beachgal2935

@@Ashlegal Here's the calcium citrate I have been taking for the past 6 months. It costs $6.97 at Walmart for a 16 day supply of 500mg twice per day. 1,000mg is what Mayo requires me to take as they expect me to also get calcium from Protein shakes, milk and dairy in my diet. So if you're required to get 1,500mg then it would cost you less than $21 per month. If your local store doesn't carry it, you can order it at Walmart.com. That's what I've done if they were out in the store. It tastes like a dreamsicle (orange/vanilla) which I really like. Their website also has a $2.00 off coupon and here's the info from their website: Easy to Take, Fast Absorbing Liquid Supplement for Bone Health No more huge tablets to swallow or chew! 1000 mg Elemental Calcium 1000 IU Vitamin D3 Plus Magnesium & Boron Great Tasting Natural Citrus Flavor 16 servings per 16 oz bottle Wellesse Calcium & Vitamin D3 liquid is the #1 selling liquid Calcium product.** Discover the Liquid Advantage in just one ounce a day, split into two 1/2 ounce doses for better absorption using the included convenient dosage cup. No more swallowing big pills or chewing chalky tablets. Wellesse Liquid Calcium & Vitamin D3 combines essential, natural ingredients in a liquid formulation that provides 100% of the daily value for calcium and is easily absorbed by your body. Plus we have added Magnesium and Boron to help maximize absorption of the liquid calcium. Just one serving provides more calcium than 3 glasses of milk. Adequate Calcium and Vitamin D3 throughout life, as part of a well-balanced diet, may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Calcium is essential for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth at every age and stage of life. Vitamin D3 is is added at 1000 IU to ensure your body is able to optimize calcium absorption. Vitamin D3 also helps to support a healthy immune system by aiding the body's natural defenses. Magnesium & Boron in combination with Vitamin D3 helps build and maximize bone strength. Wellesse Calcium & Vitamin D3 liquid is an ideal choice to ensure strong bones and bodies for active families. It is also a great solution for bariatric patients who need an easy to absorb calcium with Vitamin D and cannot take pills or tablets. Wellesse liquid Calcium, in just one ounce a day, provides added Vitamin D3, Magnesium, and Boron to optimize absorption and is formulated with 70% Calcium Citrate (most bio-available/absorbable form), and 30% Tri Calcium Phosphate, used together to contribute to formula solubility and add beneficial Phosphorus. Research has shown that nutrients from liquid sources can be more easily absorbed than from solids.

@cjd2010 Here's a great way to get in your Protein as well as your Water, which has electrolytes. Just go to their website drinkprotein2o.com and under store locator put in your zip code to find out where they sell it your city. You can also buy it on their website or Amazon. I've been buying them at a gas station and just today saw them at Walmart. Of course they only had the wild cherry and grape flavors. The 2 I've tried are berry and Grape Splash and they taste really good. I drink 1 per day even at 6 months out!

@sarahbethemails Here's what I use and love! You can buy it at Walmart

I inject myself. It's no biggie.

It's that wonderful time of year when there are pumpkins everywhere. I'd like to share my Protein packed crustless pumpkin pie recipe for those who'd like to try it. It's simple and delicious, especially for only 77 calories and 9g of protein!!! Crustless Protein Pumpkin Pie 1 - 15 oz can pumpkin (not pie filling) ½ cup egg whites 1½ cups Premier Protein vanilla shake ¾ cup Splenda ½ tsp salt 2 Tbs pumpkin pie spice Preheat oven 400°. Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour in pie pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, then turn down to 375° and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. You can also pour into 16 (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray) cupcake tins. I like using silicone inserts. It is best served cold and can even be frozen. Serving size is 3 minis or 1/6 slice of pie. Sometimes I'll top a slice with Greek yogurt (pic) but Nutrition info is for pie only. Nutrition Facts Servings: 6 Calories 77 Fat 1g Carbs 10g Sugars 6g Fiber 4g Protein 9g

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say YES, it's normal! That's why in my 2 week pre-op liquid diet I'd add my shakes to hot coffee to make lattes with the vanilla and hot chocolate with the chocolate. I'm 6 months post-op and still freezing to death. Maybe there is some truth to why they call warm ooey gooey foods "comfort" foods - LOL!

@@lealor Here's what I use and both are very tasty. The Vitamins (order online from Unjury) are chewable and taste like sweet tarts. The calcium (bought at Walmart) tastes like a dreamsicle (orange/vanilla). Hope you find something that works for you.

