Miss Mac

I was prepared to lose weight, but I was not prepared for the stalls. Thank goodness for this forum so that I had fellow bariatric patients to communicate with. From all of my new friends here, thank you for teaching me that stalls are like lovers: your first will probably not be your last.

Hey there, Packerfan61964Youtube should be your new best friend. I have been able to purchase a variety of chair aerobics by David Stamps and a few others, but several people have exercise programs for those of with mobility and pain issues online. Chair Boxing is my favorite.

Mine whole head got smaller. When I went for my annual eye exam, I had the new lenses placed in old frames that fit before I gaines all of this weight.

Online, not inline....geeze louize!

PB2 is a peanut powder, which you reconstitute yourself. Some folks like it, but I am with the "not so much" group. I thought it was dry and bland when mixed with Water. To add butter and salt to it defeats the purpose of having a low fat option to Peanut Butter. I bought it inline from the manufacturer bellplantation.com. Other stores carry it now.

I am 9 1/2 months post-op. I agree with all of these responses so far, especially from jjinWA. Bread is included in my Phase IV plan, but only one slice. The example says one slice of whole wheat toasted with 1/4 cup tuna w/ 1 tsp. mayo. I have tried my tuna that way and tolerated the bread ok, but in reality, my tummy real estate does not leave me any room for carbs that are not incidental in low starch veggies. So, I have gotten over bread and have no desire for it. Now I eat my tuna salad stuffed into an opened up tomato.

My first thought was....I wonder what corn starch would do? I googled for that, and found this response on Ask Yahoo: "When making your shake, try to keep the amount of liquids involved to a minimum. Keep in mind that the amount of ice you are using could be a factor, which will also lessen the preferred thickness of your shake as it melts. The addition of more fruits will help to thicken the consistency. Non fat yogurts, in place of milk/water, will increase the total calories of your drink, but again, if thickness is the issue, this method can't be beat. But, if you're concerned about the calories, another and less conventional method would be the use of corn starch. Corn starch is flavorless and has almost no calories to speak of, and is commonly used by chefs to thicken sauces, and even some frostings. I mention that last part only to emphasize that it works for things that are sweet just as well as for things that are not. Use sparingly, however, because a lot can go a long way! One tablespoon per average sized blender ought to be sufficient, and make sure you mix it thoroughly. The corn starch may take time to fully thicken, so if you do decide to add more, remember to wait a full minute before doing so. Too much of this stuff is like cement! But just the right amount can be a simple and calorie-free way to thicken your Protein shakes." My second thought was to add milk to yogurt, rather than yogurt to milk. I hope you find something that works for you. I like my shakes thin, so I will add extra milk, almond milk, Jello Water.....hey, maybe you could use unflavored Gelatin (or flavored I guess), and prepare your shake ahead of time so that it can chill a bit. As a matter of fact, I put some sugar free orange gelatin in a vanilla shake today, and it tasted like an Orange Julius or orange creamsicle. Just yummy!

August of last year, I asked my doctor if he hought I might be a good candidate for a lap band. He was very helpful and referred me to a colleague who was a bariatric surgeon. As it turns out, I was sleeved four months later after going through all of my insurance requirements. I am a slow loser, but down 65 pounds at this point and feeling better in many ways.

After 9 1/2 months, I still am quite pleased with my sleeve. I did not want to get my plumbing re-routed, and I did not want an abdominal port for the rest of my life.

I have been taking Omeprozole since surgery (12/23/2013) with no problem with reflux. I did have a sore throat for a couple of weeks. My tummy still gurgles quite randomly. Sometimes it is quite and sometimes it sounds like a fierce dinosaur fight. Not even sick to my stomach either way.

Since my sleeve was my 12th surgery, I was not concerned at all with the "what ifs". But it was the first time I voluntarily had surgery to sacrifice 80% of a vital organ. Folks who are unsure about the surgery should go to the search box at the top of this page and type in "last straw" , and then click on the little arrow for a drop down menu. Click on "forums" and then enter. You will find several threads on the many reasons why we have decided to follow through with weight loss surgery. When you get to the hospital, just keep in mind that you will get an IV so that they can give you meds and fluids. Accept any relaxers the staff wants to give you. It will help you to mellow out so that you won't even care about your fears. You will take a little nap, and then a nurse will wake you up and tell you that they are all done and you did great. This is called "Better living through chemistry". Good luck, and expect the best result possible with a textbook recovery. You are about to get a new birthday.

