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I'd definitely look into sublingual B12 if your surgeon hasn't Rx'd injections. Intrinsic factor is required for our intestines to absorb B12 and they removed the portion of our stomach that produces intrinsic factor. This means you can't absorb the B12 you swallow (from food or vitamins). And I agree that 1 multi is not enough at this point. You should also be taking Iron, (which again, poses absorption issues and can't be taken at the same time as a multi Vitamin or Calcium), extra vitamin D, calcium and B12 sublingual. Iron and B12 are the most common deficiencies seen in bariatric patients, and my PCP says he sees a lot of Vitamin D deficiency in the general population. I would normally say talk to your surgeon, but since he didn't get you on the appropriate supplements in the first place, you may want to talk to your PCP. Just tell him your symptoms and he can order bloodwork. (Full chemistry, CBC, iron panel, Vitamin D, B12, calcium, folate and zinc is what my surgeon wants to see) You don't have to be a bariatric specialist to pull blood and understand the results. And remember 60g Protein and 64oz Water are MINIMUMS.

Did you have any deficiencies on preop bloodwork? 3 month bloodwork is often recommended but you can always get your vitamin levels checked as well as protein serum levels and a CBC anytime. Just contact your doctor.Are you taking all your supplements...multi vitamin, B12 injections or sublingual, calcium, Vitamin D? Are you getting in all your water?....weakness, low energy and nausea can definitely be signs of dehydration. (I know, I had to get IV fluids 3 times for dehydration when I had diarrhea for 2 months and this is exactly how I felt) Have you talked to your doctor about your nausea? He can Rx Meds.

Liberals that think we should all be "naturally thin", apparently.

I'm the same person I've always been. So are my friends. We don't like each other because of how we look. I learned how to spot fake friends a long time ago so the ones I've got are the real deal. The others aren't worth my time, no matter what size I am (or was).

I also like www.bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com. And I've downloaded a couple recipe apps. Just search for protein recipe. And I'm pretty sure there's dozens of bariatric food books on Amazon.

I'm like Rena's got this. I wasn't always obese and I never saw the fat me in the mirror (probably how I got so fat....I really didn't see it, despite having to buy bigger and bigger clothes) Pictures always shocked me. The biggest reality check was a picture I took with a friend who I considered large. I was way bigger! I just couldn't see it when I looked down at myself. So now, 100 pounds lighter, when I look in the mirror I see the person I always thought I was in my mind. Actually I'm thinner than I've ever been in my adult life, but that makes it all the better. I stare at my reflection wherever I go with a big smile on face ????

That's still insane. I can't believe it's even legal. I don't know how much you borrowed, but with those terms you'd end up paying $8600 for a $5000 loan. 72% more than just saving up and paying cash.

But I can't post a reply if I'm not logged in.

Syntax Matrix, Syntrax Nectar, and Muscle Milk all have outstanding flavor selections. Besides those I've also had Jay Rob, Garden of Life, un jury and Spirutein

I'm glad you mentioned the dog toxicity. It is WAY worse than chocolate, which everyone seems to know about. I am a vet tech and have seen a few cases. One was a Great Dane than ate a pack of Trident sugar free gum. Fortunately, the owners caught him right away and we were able to induce vomiting. But when we looked it up, even that small amount of xylitol in that big of a dog exceeded safe levels. So be careful if you have it around the house if you have dogs! (BTW, cats are fine..it's not toxic to them)

Yes, this only happens on my iPad while on the website, not the app. I prefer the full website because you can see tickers, profiles, etc that you can't see on the app. But I did download the app and started using It though, because the other thing the full site does is cause Safari to freeze. When I'm typing a reply, it becomes very slow, what appears on the screen is delayed and it often freezes up completely and I have to shut down safari. And of course I lose all of my text. It only happens when I do a direct "reply to this topic" It doesn't happen when I'm editing a post or if I choose More Reply Options and type there. (Like I'm doing now) I thought it was an IOS or Safari issue and spent many hours on the phone with Apple. I even reset my iPad to factory settings and reinstalled the operating system and all apps. Still didn't fix it. And BP is the only site that makes safari freeze. No other websites or apps makes the iPad freeze. Just FYI.

