_Kate_

Your post came right out of my mouth Chris... Having to get out of the car so hubby can park it in a 'normal sized space' - whatever that is! I just went to a wedding and declined photos although hubby is going to take loads just before I start the 2 weeks liver reduction.. I won't mind those :-)

I was looking online today and came across a British web site called www.bariatriccookery.com. It might be of interest to us Brits. Have a little look!

Some tips for UK food post surgery
WholeFoods has a very good selection of US Protein bars. Very high in Protein
Many recipes call for sugar free Syrup. I haven't found this in our supermarkets but you can buy on Amazon for approx £10

Hello,
I'm Kate from south of England and I am due to have a gastric sleeve on the 23 July 2015. I am on holiday right now, so thought this would be a good time to read, read and read some more. I researched a few places which did sleeves and decided to go with the Bariatric Group and will be having my procedure in Poole, Dorset. I am married with 4 boys, aged 53 and have been overweight since I was 32 and my thyroid not only stopped working but my body ate it, thinking it was a foreign object. For the past 3+ years I have had a fight with the NHS for private prescriptions for Natural thyroid rather then synthetic stuff. My GP (ex I might add) was very annoyed I knew more than her and finally I managed to get Natural Thyroid. This has really helped and in 2013 I lost 85llbs but since Oct 2013 to now I have put it all back on. Lose weight, put back on, lose weight put back on has been the story of my 30's 40's and 50's and I need it to stop.
Anyway just thought I would stop by and say hello, hopefully get to know you all and get support/offer support!
Kate

The reason for the shakes is because of the full range of nutrients that you are not going to get from Water, broth, and Jello. My non-professional guess is that you are not getting any nutrient benefit and are starting to droop. The Protein drinks are no picnic in the park. They are a right of passage to the new you. Try to endure at least one or two a day. Maybe get a vanilla brand and mix it half with milk or almond milk.

It varies -- there are no guarantees. Some people do continue to experience true hunger. Others have extra stomach acid after surgery that makes them feel hungry (this can usually be controlled with a PPI). Others continue to struggle with head hunger -- craving that special food, or sweets, whatever, often triggered by ads for food or seeing other people eat something you like, Others do lose all hunger, but that's usually temporary. I lost all hunger for about 6-8 months, but then it came back with a vengeance, and I've had to learn appropriate strategies ("eat something" is not a good way to deal with hunger when you are trying to lose weight) to cope with it. There is a good chance you won't be hungry for a few to several months after surgery -- but you can't count on it, and you certainly can't count on it lasting. Learning cognitive behavioral techniques for dealing with hunger in advance is a good idea IMO.

Hey all!
Surgery 1/5/15
Pic #1 Jan 19th size 26
Pic #2 April 12th size 16/18
Pic #3 June 19th size 12/14
I had the best time at this wedding.
I've never had so much fun!!
I feel incredible and I'm down 98lbs
From December 27th!!
Thanks for allowing me to share!!
Yay!!
Katie
  

Are you getting enough liquids? Dehydration can cause weakness. In any event, you should contact your surgeon or PCP - getting weaker and weaker instead of stronger is something that should be assessed by a medical professional.

You have done really well losing 28llbs @@smkallen67 !!.. Congratulations and I hope the wedding goes well for your son and his wife
Kate

Vin Diesel doppleganger??????

I was actually thinking of splitting the drinks into 4 meals a day (I wasn't clear about that, apologies) but I really appreciate the advice @wascott and @GreenEyes604. I will look into the powders a little more as they seem to be less carbs.
I am glad I only bought one chocolate and one strawberry
Thanks again for the help
Kate

