Roo101769

To the original post...I have researched and tried only two Protein bars- Quest and Pure Protein. For the most part the bars you find readily available at grocery stores or Walmart are the "over glorified candy bar" types. Too much sugar / calories/ carbs etc for what protein benefit they have. I just tried the Pure Protein last night for a change. I did not care for it. The bar I had had an off flavor and was coated in the faux chocolate coating...I did not care for it. I am a Quest bar girl. I see some folks categorize Quest as junk and so on. I personally find them to be a satisfying Meal Replacement. Today I had Coconut Cashew. Here is the nutritional info directly from the package: 170 calories for 1 serving. ( 1bar = 1 serving) Total fat = 6g. (saturated fat 1.5g, Trans fat 0) Cholesterol 5mg. Sodium 250mg. Potassium 90mg. Total Carbs 25g ( Dietary fiber 17g, Sugars 1g, Erythritol 4g) Protein 20g ... The Quest bars are filling. Early on I could barely finish a whole bar, but now I can. I am satisfied ( ie: full) for several hours after eating. I am getting good nutrition, especially protein, in a single bar. I typically eat one a day for breakfast. ( hardest meal of day for me to eat) They also have fiber that helps things keep "moving along", which is important after WLS. I have tried every flavor and there are only a couple I do not care for. They are the consistency of a Tootsie Roll more or less so it takes a while to chew them. ( which is great after all the liquid) I purchase mine at GNC. I buy them singularly, not by the box. ( I like to switch up flavors daily) They are sold buy 3 get 1 free so that makes them more cost effective than anything I have found online. Bottom line is it is up to personal taste. I suggest you take some time and do your own research. Pick what you find to be the most nutritionally sound and give it a try, the rest will be up to your own personal taste.

I have had wine. Not very often and I can feel one glass. I do not like red, even though it is a bit "healthier". I prefer a Reisling, not quite as sweet.

Not sure if going by BMI would make me feel better..I started at 55.97 and I am currently 41.09. He started at 50.12 and is currently at 37.24. I have lost slightly more than he has in BMI but.... He is now class 2 morbid obesity and I am still class 3. Ugh!!! Oh well, slow is better than no!

Too funny...The little muscle boy working at GNC asked me if PB&J was my favorite ( I had three in my selection) and it is! He said they were his favorite too. It is crazy just how much they do taste like the old PB&J sandwiches!!!

For a while now I have been dealing with the fact I am what might be considered a "slow loser". I had my surgery on 10/21 and have lost 51lbs post operatively, 84lbs over all. I try my best not to compare myself to others, but it sure is rough when one of my besties was sleeved 12/17 and has lost over 100lbs to date! ( starting from his 12/7 preop diet ) Ok, he is a big guy and men lose faster than women...blah blah blah. All I see is I am two months ahead of him yet many pounds behind him. For a while this really bothered me. In fact, it would probably be a lie to say I don't still have a tinge of jealousy. But then I think "I weigh 232 lbs today" I haven't weighed 232lbs since I was in my mid twenties. I am just a few pounds from 220s. And just 33 lbs from "onederland". I have not weighed under 200lbs since before I was married in 1995. And here is the kicker, while I do still have to lose that 33lbs I am still losing weight. I will be the very first to confess I have not been the "perfect" sleeve patient. Had I logged every bite taken, measured every bit of food and then went to the gym and worked those calories off then I too would be further down than I am. But this is my life, I am living it. I do try hard to make wise choices. I always try to get my Protein first. I do contemplate what I will be eating. But every now and then I slip and eat something I shouldn't. And instead of logging hours at the gym I have spent more time doing things with my 5 year old. My friend who has lost all the weight has been to the gym 24 of the last 30 days. He gets up in the wee hours of the morning and goes. He has a personal trainer. I have a 5 year old. We don't have the same lives, so it is unrealistic of me to think we would have the same weight loss. The thing is, I am losing. Maybe it is slow, maybe it isn't. While I have definite problem areas that may be improved with exercise, he works out constantly and still has problem areas. At the end of the day I am successful in my journey and so is he. We have approached it entirely different, but we are both losing. When he started he was over 400lbs. When I started I was over 300lbs. Neither of us are where we started, and neither of us are finished. So slow weight loss is better than no weight loss. I know there are things I can do to amp up the burn once I get to the point where living my life with the sleeve isn't enough to lose. That is sort of refreshing actually. Because I don't know if my friend has anywhere he can go once his loss slows down or stops. I just wish him well and hope he gets to his ideal....I just wish I get to mine first!!!

