WombatVSG

I agree, I think the surgeon does the research and works with their team to develop a plan that they think their patients can work with. My surgeon has a very strict 2 week liquid diet pre op, and the same diet for 3 weeks post op. But I have friends whose doctors tell them the same thing that I've seen on the boards: you can puree just about anything and have that. What I would add is that if you're looking for a doctor, and don't understand the how and why of their diets, ask questions. A good doctor will be able to explain why they think two days works just as well as 14, or why they stress low carb to bump up initial weight loss. And if it sounds like they haven't put enough thought into their recommended diet, look for a different surgeon. There's no sin in wanting a surgeon with a nutritional philosophy that works with yours (though clearly, they need to be challenging your past eating patterns a bit).

Are you drinking cold liquids? I was drinking room temperature stuff in the hospital, and continued that at home at first. Where is the pain? Esophagus? That could come from taking too big a sip (happens to me a lot). They had me pouring liquid into an ounce cup and sipping a third of that cup every 5 minutes, so I was having about 4 ounces an hour. If I went too fast (especially in the first 3-4 weeks, it's a little better now), it hurt. Don't be afraid to call your doctor with questions! I'm sure they'd rather talk to you about it now so they can decide if they need to see you. They want this to work for you.

Seems like I wake up most nights around 2am and am hungry. Is this happening to other folks? What are you doing about it? It makes sense that I would be physically hungry, if I'm having 2 oz of soft food around 6pm, but I don't really want to "wake up" and have more food. But then I think, well, I *am* awake! Part of its typical "woke up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep," but it seems even harder with these hunger pangs. Not a huge problem... Just every thing seems more ponderable when it's 2am and you can't sleep!

Different doctors set different guidelines for what you can eat and how you progress. Mine is pretty strict about low carb. I'm linking to his patient portal that has the progression (it's frustrating, because they posted the three week thing for bypass, not sleeve!). http://advweightlosssurgery.com/patient-portal/ I hope that helps. My nutritionist thinks I should be getting 600-800 calories daily now.

Glad you checked out okay, and hope you find a local doctor for follow up stuff soon. It's no fun, having to worry about stuff like that! I had my 3-4 wk follow up today. They're happy with my progress, but I need to work harder on getting my fluids and protein in. Sigh.

Kay: There are more things that can go wrong with the bypass, because they're disconnecting/reconnecting different parts. Malabsorption of nutrients is a significant part of bypass, so you've got to commit to taking a lot more supplements for the rest of your life. Those are the two main reasons I went with the sleeve. Good luck with your choices and your health!

Everyone's rate of loss varies. So don't worry about that, because it will just stress you out. /patProtein drinks: I'm tired of them all, but this is about choosing health, so... These two are the most protein ones that I know about. Isopure Zero Carb 160 calories, 40g protein, 0g carb Premier: 160 calories, 30g protein, 5g carb What does your nutritionist say? I bought the weight loss surgery cookbook for dummies, only to learn that a lot of the recipes don't fit in with my doctors strategy (right now I should be around 70g protein, 30-50g carbs, and in the 500-600 calorie range). But I was still able to go through the cookbook and flag some things that were on plan. Good luck, and hang in there!

I think part of why it's important for me to focus on the nutritional side of things is because I put too much junk in my body because it tasted good, and i need to change the way I think about food, replace "eat this, it's yummy," with "eat this, it's healthy." Otherwise, it's still junk food in smaller portions. Not to say I won't have yummy stuff, I just know I need to get my nutrients in first.

Good to know, thanks!

It's been a challenge to get photos since our upstairs neighbor's pipe burst and flooded our apartment during my second week of recovery! But I am trying to get photos, because it's something I wasn't good about after I got my band, and I think it might give me some motivation when things get rocky in the future. I'm not doing measurements, though I do need to buy a swimsuit for a trip we're taking next month, so I actually *did* take some measurements today. And I appear to be smaller-- whodathunkit?

And remember, the scale is just one indicator. The important measures of success are your ability to stick with your nutrition and exercise plans, and how good you'll be feeling a year from now!

