Velveteen

Niño, hi and welcome!! RN = registered nurse!
Hi NikkiC and Kckitty, hope you guys are doing well and feeling better. I feel really good now, two weeks out yesterday. As for the Protein I had the same problem then a friend of mine who is 2 months + out had told me how to get it all in.
I've been using Body Fortress Super Advanced whey Protein powder. (you can find it at wallmart in a big tub for $15 and the Cookies n cream is pretty good!)
2 scoops of powder (52 gm protein) into 8 ounces of fat free milk (8gm of protein) so there's your 60 gm of Protein for the day. That 8 oz of shake, separate into 3 parts and there's Breakfast / lunch / dinner.
And even when you start to add in food still try to get the 8 oz of shake in to know your getting all your protein!!
I have also found that part of getting all the Fluid (water) in is a way to keep the fat melting off. I had a hard time sipping all day long so kinda gave up for 2 days. Found that I didn't lose any weight when I didn't drink any Water. So try to keep up on the Water. Add the squeeze in MIO or Crystal Light to make it more exciting. I tried the Isopures but found them to be pretty yucky. Left a nasty slim in my mouth and flavors not so good!!

And yes the Fluid intake is a huge struggle for me too!

Wow back to work already!!! I took 6 weeks due to the lifting factor because I'm an RN.

Wow Justinelli, I'm so sorry to hear you had to go back in to the ER. What was your complication? My first week sucked, I felt like I was hit by a truck! I couldn't sit and drink all day. I felt like a fish. I too had gained from I've fluids but it was only a couple of pounds. It's crazy to think now its only been 2 weeks today since surgery and down 20lbs!!! I haven't had any real complications. Just that horrible burpy feeling if I take to big of a sip or drink or eat yogurt to fast. I have found that if I get all my 60gm + of Protein in I feel pretty good. I also don't feel as hungry anymore throughout the day like I did my first week. I will say I would really like something to chew lol in terms of real food. I have started a scrambled egg. Had my first one yesterday and one this morning for Breakfast. That has gone down pretty well. I chew and squish it till its barely nothing before I swallow. And one egg fills me. It's hard though not to drink while eating. I'll have to work on that.
Hope everything is better now!

I still feel a bit swollen as well. Walking will get that gas moving and out of your abdomen. I try to get up and do little walks often around the house and outside! Tight feeling as well. I have some bruising. The Water and Protein are very hard. I know I'm not getting enough either yet.

Hi there, I was sleeved on Tuesday April 23rd. It now Saturday and well I'm still very sore and tender. I stayed 2 nights in the hospital and was happy to be home thursday! No nausea thank god! Not sure if I'm getting enough Water in. Very hard to sip all day.

Wow back to work already!!! I took 6 weeks due to the lifting factor because I'm an RN.

I think our train arrives at our destination before we wake up and realize it.
Suggestion:
Find a store with non-crabby staff and preferably in a non-busy time of day. Try on many different types of clothes with different sizes that are in the ballpark of what you think you are. Take your time, look in the mirror, get the picture. Dig the new you.
I've tried on sizes that I knew were too small only to find out that they weren't...now.

I'm starting to get over that thought process where I still see myself as that really fat woman. It's taken some time, though. A combination of things have helped: seeing a therapist for my head issues, taking lots of pictures, and spending time around a lot of supportive people. I have posted my pics all over Facebook, as much for journal purposes as to let distant relatives know how I'm doing. For me the biggest changes came mentally from seeing what kind of attention other people give me. I've had a 30 year old firefighter (hot, hot, hot!) telling me how great my butt looks for months. That has been inspirational, to say the least. Between him and his girlfriend, they have convinced me that I look really good. She's a gorgeous girl, IMO, inside and out, and she spent a couple of hours one afternoon shopping with me. What convinced me that I'm actually NOT that fat woman was that we were trying on the same sizes of clothes, with her literally handing me a pair of pants she had just tried on that were too tight and when I tried them on, they fit perfectly. That was a huge AHA moment for me. Sometimes it takes something shocking to get it through my head. But, I still sometimes expect the "Fat Police" to come send me back to the plus size section in the stores! LOL

Haha I have thought the same!! There is an ex of mine that I would love to rub it in his face how good, I hope I look in a year!! I want to just walk into a bar and have him see me and think "DAMN"! I wouldn't say a word to him but I want him to think! I'm happily married now with a little one and wouldn't change that for the world but it'll still feel damn good to rub it in my ex's face when I loose all the weight!!
Nope your not crazy at all!,

Gin, good luck!!! Hope you have an easy and speedy recovery!!! I am also interested in maybe getting together with others that have been where we are going and can help us through!!

Deedee, wow I hope I'm as lucky as you in recovery. There are so many extremes when it comes to recovery, in both directions!! Just the thought of being 50 lbs lighter makes me feel better physically!! I'm 5'6" and 269lbs. Never have I been small, I've always been the big girl in the crowd. So far the support from friends and colleagues has been great. My biggest hurdle in my mind is telling my mom. She knows I have always had challenges with my weight but I have a feeling she's going to say I'm taking the easy way out and why don't I just diet (again and again). But then again she might surprise me and be supportive. Errr it's just one thing that keeps running through my head. Anyway, I'm excited to start this new journey with my husband and have a healthier and much more active life!! Want to be here when my 2 year old is older!!