Daisee68

Sort of unrelated but having 3 little ones especially one so young, have you talked to your OB about postpartum depression? It is a very real thing and nothing to be ashamed of. Aside frombthe WLS, I would highly recommend visiting with your Dr about that. Also know that your feelings and doubts are completely normal. Heck I had those same thought even a month after surgery and I don't have 3 little kids! Even with the small complication I had, I do not regret it. A couple if months ago it was a different story but at 4 1/2 months out , I am so glad I did this. It is a big undertaking so you need to get the depression delay with (assuming it is a treatable clinical depression). And please go see a therapist and work thru some of this stuff. Again Iowa's saying the same to my therapist the week before and even the month after and without her help, I am not sure I could have gotten this far in adjusting. THAT is the best money I have spent.

@@MIMISAN - LOL! Ditto!

I don't have a solution. I have done the same. I think it gives us something to do other than eat - especially if you have a trip planned. The only suggestion I have as far as stopping is maybe what my therapist tells me about food - make a list of things now of all the other items you need to do to get ready for your trip or get your house ready or just random chores you have been meaning to do, then when you have the urge to eat when you are not hungry (or shop), get out that list and work on one of those items until you can cross it off the list. Once you have crossed it off, you will feel accomplished and hopefully the urges will have passed. Hope that helps!

@@Dub - so glad everything went well. Get some rest! TIP.: Ask for earplugs if the noises get too much. That darn beeping machine made me crazy!!

I agree with @@Babbs! I am anxiously awaiting this for you! Cannot wait to walk through this with you!

@@Dub - don't be afraid to use a little Fairlife milk in your shakes if needed. I will use 2 oz of Fairlife and 4 to 6 oz of Water and it makes it a little richer with very little caloric / fat / sugar effect. (At least that is what I have done. ) ​ I found something called "Spelt" flour which is supposedly a good substitute with higher Protein and better taste than wheat flour. Not sure how it will work in this recipe - or even in the nutrition stats but will check back in and let everyone know. @@beachgal2935 - REALLY appreciate your recipe! And I hope it didn't appear as though I was tearing it apart. It was really a genuine question about whether I could have flour at this stage (4 months post-op). Appreciate the reply about substitutes! Can't wait to make it!

It takes a while to get up to that for most people. Once you can move on to real foods it gets easier. chicken, fish, cheese, yogurt, etc.

So exciting! This will be the first thing I have done! Can't wait to hear how it goes for you

I am going to make this today. Is the white all-purpose flour really Ok for us? Any substitutes?

@@flokismom - Just be sure to use the sugar free syrups. There is sugar alcohol in them which bothers some people, but a little goes a LONG way.

@@Elode - Yes that is the drink I was talking about! I actually first had it at this cool little coffee shop in the town near me and the Starbucks one was NOWHERE near as good as that one! FYI, not sure where you live but World Market (we have stores here but I think you can get them online too) have TONS of the sugar free Torani flavors.

@@Elode - I was in search of my favorite winter coffee that is salted caramel. Never found an exact replacement but when I saw this flavor, I had to have it. It is VERY good. The only one I have used the whole bottle and need to get more. Mixed with the vanilla Premier Protein it tastes a bit like really good melted vanilla ice cream. Yummy!

Premier Protein. chocolate and vanilla. I add Torani sugar free Salted Caramel Syrup to the Vanilla. yummy! For powders, I use Precision Engineered in Chocolate and Vanilla. In addition to shakes, I will add the chocolate Protein Powder to sugar free Jello Chocolate pudding snack and I will add 1/2 scoop of the vanilla powder to 1/2 container of greek yogurt. For unflavored (which I am able to add to a few foods), I use Doc Hale’s Unflavored Protein Powder. This last one came in handy immediately post-op because you can mix it in as little 3 ounces of liquid (I would use Propel Fitness berry water) and could get in 20g protein in only 3 or 4 ounces which really helps the first week when you can drink so little.

