esskay77

My experience is that it does get better. I wouldn't worry so much about mashed potatoes, focus on trying to get in your Protein. It's hard at first so focus on high protein options as much as possible. Even if that means the Protein shakes. I lived a lot of yogurt and cottage cheese. In fact, I ate a lot of the plain, nonfat greek yogurt and would put in some sugar free Jello to add some flavor. You're still in the early stages and it gets so much better. Best of luck and give your body time to heal. If you think of the outside scars and how they are still healing, that is what the inside is going through as well.

I used to LOVE lettuce and now it doesn't appeal as much to me. I still eat a "salad" everyday at lunch but I put in everything BUT lettuce right now! lol. I just fill it with a bit of chicken, green and red peppers, radishes, cukes, tomatoes, sometimes shredded carrots and use balsamic vinegar. Mmmm. I was at a restaurant recently where they had lettuce-wrapped hamburgers instead of a bun! So nice! I didn't get it--stuck with the chili but nice to know of that option. The restaurant is expanding to many locations--it's called Wahlburger's.

You will continue to yo-yo and even stall. It's just part of the process as your body is trying to figure out what to do! lol. It's frustrating, especially the first time it happens. But, you have done REALLY well so far! Don't lose sight of that. Best of luck.

Unfortunately, I can relate to this. My favorite food? Free food! I don't know what it is but if there is free food around, I HAVE to have it and I even hoard it. I don't know why. Well, actually, this is what I used to do. Not anymore but it does still pain me to not partake in free food, whatever it is. At one place I used to work at, they brought in free donuts, muffins, etc. every Friday. I was usually one of the first ones in so I would go grab a muffin and a donut and coffee and take it back to my desk. Then I would go back and take another donut or muffin and pretend it was like my first one and bring that back to my desk and put it in the drawer. Then, I would go back AGAIN and do the same thing! And I would eat it all! Yuck. But it was free. On the other days, I was usually pretty good and would bring in my own food. Where I'm working now, they don't do that kind of thing very often so I"m happy about that. We have a cafeteria and I usually get a one egg omelet with spinach in it and salsa on top--MMMMM. Or sometimes I bring in a hard boiled egg and a yogurt. Or sometimes I will get fruit and bring a Protein bar. And lunch is usually the salad bar---a bit of chicken, red onions, green and red peppers, cukes, tomatoes, radishes with some balsamic vinegar on it. But, next week I'm driving long distance (2 days) to visit family and I"m not sure how I'll eat on the road. I'll bring some stuff with me but that's usually only good for the first day. Ideas of what to bring? Right now I have Protein Bars, a hard boiled egg or 2, I might bring the Isopure drinks to make sure I get in some protein but I hate to drink a lot of fluids when I'm driving. Other? Especially protein--what do I bring that I can drive with? I guess I could eat yogurt at a rest stop when I get gas. Thanks!

What?!? Really? Good for you for figuring that out--wish I had known you could do that. lol. Thanks for the info! And best of luck.

Great post Wayne!!! And so true. People tend to apologize to me if they eat food, mention food, that sort of thing. I just laugh and say that I DO eat! lol. It's so weird that they keep apologizing. I'm also finding that people were using me as a crutch before when it comes to physical activity. If a bunch of us would go do something--shop, walk for exercise, whatever, I used to have to sit down each lap or periodically because my back would start hurting. Now, my back doesn't hurt and I have so much energy that I don't even think about sitting down. One of them finally said that they miss my breaks because they needed them, too. Again, I had to laugh and tell them that they can initiate a break any time they want.

