ourjonesfam

How about this question... "Are you going to turn into a B!@#$% now that you're losing all this weight?" I simply tell them not to confuse confidence with being a B!@#$%. I will definitely be more confident in my new body but don't ever mistaken that for anything else. Confidence is a good thing and just because I'm nice and am the way I am now doesn't mean I was like this only because I was overweight.

I didn't have to do clear liquids (I went straight to shakes) but the hardest part you'll have to deal with is getting used to not eating for that period of time. After a few days, you'll be okay with it and eating will not longer be something that you think about unless you have to eat.

It's definitely a huge change! I'm scared to be at 140 because it's been over 10 years since I have! If we follow everything then our body will not let us get to an unhealthy weight!

The Bariatric Advantage made me soooooo sick! I could not stomach them. I'm playing around with vitamins now. I found a liquid but it's nasty too. I didn't know I could take the gummies. How far out post-op can you start the gummy? I need something that I can stomach. I was looking for a prenatal gelcap but cannot find one to save my life!

Your body does not get back to "normal" overnight. It takes 6-8 weeks or more for your body to fully recuperate. I'm just over a month out and I still get tired easily. Today I cleaned both bathrooms which are not large but I had to take breaks in between. Same thing yesterday when I cleaned out the kitchen cabinets and drawers. I was BEAT! Shopping trips are even worse for me. I get so exhausted just getting a few things. It'll get better as time goes on. While I was out of work, I couldn't go a day without a nap. Now I'm past that point and still working on pushing through each day. Take breaks...it'll all get better! Our bodies are going through some major changes!

All the time. Then I get people asking how will I ever make it without eating out and fast food and yadda yadda. I tell them its a choice I've made to become a healthier person and I made the choice to steer clear of that stuff. People are going to make comments because they're curious but they really don't know how to ask the questions without sounding like idiots LOL. I just answer their questions or give them a link to good sites so they can research it themselves.

Ha!! One thing is make sure you toast your english muffins or bread...if you don't, it can get stuck!! Also...the sandwich flats come in mini's and I was told you can have the whole mini so you can make a little sandwich!!

You have to remember that you can't weigh yourself daily! Your weight is still going to fluctuate just like before surgery and it's a gradual process. Also, you wont lose as fast at a starting weight of 244 as someone who was a starting weight higher than yours. Try to only weigh yourself once a week and at the same time of day (you weigh less in the morning). Get your exercise in and follow your diet and you wont fail! You're doing GREAT!!

Just go very slow. Everyone is different so it's hard to say. For example, I was told to drink the 2 oz over the course of a 30 minute period taking little sips. When I got home, it drove me crazy to have to constantly sip on something so I'd just sip until I was satisfied then put the shake in the fridge and came back about 30 minutes later. I always had my water with me though. You'll get a feel for your tolerance and sometimes it takes you to over do it to gauge it. That's how I was. I was afraid to do too much and then worried that I wasn't getting enough.

Go to the pharmacy and get ginger root capsules. They help get rid of the cold! I was a week away and my husband got a head cold and strep throat and I thought I would DIE! I had to avoid him like the plague and I was told about ginger root capsules. I also popped Vitamin C per the pharmacist (2x the actual dose on the bottle) and she said taking extra doesn't hurt you because you just pee it out. Best wishes!!!!!

Colace or Miralax. My surgeon also told me I could do a suppository if I was really having a hard time going. Luckily my bowel problems have improved since surgery!!!

You can also put a teaspoon of salsa on your refried beans with shredded cheese!! It was a staple for me for sure!! Mozzarella cheese sticks...are great! You can do oatmeal too. The Quaker Weight Control meets the carb/sugar restrictions we have. Grits, cream of wheat are okay too. The crackers with hummus, PB...I was told I could have half of a whole wheat english muffin or sandwich flat toasted with 1 oz light cream cheese, PB or hummus...or even a little spaghetti sauce with shredded cheese on top and make a little pizza!! You have to make sure you chew it really good until its mush. I did great with those!

