BLERDgirl

I walked and also used my light hand weights. The smaller ones are only 2 pounds each. So when I was sitting I would do reps with those. As my strength returned I made my walks longer. At 3 weeks I returned to the gym.

Plain greek yogurt. I'm partial to FAGE 0%. Beans smushed (you can thin them out with a bit of broth), 0% milk powder can also be added to broths. Liquid Protein (I used Prosource no carb which did mix with hot beverages like herbal tea.) I used all of these on my all liquid stage. Some people have reported success with protein waters and the flavored Isopure Protein drinks.

Nope, still love eating only now I like the challenge of packing good nutrition and taste into a smaller portion. I never had the luxury of not thinking about what I was eating. I've had food allergies and been a vegetarian for far too long for that. Not paying attention could be lethal for me.

I'm mostly satisfied with fruit, but my go to is still chocolate. I go back and forth between basic mini Reese's peanut butter cup or fancy dark chocolate with sea salt. I'm partial to brand like Vosges or Lindtz. The different is now one tiny piece completely satisfied me and they truly are occasional treats and not daily or even weekly treats.

@@Marielbx Thanks for the compliment. I have multiple food allergies and one of the things that helped me was learning to read food labels and the macro-nutrients in food. Sorry I misread your post. I was thinking this was one big batch of chili. That's a lot of food for week 3. Are you able to get in your Water around all that food? However I still think you should choose only one of those a day. Since you are eating 4 small meals a day perhaps look for them to be a little lighter. You're going to hit your Protein on the shakes alone. I wouldn't have more then 3- 4 oz of whatever soup you choose. Then maybe make that last meal really simple like a soft scrambled egg or yogurt if you like that sort of thing.

How far out are you? The chili sounds fine and Beans are a good source of Protein. However the nutritional breakdown of various beans makes a big difference. For example 1 cup of black beans has 116 gms carbs, 4 gms fat and 17 gm sodium & 39gm protein. Whereas 1 cup of chickpeas has 121gms carbs, 12gms fat, 48gm of sodium for that same 39 gms of protein. Neither is a bad thing, especially since it is a complex carb, especially when you are a vegetarian like me and need the protein. However, you also have ground turkey and ham in that chili so I'm pretty sure you aren't a vegetarian. In short, maybe limit your daily serving of that chili to once a day.

@@Martene81 - welcome. Every surgeon has a different protocol and every experience is a little different. Look around and check out others postings on their experiences. Use the search feature to find a wealth of info on any questions you may have. I've had a completely pleasant experience. No pre-op diet and no post-op complications. No gas, no pain, no vomiting or constipation.

Not all Greek yogurt or "greek style" yogurts are the same. Fage 0% has 100 calories in a 6 ounce container, 7gms carb, 0 fat, whopping 18gms of Protein and only 7gms of sugar. Even better the ingredients are plain and simple: skim milk and active yogurt cultures.

@@GADeltaDawn - I wasn't on any pain meds. My doctor advised 2-4 weeks. Even though I felt completely back to normal after a week, I still tired easily and need a nap mid day. There is also the adjusting to the sip, sipping of protein drinks and fluids. It can easily take an entire hour to drink one protein drink. So you need a bit of time adjust to your new eating habits.

@@JerseyJules You got this! I expect to see a post from you tomorrow telling us what your experience was like. Stay positive!

Have you already met with a bariatric doctor? You mention you are taking classes, are those part of your pre-op process? I would ask the bariatric team when to begin using protein shakes. At some point that will be your sole means of nutrition and most of us get a little burnt out on drinking all the time. No need to begin that any earlier than necessary.

@@Nicey2u You probably need to up your calories at the stage you are at. If you still have contact with your hospital nutritionist I would speak to them. I would also try cutting back on the Protein bars and increase the amount of real food you eat. Still keep it high protein just aim for the 1000 -1200 calorie range.

Your very welcome! I won't be at a Saturday meeting this month. I'm trying my first ever zumba class.

Completely agree with @@VSGAnn2014 . Heart attack post-op is not a typical WLS course. Are you on any meds as a result of the heart attack? Some medications can also slow down weight loss. Either way be patient. It will happen.

That would have been a deal breaker for me. I can't imagine anything more unhealthy than not eating a single vegetable for 6 mths. 6 weeks I might consider, 6 mths no way, no how. I can understand not eating any fiborous veg for 6 months out of concern digestive issues, but that''s as far as I would be willing to limit myself.

You plan for it. Perhaps eating before you go so you're too full to eat at the party? Or help organize and run the events so you're too busy to eat. Or bring a safe snack like a fruit tray and only nibble on that. However if you're really concerned, it may be time to seek counseling. WLS is only going to help so much. You have to be able to put in the work as well.

I think a nutritionist is good if it's a good one that is experienced in bariatric care. My nutritionist lead a very helpful class and has been a good sounding board. However prior to having WLS I saw 3 different nutritionist. Two were awful. One kept telling me to eat a little bit chicken. The only asked how long I had been a vegetarian and said she usually tries to talk people of out of it. The 3rd was lovely. She practiced a healthy blend of holistic and Western medicine and had no issues at all with plant based diets. Unfortunately she was also the most expensive and I had to stop seeing her.

Then step away from the scale. 6 days is pretty early and if you're bloated then you may still be retaining Water for whatever reason. In the meantime, take your measurements. I'm the odd duck who only gets weighed once a month. I'm just under 4 months and I'm already down 3 -4 inches neck, boobs, waist and hips. I know it's hard but focusing on the scale will just drive you nuts. Do not compare yourself to others, especially men who tend to lose easier than women. As long as yu are following the program the weight will come off. Some of use start fast then slow down, others are slow but steady losers.

My doctor just sort of chuckled and said he'd been doing this a very long time and if I need a transfusion after all the precautions he took, then something was very, very wrong. However he agreed to my wishes. He's also the chief of the department.

Just resurrecting this thread. today I won a jawboneup24 at the Lane Bryant Livi Fit active wear launch. It was easy enough to set up once I figured out how to charge it. I'm going to wear it for a while and see how the numbers compare to my vivosmart. The only downside is it's not water proof so I'll have to take it off to shower and when I take water aerobics.

I don't think I had a leak test. If I did I missed it. I was given ice chips in recovery and was drinking that evening.

If there was an emergency I wanted to know he would be okay with not administering a blood transfusion.

I don't get that frothiness with my shakes, but I don't add ice until after I make it. That's just to keep it cold and sneak in a bit more water.

I'm interested.