deedeemuffin

I live in the Hudson Valley! I technically live in the Town of Newburgh, but I have a Wallkill address. That is really interesting. I've never thought to see who else might be on the board in the area. It will be interesting to see how many posts you get. I had my surgery done through TriState Bariatrics. Out of curiosity, who are you using & what is your process looking like (insurance, diet plan, etc.), if you are using a different office in the are.

This past week my nutritionist gave me an awesome tip on how to get protein in. I have been having trouble meeting the minimum requirement AND getting in all my water. She suggested that I try dried edamame (soy beans). She said salted was fine or even one serving a day can be with dried fruit. Just 1/4 of a cup gives you 14 grams of protein & only 2 grams of net carbs. It is the easiest protein to bring out & about too. 1/4 cup in a ziploc bag fits in even a tiny purse. It is also great if you are missing foods that are salty and crunchy. It really helped me to meet my nutritional goals for the week. Just thought that I would pass it along!

Fage 0% fat. I mix it with a s-f sweetener & 2 tbsp. of powdered PB2, It makes it like a peanut butter dessert. So good!

Totally normal. I am 2 months out & I just recently started being able to lay flat in bed without being propped up by 6 pillows. Don't worry. It gets better.

I am 8 weeks post-op & I can eat quite a bit depending on the consistency. For instance I can eat a whole 6 oz. container of greek yogurt no problem at all. I can also eat a whole cup of home made egg salad or egg beaters very easily. Solid protein I can eat about 3 oz. & a little bit of vegetables too. I weigh everything on my food scale. Everyone is different. I thought that I was able to eat too much. I just stuck to my protein & carb guidelines & the weight is coming off. Just stick to your program & you will be just fine.

I spent a lot of time talking to my therapist pre-surgery and also had my psychiatrist up my Xanax dosage temporarily. I also took melatonin in order to sleep. Anxiety continued post-op. Well, more than my usual anxiety. I have dealt with having severe anxiety & panic attacks for about 4 years now. My best advice would be to consult your professionals & come up with a care plan. It's the only way that I have been able to make it through. Best of luck to you!

Thanks for sharing this. I am down 51 lbs in 9 weeks. I'm not complaining, but I know other people have lost a lot more. I have been really bad about getting my water and protein in. I haven't been eating poorly, but I have found it easy to skip meals & liquid. This is good motivation for me to start getting in my protein & water!

I know that feeling all too well. I have struggled with hunger starting at about 2 weeks out. Veggies have been my lifesaver...cooked well during soft food & now snacking on crunchy, raw vegetables. Good luck to you!

My nutritionist said 60-70 grams of protein. Excess protein can be stored as fat & is also hard on your kidneys.

I really appreciate the feedback from everyone. I know a lot of people have been wondering how I have been doing. I am sorry that I haven't followed up. I actually have not even been on the website for over a week. I got a call last Tuesday morning that my grandfather had a major stroke & would not survive the night. I spent the better part of the next 6 days at the hospital even staying overnight some nights. Finally on Sunday (6 days later than the Dr. predicted & on his 83rd birthday) my grandfather passed away. On Sunday family stood around his bed & sang Happy Birthday. About 5 minutes later he took his last breath. Yesterday I did absolutely nothing all day. I was so exhausted. I have not been taking care of myself at all. I have not been getting in my protein or my water. I didn't eat poorly. I just didn't eat or drink much at all. I am physically weak & definitely retaining fluid from not hydrating & getting my TOM 2 days ago. Today starts a new school semester for me. I am going back to school for the first time in a long time. Right now I am just so sad & very overwhelmed. I know that I need to take better care of myself. I wish that I had some better news for everyone who has been so encouraging. As soon as I do, I will certainly post it on the boards. This week I need to concentrate on getting back into learning mode for school & getting on a regular eating & drinking schedule. My weight is down this week, but I feel like I would have lost more if I took care of myself. Tomorrow is a new day & I live to keep on pressing on.

I do hope that this post will help you & anyone else who might be struggling in the future. As for the boyfriend, it took me a LONG time to find a guy like that. I kissed a lot of frogs first!