Try Quest bars if you haven't. I love them, I'm probably addicted. As stated above I too use as a meal replacement. ( usually Breakfast as that is the hardest meal for me to get in daily) They do have lots of flavors. I have tried all and only a couple I really don't care for. I purchase mine at GNC where they are priced buy 3 get 1 free. Comes out cheaper than anything I have found online, plus I can mix and match what flavors I want!

I absolutely LOVE Quest bars and eat one every day if possible. ( usually for Breakfast ) I ran out last week and was lost. I restocked at my local GNC store on Saturday ( had a lovely chat with the little muscle head kid who works there- they are getting to know me!) and I feel back in balance now. They are great for a Meal Replacement. I use for breakfast as that is the hardest meal of the day to get in. When I first started eating them I too had trouble finishing a full bar. But as I go further along I can easily finish it, but I feel satisfied and stay that way for quite a while.

I cannot wait to reach "onederland". I still have 33 more pounds to go. That may seem like a lot but considering I started my journey weighing 316lbs it is such a small distance. Each day I lose weight and feel healthier is a day I am happy I found the sleeve! It hasn't always been easy, but is definitely always worth it!!! Congratulations!!!

I personally have not had this issue, but a close friend of mine who was sleeved 12/7 has had a similar issue. He will eat something, but can only eat it once. After he has had it he suddenly develops a type of aversion to it. It does not occur with each and every food source he has tried, otherwise he would run out of options and starve in short order! But he does struggle with figuring out ways to prepare his Proteins once he gets to this point. You just have to keep trying. It may be hard, but try to figure new and creative ways to prepare your proteins, and perhaps you will rediscover a fondness for them! Good luck!!!

I just want to say hello, and congratulations for being such a loving and devoted mom. A lot of fellow sleevers face family members who are less than supportive. It is absolutely refreshing for someone to be so supportive and understanding. Your daughter is a lucky girl!! I wish you BOTH well in this journey!

I think it is a natural reaction by loved ones to worry. It would be truly sad if they did not care...But that being said there is one thing I wish everyone knew pre op and that is LIFE GOES ON. I am not saying that complications cannot happen. As with any surgery ( esp. MAJOR surgery) things can happen. But for the vast majority of sleeve patients once you heal life continues. Yes, we do have to be more aware of our bodies. But isn't that the point? We still eat. We still sleep. We still use the bathroom. We still love and we still live. The sleeve may or may not effect every aspect of these things, but life continues. I know going in I was very sure my whole entire life would change once I had the surgery. Many aspects have changed. (99% for the better) But bottom line is we will live with this for the rest of our lives. The key is learning to "live". I am five months out and I now know this is my life. It is better now since I don't have as much excess weight to contend with. ( still have a way to go to goal) I still have the same job, same house, same bills, same family. I just no longer have the same body. It is important that everyone realizes life goes on.....

I have nothing but compassion for you. What and ordeal! As the poster said above, maybe turning it around and trying to get her to work with you would be a good idea. Obviously the situation sucks. I cannot imagine dealing with it. My situation went so smoothly. From start to finish ( Going into the informational seminar to the surgery) was 3 months. I was extremely lucky, not a lot of people have such a smooth process. ( I guess I feel God was telling me this is what I needed to do) In that respect, if you are a religious woman, than maybe God is holding you back for some reason. But I wouldn't take it as a sign to quit, just resolve yourself to be stronger and push ahead. I will say this though, and please take it in the intent it is being said. ( as positive encouragement) Stress will happen in your life. It will not go away after surgery and weight loss. If you are a stress eater then now is the time to work on it. You have a goal, to meet the weigh in requirement to be approved for surgery. Don't allow stress eating to derail that goal. After surgery it can derail your weight loss efforts and even be risky for you. ( if you do it early in the healing process) Take a deep breath, regroup, count to ten, take a bubble bath or do some yoga....whatever it takes to get centered. Remember where you want to be and continue working to get there. Once it is done you will be so happy you did, and this moment in time will just be a blip on the radar overall. Best of luck to you!!!

