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Oh, I said the ONLY word! 22 pounds is awesome, especially since I probably would have gained a few over the past month if I was eating like before. It's just when people start saying "I lost 40 pounds the first month," 22 doesn't sound like much but it's all about how much you have to lose and where you are starting.

The number of pounds lost is definitely interesting to hear, but a total body percentage is probably more meaningful. I've only lost 22 pounds, but that's 10% of my body weight from surgery day. Whoo hooo! ilikenu - I complained and moaned so much those first three post-op weeks. Liquids?! For three weeks?! But I want food!! Well, I've been allowed soft food for the past week and let me tell you, it's not all I thought it would be. I think I was imagining the feeling I used to get when I ate a huge meal and that feeling is gone, baby gone. It's nearly impossible to get the 80 grams of protein a day that my Nut wants me to have, and I feel like eating is more of a chore. Those protein shakes you could just sip, sip all day. Now I have to remember to stop drinking, wait 30 minutes, find something smushy and spend the next 20 minutes eating an ounce of food, only to wait 45 minutes for another drink. I know things will get better, but it's definitely not as easy as I had hoped. BUT - refer to that first paragraph! There is 10% less of me than there was four weeks ago!

So, if we don't count all the fluids from the hospital, you went from 257 to 247 in two weeks. That doesn't seem like a crazy amount to lose. I lost 10 pounds the first week after surgery, then stalled for two weeks! Ugh! But now it's dropping again. A trick for fluids is to get unflavored protein powder and put it in your drink. Unjury is really good in crystal light - can't even tell it's there. And it's not so think so you can drink it more easily. Liquid is liquid - you should be able to count protein drinks as liquid. Good luck and don't let a nutritionist make you feel bad. You're doing great!

I'm two weeks out and still find myself falling asleep around 1:00 in the afternoon. I'm on all liquids, though, and it's worse if I slack on drinking protein or water. Then I'm really tired!

I'm 9 days out of surgery and my nut says only Protein shakes and broth for three weeks after surgery. Nothing blended, no Jello, no yogurt, nothing but shakes and broth. I'm not even half way and I'm going to need an alibi because there will be bodies before these three weeks are up. I'm going crazy!! Is there some way I can mix Protein powder and milk into something besides a Protein shake?

So the torani syrup - I have lots of those! You think mix like a sugar free caramel into a vanilla Protein shake would be good? I'm definitely trying the strained hot/sour soup. Love that soup. Great idea. This definitely feels like torture. I would give up all my secrets for a bite of soft scrambled egg! My surgeon is super strict with the diet plan, it even says in bold: NO Jello, NO CREAMED Soups, NOTHING BLENDERIZED, NO YOGURT Part of me wonders if he really expects people to follow the plan? I mean, if he says three weeks and we all try but fail at two weeks, maybe that's what he expects of us. Haha - those are my tastebuds typing. Watch out Sexy - here I come! Unless I fall asleep on the way from lack of energy....

I am very much feeling like that sore butted bear. I get mushies next Tuesday and I'm planning a buffet of three bites of real food!! Kind of wish I could move into a cave and just live by myself the next week. I'm constantly preparing food for my four kids and hubby and I don't mind the meals so much, but their Snacks make me insane. No hunger, like you guys mentioned, but these Protein shakes blow. Thanks for the support everyone! Only a week until I have something new to complain about.

Lobster is delicious on your 11th anniversary, too. Maybe even your 10 1/2 year anniversary!

Thanks for your replies! I bought some Soup and strained out the solids - it was beyond delicious to my poor deprived tummy. Three weeks of Protein shakes then three weeks of mushies. chicken seems so far away! You're right, though, Kathe, I'll look back at this and forget how hard it was. It's just I'm not even half way through the first three week restrictions and people who had surgery after me are eating things I'm not allowed for another month. Guess I should have asked more questions when I was picking my surgeon! And now it's the weekend and all my family does is eat, eat, eat...

Congrats cml! I'm 8 days and had a little freak out last night when I saw a commercial for enchilada doritos. What?!? I want an enchilada dorito! But then I weighed myself and remembered why I did this. I think once you're a few more days out and losing weight, the freak outs might slow down!

My nutritionalist wants us to have 100 grams of Protein (stopping to take a drink) every day for the three weeks (another drink) after surgery. (drink) That's four Protein drinks, or 2 ounces an hour from 6 am to 9pm. I think maybe some of the weight is lost by walking to the bathroom all the time! Even with all that protein, though, I still need an afternoon nap. If you take it at dinner time, you miss the family feeding frenzy.

