BLERDgirl

"I had a friend/neighbor/sibling who had surgery and died/is always sick."

I'm not offended. That's not my point. It's nice that you are happily surprised. I was as well. That first weight loss just needs to be taken with a large grain of salt. My 2 wk f/u showed a weight loss of 26lbs. I was over the moon! However my 6 week appt I loss was 6lbs. Big difference. After that I settled in to losing between 10 - 12 lbs a month. Your body will find its own rhythm. A big weight loss out the gate means as much as a small one. Even no weight loss or even a gain at that 2 week appt. isn't a predictor of anything.

I didn't have a weight loss requirement. Instead I focused on eating high protein meals and eating, eating slower (each meal had to take at least 30 minutes), separating eating and drinking and chewing each bite until it dissolved in my mouth. This helped me post-op since I could eat without getting sick and I didn't forget to sip. I had given up soda years before. The biggest challenge for me was increasing my protein. I eventually got it up to 100gms a day or more. That took work so I'm glad I worked on it.

Why does it matter as long as you hit goal? BTW - This post pops up about once a month so you could use the search feature and get loads of responses. For what it's worth I was one of those who had a big 2 week f/u loss. I rarely post it because it means nothing. All it does it make people expect to have a giant 2 week initial weight loss and think something is wrong with them if they don't.

Sounds fine. If you need to supplement with 1 shake a day to hit protein goals, then go for it. Some people prefer a protein bar instead of a shake. I say whatever works. My doctor is fine as long as most of my nutrition comes from food. I would try to get more protein than 60 gms. If you add plain greek yogurt to a shake it ups the protein. Another option is diluting a protein drink with water. You increase your fluid intake and up your protein as well.

Keep a mental (or written list) of "safe" fast foods. Mine is the wake up egg & cheese wrap from Dunkin Donuts. I toss half the tortilla so it's mostly egg & cheese. Try doing a quick search. There have been a few threads on recommended fast foods.

There are no guarantees. If your surgeon okays it, then go for it. Mine does not allow gummies since they don't feel they provide complete nutrition.

Been there done that. As my allergies got worse I realized I needed food options. I keep emergency food in my glove compartment. They are enough to keep me from starving until I can eat properly Protein bars Single servings of nuts Single servings of protein powders that can be mixed with Water or milk of choice. Prepacked oatmeal that can be mixed with water. Single serving nut butters Other options: Jerky or dried meat Single serving tuna packs I also always keep water bottles with me at ALL times.

Ask your nutritionist. There's no right or wrong answer here, it depends on your program. My NUT never said anything about carbs ever. She only focuses on protein and calories.

This question is always a slippery slope. 1) There is no average weight loss post-op, some people even gain. 2) There are too many variables: starting weight, sex, health status, whether you had a pre-op diet or not, and age just to name a few. DON'T COMPARE 3) People lose at different rates. Some are slow and steady, some are fast out the gate and eventually slow down to 6 - 12 lbs a month. 4) Inevitably someone will read this and feel crappy about their own weight loss leading to a plethora of "I only loss..., what's wrong with me" post.

Are you on a PPI of any form? (Omeprazole of prilosec). Acid often masks as hunger.

You work up to it. You may have try a variety of drinks and shakes until you find those you like. Blending plain greek yogurt in to a shake will increase your protien. Just keep sipping and trying to do better each day. It took me a good 2 weeks until I could get in 60 gms of protein and 64 ounces of fluids. Now I regularly do 100gms of protein each day.

I didn't go to Mexico but I never had a single doubt going into surgery. A year out I still have no regrets.

Don't eat processed food. I found that even large amounts never kept me full the way a home cooked from scratch meal does. Lean proteins, whole grains & dark green veg stick with you longer

Yes I get hungry. However my capacity is still small & I always seek foods that give me the biggest bang for the buck.

You aren't irrelevant to me. I came here to just be able to talk with others about this process. I must admit to being surprised at the sheer volume of people who had problems. Anyway a year I I stay because I think I have a different WLS process to share. That said I am constantly amazed at the newbies who post only to have themselves coddled and get mad when they aren't.

If it was that easy none of us would have our stomachs surgically removed. I ate under 800 calories a day and was never hungry for the first 8 mths post op. Can you survive on 800 calories?

You can buy omeprazole OTC as the generic name or the name brand Prilosec. I would recommend touching base with the doctor. It might be less expensive to give a script for omeprazole or something similar.

That's a question for your nutritionist since most tend to individualize eating recommendations.

You have to get some Fiber in there. Although I would start with a call to the doctor to make sure there is nothing more serious than old fashion constipation. There are a host of remedies for the constipation. If you search the forums you'll find several threads about constipation. food wise: add a tsp of flax powder, wheat germ or psyllium powder to your foods. Puree some cooked spinach, mashed Beans. (I personally find that black beans give a good poo) many people like refried beans during the puree stage, prunes, prune juice, coffee, smooth move tea OTC: miralax, ducolax, milk of magnesia, benefiber My advice is fine a balance between Proteins and veg so that your body regulates and you go naturally.

Walking and raising your hands/arms as if you are lifting dumb bells. I know it's the last thing you want to do but the activity is what will help work that gas out.

Sounds perfectly normal. I realized around 8 or 9 months in I had to work a little harder to continue to lose. It may just be you are nearing the end of that honeymoon period where the weight practically falls off. If you are still losing, even if it's a bit slower than previously, stay the course. It may just be your body adjusting. It would be nice it weight loss was a linear process. It's not, there are slow downs, stops, stalls and occasionally even small gains. If you are really concerned, call your nutritionist. If they say everything is fine, just hang in there. It sounds like you're doing well!

Speak with your doctor. Mine does not allow gummies as they are not complete.

Talk to your doctor. If you body is not absorbing it likely show in your bloodwork. My guess is the body is using more of the Vitamin. With most vitamin's what your body does not use you tend to pee out.

That could have been a reaction to the seasoning and/or eating too fast.