castiel

You definitely need to be getting more Protein in or you're gonna stall. YOU ALSO NEED TO HYDRATE or else you could have issues. 64oz right? What about your Protein shakes? When you wake up in the morning, commit yourself to drinking one. That's at least 20 grams right there. Or find the atkins light or muscle milk light boxes so you don't even have to make one. just grab and go. Mashed potatoes are carbs, what about pureed tuna or pureed chicken salad? Also chili is an excellent option if it's made with lean ground beef or turkey and some kidney Beans. You can also puree that if you're still eating pureed. My 4th week, that I started today, I'm allowed to have thin lunch meat like turkey and ham (my tummy did not like ham... might be the fatty stringyness) and light soft cheese. You can also try talapia and tuna. Egg whites are a good option as well. Fat free cottage cheese is also my go to item. 13 grams for 1/2 a cup. Skim milk is good for liquids and I think about 8 grams of protein. You can make Soups with milk or lactaid milk too. Did your NUT or doctor give you a list of foods to try out for each stage? You need to stick to the plan you were given!

I stepped on the scale today and it went down 3 pounds! I'm at 243. I can't recall the last time I was this weight. I've been above 250 probably since junior year of high school. I hit my highest weight ever of 275 my freshman year of college. It feels odd, but I'm glad the scale finally moved. I can't believe I'm 43 pounds from onederland. I remember hitting 200 pounds in middle school and crying. My best childhood friend told me that she remembers me crying about it to her. I think by May I could be in onederland. IN TIME FOR GRADUATION... WHOOHOO! They say the first 6 months you lose the most. And I get to start the gym this week. My family has a membership at the Y, so at least I can get back into bike riding (which i miss like crazy) and build up some stamina before Sunday when I go back to school. I'm really nervous about heading back to college because I go to a school where there are literally less than 20 fat students on campus. And from noticing the lack of visible fat people on campus, I've immersed myself within the body acceptance and fat acceptance movement online. I've come a long way in accepting and loving myself and reclaiming the word fat. Fat is just a word. It does not mean you are worthless or disgusting. My journey is about doing incredible physical things with my body and helping my PCOS as well as trying to prevent health issues that run in my family. I have history of diabetes, heart attack, and stroke in my family. And that's just from my mother's side. I don't know anything about my biological father's history, so my stepfather's (whom I've called dad all my life) doesn't count lol. I go to a school that's very privileged, where the wealthy are thin, and I see first hand that thin privilege exists. Anyway, I'm nervous for college because my gym is full of thin young men and women. It's constantly packed. I've never set foot in the gym because it makes me so uncomfortable being the only fat person there. My dad says I need to say screw it, because this is about me, not them. I'm bettering myself. I just wish there was a plus size network that I could connect to at school so we could go together. Maybe my roommate will go with me since her doctor told her she needs to work out to help with her stress headaches. I just don't want to be looked at or whispered about. And I don't want to look like an idiot who doesn't know where the equipment is or how to use it because it's different than the Y. The weight area is generally full of men, and the women's studies majors have written theses about it, but I gotta scout out to equipment and weights before I use them. I know there are some women on sports teams that use it, and I want to use weights too! In the meantime I might buy myself a set of interchangeable weights besides the 5 pound weights I own now. I really want to get on board with toning and building muscle in my arms WHILE losing weight, not after losing weight. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ In other news, I'm going into my 4th week on the food stage. Which means soft foods, and I started today :] I had 3 hard boiled egg whites. I made the mistake of not chewing enough, I was too eager, and I didn't have pain per se, but this incredible full feeling bordering on discomfort as if the eggs were something hard in my stomach. I chewed more diligently after that. I also finished the rest of my pureed chicken from last night and had about 3 small meatballs. I felt guilty, but I ate a little thing that I shouldn't have. It was 90 calories and 10 carbs, and all you need to know is it had chocolate on it. It was soft so I wasn't worried about it not going down. I mean I'm even allowed to have crackers (SO DRY) at this stage. I also found out peanut butter is hard for me to get down without it feeling like a paste is slowly leaking down my throat, just sitting there not making it down, even though it's on my list of foods for the soft food stage. So maybe I'll try it again later this week. Tuna is probably going to be my go to food. I can eat a whole can no problem. I also bought light mayo. I know I should've gotten fat free, but I need to work my way down to it because I knew it was gonna taste gross. I don't notice a difference with light, so once I get used to that, I'll eventually buy fat free in a few weeks. I'm still having issues with not drinking for a half hour after I eat. I'm forcing myself to mark the time when I stop eating, and try to wait it out. I miss drinking with meals so much. The small portions and limited list of foods I can deal with, but not drinking anything before or after is killing me. Who would've thought that out of all things, drinking with meals is what I miss most. My main issues prior to surgery were eating foods that were a matter of convenience, eating large portions without feeling satisfied, and eating foods that were really bad for you but tasted delicious. I'm waiting for the food mourning to kick in a few weeks from now when I see things with bread that I want to eat so badly, or how easy it is at college to just grab that box of pasta and boil water and eat all those carbs. Eating is going to be hassle for me with all the planning. I plan on carting sippi boxes of muscle milk light in my bags from now on I'm wondering if my PPIs aren't strong enough because I feel hunger, and I know that can be confused with acid. When I ate dinner tonight, I was able to eat a cup, A WHOLE FREAKING CUP, of unpureed chili over the course of 20 mins without feeling sick or getting to that full point where I feel it sitting in my esophagus. I'm scared I'm going to give myself a leak. I need to be committed to measuring my food. Only 1/2 a cup. AND THAT'S IT. I see people on here who can only manage a few table spoons, meanwhile I'm sitting here with no nausea and eating like a champ. I don't want to be a failure. WHAT IF MY SLEEVE IS TOO BIG? what if my nerves are so dulled, I can't tell that I overstuffed myself and I give myself a leak? This is why I need to measure my stuff more accurately and not eye-ball things. There could be bad consequences (besides not losing weight) because of it. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ I noticed that there aren't a lot of blog updates on this site. I thought about making a wordpress blog or something like that, but I'm too lazy. The tumblr WLS community is small, and I don't connect with many of the users. I could use my old livejournal, but I don't know about that since I use it for other things. This is kind of like a diary for me, to look back on my thoughts and issues during my journey. I get comfort (and paranoia) to know that people are reading my posts, even if it's just one person.

