joatsaint

I was back at my desk job after 10 days. I probably could have gone back in 8 if I had pushed it.

I noticed that when I was doing the low carb Atkins diet, the same thing happened to me temporarily.

I don't think I went at all the 1st week. I barely ate anything. But after a few weeks, it became normal to go every 2 to 3 days - and I am still on that schedule 11 months out. I had to learn to go at the slightest hint that I needed to go. In the past I could safely ignore the "little hints", but now, there is the real chance I'll get constipated if I don't go when I feel the "little hints". Hope this helps. Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve!

Take thinks slow and easy. Focus on getting in fluids first and food second. I wasn't able to eat much more than a few bites of popsicle a day for the first week. So I focused on staying hydrated.

I have tried putting ISOPURE unflavored whey protein in my Crystal Light Lemonade. I was pretty good - it had the texture of a smoothie.

I knew what I wanted to look like before I had the surgery. When I reach that goal, I will reevaluate and see if I want to lose more or am happy where I am. Everyone needs a goal to shoot for, but it needs to be flexible since you won't know till you get there if it was the right goal for your needs.

I ate a mixture of refried Beans and chicken breast (run through a food processor). I really enjoyed it for months. I got all the ingredients at Walmart. It cost about $4 for 2 days worth of meals (4 - 6 meals in my case). It's very filling and sticks with me. 1 lb of chicken breast. 1 pkg of Taco Bell Taco seasoning. (I tried other name brand taco mixes and the store brands, Taco Bell tastes the best and is just as cheap. There is a Taco Bell chipolte version as well, but I liked the regular version the best. ) 1 can of gebhardt refried beans w/fat. (I tried the non-fat version and I like the fat version better. It only has 2grams of fat per serving.) Salsa or Picante or Taco sauce to taste 1 pkg of your favorite shredded cheese. I grill the chicken breast and run it through my food processor. Mix the taco seasoning with about 1/2 cup of Water and mix it thoroughly. I mix it in my Protein shake shaker. Toss the chicken into a pot or pan and add the taco seasoning. Bring it up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Mix the chicken and beans in a bowl. Add some salsa if it's too thick for your taste. Spoon some of the mixture into a bowl and top with cheese and salsa.

I've always taken the generic multi's from Sam's club, no problems with them. In the past, I took the premade packets of pills and it had a seperate Vitamin E capsule - I had to eat a little beforehand to keep from puking up the Vitamin E - some vitamins need a little fat to be digested.

I've always been a fan of Crystal Light lemonade. I had problems getting in enough fluids the 1st week, but I wasn't worried about it. I drank as much as I could and had to be satisfied with that. I was lucky that I found a good tasting premixed Protein shake at Wal-Mart - EAS carb control chocolate. Later I found Premier Protein chocolate, which I prefer. I'm no fan of Protein drinks, but both of these were good tasting and cheap.

Congrats! I had my own NSV this morning. I put on a shirt that I haven't worn in over 7 years (yeah, I'm a pack rat, can't throw anything away) AND IT FIT!. **does happy dance for you** Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve!

It kinda calls for some guesswork on my part when I make a big pot of whatever. I figure out the total calories for the entire dish and then guesstimate how many meals it will cover. Divide the total calories by the number of meals. Or I dish it up into a big mixing bowl that has cup measurements on the side - then I can tell how many portions I will have. Then divided the total calories by the number of portions.

Ask about the diet phases pre and post-op Ask about how long before you can drive or go back to work or class Ask how much pain to expect Ask about how long the hospital stay is and when you'll be released Those are the main questions I was concerned about pre-op.

My knees knock together at night. I'm a side sleeper and now I have to put the covers in between my knees or it hurts. Have you noticed your coccyx hurting yet? My car seat puts pressure on my butt-bone and sometimes it's uncomfortable. :-P

I found it at Wal-Mart... even made a blog post about it, but the blog part of the VST forum is offline right now. I liked the stuff, even though I can't really call it jerkey. It's more like soft chewy smoked bacon. It tastes great.

There may be some confusion about the way you asked the question, but: Pure Whey Protein comes in a few forms, none have carbs. There is whey isolate and whey concentrate. Isolate is absorbed by the body easier. Concentrate - it takes more of concentrate to get the same absorption. Concentrate is usually cheaper, since in effect, you're getting less protein for your dollar. Whey protein tastes horrible without being mixed with other things. So the whey products you see on the shelves usually are mixed with sugar, sugar substitutes and flavorings to make it taste good. There is also unflavored whey isolate (zero carbs/pure protein), I've tried it and it has almost no flavor. And I mix it in with my regular foods like Soups or refried Beans. Hope this helps some. Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve!

3rd week for me. Each stage - clear liquids, full liquids, puree, full foods - was one week each.

My doc said 2 weeks, but I went back on day 10. But I have a desk job that requires no lifting.

That's where my doc wanted me. 800 cals a day.

I was adopted, but have never tried to find my birth mom. According to my adoptive dad, my birth father has been dead for a while. He didn't know the status of my birth mom. Turns out we've always lived in the same town since I was given up. She never knew where I went or didn't care.

The pain was more like pressure for me. It felt like a giant gas bubble pressing against the inside of my chest. It eased up quite a bit in the 1st few hours post-op. Walking really makes it ease up.

My favorite puree was refried Beans and chicken breast (run through a food processor). I at that stuff for weeks without getting tired of it. I got all the ingredients at Walmart. It cost about $4 for 2 days worth of meals (4 - 6 meals in my case). It's very filling and sticks with me. 1 lb of chicken breast. 1 pkg of Taco Bell Taco seasoning. (I tried other name brand taco mixes and the store brands, Taco Bell tastes the best and is just as cheap. There is a Taco Bell chipolte version as well, but I liked the regular version the best. ) 1 can of gebhardt refried beans w/fat. (I tried the non-fat version and I like the fat version better. It only has 2grams of fat per serving.) Salsa or Picante or Taco sauce to taste 1 pkg of your favorite shredded cheese. I grill the chicken breast and run it through my food processor. Mix the taco seasoning with about 1/2 cup of Water and mix it thoroughly. I mix it in my Protein shake shaker. Toss the chicken into a pot or pan and add the taco seasoning. Bring it up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Mix the chicken and beans in a bowl. Add some salsa if it's too thick for your taste. Spoon some of the mixture into a bowl and top with cheese and salsa.

My doctor said to take a good Multivitamin, 1000mg Calcium citrate, and sublingual B12 daily. No special instructions. He offered me Bariatric Advantage vitamins, but his heart wasn't really into it. :-P