The sad part is, I only have three friends I consider "close". One lives in Florida, is a professor who teaches several classes both online and in the classroom and works for her dad's exterminating company. Although we try hard to stay in touch there are long periods of time where I may not hear from her, but I understand that completely.. My second close friend lives in another part of Ohio and has her own issues. We stay in better touch, but certainly do not see one another regularly. Last year we saw each other all of once. But we do communicate frequently so it seems we are still close. And of course the person I wrote about above. I did reach out to him one last time after writing this post. I sent him an email congratulating him on his weight loss, then I said I was sad I only keep up with his life happenings through his blogs. He wrote back and admitted he too thought we would be in more contact after surgery and apologized he hasn't been. He said he is free next week after work so there is plans to get together to reconnect and see if we can turn things around. Fingers crossed. He is a friend worth fighting for, that is what was making me so terribly sad. I plan to tell him how I feel and hopefully it is the motivation he needs to remember how good of friends we have been.

I can drink prior to eating with very little issue. But... I cannot drink while eating or at least 1/2 an hour after. (usually longer) It physically hurts to do so for me. So getting used to the "no drinking" rule was much easier than I ever expected it would be!

RIGHT after surgery it makes sense you would bruise easily. You receive anti coagulants in the hospital ( Lovenox injections) to prevent blood clots. But those are short acting and would be out of your system within days of last injection. You may be low on Iron due to deficiency in diet. Make sure you are taking your Vitamins recommended by your surgeon / NUT. Some will say regular otc vitamins are fine. ( My friend was told Centrum was acceptable) But I believe bariatric formulated vitamins are better personally. They are designed with higher averages of vitamins for your daily requirement. ( as you no longer get enough through food) And they are made to absorb faster into your system. Best advice is to ask your doctor if the bruises are concerning.