I have been on a lengthy stall as well, and just finally gave up my independent thinking a couple of days ago, and went back to my original materials. It has become painfully clear that I have been straying more than I realize. This is a time for perfect honesty with yourself (and me to myself). Although I have been logging, weighing and measuring all along, I think my issues are with not logging incidental calories like the scant butter on a veggie, or my 1/3 cup of something may actual be more because the measuring cup is heaped instead of level. An ounce of cheese has to be an ounce and not 1.2 ounces.....and why do I need cheese on everything? This stuff adds up quickly. In going back to my original phase four recommendations, my lunchtime tuna salad needsto be 1/4 cup, and not 1/2 cup. Milk is not my favorite beverage, so I have been using almond milk instead, but by wavering from the plan, I am missing out on dairy Calcium, a nutrient that is supposed to be conducive to weight loss. I eat Greek yogurt, but do I really need lite whip cream in it?.......I am examining all of my little additions this week. And I am afraid there are going to be way more than I realized. My exercise needs an honest review as well. My form just absolutely sucks due to orthopedic and post-stroke balance issues, so maybe it's about time for a personal trainer...just for a few weeks to get perspective on a proper and do-able exercise routine suited to my abilities. Hopefully you can find some quiet time to reflect on how correctly you are following you program and see if you can identify any blips that can be addressed. This is work - a lot of real work. I wish you good luck and good health on your journey to healthy and happy.

You don't mention what your surgeon's instructions are for his own patients. As for me, at week three I was starting soft foods like moist meats smushed in the processor to break them down, cooked soft fruits without the peel (like stewed apples or canned peaches mashed with a fork). I could have steamed veggies w/o skin (like mashed potato, but not baked with the skin). When you get to soft foods, you could pretty much take what would be a normal hot thoroughly cooked meal, and give it a spin in the processor with some broth to keep it moist. Dry food will get hung up in your throat, and you will have a hard time washing it down because your new tummy will have such a reduced capacity from the surgery. So, in that respect, I could tolerate soft chicken in very small micro bits, but not tuna. I was told to avoid raw fruits and salad greens until about six months. But just to be clear, not everyone's bariatric team approves of the fast track that I was on. At four weeks, I was approved for regular foods, and the first thing I ate after my appointment was 1/4 cup of Wendy's chili with cheese and I will admit, two French fries - and I have not had a fry since. At 9 1/2 months out, I can eat raw fruit and greens with no problem. Be patient. We are asking a lot of our tummies - so be kind to yours. You have signed on for a new way of living.

Avoid fatty, cheesy, creamy, rich, and spicey foods. As a veteran of a ruptured gallbladder (1973 at the age of 21) I can tell you that you definitely want to keep that gallbladder calm. Hang in there, I will be thinking of you. For anyone else who is listening, she is right about second-guessing a diagnosis. My gallbladder pain felt like someone was stabbing me in the back with a sword, under my right shoulder blade, and twisting that sword around and around....OMG it was awful. When I could not stand it anymore I went to the ER. They treated me for a suspected ulcer by giving me something creamy to drink. That sent my gallbladder into spasms and caused it to rupture then and there. The surgeon said he had to go fish, because there were gallstones throughout my abdominal cavity. He cut me half in two (this was before laparascopic surgery), and I was in the hospital for eleven days. Now you get the little incisions and maybe go home as an outpatient. So for you, this is not the week for cheese, gravy, or salsa. Take care, and in a week you will feel much better. And by the way, I have not missed my gallbladder at all.

Every time a newbie asks this question, I feel compelled to offer this one piece of advice: ask the doctor how he proceeds with post-op pain management. So many weight loss patients complain of "shoulder gas" caused by the CO2 that is pumped into the abdominal cavity so that the doctor has some clear space to work with while using his surgical instruments. My surgeon said that he extracts as much as possible before closing up the incisions. I do not know why all surgeons do not do that. I had no shoulder gas at all. Oh, and another question I asked is where exactly the incisions will be in relation to belly buttons and waistbands.

Very encouraging. At 9 1/2 months, I have to reboot myself every day to keep from falling into a deep blue funk. I appreciate you sharing your story.

