Dub

You may as well get used to it. That's what happens when there are precious few successful vets around.

Not much at all...............only that some of the folks that were honest with me.....gave me the jolts of truth and challenged me......helped direct me to change my thinking and behaviors..........helped me extend my life....which was soon to end....and now I feel like I'll live forever since taking their advice.........yeah...those people have been permanently banned. Not much has happened. Sadly.....the loss will impact the very newbies that are posting in this thread the most. I was one of them this time a year ago. I wish them well and hope that they can sift through the bs and find some real solid advice from some real solid veterans. There truly aren't many left and it is a poor reflection of what this place is becoming.

You'd better glean whatever pearls of wisdom you can from them quickly as the successful vets......the very ones who have have helped bring many of us to a much better weight and state of being.....are being permanently banned from this sight. The good news is....the newbies that feel like lost sheep can take comfort in the fact that any and every imaginable "bariatric product" is only a click away. They will be able to shop until their heart is content around here. Lot's of product for sale. The 2 year plus successful vets don't rely on such products.....don't buy them......therefore are of little value here, it would seem. It's a sad state of affairs around here. If the goal were for us to help each other lose unwanted weight and improve our lives.......the vets would stay and the interaction here would flourish. Sadly.....the goal seems to be to sell product. I and many other would gladly pay a membership fee to keep the doors open and support the costs associated with running the sight.

I prefer to avoid Snacks and simply have meals. Some of the stuff that I used to snack on is actually a meal now, lol. More like appetizers for meals now. A serving of lightly salted almonds or some Swiss cheese dipped in some Tabasco sauce is pretty damn good.

My surgeon suggested I use Milk of Magnesia for any constipation issues in the days after surgery to relieve constipation. Several days after surgery, though.....I had an incident like you described....thought I'd "broke it", too. It was horrible. I truly feared I'd bust the internal stitches from an umbilical hernia that was repaired when they did my sleeve. It was like passing a brick through my system. Soon, though, I was allowed to have coffee. That certainly helped. Daily doses of the orange flavored Fiber mixed with cold Water was helpful, too. Now....over a year later, I eat greens, kale salads, almonds and other tasty sources of fiber......and blessed morning coffee. No issues.

@sasharbinx This is the part where you've got to fix your thinking. Your surgeon fixed your stomach, lol, but this is where it's now on you to make the changes. It's no longer about hunger anymore...it's about eating to nourish your body as needed. Tracking calories at this point can really, really help. Getting on a treadmill and keying in your weight will show the calories burned. When you see how much effort it takes to burn those calories....your desire to consume them through grazing will be greatly diminished. Discipline will be achieved.

Both the local bariatric centers that I consulted during my pre-op had self pay options with the costs being very close. The one that had Bariatric Center of Excellence certification actually included BLISS (spelling ?) insurance which covered any and all complications that are related to the wls procedure for the next year. I chose the center that had this insurance as well as their excellent track record. All went well and all is well. Do your homework well and enjoy the results.

Very inspiring results in this thread. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Keto is mainly how I roll. Breakfast this morning was a handful of wasabi almonds, a slice of sharp cheddar and two slices of Swiss. Outstanding flavors. lunch is probably going to be an omelette of some type. dinner will most likely be grilled chicken breast as my son requested grilled chicken sandwiches with bacon and the works. I have yet to experience any type of hunger. I will get carb cravings if I eat sugar heavy foods like candy and other junk. Life is simply much easier if I avoid that mess and stick to hearty Protein and vegetables.

Outstanding progress!!! You are doing great. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Disclaimer: I haven't read a single post in this thread....simply quoting you and replying. 4 weeks out and eating a Peanut Butter & jelly sandwich ??????? Really ??? Does this seem like a good plan to you ? I can say with absolute certainty that PB&J was one of the many foods I abused that brought me to the point of having wls to get past my obesity and related health issues. I don't give a damn if I ever see another PB&J sandwich. I'd much rather get lean and live lean. There is no food that holds any power over me that I'd want to return to if it was part of my demise. Figure out the foods that work best as your new fuels and consume those in the correct quantities. Forget about the rest. Oh okay...... aw that's sad, everyone gets surgery for different reasons not only obesity. Yes 4 weeks and yes I can eat it so I will. Thanks Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Do what makes you feel good.............if knocking out a 1/2 a PB&J sammich is what it takes to keep you clean the rest of the time......then hell yes.....rock on!!! I suggest Skippy PB, btw. Any jelly is good as long as it's Smucker's Grape. I choose to get my "indulgence" calories in other ways. It's all good. Whatever it takes to keep you strict most of the time. Sorry I came off like I was preaching. Far from it. Just a dude who is very happy now that he's a leaner dude.

