pspunk

I for some reason have never gotten any notifications on this topic ever until the last one today! I'm sorry!
I'm almost 3 years out from my sleeve surgery and it was the best decision I've ever made in my life. I can't say enough great things about Dr. Bertha and his entire staff is amazing! You are in great hands with him! I have found from friends going to other surgeons as well that Dr. Berthas phases of eating after the surgery is one of the best and most successfully layed out. Just follow the packets they give you to a T and listen to them and you will be successful in your weight loss journey! Best of luck to you!

Thanks!! Great to hear I'm superpsyched and can't wait to get where you are.

Really no secret, just your basic, healthy meal plan.....
For the first 6 weeks I followed my surgeon's meal plan and transitioned slowly through the food stages (very good restriction did not allow for "skipping ahead"). As hard as it was, I met Protein and Water goals 90% of the time. Once I was on regular food I focused on Protein and non starchy veggies. Steak, burger, ham, ribs, pork, chicken, BBQ, tuna, refried Beans, eggs, milk, Protein Bars, PB2, Greek yogurt, avocados, cheese, cottage cheese, mixed nuts, beef and turkey Jerky, broccoli, spinach, kale, green and yellow Beans, mushrooms, red peppers, edamame, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, Chinese mixed veggies, you name it....
Now at just over 7 months out I have a 24-32oz protein smoothie with 30-40g protein everyday and eat 4-5 meals and Snacks. I get a MINIMUM of 64oz Water daily and I take whole food based Vitamins. I have had sweets, deserts, chips, fries, alcohol, bread, Pasta and rice, but in moderation and probably not even once/week. As I got close to and passed goal, I started adding more fruit and whole grains. Besides Protein Bars (Natures Valley Protein, GNC Lean Bars, Fiber One Protein) I added whole grain bars like Kind, Kashi pumpkin Flax, and Pure Ancient Grains. I snack on mixed nuts, pumpkin seeds, edamame, Peanut Butter and apples, frozen pineapple, melons, and plain Fage or Chobani Greek yogurt flavored with Protein powder. I add berries and other fruit as well as Metamucil and benefiber to my protein smoothie. But really, the simple answer is I eat a healthy, balanced diet of protein (always first priority) veggies, fruit and whole grains. I eat when I'm hungry and only until satisfied, not full. Besides protein and water, I never tracked anything. I have no idea how many calories or carbs or fat I eat.
As for exercise, I've got no magic formula there, either. I haven't been to a gym in years. Immediately postop I walked a lot but that was pretty much to help with digestion and to decrease the bloated feeling I had. I rode my recumbent bike 20-30 minutes/day for awhile but I haven't been on it in a couple weeks. I actually just have a very active lifestyle. I work 60+ hours/ week. I am a vet tech, so I'm standing, squatting, bending, lifting and walking all day. On the weekends I ride my horse, sometimes 15-20 miles/day (which is an excellent Pilates and thigh master workout if you are riding "correctly"). And along with the horses comes chores...shoveling shit, fixing fences, hauling water, feeding and stacking hay. Last weekend I got 42 bales of hay. Each bale weighs 80 pounds and I had to lift and move each one 3 times (big stack to truck; truck to shed; stack in shed). So essentially I lifted 10,000 pounds in 2 days....and at least part of that over my head (Basically lifted weights and did stair master for a couple hours). I got another 21 bales yesterday and the day before went whitewater rafting and rowed a boatload of friends 8 miles (more Pilates and push-ups).
Anyways, everyone's journey is going to be different. What works for me might not work for you. Just figure out what you are most comfortable with (establishing a workout routine and tracking everything is not a bad thing, it's just not what I did). And if you are still reading this, let me say my biggest advice is don't compare your weight loss to others. Concentrate on being healthy, don't torture yourself with guilt, keep a good attitude, and look for NSV's for validation, not the numbers on the scale.

I was using Organic Healthy Valley it tasted more like Soup than broth and has 9g of Protein which was a bonus!

"Better than Bouillon" was a lifesaver during liquids phase - the beef and chicken are both great tasting.

I didn't like the different kinds of chicken broth I tried after surgery, until one day I was searching the chicken broth shelf for something new and noticed that the next shelf over had Mrs Grass noodle soup! I just made the Soup and didn't add the noodles! Mrs Grass became a staple for me in the beginning!!

I'm not "hiding" anything.
No, I'm not embarrassed.
No, it's not a "secret".
I *DID* do this on my own. Yes, I had surgery, but no one weighed and measured my food, tracked my intake, ran my miles, danced my Zumba, lifted my weights, swam my miles, or did any of the other work I had to do to lose 110+ pounds last year. My surgery was a tool, a really super awesome tool that I will be forever grateful for, but I lost the weight, no one did it for me.
Why have I not made my surgery public knowledge? Because it's none of anyone's business. I have so many more things about me that are *MUCH* more interesting than my surgery. I am a successful business owner with 300+ women on my team, I am a mom of two gifted teens who I am very proud of, I am a volunteer for a women's shelter, I am a martial arts training instructor, I have a pet hedgehog who is as cranky as they come, I can move both of my eyes independently of the other, I can sing songs in sign language, I hate getting dirty but I have a new love for doing mud runs, I am white Water certified in kayaking, I can do the splits in all three directions, I've been married to the same man for 20 years and haven't attempted murder yet, I have a wicked sense of humor and can insult you five ways to Sunday and you'll thank me for it without even realizing it.
I have no desire to explain (to people who really aren't truly interested) what a sleeve is, how it works, why they really don't know someone whose mother's best friend's cousin's neighbor's brother's wife's dentist died from this surgery/gained back all their weight/was malnourished/has seizures/never lost a pound/etc, nor do I care to explain my portion size, justify why I eat what I eat, answer the question "are you allowed to eat that" every time I put something in my mouth...
I don't talk about my pooping habits with the general public or my menstrual cycle, my gall bladder attack, why I used to pee when I sneezed, my IUD, my sore boobs during PMS, etc. I don't talk about the size of my hubby's package, how often we do the do, where we conceived our children, what we fight about when we fight, how much money I make, how much money he makes, my IQ, what brand of handbag I carry most often, or how much I spend on shoes annually, either.
Any other questions?

I'm on micronor now

I sometimes miss food, he was my best friend! But then I look in the mirror and see the 80lb transformation four months later, the absence of discrimination, and wearing clothes I've saved for 10 years, I don't regret any of it. It's awkward in social settings because everything social seems to revolve around food and alcohol, but I love the new me. I miss my 'ol pal Ronald McDonald, just like I miss my ex-wife. We had some good times, but they both could care less about me!

I felt that way too! Especially the last 2 weeks of pre op. The morning of my surgery I was thinking, wth am I doing? The next 3 days postop was pretty bad too. But from then on in, it's gotten easier and easier! I love my sleeve. I love my new lifestyle. I'm a very slow loser, always have been. But I love knowing that inevitably the weight will come off! Yay! So please know, it will get worse before it gets better, but once it gets better, it will be very well worth it! Hang in there!

I told everybody and their brother and those that have negative things to say can stuff it.