@@Grace2115 I feel ya! This makes me think of something our psychologist always says in our after care meetings. "Hey gang - this wasn't brain surgery, it was gut surgery"! If we knew how to deal with our stress and emotions in a healthy manner we wouldn't have been obese and in need of this lifesaving surgery! It really became a reality to me when 3 days post-op my husband had a herniated disc impinging on his sciatica. He was in a world of pain as we tried to find out what was wrong with him. He's MY rock, never sick, never hurt, doesn't complain about anything and he could barely sit or lay down for 10 days straight. I had to drive him all over town from one specialist to another, MRIs, etc. On my way to the pharmacy to pick up his prescriptions all I wanted to do was eat something ... chips! I realized in that "light bulb" moment that I always turned to food to suppress my emotions, good or bad. This time I had no choice but to deal with the situation at hand! This surgery has saved my life in more ways than one. I will not take it for granted and will respect my pouch

@tootie09 Were you sleeved or have bypass? I had bypass and I've felt full no matter liquid or solids.

@sarahbethemails Go to www.drinkprotein2o.com and under store locator you can put in your zip code to see who sells it in your area. You can also order it on Amazon - it comes in packs of 12 for $23.99. You can even order a variety pack. They sell locally for $1.99, so it's on point. Luckily my Gate gas station currently has them 2 for $3 so I stocked up today. Check out the pic of the refrigerator door in my garage - LOL!

@@sarahbethemails I've always had 3 meals and 2 snacks per my NUT's guidelines

@@MichelleTN Oh no! Are the Premier Protein shakes making you physically sick or are you just sick of drinking them? I use the vanilla as my coffee creamer every day. If you like pudding or frozen pudding pops, put those shakes to work for you with my recipe: Premier Protein Pudding Cups or Pops Prepare pudding according to package directions replacing milk with chocolate Premier Protein Shake. I prefer to use my NutriBullet. If using shaker, shake for 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Pour into ½ cup containers for pudding cups. For frozen pops, pour into Jello pudding pop or any popsicle molds. Jello molds hold 1/3 cup each. Pudding cups set in 5 minutes and freezer pops in approx. 2-3 hours. Any flavor sugar-free fat-free pudding works, so get creative and enjoy! Nutrition Facts – Pudding Nutrition Facts – Pudding Pop Serving size: ½ cup Serving Size: 1 Pop Calories 93 Calories 62 Fat 1g Fat 1g Carbs 10g Carbs 7g Fiber 2g Fiber 1g Sugars 0g Sugars 0g Protein 12g Protein 8g I also like to put Greek yogurt in the Jello molds and freeze them. So many flavor options and it's fun to have something to sink your teeth into

@StephOnTheMove I'm so sorry you didn't get the response you'd hoped for but I agree with the others here. Your NUT only has your best interest at heart. Since she said you can have pudding, I have a solution for you which can help you get your Protein in and not stress the stitches of your new pouch. There are several flavors to choose from so that should help as well. If I were you, I'd blend it a little longer so it's thinner Premier Protein Pudding Cups or Pops Prepare pudding according to package directions replacing milk with chocolate Premier Protein shake. I prefer to use my NutriBullet. If using shaker, shake for 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Pour into ½ cup containers for pudding cups. For frozen pops, pour into Jello pudding pop or any popsicle molds. Jello molds hold 1/3 cup each. Pudding cups set in 5 minutes and freezer pops in approx. 2-3 hours. Any flavor sugar-free fat-free pudding works, so get creative and enjoy! Nutrition Facts – Pudding Nutrition Facts – Pudding Pop Serving size: ½ cup Serving Size: 1 Pop Calories 93 Calories 62 Fat 1g Fat 1g Carbs 10g Carbs 7g Fiber 2g Fiber 1g Sugars 0g Sugars 0g Protein 12g Protein 8g

@@MichelleTN Sorry to hear you're struggling. Maybe you can try these. I love them and have one every day. Just go to their website drinkprotein2o.com and put your zip code in to find a store near you. Here they only sell them at a specific gas station but they've been on sale 2 for $3. If you can't find them, they sell them on Amazon. Best of Luck and keep us posted!

