joatsaint

It's never really been an issue with me. I just eat slowly and if anyone asks why, I just tell them it's part of my diet plan. Getting adjusted to not drinking with a meal took a loooooonnnnnnggggg time. It was very frustrating, in the beginning, taking a sip that was just enough to wet my tongue, but eventually I adjusted. Now it's an unconscious habit.

I have recently ordered tasted and thrown out my PALEO bars. I've tried about a dozen types of Protein bars - Quest is still by far the best, next comes OhYeah! Victory bars, then the rest. You can see all my Protein Bar review on my Youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/Frankensleeve

My insurance was BCBS of Texas. I was approved in 5 days after my initial consult with the doctor. I finished all my pre-op tests and psych eval and was Sleeved and released all inside of 20 days.

Hey Alex, just wanted to update you. I've been putting the word out to fellow WLS content creators on Youtube about Bariatricpal and the video forum. I've started adding Baritaricpal links in my Youtube descriptions as well. I'm sure there will be plenty of people that will appreciate the help and support Bariatricpal offers it's members and they won't feel like they're going through this "adventure" alone. Randy

I only had the hiccups the day I was released from surgery. I didn't think they would ever stop... even though the episode only lasted a few minutes. It took me days to get over the pain.

Mamaw, When I start getting my old pre-op hunger pangs every 2 hours, for me, it is usually a sign that I've been eating too many carbs... usually from processed foods. To get back on track and lose the hunger, I eat more Protein, fats and stick to low glycemic carbs like Brussell sprouts, Yellow Squash, broccoli, and cauliflower. I have to pay careful attention to how much I allow myself when it comes to breads, Pasta, potatoes, and rice. I can eat one cup of rice and be okay, but eat a second cup later on, and I'll start getting head hunger and want to overeat. I believe in my case, it's insulin sensitivity, brought on by too many years of drinking cokes. Just a little bit of sugar causes my insulin levels to spike and later comes the crash, and in turn triggers my hunger cravings.

I'm 2 years 4 months post-op. I went through 3 distinct periods where my portion size increased. The 1st 6 months I could eat no more that what I could fit into a 1/2 cup container per meal. 6 - 8 meals per day. At 1 year I move up to about 6 - 8 ozs. per meal. 4 - 6 meals per day. Now, I can eat up to 12 ozs per meal, but it varies by the food. I will get full on 6 ozs of meat/chicken/pork, but I can easily eat 8 oz of Brussels sprouts - what I'm having tonight. About 9 pm, I may have a 2oz 200 calorie Protein bar.

I just wanted to say thanks for all the tips and advice and MOTIVATION. I finished Week 2 on Sunday and without your support, I think I would have found a reason to call it quits by now. Thanks, Randy

I was back at work on day 11, could have gone back on day 9 or 10 if I had wanted. But, having said that, I have a desk job and knew that I wouldn't have to move around a lot or be lifting anything heavier than a ream of copy paper.

I didn't have to tell my boss or HR anything, I managed to schedule my WLS during my vacation days. But I was prepared to tell them that I was going to have a hiatal hernia repair and my gall bladder removed - both of which were true. I do not believe it is legal (don't take my word for it) for your workplace to require more than a doctor's note saying I need time off for a medical procedure. I can understand your boss being concerned about your health, but in the end, he's not family and he's not a friend. So I would feel comfortable not revealing the entire story.

Everyone is going to have a different amount they can hold - depending on the food. My sleeve was very finicky for a long time and the only thing I could safely eat was Cream of Mushroom Soup, during the 1st month post-op. But my doc wanted me eating 800 calories a day. 75% Protein, 25% vegetables - once I was on purees. I was mostly eating refried Beans and pureed turkey hamburger once I was able to transition to pureed foods. In general, I was able to hold 1/4 cup of food per meal and I ate 4 to 6 times a day. If I tried to eat something like boiled eggs or finely chopped chicken, I was only able to eat a tablespoon full and couldn't eat again for about 1/2 an hour. Peanut Butter, on the other hand, went down with ease and I had to really fight my urge to eat more than a tablespoon or 2 per day.

Hey catfish, the hip pain was only temporary, by the next morning I was fine. Just the old butt muscles getting a workout. I haven't experienced any pain in my hips, knees, or feet that lasted more than a few hours, by the next morning it has faded.

That looks amazing! I am going to have to try this. I love strawberries. Thanks for posting the recipe.

During the 1st 10 days post-op, I kept having these post-apocalyptic dreams, almost nightly. I was taking a test to see if I was valuable enough to be part of some survivor group. The dreams stopped after the gas pains eased up.

