jane13

"Can" is asking for permission.
"Should" is for what is inevitable or likely to happen in the future.
Can I eat tacos, drink alcohol, eat a 20oz steak when I am barely a week or two post?
Sure...you SHOULD have never had the WLS eitherif you were NOT going follow your medical team plans concerning your post-op diet.

There is a reason for the pre-op, so please stay on track for your health and safety. If you are still a few days pre-op then get back up on the wagon and stay on program. I can tell you that post-op is more intense because you are healing so cheating then can have painful/serious complications.
just sayin'
16 plus months post-op...down over 100lbs,
jane

"Can" is asking for permission.
"Should" is for what is inevitable or likely to happen in the future.
Can I eat tacos, drink alcohol, eat a 20oz steak when I am barely a week or two post?
Sure...you SHOULD have never had the WLS eitherif you were NOT going follow your medical team plans concerning your post-op diet.

it takes a bit for your body to recover from surgery, you also are not as heavy as most of us, so don't compare or you will go nuts. hydrate, eat your Protein, keep moving...patience.

I am with Dub and Lipstick Lady.

I concur....troll?

There is a reason for the pre-op, so please stay on track for your health and safety. If you are still a few days pre-op then get back up on the wagon and stay on program. I can tell you that post-op is more intense because you are healing so cheating then can have painful/serious complications.
just sayin'
16 plus months post-op...down over 100lbs,
jane

"Can" is asking for permission.
"Should" is for what is inevitable or likely to happen in the future.
Can I eat tacos, drink alcohol, eat a 20oz steak when I am barely a week or two post?
Sure...you SHOULD have never had the WLS eitherif you were NOT going follow your medical team plans concerning your post-op diet.

No wonder you are confused. Those instructions are very confusing. I am not even at 1500 calories in maintenance at almost 16 months post-op. And I would think it will be near impossible to get 1500 calories in just 3 meals without snacking. My meals are rarely (if ever) 500 calories per meal. There just isn't enough room. And if you are eating lean Protein and veggies, they aren't calorie dense enough. That said, we are very glad you asked about what you can have as it is tough with such little instructions. I had a huge booklet though and I was still confused (too much info really). There are some docs who say no Protein drinks, but I will tell you that at this far out, I am still having one per day. I just cannot imagine how I would get sufficient calories and Protein without it given my stomach capacity is so small.
I didn't read all the posts, so forgive me if the following is repetitive, but here are some suggestions:
Try Premier Protein ready to drink shakes. They are great! They are thin, only 11 ounces and have 30g of protein. Some folks don't like them, but many do recommend them and that is what I still drink.
For a powder (if you go that route) be sure to get whey Protein ISOLATE (it supposedly absorbs differently). I use Precision Engineered whey Protein Isolate and I just love it. It also has 30g of protein and other good macro-nutrients (plus is 99% lactose free if that is an issue for you). What I liked about the powder (especially the first 6 to 12 weeks) was that I would add it to stuff. For example (once you can tolerate thicker "liquids" or soft food), I would add in 1/2 scoop of vanilla powder to 1/2 a container of greek yogurt (my favorites are Dannon Light & Fit Greek Key Lime or Dannon Light & Fit strawberry Cheesecake). I would also add 1/2 scoop of chocolate Protein Powder to a sugar free / fat free dark chocolate pudding snack container. Those things really helped amp up the protein and helped keep me full.
Now one last thing, I would be happy to direct you to my nutritionist team if you like. They do all consultations over the phone so it is super easy. Throughout my weight loss phase, I would send her my food logs and talk to her about once a month. Since I reached goal, I have slowed down talking to her a bit (and to be honest with you, I have been backsliding a little and not tracking and wonder if a call to her wouldn't help with accountability and getting back on track). They specialize in bariatric patients and its not that expensive. If interested, send me a private message and I will send you the details.
Hang in there! You can do this!!

I'm sorry you're having a hard time. When I left the hospital I was on "full liquids".....for me that included Protein shakes, greek yogurt, strained creamed Soups, milk (I like FairLife milk).....
And as far as the Protein Shakes shoot for one that has less than 200 calories per serving and I also make sure the carbs were low. Lots of folks use the Premier Protein.....you can get it at Walmart. Remember that you still need to be very careful with what kinds of food you choose to eat.....first and foremost make sure not to eat solid foods before you've healed.....and second you don't want to eat junk food that is high in calories otherwise the surgery won't do you any good at all.
I agree with what others have said about you plan document being very broad.....you need something with lots more detail. You should be able to find something pretty easy by just doing a Google search for WLS post op diet plan.
I wish you good luck!

Then why don't you ask him if you can have a milkshake 2 days post op? Your instructions are the most ridiculously vague I have ever seen. No wonder you're confused.

I am sure your doctor is excellent. So where are your complete dietary guidelines? He/she had to give you more than that if so. And how much pre-op discussion did you have with him/her? Did he/she require classes?
I left my doc with MANUALS of information detailing everything I could put in my face for my first 6 months including protein/calorie/carb goals. Suggested shakes', recipees, websites...
I feel bad for you, seriously. After reading your history here, it seems as if your doctor provided you with absolutely nothing as far as education..

@@mrstkgreene Those post-op instructions are so bad, they're almost criminal. Good lord, how are you supposed to have any idea what to eat/drink and how to nourish yourself?? I'm on my way out the door, but I'll snap a pic of mine and post it here later on.
I'm so sorry your surgical team gave you such **** instructions. And pardon my language, but poor healthcare just infuriates me.
And PS...you're going to get some great advice here...and some of it will be imparted rather harshly. Don't throw the help you need out because of hurt feelings, please? You NEED help with this, if that's all you got to come home with.