A lot of great advice. Forgive me for restating some of it: I have heard that baked Beans have caused dumping syndrome in many people so it's probably best to just stay away. Instead of mac and cheese, use the cauliflower and cheese instead of the noodles. I heard this is really good, even if you think you don't like cauliflower. People also use the cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes, too. Just mash the cauliflower. I've even seen it on a few restaurant menus now! I always put tuna in my mac and cheese for some Protein (well, my mom always did to stretch out the box of mac and cheese!) Bread--I don't seem to have a problem with multi-grain bread though I limit how much I have. There is also Ezekial bread from Whole Foods in the freezer section. Absolutely no flour in it. It's not the most amazing bread but when you want a sandwich, it works in a pinch: http://www.foodforlife.com/about_us/ezekiel-49 Pasta--if you have a Whole Foods near you (or find something online) it's amazing to see what they are making "pasta" out of these days instead of flour. I've seen some made of kelp! lol It looked good but I haven't tried it. But take a look through their ailes because they had all kinds! Sometimes the best part of a Pasta meal is the sauce, not the noodles so find ways (such as the ricotta bake) to have the meal, just no noodles. Actually, you could put in some chicken to make it like a chicken parm (no breading of course). Peanut Butter works, just don't have too much. Organic would probably be even better. Or some people like almond butter. I prefer Jif or Teddy's which is organic. Oddly, you should store it upside down so the oil mixes in. I read that somewhere and it really works. Just had to get some of those thoughts out of my head! Best of luck!

Best of luck! Can't wait to hear about it! Does insurance cover this? Just checking for when I reach my goal and need this surgery, too!

No worries! We all have had meltdowns! That's why I love this list--we have shared experiences that nobody else would understand. You are doing great and the weight will come off. When you get your energy back, definitely get to the gym or some sort of workout--that's what will really help.

You JUST had surgery! You are at the very beginning and the first month is you healing first. Don't try to do a lot of exercise--try walking a bit. It is hard at first but it gets easier and better. Try to eat Protein every couple of hours. Yogurt, cottage cheese (I mixed mine with some pineapple juice to make it taste better), string cheese, black Beans, (black bean Soup can be good), that sort of thing in addition to your protein shakes/drinks should help. And drink lots of Water. But be sure to do the pattern of drink water up to 30 minutes before eating, don't drink anything while eating, take small pea-size bites and chew 25 times, then 30 minutes after you eat, start drinking your water again. You will do great, give yourself a break and stop weighing yourself so much! It's hard because you are excited but try to only weigh yourself once a week. And keep a food diary! Very important. Make sure you get about 60 grams of protein a day, or at least try to do that.

Definitely talk to your doctor. When did you have surgery? I know I had something a bit different--no diarrhea or vomiting but felt like I had and it felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach. I left work to go to the ER (and I NEVER leave work early!!). Spent about 7 hours there and they ran all kinds of tests. They didn't find anything. From this list, I heard that it can be when food moves past the part of the insides that is stitched up that it can hurt really bad. But, it is always best to err on the side of caution and call your doctor and/or go to the ER. Your symptoms are different enough. and it's just the right thing to do. It can be scary!

Am I the only person who still gets hungry? I hate getting hungry but I do. Luckily it doesn't take much to be satisfied but it sure surprised me since I heard this removes the hunger hormone. Guess they cut around it instead! lol

Maybe we need to develop our own mobile app for our needs! One that can guide you from pre-surgery through post surgery and maintenance. Anyone? I could help!

All the nutritionists say that same thing. Personally, I don't find them very helpful. Mostly because I want to know WHY a lot of times. Or I need help and they just say--"you're doing great." But I don't know what it is that is great especially when I feel like I'm floundering. Anyway, don't get hung up on data. If you wait to eat until you are hungry, you might overeat. You should eat Protein every couple of hours. Which basically is Breakfast, lunch, dinner and Snacks. Maybe if you just ate smaller portions during those meals? You said you aren't hungry anyway. And eating every few hours keeps you from getting hungry. My nutritionist had me stop doing the shakes when I went on solid food. Every once in a while I'll add them back in but I found that I am eating enough protein that I don't need them. I try to have yogurt or cottage cheese as my snack instead of the shakes. If I know I will have a hard time getting enough protein in, I drink the Isopure Protein Drink which is an acquired taste (and I now really like them) but is better than the shakes. Also, the fact that your weight loss is less, is normal. Losing a few pounds a week is pretty normal from what I hear. The more you exercise, the more you can lose each week. So, as much as it pains me to say it, focus on getting in your protein and get lot's of exercise. I know that they have me starting to watch the grams of sugar in food now but they have never mentioned sodium. I just try to keep it low by eating protein, veg, and fruit with some carbs. Those don't have sodium so you naturally keep it at bay. I don't think I'm helping you but I'm definitely helping me by writing this! I need it reinforced! Best of luck.

