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Wonderful job--you can really see a difference! Congratulations!!

Could you try chocolate protein powder in warm water, like a hot chocolate? Or add vanilla PP to diet hot chocolate. Just don't make it too hot or it will clump. Make with milk or soy milk for more protein. Also, I like Muscle Milk lite thinned out with some almond mil--more palatable when thinner. Sometimes I shake it up in a shaker even though it's ready-made. Tastes like chocolate milk. I have Isopure in my fridge and it's taunting me--just doesn't strike my fancy. I'm thinking of diluting with some water and adding Mio or CL with some ice.

so sorry this happened to you! Try burying your phone in some (uncooked) rice to dry it out.

I bought Vitamin Shoppe's version of PB2 yesterday...8.99 for just under 7 ounces (the brand is JustGoodStuff and it's organic...which is a good thing when it comes to peanuts). However, that is a little pricey so I ordered 4 jars on GNC, same size, of PB2, and they were 4.99 each (on sale for $1 off). I used a shipping coupon from RetailMeNot so shipping was only $1. I tried some in Greek Yogurt and it was delish! thanks for the great info and resources!!

I'm 2 weeks post op and can sleep on my right side (where the bigger incision is/was). I have been able to sleep on my left side since about 1 week post op. I hear you on back sleeping being uncomfortable! Sometimes if I sleep too long on the right side, I have a little incisional pain in the morning. It usually goes away after about half an hour--if not, I talk half a dose of liquid Tylenol.

Very informative, thanks for posting. I think it's very easy to get dehydrated your first week. In my case, I was drinking a lot but also had constant diarrhea, which is how I lost most of the 18-19 lbs of fluid that I gained in the hospital. That's a lot to lose in a few days, even if it is fluid (a lot to gain in a few days too!). Even though I was drinking over 64 oz of water/day, I wasn't urinating that much b/c so much of the fluid was used up from the GI issues. I am drinking more than ever before at 2 weeks post op but notice if I don't drink for a couple of hours, my pee immediately turns dark (would have take a day or two post-op). I think it's bc we aren't getting much fluid from food and our bodies are working OT to heal and (hopefully) lose weight. Glad you are feeling better!!!

What about soy milk, soy cheese, almond milk (not a lot of protein but low calorie), etc.? Vegan Proteins like pea and hemp? Since you've been sleeved a while, I think that would help in getting in plant sources of protein (higher capacity for things like beans). I found a recipe online from RD Ellie Krieger for hummus made from pureed edamame and tofu. What about seitan? TVP? and tofu? You could add tofu to smoothies (veggie and fruit smoothies).

Great thread--thanks PotterGirl! Some things I will be trying for the puree stage: * pureed ricotta or cottage cheese mixed with yogurt with some SF flavoring and maybe fresh lemon/lemon rind * Pureed black Beans or fat-free refried beans with lime juice, enchilada sauce, and other seasonings. Potentially mixed with cottage cheese or ricotta cheese and topped with FF cheese or low-fat laughing cow cheese * Pureed oatmeal or cream of wheat with Protein powder (prepared with soy milk and thinned with almond milk) * Greek yogurt with PB2 powder and Protein Powder, thinned with some soy milk and/or almond milk * Greek yogurt with canned pumpkin, protein powder, and some SF sweetener * Ricotta bake from The World According to Eggface * Cream of wheat cooked in chocolate Protein shake * Small amount of mashed potatoes made with protein powder, greek yogurt, soy milk--topped with pureed beans or pureed Morningstar chili * Pureed thinned lentil Soup with Morningstar Breakfast pattie added (and possibly protein powder)--topped with Greek yogurt * Pureed vegan bean soup that my mom made--thinned out with soy milk and protein powder added. Topped with Greek yogurt * Morningstar faux "meat" balls pureed with spaghetti sauce * Morningstar veggie burgers pureed with something--low-sugar bbq sauce?

