gahannagal

Hi I am from Cali originally! I am willing to talk to you and help you get back on track. I have many co-workers that have gained back weight. This is why I delayed my surgery. I finally have done it and they are giving me great advice so that I don't do what they did. You need encouragement with good ideas to try new foods that you haven't had. New foods with good flavor and not have to be bad for you. Lets figure out the program and keep in touch! don't be afraid to post any questions here on the site I usually get several suggestions when I ask.

I will admit I thought I would have trouble with Butter, bread and sugars. I am extremely lucky and am not having any cravings. I have though had a little taste of some of these things. I have taken little tiny bites and its good enough. Mentally right now I am doing everything I can to just say no so I don't start wanting to eat them again. I am trying to substitute new items that I can eat instead. So I found dark chocolate dusted almonds. We can have about 12 to stay in my 6 grams fat and 6 sugars. They have blueberry dusted too! I bought spray butter to use on my veggies so i get some taste. I found a recipe for Almond flour sour cream and chive crackers. These crackers are very filling. They take the desire for chips away. This web page has lots of other good choices. You just have to watch the recipe. I think I am trying the lemon thingies next: http://www.lowcarbsosimple.com/fluffy-little-lemon-thingies. I hope this helps someone else through this journey!

Hi Forgive yourself! We all have our moments where we feel like we have goofed. Just like before surgery if you dwell on it you will stay focused on that instead of focusing on program. Anytime that you feel you did something outside program just say ok that happened. Now I will start the program all over and get back to routine. Wishing you luck in your journey!

Hi was looking for Ohio group saw you didn't get any replies. I am hoping you found a mentor in your area. If you didn't get one close by please feel free to message me if you have any need for support!

CONGRATULATIONS! Great job, stay on program. I too don't want to get sick. I have gotten close, I have learned that its because I drank to much. The other is eating or drinking too fast. Make sure you are taking your time! I wish you luck with your journey. Enjoy the freedom losing the weight will bring!

Hi I didn't have my surgery at OSU but I did start out there. The Blast classes are necessary. If you would choose Mt Carmel or Riverside they will require their own type of Blast classes. It seems so unimportant when you are going through the approvals. I will say I was always saying really is it going to be like that,,,,Well I can say I am so happy I went through the program at Mt. Carmel. I have to say I read some of the comments of what people are aloud to eat so early after surgery. I am thrilled that the Nut. has the program they do at Mt, Carmel. I have had an easy time so far. I have had a few issues with eating too fast. But I have not had any trouble so long as I stayed on program. So important for success! Also, I am learning more and more about learning new ways to think about food. If you don't change this it will make it a struggle. Also you have a chance to not learn the techniques we should learn now. I hear 3 years out .... if you don't know them it can get harder to stay on program. Wish you luck with your journey no matter where you go.

Thank you all for the encouragement. I will do as you say and try to take one day at a time!

I had a situation today that I wondered if any of you have had to deal with. I try not to get attention. I don't like attention. I am glad that people know I am getting healthy. I am glad that I have changed in looks as I lose my weight. I am having to change how I dress now too. I don't want to spend money on pants as i get smaller so I bought a couple skirts. I wore one to church today. There were all kinds of comments about how i looked. I am ok that they are saying nice things. Does this mean anytime I wear anything different then what I have for years, will I get comments every time? Inside I am thrilled but I have always wanted to behind the scene not showy at all.Any advice would be apprecaited

I haven't had much luck with meat myself. I have been able to find Beef Jerky and Turkey Jerky that I am able to get down. Just remember not to eat too much for sure.

sugar free Popsicle and fudge pops absolute must for the beginning. I remember at the very beginning the Popsicle were the only "water" i got in. If you get

Each person is different. Don't get upset if you need more sleep. If you are having trouble with getting enough Protein in try and get it in earlier in the day. I remember at the beginning I ran out of time in the day because of naps and things. Getting your protein will give you more energy. Give yourself time to heal. I am 8 weeks and I am being told remember there is still a lot of healing going on inside. I did already return to work but that 1 week was very tiring. I have finally gotten the B12 in now and I feel much better. Starting my day with a "hot Chocolate" I do 8 oz of Water warmed and add the

I too have found myself thinking about food again. I don't want to eat because I am full all the time. But I have found there are a couple things that taste good so I am nervous about eating again. I do know that I stall when I don't get my water/protein in. I have heard from others when you get these feelings. To stop get back on the program at the beginning again. My "plan" has stages. So they said to go back one stage and see if it helps you feel better and start loosing again. If you don't go back one more stage. I know that I have read that we have to still count calories. You can easily get to many again. Just looked up calories for first two months should be from 300 - 600 calories. http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/rny/nutritional-guidelines-after-roux-en-y-gastric-bypass-surgery.html. I hope you find the support you need here. I am enjoying the stories that encourage me!