This is really tough! I always drank a lot of Water (sometimes wine!) with my meals. If they didn't come along and refill my glass, I would freak out and feel like I was suffocating until I could drink something. I think now it was my body saying that I wasn't really hungry anymore. I'm noticing now if I think I need some water with my meals, I'm really just done eating. I'm glad I watched that video. The doctors never tell you WHY so much as just not do something. I always like to know why. I don't have answers yet but just wanted to let you know that you aren't alone and it is a work in progress to perfect this! lol

Wow! You are doing great! I do know that drinking your Water helps with weight loss. The rest I'm not sure of. Have you tried chicken Marsala? You can buy the Marsala Wine at the grocery store and the recipe is on the bottle. I double the wine sauce part. It's really good. How about Scotch eggs for Breakfast? Take a hard boiled egg, take a big meatball sized handful of ground turkey and then flatten it out and the wrap it around the egg. Roll the egg/turkey in some parmesan cheese and bake for about 20 minutes (I think at around 400 degrees. You can google the recipe. I got this from the South Beach Diet web site. It's a pretty good breakfast. Then, there is this recipe that I love: Creole Shrimp and Sausage Stew Total: 20 minutes ****** Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup) Ingredients2 teaspoons olive oil 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 cup thinly sliced turkey smoked sausage (about 6 ounces) (I prefer ground turkey) 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic 3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained (such as Rotel) 8 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp 1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney Beans, rinsed and drained 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Preparation 1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add bell pepper, sausage, and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until bell pepper is tender, stirring occasionally. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Stir in shrimp and beans; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until shrimp are done. Sprinkle with parsley. Nutritional Information Calories: 191 Fat: 6g (sat 1.7g,mono 2.7g,poly 1g) Protein: 21.3g Carbohydrate: 13.2g Fiber: 3.5g Cholesterol: 97mg Iron: 2.9mg Sodium: 694mg Calcium: 127mg Karen Levin, Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2009

I don't have a snappy answer and haven't lost enough weight yet to be in that dilemma but a coworker is about 5 pounds from his goal from doing Jenny Craig and he is getting the same comments. Our receptionist told me to make sure he eats because she is worried about him. I finally told her that he eats way more than the rest of us, he just eats the right things. Personally, I can't wait for those comments! I'm down about 65 pounds and yet nobody has noticed.... lol. S

I had food dreams/cravings big time for the few weeks after my surgery. I could practically see myself biting into a big donut or other food and could almost taste it! Luckily that goes away. And while I still occasionally think about food, it's just a quick thought. What I find is that nothing really tastes as good as it did before anyway so I wouldn't have that same experience eating it now.

That is so awesome--congratulations! I hope someday to be in such a small size!

I get that too! Sometimes when I haven't even eaten yet. I assumed it is just an air bubble. Sometimes it comes out like a burp but other times nobody else can hear anything but I can feel it. If anyone has an answer, I'm curious to hear what it is and if there is anything to do about it.

Frankly, I can never find exactly what they recommend to take so I have to do my best. I have Calcium wafers that say bariatric support on the container. They are chewable (and big). Do you have a pill cutter or crusher? That can help. I have to cut my antacids every morning. Otherwise, try to find chewables.

Pineapple can also make any of it taste good! It's very overpowering but tasty!

Watermelon, pineapple, kale. mmmmmm You can thow in a little bit of plain nf greek yogurt if you want.

I did feel really tired for a while but it does go away. And, I've heard that the more you lose, the more energy you gain. Give it a bit of time, you're body is still healing. S

Where do you find these support groups? My hospital has 2 a month--are there others elsewhere? They always have their meetings when I can't go and I really want to attend a support group for a bit. S