JeanZ_RN

Mine also said not to use straws, and I adhered to that for a couple of months after my surgery but I finally gave it up and went back to my old habit of using a straw.... and I haven't had any problems because of it.

The idea is that each time you take a drink with a straw you are taking in some air that you wouldn't get if you didn't use a straw. The air comes from the portion of the straw that is above the level of the Fluid.

I agree with everything McButterpants said. To expand on one point: Muscle weighs more per square inch than fat does. So if you lose one square inch of fat and gain one square inch of muscle, the scale is going to show a slight increase. BUT - and this is much more important - muscle burns calories by just existing, and fat does not. Therefore the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism. So gaining muscle is definitely a good thing.

You might want to do a search on this site - the previously written answers will be helpful to you.

I have a desk job, and I took a week off. Surgery on a Wednesday, and I went back to work the following Wednesday. In retrospect it would have been better for me to take off 3 more days and return the next Monday. Not because of discomfort, but because my head wasn't in the game. All I could think about was when and what to eat / drink next, etc etc. That did not go away by the following week, but it was a bit less by then.

There are so many multi Vitamins out there - chewables, pills, capsules, gummies - find out what exactly your surgeon / NUT want you to have in them, and then try all different kinds until you find one you can tolerate. I'll send you a few of the kind I take if you want, and maybe others will also.

I ate a LOT of carbs pre-op. From previous diets I knew I could abstain from carbs at least for a while, and sure enough I was able to do it for the duration of my pre-op diet. What I found was that once I had been off carbs for 3-4 days I did not crave them anymore. Yes, they were still a temptation, but I didn't have that GOTTA-GOTTA-GOTTA feeling.

Once the surgery is over and we progress through the liquids -> mushies -> soft stages and back to real food, we're supposed to eat dense Protein first, then if there's room a few bites of green veggies, and only then if there's room a bite or two of carbs. I found that the fewer carbs I eat, the less I crave them. So I'm staying away from them as much as humanly possible - like on the Atkins diet. I have given in a few times, but I got right back on target each time, and have not suffered any ill effects from those slips.

When I reach my goal weight I plan to gradually add back some carbs and see what that does to my weight and my cravings, then adjust accordingly.

Hope that helps some. Best wishes!

It all comes back to ... are you able to do what you're doing and still lose weight or maintain (whichever you're aiming for), and are you feeling well? Good energy, etc.?

Now y'all have made me re-think what I've been doing re Calcium and Iron - and in my book, re-examining habits is a GOOD thing, so thank you!

As I understand it, Calcium and Iron compete for the same absorption pathway, and whichever one gets there first wins.

I eat every 4 hours - 8a, noon, 4p and 8p - about 200 cal at a time. I 've been taking my calcium supplements after the 8a meal (a Quest bar), iron after the noon meal (real food), and calcium again after the 4p and 8p meals (one is a Quest bar and the other real food). I was being careful not to eat much calcium at the noon meal so it wouldn't interfere with the iron, but I wasn't thinking about the amount of iron at the other meals. Hmmm. Since I rarely eat red meat (much more often fish or chicken) I think all I need to change is to postpone taking the calcium for an hour or two when I do eat red meat. If anyone has other thoughts, I'd welcome them.

I love this forum for the open exchange of ideas and for the support! Thanks to one and all!

food funerals and the "I REALLY wanted to practice ... but it's actually harder than before I decided to get surgery" sentiment are both very common among pre-op WLS patients. I went through the same thing. One difference, though, is that I had been reading on this board a lot by then, so I knew it was normal. Therefore I did not beat myself up about it.

I think the toughest time I've had was the period after surgery when I was on liquids. I was SO ready for solid foods again!

Many WLS patients on this board say their tastes changed after surgery, that they did not like the foods they had craved before. That did not happen to me, but post op I have found it much easier to make good choices. I think that's mostly due to the small amount I can eat at a time now, and knowing I have to get lots of Protein in if I'm going to stay healthy and lose weight. Once I've eaten my Protein I'm just not hungry any more. Sure, I do get tempted sometimes; but I'm motivated by how far I've come and my determination to get to my goal weight.

Here's something I read before surgery that has really stuck with me: After surgery the goal is to make wise food choices (type of food +amount +frequency of intake) 90% of the time.