Hi I want to tell you. I too couldn't walk to the back of a small grocery store without trying to find some place to lean or sit. I could't stand for more than 2 minutes without horrible pain. Not that this happens for everyone. I lost 30 lbs very quickly after surgery. 3 weeks after surgery I walked the entire store and a large grocery store the same day and didn't feel like I had to find a place to sit! For the last 5 years my husband or my teenage daughter had to do the shopping for us. I am 8 weeks out and I have used a weed eater again. I have walked nearly every day for 30 min. Used a "nustep". I have been enjoying life again. I have a good prayer support group with my church. I thought I was too late because of the numbness I was getting in my feet and my hands. I am so thankful to God that it wasn't too late for me. I don't want to say there are not days that I get pain. It is because I have done too much too soon! Be careful and ask your Dr. for directions on how much you can do how fast you can do it. Wish you luck and I hope this inspires you!

I too had trouble. I has gotten easier as the weeks go by. My goal is to try and get off the fake sugar too! I used to have trouble with "splenda" before surgery but I can tolerate it now and I am 8 weeks out. I had to take lactose pills before drinking the Protein. It was still hard to get them down early on. Wish you luck in finding the right thing for you. I have had to keep trying new things.

I want to say ditto to everyone's comments. I also want to say if you are anything like me I didn't want to eat a single thing for weeks. I had some trouble making meals for my family during that time too. I just didn't want to smell or look at food. Also in case you are not feeling this way. You should make sure you have healthy choices in your program available. Put yourself first! I don't know if anyone else feels this way. I feel part of my weight gain was me not putting ME first! They may not understand all of this at the beginning. But when they see the person you become they will support you. I was only 3 weeks out and started doing so many things I hadn't done in 10 years! Wishing you luck for your surgery and the holidays.

So far I see that my ability to tolerate foods keeps changing. This week I can eat one think and go down just fine. Then next week it won't go down right at all. I would keep trying a variety. I am thinking right now if I had trouble with something I don't want to go there again. I think maybe I don't need to have that. I tried steak and oh boy i was sick. I am thinking I hadn't had anything that tasted so good and I ate it too fast.

i have heard that the caffeine depletes our Calcium. It also is a diuretic which means we need to drink more Water to replace what you loose. Not that you can't have any but watch how much. I think that the calcium has to be doubled when drinking caffeine.

Hi I check the menu before I go if I have time. I went to Rusty Bucket here in Ohio, called ahead of time . They were willing to cook anything on the menu the way I needed it! Kudo's to Rusty Bucket. I was at 3 weeks out and went to Bob Evans to meet with a friend. They had chicken noodle. I explained I wanted the broth only. They also took care of my need. Anyway I wanted it. I think we are afraid to ask but they are willing to do what we need! I had someone tell me portion control is how they explained it. We we know about portion control! Just another suggestion. Good luck with your journey!

Columbus area! Surgery was August 27 with Dr. Marcus Miller at Mt. Carmel Hospital. To all of you coming up on Surgery dates. Wishing you a wonderful journey! I am thrilled with mine so far. There are things I am learning and going through. Wouldn't change a thing. Very Happy with my choice.

So I am one that hasn't kept any of my old sizes in my closet. I am getting ready to return to work next week. I have tried my "Work" clothes on and not much fitting. It is a wonderful thing but don't know how I feel about getting different sizes now. I went to "clothes mentor" I had some really nice clothes I wanted to trade for other clothes. I gave them a bag with 6 tops and skirt suit and a light weight swede jacket with shirt to match. They came back with a $4.00 offer for the jacket only! What are you crazy??? I took the jacket and the rest of the clothes back home. All of this took 45 minutes to tell me. I shopped around. I shouldn't have done it but just found a couple things I liked. It was a very discouraging first trip to find different clothes. I had a really nice sales person try and help me and she brought me 2 sizes up from what I was wearing before surgery. No way am I buying something larger after losing 74 lbs.! Thanks for letting me vent! Anyone else had negative experience with shopping after surgery?

Thank you for all the reply's!

I can't remember why we can't eat and drink at the same time. I am starting on more "regular foods" 6 weeks out and find that I really need something to help some things go down. I am thinking we are not supposed to because if fills the pouch so you aren't hungry? Does anyone know another reason?

I read this and said oh yes. I have lost weight but I have lost more inches than weight. I am excited either way! are you exercising? When you build muscle tone back it can cause weight to change. Muscle is much heavier then fat. I know for me I sit at a weight and then suddenly i lose 3 or 4 lbs at once. Keep doing your routine the weight will come off if you are losing inches! congrats on the pounds you have lost!

Try a Protein Drink it fills me so fast! I recently realized i need to keep my routine like we have almost all our lives. Don't eat after a certain time. Just like before surgery calories we eat and go to bed on still has the same effect on us. I find I have stalemate (stop losing) when i eat late. I once has someone tell me to have a horrible tasting cough drop. I go brush my teeth. I tend not to eat after I brush. Hope this gets easier for you.

I am on here almost every night. I have family in phoenix! I can't be right there but I available online! Make your journey wonderful keep a positive attitude it sure helps.