DLCoggin

Great, great job. It truly is amazing isn't it!!

Great job and welcome back!!

Beth, I think Lady is absolutely right! You're three weeks out and you've lost 23 pounds - FANTASTIC!! Take a deep breath. Relax. You're doing great. Let the RNY tool work for you. Focus all of your attention on following the protocol - get ALL of your protein. Every day. Without exception. It's crucially important for the healing process. And stay away from the scales!! I know - easy to say, hard to do. But so many folks let the scales sabotage them. Focus on eating and drinking per the instructions you have from your doctor and let the weight take care of itself. Remember - this is about making lifestyle changes. A hard boiled egg and a tablespoon of chicken salad is not a lifestyle change, it's not healthy and it's not sustainable. Again, LOTS of water, LOTS of protein. A month from now you will be amazed!! You can do this and you absolutely DO NOT have to starve yourself to be successful. Just give it a little time and you're gonna love the new you!!

In the beginning it was a real challenge and about the only way I could do it was with two shakes a day. But as time went on I discovered more and more high protein foods and along with the morning protein shake, it's pretty easy now. There are still days where I fall short and have to supplement with the protein bars but that's OK - I love the protein bars!

Here's a recipe that we recently discovered that is absolutely to die for! So far we've done this with rainbow trout and tilapia and both are excellent. Super simple. Take whatever fish you prefer and put it on sheet of aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. You want the foil large enough to make a "steaming bag" by folding the top and ends. You'll want to be sure to have enough so there is open space above the fish. Add a generous amount of store bought salsa - we used the Tostito's medium spicy. Now put fresh cilantro on the top to taste (we love cilantro so we use quite a lot). Salt and pepper to taste or just add after cooking. Seal your tent on the top and one end and then add about an ounce of the cheapest beer you can find. Seal the second end and bake in the oven at 400 for about 20 to 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish and how many pieces you have. When it comes out of the oven, open the foil carefully - hot steam and you don't want all the salsa sauce to leak out. We serve it in bowls because the sauce is absolutely delicious!! Amazing!!

How much daily protein did your doctor recommend? My doctor said 100g of protein a day (or as close as possible) for life. I've averaged 95g a day since Jan 1. Tuna, chicken, yogurt and cottage cheese are all excellent sources of protein but there's really no way to judge your protein intake without quantities. I drink a Pure Protein 32g shake every day for breakfast. With that big protein first thing in the morning, it's pretty easy to come close to the 100g of protein with other meals the rest of the day. There are days when I'm in the low 80's and a few days when I exceed 100g. I sometimes eat a 20g protein bar to supplement my protein if I'm running low on a particular day. Looking forward to reading the thoughts of others and what their doctors recommend!!

No question about it - the weight drops fast. You won't have to wait long to see, feel the difference and it just keeps going and going and going. Just like the energizer bunny!!

Congratulations mami! Great job and you ainn't seen nothin yet - wait till you see the weight drop like a rock post-op!!!

I love to hear from folks who are long term post-op. Thanks so much for sharing and a huge congratulations on your phenomenol success!! Just amazing!!

Talk to us John - how you doing buddy?

Jen, I had exactly the same thing in exactly the same place. In my case, I know it was the incision the surgeon made for the drain. I don't recall how long it took for it to go away but it does go away eventually. I'm guessing a couple of months.

Welcome to the best RNY forum on the net! Surgery takes about one and a half to two hours (assuming it is done laparoscopically). It seems that the majority of doctors require patients to lose approximately 10% of excess weight prior to surgery. Doing so reduces the size of the liver and makes it easier for them to access the stomach during the surgery. Exactly how you accomplish that weight loss depends on the doctor. Some folks are given specific diets to follow for two or more weeks pre-op. Others (myself included) were not given any specific diet - my doctor just said you must lose 20 to 25 pounds prior to the surgery. No weight loss, no surgery. I found the pre-op lab testing quite extensive. That's a good thing. They want to be as certain as possible that you are healthy enough to have the surgery. Exactly what testing is done depends on your individual health history and any comorbidities that you may have. Some doctors will test for nicoteine right up to the surgery as well. If it comes back positive, some will not operate. Hope this helps!!

Hi Leslie! I keep a supply of snacks on hand just about everywhere I go. Fruit, nuts of all kinds, turkey jerky, flavored rice cakes, pretzels, some trail mixes and anything else that I can find that is low in calories and sugar. I love fishing and camping and some of these are always with me. I even take them in my car if I know I'm going to be away for an extended period of time doing shopping or whatever. I measure out portions of things like nuts and put them in baggies or those small plastic containers you can get at the store. Some like the rice cakes are already in bags. And of course the fruit really doesn't require a container. I also take a thermos of coffee and I keep it filled. Low in calories, filling and helps with my fluids requirement. I love chocolate so I almost always have a Pure Protein deluxe chocolate bar near by - they taste fantastic and 20g or protein to boot! I think cravings are just a part of life - and always will be. But as long as I have healthy alternatives on hand, it really isn't too hard to stay away from the vending machines!

Welcome Tina! Just keep telling that evil person on your shoulder that she has never experienced life after RNY. You are in for the most rewarding, life-changing unbelievable journey you can imagine. Looking forward to sharing it with you!!

Digital food scale and fish, chicken and turkey.

You're gonna love the new you! Congratulations!!

This guy is glad to be here and happily married for 36 years!!

Mom's not here - FOOD FIGHT!! LOL!

Wow. There is a ton of great information here. Also a number of books that I'll be ordering. Thank you Vamp!

Family dinners around the table are a wonderful thing but perhaps everyone would understand if you took a *temporary* sabbatical? Anything that makes it easier for you to stay on track is a good thing. You'll be back at the table with everyone enjoying the new you before you know it!!

I doubt that too many fruits and veggies pre-op are going to do any real harm but...too much anything post-op can stretch the pouch. Fruit is also pretty high in terms of carbs. Great for you but you don't want to overdue it. Congrats on the surgery date!!

I started walking about three weeks post-op and haven't stopped since.

1. Diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, joint pain - all gone. No meds. No cpap. No pain. 2. Almost to a 34" waist - that will be 14" off my waist and give me a 49% waist to height ratio! 3. Perseverance, along with absolute belief, can never be defeated.

Congrats on your surgery! Great idea to start the pre-op diet a little early. As long as you've been approved by your insurance company for the surgery, you can't lose too much pre-op. The more the better!

P.S. - Post-op I drink decaf almost exclusively and Keurig brewers are the best thing to happen to coffee in the last hundred years!!