ShellMilliner

@@CanyonBaby I've been off the boards for the past week and just saw this. You and your husband are in my prayers.

Welcome! Do you have your surgery date yet?

I found flavored waters to go down MUCH easier...tea, lemonade and fruit or cucumber infused Water. It always went down and sat better. For me the colder the better, although some people prefer warmer. For Protein you can't beat seafood. It is very high in protein and low in fat. Make your own Protein drinks using almond milk or the FairLife Skim milk (13 g/cup) and it counts as liquid. Add peanut or almond butter and either unsweetened cocoa with some honey, stevia or splenda (or sugar free chocolate syrup).

As mentioned above, I've never had an issue with asking the fish or meat department at the grocery store to portion out a smaller size.

Estrogen is stored in fat, so as your body breaks it down large estrogen stores are released into the body. This is why theris often PMS type episodes, depression, sore nipples, acne, as well as nearly all the fun side effects of being preggo without the baby. The good news is it doesn't last long and the best thing you can do is drink, drink, drink your water!

First, have you discussed your progress with your surgeon or NUT? They know your history and can give you the BEST advice. You may actually need to consume more calories to compensate for what you are converting to engery and muscle. Also make sure you are getting plenty of Water in to boot. You need much more than the 64 oz when you are working out especially vigorously.

First, everything is fine and it will come off! Next, are you hitting your Water and Protein goals yet? It is so important to get your protein and water in, without your body struggles more to shed the weight. It will still come off but slower.

I had the SADI but (knocking on wood) never had acid reflux (except while preggo). I was under the impression from my consultation that the SADI/SIPS is generally not recommended for a person with a history of reflux. Have you spoke with your surgeon as well about the issue? All SADI patients in Jawad's practice are instructed to take 2 Pepcid Complete daily for the first 6 months (one in the AM and PM). I don't know if this helps prevent reflux or acid build up.

When shopping most grocery stores are glad to break up packages and cut down meats and fish into what ever portion you want. So you can get a single breast of chicken, or cutlets or a couple tenders, same with ground meats ask for a .25 lb. I would alway buy larger quantities then portion them into freezer bags at home. You just have to remember to defrost the night before. You can do the same with veggies as well, buy, portion and freeze. I love to grill outdoors but I also have a Foreman grill for convience. You can grill your veggies and meat together. I'm not big on sauces but I love flavor. Marinate a small chicken cutlet in a baggie with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme and rosemary for about 30-60 minutes (longer if you can) then grill or bake. I also love roasted veggies. Granted it is two pans but so good. Get your veggies, carrots, cauliflower, asperagus (whatever you like). Toss them in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper (you can add other spices if you like). Put them on a foil lined baking sheet (makes clean up easier) in the oven on 375 for about 15-20 minutes then you will stir/flip. Begin to cook your chicken, pork or beef on the stove. Use olive oil in the pan and any spices you like. I really like to use orange juice or white wine for chicken, either teriyaki or soy and ginger with pork, and red wine or balsamic for beef. Brown the meat very well on the stove. When the veggies are ready to stir/flip add the meat to the baking tray and cook for another 10 minutes or until the meat reaches desired doneness.

I didn't gain huge, but I definitely had a gain. A great deal can be contributed to all the IV fluids you received. Once you start drinking more and walking longer distances it will come off quicker.

Dehydration and not getting in enough Protein. Are you meeting your protein goals too? If your not already taking B12 or getting B12 injections you may want to add a weekly B12 sublingual tablet to your routine.

Most fish varieties are VERY high in Protein, though that will help you more when you are in the soft food stage. Just google bariatric protein shakes almost everything you can order online direct from the websites or Amazon.

Wow! Really? I assumed the majority of people on here are adults. Honest mistakes were made, public apologies are offered and 5th grade behavior is the response. Not cool, unecessary and inappropriate. The forums are for support. If a person posts in the wrong area it is generally over looked or politely asked to be removed. If you feel you can't get support on these forums then by all means there are other websites out there. If however, you can act like a mature adult you will find the support on here invaluable.

Just an FYI...even though the buzz feeling goes away, the blood alcohol levels leave our bodies more slowly so you shouldn't drive because your blood alcohol level will still be elevated even though you maynot feel the classic effects of being buzzed.

@meems53 Yay! so glad you found something that works for you. I think that is half the battle. You're half way there, how exciting! You're doing great, keep it up.

