alindsey

I completely agree. Trust me, I don't intend to encourage fast food eating. But life happens and I've quickly learned that it's dangerous to let yourself get hungry without knowing what your options are. I eat at home almost exclusively because i'm only 5 weeks out and I don't want to end up sick or uncomfortable away from home. But in the event that I am going to be faced with having to eat outside of home, I always research where I'm going so I know exactly what my options are and what I'm ordering.

My go to for fast food is a local BBQ restaurant. I get the smoked chicken. It is very tender and flavorful even without any sauce. They will sell me a piece of chicken by itself with no side items. Sometimes I will even buy extra for my next meal. High in Protein and no carbs. Sometimes I get the smoked turkey.

I'm so excited! I hit my surgeon's goal this morning (150)!! I'm seven pounds from my goal and a loss of 100 pounds since surgery in September. SO HAPPY!!
Carol

I'm scheduled for June 15th, getting nervous.

I'm in a June 2015 group on fb and we have like 5 girls the 1st wk of June. Not sure where exactly but defiantly quite a few surgeries during the 1st week.

I went backpacking three months after my surgery and had NO problems, and it was amazing doing it just that much lighter too! So good for you, and I'm jealous of the freedom to do 14 days at a time. Ours was 4 days, and i took Protein powder (Chike coffee flavor) my morning Breakfast, baby bel cheeses, summer sausage, Jerky, packets of natural almond butter and Peanut Butter and some freeze dried foods like eggs and a few dinners. DOing two more trips this summer and will make more of our own dinners since i want more Protein than the packaged stuff has. I focused more on protein than carbs, since I've learned i don't need carbs nearly as much as so many exercise gurus say we do, and protein makes the most helpful difference in my energy. I did have 'gorp' (small daily baggie) and granola bars (once) and did really well.
Good luck and have fun planning it!

June 8th with Dr Garcia!!! I'm so excited it's getting close! Under a month now! Message me after the 8th I'll tell you all about it!!!

At least a week long hike 7 days! I love long section hikes. I'm in California now so I'm going to hit the PCT! I've done many sections of the AT I absolutely love it!!! I think hydration is key. I worry about feeling sick to though if we can't get calories in cause you burn so many through the day! I was thinking the mashed potatoes packets maybe a good source of easier to eat carbs and oatmeal maybe I dunno though!? Good luck to you also glitter! Let me know how your hike goes!

I know how you feel! In a addict to and worried about being hungry after! But EVERYONE says they aren't hungry for months afterwards! This is so encouraging to me!

I started at 32.3 BMI. Surgery 12/31/14 and no pre-op diet. Although I did lose 8 lbs pre-op on my own (weighed 195 on 12/5/14, then weighed 188 on 12/31/14 surgery day). I just decided on my own not to pig out over Christmas; I was working on changing my eating habits and working on my mental behaviors with food. Luckily I have had zero post-op depression or hard moments. Zero. I don't know if I can attribute that to working on that before or if I was simply just so, so, so ready to change. My journey has been nothing but positive. I am ecstatic that I did this. Zero regrets. Good luck to you on your journey; I wish you the best!

I just can't get past this sort of thinking. If you're so capable of intelligent decisions about your own diet and your own best interests, how did you get obese in the first place? It wasn't from making intelligent decisions.
I guess this is one of those times when I just have to say "well good on ya".

Try and sleep through it! Sleep walk sip sleep walk sip! I've heard some people even took Benadryl with pain meds to sleep off the first couple of painful days! Hope you feel better! Sleep walk sip!

Not that I have any personal experience (really, I don't) but if AA meetings were anything like this thread and the vast majority of replies, no one would go to meetings.
Having said that, I think that the most prudent take aways are:
1) No 'one size fits all' experience. The proof is the variation of how Docs handle pre-op.
2) Following the rules given by your Doc and Nut are key. They will support you if you follow the program.
3) Variable réponses by each of us. I had no pain, and was able to drink immediately, and was moved to soft foods on Day 7 post op.
4) We all are passionate about why we did this - to fix a problem we COULD NOT CONTROL OURSELVES.
Its also funny about how folks tolerate (or don't) the Protein shakes. My Doc had me on Bariatric Advantage shakes Pre-Op. Nasty nasty nasty. Had to hold my nose when I drank, then flush my mouth with Crystal Light afterwards. I did then and do now refer to them as 'Franken-Shakes'.
But, now Post Op, I start each day off with Premier Protein Shakes. I found that making a 50/50 mix of vanilla and Choco makes it more palatable, sort of like Choco Milk. Either by themselves were too much and I didn't like. The Strawberries and Cream is terrible (MHO).
So, its a blend of following your program and listening to your body.
It was news to me that when eating too much solids too soon that you can cause damage to sleeve that may not show up as symptoms until weeks later. Thats a bit scary and actually is causing me to throttle down what I am consuming, having heard that.
So, just remember ... things will get better ... One Day at a Time ... One Meal at a Time ... One Bite/Sip at a Time.
Best of luck to us all!
-RC-

