ElegantThumbs

Hi everyone, anyone still around?
I'm going to Tijuana May 22nd and am excited and terrified. Has anyone here gone to Mexico?

I'm 16 days out and could line dance for sure. I doubt you'll have any problems.
Good luck and much success on your show!

Anyone else singing "I'm a May Sleever" in their head to the tune of "I'm a Believer"?? Nope? Just me? Okay then. hee hee

Anyone else singing "I'm a May Sleever" in their head to the tune of "I'm a Believer"?? Nope? Just me? Okay then. hee hee

I am 3 weeks out today. I went back to work 10 days post-op. I'm a teacher. I'm usually tired after work. I do get in all my Proteins, Vitamins, and liquids. I can bend over slowly. Sometimes my incisions still ache. I would say it depend on your healing process, everyone is different. I know personally I have no energy after work and can't bend easily, so an easy routine might be doable.

It's pretty hard NOT to lose weight. I don't believe it's ever happened. You gain gain it back, but you would have to eat around the sleeve so to speak. I mean if you drank gravy and nacho cheese sauce?
There are risks to any surgery, but they are VERY, EXTREMELY low with this one.
I don't miss eating in volume. Now I just eat quality. I used to stuff anything into my mouth even if I didn't like it that much. If it was there ...
I went to a buffet on Easter and had a dab of this and a dab of that. I got full and just wasn't interested in more food. I had lox and cream cheese on a rye cracker, a shrimp with cocktail sauce, pot roast, roasted pork loin, chicken breast in a horseradish sauce, a piece of muenster and swiss cheese and a little bit of orange tiramisu.
Yeah, poor me.
I probably overate a tiny bit, but all that was probably 6-8 ounces eaten over two hours. I think I had half an apple and 6 almonds that night and that was it. I felt like I had feasted.
Some people miss it, but not me. I got a quick feeling of: "Damn, I wish I could eat more" and then remembering what overfull feels like to a sleever it was quickly forgotten and I just talked to my family and sipped tiny bits of champagne.
Again, poor me.

Anyone else singing "I'm a May Sleever" in their head to the tune of "I'm a Believer"?? Nope? Just me? Okay then. hee hee

Anyone else singing "I'm a May Sleever" in their head to the tune of "I'm a Believer"?? Nope? Just me? Okay then. hee hee

Anyone else singing "I'm a May Sleever" in their head to the tune of "I'm a Believer"?? Nope? Just me? Okay then. hee hee

I'm not entirely sure I'm successful, though I suppose that just in reaching goal I've made success of my sleeve!
In the beginning (the first maybe nine months for me) eating was a chore. So my day always started with me sitting on my laptop with my morning Protein coffee (two scoops of Protein powder mixed with one cup of coffee) and logging my meal plan for the day. Breakfast is hard for me because I just don't like to eat first thing in the morning, so most days I drink a shake for breakfast.
I had to plan before starting my day because it was HARD to get enough calories and Protein into my body.
So, I went back to myfitnesspal to peek at my diet.
Within six months of surgery I was drinking a shake for breakfast in addition to eating a scrambled egg (I'd slowly sip the shake before and after eating the egg). I'd usually eat two or three pieces of lunchmeat or some other soft protein for lunch. I would eat a few ounces of chicken for dinner. I was usually low on calories/protein by the end of the day so I'd have either sludge (a scoop of protein, 1 Tbs. Peanut Butter and a little water) or a shake before bed. At this point, my diet was mostly protein with very low carbs. This was because eating was WORK for me. I had no appetite, had developed lactose intolerance and had so much restriction I couldn't eat more than an egg in a sitting.
I was eating about 400-500 calories a day, 20-30 grams of carbs and 60 grams of protein per day. I had to eat around the clock to get this much food into my body.
Fast forward to about ten months out. I was eating more reasonably. I had my morning protein coffee (two scoops, one cup coffee). Later I'd eat an egg scrambled with cheese for lunch. For dinner I might eat half a pb & j sandwich on very soft bread and some carrot sticks. Carbs were really helping me feel better so I shifted my focus around 8-9 months on getting more in. Throughout the day I'd have two Snacks - usually one would be a few oz. of Jerky and one would be string cheese or a carb, like crackers.
I was eating about 700 calories a day, 50-60 grams of carbs (all I could hold at this point) and 80-90 grams of protein. It was still a chore to eat.
Around a year out I was really focusing on a more balanced diet. I learned early on that low carbing makes me irritable and tired. Somehow, during this phase I really started to drop my mental food and eating baggage.
I was still drinking one or two shakes a day. I was eating that same scrambled egg with cheese for breakfast most days. I would eat a half sandwich for lunch, maybe with some veggies or fruit if I had room. I would eat a dinner that included not just protein but carbs. So I'd eat some potatoes, some salad, some rice or whatever AND eat a little protein. I made up the difference on protein with shakes, because the carbs were necessary for me and I still had a lot of restriction.
I was eating 900-1,100 calories a day, 90+ grams of carbs, 90+ grams of protein per day at this point and still losing, albeit very slowly as I was down to my last 20 pounds to lose.
Now I'm 21 months out. I eat about 1,200-1,400 calories a day, 120+ grams of carbs and 90+ grams of protein.
I start my day with protein coffee most days because I still have trouble getting more than 1,000 calories in per day without it. For lunch I'll do half a sandwich and a cup of Soup, or half a sandwich and a salad. For dinner I'll eat about 3 oz. of dense protein, some salad, some starch. I usually have two Snacks a day - one protein based like cheese or Jerky and one carb - usually something I've baked!
This is long, but I hope it helps or is at least something like what you were asking for.
~Cheri