My doctor and nutritionist both say that I'll be supplementing food with Protein drinks in the coming months. I'm totally fed up with them (the drinks, that is, I love my doctor, PA, and nutritionist!), but I know they're right. I REALLY hate having to sip the dang things. It was a lot easier when I could chug. I'm looking forward to the day when I can have a gulp of Water without worrying about slime!

That's no fun, fostermama! Glad you're feeling better. I had some yuckiness with too much water and two pills taken too close together. Sigh.

I'm trying to stick with weighing and pictures on Sundays, but I do sneak in a scale trip every now and again... Plus I finally get off liquids for soft foods on Monday, and am pretty sure that will result in a stall as my body adjusts, and I'm okay with that. Ultimately, I'm more concerned with my ability to stay on the nutrition program outlined by my doctor, because it know that's a better indicator of being able to achieve long term health than the numbers. But man, the numbers are a quick fix ego boost.

This is very silly, but you know what? We deserve some silly! Silly is carb free! It was recommended that you have a pillow for the ride home. These are a nice sized pillow for that trip home from the hospital, and I've been using it at my computer desk to protect my tummy. Mine came from a great couple of co-workers, and the other thing I love is that you can get one to suit your personality! http://mypillowpets.com/ I had a lot of fun shopping for tiny utensils and dishes from Crate & Barrel (I want to make having small portions fun, and the spoon has been great for the liquid stage) http://www.crateandbarrel.com/ fusion Espresso Spoons Fusion Appetizer Forks Deep Square Sauce Dish Mini Round Grip Dish I've been going charm crazy lately. Pandora doesn't have a stomach charm, but this is a big deal, and deserves to be commemorated! http://www.pandora.net/en-us My husband and I would have liked a crescent moon (like my new stomach), but the moon charm had a face on it, and that seemed kinda creepy. So we improvised with the one called "Speckled beauty," because now my bites are supposed to be that size. It's a nice visual, and a way to stay on track with the small bites. On a more legit note, I'd encourage people to read their doctor's web sites. My doctor has all of the follow up guides posted on his site, and it's really helpful.

Are you taking Biotin? I'm told that helps (but I have a lot of hair).

I don't have much advice except for lots of fluids-- the orange crystal light is high in vitamin c without adding calories.

I went back to work yesterday and really had trouble getting all my liquids in. :-/

I got a copy of Weight Loss Surgery Cookbook For Dummies (you can get it on Kindle), which has some high-Protein soft food recipes. I'm still doing liquids, but they have a scrambled eggs with salmon and Havarti recipe that looks really good. But I know, all doctors are different... mine has me going from liquids to softs with no pureed stage.

This is silly, but occasionally we've been getting broth from the nearby Pho place, and they give you hoisin and sriracha, so sometimes I'd add a little of one, sometimes a little of the other, sometimes a little of each... anything to break up the monotony!

Yay, you! Good luck!

Walking definitely helps. What are you eating? My doctor has me on Protein drinks for three weeks post-op, and has me sipping about half an ounce every 5-10 minutes. Slow going. :-/

It's worth talking over with your doctor and/or nutritionist, just so if there is something funky, they can check it out. I asked my nutritionist what the suggested caloric intake was post-op, and here's what she said: Week 1 through Week 3 (Bariatric Liquids): You are likely consuming 350-400 calories, at the most. Week 3 through Week 6 (Bariatric Soft): You are likely consuming 400-500 calories. Week 6 through Month 3: 500-600 calories. Month 4 through Year 1: 700-800 calories At weight maintenance: 1000 calories Of course, it turns out that 2 weeks out, I'm having about 500 calories, and am not hitting the 30 grams of carbs goal they set, so... there's tweaking to be done.

Hate to say it, but my standby is, "I'd rather be fat than unkind to people I love, but I'm trying to change... maybe you should try changing too?" And if he's still crappy about it (or anything), you need to ask him what kind of future relationship he wants to have with you, because the path he's treading is neither useful nor loving. Hope the weekend goes well, and hugs.

Also, check to make sure you're getting your protein and carbs, and that the carbs are spread out through the day.