I just saw...you're 10 days post op and you've already lost 26 lbs!!! GREAT WORK! I've lost that in a month!

The decaf tea does help!! I used the Tazo Calm...it's a decaf herbal tea.

I never had the metallic taste so I'm no help there. Four days out, you'll have a hard time getting your Protein down. Or at least I was having a hard time too! I rarely got all my protein until I was able to start eating! I couldn't stomach the Isopure. The oily texture made me nauseous. I stuck with the shakes while I was on liquids. My nutritionist told me to really focus on making sure I got my clear fluids more than the protein if I could do it all. I had the gritty, filmy feeling on my teeth too but it goes away. I think mine came from the shakes because I was brushing my teeth every time I had a shake because it was just sitting on my tongue! It will definitely go away!! The pains you're having are gas pains. They were horrible for me in the hospital and had me in tears at one point! If you're walking really good, it'll work itself out. Try laying on your left side too when you're resting and it'll help move it around! That too will go away. The grumbling is the gas moving around. I guess it could be a hunger feeling but I doubt it, Best wishes on your journey!!

I was never told I couldn't have coffee...just nothing caffeinated as it is a diuretic and can also irritate my stomach. I did try a cup last week and my nutritionist was right! Last night I had a cup of decaf with equal and fat free creamer and it was excellent! Sent from my DROID X2 using VST

When do you get to start eating??? I think I'd die if I had to be on liquids that long!!

I'm just a month out now so it's a little early to tell. However, I've dubbed this surgery my BIG RESET BUTTON. I know myself enough to know that if I don't follow the rules of the diet, I will not do well. I'm sure once I'm further out, I will allow myself something every now and again but right now I'm going slow and sticking to what I'm allowed. I NEED this and I don't want to go back to my old ways.

Yay Marty!!!!!! ENJOY!!!! It's amazing how big 2 oz looks like after you start back to eating real food!

I had the same feeling but my nutritionist set my goal weight at 140. I am happy with that but I would also have been happy with 170 which is how much I weighed when I met my husband. I was in great shape! But, 140 is also where I should be. My body will tell me where to stop and I'm not going to allow myself to get stressed out over the number. I am so happy with my progress already and I will probably start crying once I get under 200 lbs!

OK, so at work the other day I was asked by a co-worker if I've hit the depression stage yet? He said his son had bariatric surgery and he's in a deep depression because he's at a point where he has realized that he cannot be "normal" anymore. I have never heard of this "stage" before and I was curious as to whether it was real or not? I believe that this is something that is possible BUT I also know what I've put myself through by getting this surgery but I know that I will have a new "normal." I felt like this co-worker was trying to set me up for what his son went through. I told him that with each day, I get happier and happier with my progress and I don't see where I can get into a deep depression.

I have BCBS of North Carolina that is specialized for the State Employees. Once I met all the requirements (approval from PCP, labs, psych, nutrition consult, seminar and pre-op consult) it only took a few days for approval! They required five years of documented weight loss attempt.

It'll be easier than you think at that point! I would talk to your surgeon though just to make sure you can have it since all the doctors are different. You feel like a new person after they let you eat!!!!!

I started two weeks post op and it wasn't really "mushies" for me...I got to eat the following... eggs cottage cheese yogurt (preferably Greek---YUCK!) mozzarella cheese sticks 3 wheat crackers with hummus, Peanut Butter or light cream cheese) 1/2 whole wheat english muffin or 1/2 sandwich flats Beans high Protein Soups... my favorites though were the mini pizzas (1/2 sandwich flat, small amount of spaghetti sauce and 1 oz shredded mozzarella) and refried beans with 1 tsp of salsa and 1 oz shredded mozzarella) The nutritionist told me to go very slow and chew everything to a mush. It was a relief to start eating!!! I'm on fish now and moving to chicken/turkey on Wednesday!!