Kindle

Premier Protein has 30g protein and 160 calories, so if you drank 3/day you could get 90g protein in only 480 calories. Syntrax nectar is 23g/100 calories, so 4 servings/day is 92g protein in only 400 calories. If you replace 1/3 of your food with just 1 protein shake, you will drop your calories significantly and still get plenty of protein. When you are immediately postop, Protein shakes are pretty much what you live on, that's why it's so easy to get so much protein in so few calories. And that's why at 7 1/2 months out I still have a protein smoothie every day.

Garden of Life Raw Protein and Raw Fit comes in chocolate, vanilla, chai, coffee and "Original" flavors and is sweetened with stevia. Spiru-Tein uses fructose. Pure Protein uses fructose and stevia. Tera's whey uses stevia....actually just google "protein powder stevia" and you will find a lot of options. Or You can use unflavored protein powder and make your own drinks.

Do a search on here for "stall ". Your question has been answered a hundred times. There is actually a whole forum for this... "Don't Sweat the Stall Stuff" you should post this there and stay off your scale. You are in the infamous 3 week stall and the best way to end it is to stay off the scale. In the meantime, follow your doctor's plan and stay off the scale. Get in all your protein and water and stay off the scale!

30% of WLS patients develop gallstones after surgery. (I've had two attacks postop and never had problems before surgery). So the fact you already have them definitely makes you a high risk candidate for needing your gall bladder removed. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Some surgeons will even remove it during WLS even with no previous problems just as a preventative. Can't believe your surgeon won't do it. Not sure what yo tell you to do besides find another surgeon.

HW: 238 SW: 216 CW: 145 GW: 150 TPL: 93 TPG: 88 No change this week

Use the search function at the top of the page. Search for stall. there is a whole subforum devoted to this.... "Don't sweat the stall stuff". Post your question there. Sounds like a normal stall to me and they happen to everyone. BTW, 35 pounds in 5 weeks is a huge loss. I had only dropped 17 pounds when I was 7 weeks out. Then gained 3 pounds and sat there for a month. Research this forum and you see it's all normal and you are stressing for no reason. The best thing to end a stall is to stop weighing yourself.

You will never get full on liquids. They go right through your sleeve like it's not there. (I know this because I've done a barium swallow on myself both pre and postop and had a flouroscopy and literally saw it go right through) Be grateful you can stay hydrated. I needed IV fluids for dehydration 3 times and that sucks. Just keep drinking!

Congrats! What a Happy day!

I was told 500mg 3 times/day. But I actually only took 500-1000mg once/day probably 5 days a week. My calcium was actually high on my 6 month labs, so I don't take a supplement anymore. I eat a lot of dairy and drink a lot of milk, so We'll see where my levels are in another 5 months.

You won't get lower than plain yogurt, because milk naturally contains sugar. I use Torani SF syrups, protein powder and puréed fruit to flavor Fage And Chobani plain yogurt and control the sweetness. Any presweetened/flavored yogurt tasted too sweet to me (and had way more sugar)

I've met 60g Protein goal since 1 week post. Even at 7 1/2 months I still have a protein/fiber smoothie everyday. I make it with 30-40g protein and around 10g Fiber. Besides the shake I eat 4-5 balanced meals/snacks each day with protein first, then veggies, fruit and whole grains. As for the "blah", you can always change up your flavors. Here's what I've had in the last 8 days... Premier Protein chocolate with skim milk and banana Muscle Milk red velvet cake Protein Powder blended with raspberries Muscle Milk cake batter with Torani SF gingerbread syrup Syntrax Matrix vanilla with Torani SF pumpkin pie syrup Spiru-lein banana protein powder with strawberry 1% milk Syntrax nectar lemonade mixed with Syntrax Nectar cherry Syntrax Nectar fuzzy navel with puréed peaches Garden of Life Raw Protein vanilla with Torani SF hazelnut syrup And I'm kind of in the mood for Peanut Butter, so tomorrow I will add PB2 to either a vanilla or chocolate shake. Not sure which yet. I definitely couldn't meet protein goals without my shake.

I had my surgery at Obesity Control Center in Tijuana. I have been able to consult with my doctor there via phone and email when I had questions. I had a smooth recovery and no surgical complications, so the only followup I've needed is 6 month bloodwork. I simply called my PCP and he gave me an order for the lab work. If I did have complications, he would have referred me to an appropriate specialist. My OB/Gyn was so excited about my decision and impressed with my results, she also offered to take care of any bloodwork or followup care I needed. She actually took down my surgeon's contact info to pass on to her other clients who's insurance didn't cover WLS.

Me too! It's great being a perfect 10!

I'm with you. I was so excited for all this I actually started my preop diet 2 days early. 16 days 3 shakes (or broth with protein powder) and leafy green veggies. I was hungry, had headaches, but never once considered cheating or even complaining. After all, it's only temporary, just part of the process and well worth it.