Thanks for all the tips and advice. No plans for a real 5k run yet. But the lady I am dating is very very competitive... I believe she will challenge me to a 5k run once she realizes I'm really doing the training. I mentioned to her that I had started the C25K program, but she hasn't asked me about it in about a week. I'm going to keep it on the down low till she brings it up again. I need all the advantage I can get on her - she's already able to run 1 mile non-stop.

Thanks for the tip about the Krinkles, I'll have to check them out. You also might want to consider Harvest Snaps Snapea Crisps as another alternative to Krinkles. To me they were very much like eating Andy Cap Fries. The Protein is a little lower at 5grams, but they are low in calories. Harvest Snaps Snapea Crisps - Caesar I ran across these today at Super Wal-Mart and was in the mood for a snack. I'm glad I picked them up and now wish I had gotten the other flavors to try as well, or at least bought more than 1 bag of the Caesar flavor! :-P If you are looking for an alternative to potato chips, I can't recommend Snapea Crisps enough. Made from green peas, they have the texture of a Funyun or Andy Capp Hot Fries. Baked and crunchy, they have a hint of onion and parmesan cheese. $1.50 per bag / 3.5 servings per bag 1 serving = 22 crisps, coming in at a low 120 calories: 16 grams of carbs 5 grams of protein 5 grams of fat I wanted to love them, but they reminded me of these awful boxes of dried scalloped potatoes (old dried potatoes and yucky powdered cheese) my mother used to buy. Bought one of each flavor, and couldn't give them away at work - people tried them, no one liked them. Not much of a salty snack person, but if I NEEEED something (and sometimes I think we all feel that way), I'm a fan of the Health Wise dill pickle flavored protein krinkles.

I only had to attend 1 workshop. It was with a Nutritionist. It was all about portion control, good carbs, bad carbs and the proportion of protein to carbs I was expected to eat post-op. I'm sure your workshop will fall along those same lines - eating, exercise, and lifestyle changes to expect post-op.

So, last week I decided to just jump into the Couch 2 5K plan. Downloaded the app and took off. It wasn't as difficult as I expected. But my hips sure hurt after each workout. Any advice or tips to keep me going would certainly be appreciated. Week 01 - 3/15/2015 [sharedmedia=videos:videos:3] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:4] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:5] Week 02 - 3/23/2015 [sharedmedia=videos:videos:9] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:12] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:13] Week 03 - 3/30/2015 [sharedmedia=videos:videos:18] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:20] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:21] Week 04 - 4/06/2015 [sharedmedia=videos:videos:24] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:26] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:27] Week 05 - 4/13/2015 [sharedmedia=videos:videos:30] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:33] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:35] Week 06 - 4/20/2015 [sharedmedia=videos:videos:37] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:38] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:39] Week 07 - 4/27/2015 [sharedmedia=videos:videos:40] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:41] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:43] Week 08 - 5/05/2015 [sharedmedia=videos:videos:45] [sharedmedia=videos:videos:46] The Grand Finale! Week 8 Day 3 [sharedmedia=videos:videos:48]

I just finished week 1 of the C25k. It was much easier than expected. Now I just have to stay motivated to complete all 8 weeks. It does help me stay motivated, knowing people are watching my progress. [sharedmedia=videos:videos:3]

I tried the OhYeah Victory bars - oatmeal raisin and Cookies and cream. Both tasted pretty good, but left me with a bitter aftertaste. They were pretty good and only cost $17 for 12 bars, but Quest bars are still the king! Anyone else tried OhYeah? Should I bother trying the other OhYeah flavors or just stick to the more expensive Quest bars? [sharedmedia=videos:videos:6]

Just tried these and they're pretty good. I liked BBQ flavor the best. They kinda remind me of Baked Lays. Anyone else tried them? [sharedmedia=videos:videos:7]

I personally don't believe you can stretch your sleeve. But I do believe that eating the wrong foods and eating when I'm not hungry can lead to weight gain. After 2+ years, I still only eat about a cup and 1/2 of food per meal, but I can eat again within an hour. So it's up to me to recognize when I'm truly hungry and when I want to eat out of boredom or just because it will taste good. Here is the article about possibly stretching your sleeve: http://obesitycoverage.com/weight-loss-surgeries/gastric-sleeve/gastric-sleeve-will-my-stomach-stretch And here is the 5 day pouch test, which is sometimes used to get back to basics. http://www.5daypouchtest.com/plan/theplan.html

Congrats on doing so well. Keep up the good work.

Hang in there angelad83. I'm over 2 years post-op, but I still vividly remember those first few weeks. Things will get better day by day. It seems like it takes forever, but for me, something changed around day 9. It was like I got past a hump in the road. My pain went from unbearable to tolerable, I was comfortable enough the drive myself, sleeping became easier - although I still couldn't sleep on my side, and my dreams of living in a post-apocalyptic world stopped!