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When I had my surgery my husband went on Jenni Craig. They sold a scale there and I love it mostly because it is very accurate and matches what my doctors scale says.

@@shmily, you look fantastic! Great job. I hope I am as successful as you have been. Congratulations!

This was a great video. I love water exercise, my joints don't hurt in the water. In terms of putting on swim gear, that is always embarrassing but I am getting pAst it the more weight I lose. I also figure none of these people know me so who cares, right!

My first consult was in December 2013 and I finally had surgery sept. 20th. Exactly nine months almost to the day.

Try taking some airborne, it might help keep the worst of it away. So sorry this happened but you definately don't want to have major surgery when you have a cold especially if it effects your respitory system like most colds do. Hang in there and let's hope it goes away fast!

@@Kiki1313, thank you so much for the kind words. i have learned so much from all of the folks on this site. I like to give back! If there is one thing needed for success after WLS it is a positive attitude and a lot of encouragement from your family and friends. I think to think the folks on here are like family and they all certainly understand what we are going through.

What causes these ulcers and is there anything that can be done to reduce your chances of getting them? My doctor removed me from all reflux meds after the first month and I seem to be doing fine. I would prefer not to take medications. I am more or less wondering if there are foods I should stay away from. Any thoughts?

@@Kiki1313, I wish you the best of luck and hope everything works out for you!

I was told to remain on this plan until I hit my goal weight and then we would up my calories so I would stop losing and begin to maintain. Of course I am not there yet so I dont have actual experience.

I personally thought the first four days were the hardest due to hunger and you are almost there. I did notice that by days 9 & 10, my brain was not functioning as sharp as it should. I was a bit foggy by then, plus you get really sick of the protein shakes ( they became cloying sweet for me) I think I drank more chicken broth than anything. Good luck and take it one day at a time. You can do this and it is so worth it in the end.

@@Justajenn, congratulations! I dream about hitting Onederland! I am 29lbs away and then I will get to join you. Keep on pushing, you are doing fantastic!

@@tebowfan, I am green with envy! I hope everything goes well and you are recovering soon. Warm thoughts and prayers are coming your way!

I am with you! I have 60 left to lose and I just reached the 5 month mark. I am down 82. I would love to be close to my goal by my surgiversary which I september 29th. I know I can do this, you can too!

Love/hate. I love how I feel afterwards and I always hate getting started. It makes me feel like I have accomplished so much.

I keep it simple too. My nut told me two bites of protein for every 1 bite of vegetables. If u follow that rule u really don't have a lot of room for carbs but you get good carbs and it enough to keep your brain functioning. Also if I have a snack I will eat protein type snacks such as cheese, nuts or a glass of milk.

I feel your pain, quite literally. I have degenerative spine disease as well. It has effected both my lower lumbar and my cervical spine. In 2001 I had my l5/s1 fused. The worst surgery of my life and after having done it I had nerve pain running down my leg that I had not had before. My doctor explained that the nerve had been crushed between the two vertebrae and when he released it it was swollen and red. I suffered for 2 more years with that leg pain and finally went to a pain specialist who installed a neurostimulator in my low back. The first time they switched the unit on in the operating room (yes I was awake but heavily sedated), my leg pain immediately disappeared. I used my Nuerostimulators every day for 2 years. One day I decided to switch it off and see how that leg pain was doing. Low and behold the nerve pain was gone! I still have my nuerostimulator and every once in a while I have low back pain I will turn it on and it takes it right away. Now of course I have a terrible degeneration going on in my cervical spine and after suffering with it for 10 years I am looking at multiple fusions. I really have no other choice as this issue is causing severe migraine headaches. I see the surgeon on April 14th. Ugh! I would recommend getting a second opinion and finding out what your options for pain control. I did not want to remain on narcotics because I believe they made another kind of pain. I have been off them for years now and feel much better because of it.

