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I, too, order what I want and pack the rest away for another day. I've even frozen a portion because I knew I wouldn't eat it before it went bad. Totally different lifestyle now. I'm learning every day.

HOw was it? I go for my first fill next week and I'm a little nervous. Full-blown surgery? No problem. Injection in the office? I'm jumpy. Go figure!

Welcome to the club! Glad to meet you . How are you feeling, just 3 days post-op? Where did you have your surgery? Nice to know there's more in our area.

I just came upon this thread because of the recent posting activity. Missy, are you still carb cycling and do you still find it effective?

I tried the Unjury unflavored - based on recommendations here, thank you - and just love it. I can put the unflavored in just about anything.... except jello. DON'T put this stuff in jello! LOL I also have the Chocolate Splendor shake mix but it's a tad too sweet for me. Still like the chocolate Body Fortress Whey from Walmart best. The chicken soup from Unjury is very good, too.

A friend of mine who had sleeve surgery in December and works on the road every week gave me a great tip. He went to the dollar store and bought a handful of small juice bottles - 12 oz size (to accommodate shaking and ice). He makes a batch of drinks in the morning, fills his cooler with the bottles he needs for the day (or two), and is on his merry way. When he's ready for one he can choose to add ice and shake some more or just sip on one as he's driving. It's more cost effective than buying the premade ones and he can make the flavors he likes that aren't sold in individual ready-to-drink varieties. Great idea if you work on the road or are traveling during the protein drink phase. I bought a few of the bottles to take with me on our all-day fishing trips. Also took one the other day when the hubby and I went to the casino for a few hours. He had lunch while we were there, I had my shake. Worked perfectly!

My doc is pretty conservative. 2 weeks optifast only pre-op, 2 weeks clear liquids post-op then 2 weeks full liquids, 2 weeks pureed, 2 weeks soft, then regular food as tolerated. "As tolerated?!" By then I'm going to ****** up roadkill and BBQ it!

I :wub: this! What a great way to reference our success. Congrats on a wonderful NSV. It only gets better from here!

So sorry you're post-op is causing so much distress. All the advice above is good. Feel better soon.

That's so funny because I went to our social hour Saturday morning and I could immediately tell that half the room had been at the same hen party where I was obviously the main topic of conversation. I almost felt like I should just take the microphone and make the announcement formally!

I'm sure you are right and I am really trying. I have such a hard time not doing anything. One day, maybe, but I always feel I'm going to miss something if I'm not right in the thick of it! Several of our hubbies are away golfing for three days so my girlfriends and I are going to play. They will make sure I don't over-extend. Gotta love girlfriends!

Thank you SO MUCH for posting his response. That makes it easier for all of us!

Just voted, too. This is the same office/doctor I use. I think you will enjoy the experience. Best of luck.

I only told a few close friends and my immediate family before the surgery. I had to 'come out' after surgery because we are very active in our community and I didn't feel the need to hide - well, I thought I did at first and then realized that I really didn't GAS what other people thought. The first night out was awkward - three days after surgery, I was sore, tired, not eating, and everyone was asking why I wasn't. When I nonchalantly said I just had surgery the results were mixed. Some negative, some positive. Now, two weeks out, even the negative Nellie's have been very supportive. It's not that you can really see the 20 lbs I'm down so far, it's that they see how difficult it is to stick to the post-op program and what lies ahead. For the most part, I think they see it is not the easy fix they assumed. And, again, I don't GAS what they think - I'm planning my summer wardrobe and it doesn't include the mu-mu's in my closet today!

I am encouraged by your post! I thought popcorn was the only food I would not be able to eat in the future and it is my most guilty pleasure. I have something to look forward to (besides how hot I am going to look eating it! ) LoL

I have a wonderful recipe for crab cakes. I don't know how it stacks up nutritionally but it doesn't use a lot of breadcrumbs for filler so it is better than most. I 'fry' them on a pancake griddle with just a little oil so it's not a diet-buster. I'm happy to share it. I made these when my husband and I had a food truck. Big seller! Cajun-Style Crab Cakes 6 Slices white bread 1 tsp garlic, minced 2 eggs 1lb crab meat ¼ c heavy cream 4 green onions 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 5 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled ½ tsp dry mustard 1 tsp Cajun spice mix Salt, to taste Tear up bread slices and grind in a blender or food processor. Add eggs, cream and lemon juice to form a heavy batter, then remove to a bowl and add all the remaining ingredients. Fry in oil or on oiled grill. Serve with Creole Honey-Mustard Sauce. Creole Honey-Mustard Sauce 1 tbsp vegetable oil 6 tbsp mayonnaise 1 tbsp green peppercorns, crushed 6 tbsp sour cream 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp honey 1 shallot, minced ½ c dry white wine 2 tbsp Dijon mustard In a small, non-reactive saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and sauté the peppercorns, pepper, and shallots for about 3 minutes or until the shallots are translucent. Add the white wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated. Let cool. Add the remaining ingredients and check the seasoning. Oh, the sauce is DIVINE!! Enjoy.

