motherearth

I'm a fan of the Pure Protein Bars as well.

On a positive note, What has been your success? How much weight have you lost? Remember this is a lifestyle change. Perhaps change up your healthy menu. Check out new recipes for low carb low fat. You may want to go back to eating the things you were after surgery for a week. Like, cottage cheese and applesauce in the morning, cream of chicken soup for lunch, chicken breast or Italian meatballs at dinner. Eat Greek Yogurt for snack. And of course don't forget your protein drinks and bars. How many calories and how much protein are you eating a day? Maybe someone will chime in and let you know if you're eating enough or to much. Hang in there. Your body is adjusting still. Depending on how much you had to lose in the first place may have something to do with it. We can't see your stats to know more about your situation. Hang in there! Sincerely, Sherri

Oh, how I have been there. It takes time for our mental to catch up with the physical part of us. Losing the weight as quickly. The Fat Goggles need to come off and will at some point. It takes time to adjust to the new you. Sherri

During the first 3 months your sleeve was healing, it was swollen. The swelling has gone down to where you will find your allowed a little bit bigger portion size. No bigger than 8 oz at a time or a cup at a time. Best to measure your food to help you keep on track. Still, "Protein First". Congratulations with your weight loss. Sherri

Toot away! That's fantastic. That is an amazing feeling. I've been there "once". You give me hope that i'll be there again, thank you. I have Osteoarthritis in my hips and endure quite a bit of pain. Once i get surgery to replace them, i'll be moving all the time. Good luck on your 5K, you're already a winner just for signing up. Good for you! Sherri

I'll have to try those. I see where Walmart sells Beanito's . Found them on line too, different flavors. Lots of flavors! Thanks for the info. Sherri

It only gets bigger when the swelling subsides about 90 days Post Op, That's when your stomach is healed from the surgery. I began feeling a difference a couple weeks ago and i'm 8 weeks Post Op this week. It just depends on what i'm eating as well. I don't eat beef. I stick with fish and chicken. Any meat i chew and becomes bigger than what it was when it went in, doesn't get swallowed. It would take up too much room in my sleeve. So I would rather have ground turkey and fish. Something i can mash with my tongue and get a healthy portion size in.. Even if it did stretch out, it would never go back to the size it was. Perhaps an intake of 8-10 oz, and that's max. Sherri

YOUR GORGEOUS! YOUR STORY MADE ME SMILE! I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT MOVIE SO YOUR EXPERIENCE WAS EASY TO RELATE TO. I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU. LIFE IS GOOD AND FUN TO LIVE! SHERRI

If you can't tolerate butter than perhaps try Canola Harvest.

Hi Debi, I see that you were sleeved. Do you have follow up appointments? I'm glad to see you here. My goodness, 2012, is when you were sleeved and have lost 40 pounds, congratulations on that. That's really good though but don't know your stats to actually know just how good. What was your surgery weight if you don't mind me asking. There's lot's of veterans here that can help you. If I were you I would call your surgeons office and have them mail you a post op information packet. Just tell them you never got one. Also ask when your next appointment should be. Did you ever have a follow up appointment? There may be terms and grounds to sue your surgeon if not. Sincerely Sherri

Call your Surgeon and or Primary Physician and ask them to give you medication for Nausea. That way perhaps you can hold some fluids down so you don't get dehydrated. When you can hydrate, drink G2 Gatorade to keep your electrolytes up. Sorry your sick. Sending positive healing energy your way. Also when caught early your Dr. can give you Tamiflu so that it's short lived. But you gotta get the Tamiflu ASAP. Sincerely, Sherri

