Miss Mac

Elaine , Dear...........I am picking up on a couple of things, here. One is that you are having a nice gentle recovery so far, but number two is that you are not taking advantage of it. My doc moved me through the process quickly...soft foods at two weeks and regular but well chewed food at 3 1/2 weeks. But the differences are that you are having issues with volume and with poor choices. I hope you follow up on that reference to the eating disorders doctor so that you can get some clinical help. Obviously, you're here to ask for advice based on our experiences, so here I go. One of the first and easiest actions you can take is to eat your Protein first. I guarantee that you cannot eat as much roast chicken as you can crisps, but the chicken has nutrients to help your stomach heal. The second thing is that you should not go where the junk is. If it is in your house because you live with unsympatheic people, the you will just have to walk away. I tell myself ALL OF THE TIME things like "Walk away from the cookies" or "Walk away from the ice cream section" Just having positive head talk helps me to fight the sabatoge head talk. So....talking to myself is better than ignoring the fact that some pretty serious surgery has taken place. Fill your refrigerator with fresh whole foods that did not come from a factory. Eat more yogurt. Batch cook one day a week to have healthy options available all week. Buy cheese that you can cut or eat in one ounce pieces. Boil a dozen eggs. Do whatever you have to do to make nutritious options available. If you take a lunch to work, pack enough for those cravings that hit every time you pass a McDonalds. Instead of pulling in for an Egg McMuffin, you will have some bacon or a boiled egg in your lunch bag, and you can grab that. If I want something sweet, I will have a sugar free lollipop. I bought them in five-pound bags from Candy.com. I also buy bars of dark chocolate and put them in the freezer. When I want something sweet, I crack a piece off and eat it with a fruit flavored Tic Tac. My other sweet treat surprisingly is cherry tomatoes. You can reach down inside to the clever you that is hiding out, and plan your eating for a few days at a time. I think that planning can be your new best friend for success. If you plan for your protein and your fluids first, then hopefully you will feel fuller so that you can control your volume of food better. Just as you hopefully would not give a toddler everything it wants to eat regardless of whether or not it would be harmful, you need to be your own parent and ensure your own health and vitality. Plan rewards for yourself at every five pounds your lose. Let it be a book or an item of jewelry or small gadget for the kitchen, or a piece of clothing in a smaller size or a plant for the garden....whatever. Just don't let it be food rewards. I do wish you good luck and good health.

Me too. 185-180 took seven weeks. Now that I have it 179, it looks like every pound is going to be a hard-fought battle of its own. Oh well.....keep at it.

I bought one for post-stroke that had a thumb drive for complete medical information. An ambulance driver and a hospital admissions clerk both told me after a later medical event that they are not allowed to put outside drives into their system as a precaution for computer viruses, so I just keep a card in my wallet.

The list I had for the three-month diet had quite a variety of products that I could use for one daily Meal Replacement. When the ten day liver shrinking phase began I had to choose from: Carnation No Sugar Added, Atkins Advantage, Boost Glucose Controlled, and High Protein Slimfast. My Nutritionist said it was because of specific values of nutrients and minerals. Now that I am past four months post-op, I still have to have one shake a day to help reach 80 grams of protein. For this it is totally my own choice, but it has to be a whey protein product.

We rarely eat out anyway because my significant other is Mediterranean and an awesome chef of that cuisine. But we have already discussed that when I reach goal, we will go to Red Lobster to Celebrate. I think I will do what you did...a kid's meal, a cheddar bay biscuit, and a glass of wine. It will be my first liquor in eight years, and my first bread in over two years. Oh boy! Thanks for a good idea, I will take about 3/4 of it home.

This looks do-able. I have been looking for an excuse to incorprate coconut oil into something. I use coconut milk and coconut Water for shakes sometimes, but I definitley want to try this. Thanks. Yum.

I just passed my four-month mark, and my doctor said it is my turn to start watching the drain. She increased my Protein requirement from 70 grams to 80, but also reminded me that some hair loss is inevitable.