I have wrote on this topic before, but it doesn't seem to go away. It is my very mixed feelings about a good friend who also had gastric sleeve surgery. Let me start with a little back story...I met my friend our senior year in high school. We clicked right away and soon were thick as thieves. He is a gay male that went through the very painful "coming out" after high school, in our late teens / early twenties. I supported him 100% in everything. When his mother was unable to accept who he was,( he was raised by a single mom as an only child) I stood by his side. As he went through the first years after coming out, learning how to navigate the gay world, I was there too. We were the best of friends. We took vacations together. We worked at the same hotel together for a couple of years. And he was there for me too, as my friend. As our lives took twists and turns our friendship remained. Over the years we had falling outs, but always made up. One year we had a gift of the Magi moment at Christmas when we gave each other the exact same gift! ( A framed picture of the two of us- we both had the exact same picture made into a 5x7 and framed ) About 13 years ago ( early 2000s) my friend was diagnosed with Hodgekins Lymphoma. By this time he had a partner for several years as well as his mother did come around to accept them. I was there for him any time he needed me, but I was more in the background by this point. I am happy to say he beat his cancer and has been free and clear for 10+ years. The point is, we have been close friends for over 20 years. Also during this time we have been diet buddies. There are countless sets of "before" pictures of the two of us as we were determined to work together to lose weight. We joined a gym together when my marriage ended and I needed to get back my life. We tried to influence each other in good ways, but we also sabotaged each other at times too. Over the last few years both of us gained a LOT of weight. Granted during this time our lives have taken us in different directions, but we have kept in touch. I have been over for birthdays and holidays. He has come to see me during my various stays in the hospital for blood clots. We have stayed friends...Until recently. Now I feel our friendship has been slipping away and it has me feeling all kinds of emotions. I had my surgery on October 21, 2013. I made the decision to do it the previous July and started on the path in earnest in August. When I told my friend of my decision he surprised me by saying he was thinking about it too. He had once before set out to have the Roux-n-Y done, but "chickened out" after the informational seminar. He said he had been thinking about surgery again and had happened upon gastric sleeve. We talked at length about the surgery and I told him I had made my decision, and would support him whatever he chose to do. Several weeks later I hear from him to say he too has made the choice to have the sleeve, but his mother is not happy about it and his partner is against it. I go back into supportive friend mode, the same friend who was there for his coming out. We talk and share ideas and plans and information over the next couple of months. As my surgery grows closer and I am going through the pre op steps I share it all with him, to let him know what to expect. I have my surgery and he comes to visit me, once bringing his mother along. This helps her to accept his decision and from that point out she begins supporting him. (although his partner was against the idea up until he had his surgery) Shortly after my surgery I notice the first shift in things with my friend. He isn't as chatty. He doesn't seem to want to hear about what I am going through during my recovery and first weeks after surgery. I know he is now in his final weeks prepping for his own surgery and maybe that has a lot to do with it. All I know is I need MY friend and he was pulling away. He did no kind of dieting before his surgeon ordered pre op diet. While it was entirely his choice, I was trying to suggest maybe he change some of his eating habits on his own to help him be successful. Maybe my advice hit him the wrong way, I don't know. He had his surgery on 12/17/2013. He used a different surgeon and hospital so his experience was quite a bit different than mine had been. While I was wanting to talk and compare and support one another, he was just not interested. The last time I have physically been in his company was shortly before Christmas, about 5 days after his surgery. He stopped by my house to drop of CANDY!!! ( at this point he still wasn't "with the program") He has decided to blog his experience. This has been how I have kept up with him, through blogs. He no longer calls me. I have to call him several times to finally hear from him. He has done amazing in his weight loss. Being the over achiever he is once he sets his mind on a goal he was in the gym exercising by 3wks post surgery. He goes to the gym 5-6 days a week. (gets up at 3:30am and goes before work) He has a personal trainer he works with. And all of this makes me jealous- I admit it. I am a single mom. I can't get up and go to a gym at 3:30am. I can't go during lunch for various reasons. I could go after work, but feel guilty taking my daughter from a sitter where she has spent the past 9 hours only to drop her in a daycare at the Y. ( only place I could find that has child care service available for it's clients) I know they are excuses, but they are valid. I do not have the finances my friend has to hire a trainer either. This is where our different lifestyles play a huge role. His ability to focus more on himself has helped him achieve greater results than I have been able to. Ok, there is the whole genetic thing that he is a guy and men lose faster than women blah blah blah. I get it, on an intellectual basis. But to see his blog saying how he has lost 96lbs since his pre op diet started 12/7 and how great he has done. He has never stalled. ( I did at about 3wks out) He has only started to have to deal with thinning hair.( mine has almost all fallen out and I wear a wig) The jealousy is a stupid feeling, but I think it is because he has turned away from me. Had we been there as friends to support each other, I think I would just be happy for him. But I have learned about his life through Youtube! He changed jobs, I found out on a blog. He got a new cat, I found out on a blog. He gives shout outs to those who have supported him ( his mom, his partner) yet I was the one who has always supported him and he has forgotten me. It hurts me deeply. I have wrote this before and it was suggested I tell him. I just haven't had the courage. I know I need to, but I am afraid. I am afraid that the reality that our friendship may be gone will come true. It does happen, I get that. I even posted about it on another forum yesterday. I just feel this is different. We have gone through so much and have been friends for so long. I truly thought both of us having this surgery would just be another way our friendship could evolve. But it has not. I am so proud of him and happy he has had such success. At the same time I miss the friend he was....