Okay, call me crazy, but what does your plan say?
Are you still on Clear Liquids? If so, then NO you shouldn't even have a Protein Shake yet. And a milkshake? I'm 2 years out and STILL haven't had a milkshake!
For God's sake it's been 2 days. Stick to your plan until you are given permission from your surgeon to advance stages. They aren't doing it to torture you. The post surgical instructions are there for your own safety as you heal.
I know its hard, but suck it up, buttercup.

All pretty typical...warn your family/friends.
It gets better

There is a reason for the pre-op, so please stay on track for your health and safety. If you are still a few days pre-op then get back up on the wagon and stay on program. I can tell you that post-op is more intense because you are healing so cheating then can have painful/serious complications.
just sayin'
16 plus months post-op...down over 100lbs,
jane

There is a reason for the pre-op, so please stay on track for your health and safety. If you are still a few days pre-op then get back up on the wagon and stay on program. I can tell you that post-op is more intense because you are healing so cheating then can have painful/serious complications.
just sayin'
16 plus months post-op...down over 100lbs,
jane

"Can" is asking for permission.
"Should" is for what is inevitable or likely to happen in the future.
Can I eat tacos, drink alcohol, eat a 20oz steak when I am barely a week or two post?
Sure...you SHOULD have never had the WLS eitherif you were NOT going follow your medical team plans concerning your post-op diet.

I can jump out of an airplane without a parachute, but I will end up dead. So I shouldn't do it.
I don't think the people searching for cheerleaders to say it's ok to have tacos, porkchops, milkshakes or whatever the poison of choice might be, care about the nuances in grammar.
If I am about to f**k up, call me out on it, don't let me selfdestruct. Thanks.
Nilla

I am also a lurker, taking it all in trying to learn as much as possible.
It took me years to gather the courage to have wls. The day the program called to schedule my orientation I panicked; but I came here and saw the 6 month surgiversary post by Dub and it reminded me why I needed to do this. I am very grateful to all of you veterans that share your wisdom and are here to not only motivate people but help keep them on a solid path so they don't fall into their addictive behaviors again. Honestly, for me a taco at 3 weeks would be a gateway food for me. I would find a way to continue to get in more and more foods that would sabotage my success.
I am 13 days post op and down 68 lbs since my orientation 4 1/2 months ago. After coming here and reading many of the posts, I am very grateful that I have such a strict and structured program. If people think any of the posts I have seen from you guys are mean...they should try and get through my program. They don't mess around and they would definitely call you out for trying to eat certain foods. But it is to ensure our success, health and safety. I have followed it 100% since surgery because I did something extreme by having this surgery and I want to be successful (and I am afraid of hurting myself by eating the wrong foods).
There are too many people that sabotage unintentionally. We wouldn't be here if there weren't enablers. Sometimes someone handing us the hard truth is what we need. Sometimes the person who has our best interest at heart is the one telling us that a taco isn't the best choice at this stage.
I hope all of you veterans continue to post because there are so many of us that you are helping.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

There is a difference between tough love and just being a heinous bitch because you want to be. (But then I remember that online forums are all some people have in life...)
@@LipstickLady -- my comment isn't aimed at you at all. You seem like a super cool chick and I have learned a lot from you in the past couple of months.

@@AvaFern
Clearly , there are a LOT of people here who don't have a basic level of education about their WLS or there would not be questions about 20oz steaks' or full pork chops within a week of surgery. There would not be the poor girl who asked if "anything through a straw" two days post op meant a milkshake' (her doc's guidelines were horrible).
I think some people CHOOSE to read "judgmental tone" from certain forum members when none exists. The same opinion can be posted by 3-5 different people and only certain people are called mean or rude or accused of having attitude.
It's the nature of the Internet.
You've done great with your surgery in a pretty unconventional manner. I did great with mine following the guidelines pretty strictly. There is no one right way for everyone.
Now that I'm maintaining, I've eased up on the strictness but at three years out, I know I can. Some people may never be able to do that, some, like you, can do it from the beginning.
No matter which path we choose, hopefully we are all headed to the same place.

Great attitude.
I am very grateful for the advice given by Lipsticklady and the many other vets who were frank and honest. It helped me form my own gameplan and see things through.
I remember the pre-op days very well. It was a time filled with anxiety and aggravation. I was ready for change and tired of being encumbered with the extra pounds. I'm normally a hardheaded type who has to learn things on his own. I approached the sleeve surgery a bit differently though. I was nursing a back injury and needed to get the weight off as quick as possible. I didn't want to "learn on my own" anymore.......I wanted the collective wisdoms of those that had succeeded. I needed to hear it all....the good and the bad. It helped me a great deal.
This process can be harsh when the progress slows....and worse when we have periods of backsliding. A swift kick in the rear is exactly what I needed to jump start me.
It is encouraging to know that as long as we keep our heads in the game....our sleeves will be there for us....ready to help us burn it off.

I'm still pretty new at all of this and still going through the process of doing what I need to do to make this happen. I come here to learn what other people are doing (or not doing) to be successful at this. The stories of weight-loss are great because it gives us pre-sleevers hope...and gives us the reality of stalls and what to do to get through it.
Personally I have been researching this for a couple of years and reading everything I can about WLS and am.not taking it lightly. It's NOT a magical cure...it's a tool. This is MAJOR SURGERY and sugar coating things got us all to the weight we are/were to need this surgery in the first place.
**For any of you who read my future posts- I want and welcome all advise and recommendations....and if I am doing something I shouldn't call me out on it**
Sent from my SM-G930V using the BariatricPal App

@@dvons
Never said she was.
I told her to follow her surgeon's plans. That's not judgemental at all.