Djmohr

I am 3.5 months post op now. I regularly am able to get 80 to 85 grams of protein in. In between meals if I get hungry I have been told to drink a cup of fat free milk. It adds to the protein, fills you up and does not add extra fat to your diet. Believe it or not that milk will carry me to the next meal. I too struggled with the amount of meat I can eat. I am lucky to get 2 to 3 oz. in.

Not sure what the Optifast diet is. I was on a liquid diet for 10 days and it was tough but doable. For me it was literally taking it one day at a time and not thinking about how much further I had to go. You can do this! Good luck to you!

I was around 1/4 cup around that time and that is what I was told to focus on. I could not go beyond that without feeling very very full.I have been told not to pay attention to calories as long as you are following a high protein, low carb, low fat diet. It's what you put into your new pouch that is important.

I actually went to Benihana with my family when I was about 6 weeks out myself. I went for chicken because I know my pouch tolerates it very well. Of course they always give you those couple of shrimp as an appetizer as well so I tried a piece knowing by the time my chicken and vegetables came I would be full. My husband ordered the hibachi fried rice and I did taste a forkful of that as well. The issue with rice is that it fills your pouch fast and does not last long which could make you hungry again in short order. It is best to stick with the Protein and vegetables to ensure you get your protein in, but it won't hurt to try a very small bite of rice. I personally would not touch the tempura out in a restaurant until you have some idea of how your stomach reacts. It would be bad to ruin your night by getting sick. By the way, I had so much food leftover that I took it home and vacumn sealed it into small portions. Then when I wanted a nice lunch or dinner I pop them into boiling Water for a few minutes to warm it up. It stays moist and tasty! Good luck and have a great time out!

Last night I had 2 1/2. I love shrimp however it is harder for me to chew chew chew shrimp. It's almost too much work.

I think most of the time they are scared for you, at least let's hope so! it is very frustrating when people who don't know your medical history or have not done any research to understand why you have made this decision, spout off about what you should or shouldn't do. What they don't understand is that you have done your research and they also don't understand why their are different choices for different conditions. I think most of all in this case this person could have called you to have a conversation vs. sending you an email like this one. How rude! Just hang in there and stick to your guns. You will show them that you are in charge of you and can make this happen. I wish you all the best on your upcoming surgery and will be sending prayers your way!

@@Jkpizano5, congratulations! I wish you a speedy recovery. The best advice anyone can give you is to walk, sip and walk again! No matter how uncomfortable you might be, get up and walk walk walk. It will ensure the gas they use leaves your body faster and with it most of the pain will be gone. Sipping fluids helps keep you hydrated which is very important during this phase. Hydration is critical to a speedy recovery. Good luck today! Sending prayers and warm thoughts your way!

I actually had heard so many great things about the show Sons of Anarchy so I started watching it from the first season. It is a great show! A bit violent but great characters and lots of action. Right now that would be my favorite show. I also love the Walking Dead And I too cannot wait for Saul! I miss breaking bad and am hoping they do as good a job on Saul.

Hi Larry and welcome! I personally have found the best prices to be at two places. 1. costco - I buy my Protein shakes (Premier Protein), my multi Vitamins, Biotin, Protein Bars. Because I buy in bulk the prices are excellent. 2. I purchase other high protein products such as protein pancake mix, my favorite weight control oatmeal from Amazon.com I have noticed my grocery bill has been cut by more than half! It really helps with the above! Good luck with your surgery! I would recommend NOT stocking up on Protein Shakes or powder until you are post op. Your tastes change quite a bit and what you might like now may not be the case after. Also many Protein Powder companies have samples that you can buy and try before you buy the big containers if you choose to go the powder route. You might do that so you have them available. I spent a fortune at GNC only to find out I did not like nor did my tummy tolerate the $100.00 I had just spent on their protein powder. I opened both flavors thinking one might be better than the other so I could not return them. Try samples first post surgery, that would be my recommendation.

I would also suggest tracking your food using some kind of app. Myfitnesspal is a great one if you need a suggestion. It makes you accountable to what you are putting in your mouth. It sounds like you already know that you are eating some of the wrong things. That can slow you way down. Try going back to the beginning and starting fresh as if you had surgery this week. Begins with liquids and work your way back to normal food. This will help remind you of what you need to do to stay on track. Also, stick to the requirements, no drinking 30 minutes before and after a meal, do not eat for more than 30 minutes. Eat slow and chew your food a lot. All of these habits will help you get back to the basics. Don't get discouraged and give up, you have already taken the first step by! You might also consider going to a support group or making an appointment with the psychologist. They can help you break through some of this discourage,ent you are feeling. Good luck!

