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You must get your Protein and fluids in. Without it you won't heal, your hair will fall out and you will get sick. For many of us powdered Proteins simply don't work or the sugar subs used taste too sweet. You have to keep trying until you find one you like. I found one 2 weeks post op that I love. It is Premier Protein ready made shakes, chocolate specifically. It is definitely not to sweet and doesn't have that nasty taste or grit. It packs 30 grams of protein in 1 11oz. shake with only 1 gram of sugar and 160 calories. You can get them in bulk at Sam's or costco and in smaller packs at Walmart and some Walgreens stores. If these don't work for you, you need to find a protein solution that will. If you don't, you will pay for it in the end and you certainly don't want complications after going through all this. I promise that feeling you are getting with food can come from being dehydrated and malnourished. It will get better if you get focused. Your doctor can give you something for nausea as well.

There may be times when you don't go for a while. I use stool softeners every day otherwise I am always constipated. Even 14 months post op.

@@Staples87 Congratulations on taking the steps to get healthy. You are very young and have you're whole life ahead of you. I too was a teen Mom, married with two kids by the time I was 19. All the responsibility without the time to enjoy childhood ourselves. I wish the very best for you and your family and I am glad you have chosen to do something now while you are so young and have not caused a lot of damage to your body yet. Staying heavy for too long really is very damaging. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. Which surgery are you moving forward with?

If I had to do this all over again I would definitely use Premier Protein ready made shakes. They are delicious and packed with protein. Even 14 months later I drink one a day.

I agree that you probably need to talk with a therapist that is focused on Bariatrics. They will help you work through the head issues. I think it would also be beneficial for you to really do some serious research on obesity. It is a metabolic disease and many people don't understand what happens with our bodies when we have this disease. Yes, you could probably lose the weight on your own. The biggest question is can you keep it off long term? For most of us the answer is no and over time we put that weight we lost back on and then add some more on top of it. Then we start the whole process over again only to get heavier and heavier. Our bodies are at war with us. As you get older, even trying to lose anything becomes more and more difficult. That is our metabolism slowing even further. I have said this at least 1000 times since i had bypass. If I had anything I regretted it was not having this surgery 10 years earlier. I waited too long and damaged my joints and my spine permanently. Also, if you work through these issues with your therapist they will help you work with the head issues which will in turn prepare you for the lifetime commitment of eating better. In the end your relationship with food changes. You no longer live to eat, you eat to live. Food is not as important as it was. It is important though that you understand what you are in for and that you are ready. I might suggest bringing your husband along for the ride so he understands what obesity is and what it means. Your choice will impact him as well. My husband has been extremely supportive and understands that my cooking was going to change for both of us.

@@bugsy72 Glad everything went well for you. I had a nuclear stress test in June and you are right that feeling when your heart starts racing is very weird but everything went good as well. I also am a hard stick when it comes to IVs. Especially when they use lidocaine to make it less painful. During both my bypass and my spine surgery in June they stuck me 8 times before they finally got a line in. I had surgery on Monday and warned them that lidocaine will make it worse for both of us. They had a anesthesiologist do it without the lidocaine and bam they got it on the first try. From now on I am going to tell them not to use lidocaine. The other good news is as you lose weight you end up with more veins for them to choose from which is great. Before my bypass they really stuck me in the same place every single time and that created years of scar tissue.

I suspect this is more about head hunger and not real hunger given you had the sleeve. It is likely not possible for you to actually feel real hunger at this point. If you think you are actually hungry try drinking Water. Many times dehydration gives the same symptoms as hunger Given this is likely head hunger, means you reall need some help getting your head around this. Have you considered a therapist?

Tylenol only. NO NSAIDS of any kind. They can cause serious complications.

@@Jasmine Smith Wow! You are doing marvelous! Congratulations! I bet you are feeling much better too?!

Congratulations!

I have not had this but would definitely be concerned about a blood clot. If you are not comfortable with your doctor go to another one until you get answers. That is not normal at all. I have not had this but would definitely be concerned about a blood clot. If you are not comfortable with your doctor go to another one until you get answers. That is not normal at all.

Your brain really is the last to catch up. The thing that works for me is trying on old clothes. It cracks me up and I love the fact that I can literally fit in one side of my pants. Just keep taking pics and looking at them side by side, your brain will catch up after a while.

I went back because I moved states but I had mine done at 7 months post op. I actually need to do it again but I am going to wait until I am at goal. I haven't even changed my Facebook pics yet, I want to wait til goal.