Ii way overbought many kinds to have variety, but my go-to is unjury chocolate 100 calories per scoop with 8 Oz of Vanilla Almond Milk which adds another 35 calories. Milk has 140 calories per cup, so I don't drink it so much. If I want dairy Protein, I will eat a little yogurt or cheese. My other favorite is Syntrax nectar Grapefruit. I mix one scoop (100 calories) with 8 oz of Crystal Lite Lemonade. It tastes just like Fresca without the bubbles. I tried several ready to drink like Atkins Advantage and Supreme, among others, but they tasted metalic to me.

I don't have that problem, but do have burning neuropathies in other places. Are you diabetic or have a B12 deficiency? If your doctor trys to prescribe Gabpentin, ask if you can have Lyrica instead. Gabpentin is about as effective as Tic Tacs, Lyrica gives me decent relief after the dosage was eventually increased to 100 milligrams 3X a day. I hope you can find some relief soon.

Only my big incision (where they took my stomach out) hurt intermittantly for about a month. It would be fine most of the day, but every once in a while it would give me a reminder that there were tools moving all around inside my belly. At one month the doctor let go back to strength training with a limit of five pound weights. I was allowed to shower after the third day with the tapes exposed. They finally peeled off around week three. It took the scabs a while longer to finish up.

12/23/2013.....I have 4.

Is it further to New York or by train? What's the difference between an orange? Magician44, your question doesn't really have an answer because we are all so very individual. Just rest assured that it will come off in time. Be patient and let yourself heal. In the meantime, follow your program as best you can. I have lost 55 pounds, but not in my four months.....that includes weeks of pre-op. But the number is going down in spurts, so I will accept that.

I am four months out, and on days I feel that I have eaten too much, I still am at around 800 calories. I am recommended to be at 800-1200, but it may be a while before Miss Tummy is ready. I am not worried. I feel good and have decent energy most days. My average bounces around between 600 and 800.

Athletic as you want to be, go to Marksdailyapple.com for additional wisdom. There's is a low-carb / paleo website with a bend toward fitness concerns.

I do what I have to do to get them down.

My daughter, who is an occupational therapist has told me many times in the past...if it hurts, don't do it. A doctor's titles and prize ribbons don't keep him from being an a**hole. I have recovered from many surgeries and know from experience that I can't just jump in and resume my life like normal after surgery. WLS takes a lot out of you besides your stomach. It takes your energy and strength, too. You may have the motivation to work out, but you need some respect for the insides of you that you cannot see. Even though our larascopic incisions look well, they don't speak for how your insides were brutalized by all of those tools and manipultions during surgery. I say go see your primary at least for some pain relief and back off the lifting for a while. He/she may refer you right back to the surgeon. Also, take your question to the GUYS FORUM on this site, and see what the fellas have to say.

Congratulations, you tiny little thing. What a year for you!

My issues are at the opposite end of the numbers topic. I know people don't mean it, But I feel bad when someone belittles those of us who have "only" 100 pounds to lose. Those of us who are short can be quite miserable with 100 extra pounds. I am having a six level spinal fusion a(L2-S1) at the end of the month because my spine was collapsing under the extra weight. The spine surgeon said that I had to lose weight before he did the surgery or it would not heal well. So far I have lost 55 pounds. I had a three level neck fusion about a year ago (C4-C6) for the same reason, and I now have scoliosis which I did not have five years ago. Anyway, I am trying to agree with what RJ is saying. Miserable is miserable, and we need both compassion and a since of humor with each other. Many of us have started out as big around as we are tall or fiercely ill because of all the co-morbidities The forum needs to be a judgement-free zone. I do not care how many times a newbie comes up with the same dozen questions we are so familiar with. Seriously, this site needs an easily accessable FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS in big letters on the home page.

meat will be easier if it is moist. I find other things are inconsistent. I have had no problem with Peanut Butter until yesterday. It hung up in my throat, and I could not drink enough Fluid to ease it on down, since Miss Tummy only holds so much, and I am not supposed to drink right after eating. I have not had a problem with pills either until I gagged on fish oil pearls today. My other most memorable disaster was thinking I could try steamed cauliflower at one month. WRONG!

