Bluesea71

Advice coming here from someone 14 months post-op at goal weight. I'm trying to remember back to those first few months post-surgery! I stocked up on a bunch of supplies pre-surgery and didn't end up using 99% of them post-surgery. I just cleaned out my cubbords and threw out a bunch of soup and protein powders I never used because I couldn't stand them post-surgery. Others I tolerated before hand but post-surgery we can only eat so little that I wasn't willing to sacrifice taste for a few bites of anything. In other words, I typically opted for the full-fat cottage cheese vs. fat-free cottage cheese. To get specific - a lot of people recommend those torani sugar-free flavored syrups. I purchased 8 and never found a use for them. Adding them to cottage cheese and yogurt was just... Runny and gross. The idea of drinking chicken/beef broth pre-surgery sounded far from appealing so things didn't change post-surgery. I bought two containers of uninjury chicken broth I used one scoop out of. I would say gravitate toward things you know you love. Right after surgery, I ate jello and protein drinks. I made jello in small individual sized Tupperware containers where I added "unflavored" uninjury protein. Premiere protein drinks have 30 grams of protein. I used to get them at Costco but my local store doesn't carry them anymore. Keep in mind that blending protein shakes with ice in a blender with a bunch of extras is a big no-no after surgery. It will make too much liquid for you to consume and add air bubbles you don't want. I'm mentioning this because there was a high-protein power I could tolerate pre-surgery if I added ice, 1/2 banana and powdered peanut butter. Post surgery it tasted gross in a shaker bottle. Cottage cheese was another staple to have and any soup you know you like. A blender is handy to purée any chunks down. A food scale is handy to have down the road. The supply I found the most helpful to have is those small Dixie cups people often have in their bathrooms. They are the perfect size to measure out food right after surgery and will keep you from having to wash endless dishes for a tiny spoonful of food!!!!!

Relax and trust in the process. This is coming from a gal 14 months post-op who had the same worries as everyone else on the board. "Am I getting enough protein and water?", "Am I losing fast enough?", "Will this stall ever end?!??" I was a slow loser throughout the entire process and constantly compared myself to others and what they're were achieving. What I can tell you is that I was able to reach my goal weight within a year with little effort. I had plenty of stalls along the way and I just continued doing what I was doing. Some weeks I wouldn't lose a pound and then I would see a 5 pound drop on the scale. I lost the majority of my weight the first 6 months post surgery. The amount you lose each week decreases the closer you get to your goal weight. Towards the end it would take me 2 months to lose 6 pounds! Most of us come to the process with years of failed attempts to lose weight. It's hard not to worry that we may just be the one person who "fails" at WLS. I know I worried about this! All that worry I had was for nothing. I woke up one day at my goal weight. One day you will too and I can't wait until that day comes for you! Make sure to update this thread and let us know when that day comes!!!! ????❤????

I use the Derma blend body cream to hide a tattoo I had removed (but you can still see) on my ankle. It comes in a large white tube. I would say the biggest challenge is finding a color that matches your skin. They sell it at Ulta. There are great tutorial videos on YouTube on how to apply it. Layer. Layer. Layer. It holds up great (for me) while swimming in pools and ocean water without applying the optional setting powder.

Inquiring minds want to know... What's going on with the girl parts?!?I'm hoping mine get a "lift" with my TT, but if yours ended up under your chin, I may reconsider! ????

I remember reading somewhere that it takes your skin 2-3 months to "catch up" every time you lose weight. I have found this to be true the entire process so far since I had surgery 14 moths ago. There would be times my thighs would look horrific and then a month later they seemed to tighten up a big. I'm mentioning this as things may get better with time.

I was sleeved 14 months ago and am very active on these boards. First time I'm reading about people having drains post WLS! I wonder when and how often they are used?

Most surgeons use the "you will lose 65% percent of your excess weight" rule. I'm too lazy to figure out the mathematics to see if what he quoted applies to your case. I know at 5'7" tall I was 241 at my heaviest and 236 when I started my WLS program. 226 the day of surgery. My surgeon said I would be 160 by my one year anniversary. I surpassed that by 10 pounds and made it to 150 with very little effort. Now that I'm 14 months post-surgery, it is taking a lot more effort to lose those extra 5 pounds I would like to lose to get me to my stretch goal of 145. As for what you can accomplish, I think it's up to you and how dedicated you are to the process. I can tell you that overall I found WLS to be a lot easier than I thought it would be.

http://www.hefty.co/love-your-body/

Where is everyone?!?!? (Crickets) ????