I use Livestrong MyPlate and I love it

Fair warning - days 3 to 5 are the toughest and then it gets easier. You just gotta get through it. You guys got this!!

Maybe try Zantac or Pepcid until you can get in touch with your doctor for a prescription? I took a LOT of Zantac those first few weeks.

Can you drink some broth? That really helped me get through. I had a 1 week full liquid (no food at all). Or maybe can you try an additional Protein shake?

Congrats!! That is a great victory! Everytime my drops under that new "0" mark, I feel so accomplished! I hit 239 this morning after almost a week of bouncing around 240 and 241. Can't wait to come back and tell you when I hit the 220's like you!

​That liquid diet is TOUGH! Tuesday is so very close. You can do this!!! Post notes all over your house or have a loved one do it - my sister came to my house while I was at work one day and I found notes everywhere saying - almost there, you can do this, you are a rockstar, etc. It was such an awesome thing for her to do for me and it gave me great encouragement in those last few days when I wasn't sure I would survive those liquids. Hang in there!!!

Yep, constantly. But to be fair, I think I have told similar stories. It was one of the reasons I didn't want to do the surgery for years. First, I want to say congrats on taking the step of deciding to pursue WLS and secondly, bravo for telling people! I am a BIG proponent of this. I know some people may not respond kindly, but boy those that do really make this easier. I have mostly received support and encouragement and from those that I haven't, I truly just ignore their response. The fact is, they just don't know better. This is YOUR decision and YOUR life. (And I suppose that is exactly what you could tell them if you wanted to.) NOW, how do you not become one of those stories that others tell in years to come? Be sure you have all the pieces in place and use every single too - Therapy, Nutritionist, Exercise, etc. I have been seeing my therapist since February and plan to continue to see her (as she has discussed with me) for at least 2 years post-op. The fact is, I think I can lose the weight fairly easily - I always have before. it is the keeping it off that worries me and it is only through learning new habits and developing a new lifestyle WHILE I am losing the weight that I hope to be able to maintain the loss. Now, I know I am only 4 months post-op, so perhaps this is all easier for me to say now but it is truly my goal and truly what I believe at this point. My therapist and my NUT are almost more important to me than the actual tool of the pouch. Without these 2 amazing people (and the incredible folks that have come before me and keep at posting on this board giving us sound advice), I would be at a complete loss. SO - not really sure that answers your question but now that I think about it - that is how I answer people when they tell me these stories. I tell them that I am not perfect but that I have put a plan together with my team and will work ever so hard to not be one of the people they tell bad stories about to others, but hopefully will be that one person they know that was successful that they can tell others about in the future.

I am really wanting to add grapes to my chicken salad (as I did pre-op). Is it just the skins that are a bad idea? If I peel them, suppose it would be ok to add them?

Ugh I was just going to say how tired I am of my food getting cold. Cold fish for dinner - Gross! I have to go get one of those coffee cup warmer things! @@Namaste6 - I thought of another thing that is not portion control but was very useful - one of those hand blenders. It was great during puree stage to blend up Soups and such. And the coffee mug warmer will be helpful when trying to keep broth warm during the liquids phase. I kept forgetting to buy one so I used an insulated mug (like for coffee) to keep my broth warm in between sips.

I had a new one today. I went to get a massage and facial (ahhh....) and after the massage she tells me to just put on one of their robes to move to the next room. Now normally, I would panic (or if I had been prepared taken my own robe) because no way I would fit in their random "one size fits all" robe - but it fit!! It was so cool to be able to put that on and not worry that it would be gapping open because it wouldn't close over my hips. It's the little things that keep me going....

I have had the pain under my right breast and believe it was gas as Gas-X took the pain away. Try some gas-X strips or chewables if you haven't. The emotions are totally normal at this stage. It WILL get better. You just have to get thru the first few weeks as best you can and stay hydrates

Yes it's a problem. It is why you feel weak and tired. If you are unable to be up enough to make drinks, try some pre-made ready to drink shakes such as Premier Protein.