kimbernada

You can also look at the pre-op diet as a way to reset your brain some too. By sticking to the pre-op diet's limitations, once you DO get to eat something else after surgery - it doesn't seem like deprivation. Knowing that the reason for the pre-op diet was to shrink my liver to reduce the chance of the surgeon nicking it helped me to stay on track.

My surgery was done in Fargo,ND at a Center of Excellence facility. This is the same plan they use for folks who have had the RnY too. Crazy, isn't it? I know that I questioned the doctor and the nutritionist a few times. But it all seems to have worked out!

Yep... that is what makes them thick - air bubbles.

So... the day after surgery, my first meal was clear liquids. My second meal, while in the hospital, was pureed food. I was released to go home. The official "plan" for the second day after surgery is to start soft foods. The next week, I was able to add in other foods. I had chicken four days after my surgery - it was on my food plan. Granted, I didn't have a lot of it. While my plan did say that I could have half a slice of toast two weeks after surgery, I've only just started this.

The melted cheese theory sounds like it would be more for someone who has had the gastric bypass. They no longer have the pyloric valve - just a "created" opening.

Red meat and sometimes chicken doesn't always settle well with my sleeve. If it is a very tender steak, it's okay. Any kind of "stringy" meat that can't really be chewed down a lot causes a problem for me. Fish seems to be the best for me. Our local supper club makes a wonderful Bourbon chicken entree and that chicken is soooo tender - no knife needed. For red meat, I was ordering it at various restaurants but it just wasn't tender enough. The hubs doesn't mind though, because it is more leftovers for him.

On a side note, I found that after my surgery, I didn't like the thicker shakes. Well, my sleeve didn't like them. During the pre-op diet, thick shakes were awesome. I ended up switching to using BlenderBall bottles to mix up my Syntrax Nectar shakes. The consistency is more like chocolate milk. (Or flavored milk, I don't always have chocolate.) Granted, this might be just a quirk with my sleeve. Obviously other people still like thick shakes.

I didn't wear any. Right after the surgery and then the next day while in the hospital, they had put the air pump things on my legs that massaged my legs. They took them off right before I left.

What about checking with the HR department about the Family Medical Leave Act? That's what I did. I think, and I could be wrong, that it helps to keep your job secure while you are out.

Don't forget to check the "Where to Buy" link for the PB2. One of our local grocery stores has this in the health food section. At least you can save some $ by not paying shipping. Amazon.com might have it too. I've also read that some health food stores have the same type of thing, only cheaper, called peanut flour.

I created the ticker via the MFP website - click the Apps tab and then click Tickers. After you create your ticker, copy the code (I can't remember if it is the BBcode or HTML code. Then pop back to VST. Click on your profile, select Edit Profile, and then click Signature. Paste the code. If your signature just displays the code after you save the changes, try the other type of code. If it STILL just displays the code, let me know. Ican't remember if I just used the image URL and added the image of the ticker via the Image button.

To me, if God wasn't a part of the discovery of weight loss surgery then... I mean, who would have thought we could replace hips and knees with ceramic and titanium? Is it unnatural? Well... kind of. But to me, God had a hand in helping the researchers and whatnot come up with this. Then again, I understand there are some religions who feel that any medical intervention is wrong. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. And when my best friend told me she was having gastric bypass surgery two years ago, I thought she was nuts and that weight loss surgery is so DRASTIC. I didn't tell her that though. I supported her decision and asked her a lot of questions. And... my opinion changed. LOL

Are you adding protein powder to your pudding? I like to add two scoops Nature's Best Isopure unflavored protein powder to the two cups skim milk and then mix the sugar free pudding mix into that. YUM! I think making the pudding is a bit healthier than buying the pudding cups premade.

I try to shoot for 900 calories a day with my protein at 80-100 grams. You may be hungry because you need more protein.

I had a three week stall that started at week 3.

"with this"

A blender bottle has a little wire whisk ball inside and you just shake the bottle to blend. I have three of the 20 ounce ones. I can't figure out how to paste a link withs darn tablet, but if you search on Amazon, they have it for $6.99 each.

Do you like chocolate milk? The Syntrax Nectar shakes are more like chocolate milk if you use a blender bottle instead of a regular blender.

Totally tell your nutritionist. She/he can help figure out what foods you could eat instead of what you are eating. You know, "instead of bacon, how about..." Does your weight loss program also have a therapist on staff? Maybe you could visit with the therapist as well, to help determine why you are trying some of these foods. (Sort of a self-sabotaging thing..) Granted, part of the "why" is probably just to see if you can. Us "sleevers" really aren't as limited as someone who has had the gastric bypass. I don't "dump" nor do I "slime". It's up to me to really make the best decisions.

Yep, one box of instant sugar free pudding mix, 2 cups milk, 2 scoops of protein powder. The protein powder that I use to mix in things is Nature's Best Isopure Unflavored. 34 grams of Fiber in a one cup portion. (Or 17 grams per 1/2 cup.) I typically use light soy milk with my Protein shakes, but for me, the pudding didn't set up right - so I use skim milk for pudding. I'm not lactose intolerant, I just like the flavor of the shakes with light soy milk. I did try making the pudding with my regular protein powder but it was almost too sweet. I like the Syntrax nectar chocolate Truffle protein powder the best for shakes.

Oh by golly, I DID mis-read the post. Oops!!!

I still can't tolerate eggs. Well, sometimes I can. If I use Egg Beaters, I am typically okay. Real eggs? Nope. Steak and chicken doesn't really sit well either, unless it is super tender/moist. Meh, that's okay with me. As long as a restaurant has fish, I'm okay. I wasn't really a fish eater before the surgery, but I LOVE it now. I've only really started to incorporate fresh fruit and veggies in the last week or so. Fruit more than veggies. My "surgery bible" says that canned veggies are tolerated more easily. (I love canned green Beans.) However, since our focus is Protein, I haven't really tried too hard to get the greens in. The easiest way for ME to get my protein is to drink a Protein shake (or protein pudding).

Have you tried making instant sugar free pudding with 2 cups skim milk and 2 scoops unflavored Protein? Yum! Mix the milk and the Protein powder first, then add the pudding. I didn't have much more than pudding, popsicles, and Protein shakes for the first few weeks. (Sugar free, of course.) Fish is still my sleeve's favorite meat. It's amazing what even a difference of a few days makes in regards to what your sleeve can tolerate. It's a huge adjustment that our poor tummies have to make, and a huge adjustment in our heads too. Sometimes my head still thinks I can eat more than what my sleeve knows it can have. At about 2-1/2 months out from my surgery, I'm still only able to eat 1/4-1/2 cup of food. (And that's a GOOD thing, I want to always have this kind of restriction.)

My surgeon said that we can take extended release meds because we still have our pyloric valve - compared to gastric bypass patients who don't have this. I'm kind of surprised that you weren't given Prilosec right away after surgery. The first month after surgery, I took a Prilosec every 12 hours. Then it dropped to one a day.

I can definitely say that post surgery, I will sometimes wake up with my mouth completely dry -- with my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, etc. I know that I have a harder time keeping my mouth shut when sleeping. I've started keeping a bottle of water next to the bed so that when I do wake up this way, I can at least "reconstitute" my mouth.