vsgm

Agree these r awesome!! Sounds grose, but when I was first able to start soft solids like fish, I grilled salmon but needed it to be mushier/moister. I had one of those Greek yogurts so I mixed in some with my salmon. Not realizing there were blueberries in the bottom of the Greek yogurt!! But guess what!? I loved it!! Sounds sick but it was so delic!! Now I mix in blueberry Greek yogurt with my salmon and love it!! I know how strange that sounds!!

Ur in a hard stage but stick with it, it'll get easier the next few days. U will adjust and bam, it's not so hard.

Can you tell me pls where you find the liquid fish oil and does anyone know if it's okay post-sleeve? Thx!

doesn't sound dumb at all....I've had the same isue, trying NOT to stand out in a crowd when eating with a group of people. it's kinda hard 'tho because i eat REALLY slow and take very small bites, so even if you 'move things around' on your plate it's still sometimes noticed how little you're eating. I've tried to just shrug comments off by saying "I have a bit of stomach flu I think" (that gets nice responses...lol... like "oooh-why are you here? don't make me sick!" ugh. if all else fails, go ahead & get the child size portion and eat your 2-3 TBSP and then eventually take the rest home. saves on meals that's for sure!!

Congrats!!! I bet u R excited!!!! I can't wait to get there myself!!!!!! I have no patience!

P.S. E-girl: CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS HERE WITH US, YOUR VSG BUDDIES!!!! WE MAY BE COMPLETE TOTAL STRANGERS BUT SOMEHOW WE R KINDRED SPIRITS AND CONNECTED BY THIS SAME JOURNEY WE ARE ALL ON. You are 1 week ahead of me post-op so I am excited to hear you've lost 30# in 4.5 weeks!!!! I am hopeful I can say the same thing in another week!!!!!! Yahoo!!!!!!! We are awesome!!! :-) CONGRATS ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS THUS FAR!!!! CAN'T WAIT FOR ANOTHER MONTH CHECKPOINT!!!!!!!

Bluebonnet magnolia: totally understand the 'emotions all over the place'. Same here!! Just keep breathing and trying to relax. We'll settle down here at some point I'm sure! E-girl: reading your post was like I was writing it myself. Exactly what I've been thinking. But we absolutely must keep our eyes on the prize. Stay focused. Just THINK what it will be like when we get to our goals. And by then be able to enjoy most any foods, just in smaller quantities than most people. And that's okay! We will have to adjust to the 'social' aspect of eating with family and friends, but we can do that. It's all in what we focus our minds on. When I focus on what foods I can't enjoy, and Lord there are many I've thought of this past week, I get depressed and down and grouchy! Or when I think "damn I can't even take my daughter out to lunch becuz I'd jut be sitting there twittling my thumbs!" that gets me a lil upset. So why do it? Why focus on that. Why not take her out and just chat and listen instead of getting lost in what i'm eating!? We MUST stay positive and think how much fun it's going to be as we near our goals!!!!!! It's gonna be awesome!!!!!!! We're gonna be so much healthier and such hot mommas!!!! Hang in there!!

IowaAndy- how far out were u when u could eat a couple saltines with your pb? I m dying for a couple saltines!! Anything salty!!!!

Countrysjr: This is a great resource link - gives some more ideas/reminders for us in the various stages post-op! Thanks! Enjoying my 'weight-control banana nutbread flavored instant oatmeal' with a 1/3 banana mushed up in it! Actually quite good!

@amber1974 I have to tell myself to slow down too because now that I can have a lil more variety AND if I'm eating with other people I find I start to go too fast (I think because that's how fast other people eat). If I remember to go slow and break a few minutes in between bites I do much better. And energy hasn't been too bad - blah only sometimes. But I know what u mean. Sometimes I 'feel' down mostly becuz I get stuck thinking what I can't have and I need to stop that. R u taking a bariatric chewable multi vitamin? That might help with energy, not sure.

R u serious or is this a joke??? WHY r u drinking 700 ml of orange juice a day? That is pure high calorie? And even at your stage I doubt a cheeseburger is your best option??? Are u following your doctor's food plan??

Oh - another good one.... Sugar free chocolate pudding with a scoop of chocolate whey protein powder mixed in and even a tbsp of lowfat creamy peanut butter mixed in. Delicious!!! I tried that cuz I like the s/f pudding but I want protein so it's 'worthwhile'! Not just empty mush.

I've been having 1-2 oz grilled salmon every few days and it is delic. Very small bites and chew it up to mush. Awesome. Also sounds Grose but sometimes I mix in blueberry Greek yogurt with the salmon and it is so good!!!!! The salmon alone is very high in protein but add the greek yogurt in and bam! A good 20-25 gr protein. Baby bel cheese is delic too.