The society we live in can be so cruel. I've been teased, bullied, mooed at. Ignored, disrespected and humiliated from a very early age. Obesity genes play a part on both sides of my family. Diagnosed with hypoglycemia in my twenties and Degenerating Joint Disease in my hips. Hypothyroidism when i was thirty. Type 2 Diabetes when i was forty. My weight sky rocketed to the highest of 385 in 1992. The year i was married and also the year i was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism Once my thyroid was under control i became pregnant. My OBGYN told me i was a high risk pregnancy and that i could endure many unhealthy hurdles. But i went ahead with our pregnancy. I did get gestational Diabetes and gave myself insulin shots through out my 2nd and 3rd trimester. I was put on a Diabetic diet during my pregnancy and actually gained 19 pounds because i had started losing weight at the end of my pregnancy. The Diabetes left as soon as i had my baby. Only for it to show up six years later as Type 2 Diabetes. That was the straw for me. I have endured Breast Cancer, Acute Severe Sleep Apnea on top of morbid obesity. I had to make a change or i want going to see my daughter live her life and experience all the wonderful life experiences you do with a daughter. So i opted for weight loss surgery. Best decision i ever made. Well, one of them at least. Hope has returned and i am so looking froward to getting off the sidelines of life and back into the main stream of enjoying life again. When you hear of people say they came fro the school of hard knocks, well i'm one of them. It definitely built character and wisdom and gave me the tools to go with the tool i received "the Sleeve" Looking forward to what life has in store for me now.

Everything you mentioned is normal and has been experienced before with other Sleeve recipients. The Pre Surgery Prep nurse is awesome and will see too your nervousness and nausea. they are there to make you feel as comfortable as they can to assure you that all is going to be fine. I don't have issues with head hunger. I too love food. I cooked in restaurants for many years so love to cook as well. Once they cut away 80% of your stomach they take with it the hunger hormone which i can tell the difference now. I have no cravings. Which is amazing for me. I didn't have a morphine pump. My Post op surgery nurses were on top of my pain issues and had it under control quite well. I spent one night in the hospital and was home early afternoon. I want to congratulate you on detoxing from sugar BEFORE your surgery. Kudo's for that. I did the same thing and am grateful for it. I didn't have any drain tubes hanging out of me. So not sure if that was just my experience or if that's a common practice after The Sleeve procedure. Perhaps if you don't Opt for Laparoscopic then perhaps is when a drain tube is needed. You will do just fine. They will take very good care of you. Will address the fear, nausea as soon as your admitted. Sincerely, Sherri

Jewel, i sent you an email regarding this but wanted to share with others in case they were interested. As far as the fried cheese is concerned. I use sharp cheddar cheese that i grate. I use a small non stick egg pan to fry about a 1/2 cup at a time. spread cheese evenly into pan on med heat. Allow edges to get golden brown then turn over and fry other side to a golden brown color. Once golden take out of pan and drain on paper towel to cool. Once cooled, break into bite size peices and keep in air tight container. Muffin in a Minute: 1 Tbls. butter melted in coffee cup (microwaveable) add 1/4 flaxmeal, 1/8 tsp baking powder 1 tbls. cinnamon 1 packet stevia 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla mix well in cup and then microwave for one minute. Take cup out of microwave and tip upside down for muffin to slide out. You can buy liquid smoke in the store on your condiment or seasoning isle. It comes in a small glass container. I use misquite flavor. If you can't find it, ask your grocer for liquid smoke and they'll take you right to it. I also make a flaxmeal parmesian sandwish roll. I use a plastic bowl the size of a burger bun. Melt 1 tbls. butter in bowl add 1/4 cup flaxmeal 1 tbls. parmesan cheese 1/8 tsp baking powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 egg mix well and flatten evenly in bowl with fork and microwave for 1 minute. Once finished take out of microwave and turn bowl upside down on saucer and allow to cool. can be kept in ziplock bag sealed and kept in fridge. Hope that was easy enough for you. if you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

I take what they gave me in the hospital after surgery. "Metamucil". Does the trick every time. My bowels want to go every 2-3 days and i generally need help. I take pain medication for my hip. So the pain meds cause an issue with regularity. Hope that helps. Sherri

It's best to stick with liquids the first two weeks of your Post Op. You're almost at the 14 day mark where you will then have two weeks of pureed foods where you will have more of a variety of choices. The first two weeks I was allowed: Garden tomato organic Soup Cream strained Soups 2 % milk chicken, Beef and Veggie broth V-8 juice sugar free Jello Greek Yogurt Protein shakes G2 Gatorade Water water water You move onto pureed foods in just four days and will have more of a variety. I found that i could chew soft foods well enough to where i didn't puree them. Such as scrambled egg w/ organic salsa unsweetened apple sauce w/ dash of cinnamon Low fat cottage cheese vegetarian refried Beans canned white beans Hope that helps

You were always beautiful! You're such an inspiration. Your happiness just bounces off the screen. Congratulations on your success.

what's the brand name?

