JanetteH

I use a liquid (recommended to someone else on this site) - it's called Sea Essentials by Wellgenix - I get it online. Also use a liquid Iron - Floradix. Both taste pretty good.

My nutritionist gave me a few "recipes": - add 2 scoops unflavored Protein powder plus 1 can milk to 1 can reduced-fat cream of chicken Soup. Makes 2 servings. - add 1 scoop to 1 cup very soft mashed potatoes. Makes 4 servings. - mix 1 scoop with a little Water and add to ½ cup cottage cheese. Makes 2 servings - cook ½ cup oatmeal and 1 cup skimmed milk; stir in 1 scoop protein powder. Good luck!

I liked MetRx Protein Plus (chocolate) - available at Trader Joe's and The Vitamin Shop.

I will be keeping busy with making my house crystal clean (or not. They've known me for 25 yrs and the way I keep house so they can shut up or go home), making 'meals' for my husband and I for after surgery (very daunting. don't even know where to start or what to do yet. ::sigh: and taking all of my anxiety pills. Hi KarenLee Aren't relatives wonderful! After having my mother come to "help" when I had my first child, I had to ban her for the second!! I agree with Oweemytoe - just let your mother-in-law clean - she's going to do it anyway - we're addicted to food & she's addicted to cleaning. Maybe she cooks too? Then you don't have to worry about your husband's meals after surgery. Another idea - I just doubled some of our favorite recipes the week before surgery and then froze 2 portions of each in individual containers. If you have a Trader Joe's near you, they have some really good frozen food (flatbreads, kung pao chicken, enchiladas etc) Good luck - it will all be worth it!

I've decided the scale is going away as well. Trying once a week. It's that stupid thing that triggered me in the past to just give up. Not going to let it do it to me this time 'round! Good for you Rome! - the scale is sometimes more of a hazard than a friend. Just went to my appointment (4 months) and they are delighted with my loss of around 60 lbs. Looking for a loss every day can be discouraging when we go into "starvation mode". The Nurse Practitioner told me it was very common and not to be distressed - things will change. Keep doing the Protein, Water and exercise! - And only weigh once a week

I've had that happen to me twice - once with chicken and once with maki-mahi. Both times I threw up several times (like my body was trying to move it). It was quite painful and I didn't eat anything the next day. My doc says it's not uncommon - not only do you have to chew thoroughly but the size of the mouthful swallowed also matters. Try being aware that only very small amounts are swallowed at a time - hence the idea of taking 30 minutes to eat a meal Good luck!

I totally agree with Treilly - it's the average that matters. In the beginning your body is going through all sorts of changes and the weight loss is so inconsistent. Don't worry - the procedure will work If you look at other threads on this website, the scale not moving is such a common complaint - but if you look at the average weight loss, the normal range is around 3-4 pounds a week (a lot more than your average 1-2 pounds on a "diet"). WLS is not a magic bullet, just a tool - it will take us all around a year to get where we want to be. Faye and Hilary - just keep on persevering - you will succeed!! Increase your exercise if you feel you want to do something and please, please, don't weigh yourselves every day. Look at this long-term - what is my average weight-loss over the last 5 weeks etc.

I totally agree Karenlee - every doctor seems to have a different system and I'm constantly surprised at things people are eating in the early phase. I was allowed to eat mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes on the pureed phase but I had to eat the Protein first. For me, thin mashed potato worked more like a "gravy" or "sauce" for the protein. Now I'm onto more regular foods, I'm discouraged from eating rice, Pasta or potatoes because of their lack of nutrition. My advice is for everyone to do exactly what their own doctor tells them

Finally - it happened - the scale moved after nearly 4 weeks of being "stuck" - so I'm on track with most people too - 62 pounds in 4 months. I'm lucky that it's summer and I can swim every day (we have a pool) but I agree that some form of exercise is important for me. I really sympathize with you, Claire. Before I had my knees replaced, I was so limited in what I could do. Hope the gym or recumbent bike works out. I went to a wedding this weekend and saw lots of people for the first time in several years. Some kept saying how well I looked - I'm still overweight so they didn't realize why - but clearly those dropped pounds have improved my overall health

Hi Oweemytoe - that's quite a list! 1. hair loss - possible but not inevitable - I'm 4 months out, have continued to dye my hair and no loss yet. Eat your Protein - it helps a lot. 2. Lovenox - I didn't need that for gastric bypass so we all don't have to be on blood thinners! 3. Gas - definitely 4. Catheter - didn't have one! 5. Complications - possible but I didn't have any. 6. Support - use this forum - we've all been there and we're all here for you. My advise - don't tell everyone - only a few people that you know will be supportive. 7. Dehydration - as Crosby said "sip, sip, sip" 8. Stomach problems - the old stomach will be thoroughly checked before it's separated. From then on the new "pouch" is your stomach - the old one never sees food again 9. Dumping syndrome - do exactly what your doc says and you won't have many worries. I haven't had it. 10. Loose skin - probably inevitable. I have "wings" and will probably have surgery to remove my "apron" when I reach goal. I understand your concerns but think of all the positives - not all of these things will happen to you.