I just made a youtube video with information on blood clots. There are also links on the comment area for the actual medical/research journals.

Wow! I wish my post op instructions would have been full liquids right off the bat! This just goes to show you how different the plans can be depending on the doc.
My surgeon has them broken into phases.. I hope this helps...
Phase I: Clear Liquids (Day 1 - 7)
• Clear liquid Protein drink
• Beef or chicken broth
• sugar free jell‐O
• sugar free popsicles – less than 15 calories per serving
• Crystal light, sugar free Kool‐aid, Decaf tea – no herbal tea
NO coffee, caffeine or carbonated drinks
Daily Protein GOAL:
WOMEN: 40‐60 grams
MEN: 60‐80 grams
Phase II: FULL LIQUIDS (Days 8-14)
• 1‐ Protein Drink = 40 grams protein daily
• Skim milk, soymilk, other low fat milks
• Low fat cream Soups – can add 1 scoop Protein powder (no potato, on corn soup)
• Fat free (artificially sweetened “lite”) yogurt such as Carb Freedom or Dannon’s Light n Fit
• Low fat cottage cheese
• Any phase 1 liquids
Phase III: Soft Diet (Days 15-28)
Protein Foods:
Baked fish, canned tuna, salmon, crabmeat (well picked); soft, moist, baked, boiled or canned chicken or turkey, sliced chicken/turkey deli meat; peanut butter; tofu or other soy based meat analogs; liver, cooked Beans, low fat cheese, eggs.
Vegetables:
Vegetables must be soft, well steamed or boiled. Good choices are: carrots, beets, mushrooms, spinach, squash, green Beans, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, onions
Fruits:
Fruits must be soft, peeled and cored and non‐citrus. Good choices are: apples, peaches, pears, bananas, and cantaloupe
Starches:
AVOID all starches including: rice, potatoes, bread, corn, crackers
Fats:
Limit the amounts of the following: Small amounts of margarine, olive oil, or cooking spray (Pam); low fat mayo or salad dressing. Avoid GREASY, FRIED FOODS
Phase IIII - NORMAL FOODS (Day 29 onward)
you may transition to normal foods slowly. Make healthy/smart choices, read your labels. You want the protein/ carbohydrate ratio to be smart. The smart ratio is to eat 4 times more protein than Carbohydrates.

I didnt start getting out loud compliments til I had lost about 60 pounds. I dont know if people didnt notice or if they didnt want to ask. Sometimes people are more afraid to ask out loud if you have lost weight as most often it is a difficult thing to ask soomeone. The whole thing about, are they trying to loose weight? Are they sick? Do you want to acknowledge there was a weight l issue in the first place.
Now at 110 pounds lost everyone is telling me I am looking awesome. Tho the most honest of people say, I look great but still have a way to go (with about another 60pounds) to go. But more people are telling me i look happier and lighter. I have been honest about how I have lost the weight, yes surgery but also ALOT of exercise and pushing myself.
It may take while but it WILL happen, and when it does you will be lucky to go a day when 5 people dont tell you how great you are going.

I share the same allergy issue and even though I have a room air purifier, I still suffer this. I also use sugar free lozenges at night at times. I have found that when I use saline nasal spray that this has helped to cut down on my coughing. I have started using it throughout the day as well.