@@gsusser I don't know if being sleeved is any different than gastric bypass as far as Vitamins go, but here's what I've been taking and so far so good. All three taste wonderful! I have to take B-12 injections once per month for the rest of my life as my body no longer absorbs B12. I think that's different if you're sleeved because your body can still absorb. I'm almost 6 months post-op. Best of luck on your surgery

@@Knitchic You're very welcome! Thank you for the inspiration. I now have chocolate and butterscotch pudding in a couple of the molds and the others are filled with different flavors of Oikos Triple Zero Greek Yogurt. I'm loving having such a variety of high Protein Snacks that I can sink my teeth into that last quite a long time

@@ImBringingLisaBack RNY Being on here is step #1! I researched everything I possibly could ... Vitamins, Calcium, Protein shakes, etc. I ordered and tried several types of Protein Shakes, powders (flavored and unflavored), bars. Try different recipes for the different stages you'll go through. Have your home stocked with the essentials. Being prepared is the key to success. I had my surgery at Mayo and they have two separate after care meetings once per month. One is for post-ops under a year and the other one year and out. I attended 3 months of meetings prior to my surgery and listened, asked questions and learned so much. I took ear plugs and an eye mask so I could get as much rest/sleep as possible in the hospital. Lucky for me, my surgery was at 8 am and I went home the next day at 6 pm. I was very blessed to be feeling wonderful by day 3 and off the pain meds by day 4! I'm almost 6 months post-op and I never leave the house without my little cooler complete with a protein Water, Protein shake, regular water and a Protein Bar. You never want to get stuck somewhere and "choose" to eat something you shouldn't because there wasn't anything healthy. There are no excuses if you're prepared

@RuxieGirl Here are a few of my fave recipes: Magic Crust Quiche - Ham Ingredients 2 cups 1% Lowfat Milk 1/2 cup All-purpose flour 5 large eggs 1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Pepper Jack cheese shredded 1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Swiss Cheese shredded 1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded 7 oz Ham diced small 1/4 cup Cooked red bell pepper diced small 1/4 cup Cooked Vidalia or sweet onion diced small Preheat oven to 350˚. In a blender or NutriBullet, mix eggs, milk and flour until blended, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder or whatever you’d like. In a bowl combine all cheeses, cooked meat and cooked veggies. Now add blended mixture and stir to combine. Pour into an 8”x8” or 9”x9” square glass dish. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let stand 5-10 before serving. You can add whatever cheeses, veggies or meats suit your taste. I steer clear of chicken as it seems to dry to me. The small amount of flour firms up the sides and bottom making the “magic crust” while saving tons of calories. The Nutrition Facts are based on recipe above. FYI - the heavier meats, like ground beef, tend to fall to the bottom. Serving size is approximately 2”x2 1/2” Nutrition Facts Servings 12 Per serving: Calories 120 Protein 12g Fat 5g Cholesterol 94 mg Sodium 253 mg Potassium 59 mg Total Carbohydrate 7 g Sugars 2 g pizza CRUST – (Chicken) Ingredients One pound ground (raw) chicken breast ¼ cup grated Parmesan ¼ cup Reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shredded cheese – ¼ cup shredded cheese is 1 oz. by weight ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black or cayenne pepper (I used cayenne) Tools Mixing bowl (stand mixer - easiest combing method) Baking sheet, pizza pan or pizza stone (crispiest crust) Parchment paper Wax paper Rolling pin Pam or any vegetable non-stick cooking spray Instructions Preheat oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl combine all of the above ingredients.Place a wet paper towel on a flat surface then place your parchment paper on it. Spray it with Pam and then put your chicken mixture on top. Mixture makes 6 – 3 oz. portions, so 6 individual crusts. Lightly spray a sheet of wax paper with non-stick cooking spray (makes for easy removal). Place wax paper, sprayed side down and evenly press using a rolling pin to get it as thin as you’d like. Remove the wax paper and place parchment paper on pan bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness). Put the crust between two paper towels and pat to absorb any grease. It is chicken after all. Then place it on a new sheet of parchment before topping it. Top baked crust with sauce, cheese and you favorite healthy toppings. Place back in oven on baking sheet or preheated pizza stone and cook until melted and bubbly 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy! If you bake it on a pizza stone it will get crispier. Crust Only: Nutrition Facts Amount Per Serving: Servings 6.0 Calories 114 Total Fat 3g Carbohydrate 1g Dietary Fiber 0g Sugars 0g Protein 19g As Prepared : 1 Tbsp Prego pizza sauce 2 Tbsp Sargento reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shreds 1 tsp sautéed Vidalia onion 1 tsp sautéed red bell pepper ½ oz. cooked 90/10 lean ground beef Nutrition Facts Servings 1.0 Calories 238 Total Fat 10g Carbohydrate 5g Dietary Fiber 1g Sugars 2g Protein 31g Premier Protein pudding Cups or Pops Prepare pudding according to package directions replacing milk with chocolate Premier Protein shake. I prefer to use my NutriBullet. If using shaker, shake for 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Pour into ½ cup containers for pudding cups. For frozen pops, pour into Jello pudding pop or any popsicle molds. Jello molds hold 1/3 cup each. Pudding cups set in 5 minutes and freezer pops in approx. 2-3 hours. Any flavor sugar-free fat-free pudding works, so get creative and enjoy! Nutrition Facts – Pudding Nutrition Facts – Pudding Pop Serving size: ½ cup Serving Size: 1 Pop Calories 93 Calories 62 Fat 1g Fat 1g Carbs 10g Carbs 7g Fiber 2g Fiber 1g Sugars 0g Sugars 0g Protein 12g Protein 8g Crustless Protein pumpkin Pie 15 oz. can 100% pumpkin (not pie filling) ½ cup Egg whites 1 ½ cup Premier Protein vanilla shake ¾ cup Splenda ½ tsp. Salt 2 Tbsp. Pumpkin pie spice Preheat oven 400°. Spray pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared pie pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, then turn down to 375° and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. It is best served cold and can even be frozen. Serving size is 1/6 slice of pie. I used a Tbsp. of fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt as a topping (pic) but you could use Reddi-Wip fat-free whipped cream for an additional 5 calories & only 1 carb per 2 Tbsp. serving. Nutrition Facts – Pie Only Servings: 6 Calories 77 Fat 1g Carbs 10g Fiber 4g Sugars 6g Protein 9g