During my first 10 days post op, I lost 20 pounds. I was sleeved 12/17 and it the weight loss stopped 12/26. Then, no weight change. I was frustrated. HOW COULD I STOP LOSING AFTER ONLY 10 DAYS? But today, the scale finally dropped three pounds. My stall finally broke on the 7th. These things take time. Don't get too discouraged. Our bodies have been through a lot!

It might be the liquid diet. I've read that others says we need good PPI medication to help with that feeling. During my first week, I felt like I had soooo much head hunger that I thought I was hungry

You certainly are prepared! I wish you the best of luck and a healthy recovery :] See you on the losers bench!

I get this really hollow feeling in my stomach, and sometimes my stomach does grumble or make gurgly noises. Everyone once in a while my stomach feels like it's eating itself! However, I attribute that to acid reflux, even though nothing comes up my throat or do I feel like I have heart burn.

Campbell's tomato soup with lactaid milk or 1% milk got me through my full liquids week. It was a nice taste besides the cream of ____ soups. I also bought some cream cheddar potato soup and pureed that so there were no lumps at all.

When I met with my psychologist, she told me to be weary of tingling in my hands because that means you're low on B12 and you'll need a shot right away or else the tingling will be permanent. However, it could just be the medication you're taking like others have said. Make sure you talk to your doctor!

I'm definitely trying to get my protein up as well as my fluids. I'm having no issues drinking, but this whole waiting half hour before and after eating is killing me because I can eat so little. I feel like I never stop eating and can't drink enough now :[ I hope your stall breaks soon!

are you exercising? what's your protein intake like? you may need to up it and make sure you're hydrating well

I think some people miss out on tone and expression that is lost in text. However, sometimes people make posts about cheating in the beginning stages post-op and that frustrates some especially when people have dealt with leaks and don't want others to go through the same thing. We need to support one another, and while it's okay to disagree and argue with good points, we need to remain respectful. There are some mean people, but not everyone is. I'm grateful for this board and a lot of advice and experiences that I have read. Just try to ignore the negativity, and if need be, take a break and come back after a while.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I guess like most of you said, it takes time to get used to it. Just gotta get the hang of it. I think not ordering drinks when out is a good idea, even if I get odd looks/remarks from servers. My mother offered me tea right after I finished Breakfast this morning, and I said I CAN'T DRINK A HALF HOUR AFTER I EAT! So, even the temptation is there from family :[

That's great you're already exercising. I'm just doing walking, but on Tuesday I'm cleared for the gym! I should've taken my measurements pre-surgery. But I remember measuring my waist and hips a few weeks before surgery, so when I get back to school I can't wait to find my measuring tape. The pain does get better, as you've seen. I used to have pain getting up out of bed, but now, NONE! Walking long distances at first made my stomach muscles feel like it's on fire. Now if I walk too much, it's not bad at all. Best of luck on your journey! Sounds like you're doing great.

Yes, I did! I weighed exactly the same as I did that morning :[ I don't know what's going on. I'm just hoping exercising will help. I wish you best of luck with your surgery. As far as complications, lactose intolerance, nausea, and pain, I have had a wonderful journey with no issues except constipation. I hope you don't have to deal with constipation a lot either; it can be painful! But it seems that it's common with VSG patients. Once I move to normal foods and get into a groove, I'm going to incorporate as much fiber like metamucil and chia/flax seeds when I can.