Sorry, late once again! I forgot to weigh myself on Monday but am 150.4 today. I'm sure that will go up tomorrow. Usually does. Lol ???? My surgeon's goal for me was 160. My goal for me was 140. Looks like my body's goal for me is around 150! I feel like I haven't lost anything in this challenge but just looked at the spread sheet and saw I started out at 156! I'm finally learning to set 4 pound goals this stage in the game! ????

Do you just eat what you want, but in tiny portions? That's what i'm finding...and am still losing, I tend to think it's still about calories in vs out....And i've cut back on almost all of my carbs.Hi Joshua - here's my question's for you in this order: 1) where do you live? I have an endless list of "honey-do" home improvement projects that never get done. I need base baseboards, a full bathroom remodel, a new light fixture hung... The list could go on and on. Of course all of this will likely be put on hold in favor of a tummy tuck and a new set of knockers now that I'm living life at goal weight and I had to choose how to spend my money! 2) Do you have access to the Internet? Of course you do! You're on here! I find it concerning that your receiving minimal after-care post-surgery. It is bothersome that your surgeon and his/her team are not available to you for support. However, there is a wealth of information about the Bariatric lifestyle available online including food stages and timing. May I also suggest the book our buddy Alex of BP wrote? I think it's called The big book on the Gastric Sleeve. It's available on Amazon. Just google his name. To answer your question about eating whatever you want - yes, during the entire 14 months post WLS, I have been pretty much able to eat whatever I want in smaller quantities. Does this mean that I CHOSE to eat whatever I want? We will save that for later. I DID however follow the rules regarding the progression from liquids to puréed to soft foods, etc. This is SO important as your stomach has been cut open and it is trying to mend itself. Do you really want something sharp in there risking you to develop a leak?!? I tried to find my WLS binder to take pictures of the food stages and suggested meals. It's MIA. Maybe someone else can do that here for you. Also get on the Internet and do some research!!! Here's the other reason why I'm going to tell you not to rush into solid foods - it's during these first few weeks specifically that you will lose the greatest amount of weight. As you start to introduce more food into your diet and as time goes on, your weight loss WILL slow down. It's the biggest mystery here. I'm 14 months out and living life at goal weight, but there's plenty people on here who are exercising like crazy, taking in less than 1200 a day and their weight loss has hit a plateau. They SHOULD be losing weight if it was all about the input vs. output theory. So yes, right now, so early after surgery, you are in what we call the "honeymoon" phase. It's when you can eat like crap if you chose and still lose weight. It's an awesome feeling, huh? Can I make a suggestion? Read this forum. Often. Perhaps visit the veterans board. The process begins to change the farther you get out from surgery. At some point you WILL stop losing unless you start putting some effort in. WHEN exactly this occurs is different for each of us. For me, the process was a tad easy. I suspect it was because I started the process at a lower BMI. I considered myself a slow loser, but I had no issue reaching my surgeon's goal for me and surpassing it by 10 pounds before a year's time. Now with that being said, my personal stretch goal is another 10-12 pounds from where I am. My body is quite content in staying exactly where I am IF I continue doing what I have been doing the past 14 months since surgery - eating what I want and exercising (sporadically.). Some people have to put more effort in to work their "tool." My time has come. What I can tell you is this time in the journey is really tough for those who haven't developed healthy lifestyles. This requires that we are honest with ourselves and take a look at the reasons at how or why we were significantly overweight. At 14 months out, I still have restriction, but I could easily eat around the sleeve if I wanted to. Regain at this stage is really common. I wasn't always over weight and gained weight as a result of poor work-life balance after having children. This past year I have made efforts to plan meals ahead of time to eliminate eating on the go and take out. I never really considered myself an emotional eater, but I've always known there are certain foods I can't have in my house so I've never bought them - Cookies, chips, soda, crackers are foods I would easily binge on. Why risk it? I went into this process already implementing a lot of the lifestyle habits they require post-WLS. I believe this may be in part why the process has been so easy for me. I didn't find it a struggle to adapt at all. I track everything I eat on the loseit app on my phone. This helps me with accountability. I don't really view any food as taboo at this point as long as I account for it and don't forgo Protein or other import nutrients. I stay away from carbs as much as I can. My post is getting long and this point I can't even remember your original question! ????????????????