It's really hard to know how to pick a goal. They are all just such arbitrary numbers. I am 5'5" and I started at 238. I am fairly muscular and have a large frame, so I carried my weight pretty well. My surgeon's nut took a bunch of body measurements and asked questions about my weight history, lifestyle and activities. She gave me a goal weight of 160. I however gave myself a goal of 150 because this is what I weighed back in my 20's when I was very physically fit (I was a raft guide and ski instructor with ripped arms and six pack abs ???? ). But personally I would have been happy at 170. So fast forward....I blew by the nut's goal at 6 months, then passed my own goal at 7 months. I'm been eating at "maintenance" now for 4 months and I seem to have stabilized around 140ish. I think our bodies are just going to find their new balance and no "goal number" can change that.

Hehe, sorry Kathy. I didn't think were ever my avatar stand in because I would have recognized you. But if so, I didn't mean YOU were a strange woman, just that it was a stranger taking my place.

First, don't compare yourself to others (but FYI, I lost nothing the first week and a half and it took me 3 months to lose 30 pounds. I was thrilled. I considered myself lucky because losing slowly is much healthier) Second, you are losing so whats the problem Three, you are approaching the famous 3 week stall so you may not lose anything for a couple weeks. It's normal. Fourth, this surgery is meant to be a lifetime commitment, not a race to see how fast you can take off the weight it took years (or decades) to put on. Your goal should be eating healthy and establishing new habits, not watching numbers. I suggest staying off the scale for 1-2 months. Measure your progress with NSV's rather than meaningless numbers on the scale. I don't even own a scale at only weighed at the doctor's office for the first couple months. You are adding unnecessary stress to your life by worrying about these things. Just get in all your Protein, Water and Vitamins, and trust the process.

Yes, but I have a $5000 deductible (thanks to the "affordable" care act ???? )The lab costs count towards my deductible, but it's all OOP until I hit 5 grand

It was single bottles from GNC. I was just looking for some way to get some Protein in on the clear liquid stage. Gotta say I was not a fan. Maybe it was because it was so soon postop, but those isopures were the only things that ever made me gag. I bought 2 bottles but couldn't finish either. But some people love em, so..... chicken broth, herbal decaf tea, pedialyte and popsicles went down the easiest those first few days. And the drinkable yogurt starting the 4th day was oh so good!

I'm VSG, not bypass, but my surgeon advised 3 month, 6 month and then annual. More often if you are having any issues or abnormalities. I did the 3 month and 6 month and my 1 year is coming up. CBC, full chemistry panel, Vitamin D, B12, calcium, folate, and iron panel cost under $150. If yours is pricier, try and see if there is an "express lab" in your area. Your dr can just write a prescription for the appropriate bloodwork, you walk in, get your blood pulled and wala....results within 2 days. I have to drive 70 miles to the closest express lab but it sure beats the $400+ the local hospital wants to charge for the same labs. At this price, I definitely plan on doing it every year. I have a friend who had bypass 8 years ago and she doesn't followup with any of her bloodwork and doesn't take her vitamins. She feels like crap and ends up in the hospital 1-2 times a year with some severe deficiency that could have been detected long before it became an emergency. Drives me crazy!

Comfie pants, comfie tops, slip on shoes, jammies, phone, charger, tablet/iPad and chargers, camera, books if you read, GasX strips, Water flavor packets (propel zero, crystal light, etc), personal toiletries, passport and sunglasses. I did it easily with a small carryon. If you are going to have a drain, pants with pockets are handy to put the bulb in. If not, bring a safety pin. I used a pin to attach the drain to the inside front of my jammies so I didn't worry about rolling over on it. And don't worry about forgetting something, depending on where you are staying, you can always buy any necessities. Walmart and GNC are right up the street from the Marriott. I ended up buying pedialyte, Isopure and herbal tea bags when I was there. My sister forgot her sunglasses and picked up a pair at Walmart.