As much as I love losing weight I am also very sad to see a few of my clothing to go. I spent lots of time finding them and lots of money buying them, and I have quite a few pieces that I really really like. So this makes me a bit sad. Most likely I will not have much money to replace them so I will have to be satisfied with some budget solution such as second hand ect. I just took 4 of my favorite dresses to the tailor and had them taken in - they look great (for $20 each) - won't have to buy "in between" sizes this summer - hopefully I'll be in a much smaller size by next year. I've also discovered I now fit some old clothes that were too small.

Personally I've found that weighing myself every day is the road to disaster I don't lose, then I get upset so I don't follow the program properly.... I'm much more content when I weigh myself only once a week or less. Now when I'm not losing, I'm staying away from the scale for 2 weeks - it's too depressing - I know logically that my body has temporarily gone into starvation mode but watching the scale stay at the same number for 3 weeks is not motivating. Instead I'm concentrating on all my non-weight successes.

Hi Faye - do not fear - it happens to many of us. I've been stuck at the same weight for 3 weeks also. It's because we're eating so few calories - our bodies have gone into "starvation mode" because it thinks we're having a famine in the land I have decided to stop weighing myself for the next 2 weeks, to write down all my non-weight related benefits as I notice them (e.g. my diabetes is nearly resolved) and to up my exercise to 40 minutes a day walking or swimming. I know it's very depressing but don't give up. Just keep eating mostly Protein, fruit and veggies - maybe go for a walk when you're down, and know that this won't last forever

I've lost 61lbs so far and I'm not sure if that's average for 4 months. Tammy - that's great and yes I hope it's average because I've lost the same amount : ) I've been stuck for several weeks now - so my "average" weekly loss has dropped from 4½ lbs/week to 3¾ lbs. Hopefully the scale will move again soon now I've increased my exercise to 40 minutes/day. Sullysrant - fantastic job! 101 lbs in 4 months is amazing. Keep it up. Deanna - wow 76 lbs - fantastic! I guess Tammy and I are on the slower end. My weight loss is all post-surgery, and I'm feeling so much better - diabetes gone, more energy, fitting in chairs that used to be tight, able to bend over easily etc

Isn't it weird that our doctors all have different rules? : ) I'm not allowed to eat more than 1 cup at any meal/snack - usually 2-3 oz Protein plus some veggies or fruit. Even with 2 Snacks I'm only eating around 700 calories a day - it would be more like 500 calories if I didn't have "snacks" - that's way low. What and how much do you eat for your "meals"?

Yes I have a snack every afternoon and evening - my favorites are yoghurt, fresh fruit, hummus with vegetables and almonds (found some vanilla flavored ones!) Be careful though - I'm 4 months out and I couldn't have fruit, raw vegetables or nuts for the first 3 months. Early on yoghurt is good, mashed banana, sugar-free pudding, canned fruit pureed or mashed, apple sauce etc - don't know what stage you're at. My doc told me to have 5-6 small meals a day (3 "meals" and 2 or 3 "snacks") and to eat a small amount every 2-3 hours so I think Snacks are important.

Dreamingbig - Now that I'm/we're 4 months out, I'm lucky in that I'm not very restricted in what I can tolerate. I've had the occasional bad day when nothing is appetizing but on regular days I can have dairy, vegetables, salad etc with no problem. I concentrate on dinner - bought a bariatric cookbook and love a lot of the recipes - grilled salmon (lots of different sauces), moussaka, no-noodle lasagna, pork tenderloin and lots of chicken recipes - my go-to is tandoori chicken or chicken satay (both just cubes marinated in yoghurt and spices). I then have leftovers for lunch most days. I tend to have eggs for breakfast - poached or scrambled. I'm still avoiding carbs - I get too full with rice etc, so I mostly have protein and vegetables at every meal. Go-to snacks are yoghurt, fresh fruit or hummus and vegetables. Princess Erin - I use MyFitnessPal and according to it, I'm eating 600-900 calories a day and getting around 70g of protein. What do you think you're getting? Unfortunately I've been on a plateau for several weeks now. Claire hauled me out of a downward spiral in my thinking. So I'm not weighing myself, writing down all of my "non-weight" achievements and starting to ramp up the exercise - my goal is 30-40 minutes a day of walking or swimming. How is everyone else doing?