And wouldn't you think the people who do the iv for surgeries would be rockstars at hitting a vein?! My anesthes. guy was all cocky "I've been doing this for 22 years, I'm very good at it..." He tried 5 times and gave up! Said he'd give me laughing gas in the OR and then give me my iv. Apparently it wasn't much easier when I was out, because I'm covered in bruises, but at least he didn't have to hear me crying as he missed my veins. I've had some people who listen to my whole "I'm a difficult stick" speech, then they poke me once and I"m outta there. Those people are my heros. I just wanna send them flowers or something.

Enjoy your foot dangling time, crazycatlady. Sounds like things went wonderfully! Whenever I have someone who can stick me the first time, I want to put them in my pocket and just take them with me. IV's are so difficult - ugh! Welcome to the skinny side!!

There are bones in our feet?!?! Yay! So happy things are going well for you. Won't it be cool when our too small clothes are too big?

Are you taking any medicine for blood pressure? I was on 10 mg presurgery and my surgeon cut it to 5 mg but my bp was still so low I was dizzy and felt like I was on the verge of passing out. I didn't take any bp med today and it's back up to normal and dizziness is gone. Living on protein shakes tends to lower your bp, it seems!

Darn it - I should have measured my ankles before surgery!! Who knew that was the first place everyone would get skinny?! Day 5 here and feeling better. But my tongue is a little fuzzy? Gross. My nut's goal is 100 grams of protein and 48 ounces of water a day. I have a full time job - drinking!

Well, I did it. Remember I was afraid I'd run off at the last minute and they'd find me hiding under a table in some back room with my gown hanging open? I didn't. April 10 was my day. The anesthes. guy tried 5 times to get an iv into me, blaming me for being dehydrated, nervous, and finally saying after I lost weight this would be easier. Duh. I ended up rolling into the or with no drugs and he gave me laughing gas. Apparently I was no easier to poke when I was out because my arms are blue from bruises and I look like a long term iv user. Now, I had a whole plan how this was going to happen - easy! I was going to be one of the ones with no gas, little pain, fast recovery. Ha! I suggest you don't make a plan like I did. My nausea was so bad in recovery, all I did was beg for medicine until the nurse said "Honey, that's all I can give you." Then once I got to my room, the gas pain hit. I've had 4 c-sections (one after 20 hours of labor) and my gallbaldder removed and this gas pain was like nothing I've ever felt. It was parked right under my breast bone and right under an incision and I felt like an alien would be bursting out of me at any time. In fact, I wished for an alien to burst out so the pain would go away! I got a strong narcotic in my iv and that made everything just lovely. No pain, no nausea. But when I sat up, my blood pressure and pulse plummeted. No walking for me. That meant the meds wore off and that darn gas was still parked on my chest. This is day 3 and I finally feel like the gas is going away. I'm walking now and drinking - though not as much as my dr would like. No regrets - just a word of caution. This is some serious surgery and serious pain can be involved. I hope that no one has to go through horrible pain, but be prepared that you might. The good news - it does go away and we'll all be better in the end.

So exciting! yay!!

Ugh - judged by the nurses?!? So not fair. Sorry that happened.

Courtney - sorry to hear you were sick! I think sleeping through the worst parts is a great plan, though. iwanttobethin - hope those pain meds kick in real quick!

Are you on a liquid diet or just a low carb "lose some weight" diet? If your surgeon expects you to be on a liquid diet, he's expecting an empty bowel and I'd hate for your pizza to be hanging out in there when he does the surgery! If it's just a low carb, or lose some weight diet, do a search for "crustless pizza." It's made with meat as the crust and tastes surprisingly good. Of course, I'm on low carb and had a tea latte yesterday so I might not be the best person to ask. But it was worth the extra carbs for me to get that latte and I was a saint for the rest of the day!! I'm going in on April 10, too!

To see that first number change has got to be so exciting!! That's the one you have to say first when (if) you admit to someone how much you weigh. May we all someday be able to start saying our weight with number we're happy admitting!

updates, updates! Thanks for the updates! I'm going in on Tuesday and I'm loving all this good news! Kat - thanks for all the details. I think the unknown is the worst part so thanks for spending some time letting us in on the little things that are happening. And your tips! Lauranbob - too bad the pain meds make you sick, but it's great you don't seem to need them! Keep eating those popsicles.

Legs for arms - funny! Is it just loose skin or have you always had really "sturdy" arms? I was watching the Biggest Loser and I was noticing their arm skin after they had their makeover. Unfortunately, the women all seemed to have loose skin under their arms. And those people work out 6 hours a day or something ridiculous like that. I have heard skin can firm up after a while, but it might just be the way it is. Sorry I don't have a magic cure idea.

22 is awesome! Just think, without the surgery, it might have been plus 2 instead of down 22. I know it's going to be difficult not to be a slave to the scale, but a pound a day sounds pretty sweet to me. Maybe they should take our scales along with our extra tummy space and not give the scale back for 6 months?