The only thing I can say is it will get better as time goes by and your tummy heals. The reality is, you must get your Protein so if you are not getting it via food which based on your list it's not possible, then you must get it through supplements. Try different brands of shakes. I could not tolerate the powdered protein, it gagged me. My Bariatrician suggested going to a good quality ready made shake. She suggested premier Protein Shakes. They are ready made and ice cold they are actually delicious. Each has 30 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar so you need to drink them less frequently to get your protein in. I still drink one every morning for Breakfast because I still cannot eat enough meat to support my 70 gram minimum. Also, don't give up on foods, keep trying them. What didn't work today may be great tomorrow.

If I want cake, I will eat cake. The reality is, it isn't even good anymore so after I deal with my head I realize that little bit of cake is not something I need. If I don't give in to that craving once in a while then it's all I can think about. I love that things just don't taste like they once did. Ice cream used to be my thing. Every time I try it, I think why was this my thing? There is nothing special about it for me and honestly it makes my tummy hurt now. Probably my biggest issue is cheesecake. I still love it and have a tiny piece every once in a while. It satisfies me and I can control that craving easily because it's heavy and sits heavy. A bite or two and I am done and have dealt with that craving. So the short answer is yes you can have cake again, you may not want to or your pouch may not want you to but sure give it a try.

I would simply say your ally are right on track. The first 8 weeks your focus needs to be on healing and less about weight loss. The weight will come off when it is ready, I promise. Keep doing what you are doing 64 oz. of liquids, 1 gram of Protein for every inch you are tall and limit carbs/sugar. You are actually doing great!

Congratulations! You look fantastic!

I have to say since having surgery 14 months ago, I have definitely learned to cook a lot less than I once did. I have also tried so many new recipes because I absolutely love to cook and having this surgery has turned me on to foods I just simply never bothered with before. I can only tolerate leftovers once before I get sick of it and toss it out. I freeze what I can but even cooking a lot less quantity results in wasted food. There are times however when I make something and for whatever reason I just don't tolerate it this time and I end up tossing it. It is like I go through phases when my pouch behaves and sometimes it don't.

Hey, a fake ass might be just the way to go! LOL. Maybe we should just invent jeans with a padded ass just for us.

I always look forward to your posts because they crack me up. This whole belt suspenders thing is a pain in the ass. Not sure about you but I swear a large part of my weight loss came from my ass. I no longer have one! I mean literally, I no longer have one so therefore every pair of pants I put on have issues. If the waist fits, the ass is baggy. This is my new look!

Ok, I am definitely going to try your suggestion for roasted candied nuts. I love nuts. For a while there I was eating them fairly frequently in small portions. Lately I have kept my snacking to a minimum but those sound really good. I have always loved roasted cinnamon almonds. You know, the ones you smell at the fair! I may make some homemade ones.

Speaking of salad, I am having a really nice one for lunch! I do use full fat salad dressing in my salad. That little bit of fat is important and keeps you fuller longer. I also eat full fat cheese which I eat daily. I do however watch the sugar content in my dressings. I either make it homemade or I select the ones in the refrigerator section of my produce department. There are a few that I will use in a pinch. When I make dressing homemade I use a good olive oil for my fat.

You should not try to solve this by yourself. I would definitely recommend seeing a therapist that can help you work through this issue. Having you tell your family members they need to eat it until gone might in fact cause a health problem with them. I will say that purchasing a vacuum sealer is a very good investment for us. You can vacuums seal portions that are small enough, throw it in the freezer and pop it into some boiling Water. The Protein stays moist and you always have something to eat on hand. That doesn't take care of that need to not waste though. You could end up a member of the clean plate club as you continue to heal and that could sabatoge your efforts. Realistically there will be some waste and it honestly is ok.

@@jane13 Nope you are right, I wrote it wrong. 2 bites of Protein for every one bite of good carbs like veggies or fruit. Thanks for catching it!

Hi and welcome! You are definitely taking the right steps to get educated on surgical options for this disease. I think the biggest learning for me was understanding that obesity is a metabolic disease. For those of us that have it, it is difficult to get it into remission without some type of intervention. As you know from your Atkins experience, your body simply fights you every step of the way until you make permanent changes. This is why you lose weight only to gain it all back and then some. I did Atkins as well among other things, the reality is without the tool that helps you restrict food, that weight always comes back on over a period of time. Weight loss surgery is far from the easy way out. You literally have to change your relationship with food and drink. The surgery simply helps make that process a little easier but the behaviors are still yours to maintain. We fight for every single pound lost and maintained. We have to make better food choices every single day. We have to get moving and stay moving to maintain our new slimmer bodies. I would spend some time understanding what obesity is and why/how people get it. Once you understand that, the decision becomes a whole lot easier. You will learn to eat 3 meals a day and why that really is so important. Skipping meals sounds like a great idea but the reality is it actually causes metabolic issues. You will learn to eat good quality Protein and good carbs like fruits and vegetables. Your body begins to crave that instead of the garbage we used to eat. Your new stomach helps you but you still have to make the right choices. Not easy at all. Good luck to you!