I think it looks pretty much like mine - so I hope that's normal. Lol I had a strange occurrence yesterday. The large port incision started bleeding a little. Not flowing or anything, but spotty blood stains on my shirt. I don't know if I pulled something loose or what. I put a few bandaids on the area. Very sore there still, understandably. I see the doc on Thursday and I'm not so concerned that I need to call him today. Just found it odd that almost two weeks post-op and that wound hasn't healed up completely. I told my husband I just can't sweep the floor or vacuum or any other housework for another couple of weeks. Works for me!

I completely agree with you and there are days when it is SO hard. I'm on clear for 2 weeks, then full for 2 more weeks. I am not supposed to have solids for four more weeks, based on his progressive post-op diet plan. I have difficulty rationalizing the doctor's order when I read so many varying post-op diets on here. But then I have to say to myself, he's the doctor, he's who I am paying to help me through this, I need to trust his judgment. We will get through it. Just imagine this is the most difficult part of the entire journey and if we get this, we're golden for the rest of the trip! Happy thoughts coming your way.

No one ever NEEDS a good cookbook...but it's always nice to try new recipes and find new favorites.

I found this really great cookbook at a yard sale today: Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery by Patt Levine and Michele Bontempo- Saray. Some really awesome recipes inside. I made a creamy shrimp chowder for lunch that is really out of this world (for a pureed, 1-4 week post-surgery recipe). Other really great recipes I can't wait to try. Low fat, high Protein. Every recipe has serving guidelines for lapband, bypass, and other WLS. I highly recommend.

Nice to meet you! Your weight loss so far is inspiring. I understand your unique challenges, with a business like yours. My husband and I owned a food truck - I don't know if I could embark on this journey if we still operated it. Too many temptations. My story: Turned 51 last year and was disgusted (again!) that I had not reached my weight loss goals for another year. Lose 30/gain 35. Hate that cycle. I had been thinking about lapband but the cost issue was a concern. Did some investigating and found that my insurance covered the band and bypass. Bypass wasn't an option for me at all - too much cutting and removing for my liking. Found a surgeon in my area and began the process. Unfortunately, I relied too much on their 'expertise' in insurance processing and found that I could have had the surgery two months earlier than I did since my carrier doesn't require a pre-auth. I was disgusted, angry at the office insurance person, and almost decided to go with another type of surgery/surgeon altogether. Realized I was just panicking and needed to calm down, go on the path I original set. Banded 3/19 and still in the post-op special diet my doc requires. I have six children, two grandchildren, and my husband and I live hours from them all. We love them all but we're also loving our new life without them under foot all the time. We moved to a retirement community two years ago and have become active in all the events and fun things here. My husband is a disabled Vietnam Vet, does not drive, and depends on me for quite a bit every day. I no longer work but to take care of him every day. I am also a full-time student, trying to FINALLY finish a college degree I've been working on for more than 30 years. I will graduate in December then off to graduate school. I'm preparing for the day when I may need to go back to work, if that day ever comes. Life is an adventure every day .

Glad to see you here. You're doing marvelous, aren't you? Love the before and after (ongoing) pics!

I like your food plan better!

Not really. The first few days were not the worst for me. The anesthesia and pain meds from the hospital held over a while. It was more painful than I thought it would be and I didn't have done all that you did. Every once in awhile I still have difficulty taking a full, deep breath. It catches where there is still some gas trapped in there. I sneezed last night and thought I was going to bust all the stitches in my gut! And the gas pain in my shoulder is HORRENDOUS! Nothing resolves it, not walking, not gas-x, not water, not anything. Laying flat helps for hours on end but then I have to get up again! Don't be too hard on yourself. We're all different and we all deal with the pain individually. You don't have to be brave, my friend.

Here's a link to the everymove website. Might be worth investigating. https://everymove.org/