I made corned beef and cabbage for the first time ever this past weekend. My local grocery store actually offered the regular cut and a special lean cut of the brisket. I bought the lean cut and it did not have the fat pad on top and just a small amount of marbling. While the fat is probably the tastiest part, it still tasted good and brought back memories of my mom's corned beef. ( My mom passed away in 2003) There are some things I might do different when cooking again, but overall I was very pleased with it. ( Even my 94yr old grandma gave it her stamp of approval!)

I did not wake up from chills, but early on I did get chilled MUCH easier. It all ties into rapid weight loss/ deficiency in certain areas of diet/ body reaction after major surgery etc. I think it started to subside a bit a month ago, so about 4 months out. I still do not get as hot as I used to, and I do get chilled a bit easier, but the extreme cold has seemed to pass.

My good friend from high school used Dr. Teel while I used Dr. Bruce from Grandview Hospital. I loved my experience and my friend has had very good luck himself. I will say it is startling when you see how much difference there is between practices. ( tests run, pre op diets, time in hospital etc) I guess the main thing to remember is each journey is different, but the road is the same. Good luck!!!!!!!

YOU GO GIRL!!!! Let's be honest...This is NOT an easy decision to make. A lot of people think it is an easy way out of obesity, it isn't that either. It is what it is, a tool to help you in your fight to get your life back. Opinions are like b*ttholes, everyone has one! You came to terms with your reality and chose to have WLS. That is your decision based on your life and your body. It is no one else's, period. Whether they are being caring, condescending, curious or whatever - YOU have to live with your choice. (NOT THEM) I applaud that you decided to do what you needed to do for your life and are sticking to your guns. Eventually you won't be the novelty act and they will get bored with the crusade. ( While you will go on living your life and enjoying all the wonderful things NOT weighing 300lbs will bring!) I started at 316lbs and let me tell you it is AWESOME the day you realize you don't hurt all the time... Not to mention the thousands of other benefits it will afford you. As said before - YOU GO GIRL!!!

I have thought a LOT about this. I actually haven't had any friends who have sabotaged me, but I have had friend issues. One friend has become very distant from me. The weird part? He had the surgery on 12/17! I thought for sure we would be closer than ever, that both of us having the surgery would just further bound our friendship. Instead he has virtually ignored me. It has hurt me deeply and I have all sorts of negative reasons floating around in my head. But at the end of the day I suppose it is because he is on his journey and I am on mine. I also have a coworker that I got into a fight with. This person is the type of coworker that everyone hates to have. She is nosey, opinionated, a liar, and just generally not nice to be around. But over the years those of us who have to deal with her daily have tolerated her behavior for the most part, just grew thick shells. ( because upper management obviously will not do anything about her and we have to work with her) Anyway, one day a month ago I had all I could take of her. It was a particularly bad day for me (just wasn't feeling well) and I snapped. I told her off in no uncertain words. I regret I did it at work, because it was unprofessional. But I don't regret doing it. This incident made me think about how many times people who have lost weight "change". The former friends of people who have lost weight say "so and so changed". They say our attitudes change. I think it is true. I think when you are obese you tend to go out of your way to please people. We have put up with far more BS than we should. I think it is because it is how we perceive our role in friendships and relationships. There is already a strong sense of "we aren't worthy" dealing with the obesity and it transfers over to other areas of our lives. We accept less than perfect friendships because they are better than no friendships. And many put up with bad personal relationships because it beats being alone. But then that all starts to change when we decide to do something for ourselves. By having WLS we are looking out for #1 first and foremost. It is our health, our bodies, our lives. We start to shift in our perception of life as we lose weight. Suddenly what we accepted before becomes less tolerable. It is NOT ok to be the "fat friend" because we aren't anymore. People who treat us badly are no longer acceptable because we don't accept treating ourselves badly anymore. It does change us, more than just physically. So when pondering the loss of a friend after WLS just remember it is because YOU are becoming the better person. YOU are worth better!!!!