I had what I would call a very smooth recovery. Had my surgery on a Monday, came home on Thursday. I was off all pain meds by Friday. The big thing is that first week I was on a clear liquid diet an d I remember running out of steam very fast. No pain, just exhausted. At my one week post op check in I was allowed to begin Protein shakes and pureed food and although this stage was personally tough for me, I felt much better because I was getting protein and that was giving me more energy. At the 4 week mark I moved to soft foods and felt pretty normal although I would get tired in the afternoons. By 6 weeks I went to Vegas for 10 days and kept up with everyone. I felt absolutely fantastic! It has only got better from there as I introduced new foods. I hope you have a speedy recovery and find that things move along quickly! Good luck to you!

Everyone has fears like this initially. The biggest thing is to remain positive and work through the lifestyle changes required to remain successful. You have to work at it but your new tummy is a tool that will help you do it. Your tastes change so much that those food items that you cared about previously won't be what you care about in the future. The saying is true, you crave what you eat most of. If you eat healthy Proteins, veggies and fruits that is what you will crave. This is all about a head game, and you can absolutely win the battle. The battle is absolutely worth it! Good luck!

Are u drinking or eating dairy products? If so you might have become lactose intolerant. I had a similiar experience and after the doctor told me these were symptoms of lactose intolerance I switched to lactose free milk. I also had issues with the whey isolate Protein and had to change to Premier Protein pre made shakes. Once I figured these two issues out that feeling went away. I was about 4 weeks post op. By the way, I am 5 months post op now and can eat regular cheese and cottage cheese but if I drink more than a sip or two of regular milk, I have that bloated feeling. I just use lactose free milk. Good luck, I hope you figure out what is causing that.

If I cannot find one on line, the next time I see my nut I will ask for a copy.

I actually had a very long conversation with my nutritionist and bariatric nurse about premier protein ready made shakes. They are a perfectly acceptable solution and give you 30grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar. This was their recommendation after I could not tolerate the powdered whey protein isolate. I have been using these since week 2 post op. Recently there was some discussion on this site about RNY patients malabsorbing this particular type of protein. I went back to my nutritionist and shared this info with her. She actually showed me that protein is absorbed lower in the digestive tract. RNY patients do not malabsorb protein. She had a great chart that showed where different nutrients are absorbed, she keeps this chart with her when questions like this come up. I tried to find a similiar chart on line but will keep looking.

I honestly have not had sweet cravings which is weird because I was a sugarholic prior to surgery. The thing is I have stayed away completely from trigger foods like sweets and Pasta. I already know I won't dump so my fear is if I eat those things I will begin to crave them. As far as soda goes it is an absolute no no. It will in fact stretch your pouch. The carbonation is the biggest problem, they use c02 which is the same gas used to expand your abdominal cavity during surgery. I would 100 percent stay away. I think you already know you are doing the wrong things, the good news is you recognize it. Now, you just need to go back to the reason you had this surgery in the first place and remind yourself. You can do this! I would suggest making an appointment with the bariatric psychologist so you can talk through why you are reverting. It might help you work through these things. Good luck! I wish you all the best!

Congratulations! Everyday gets a little better and if you are feeling this good already, think about how you will feel in the coming months! Keep us posted on your progress.

Yes, my nut also highly recommended. I know the concern was that our body's malabsorb this particular Protein. This is not true, my nut even showed me a diagram that showed where in the body protein is absorbed. It was interesting conversation because it was interesting to see where in the body's system different nutrients are absorbed. Calcium is one of the nutrients that are malabsorbed higher by the jejunum. Protein absorption happens below the bypass (jejunum and part of the duodenum). I tried to find a diagram similar to hers on line to share but was not able to find one with enough detail. Anyway the moral of the story is because of where protein is absorbed, we do not malabsorb it. Calcium on the other hand you need to pay close attention to. She told me they practically overdose you on calcium because of this issue.

As long as you are confident that you can stick to it for that long. 2 weeks is a long time as it is. If u cannot stick to it and end up going off plan right before your surgery, that is not good. The important thing about the liquid diet is that is meant to shrink your liver so it can easily be moved out of the way during surgery. If you feel like you can stay completely on that liquid diet for 3 weeks then it could definately benefit you. Good luck!