Walking at first, 2 pound weights at 4 weeks, five pound weights at 2 months. I could do ten pounds now if I wanted to. One day a week I use weights, the second day I do body resistance. The other days I do a session of Pilates or some aerobic video. I have everything from bedfast to Hip Hop Abs (I am 62) so I won't get bored. I can't wait for an actually warm day to take my exercise outside. We have a big back yard with shade trees where my Sweetie can set up a small outdoor fitness trail for me. It will be great therapy for all my other orthopedic issues, especially since I have some spinal (L2- S1) reconstruction in three weeks (oh dear me. But that is why exercise is so important, even if all you can do is stretch. I even found that website travelcountry.com where I bought my Vibram Five Finger Walking Shoes for half price. I wish they would advertise on this site. I found them by accident while scooting around on Paleo/Primal websites. Marks Daily Apple marksdailyapple.com has turned out to be very informative for those who might want to pursue a more active lifestyle post-op.

riisey007, I just came out of an aggravating 7 week stall myself, which completely included my third month post op and then some. At a recent visit with the bariatric physician, she suggested that I take my Fluid consumption from 64 to 80 ounces or more. The science being that taking in more Water helps your body release water. She also raised my Protein from 70 grams to 80 grams. I still drink one shake per day to help get that protein in. For that I had to increase my calories from 600 to 800-1000, to break an apparent bout of starvation syndrome. Well guess what? The stall broken and weight loss has resumed. I wish you good health and good luck with your weight loss.

For my plan popcorn is on the list of foods not well tolerated after weight loss surgery. Lisa Musician, administrator of the Bariatric Discussion Board for St. Luke's University Hospital in Bethlehem, Pa. addressed this concern by saying: "Many patients that eat popcorn following these guidelines report an unpleasant experience: Their pouch feels tight and stuck because the popcorn just sits there. Without liquids to wash it through (and make it a slider food) and with our limited gastric enzymes and digestive juices, it takes a very long time for "dry" popcorn to digest in the pouch. Additionally we experience a dry mouth, bad breath and thirst. This is your pouch doing its job: You are supposed to feel uncomfortable when you follow the guidelines and eat something that appears on most "avoid these foods" lists provided by bariatric centers. Thank your pouch for doing a fine job and accept the message it is telling you. If we ignore the guidelines and eat popcorn while drinking a beverage often our portion size goes unmeasured and we cross over to grazing-style eating. This is a problem with popcorn because popcorn is a high glycemic food and it elevates our blood sugar. If the beverages consumed with it also raises our glycemic load we are in danger of dumping syndrome. More commonly we find people sustaining "low grade dumping" where their blood sugar is elevated to the point of dizziness or "offness" but not enough to manifest the signs of full-blown dumping. Soon this state of "offness" begins to feel normal and it can only be sustained by nibbling or grazing on similar simple carbohydrates such as pretzels and crackers." I hope this helps.

Four months out on 4/23/14 I still measure 1/3 cup of Protein and 2 tables of veg/fruit. I drink one shake a day to help me reach 80 grams of protein. You cannot control that which you cannot measure. It keeps me from falling into bad habits of scarfing down estimated amounts. With drinking 80 ounce of Fluid per day I don't have much tummy space for anything else.

madam rev.....glad to hear that your hair is coming back. I remember when you were in a deep blue funk about it for a while. I am just at four months, and my doc said last week that it's my turn to watch the tub drain. hmjdreamingbig.......madam rev is always spot on. You can take her advice seriously.

I blame the Emergen-C I can't make that nasty, bitter stuff taste good in anything. I have had much better luck with whey Protein powders, although sometimes I will add vanilla or sweetener to the shakes.