For me, I used certain criteria that was important to me to choose my surgeon. It just so happened that none of the $4500 range options met these criteria.... Experience (Over 12,000 bariatric surgeries); Credentials (Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, full member of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, SRC International Centers of Excellence surgeon) Facility (Private surgical center, not a general hospital; limited number of surgeries/day, Staff experienced and dedicated to bariatric surgery, SRC International Centers of Excellence; fully equipped and staffed ICU) Complaints/complications (None reported at the time of my researching, communicated directly with other patients) Postop communication and followup care (weekly/ monthly email surveys, Dr. readily available via phone and email) As for hands on followup care in the US, my PCP has taken care of everything. My Mexico doctor has been available to consult if needed and my PCP would have referred me to the appropriate specialist if I had needed to.

I spent the first 3 days/nights in a hotel with my sister in TJ. Spent the days shopping and walking, spent the nights hanging out, watching movies. I would have been fine, physically even without her company. Day 4 I came home to 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 horses and a driveway full of snow. I managed on my own just fine.

Not really. My after photo has an element if creative posing and flexing. I have arm flabbiness, tummy sagging, major boob sagging, and a lot of loose, saggy skin and lumpiness on my butt, thighs and knees. (I carried excess weight from the waist down for decades...I didn't get big on top till the last few years). I've already noticed my arm skin is tightening up a little and my tummy is nothing I can't live with. My butt and legs still make wearing shorts unattractive, but I don't think anything but plastics would help those (or my boobs) Not sure if that's something I'm going to do, though. I didn't really have surgery just to look good. I guess time will tell how much everything tightens up and how I feel about it. And if anyone volunteers to pay for plastic surgery. Damn gravity!

I agree with CGJ.... More weight loss will likely make your skin worse. The more I lose, the saggier everything gets. Working out, however, may help with toning and maybe improve your appearance by filling up the space with muscle. I'm sad for you that you are not happy with your results. You should be very proud of yourself. Maybe you could sit down and write down all the positive things you have gained postop instead of focusing on your appearance. I used to have great boobs and now the saggy skin that's left barely stays stuffed in a B cup. And I will never look good in shorts because of the saggy skin on my thighs and knees. Personally, I didn't go through all this to look good. I am eating healthy, I have more energy, I don't get out of breath, my resting heart rate and blood pressure are improved, my ankles and feet don't hurt everyday, and I love being able to shop for clothes in regular stores. I bet you've got a lot of positives, too.

Forget about calories. Just drink from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed. Have something at hand at all times. Try to make sure everything you drink has protein.....sip on protein drinks and add unflavored protein powder to broths, bisque and dilute, strained cream soups.

I had plans to go out and gorge on Thai food...wontons, pad Thai noodles or curry, etc. but by the time I got off work I was too tired so I stopped for takeout at subway. Don't even remember what I had.

I use protein powders and Torani SF syrups to flavor my Fage or Chobani Greek yogurt. I've also used puréed peaches and mangos. Garden of Life Vanilla powder and pumpkin pie syrup are my current favorites.

Thanks.....See page 2, post #16 of this thread. Sorry it's nothing more inspiring than that.

How far away is your doctor? Can you do a phone consult with him or can he refer you to another doctor? I had my surgery in Mexico, so all of my followup has been done over the phone and via email. As for postop bloodwork, my regular doctor just ordered the labs recommended by my surgeon at 3 months and 6 months postop. Have you tried non-whey based Protein drinks? There is pea, soy, hemp and sprouted seed based protein products. You may have a little lactose intolerance. How about other dairy products? Do they stay down OK? Are you taking a PPI or antacid? Foods with high protein that I can eat....chicken, tuna fish, burger, ham, pork loin, turkey, sausage, fish, corned beef, eggs, nuts, Peanut Butter, split pea Soup, bean Soups, cheese, Greek Yogurt, cottage cheese, edamame and Jerky. Can you eat Protein Bars? A lot of people like Quest bars. Personally, I eat Natures Valley Protein, GNC lean bars and Fiber One Meal bars. Good luck.

It's probably perfectly "safe", but one of our cardinal rules is no rice, bread or pasta, especially in our losing stages. They are just empty carbs with little to no protein. I did add more carbs in the form of whole grains and fruit once I passed my goal weight, but even boiled rice isn't worth all those carbs and calories to me.

I am probably the last person to recommend measuring, but in your case I think that's what you need to do. Measure a set amount 1/2 cup whatever and only eat that. You can get an app for your phone that you can set to time your intervals of each bite, so you slow down.....and chew each bite 20-30 times. This may help distinguish if you are vomiting due to food intolerance or due to eating too much/too fast. And as for feeling hungry, are you taking a PPI or antacid? Are you drinking at least 64oz of Water? Acid and thirst can both be mistaken for hunger. And what are you eating? Dense Protein will keep you full the longest.