I started thin purees yesterday and feel much better! I've never felt actual hunger pangs, but starting the thin purees has helped that weak/low blood sugar/can't concentrate feeling (maybe a little bit of being on liquid only, maybe a little bit of ketosis). I had 1/3 cup of pureed oatmeal and no-added-sugar peaches cooked with soy milk and thinned out with almond milk and added 1 scoop of Protein powder this morning and I'm really full and satisfied. I love my VitaMix for this stage of the plan. My PA told me to think of thin purees as Soups and to decide what I wanted to combine. For lunch I think I will have thin pureed lentil Soup with vegetarian Morningstar patties and some low-fat soft cheese (maybe a little extra Protein Powder if needed). Maybe with a little thinned out Greek yogurt. The PA wants me to get all of my protein from food and to give up the Protein drinks completely. And to also eliminate protein powder in the solid foods. I'm not sure this is realistic as a vegetarian if I also need to keep carbs down. I asked her about keeping a Protein Drink as Breakfast only and she was insistent that I couldn't. I want to talk to the RD next week and get her take on it (PA isn't very informed about vegetarian diets). The PA also told me that I need to give up the 20 calories/pack diet hot chocolate that I've been drinking once or twice a day with protein powder (even if I made it with Water and no protein powder--they only allow drinks that are 10 calories or fewer for 8 ounces). She told me that one drink like that per day could result in 15 fewer pounds lost per year, but I figured it out and it's actually 2 lbs. Plus you could modulate something else to make up for it. Right now I am taking in all of my protein and fluids (60 grams or more and 72 ounces or more) and calories are very low. I want to be--and will be--compliant but feel a little overwhelmed right now. My RD is vegetarian and I think I will feel a lot better after I meet with her!

I would definitely complain, too, but HIPAA doesn't cover health information privacy at work. It extends only to healthcare providers keeping the information private. (I just learned that recently.) But it definitely is an awful situation and maybe there's something in your employee handbook that covers it. Or just plain professionalism and human decency.

Wow, that's really uprofessional--of your supervisor, HR, and the insurance company. So sorry you are going through this. What you are doing for yourself and your health will hopefully all make it worth it in the end!!

i found a recipe online for edamame hummus made with silken tofu--sounds tasty and could work even for puree. I will report back if it's good!

Thanks so much for the great advice, everyone! I am seeing the dietitian and PA today so I will ask about the liquids. Our guidelines don't limit the rate at which you consume liquids, but I try to use common sense and listen to my body. I can drink Water a lot more quickly than a Protein drink, for example (and right now, I thin my Protein drinks with almond mild bc I think it's easier on my sleeve). I am a vegetarian so won't be eating meat--but hopefully I'll feel that type of restriction with vegetarian protein sources that others feel with meat. I think it will make a difference even when I get to regular purees. My thin puree of oatmeal and peaches was about the same consistency as a Protein shake. But it did seem to fill me up a little more, maybe because it's just something different. I probably thinned it a little more than I needed to (we have to go to applesauce consistency) but I just wanted to be cautious the first time out. I pureed it in the Vitamix so it was more like cream of wheat. Thanks again--hearing everyone else's experiences really helps!! This forum is a great support and source of helpful information. I appreciate everyone taking the time to share.

Sorry to hear this! I am 14 days post-op and am getting in all of my Vitamins, fluids, and Protein plus walking (not at the gym yet--hoping to start that after my post-op appt today). I gained 18 lbs of Fluid in the hospital and took it off within a few days, and within a few more days I lost about 10 lbs. Now for at least 5 days, the scale hasn't moved. I am being patient with my body because I figure it's trying to get to an equilibrium. If I recall correctly, I think you lost a lot immediately post-op, so maybe your body is catching up, too? When you were in the hospital (sorry to hear this--glad you are okay), did they give you IV fluids by any chance? That could cause some temporary fluid gain. Also, anytime your body has an inflammatory response, it can cause some temporary weight gain too. I am quickly learning that patience is a virtue but it's so much easier said than done! Good luck!! Let's stay in touch since our surgery dates are so similar. Sending you good thoughts!!

