DLCoggin

Congratulations on your surgery and welcome to gasaholics!!

The left side incision is usually the one for the drain and that's the one that seems to give folks the most trouble in terms of pain. Unless the infection is exceptionally severe I doubt that additional surgery is going to be necessary. You're doing the right thing in contacting your doctor asap. They will likely be able to clear it up before you know it! Keep us posted on what they say.

I was averaging about 1300 a day for the last eight months. Had my "six month follow-up" (which was actually at eight months post-op) with my surgeon last week. Weight was 171 and she doesn't want me lose much more weight (how weird is that?!!). She recommended I go up to 1800 but I'm the cautious type so I've increased it to 1500 and we'll see what happens. So far I've gained less than a pound but that doesn't mean a lot. I'll be watching it closely for the next several weeks and that should give me a good indication of what effect an additional 200 calories a day will have.

Tammy, I'd love to have any links or sites that you may have that talk about this. There seems to be a lot of talk on the forums about it but the reviews are mixed and anything but conclusive. Haven't been able to find anything on sites like Harvard, Mayo, WebMD, IOM or ASMBS. One post said her nutritionist does not recommend it because the protein is collagen based which is inferior to other types of protein. But others say they love it. New Whey says it was developed for bariatric surgery patients but they obviously are biased by financial interests. Most folks seem to agree that it definitely does not taste good. I've never used it so can't offer any opinion. Thanks!!

RNY was the best option for me as well but...there may be specific reasons for your doctor recommending the sleeve that we obviously know nothing about. If you're not comfortable with his/her recommendation, you might want to consider getting a second opinion from another doctor. You also might want to check out Alex's sleeve forum (the same guy that runs this forum) at http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/. There's also a lot of info on the Net comparing the advantages and disadvantages of both surgeries. Congratulations on your decision to move forward!!

I gave up caffeinated coffee. But the only way anyone is getting my decaf is to pry it out of my cold dead fingers!! LOL!!

Kaylee, I tried to post the file but forum rules do not allow you to post/attach an Excel file. Vamp is a graphic guru and she created an image that has been posted on the forum under the thread "Protein, Protein, Protein". You can see the list but you cannot edit or add to it. The only way I've found so far for folks to get the file is to email it. Have a great day!

Just emailed!

Great job! You're gonna love the new you!!

Two weeks out may be a little soon. They told me not to add fruits (bananas, apples, pears, melons, cantaloupe, peaches, mangos, nectarines and plums) until week 6. You might want to check with your doctor's office. There seems to be a pretty wide variance in what doctor's recommend to their patients. I love cantaloupe so I can feel your craving!

Definitely the worst thing about the surgery! They told me to take milk of magnesia and it definitely worked. If you buy it, be sure to get the flavored one. The taste of the straight stuff is worse than the constipation!! Takes a day or two but it gets things "moving". They cautioned me that you don't want to take it for more than 7 days without consulting your doctor. I guess it's possible for your body to get "used" to it and can make it difficult to have a normal movement without it. I never had a problem and never needed it for more than two or three days but there were several times when I needed it. The good news is that the constipation does eventually go away.

For chip fans, try Kellogg Special K Cracker Chips. They taste great, 110 calories in a 27 chip serving, 2.5 g of fat and 2 g of Protein. A number of flavors including sea salt, sour cream and onion, cheddar, and southwest ranch. You can get them at Vons or even on Amazon. Great substitute for potato chips and I eat them instead of french fries!

I'm not sure that I can put a time line on it but the cravings absolutely disappeared for me. I lived on junk food for years and other than an occasional turkey breast and black forest ham on flatbread from Subway, I haven't had any junkfood in over a year. I'm 35 weeks out and have lost 114 lbs and I truly have no desire for burgers and pizza and the mexican food I used to eat all the time. I think it has something to do with tracking calories and protein and carbs and fat every single day for the last seven months. I just hate the idea of logging the calories and fat in double quarter pounder! LOL!!

What does your doctor say?

Patience grasshoppers! LOL Stay focused on the protocol and know that the weight WILL take care of itself. It is law!!

