will eventually lose enough, but at my age (57) I don't need to be a size 6 in the end. (I am 6' tall). I would be happy to be 250! There are others on this forum who have lost over 200+ and one gentleman who has lost over 275# in one year! Personally, I think the benefits of the sleeve far outweigh the benefits of a bypass. With a Bypass you may lose the weight faster, but eventually that evens out between the sleeve and the bypass. The sleeve allows you to eat mor normally. More food choices, no dumping. Also no malabsorbtion issues. Your body is able to get the nutrients it needs from the food. Only you can make this decision. My surgeon said mine was one of the hardest he has had to do-but he did it. Laproscopicly and I had NO pain and NO complications at all. I was able to resume eating a completely normal diet at 4 weeKs. I can eat almost anything I want, a meal generally consists of a 3 oz portion of a Protein and 1/2 cup or so of vegetables. I eat 3 times a day and have no desire to snack inbetween (for the most part). I miss eating a big meal-but that is in my head, not my stomach and would apply to either surgery. I occasionally have some bread, or crackers, but it really doesn't appeal to me and since I can consume such a small amount I hate to waste it on a filler like bread or Pasta. I hope this answers some of your questions.

I was going to say-You must be further along than me, because I don't generally eat enough to warrant cooking just for me! On Sundays however I have family over, and try to cook things that work for me. This past Sunday we had Taco Soup. I cooked up about 1/2 lb 93/7 ground beef with some onion. Added 2 cans of Beans, drained. 1 can corn, drained and 1 can each Rotel and petite diced tomatoes. Then about 2-3 cups beef broth (I use beef base and water) then cook. Some people wanted to make Taco salad, so they just strained the broth off the bean/meat and put that over shredded lettuce and topped with some cheese, crushed tortilla chips. As for chicken, my favorite is just to do a Greek roasted chicken and veggies. I use boneless, skinless breast or tenders, cut into bite size pieces. Put into a large bowl with chunked veggies (onion, carrot, zucchini, sweet potato, fresh beets, whatever you like) then I sprinkle with a SMALL amount of olive oil (or spray with an olive oil spray) and sprinkle with Greek Seasoning and a small amount of lemon juice, some garlic. I spread the whole thing out on a sheet pan and roast at 425 for 45-60 min. I try and make enough for several meals. It reheats well and I even love it cold. If I am making it for the family I also roast chunked potatoes with it. It really couldn't be easier and uses whatever is on hand.

Glad to hear you are doing so great. Everyday will get a little better and then soon, you will hardly remember this part at all. Can't answer about the dairy. Some people become lactose intolerant after the surgery (I did not) and other find they just don't care for the taste. I would suggest you just take a bite or swallow and then let that be it for about 24 hours to see how you react. If it's a problem, wait a few more days and try again. What you may not tolerate one day will sometimes be fine a few days later, and sometimes not. I would suggest you try yogurt, greek yogurt or a Protein shake. The most important thing at this stage is to get your liquids in. Don't worry so much about the protein. Try Jello, popscicles, clear juice, broths, and of course Water and just sip, sip, sip. almost constantly. Also at this stage some peole do better with warm liquids, I had to have everything ice cold. Warm beverges still do not appeal to me 9 weeks out. You are so lucky to have your mom there to help. Have you tried Gas-X strips? A lot of people swear by them. I have more of a problem with heartburn than gas. Just can't resist spicy. Good Luck and keep coming back to post.

I was so afraid my surgeon would require me to lose weight before surgery (I did lose 26# on the pre-op) or that my insurance would require it. By the time I got around to deciding on the surgery I was in no state of mind to try on my own, again, for the 100th time. I can understand their thinking-we want to know that you are taking this seriously, or that you have the ability to follow the post-op diet (which in my opinion is harder than Weight Watchers or some of the other "diets" out there). But still-they should understand that we are here (most of us anyways) as a last resort-and we don't want to play games or prolong the process. I'm glad you decided to follow the rules so that you can get sleeved. Good luck on your surgery. Keep us posted

Just discussing this with my daughter the other day-How since surgery my diet has almost become Paleo just on it's own. Except for the dairy. Since most of my meals meals consist solely of a Protein and some veggies. But never will become completely Paleo until they figure out how to do a Paleo pizza!!