I am 6 weeks post-op and friends of mine are getting married on the 18th of this month. After the ceremony they're just having an informal get together at a sports bar in Manhattan. I think people are just mostly going to have drinks. Cocktails are like $12. I am just wondering what peoples experiences with alcohol have been post-op? I haven't had any problems with any food that I've tried. I don't really drink. So, even before surgery I would just nurse 1 drink all night. So, pros? cons? Worth the $12 drink?

I don't have my 7 week weight until Tuesday, but I am definitely losing inches. Today I went to go babysit. All my yoga pants & sweat pants were dirty. I started out a size 32. My size 30 jeans were just too big. Then I remembered that I had bought 2 pairs of size 28's online accidentally (I meant to get 30's) quite awhile back. Pre-Surgery I couldn't even pull them all the way up. So, I crossed my fingers & not only could I pull them up but could zip them up without sucking anything in! I was so excited. I still am. This totally made my week & it's only Sunday.

I went back to yoga today for the first time since surgery. I will be 6 weeks post-op on Tuesday & was so happy when I was cleared for yoga this week. I went to a Deep Stretch class & it felt so good. I got in some good stretching, a little sweat and I feel so relaxed!

What does your doctor's office say? I have seen a lot of people get close to but not to what they think their goal should be. Also, if you have excess skin that can be a big factor. I have seen post from people who have had skin removal surgery who have had more than 10 lbs. worth of skin removed. I hope that you find the answers that you're looking for. Good luck!

Zumba at home is good if you don't have time to make it to a class at the gym or if (like me) you're self-conscious about exercising in a group setting. Either way it's a great work out. Good luck!

Congratulations! You're doing great work. Thanks for the inspiration.

What a long, strange 6 weeks this has been. It seems such a long time ago that I was laying in the recovery room in horrible pain. This process has not gone at all how I have expected. My first 2 weeks I dropped 37 pounds. Then the scale didn't move AT ALL for 3 weeks. 3 weeks in a row I got on the scale to just get the exact same number. It was so discouraging. Today I got on the scale & I was down 5 lbs. Finally I am moving in the right direction again. I thought that I would have lost more by now. I do recognize (even with a 3 week stall) that my weight loss average is a pound per day over the past 42 days. That is a lot of weight. I also have finally broken through one of my biggest mental fears. I have been in the 380's many times in the past few years. I have never made it into the 370's. With my 3 weeks stall I was afraid that I was doomed to stay in the 380's. Well, today I am in the 370's. Over the past 6 weeks I have learned many things but there are 2 major lessons that I have taken away. The first is not to compare my weight loss to others. That is the most self-defeating behavior. If I looked at just my weight loss, I would be happy. When I compare myself to others is when I start to stress myself out & feel discouraged. The second lesson is to just follow the program. If I eat healthy, incorporate exercise & listen to my body then I will lose weight. It might not be the way that I expected, but it will come off. I am just starting this new journey. I need to be strong & have faith in myself & the process.

I am 6 weeks post-op. My Dr. said that decaf coffee was okay from the beginning. I waited until 4 weeks post-op to try it. I bought a really good brand & it made delicious decaf. Like others said, just be careful what you put in it. Also, make sure that you can still get in your water. The first couple days that I made decaf I loved it so much that I skipped out on my water. So, Enjoy some decaf. You'll be surprised how good it is.

I have seen a few people on the site mention having drains. I didn't though.

NUT = Nutritionist. Good Luck!

I don't count calories. My NUT said just to count my grams of Protein & net carbs. Most importantly, make sure that you get in all your Water. If you don't your body will actually retain water. We'll make it!

I am 6 weeks out yesterday. I lost big time weeks 1 & 2. Then NOTHING (I mean not even a half a pound) for weeks 3-5. I was SO upset. 3 full weeks at the exact same weight. I thought the surgery hadn't worked. I got cleared to start taking Yoga again this past week. I got on the scale yesterday morning & I was down 5 lbs. So I lost 42 lbs. over 6 weeks, but I actually only lost during 3 of those weeks. You will probably get a lot of feedback here. Everyone is different, but I think just about everyone has stalls. So, hang in there! Just stick to your program & eventually the scale will move again.

Congrats! I also am officially out of a 3 week stall as of today also! Doesn't it feel great? I am also on my fitness pal. I'll add you.