Congratulations on your decision! Preface - I'm just 7 weeks out and couldn't be happier! What procedure did you chose and why did you chose it over the other options? I chose the the SADI (sometimes called the SIPS) a newer procedure that is a modification of the DS. I had a BMI overf 50 and EXTREMELY high triglycerides (fatty liver). After discussions with both my bariatric doc and endocrinolgist this procedure has shown to significantly and quickly reduce trigylcerides and cholesterol. And it did I just got my bloodwork results yesterday (drawn at 5.5 weeks post op), total cholesterol from 237 to 136 (normal range), Triglycerides from 871 to 193 (just a little out of range)...Meds gone! Because my trigylcerides were so high they couldn't measure my LDL cholesterol it is now 63 (normal range). Now I just need to bring my HDL numbers up through increasing my exercise. What was the general reaction from family and friends? My family is my rock. My husband is behind me 100% as is my sister and my neices. My in-laws are supportive, although they really don't have a clue what all was involved and what I have to do to be successful, but they know I'm motivated to be as healthy as possible for my children. What was the biggest surprise during the process? It really didn't hurt. I was expecting incsion pain, muscle pain, pain pain and I just never had any. Any pain was well controlled in the hospital and I never required pain meds once I came home (though I did take some the first two nights just to make sure I slept). How long was your recovery? I was in the hospital for 3 days. I took off 3 weeks in total from work, however, I could've easily returned to work on week two. I have mainly a desk job but I do get up and walk for 5-10 minutes once or twice/day. How fast did you lose the weight? I've lost just over 50 lbs from my two week pre-op till now 7 weeks out. I did hit a stall around 2.5/3 weeks that lasted a couple weeks but since then it is pretty steady. How has your life changed since having the procedure? Energy! I definitely have more energy! I can bend over and tie my shoes or my toddler's shoe for that matter. I smile more too! Would you do it again? Yes, absolutely! I'm so happy I made this choice. I can see my life improving daily and I have so many goals and plans all through my journey. I can't wait to hit each one! Any regrets? No, now that's not to say a couple times shortly after surgery I didn't go through the WTF did I do to myself stage. I cried some tears because of hormones, anestesia, etc...I cried when I stalled and questioned it, but that is where both my family at home and my family on here helped me realize it is temporary. As long as I hold up my end of the bargin (follow the program) my surgery will hold up its end and they were right. What should I be aware of? Know you will have some days where it is hard. It is hard to even look at that Protein shake or bottle of Water let alone lift it to your lips. But remember it is a phase that you will be out of soon and moving to the next phase. There will also be days when you get tired of seeing other people eat around you and on TV. That is okay too, again your phases are temporary and you will be able to try most things in moderation at some point. What, if any, foods do you miss that you can no longer have? Beer! My dear friends are in the processes of opening their own craft brew pub. I figure I will have to rely on a one sip sampler flight a year down the road. I had been craving pizza since right after my surgery, so last night we ordered pizza (I just didn't want to cook) and I ate the toppings. It really wasn't that good or satisfying by that craving is gone.

First, responsible is following the advice of your doctor and the medical community (plain and simple), if you want facts ask your doctor to print off peer reviewed journal articles for your reading pleasure, I'm sure they'd oblige. I was flat out told no alcohol for a minimum of 6 months, however, they prefer a year. The main reasons: 1) Dehydration - alcohol WILL cause dehydration (fact). If you are not drinking enough Water this will compound the issue more than three fold and likely land you in the ER for fluids. 2) Stomach acid - Because there are less gastric juices to buffer alcohol it can cause swelling in the stomach lining. This happens even after healing, so why in the world would you even want to take an already swollen and irritated tummy and add fuel to the fire? 2) Absorption - Alcohol is much more readily abosorbed into the blood stream in patients that have undergone bariatric surgeries causing a person to get "drunk/tipsy" on smaller quantities. Consuming too much too quickly can cause alcohol poisoning (and for many people this can equal 2 drinks, shots, etc...). Again another trip to the ER. 3) No nutritional value and can lead to binge eating (poor choices). Alcohol is well known to lower inhibitions causing over indulgence in foods, alcohol and other vices. Guidelines are put in place to protect both the patient and doctor. The risk of dehydration and stomach irritation is enough to keep me from partaking until I'm well healed. I want to give myself the best start I can possibly have on my road to wellness. You weren't asking a typical question. You were asking for research and specific medical proof/studies. Big diff. No, I was actually asking people to be responsible for the information they contribute by backing it up with facts and evidence instead of just pulling it out of their a$$ ! What the heck was I thinking !?!

@@meems53 How are you feeling? Are you getting your Water in?

That's such wonderful news. Here's to getting stronger as the days go on.

I noticed Dr. Jawed did your surgery. He did my band back in 2004. Where in Florida are you located? I'm in Orlando neat UCF.

Yes, as above fish is a good choice. High in protein and digests pretty easy. For sides stick to a well steamed vegetable.

What about almond or coconut milk?

You're welcome.

Awesome choice!

Spaghetti squash and meatballs with tomato sauce. Simple marinated grilled chicken breasts Cauliflower mash (yum)! eggs (salad, poached, scrambled, baked, with cheese, meat, veggies) Love making spinach and feta omlettes pizza caserole (google it) Ricotta bake (google it) add meatballs (beef or turkey) Meatloaf Chicken in the crockpot - add a can of creamed Soup to the top and a bag of frozen carrots, green Beans, broccoli or cauliflower (whatever you like) Fish - grilled, baked poached. Love Turbot, Mahi, Salmon Do a web search on bariatric friendly reciepes there are tons out there same with pintrest.