Well count me in to the "by the book" team. I am 5 days post-op and doing my best to meet each requirement. I am on full liquids and honestly I can't tolerate much other than Water and Isopure. I am just starting to be able to take 3 oz of Soup our yougurt.
I am not quite up to where I should be with all my Water and Protein but my doc said it would take a while.
I am going to follow all the rules and hope to have a good recovery. This surgery is my chance, I don't want to mess it up because I think I know better.
the mams

Being nervous is perfectly normal. The days leading up to surgery were exciting and scary at the same time.
I almost backed out of surgery the night before and the morning of surgery. On surgery day, I sat in admitting thinking "I could leave right now and I'll only be out $500." Then I looked over at my husband who was equally scared as I was. We didn't say anything to each other - I don't even think we made eye contact. I just looked at him and knew this was something I had to do. I made the choice to walk down the hall and get things started. I am so thankful I didn't let fear win in that moment.
I'm 18 months out and am finally living the life I was meant to live. My weight and food no longer rule my thoughts and my world. I'm happy and content. I smile A LOT now. I am active in my own life and not just in the physical sense. I'm more engaged with my family and friends. I'm a better wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, etx. I got a promotion at work - I don't think because I'm skinnier, I think because I carry myself a different way - I'm more confident, I'm not pissed off at the world all the time and I am more calm. I feel better physically - no more aches and pains. I do hot yoga 4-5 times a week, I hike, I work out at the gym, I like being active. I have a goal to do a 5K every month until November and I made a goal to log 1000 miles in 2015. I feel attractive to my husband - he never said anything about my weight, but one time I remember asking, "How can you possibly find me the least bit attractive?"
Was it all sunshine and lollipops the past 18 months? Hell no! It was hard work filled with anxiety, second guessing my decision to have surgery, tears, anger, frustration, etc. It's been hard - I was not emotionally prepared to make this journey; I had not addressed my emotional issues towards food. I had to address those issues while recovering from surgery which was very hard. There are still days where I wish I could sit down to a bowl full of Pasta and awesome crusty bread slathered in butter and just go to town, but those days are fewer and farther between than they used to.
This surgery is a life changer...for me it was one of the biggest decisions I had ever made in my life. Now, 18 months later, I know that short of marrying my husband and having my son, it was the best decision I could have made for al of us.
Best of luck to you. You're down the home stretch! Let us know how you're doing...

When healing it is important to think long and hard about what you eat. O full liquids, greek yogurt is included so that is fine. Once you get past that, things get a little dicey.
You will find that surgeons do the post op eating plans a little different because there is no proven "right" way to do it.
That being said there are a few things that are constant MOST of the time- the first week after surgery usually ranges between liquids and a very soft consistency (like a scrambled egg) depending on the surgeon. Progress from one stage to another is slow and as tolerated with the understanding that we all heal at different rates. I have not heard of one plan that allows bacon in the first week!
I would highly recommend talking with the nutritionist and the surgeon. I would also highly recommend not eating bacon so soon post-op. It is an unnecessary risk.

You CAN, you are just choosing not to. I hope your choices don't lead to complications. Eating what you wanted when you wanted got you into this place of needing WLS. No reason to believe that eating what you want when you want will find you equally as successful in losing it, right?

My surgeon did a good job of scaring me. Repeatedly telling me stories of people who ate solid food to soon and got something stuck or caused a leak...meaning surgery and a hospital stay that could last 3 months. Like someone else said, just because you didn't get sick from it at the time doesn't mean it won't cause problems in the future. I was on Clear Liquids for 5 days, am in the middle of 5 weeks on full liquids. I hope everything works out for you!

@@alindsey good idea about the instant mashed potatoes. I will be packing some!!

You will be able to...give your self time.

I was same day. In at 8am out at 2pm.

I went home the same day. Went in at 7 am last week and left about 5.

2 nights

Has surgery at 2:00 pm and went home at 9:00 pm the same night. . No problem at all.

DITTO....I could not keep liquid down and had lot of nausea....doc did not want for me to dehydrate....