This is about as easy as a Keurig! Scoop it, Pour it, Shake it, Sip it! ????????????????????????????????????????????

I'm 14 months post -op. I have to say, this is the first protein drink i've tried that doesn't have that protein after taste. I'm not sure I would dare risk putting "unflavored" protein into it and tainting the flavor but that's just me! There's been studies showing that our bodies can only process a certain amount of protein at once and any excess is converted into glucose anyway. The 28 grams I'm getting is plenty with fortified soy milk (that is with two scoops of this brand.) It would be even more with regular cow's milk. Also be careful with the calories. I'm at goal weight so I can handle consuming the 225-250 calories (with soy milk.) Using water would reduce the calories. For those of you earlier on in the process who don't experience getting full on liquids, this could easily be an easy drink to mismanage. Warning - it's sweet. Like one of those Starbucks frapachinos with cream and sugar. If your looking for something that's just coffee, this may not be for you! I have just been mixing it and pouring it in my sports bottle over ice to go. It says it can be blended, but I haven't tried it that way yet.

It isn't really clear! It just states that its aspartame free and has 2g sugar on the label. I will attach a picture of the ingredients. Update: put on my glasses- I spy sucralose! ????

Why didn't I know about this sooner? I'm in heaven!!! 2 scoops has 20 grams of protein plus I mixed it with 1.5 cups calcium/protein fortified soy milk which brings the protein up to 29 grams of protein. I'm in heaven! Each serving has 2 espresso shots to boot. Perfect drink on the go with ice. I ordered mine on Amazon.

I stand corrected. Fair enough! ????

I had surgery April 2014. At 5'7", my highest weight was 245 and I was 226 on the day I was sleeved. My surgeon's goal weight for me was 160 and today i am around 150-152. I started in a size 20 and I'm now in a size 6/8. My recovery was a breeze! I didn't have one single complication after my surgery. Trapped gas pain? Nope. Acid reflux? 14 months out, never had it or a reason to ever take the prescription medications. Heart burn? Nope. Throwing up? Nope. Dumping? Nope. Aversions to food? Nope. The only "real" issues were things you really can't avoid which are hair thinning between months 3-8 BUT by one year it all grew back in. I also had a hard time with vitamins, but found some awesome melt away kind and the problem was quickly resolved. The first 24 hours in the hospital I was cursing the BP community for not warning me. Coming out of surgery wasn't fun as I was nauseous from the medicine. Once it was out of my system, I was fine. I didn't need much in the hospital except my cell phone, charger, long extension cord, my own pillow and toiletries. The first 3 days at home were the hardest and after that I didn't feel like I had surgery at all. I was back at work by the end of two weeks. I could have gone back earlier (I sit for a living, it's not very active.) and honestly, I found the process harder having so much unstructured time at home and the ability to wander into the kitchen. The supplies you will need post-op are minimal. I went overboard and bought stuff I still have never used 14 months post-op (example: those sugar free torani syrups.) Don't laugh, but one of the most handy things I found to have was Dixie paper cups. They are the perfect size to measure a few ounces of cottage cheese and other food and then you don't have to wash endless dishes! Keep in mind that everyone's process is different. The scary thing for me is I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to have my stomach removed post surgery. You just feel full quicker at first after you eat. Some people get into trouble when they push their new tummies limits. I'm not sure why, but adjusting to a new lifestyle was easy for me. It's not to say it didn't have challenges. I didn't go out much to eat in public at first. Now 14 months out I can eat whatever I want. It's both a blessing and a curse. I was able to reach my goal weight within a year without issue and am now maintaining. For the first time in my life, I'm not really worried about weight gain. I love the fact that I never feel hungry. I love that I feel satisfied after a small amount of food. 14 months out I still have a great amount of restriction. I've never pushed this. I know my tummies capacity and stop eating well before then. It probably helped that I ate a pretty clean diet pre-surgery. I wasn't one to binge on Big Macs and never drank regular soda or any drinks with calories in them. Many of the "rules" this surgery requires I was already doing. Other rules I couldn't do before surgery, but after surgery it's really easy to do. For example, I had difficulty not eating/drinking at the same time before surgery. Now my tummy is so tiny that I can't drink while eating! I do still take tiny sips though! Do I follow the rules 100%? No way! I log everything into my lositapp on my phone and for me, having that accountability has been key. I pretty much eat whatever I want (in smaller quantity) BUT I find myself typically making healthy choices. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy dessert on occasion or other treat that I want. For me that's what makes this a lifestyle change vs. a diet. Good luck!