It wasn’t all that long ago that the idea of “managing hunger” had simply never crossed my mind. Manage hunger? You get hungry, you eat. Simple. Who the heck “manages” hunger? The answer is anyone who has made the life-changing commitment to achieving and then maintaining a healthy weight. Managing hunger is a skill. And just like any other skill, it can be mastered with a little knowledge, a little practice, and a pinch of patience. Here are some ideas to help with the knowledge part of the equation. · Never eat less than two hours or more than four hours apart. Less than two hours and you’re probably not physically hungry. More than four hours and you run the risk of getting overly hungry increasing the likelihood that when you do eat, you’ll overeat. · Thirst is not hunger - but the signals from your body are similar and are often confused. If you're not sure, try drinking something first. · Eat small but frequent meals. Remember the goal - never get overly hungry. · Do not skip meals. Always carry one or more healthy Snacks with you in the event you need to eat while on the go. Nuts, turkey Jerky, rice cakes (they now come in a wide variety of sweet and savory flavors), fruit, cheese and some trail mixes are all good choices. · Eat your veggies. Very rich in Fiber which is very filling and takes a long time to digest so you feel full longer. · Eat s l o w l y. You’ve heard it before and it is true – it takes 15-20 minutes for “full” to get to your brain. · Get plenty of sleep. Research has shown that folks who only get five hours of sleep a night are 50% more likely to be (or become) obese than those who get seven to eight hours of sleep. · Drink (or “eat”) more Water. A fruit cup with watermelon, strawberries and orange slices is a watery, hunger satisfying snack. Salads made with lettuce, celery, cucumbers, and/or tomatoes are also excellent. · Eat more whole grains. Healthier and higher in fiber. More filling and more satisfying. · Eat Protein. More filling and like fiber, fullness lasts longer because it takes longer to digest. “Solid” Proteins are the most effective at curbing hunger. · Drink coffee, tea, Crystal Light, Moi, soy milk or almond milk. liquids will not keep you full as long as solids will but they are a great way to satisfy your hunger for shorter periods. For example, until your next meal. Here’s a tip - Try unsweetened almond milk (it comes in a number of flavors including vanilla and chocolate) and add Splenda to sweeten it. Delicious, thick, creamy, 40 calories per 8 oz. serving, 50% more Calcium than cow’s milk, and very filling! Give these ideas a try. You just might discover how easy it is to manage your hunger!

Found it. Here's the quote from the post... "There are protein shots by New Whey. You get 21 grams of protein with half of a shot. It's only two ounces of fluid. Walmart sells them for 2.48 a shot. You can order them online by the case for a little cheaper but it's a good way to get in your protein at first." Posted by atcgoddess1 on May 19th.

About the only thing that I can think of was something I read on the forum yesterday. I believe it is called "Protein Shots" (not certain) available at WalMart. According to the post, 40g of protein in a 3 oz bottle. I don't have any experience with the product but it sounds like it might be what you're looking for. Hope it helps!!

Just emailed!

Soft fish, scrambled or soft boiled eggs or egg substitutes, tofu, low fat cheese, low fat cottage cheese, soft cooked beans, string cheese, low fat yogurt (no added sugar), creamy peanut butter (or other nut butters), canned chicken, canned tuna, canned salmon. Have you tried the protein bars? Pure Protein Chocolate Deluxe bars are excellent. Don't forget to chew every bite 20-25 times.

Second time in the last couple of days that I've seen "protein water" and I'm not familiar with it unless we're talking about drinks like Isopure or Cytomax. I didn't care for Isopure (AT ALL) but Cytomax was much better (still very sweet). I only needed it for a week or two immediately following surgery and was glad to move on to shakes.

I have a 35g protein shake for breakfast every day. My surgeon requires her patients to have 100g of protein a day and the shake gets me off to a good start. I can usually hit the 100g (or close) with the foods I eat the rest of the day.

What a great idea - gotta make me some of these!

Congratulations!!

Second that!! Very good advice!!