Newfoundlove

I agree with gmanbat - I've never heard of a NUT that is against Protein shakes! That being said, pre-op, she didn't want me doing Protein shakes, instead I was on a very low-carb diet (no more than 40 grams a day). So, I didn't eat yogurt or fruit because of the carb content. My NUT didn't care about calories, only carbs. But, I did eat lots of salads, meats, and cheeses. Stayed away from rice, potatoes, etc. My pre-op diet was for two weeks, but I did three and I lost 14 pounds during that three weeks. Now, post-op, I do eat fruit. In fact, once I was cleared for it, I added apples, etc., because I was having constipation which was no fun. I also added in some oatmeal occasionally for breakfast as that helped the stopped up problem as well.

I'm almost six months out and had some hair loss starting at four months. Saw the most at five months, but I can already see it growing back in. It really wasn't too bad for me. I started taking Biotin (5000 mg) at 2 months out. I've heard that it works, and that it doesn't work, but it DID really help my nails. They are nice and strong now! I have continued to color my hair every five weeks and I cut it shorter too. I also shampoo daily - I have too as I have oily hair. It hasn't seemed to harm it at all. I did, however, have quite a thick head of hair to start with, so while I can tell it has thinned out, no one else can. I have also been really religious about getting protein in. I generally make my 65 grams a day, sometimes higher.

Clancy - thanks for posting! I stay away from most heavy carbs, but I did the same thing - started drinking white wine and you are right, it does slow down the weight loss, so I've stopped until I get to goal.

Hey 50's-- let's all post updated pics and give each other a boost. I'll start. 5 months out and down 70 pounds!

I have no issues with any foods. But, I'm staying with the protein first, then veges and some fruit if I have room. I can eat rice, potatoes and carbs but I choose not too. I eat wonderful, healthy proteins and veges and I'm very satisfied with that. I was never a sweet eater, but loved chips and savory foods. I still do some savory in the form of cheese type foods, which are yummy. I also bought Just The Cheese snacks off Amazon. Satisfies my craving for crunchy foods.

Alcohol is empty calories, but I do imbibe weekly. Red wine doesn't taste that great to me any more though :-(. Merlot Used to be my favorite. Now Pinot grigio goes down well. I just include it in my daily calorie carb count to make sure I don't go overboard. Also wine and different alcohols can be dehydrators so drink lots of water. I drink one extra glass of water per glass of wine. A few weeks ago, I had a margarita made with almond tequila. Oh my gosh it was good, but then I looked up the calories and about had a heart attack -- something like 600 calories! Not doing that again for a very long time if ever.

5 months out. 70 pounds lost!

Checking in with the Fabulous 50's...I'm really happy today. I hit the 70 pound loss mark. 40 pounds to go. Surgery was May 3. I had to go out and buy new clothes this weekend because I have a couple of week long business trips coming up in colder climates and there is nothing in my closet that fit! My most recent NSV is that I can now fit in Chico's clothing! And not even their largest size! The sales associate had to keep bringing me smaller sizes. It felt awesome. And, bonus, This was the Outlet store that had tons of sales!!!

Congratulations, New Hope! Way to go!

Eventually, you should be able to eat anything you want to. I'm five months out and while I can eat sushi, I don't because of the carb count in the rice and because the rice tends to fill me up faster. When we got out for sushi now, I order sashimi so I can eat more and I also get more protein this way. Lately when we've gone out, I look for ahi tuna appetizers. I order that for my meal as it is usually the perfect portion.

I'm almost 5 months out and only use unjury. In the beginning, I used the chicken broth, mixed with warm, not hot Water and more water than it calls for. I loved it and it was comforting for me. I used the unflavored only in milk-based products like yogurt and pudding. I didn't use the chocolate until about a month ago because it was too sweet for me. I got my Protein mostly from cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and soft meats. Then a month ago I started experimenting with the chocolate and vanilla powders. I posted earlier today in recipe sharing a shake with chocolate splendor powder, espresso powder, and chocolate almond unsweetened milk. Add a few ice cubes and blend and it's like a mocha milk shake. So yummy!

I got my Bullet at costco. You can also get them on Amazon. Bed, Bath and Beyond also sells the Ninja which is similar.