It's a texture thing....The protein doesn't lose its nutritional value or anything. It simply curdles or gels when it heats up....just like what happens when you cook an egg. A cooked egg doesn't have less protein than a raw egg. So no, unless you like clumps, you don't want it to get above 140 when you add it to liquids. But the clumping is not an issue when baking with it (I add it to pancake mix, casseroles, egg dishes, muffin mix, etc) because it's mixed in the batter which gets "cooked" anyways.

Congratulations!!! I'm VSG, not bypass, so I don't know if any of this will help, but I added more fat and healthy carbs. (Full fat dairy products, lots of nuts, more fruit, whole grain cereals and bars). I still lost 10-12 pounds after reaching goal, but have stabilized at this point. I don't normally track or weigh anything, but the few times I counted calories (about a month ago) I was in the 1400-1600 range. 300-500 of those come from the Protein smoothie I have everyday and I usually eat 5-6 times a day. Remember our goals are just arbitrary numbers and our bodies don't know that. You will continue to lose until your calories, metabolism, and exercise levels find a new balance. And at under 1000 calories you will definitely keep losing (unless maybe you just sit around on the couch all day).

I loved all my cream soup options, but other things I drank were drinkable yogurt, diluted and pureed split pea soup, protein shakes doctored with Mio and Dasani flavor drops, PB2, pureed peaches and mangos, and Torani syrups (nearly unlimited flavor options) . I also added unflavored protein powder to..... French onion soup base, miso soup, egg drop soup, lobster bisque, beef broth, chicken broth, Swansons tortilla soup base, hot and sour soup base.

I am 10 months out, maintaining below goal, feel great, and no, I've never once wished I had picked any other surgery. I have 1 friend that has been banded for 5 years and another who had bypass 8 years ago. The former has never lost all of her weight and has had emergency surgery when her band slipped. The latter has hit goal and maintained her weight loss well, but has had innumerable issues over the years including dehydration, vitamin deficiencies, vomiting, dumping, constipation and heartburn (she takes protonix and Rolaids everyday). My choice was clear after seeing what both of them deal with.

Can you do protein shakes? I still have one very large (24-32oz) one everyday. It has a minimum 30g protein and usually more like 40-50g. I can send you recipes if you'd like. That way I know I'm getting at least 1/2-2/3 of my protein in one drink that I drink over an hour or so mid day. It's such a habit now that I "never leave home without it". And then I can eat a normal balance of healthy foods the rest of the day rather than having to concentrate on protein at every meal. I also have my vitamins in a weekly pill dispenser to make sure I don't forget if I took them or not. Since you aren't hungry, maybe set a timer and make sure you eat something every 3 hours or so. And don't forget healthy fats....sounds like you could use the calories and they are vital for proper cell function and absorption of fat soluble vitamins. I hope you find a plan and balance that works for you.

Like mcbutterpants, Old "before" photos of myself were very motivating as I was losing. i've been in maintenance for 4 months and I kept a pair of my size 22 jeans and comparing them to my current 7's is a huge kick in the butt whenever I feel I'm drifting off track.

What are you eating? I was getting all of my protein from day 5 on, even in full liquid stage. Here were some of my favorites.....protein shakes made with milk for extra protein, refried beans, scrambled eggs, deviled ham, cottage cheese, soft cheeses, plain Greek yogurt flavored with protein powder, pureed tuna fish with a little mustard, pureed split pea soup and and bean soup. And I mixed unflavored protein powder in EVERYTHING....mashed potatoes, lobster bisque, oatmeal, cream of asparagus, egg drop soup, baby food, broths, etc.