Have you ever tried spaghetti squash in place of pasta. So yummy! Turkey Italian sausage cooked up with Marinara sauce. I portion both out and put in containers to freeze. Stick one in the fridge in the morning and is thawed for heating that night. I like to mix ground turkey with egg white, liquid smoke, organic no sugar que sauce, garlic & onion powder, parmesan cheese and make 3 oz patties( or what ever oz. you're at) and fry up and finish off braising in low sodium chicken broth. They are so tender and moist. Wrap up in suran wrap and put in freezer bags. Easy that and heat. I like to have a batch of baked beans i make myself for a side with my meat protein. I get a can of white beans and add my no sugar organic bar b que sauce to it, some ground ginger, liquid smoke and a smidge of splenda brown sugar. Then add thin sliced green onion in it. This keeps well in the fridge for a few weeks. The meat i wrap up individually and put in freezer bags and in the freezer for a quick grab. I like to mix up a can of tuna, cottage cheese, diced boiled egg with low fat mayo till moist and keep in the fridge. Great by itself and a great dip for fried cheese chips i make. Fried cheese is easy to make in a non stick egg pan. grate your cheese and simply put a half cup in the pan and let it fry up. turn when golden brown on both sides and let drain on paper towel. Break off in pieces and keep in air tight container. Keeps for a few weeks. I like to make a flax meal parmesan sandwich roll and a flax meal muffin in a minute (If you want, request recipe) and cut up in cube size and freeze. The muffin is great with peanut butter on it and the parmesan is great for sandwiches or grilled to go with cream soup. flax is so heart health as well. These are all easy grabs and take with you's.

Our bodies are like a thermostat and fluctuate up and down a few lbs. as we lose the weight. This is perfectly normal. The ladies are right, don't be a slave to the scale. Weigh yourself once a week. Spend that energy on focusing on doing everything right. Like Protein first, journaling and hydrating. Also i found that the tape measure makes a better friend than the scale. If the scale isn't moving the tape measure is sure to be. I measure once a month. We all have different metabolisms but have found that this pattern is relative to many others experiences. Just as long as you're doing everything to a "T" then don't worry to much. You're already a success story by following through with the surgery. Now set back and be rewarded with the many benefits to come as we use our tool the "sleeve" along with the tools we're given, to become healthy healthy healthy! CHILLAX

you're very welcome madam.

Thank you Carlotta. Congratulations on your 38, fantastic!. What Post Op week are you at? I see you had your surgery in December. Mine was January 8th. Looks as though things are going well with you? Sherri 36# gone

LOL there you go Madam Reverie. Love your sense of humor.

Hello everyone, I hope this is the right place to introduce myself. I had surgery on the 8th of January and am doing quite well actually. I've been battling my weight for just about all my life. A chubby baby and chunky adolesence. My first diet was at the age of 14 with Weight Watchers. My last successful diet was Low Carb. Which i would supose wasn't all to successful since i opted for surgery. I chose the Sleeve procedure because of the lifestyle i was already use to. Low fat and low carb. The tools i learned with that went well with this tool "The Sleeve". I am almost 5 weeks out and 26 pounds down since surgery. My daily intake is protein first of course and chew chew chew. I'm on track with my supplements and still working ever so diligently on my fluid intake. I ususally hit the 64 oz mark but not always. My protein intake is good but still not at optimal. I find eating small meals through out the day is helping with that. I have to remind myself to eat because i generally don't have much of an appetite. I'm in it to win it! I look forward to meeting folks here and getting to know you. I'm sure i'll have plenty of questuions for all the Vets here. Perhaps there's something i can share with you in return. Here's to all of us losers. Sincerely Sherri