You can do this! Best wishes.

About a month post op I had a rum and pineapple juice at our company's holiday party at a restaurant. No problem, and no big buzz. Now I'm staying away from alcohol because (a) I'm concerned it will weaken my resolve against eating junk food; and ( I'm trying to take in as few carbs as possible.

Very thought-provoking! Thanks for posting!

Done, and I agree with the others about question #10.

The questions about spending on Protein products and Vitamins required me to select a response even though I typed in my answer under "other." And the one about Vitamins did not specify whether minerals (eg Calcium, magnesium) should be included.

You look terrific! And the smile on your face in the last photo says it all. Congratulations! And thank you for posting your pics - very helpful.

They are a permanent part of you. They're really really tiny, and they just stay there. For more info look on YouTube - there are several videos. The one I saw showed a bariatric surgeon demonstrating the stapler and staples - fascinating!

Take a look at the stats in my signature / ticker. But also note I'm 60 years old, and I have not started exercising yet.

I did not have one either, and I'm glad. I've had one before, and it's irritating. Plus, it's a pathway for possible urinary tract infection.

Here's something I copied from ButterTheBean (a veteran sleever). It helped me a lot:

If your weight loss has stalled, read THIS.

Congratulations!! Way to go!! and... Sleeve on!

Thank you so much for posting this! I'm 60 years old, and it's really helpful knowing that someone my age (or thereabouts) has done so well. I'm in a stall that has so far lasted a month, so the inspiration comes at a terrific time.

Congratulations on passing your boards! And I'm sorry for the loss of your beloved grandmother. You HAVE had a stressful time! Congratulations on not gaining any weight through all that! And be kind to yourself as you get back to the Losers' bench. Best wishes from another nurse (I passed my boards in 1973 ).

I think it was absolutely ok for you to ask her to limit the types of candy, to help you out. It's a shame others have taken the liberty of commenting negatively on what should have stayed between the two of you.

Perhaps the candy could be moved to another location, so it's not such a constant trial for you? If that doesn't work, you might find that in your efforts to hurry past it you're becoming clumsy and <gasp> bumping into it and knocking it to the floor! Horrors! If that happens often enough she might decide a different location would be better...

If I had an abundance of self control I wouldn't have needed the sleeve!

Dallas here.

RJ's / beginning - that is an excellent article you recommended. You are a font of wisdom and inspiration!

Those symptoms could be from eating carbs. If you cut way back on them for a while you will most likely get rid of the cravings. Also try assessing what you are really feeling when you think you're hungry... is it real physical my-stomach-is-empty hunger, or is it "head hunger"?

Another thing it could be is excess stomach acid. If you are not taking a med like Prilosec, you might benefit from adding it; or if you are on one you might consider [asking your doc about] increasing the dose.

One thing I've found helps me is only eating every 4 hours - 8am, noon, 4pm and 8pm. That way I know when I'll have something next, and I can keep better control of my intake. And it helps me NOT get in the habit of grazing. I do sometimes get hungry between those times, but I try to deal with that by drinking Water, chewing gum, having a sugar-free candy, etc.

I agree that 10 lbs a month is a good average wt loss. As for getting back on track - You gotta do what feels right to you, and if that includes going back to liquids then do that.

But if I were in your shoes I think I would stay with solids and do these things:

(1) Re-read the instructions / commandments about dense Protein first at every meal, chew-chew-chew, eat slowly, etc.

(2) Re-commit to your plan for what you're going to eat: Calorie limitation but allowing carbs, or no calorie limitation but almost zero carbs (Atkins) -- whatever your plan is, re-commit to it.

(3) Track everything that goes into your mouth. Use whatever method works best for you - a handwritten food journal, an app on a smartphone, MyFitnessPal ... whatever you choose, but DO IT. Do it every. single. day., every. single. bite. And track Water too! You can't manage what you don't measure.

You might want to repeat #1 & 2 once a week or so until your habits have changed back and they're second nature once again.

Best wishes.

I agree with the above. I'm betting the stairs won't be a problem. But just in case, before you go to the hospital bring downstairs everything you will need to sleep on the couch the first night you're home. Best wishes!