BLERDgirl

I started eating clean as an act of self preservation. My allergies were out of control and I spent more time fighting and recuperating from allergy attacks than out and enjoying life. I also became a fat vegetarian. It's taken me a long time but I follow really basic rules: Bring a magnifying glass with you to the market Anything that says,'light, fat free, diet' or similar is either lying or fake and heavily processed. Try to buy foods that have 10 ingredients or less and/or do not require a science degree to understand the ingredients. Avoid most foods that come in a box or a can. Frozen foods with no additives are your friend.

Week one was all protein drinks and water.

I was. I noticed there was a 2lb difference between my last follow up and my DOS weight.

My nutritionist suggested freezing it in an ice tray. You'll probably one be able to eat 1 -2 cubes at a time, and this way the soup doesn't go to waste.

I was only allowed to schedule my first pre-op with the Bariatric center after I attended the mandatory informational seminar. At my first appointment I met my team: The surgeon, the nurse, the nutritionist, and the nurse practitioner. I saw each of these at each follow up. The nurse would bring me back. She did a routine weight, temp, BP check. I then met with the nutritionist. I was given my handbook and explained that I would need to bring this every week. It had all the pre-op testing I needed listed. It also had sample diets, recommendations on Protein drinks/shake/liquids, recommendations on Protein Bars, and recommendations on Vitamins. It also had blank pages for food journaling and it was explained that this would be reviewed at each appointment. Another section had contact information listed for all team members, as well as the days and time of support group meetings. In the post-op section it had the food stages broken down by weeks, recommended foods at each stage and sample daily menus. After the nutritionist it was the Nurse Practitioner. She did my H & P (History and physical.) She took down my medical history. Did a basic physical (checked ear, throat, breathing, etc....) She gave me a questionnaire to take home and fill out that was approximately 30 pages. This would be forwarded to the psychologist for my psych eval.I was informed that most insurances either cover the psych or the nutritionist but not both and what the fees would be for each. My psych eval was covered the nutrition class was not. It was $200 out of pocket. She writes out prescriptions for all the testing I need. I was also sent for blood work. After that I met the surgeon. He reviewed the procedure. Once again explained what it entails and then double checked the info that the others had gathered. He asked if I had any questions or concerns. It was a long a long day but everything was thoroughly covered. The best thing was that I had that handbook to refer back to if I didn't remember anything and if I was still unsure, I could call the surgeon's assistant.

I would look at what foods you currently eat that you gallbladder best handles and choose the ones that are healthy and high in protein. Those are the foods you will be eating post op.

You are being too hard on yourself. There is no avg loss. As long as the scale is moving in the right direction you are doing well. Do not juice. Juicing only gives you the sugars from the veg and fruit since the Fiber is in the pulp that gets discarded. An easy veg to start with is chopped spinach. Easy on the tummy, a good source of Iron and Protein. Good to eat whether frozen or fresh. Try adding just a quarter cup with lunch or dinner. If you eat eggs, you can mix it into your eggs as well. Then branch out one veg at a time. Step away from the scale for a bit. Do not let it rule your life and make you crazy. Look for other Non-Scale Victories(NSV) take your measurements, look at how much farther you can walk, run, etc....

Are there any informational seminars in your area? I want to say yes, but like @@Sharon1964 i am not a doctor, yada, yada.

Everything is normal. My motto is that just like you have to kiss a lot of frogs until you find your Prince, you have to try a lot of shakes until you find one that suits you. Buy single serving packs or samples whereever you can. Try RTD , powders , shots and liquid Proteins. Also try yogurts (I prefer Fage 0%,) or Kefir. Once you can get in your proteins and fluids your energy level will perk right up. In the mean time make sure you are taking your Vitamins and supplements. As for the weight gain, do not worry. I bet you haven't had a BM yet either. Either way, it's early days and your body is adjusting to major surgery and an entirely new eating program. Once it realizes that you are not starving or dying it will release the calories.

Sounds like you are doing fine. Trial and error is often the way we find out whether we like something or not. You can also try refried beans (they may need to be thinned out) or hummus which you can eat cold or at room temp. Also instead of boullion which may be too concentrated try low sodium broth.

I did WW's back in my 20's and was really successful with it. Back then it was real food and the weekly meeting were really helpful if you had a good facilitator. I tried it again many year later when they had developed this points system and it was all fake,process food full of carbs/sodium and fake sugar. I am no longer a fan. I second the recommendation to try and locate a Bariatric support group in your area. Use the search feature here o r ask if you hospital provides one.

Nope, I had worked long and hard to develop clean eating skills. I had no desire to binge. I just wanted to be healthy and not have my life ruled by food.

Fage 0% greek Yogurt. I add my own fruit or mix ins. I also like to add it to my protein shakes to increase the protein count.

Try doing a search on protein powders. There are several very active threads with loads of suggestions.

Stay off the scale, take your measurements instead. Also make sure you're getting in protein and fluids. Stalls come and go, you just have to power through them.

Nope our weight comes off in weird places. I first realized I was losing because my boobs got smaller. Not my butt, hips, or ankles where I would have liked. To get that waistline and round booty we have to exercise. Otherwise the body just picks oddball places to release fat.

Sound like you are a good friend. I'm happy to hear you got your approvals straightened out.

Found this by searching "Cooking for one" on Pinterest.

I got my locs freshly twisted and rod set.

@@Kellsbells - You definitely look younger now!

Heh! I think it's a throw back from my days in Early Intervention. It's how we would describe certain behaviors.

I was full liquids from day 1. In the hospital they gave me Prosource no carb liquid Protein. veg broth, Jello and decaf tea. My program does 2 weeks at each stage. All liquids>purees>soft foods> regular food as tolerated. By week 7+ they are okay with one Protein shake a day but the expectation is to get most of your protein from real food.

What a terrific NSV for you!

Yes because there is a question on how much vitamin absorption we are getting from food most doctors recommend higher doses. The bottle say once a day, but most docs say twice a day.

@@JerseyJules - Aw Jersey I was rooting for you. Well If you're not ready, you're just not ready. I know this goes against what many people think, but I really think this board is too intimidating for a lot of pre-ops. I found this after my surgery and never knew about all the pain, gas and so forth so many experienced. I had 4 friends who had WLS and none of them shared any bad stories. The information I got at the support groups was always positive. If you ever reconsider come across the bridge to UPenn. They'll treat you right. I just had my IVC filter removed today. I ended up waiting longer than I planned, but once again I came through relatively easy. If you want to try a trainer and old fashion diet & exercise follow this guy on IG and Facebook. He's an inspiration to all. Most importantly don't lose faith in yourself. One way or another you can beat this!