@@Alicia Richards You will be just fine. I had surgery at 8 am and the next morning at 8 am they weighed me. When I saw that I'd gained 9 lbs. I was furious. I had just spent 2 weeks losing 15 lbs. on a liquid diet and now had to lose this same 9 lbs. all over again ... what?! I heard, "Oh it's just the fluids we've been filling you with post surgery. You'll lose it." Well of course I will as I have no choice, but I still had to lose it! I find it funny (not laughing funny) they neglect to tell you this when going through all those months pre-surgery. Anyways at almost 6 months post-op and 81 lbs. down, I can laugh at it now. The surgery will do its job so long as you follow your plan. Here's some very sound advice to take to heart: Follow Your Plan Too many people treat bariatric surgery as if it is simply a diet and turn their head to the intensity of the operation. A smart friend quipped that if we woke up with a giant bolt going through our leg we would get it, but since there are Band-Aids on our belly, we think it’s nothing. Your internal surgical wounds must heal – this is no time to go to the mall, out to dinner, visiting friends and on vacation. Sew what? In terms of food, you must stick to your surgeons program for post op food stages. You need time to allow the tiny pouch cut and sewn from the fabric of your giant floppy stomach to heal itself closed. We have all glued something only to have the seams pop open. The liquid and soft food stages are to avoid stressing pouch seams and give your stomach a break from the process of digestion. Is ice cream a puree? Sirloin steak is not a soft food. Ice cream is NOT a puree. You can’t eat popcorn, raw carrots or celery ten days after surgery. People ask if we think they could have a pork chop, we say ‘no’, they eat it anyhow, then tell us ‘they didn’t have a problem’. No alcohol for a year… non negotiable… but people push back saying their surgeon said five weeks was okay. Folks… we know better and we are trying to help you. General Tso? NOT your friend The post op dietary stages are not a suggestion, they are a requirement for you own safety. You cannot eat Chinese food the week after surgery because you ‘chew it well’. A ‘craving’ for Orange chicken landed one support group member in the hospital! It’s a very bad idea to push. Being ‘released’ to ‘regular food’ does not mean what you think it does, but you already know that. How long until you can have pizza again? “Pizza is not a food for someone having obesity surgery.” (that’s a quote from Dr. N on My 600 lb Life) Every single week in our support group, these actions land new post ops in the hospital. Sip sip sip sip sip… If you had a back injury, you would not tile your kitchen floor the same week. Yet, people think nothing of making a trip to a theme park when they should be at home resting and taking in fluids. People ask us ‘Do you think I would be able to go on a cruise two weeks after my sleeve?’ (Nooooo!) As high as 30% of post ops are dehydrated enough to land back in the hospital with a Fluid IV. Not drinking enough Water after surgery can cause heart damage. Dehydration is the most common bariatric complication, yet it’s largely avoidable. Stay home and heal… drink hot water, cold water, broth, Diet Snapple, herbal tea, eat sf ice pops and Jello. (We have a free bariatric water app called HY, click for GetHyApp.com) What’s eating you? If eating is a compulsion that you cannot control, ask your surgeon to suggest someone for you to talk to. A therapist can help you come to conclusions about your life – you talk, they listen and even after one chat you’ll often have a clearer truth of why you use eating as comfort. Knowing what drives you can help you deal with your eating issues to better work with your surgery. Vitamins are critical It is impossible for you to have your stomach surgically removed or reconfigured and take in the nutrients needed to run your body. While your surgeons group has mentioned Flintstones, that is so you will possibly take something instead of being one of the 67% of post ops who take nothing. They are not optimal and won’t prevent long term problems like broken bones from simple falls and losing teeth, but may keep you from dying in the short term. The idea behind supplements is to prevent issues from grabbing you in twenty years when it’s too late to change the path. Take them! Protein from food? What a novel idea! Yes, yes, yes, we’d all like to get our protein from food and that’s what you want to hear. However, if you are unable to take in 70 grams of protein per day, you can either weaken and lose your hair or you can figure out another way until you are able to learn and eat the right foods. Protein drinks make up the difference between what you can eat and what you need. They are not simply a tasty beverage for your enjoyment for you to be all picky and ridiculous over. They are the antidote for your disease of morbid obesity. Morbid means death and obesity surgery only slows and reverses the disease IF you follow your plan.