How long ago did you have surgery? I've also had pretty bad low back pain the past few days and I'm at 3 weeks out of surgery. My assumption was that it's because a) I couldn't sleep like normal after surgery for awhile, I wasn't doing my normal morning stretches where I bring knees to chest to stretch out my back, because it hurt my low abs to do that stretch, c) I'm not taking the medication I normal took for low back pain & Dr said I really shouldn't for another month or two. So....not sure what else to do but try to keep it stretched out, ice/rest it a couple times a day. Good luck to you hope yours feels better soon & hope it's nothing more serious. Probably ought to call your Dr. to check about any leak possibility as yours sounds really sensitive to the touch which seems like something you should ask him about.

Also - my fuse is wayyy short too. Must be a hormonal thing about this stretch of the journey?

I appreciate this post/string as I too (like Spatters3) have been thinking the past few days "I'm going to be the 1 person the VSG doesn't work for!!" And have been pretty frustrated because I am following my Dr's. diet plan to the 'T'. Have since the week prior to surgery (2/13). So it dawned on me this a.m. "is this the 3 week stall I've heard about?" At first I thought it was just because it was that time of month, so I figured I wouldn't lose any then. But seriously!!! When you're only having maybe 400 calories a day, and it's all good stuff, and you're drinking Water, walking, Protein, Vitamins, etc.........if feels like this WEIGHT SHOULD BE COMING OFF FASTER!! I know...I know... Patience Mary. I am thankful for what I've lost so far (20 #) but I must admit, this past week I haven't lost but .5 pound and it can get to you when you're watching everyone else eat all this delicious stuff you're used to but can't have now and yet still not losing. Maybe I'm gaining by osmosis....watching others eat the good stuff. Yes I know I've got to snap out of this mental funk!! :-) Crossing my fingers if I just 'stay the course' it'll start melting off soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best thing so far: having control over my urge to overeat. u just can't. it's as simple as that. Worst thing so far: not really anything, unless my weak self says 'smelling the popcorn and brownies I can't have.' Note to self: MUST REMEMBER THE END GOAL. MUST REMEMBER THE END GOAL. MUST REMEMBER THE END GOAL.

EXCELLENT post and info. THanks for sharing. Also, one more quick must do to help avoid/lessen the extra skin. DRINK LOTS OF Water The better hydrated you are the more elasticity your skin has! :-) Thanks for the great post - gotta run but plan to come back & read thru it again soon more slowly!!

Very pretty!!!!!!!!!! congrats!

CHAPSTICK. and your iphone for music. except you'll probably be sleeping from pain meds, but still... and slippers with grippy soles. and if there is any sort of spray mouth moister thingy......that was the worst part for me was the dry cotton mouth from anesthesia. couldn't even talk my throat was so dry and the sips of H20 wasn't cutting it. For the first 48 hrs after I was so hoarse & dry mouthed. So maybe even just a new, cheap spritzer bottle (like you'd use for hair) that you could put water in to spritz your mouth. that would've helped a lot. Good luck!!!

Don't stress! U will likely be below the drs goal by 3/6!! U r doing what you're suppose to and with clear liquids & a system flush the days before u will be just fine!!!!!!

Smilingal-best wishes for a speedy recovery!!! U will do fantastic!! Keep a diary on the journey (or post to us & let us know how u r!! ). Jerry - u r almost past the first week and wil feel so much better every single day!!! Lots of water and moving and resting!! I went to the gym for the first time yesterday post op and it was SO awesome!! Not quite 2 weeks post op so had to take it easy and didn't stay long but it was fun just to be back and do some stretching/walking.

OMG I would not have guessed it but had my 1 week followup with my Dr today, which is 3 weeks since my last appt with him, I've lost 19#!!!! Wah-hooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D The time goes by so fast and each day you feel so much better than the last that I didn't even notice it was working!! I mean it would only make sense seeing as how I eat like a baby now(!) but hey!! I feel great and it's working!! I can't thank everyone on this board ENOUGH for all the encouragement and support and wonderful advice as I've stepped thru this journey. From the months before when I was so unsure, to the day before surgery when I was pretty sure but still anxious/worried, to the days after when I thought I would starve! Tonite I had about 2 TBSP mashed potatoe with a hint of F/F sour cream and sprinkle of shredded cheese on it and man oh man was it delicious. I'm even getting used to it taking a good 8-10 bites to finish that amount, and a good 30-40 minutes but I'm finding it's more comfortable when I take it slow and small and yes, chew, chew, chew. So I just want to say THANKS to all for the great advice and encouragement - - this is pretty cool. x 100 :wub:

You can! You will be a NEW WOMAN by the time he gets home and you'll have it all figured out & on a 'normal' schedule! Congrats this is going to be fun for you and him!!!! Keep us posted!

That's awesome that you're in/out of surgery & doing great!!!! Congrats!!! I'm 9 days post-op & feeling SO MUCH better every day!!! Even enjoying a diff mushy food every day and loving it!! It's not much, maybe 1-2 TBSP every couple hrs, but hey, it's food!! Congrats! Keep doing well!

Whoops - my "ab" area... :-)