This weekend I tackled a job that I had been avoiding for a while. I decided to clean out my clothes closet. To be honest it was loooong overdue. I actually have two others that need cleaned too, and will be done in the next few weeks. ( Spring cleaning even if it doesn't feel like spring!) I had so much in my closet (hanging clothes) that I had been resorting to throwing my clothes over a chair in my room. Well I finally got sick of seeing that pile so I busted out the big green garbage bags and got busy. I honestly believe I had a mini emotional breakdown during the process because I suddenly got VERY sleepy and took a two - three hour nap. ( I wasn't tired but I was overwhelmed) I woke up and decided to "git er done" and finished the task. I had to try on a lot of items that I had stored in there, not knowing what would or would not fit. Everything is sized so differently, so the only way to know was to put it on. I ended up with FOUR 1/2 of those green leaf bags FULL of clothes to donate, as well as a full bag of ones I threw out because of stains or holes. I also have my double closet bar about 2/3rds full again of hanging clothes, although they are not crammed together. There is a lot of room to let them hang and not get wrinkled. Anyway, I found that I have a lot of capri length pants I can wear for spring that fit me nicely right now. Hopefully by summer they too will go to the donation pile, but for now I have a decent amount of clothes to chose from. And they really FIT nice! Two pair of denim capris fit well around the waist ( so don't feel like they are falling off) but are actually baggy everywhere else. Last time I remember wearing them they cut into my stomach at the waist and were tight around my gut and hips. Now there was a small let down in a couple pair of pants I just knew would be too big, but they weren't. I think I have a warped sense of memory as to how they really used to fit. I weigh less now than I have since I owned anything in there. ( except for maybe a couple sweaters) I did have a hard time letting some things go. I am not someone who buys clothes a lot. I find good pieces and will wear them for years. I had a few tops/sweaters that I strongly considered holding on to, only to end up putting them in the bag. I never have been one to wear tight clothes so if the were sort of baggy on me at 316lbs, then they would be ridiculous on me at 238lbs! ( and even worse by next fall /winter when I would wear again) I think this whole thing was a little hard for me because I still have a hard time seeing the me I am now, not who I was 78lbs ago. I still have major "fat" days. I still struggle with eating the right things. And heck, I still have PMS so that compounds ALL the negative!!! LOL I am trying, I really am. I think getting rid of the old clothes is a step in the right direction for me. I am finally saying "never again". Even if I never drop further than I am now, ( God willing that does NOT happen and I get down to goal) at least I won't be where I was.

Very good question. I would love to read something on the subject myself. I know I could use help with it. Getting some insight from a professional, and not just someone with an opinion wanting to make a buck. Hope to find this information....

Truer words have never been spoken. I am as guilty as the majority of society in the fact my 5 year old daughter now wants crap instead of nutritious food. As a baby, when she was too young to really ask for or get her own food she ate very well. Big on her veggies and fruits. But as she got older and I was being a lazy mom she was introduced to junk. I ate junk so she did too. I created the little food monster she is now. The only saving grace she has at this point is that she is not overweight. She tends to take after her father and doesn't struggle with weight issues. I did, even as a child. I am very aware of it and I am trying to turn the boat around, but it is like turning the Titanic. I know I would eat better and be less tempted if there was zero junk in our house. Yet I am still guilty, even after WLS, of wanting to buy treats for her. I have to really work on my mind set. I grew up in a family that ate a good, pretty nutritious home cooked dinner every night. But if you ate your dinner you got desert, so you cleaned your plate and then had junk after. I have to rewire my thinking that these "treats" are not a reward. They are not benefitting my daughter. The struggle is going to be now turning her away from the fast food, processed food and on to healthy eating. It is so easy to sabotage your life without even really knowing you are doing it. This post is a real eye opener and great advice!

I have to admit I am addicted to Quest bars. I have one every day, usually as my Breakfast. It is quick, easy, great Protein and tasty. I actually feel lost when I run out. As far as the "poo bomb" issue...not so much for me. Now, if for some reason one day I decide to eat two ( in a hurry and need a quick meal later in the day) then yes, "things" speed up. But overall I think the Quest bars have actually helped my situation. I was taking Probiotics ( still do when I remember) to help my "slow go" issues. But now I am a member of the pretty regular, once a day club again. If I have the Quest bars to thank for that then I owe them!!! LOL