Disclaimer: I haven't read a single post in this thread....simply quoting you and replying. 4 weeks out and eating a Peanut Butter & jelly sandwich ??????? Really ??? Does this seem like a good plan to you ? I can say with absolute certainty that PB&J was one of the many foods I abused that brought me to the point of having wls to get past my obesity and related health issues. I don't give a damn if I ever see another PB&J sandwich. I'd much rather get lean and live lean. There is no food that holds any power over me that I'd want to return to if it was part of my demise. Figure out the foods that work best as your new fuels and consume those in the correct quantities. Forget about the rest.

Your post cracked me up.....as do they all. Rough day, man....rough day. You prevailed and helped those you intended to help. A little bourbon is a fitting reward. I spent all day moving and old entertainment center out.....and shopping for a new TV and moving in the new gear. The hope was to have this done in time to enjoy the Clemson-Bama game tonight. Well......all was done. All was well. Everything set up. I even had a gametime meal of finger foods planned for halftime. Kickoff happened. That's all I stayed awake for. I woke up for Dabo's inspired post game speech. GRRRRRRRRRRR. Now it's 3'am and I'm rewinding and watching the game, lol. Best laid plans.....

Well said @Odie. There is too much butthurt around here. This is a bariatric forum......a place where we've come....we've taken extreme measures to gain control over our health. Some folks choose to keep their heads buried in the sand and simply want a warm blanket thrown on them. Let 'em stay there...heads buried....tide will come in and drown them at some point. I simply don't have the energy to help them any longer. Ignorance is a choice at this point. There is no way that somebody reaches the point where they reach the act of actually having wls and they don't know the basics. No way in hell. They've been briefed and they choose to ignore it. The rest of us will do the work to reach our goals and live lean and happy. It's not always easy....but it's much easier since surgery. I'm so tired of the childish butthurt that I see around here. Folks need to grow up and own up. Solutions have been provided if they'll simply own their actions.

By definition my 14 day pre-op diet was keto.....simply Protein shakes. The month after was the same....just Protein Shakes. Once I transitioned to chewable food around the 5th week....it was keto. It's been mainly keto ever since. Mainly.....I break away and have other stuff when I want to....such as the Thanksgiving spread my sister cooked.....and the Christmas spread that I cooked. I splurge at times.....but I always go back to keto. Keto is King, lol.

I was coached by my surgeon during my 6 month followup appointment to transition to 3 meals a day consisting of a cup of food each over the next few months. A cup of food was the meal size he wanted to see me achieve and maintain forever.... At 5 weeks I was on three meals 1/4 cup in size. I say all this simply to provide a comparison. You are early on in your journey. I wish I'd have done better with my progress and am grateful for the early success. I beg you to change your practices now.....follow the guidelines laid out in your own specific plan. It's a slippery slope you are treading on.....doesn't take much to slip from a large volume of pickles to other less desirable eats. Food is simply fuel. That's all it is. Maybe now would be a good time to utilize Protein powders. The early stages......the "honeymoon period" is a time when you can make great strides on losing weight AND changing your relationship with food.

@@OKCPirate said it. My surgeon took steps to remove the gas that he could from me. I had zero, zero, ZERO gas pains. I've had zero complications with my sleeve. I can also count the times I've had to take any type of acid reducer on one hand. I feel so fortunate in so many ways. The sleeve has been like a magic carpet that I've ridden to find my way to better health and happiness.

Cool thanks that helps because I need all the help I can get ro keep focused. the 18th will be here before I know it! Sent from my SM-G928V using the BariatricPal App You've got this. Nothing to it. Stay on track......enjoy the results you'll be seeing on the scale and rock 'n roll your way to surgery. Nothing to it.

Comfort fit was how I rolled, too.........back in the days where I wore a ring. It has been going on for a while, and I suspect it will get worse. Probably the worst was the woman at the McDonald's drive through. Mrs. LittleBill and our youngest daughter were in the truck with me that day. I had had a couple of previous encounters with this woman. Anyway, I put our order in, and she started moaning right there over the speaker system. When we pulled around to the window, she was literally hanging out the window with her hand on my arm, moaning. Mrs. LittleBill was sitting there with a WTF look on her face. Our daughter was in the back seat saying "Eww eww eww!" I don't think a ring would have made a difference. I had to stop going there. Of course, it is moot now. Dang, bro. A happy meal was forthcoming there, indeed. Funny times. It's gonna be a wild ride, sir.....a potentially wild ride.

I can see a number in the red box but the notifications will not open. Any ideas how to correct this ?

And it's now working as normal. Cool.

My surgeon had me on 3-4 Protein shakes per day and all the non-calorie drinks I wanted. So....diet Dew, diet Coke, Water, Crystal Light and etc were had.

I have metal in my left knee and right ankle.....never been much of a problem. The last time I flew was six months after my sleeve surgery. The security folks were balking at my drivers license picture for sure. It was comical....until I realized they were seriously doubting me. Happened again the next month with Customs agents. This reminds me that I need to get an updated passport.

Flinstone's chewables and Bariatric Advantage Chewy Bites calcium chews (fruit flavored).