I have to take the Bariatric Advantage AE stinka** horse pills Vitamins, which get hung up in my throat, and I cannot hold enough fluids in my tummy when trying to get them down. So, I tried cutting them in 1/4 and could not swallow them because of the sharp edges. So, I got out a mortar and pestle that was a holiday gift years ago and crush the tablets with that. Even though they are alledgedly berry flavored, I doubt it. What I ended up doing was mixing them in strawberry or cherry sugar-free Jello Water, and drink that while exercising since I am more thirsty and therefore more like to drink it all. I just have to remember to not take calcium chews within a short time of my bariatric vitamins. Used to be, I would take fish-oil capsules every day. Miss Tummy does not like them and gives them back very quickly. Even though I am not a big fan of seafood, I try to eat tuna salad three or four days a week, and salmon patties or a baked filet of something once in a while.

That is what cracks me up about small-minded people who think that weight loss surgery is an easy way out. It is work - a lot of hard work - and math - and research - and drama. I am 9 1/2 months out and have weighed and calulated and measured and logged and exercised every day and still hit stalls. My most recent stall has been over three months, and I do not want to be done while still forty pounds from goal. So.....Two days ago, I pulled my original pre-op materials out of storage and decided to go back to the written suggestions on post-op phase IV. I may (ok, WILL) have to give up my late-night hot chocolate because even the sugar-free cocoa mixes, and the lite whip cream, and the sugar-free chocloate syrup have enough collective calories to contribute to my stall. Well, double ding dang darn, the rest of this weight will come off some way some how, even if I have to cut it off the front with a plastic butter knife from my three year old granddaughter's dolly tea set.. I know with my knower that this ol' gal ain't done yet.

I determined my goal weight, not by the charts, but by what my weight was when I was my healthiest.

As my grandma used to say, "If it ain't all......it's enough"! It looks like you have been paying attention. Here's to a new you - Clink!

My one year is coming up two days before Christmas. I may night be quite to goal by then, but I will be darn close! I have the cutest dark wash denim short-waisted embroidered jacket that I bought just before I gained an extra 50 pounds (post-op of an orthopedic surgery). I got it out of storage the other day, and it still had the tags on it. I very cautiously put on, thinking that it still wasn't going to close over my belly. Surprise........it was too big! You will have many non-surgical victories (SNVs around here) that will blow your mind. I think most everyone expects clothes fitting better or being able to cross their legs, but another one is that your body's internal systems with thank you for the improved nutrition and a bit of exercise. You will actually start to feel better. May many happy NSVs come your way.

Welcome cindyt. I have a question first, before I start spewing up daisies and puppies with my usual upbeat answers: Do you have control over the shopping and cooking at your house? Your situation will have an effect one way or the other on how you manage the food and bev that go into your new tummy.

Less for me....no cold, no sniffles, no flu. Might be the extra Vitamins, nutrients, and Protein that I wasn't getting in my previous life pre-op.

I like the Isopure powders because they have 50 grams per serving. I like Syntrax (23 grams per serving) because they dissolve easier and have more flavors. I like unjury (23 grams per serving) because they have the chicken flavor for broths and Soups, and an unflavored that you can pop into home recipes. Celebrate Vanilla Cake Batter is my best varorite hands down. One serving is 25 grams. I add some extra vanilla and apacket of monk fruit sweetener and make it with almond milk. Also BariatricChoice,com has all kinds of bariatric foods and drink mixes (and RTUs). They also have Protein chips, Snacks, and power bars.

1. Second opinion 2. I was taking Vitamins befor surgery. Now I just take better ones. 3. I do not have chronic diarrhea. Most days I am just fine in that respect. 4. Give yourself a headstart. Here are some actions that seem to be pretty common across the board with our bariatric physicians, and are especially helpful in the pre-op phase to get us used to being more mindful of our diets: * Eat way more Protein (60 grams minimum, 80 is better) and way fewer carbs (like WAY fewer carbs, as in 50 or less, 30 is better) * If you must have dessert, an apple will do less damage than apple pie * There are plenty of non-starchy veggies you can eat. * Weigh and measure your food to get an idea of how much you are really eating. * Drink Water (and other non-caloric beverages) until your eyeballs float * Eat smaller bites (practice with toddler utensils) * Chew until you are worn out with chewing * Get up and move around, shake that thing, go outside, walk walk walk, start incorporating some exercise into your day All of these will help, and are all a variation of what we will be doing the rest of our lives. I used to work in a hospital's food service department, and the director thought that low carb diets, like Atkins, were just horrible. So I asked her what she thought I could do to lose weight, and she said eat fewer carbs, more lean protein, and get some exercise. Same difference, eh?