Delicious is never a word I associated with chicken nuggets! ????

I'm happy to hear that everything has been easy for you! I know I felt a tad guilty post-surgery when everyone else I knew who had surgery the same time as me on here experienced complications. I'm sure you will experience your own struggles as the journey unfolds, but for now, count your blessings! I never had any of the issues I thought were part of the process (i.e.: gas pains, pain after surgery, acid reflux, heart burn, throwing up, etc.). Just remember this. In general, people are more likely to give negative reviews or complain about something vs. speak positively about something. It's a shame, but its true. People are more likely to go on review sites like Yelp and complain about a service. We rarely go and compliment or rave about something. It's sad but we are too busy being happy and getting on with our lives! This has taught me to take everything I read with a grain of salt and be open to the fact that my experience could be completely different from everyone else's! There are plenty of people who don't have the complications you read about. BP is a great resource for people to reach out to others for support when they DO need help...So that's exactly what they are doing!

I guess I'm confused what the problem is. Your easy recovery is causing you to be anxious and worry about failure?!?! Consider yourself one of the lucky ones! I am almost 14 months post-op and have had ZERO complications (outside of a little nausea waking up from surgery.)

Congrats! You look awesome and should be proud of your accomplishment! ❤ I'm at goal too and I'm learning that most people don't recognize me vs. are ignoring me! It's a weird concept to grasp. I don't think I look different but then when I look at before/after pics - wow!

Faxxy- I'm a little over a year out from surgery (April 2014) and I want to give you a glimmer of hope that things do get better. I really don't feel like I've had the surgery at all at this point. I'm living life at goal weight and I'm able to eat/consume any drink and beverage I want (just in smaller quantities.). Now with that being said, my tastes have changed post-surgery. I no longer want or desire soda. I get sick at the thought of eating a sandwich or a lot of bread products. My lifestyle has changed over the past year. For some reason this process was easy for me. I have to be honest, when I read your post and your follow up responses, I was reminded why some fail after weight Loss surgery. This tool requires that you make lifestyle changes. I'm going to give you a little tough love and I hope you know my heart is in the right place because I want you to be one of the successful statistics. If sonic fast-food chicken nuggets is your idea of a great protein source, than we have a problem. None of us can continue to do what we were doing up to this point. You must re-train yourself to make healthier lifestyle choices. In the early stages after surgery, it is tough. It's hard to eat a lot of things. Trust me, this stage is really, really short lived. There WILL come a time when you CAN eat and drink anything as you get further out from your surgery date. This is where the danger lurks. You will either 1) stop losing any weight or 2) gain back any weight you lost if you continue old destructive lifestyle patterns. I know the first few months post-surgery are hard... But the 6 months post surgery are when you have the opportunity to lose the greatest amount of weight. Work it while you can!!! You can do it. You have a whole online community here to support you! ????

Sorry - I wanted to address your specific question about whether the weight loss can be controlled. The answer is YES! Everyone's journey is different, but people typically lose a rapid amount of weight at first. This begins to slow down as the weeks go on. Those starting out at a lower BMI won't lose as much as someone at a higher BMI. For example, the first month I lost about 20 pounds, month two 9 pounds, and averaged 2-3 pounds per week for the first 6 months. At some point I was lucky if I lost 2-3 pounds per month and now I really am not losing much of anything as my body seems to have found a place where it's comfortable.

Only on Bariatric Pal will those of us with "only" 100 pounds to lose be considered tiny. ???? 100 pounds is a lot of weight to lose. Period. I started this journey with a BMI of 39 (238 /5'7") and thanks to the sleeve reached my goal weight of 150 before a year's time. Never in my life have I been able to lose weight so easily and for the first time in my life, I'm really not worried about gaining it back. Maintenance will take some effort, but it is SO much easier not being hungry all of the time! The good news is those if us starting out with a lower BMI have a greater chance of losing 100% of our excess weight post surgery (compared to the 65% average). Good luck with whatever you decide. It's the best decision I ever made. I know I was really worried what it would be like to live with this surgery. I can tell you now 14 months post-op I can't really tell I've had it except I get full after eating a small quantity of food. Otherwise I feel normal.