Or better yet, I am looking forward to buying my undies and bras at Vicortorias secret! That is one of my goals!

Oh I hope to simply look good in a bathing suit period. I think it will require a lot of plastics for me. I have a lot of extra skin and right now can only dream of a bathing suit longer term. The good news is I am actually dreaming about one, previously I was only focused on improved health. I already have that after only a short time so why not dream of seeing myself in a bathing suit or even a bikini!

Not sure but I am guessing there was a reason why he had to move to this procedure vs. the double loop?

I have been experiencing loss of hair and cracking nails. The hair loss is much more significant than the nail issue. I started taking Biotin about two weeks ago. The way I understand this works is that it does not stop the hair loss but helps with regrowth and healthy hair, skin and nails. The good news is I am Italian and was blessed with a very think head of hair. It does not come out in patches but falls out from everywhere so no bald spots. I had plenty to lose to begin with but hope it stops soon, just because it freaks me out a little. Good luck!

It his is a great question and can be frustrating at the same time. I am 3.5 months post op and doing great! I saw my bariatric nurse for a post op check in last week. She told me to focus on protein and water and not to pay attention to calories. This assumes that you are eating high protein, low carbs or shall I say the right carbs, and low fat. I personally use my fitness pal and I do track all of these to ensure I do not end up off track. I have learned that not eating enough and exercising too much will actually cause a weight loss stall. My opinion is you have to track and monitor or it can easily get away from you. You should absolutely work with your surgical team to understand their approach.

@@jillstl, I am sorry to hear that you are struggling with your support system. It could be that he is frightened for you. I do know that most people who think that you can simply exercise and eat less to lose the weight do not understand or recognize that obesity is a disease. It is a disease that slowly kills. As you have already experienced, you can lose the weight through less eating and excercise however you will be likely to gain it all back and then some making your situation even worse. WEight loss surgery is a tool that requires an extreme amount of work on your end to be successful. There is a reason most insurance companies have a required supervised period before approval. It is to ensure that a potential patient gets educated and begins changing their lifestyle long before surgery happens. It is that lifestyle change that will ensure success long term. The surgery simply helps you acheive it by making your stomach smaller so you can handle it. It is a lot of hard work, not the easy way out by any means. It might help if you can get your husband to a seminar or to your bariatrician so he can better understand this disease. And ultimately the surgery itself. I wish you the best of luck and please keep us posted.

Don't be so hard on yourself. It happens to everyone at some point on this journey. The great news is you recognized it right away and are getting yourself back on track! Most people who don't do well do not recognize when they slip, they just reintroduce their old behaviors little by little and before they know it they are in trouble again. Good luck on the next phase of your journey and hope you have a speedy recovery following surgery. Keep us posted on your progress!

@@Plynneb, welcome to the site! Wow, to have this surgery so young and not get the guidance needed to help you on your way. That has had to be challenging! Hopefully you are doing well now. This site is great for support and idea sharing. It has helped me through lots of unknowns since I had my surgery in September. Hopefully it will be able to assist you as well.

Another few more good ideas for dinner: - chicken stir fry - this is one of my favorite and I do not eat rice with it, just the chicken and any vegetable you like - Meatballs in marinara sauce & vegetables - you can make these with ground turkey, chicken or beef whichever agrees with you more - baked chicken hot wings with Lousiana hot sauce and light ranch dressing - grilled chicken souvlaki with zucchini and mushrooms - slow cooked beef with mushrooms - slow cooked pork chops and apples - Salisbury steaks with mushroom gravy These are some of my favorites and my family loves them as well. I usually will make a vegetable with my meals and stay away from starches however about once a week (Sunday's) I will make some type of starch. I only do this when the extended family comes over because I don't need the starchy carbs and neither does my husband.

Mine are very hard to find and they roll. The jabbed me 4 times before they were finally able to get a line in. Part of the reason it was so bad for me was because my surgery was at 2:00pm and was not allowed anything to drink since midnight the night before. I was terribly dehydrated which made finding a vein difficult. They tried with 3 different nurses and finally one of the or nurses was able to get one in.

Saying a prayer for you! Get well soon.

What type of surgery did you have?

Definitely a good move to go to the doctor at this point. Good luck and keep us posted.

I am a morning exerciser. I find if I don't do it right after a protein shake in the morning, I will be too tired by the end of the day. Also I use a Fitbit and I love the boost I get first thing in the day. It motivates me to keep driving my activity level up.

Welcome! I hope all went well with both of your surgeries! Keep us posted on your progress and certainly reach out if you want to talk!