Now that I am over four months out I can tolerate Protein shakes much better. For the first four months I was choking them down because they were just too sweet for me. I've been experimenting with different flavors and started making an Espresso Protein shake two days ago. I make one for me and one for my husband each morning. We love them. I did check with both my surgeon's office and my NUT to make sure that the Espresso Powder was not going to be an issue and they told me it was fine, but not to drink more than one a day. I must say that this tastes like an ice cream shake to me. It's simply delicious. 1 cup chocolate Unsweetend Almond Milk (I use Blue Diamond brand) 1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder (I use Unjury) 1 1/2 teaspoons Espresso Powder (instant Espresso Coffee) If you like it extra chocolaty, you can add Sugarfree Chocolate Torani Syrup 4-5 cubes of ice Blend it all up in a blender, Magic Bullet, or Ninja. Enjoy! 140 calories 8 g carbs 4 g fat 23 g protein 3 g sugar 45 g Calcium

My tastes changed, but for the better. For a couple of months after surgery, I couldn't do a lot of protein shakes, they were too sweet. But now, that's better. For other foods though--like protein such as fish, chicken, etc., I can really taste and savor the herbs and spices I use. Food tastes so good to me now that I don't have fat and carbs covering my taste buds! It is very awesome! Tonight I had steamed clams I. This super yummy broth!

You look Mah-velous! Congratulations!

Some surgeon's have a way of doing a leak test before they ' close up'. That's what my surgeon does. No leak test afterwards.

What everyone else has said is correct. I actually gained 13 pounds during surrey but lost it all within a week and have kept on loosing. I know it's hard to stay off the scale, but try it and see if it helps at all. I recently went on a business trip for 5 days and couldn't weigh myself. When I got home I had lost four pounds! So, now I'm only weighing once a week. It takes a lot of will power, but I feel better seeing the scale move!

I used to drink red wine with regularity, but after surgery, I don't really have a taste for red wine. But, I do enjoy a glass of white wine on occasion - on the weekend. I went on vacation for a week and there was plenty of white wine flowing. I can't drink as much as I used to and one glass is usually my max, sometimes two. I didn't gain any weight on vacation, but I didn't lose like I was either. This past weekend I had a watered down margarita which was very yummy but is very high in calories too. My surgeon said wait 8 weeks before drinking any alcohol. My nutritionist said to have a drink if I want to but make sure I count it in my daily calorie count. Also, you need to drink more water than usual if you drink alcohol since it is a dehydrating beverage, so that's what I do when I drink an alcoholic beverage. Everything in moderation, just like high calorie, high carb foods.

I own Newfoundland dogs and my last name is Love.

I used to take Ambien and every once in a while will pop one as I go to bed if I am under stress and want a solid night's sleep. No issues for me. But my doctor did say it is habit forming so most nights I take one Tylenol PM. I have a hard time shutting off my brain as I go to sleep, so the Tylenol PM helps.

I'm at four months out now and I stated noticing more hair in the shower and after blow-drying about two weeks ago. It's not bad though, at least for me. It's not coming out in handfuls or anything like that yet. And, it does grow back. I'm taking Biotin -- started at about month 2. The pills are really small so the go down easy. I have noticed a real difference in my fingernails. They are a lot stronger. I'll take the hair loss, because the weight loss is excellent!

I have finally found the best Protein shake. I've been experimenting with making different shake recipes. I made this one for my morning shake today and I loved it! 214 Calories (which is fine for me as I try to get 200 for breakfast) 18 carbs (same as above, the majority of my carbs come in the morning) 3 grams fat 32 grams Protein 49 grams of Calcium (this is big for me!) 14 grams of sugar - a little high but the sugar is mostly from the fruit and yogurt 1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk 1/4 cup Non-Fat Greek Yogurt (I used Chobani) 1 scoop chocolate Protein Powder (I used unjury Chocolate Splendor) 4 small Strawberries, halved 2 T. Torani sugar-free Vanilla Syrup 4 Ice Cubes Blend in Magic Bullet or Blender and Enjoy!

I confess: 1. I had lots of white wine on my 10-day vacation, enjoyed every bit of it and still lost two pounds. 2. That I still love cooking, maybe even more as I get to try new recipes, and my family is eating healthier as a result. 3. I got rid of nine bags of clothing that no longer fit and felt good about it! But, my closet looks a little pitiful. Thank goodness for Macy's big sales! 4. I ate more than a handful of sea salt and pepper rice crisps the other night and felt guilty for a nanosecond, until I realized that it really wasn't that bad of a cheat (and my first real cheat since surgery four months ago). 5. I wish I had this surgery years ago. -- I missed out on many experiences because I used my weight as an excuse. 6. I wish I were more into exercise. I go to the gym three days a week, feel great afterwards, but can't convince myself to go more. 7. I get jealous when I see others my same weight and height losing faster. 8. I haven't found a food yet I can't eat, but I still eat too fast. 9. I am becoming a shoe-aholic. I think my feet are as small as they are going to get so it's guilt-free shopping :-) 10. That having this surgery was the best decision I have ever made.

Like every one else, once in awhile, I have to eat the Protein Bars. I travel for work and also have meetings outside the office. SOmetimes, Protein bars are the answer. I like Quest bars too, but my favorite is Simple Truth Protein Bars (I can get them at QFC here in Seattle area, but I think Kroger carries them as well). They are 210 calories, 14 carbs, 7 sugar and 21 grams of Protein. They have chocolate and peanut butter crunch - I like both of them.