Now I am no eggface-but i was thinking about how she makes dozens of flavors of "ice cream" from soy milk and Protein powder and added ingredients, like torani syrups, nuts, fruits etc. I was wondering today about the possibility of making "ice cream" out of the premixed shakes (I'm thinking premier-the only one I can even swallow). I was thinking I could take 2 cans (24oz) and use my Cuisinart machine (the kind where you freeze the container) and then put it into individual serving size containers to have for Breakfast (I hate to cook in the morning). I was thinking about having one and a piece of fruit. Then I started thinking about adding fruit to the ice cream itself before freezing-peaches with vanilla, banana pieces with chocolate? Before I invest my hard earned cash into buying a case of shakes (I don't do Protein Shakes anymore) I just wondered if anyone had tried this?

Have no fear-most likely at least some of the hunger will come back!! if not real hunger, at least Head Hunger from the sight and smell of old favorites. We are still living life and need to figure out how to accomodate some of out old favorites. When it comes to pizza (my diet nemesis) I saute up some zucchini, onion, bell pepper. Then I take the crust from one piece and dispose of it and toss that cheese and sauce on top of my sauted veggies and enjoy right along with everyone else. If we are having Pasta, I just put some sauce into a ramekin, add my Protein, top with a little cheese and broil. Or I might add some steamed zucchini or spaghetti squash to the sauce and have that alongside my protein choice. There will always be temptations and for the first time in my life I am allowing myself to throw away perfectly good food-I'd rather throw it away or give it away than sabotage my food plan. My daughters family has never eaten so well!!

I live alone-but my daughter and her two daughters eat dinner with me almost everynight. I have been lucky that my daughter had decided that they needed to eat healthier-so they have adopted several of my new habits. If we have a Pasta type dish-I take my protion out before adding the pasta. If we have something like pizza-I substitute zucchini for the crust and top with sauce/cheese/veggies and bake. My meals usually consist of a Protein (about 3 oz) and then a very small-1/2 cup of salad or 1/4 cup cooked vegetable. I don't have any room left for additional food-so it's not too much of a temptation if they add pasta, or rice or bread. it's difficult to want to cook when you get to eat so little of it. It's not worth the time or the mess. I do a lot like Lissa and freeze portions to have another time so I don't end up eating the same meal 3 days in a row.

In my experience the pre-op diet is the hardest part. While we all have different post-op experiences it seems most are very easy and without complications. Hang in there. Soon this part will be nothing but an unpleasant memory as you start to watch the pounds melt away after surgery!

To ab76307: You lost 98# in 3 months? That must be some kind of record!! You rock-any tips? I got sleeved about 3 weeks after you. Haven't weighed myself in 2 weeks so no real clue where I'm at. Lets just say I started at over 450# I'm 6' tall. Had my clothes custon made (too big and tall to shop at regular stores) so not sure about size. About a 6X I think. Although I have lost about 70lbs haven't gone down enough to change even one size . So I am just looking to be even a size 32 so I can at least buy dresses at a regular store and then we'll go from there.

While I agree that it is important to be careful and to take our surgery seriously, my surgeon (and he was one of the VSG pioneers) advocates a full diet by 4 weeks. He discourages Protein drinks after surgery and only "allows" 3 meals a day and no Snacks. I don't think there has been any empirical studies done on post-op eating and many doctors are going by the old Bypass recommendations-which is why we have so many differing pre and post op diets going on. So while I don't think we necessarily need to stick to soft foods for 2 months-we should certainly follow our surgeons recommendations to give us the best chance at success.

Not everyone's tastes change after getting sleeved. For most of us, we would never have gotten as big as we were if it wasn't for mental/emotional/addiction issues. None of that changes just by getting a sleeve. If food was your "go to" comfort food before, then it will still be. For me it was Pepsi. About 3 weeks after being sleeved I had a crisis and the first thought that came to my mind was "I need a Pepsi". I did not indulge. I agreed to give up soda 100% after I got sleeved and I'm really trying to keep that promise. Also-food tastes good (I do make healthier choices now). After I finish my 2-3 oz Protein and 1/2 cup vegetables I am full, but it tasted so good I still want more. Of course I don't partake (been there-not fun), but the desire is still there. What you said is all true-in a perfect world. But unfortunately we are not able to make perfect choices-or we wouldn't have been overweight to begin with. I personnally bought several books on WLS and the mental/emotional aspects. I also just started going to a therapist who believes that a lot of my food addiction problem stems from the verbal/emotional abuse I have suffered throughout most of my life-so I need to work on that. But ultimately I think if we don't find a way to figure out the problems that made us so fat, our behavior is not going to really change, and sleeve or no sleeve I don't think we will resolve our weight problems in the long run.