29 lbs in 5 weeks is amazing!! - that's about 6 lbs a week - when did you ever lose weight that quickly before? I'm only averaging around 4 lbs a week and I'm delighted with that. Think positive - this surgery is a tool, not a magic bullet. Depending on your starting weight and goals, it may take close to a year to lose all the weight. Don't get down on yourself - counting calories is not my main goal anymore. If I eat the correct quantity (no more than 1 cup at my stage) of the right foods (protein, fruits and veggies), then the calories take care of themselves. I use a tracking app called MyFitnessPal which I love. You might want to start using that - it has an amazing data base of lots of foods so it can tell you how much protein, fat, carbs etc you've consumed. What phase are you in? (pureed food, soft foods?) I also got tired of the Protein Shakes but found I love scrambled eggs, cottage cheese and fish (all mashed in the puree phase). Talk to your nutritionist about ideas and recipes etc Good luck!

My standard answer is "Oh it'll be about a year until I'm eating normally again - but I'm feeling great, thank you" I don't offer any details. That shuts them up (hopefully for a year!)

All the above answers are correct according to my diet plan - fat and sugar are off the list and can cause a serious side effect called "dumping". In addition, I was not allowed red meat (ham, pork, beef, lamb) until recently (I am 3 months out). Scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, fish and chicken are the go-to foods for now. We're limited because our new digestive tract is still healing - don't mess up your surgery over a can of deviled ham after all you've gone through.

Hi Latido, 4 tablespoons equals ¼ cup but it varies a little in ounces e.g. 4 tablespoons pureed meat is heavier than 4 tablespoons lettuce : ) Saying it's roughly equal to 2oz sounds reasonable for most Proteins. I think they're trying to give us appropriate measurements for each food - there's some things we tend to weigh (meat) and some things we tend to measure in cups (liquids) - a carton of yoghurt is 6oz - so you can eat ½ a container. On the other hand I would tend to scoop cottage cheese out with a measuring cup - so saying ¼ cup makes sense to me. I was told that volume was very important - no more tun ¼ - ½ cup at a time for the first 6 weeks. Otherwise you'll stretch out your pouch. You'll slowly work your way up to around 1 cup. You'll get used to the measuring and later be able to judge it for yourself. I have a small glass bowl I usually eat out of - I know exactly where ½ cup and 1 cup are on it. Good luck!

Hi Janice, I haven't heard about that problem. I take another anti-depressant and have not had that side effect. Please do NOT stop taking Lexapro on your own - you might have serious side effects. Talk to your surgeon or Primary Care Physician before taking any action. For other reasons, I am being weaned off my drug slowly by my PCP - and I mean slowly - half every day for several weeks and then half every other day etc. Never stop taking a drug without a doctor's supervision.

Hi GettingHealthy, Hunger was one of the reasons I found this website. I was absolutely starving hungry for the first 2-3 weeks - and it was definitely NOT "head hunger" or cravings. My doc said it sounded like the liquids were going straight through my pouch. He also said about 1 in 10 WLS patients have this symptom and they don't know why - they understand the physical details but not how the brain reacts to the surgery. I never felt full - it was awful - I even regretted having the surgery. The good news is that it went away slowly - and completely disappeared when I started on "soft" foods. Suddenly I had the sensation of being full which I'd never had before - I think that's what retrained my body. I'm 3 months out now and eat really well - I know my surgery will be a success and am so thankful I had it. My suggestion is to try to distract yourself from the hunger and the cravings - find things you love to do (go for a walk, swim, read a good book, watch a movie etc) Try to stay away from sugar and fat - you won't fail if you follow your doc's guidelines. Good Luck!

You're absolutely right, Writerjennifer. I never thought that people might puree everything to together - yuch! I bought a recipe book (recommended by my nutritionist) "How to eat well after weight loss surgery" and all the recipes are for Protein and some kind of sauce with vegetables pureed separately etc. They're all very tasty and puree well - the book tells you how much you can eat at each stage and for each procedure. My family could eat the same as me (just not pureed) so that was convenient too. I admit that after a month I was happy to eat something other than pureed food, but it was not a difficult or disgusting phase - in fact some of the recipes have become family favorites - not pureed : ) - even now that I'm 3 months out.

Hi BigGirl, I have an ordinary scale - most only go up to 300 lbs (I have always been under that). I suggest you Google scales for whatever you need - there are a few that go up to 400 lbs but more than that (e.g. up to 500 lbs) you get into very expensive ones I'm afraid. You won't have a big selection I fear. Personally I do not like the ones with BMI - I prefer just weight. Good luck! When was your surgery? Janette