@StephOnTheMove So sorry to hear this. The human body becomes dehydrated when it loses more fluids than it consumes. Nausea can be a symptom of dehydration, as well as a cause of the condition. Human bodies need Water in order to function properly, so dehydration can be a serious problem if it is not addressed quickly. Not sure if you're getting enough fluids, but what about trying Protein2o water, (like H2o). You can go to their website drinkprotein2o and put in your zip code to find which stores carry it in your area. For 70 calories it packs 15g of Protein in just one 16 oz. bottle! Comes in 4 delicious flavors. I pray tomorrow will be a better day for you.

@@sarahbethemails You might want to try this - Protein2o Water, (like H2o). You can go to their website drinkprotein2o and put in your zip code to find which stores carry it in your area. For 70 calories it packs 15g of Protein in just one 16 oz. bottle! Comes in 4 delicious flavors. It helps me continue to get in my 100+ grams per day at almost 6 months post-op

Premier is my favorite as well. If you want Protein in your Water as another alternative, I love Protein2o (70 cals & 15g of protein in 16 oz. bottle). Go to drinkprotein2o and put in your zip code to find which stores carry them in your area. If that fails you can always order them from Amazon.

@@toasty Awe, I'm so sorry it didn't agree with you. Since you are only 1 month post-op, you're right, it may be the pumpkin or spices. My guess would be the spices. Not sure what brand you used but they do differ. I have McCormick (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice) and Trader Joe's (cinnamon, ginger, citrus, nutmeg, cloves and just a hint of cardamom). I used Trader Joe's. At least it tasted good going down, right?!

I'll be 54 this coming Saturday, always had big boobs. HW 285 lbs. SW 257 lbs. CW 176 lbs. Bra size was 46 DD and now 36 D. Don't look too bad in clothes but let's get real here ... that's after I lift everything up into the ole cup. This includes all the loose side fat - yuck! Yesterday was my annual mammogram. If that doesn't humble ya, nothing will. Felt bad for the nurse having to lift my "flat as a pancake" breast up and lay it on the machine. Good news? No breast cancer! Great news? I've suffered through much worse ... had a stroke the day before Thanksgiving 2013! As a result, I have a chronic debilitating nerve condition that while it won't kill me, I will die with it. Think of your worst sunburn ever and then a cheese grater vigorously scratching it. Add numbness when walking more than 20 minutes at a time and that's what my whole right side feels like 24/7! I choose to stay positive and this gift I've given myself of gastric bypass surgery will not be wasted. My sweet 80 year old mother asked me the other day, "Honey what will you do when you have loose skin?" My reply, "Just tuck it in my clothes and go on about my life because now at least I can have a life"!!! Don't worry as it changes nothing and only stresses your body out. Everything's going to be just fine