When I eat too fast or too much and start to feel like I'm going to vomit-I find that taking a few sips of Water helps things to settle down. Funny how the opposite is true for many. My Doctor is so adament about the no drinking rule-that he told me that he has stopped drinking during his meals also, even tho he has not had WLS. Sometimes for Breakfast I do drink milk. I don't see how that is different than if I had milk on Cereal. But that;s just my opinion. I understand the reasons behind not drinking while eating-but it's hard to break a lifetime habit.

I am not a Protein drink drinker. Even in my Clear liquid phases I drank Instant Breakfast. Couldn't stomach the thought of a Protein shake. (doing Optifast 20 years ago made me nauseas just thinking of protein shakes) BUT-I was at costco today and they were sampling both the chocolate and vanilla Premier canned protein drinks- 30 grams of protein, about 180 calories, 1 gr sugar $24 for 18 cans. I was actually able to swallow it! Both flavors! Didn't notice any protein aftertaste. The vanilla had a faint coconut flavor-but it was nice. If I had to do Protein shakes ever again I would definitly go with these. And with Costco, if you buy the case, try one and don't like it-You can return the remainder of the case and they will refund all of your money.

I am only 2 months post-op, so I can't give you personal stats-I haven't weighed in 2+ weeks but at 6 weeks post-op I was down 58 lbs. I have seen several people here who have lost 100# in 5 or so months. Some have lost 200# in about a year. But of course that's not everyone. As Rootman said-the more you have to lose the faster it "should" happen. If you are on a pre-op diet now for the time before surgery, that should help you get to your goal. I lost over 20# in just my two week post-op diet. Good Luck and have fun on your cruise. I too had planned to go this year, but decided for several reasons (weight being one) to wait another year.

It's so funny to me how since we started at different weights it makes our goals the same, but different. Here I am hoping to get into the size clothes you all can't wait to get out of!! Unfortunately I am also 6' tall so I can't even ask for your hand-me-downs. I just want to shop at a store-any store! They make clothes for big people or tall people, but not big&tall. Of course I have to make sure my shirts are long enough to cover my butt, so I have had to have my shirts made for me (pluswoman.com) for the last few years. At $100 a shirt! Needless to say I only have 3 different ones. And those lovely black elastic waist pants from Roamans. I just can't wait to fit into a 28!! I have seen so many cute clothes online that go up to a 28. It may take awhile-but at least I'm headed in the right direction.

Been exactly where you are for 30 years. I finally left 8 years ago. We had 5 kids and all have been permanently damaged because of him and his behavior. In my case talking to him about his behavior did no good-It took me over 20 years to get up the nerve to confront him and he denied ever calling me or our kids names. I think part of the reason I gained weight was in response to his behavior. I can almost guarantee that losing weight will not change his behavior. He'll just find something else to pick on your for. But as your self-esteem starts to return you will be better prepared to make decisions about what to do. Regardless, now is the time you need to focus on yourself. Do the things you need to help yourself get healthy. And whether or not you think you'll ever leave him, I would suggest that you get some job training-we never know what our future will hold-but it's best to be prepared for whatever. I wish I had done that. Good Luck and please keep coming around for support. There are many of us who have been where you are.

No celery!! Except cooked. Crunchy is tough. I like WASA Crispbreads. Only 20 calories for a "cracker" the size of a graham cracker. Actually you may not have use for cruncy Snacks for several months. After eating your Protein and then some bites of veggies-no room left. I, personally do not have space for snacks (although some have them planned in). My sleeve will only tolerate food every 4 hours (3 meals a day) and I have no desire, or space for snacks. I know some eat saltines or other low fat crackers. Also if you check into some of the Atkins type snacks you can find things like 100% cheese crisps-in flavors and things like that. Good luck.

This looks really good. Thanks for sharing

I suffer(ed) from severe depression and PMDD. I was on Wellbutrin for a couple years. Switched to Effexor and then about 3 years ago they added Wellbutrin back. I can't say if affected my libido or not as several other things were going on in my life. But what I can say is that everyone reacts differently to different psychotropic drugs. What energizes one person-sedates another. I had manic episodes from one antidepressant I was on and some cease to be effective after awhile. If you take it and it doesn't provide the results you are looking for-tell your doctor. It may need to be tweaked or changed. I went through 5 or 6 different antidepressants before finding the combination that has worked for me now for more than 8 years.