pianomom

Indiana...home, sweet home! I now live in NJ but Covington, IN will always be my home! I miss it so much. Had my surgery 12/26 and it was the best thing I have ever done even though I am a slow loser. I have lost 54 pounds total; 37 since the surgery. I just started the gym (Zumba & some machines) last week so am hoping that will help with the weight loss. I'm eating "regular" foods now and even tolerating small bites of steak and lean ground round broken up for spaghetti sauce or chili. Best wishes on your journey!

I would think you would be more ready by a couple of months out. By then, you should be mostly on "regular" food and hopefully, even eating small bites of steak or lean ground beef, which should help with eating out. You should be ready for more walking and your energy level should also be higher by then. I would say to ask your surgeon when you see him.

I scramble 1 egg, egg white and egg beaters with 2 tsp diet butter, onion, green pepper, fat-free cheese, salt, pepper, turkey sausage crumbles. I open 1 wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese and break it into small pieces to lay over the top before I cook the omelet. The cheese helps to make the eggs creamier so they go down easier. This gives me about 4 breakfasts, which I eat with a slice of turkey bacon microwaved. It also freezes well.

I am 8 weeks out and can eat almost anything but no pastas, sugar, breads or rice. I eat a lot of salmon, tuna, chicken, pumpkin baked with egg beaters, splenda and spices, green beans, scrambled eggs with Laughing Cow cheese added, turkey bacon, taco salad made with very fine lean ground round, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, fat-free cheese and I use 3-4 crumbled Bariatric Choice protein crisps for the crunchiness. Chili is also one of my "go-to" foods. I am eating 4-5 oz per meal.

I had gastric sleeve surgery 12/26 and am doing great (53 pounds total lost; 36 since surgery. My question is this: I am trying to find variety by using allowed foods, herbs, spices to create new dishes or re-create old ones. My daughter is having the sleeve 3/13 and her surgeon has told her she should not try to have variety in food after the surgery--ever. She should eat the same meals every day, mostly fish & chicken, even for breakfast. I just am wondering if anyone else has been told that and if so, how do you follow that strictly for the rest of your life. I am so enjoying variety in my foods but still eating what I am allowed in 4-5 oz portions.

I loved warm Rachael Ray Beef Stock and Chinese Egg Drop Soup with the egg strained out of it until I was able to be on full liquids, then I also had the egg. I also found Irish Cream Hot Cocoa on the Bariatric Choice website.

My surgeon's instructions are stop 30 min before eating and 1 hour after eating. It means you have to work at getting your water in but I try to drink two bottles in the morning and 2 in afternoon then I only have 1 to drink at night (16.9 oz bottles). I also drink decaf coffee, decaf tea, sugar-free hot chocolate for variety.

My surgeon allowed me to have decaf coffee with fat-free cream right after surgery. I have about 3 cups per day. I also drink decaf herbal tea for a change.

Hope you are doing well and on your way to recovery. Remember to walk slowly and often & sip, sip, sip your water or chew on ice chips. The walking will really help with your recovery, pain, gas, nausea and I am hoping you don't have much of any of those.

My surgeon asked me if I still get hungry. I answered, "Yes" and he asked how soon I feel it. I told him when it is about time to eat (around 4 hours) and he said "Good. That's how it should be!" so I take it that it is normal to still get hungry when it is time to eat.

Once you start on "regular" food, you will feel the restriction more. Some foods fill you up faster than others. For some reason, salad seems to fill me up quickly and so does chicken and tuna. I am eating about 4-5 ounces per meal and my surgeon said to eat how ever much it takes to feel the restriction. When I have that last bite, my tummy tells me and I stop eating!

I, too, love popcorn and I thought about buying the little individual bags and limiting myself to one per week. I think that would satisfy me but I have been afraid of the hulls and my sleeve so haven't tried it yet.

I have always loved to cook and now, I am just switching it to being creative in my cooking by using things I am allowed to have and lots of spices and herbs. Sometimes even my husband likes what I have made and doesn't realize it has "my ingredients" in it. Other times, I fix something special just for him. Now that I am 8 weeks out, I can pretty much eat anything except potatoes, breads, rice. I haven't tried steak yet but I plan to eat a small portion this weekend. I am eating about 4-5 ounces per meal (3 meals, 1 snack per day).

I loved cold Myoplex Lite (chocolate fudge flavor) for my protein shake...tastes like chocolate milk. I also enjoyed Rachael Ray's beef or chicken stock warmed in the microwave and warm Chinese Egg Drop Soup with the egg part strained out of it the first couple of weeks. I also strained the noodles out of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup and drank the warm broth. GNC has caramel and chocolate chewable Calcium Citrate that is really good. It is called "be-balanced".

I tried sugar-free when I was about 2-3 weeks out and have had no problems, can also do sugar-free mints.

Wow! I hadn't ever thought to look at my slow weight loss from the perspective of I lost 14 pounds in a month so in 6 months, that would be 84 pounds...now that doesn't seem like such a slow weight loss! Now I am encouraged!

Your trust needs to be in the Lord, not in what everyone else thinks. He has led you this far and He will be faithful to help you through the surgery and the journey to follow. Jer. 29:11 is one of my favorite verses saying that the Lord has a purpose and plan to prosper us and to give us hope and a future. I will be praying for you.

I wore a loose fitting nightie and robe home (dark colors so you couldn't see through them). In the hospital, I wore their gowns, one in front & one in back. You definitely don't want anything tight around your waist or under your breasts where the incisions are. I was up and walking about 5-6 times the night of the surgery. I moved slowly but it really seemed to help a lot.

Pizza & popcorn

I finally saw some results in the mirror today after losing 50 pounds total. I saw a neck, legs and not nearly as much rear end as there used to be! I seem to be losing slowly right now. My surgeon said to cut out the protein shakes and get my protein from food so I am trying that. I was released to start the gym next week; maybe that will also help. I have to admit I am afraid of the gym since I have NEVER been an exercise person, even when I was a teenager. We'll see how this goes...must do it!

I am 64 and was sleeved on 12/26. I have lost a total of 48 lb, 31 lb since the surgery. I am losing slowly but am hoping to be released for the gym when I see my surgeon this week. I hope to do the indoor walking track and swimnastics. I am feeling great and had no complications, nausea, etc. after the surgery.

I agree! Warm liquids seem to go down well for me and they soothe my tummy. Strained Campbells Healthy Request Chicken Noodle Soup, Rachael Ray chicken or beef stock, decaf herbal tea and decaf coffee worked well when I was in the liquid stage.

I had a problem with eating tuna also but I find if I mix it with salmon, add an egg, seasonings, dried onion and a little bit of protein powder & panko bread crumbs, I can "fry" it in Pam and it comes out like a salmon patty but still gets in some tuna. It seems to settle really well that way.

Forgot to say my surgery was 12/26...about 5 1/2 weeks ago.

If you eat every 2.5 to 3 hours, how do you get all of your water in with stopping 1/2 hour before you eat and waiting 45 minutes to drink after eating? Someone told me their surgeon said never go more than 3 hours without eating but I can't get the liquids in if I do that. I am drinking about 5 (16 oz) bottles of water a day and 1 protein shake.