I am 2 weeks post op and started "thin purees" this morning. I measured out 1/3 cup of pureed oatmeal and peaches and it went down very easily. I had to purposefully slow myself down, taking tiny bites and chewing them even though it was already pureed. It took me about 15 minutes to eat it. I probably could have eaten more but I'm sticking to plan (I'm very rules-oriented, which is probably a good thing) and also didn't want to push it. The oatmeal seemed to fill me up about the same as a Protein shake, though it was VERY nice to have some variety. My stomach seemed happy with it--no gurgling or anything (which I did get with Protein shakes early out--that has stopped now though). I used a little soy milk to make the oatmeal; next time I am going to add some Protein powder. For a couple of days after surgery, it was difficult for me to get fluids and broth down, which I'm sure is normal. For the first week I did the burp-sip thing but never really felt restriction in my sleeve and was still getting in 60+ grams of protein (protein shakes) and 64 oz-plus of water/fluids. The burping stopped a few days ago and I can take regular drinks of Water, like I could pre-op. I don't chug or take massive drinks just because I want to be gentle with my sleeve. But I can drink a 17-ounce bottle of water in 20 minutes or so if I focus on it while I'm working. Let me say before I ask my question that I feel terrible for people who have complained that it's a struggle to drink water or other fluids or get down purees. I knew that feeling for a few days and it was awful--my heart goes out to you. Hopefully that will subside as time goes on. With that said, I have sort of an opposite worry, which is that I hope I end up having enough restriction for this to really work!! Did others who didn't feel a lot of restriction early on or who don't really have it with fluids start getting it once you were eating solid foods? (or maybe even thicker purees, which I move to this weekend). I know I am being a worry wart, but it's difficult not to think ahead with everything that we all go through to adopt this new lifestyle. Thank you for any advice or feedback that you have! :-)

I only have a couple more Lovenox shots to go (2-week post-op regimen) and I'm so happy. I find for me they sting a little but I just don't like doing it, and to top it off, the drug is made from porcine intestines and I'm a vegetarian. I tried to see if there was an alternate and there wasn't anything FDA-approved that could be substituted. I needed to follow doctor's orders and I didn't want a blood clot. Difficult decision after being a vegetarian most of my adult life. The nurse who showed me how to do the shots said to do them in your "love handles." Below the belly button and in fatty tissue in that lower abdominal area (I think it would hurt directly in the stomach). She had me squeeze a pinch of fat gently and put the shot in there. Make sure that you aren't doing the safety part of the needle until you pull the needle out (where the needle retracts again before disposal). My husband retracted the needle once while it was still in my belly and that was the only time I would say it really "hurt." Hang in there...this too shall pass! And it's a lot better than getting a blood clot! Take care.

I would say take it as a personal challenge to prove to yourself that you can do it! After the surgery, you don't have the option to cheat because you could experience serious medical consequences. I would think of it that way even though you aren't sleeved yet. Good luck!!

That sounds so good, Pottergirl!

For the soft/mushy stage, do you just eat the hummus with a spoon like you would eat refried beans or something? Thanks!

Thank you for the advice, Starfish and Pottergirl! I am very lucky that my nutritionist is a vegetarian and understands a lot about it plus has creative ideas. Once I start on solid foods, I'll post ideas here that she gives me or ones that I come up with. Right now I am drinking a lot of hot chocolate made with diet Swiss Miss and 1.5 to 2 scoops of whey Protein powder (20+ grams/protein and 100 calories). Plus I make it with soy milk for a bit more protein. So excited to move to thin purees tomorrow! My doctor recommends that you go off of Protein shakes once you move to full solids (6 weeks post-op for me), but as a vegetarian, I have a feeling I'll be taking at least 1 to 2 shakes a day indefinitely.

Can you have the Isopure clear liquid Protein drinks? (sold at Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, etc.).

It will be totally fine! It will be over in the blink of an eye and then you will be a free woman.

I got mine taken out in the hospital and it wasn't too bad. The 1 stitch the PA took out before the drain actually stung a little more than the actual drain removal. The drain removal feels weird bc you can feel it snaking through your body a little bit (odd sensation), but the anticipation of having it done is far worse than the actual momentary slight discomfort of the actual removal. Good luck!!!!

I gained 18 lbs in fluid weight while in the hospital--but it came off pretty quickly--about a week. The next week I lost about 10 lbs. So my 2-week net loss was only 10 lbs, lower than others, but the fluid definitely puts you behind. I'm not sure why some people retain that much fluid and others don't. BTW most of my fluid was lost from diarrhea... it wasn't too bad, though it was good that I was at home.

So sorry to hear, Delta Girl. I hope that it grows back soon. Your weight loss is awesome! I am taking Biotin and want to start a Biotin shampoo/conditioner, too, but so far the ones I have found contain animal products and I'm a vegetarian. I think Aveda has a new type out that is supposed to help with thinning hair, etc.