Oregon Rose

I tried OA and didn't like it. I think there is a lot of guilt thinking involved. I really didn't need any more guilt. Guilt and discouragement go hand in hand. If you feel discouraged, you stop fighting your obesity. This is a death sentence. The group pressure is for you to confess that you are a compulsive overeater. Are you? Not everybody who is obese is eating compulsively. You will have to decide if you are heavy because you eat in a compulsive manner, you have poor nutritional habits, you never exercise, or you have a medically proven metabolic problem. Some may have a combination of these things. You have to discover why you are obese and choose the appropriate solution. If you are eating compulsively, then a GOOD therapist would be the first choice for getting to the bottom of why you are eating compulsively. OA also might help in this case. Maybe what you need is to correct your nutritional habits. Some time spent with a dietician might help in this case. Maybe you are a couch potato. Join a gym, a hiking group, a dancing group, etc. Find some form of exercise you can enjoy. If you come from a family of obesity, seek out an endochronologist. OA isn't right for everyone.

Hey Wisconsin Gal- Wishing you the very best surgery and recovery possible. Let us know how it goes.

Hi boredoncemore- After the three-four week post surgery liquid diet, I was advised to try cottage cheese, Nonfat sugar free Yoghurt, and pureed chicken Soup first for about two weeks. This was the semi-solid food phase. After that (around weeks 4-6) I was advised to try Proteins in the following order; fish chicken, turkey red meat This is because red meat may be the most difficult to digest. I found it hard to transition from the semi-solid phase to the solid phase. At first I couldn't eat very much of the solid food before my stomach felt very full. Now I'm eating meatballs with marinara, New York steak, gound beef casserole, pot roast, etc. Of course, I can't eat very much, but I can eat the same food I serve my family. When they have spaghetti with meatballs, I just have two small meatballs with sauce. Take it easy transitioning to new foods. Best wishes,

Hi Twobluecats: Everyone is different. The lowest incision bothered me for about 2 months. I didn't want any elastic around that area so I wore nightgowns and dresses. While I did do the recommended walking the first week, the rest of the time I just wanted to sleep. I didn't have bounds of energy. In fact, it took me about a month before my energy returned. I didn't have a drain. I would imagine having a drain would make the lowest incision even more sensitive. My advise: take your pain meds, keep moving (so you don't get a blood clot) and have some faith that this is going to be wonderful once you get past the first month or two. If you even suspect something is off, call your surgeon to check. I think on this web site you hear how easy it was or you hear the horror stories. People who have average experiences probably don't feel they have much to post. Best wishes,

Reporting on some more bars: Balance Mocha Chip Bar :tongue_smilie: Not terrible, but not the best Balance Cookie Dough Bar :001_tt2: Good - tastes a little like a Three Musketeers Balance chocolate Bar :tongue_smilie: Not terrible, but not the best Balance Chocolate Raspberry Bar :thumbdown: didn't care for this one at all Balance Honey Peanut Bar :001_tt2: Good I also bought a sample box of BariWise Bars. I cut a little piece off the bars and tried them all. The three I liked the best were: Caramel Crunch :drool5: Peanut Butter :drool5: Rocky Road :drool5: The BariWise Bars are better than most of the bars I have tried. They also have a good amount of Protein for the calories. The BariWise Bars I liked the least were: Double Peanut Butter (why take the chocolate coating off?) :tongue_smilie: strawberry Cheesecake :tongue_smilie: Not bad, but also not the best of the bunch were two bars with vanilla coating: Caramel Brownie :001_smile: oatmeal :001_smile: Best wishes to all,

Everyone is different. I have seen and heard a lot of malicious gossip. At one company I used to know who would be leaving the company before he/she did because I heard malicious gossip coming from the cubicle next to mine. Sure enough about 6 months later, he/she anounced that he/she just couldn't pass up this opportunity at another company. After seeing this pattern with about a dozen people, I was convinced of the dangerous power of malicious gossip. I have heard people pass on the most private and embarrasing things about other people. While I find this kind of thing shocking and do not participate in it, it has made me very reluctant to be an "open book." I have only told my husband, daughter, and my best friend.

The burning definately sounds like acid reflux. Your surgeon should have you on nexium (Rx) or prilosec (over the counter.) Ask your surgeon if he found a hiatal hernia and if so did he repair it??? If you had a hiatal hernia and if it wasn't repaired at the time of your surgery you will have much worse acid reflux than people usually get after VSG.

Hi Angel & MidWest Girl- The incision near my waist was very sore. I took lose panties and a nightgown (not pajamas) with me. I also had a casual dress for use afterwards. Anything tight around your waist will bother you for 1-2 months. Also, if you wear the kind of bra with material that extends underneath the underwire, that might be uncomfortable. Be sure you get about two weeks worth of supplies ahead of your surgery. You won't feel like taking trips to the store afterwards. Do all of your errands and pay your bills ahead of time. This way you can just focus on recovering. Wishing you both the very best,

Sip slowly and steadily. You have to stay hydrated.

I was only allowed clear liquids for the 24 hours before surgery. I didn't have to take magnesium citrate or anything else.