2 multi-vitamins, calcium chewables, b12 sublingual, b super complex, biotin

i'm three weeks out and i swallow all of my pills. however, Calcium pills are very difficult, so i stick to the chewables with those. i found that Vitamin c pills make me nauseous also, what about sprinkling them on some pureed apple sauce or on pudding?

Hi Everyone, So this week I'm on pureed food. I'm finding it SO difficult not to drink while eating food. I've done it a few times, and then I can't eat as much, making me feel full super fast. I know that I'm not supposed to because it makes the food slide through faster, so I'm trying very hard not do it. I've always been a huge drinker of beverages while eating. After eating, my mouth just feels so dry and I want to reach for a nice glass of cold Water. I was thinking maybe gum might be a good option? I can pop it in my mouth, and boom, saliva to help with thirst. (My nut says gum is okay to chew and mints). What do you after you eat to help stop the urge to drink something? Was this something easy for you to overcome or do you still struggle with it? Any tips would be great!

The main thing I've read on here is: EAT SLOW. baby bites, baby sips, continuously through out the day to make sure you're getting in everything

I have no issues with muscle milk LIGHT. there's no lactose in it either. I drink both vanilla and chocolate. I'm a little bored with it, but it goes down with no issues. (Sometimes I do feel a little gasy though)

I was sleeved dec 17th, however I haven't experienced any nausea, except one time I tried to take a Vitamin C tablet on New Year's eve because I was getting sick. That was awful. Did your doctor prescribe you an anti-nausea sublingual medication? That should help with those feelings. I'm thinking once I move to solid food is when I'll experience nausea. So I plan on filling my script soon

I'm drinking nectar chocolate truffle. i normally mix it with skim milk and it's awesome. i tried it with Water today just to see, and it was yucky! so maybe for any protein mix you buy, try it with both water and skim milk to see if it might make it taste better

amazing! congratulations!

Thank you! The pain has went away while eating. But I still have a hard time telling when I'm full. I can only tell when I'm full when it gets to the point where I feel like it's creeping back up my esophagus. I don't slime or anything though.

WARNING: CONTAINS A MOSTLY TMI POST Today, I'm having a bit of a rough time :[ On New Year's eve, I formed a sinus infection. I was and am still miserable. I've been using a neti pot and afrin, and that seems to help. I finally got my hands on some Mucinex D that my mother kindly paid for today. I just took a pill, so hopefully it will help with the sinus congestion. I wonder if the surgery is to blame, but I did just have a sinus infection in September, so I'm susceptible to them. Anyway, I have been experiencing constipation. I keep getting this feeling like I have to go, but nothing will come out. I bought smooth move tea, and like an idiot, I drank it this morning thinking it would take six hours. I had to go to walmart with my mom to get my tires replaced. She ate in subway, and I went to bathroom that was as hot as a sauna because I was getting intestinal pains. I went, and a little came out. I thought: no big deal, I'm fine. I walked around for about 10 minutes, and the pains came back full force. I ran to the bathroom, and I had so much pain I was moaning in agony. I started sweating, meanwhile it was literally 90 degrees in there. Every woman that came in complained how hot it was. it was so hot, their friends or family waited outside the bathroom for them. I started feeling like I was going to pass out. I didn't drink any water this morning besides the tea and to take some meds, and I only had one muscle milk and some oatmeal. I've passed out once before a few months ago from a painful bowel movement, and it felt like it was going to happen again. (I used to be very regular before surgery too, everyday. sometimes twice in one day). I tried calling my mother on her cell over and over to get me some cold bottled water. I sent a text and she finally heard a ping. I guess her call volume was off. Well, I was on the toilet, in a Walmart, for an hour. Everything came out. It was so hot, I had to take my socks off as well as the pants around my ankles. I didn't dare remove my shirt. NOT MY MOST REDEEMING MOMENT. IN A PUBLIC BATHROOM. I was covered in sweat and shaking so bad. I had tingling in my hands and feet. I wanted to flop to the floor and just lay there it was so painful and awful. Moral of the story, DON'T DRINK SMOOTH MOVE TEA DURING THE DAY, OR ANY LAXATIVES DURING THE DAY unless you have a comfortable place to have a bowel movement. I made it home in one piece. I'm now freezing and still shaking. I'm in sweatpants, sweatshirt, gloves, socks and slippers, under blankets as I write this. My other issue is that people say they hit a stall during week three, but I've been in a stall since week two, and I'm still in a stall now. I had my surgery on 12/17 and I stopped losing weight around the 26th of December. The scale hasn't budged since. I've been drinking enough fluids, but I'm thinking I need to up my protein. I usually get in 60 grams as per my doctor. But it might not be enough. I keep my calories around 800 or less, but maybe I need more?? Maybe my body really does feel like it's in starvation mode. I wonder if the PCOS has anything to do with it as well. I start exercising on Tuesday. So I hope that next week I'll see a few pounds drop. I think I need to be more diligent. Drink more, eat more, exercise and take my time as to not over exert myself.

I used my GYN as well as one from my regular doctor for Aetna. You should be fine!