i know how your feeling. My husband's side of the family are kurdish so the culture is very similar to yours. When i told them i was having the surgery, they found it hard to understand why i would want to put myself through such a drastic descision to have surgery, they would tell me to just try and loose weight by excercise and diet. Well if i could i would have. I think because they were uneducated about this type of surgery and dont know of anyone else who had gone to these lengths to loose weight that they thought it was odd and yes perhaps that i was lazy. So basically i spent a lot if time, especially with my husband educating them about it and how i felt that i needed the extra help to loose the weight and that there are thousands of people that actually have the surgery and are successful. I showed them pictures of the surgery and peoples before and after pics , which all helped them to be a bit more supportive of me in my descision. You see i felt that it was important to tell them i was having the surgery done as food is a big part of the family life, there is always a house full of people round when it comes to dinner, its part of the culture. So they are big eaters and if they dont know about my surgery they may think that i am ungrateful or that i dont enjoy the food and the effrot they have put in to making it. So i thought it would it would be better to tell everyone about the journey i will be going through so then whoever wants to gossip about me can do but they will be eating their words when i look fabulous nex year. I also felt nervous telling them too, but through doing so i now feel its out in the open and that has made me more happy and confident in my descsion to do this to improve my quality of life. The way i see it is, this is my journey, i feel this is the right descsion for ME to take and whoever wants to be supportive of me is welcome, whoever doesnt can just sit back and watch the transformation. Hope this helps and good luck with everything. X

Good luck to everyone starting the pre op plan. I start in 2 weeks, so I am sure I will be here crying by day 3 lol.
Hugs
Kate

@@DreamsComeTrue15 -- Onwards and upwards, every day will hopefully be easier for you. Congratulations!!
Kate

Good luck to everyone starting the pre op plan. I start in 2 weeks, so I am sure I will be here crying by day 3 lol.
Hugs
Kate

Just wanted to say congrats on your loss.. Amazing
Kate

Good luck to everyone starting the pre op plan. I start in 2 weeks, so I am sure I will be here crying by day 3 lol.
Hugs
Kate

Smooth Move tea is very good. I need to drink it at night and it works first thing in the morning ( I have always suffered with bouts of constipation)
Kate

I am a newbie who got her sleeve on June 8th. I also questioned the reasoning behind coffee. I drink it black with no sugar or cream. What my Dr. said was that it creates more acidity in the new stomach, especially at first. He said that acid reflux is a condition we will all have to deal with and I started Prilosec 2 days after surgery. My Dr allows Decaf coffee at 3 weeks and I may or may not go to reg coffee later. So happy with my sleeve and I am very protective of my new "baby stomach". My Dr allows wine at 6 weeks but do I really want the calories? hmmmm The other part is that a former employee with a sleeve stopped in to see me yesterday. She was telling me how she got a DUI because wine/alcohol goes into the bloodstream faster and stays longer. I know I pretty much have a new set of priorities right now. Wine may or may not come back into my life, and it definately will not be as often!

Hi everyone, laying in the hospital bed..I guess everyone is different..I am hurting pretty bad right now . .and nauseous. I have to stay on top of the pain meds..if I forget to ask and wait to long. .oh boy! Also the nausea meds. I'm keeping my eye on the prize so I can get through this..but wow! Thanks for cheering me on everyone!

@@livvsmum As long as you feel good and healthy sod everyone else!!
By the way, you look lovely - they are probably envious
Kate

Empty carbs like pretzels not only don't fill you up, they drive additional hunger. Stay away from grains. (Bread, crackers, rice, etc) Add plenty of green veggies. If you need a dressing, make it zero calorie. Even reduced calorie dressings are a killer. Good luck!

Agree with @@Babbs and disagree with @@A. Stoot. 1200 is overdoing at this point. I am 5 weeks out and am barely hitting 600 calories. You should definitely not be doing cupcakes and pretzels. Those are simple carbs and not doing you any favors.
When I get to 6 weeks out I can start to re-introduce more foods but still will be focusing on Protein and veggies. Always Protein first. No empty calories. At that point I am told I should eat up to 3/4 cup of food as a meal and two small Snacks. snack doesn't mean junk food.< /p>
Get back to basics or you will stretch your sleeve out! Good luck!!

You're getting 1200 calories at 8 weeks out?? I'm 10 months out and am getting 1200 calories!? You should only be getting around 800 calories at 8 weeks out. You're eating too many calories. Also, lay off the carbs. If you want to lose, you need to only get your carbs from dairy, fruits and veggies right now. Stay away from the cupcakes and pretzels. snack on cheese sticks and nuts instead.
Keep your diet clean. meat and veggies with every meal and lots of Water. Track your calories on Myfitnesspal. You'll have plenty of time to increase your calories and incorporate carbs the closer you get to goal. Good luck! Don't get discouraged, just be proactive!

Hubby and I are scheduled for our last appointment with the surgeon on 6/23. I am so nervous about insurance approval. We have Aetna. We opted to do the full 6 months with home exercise instead of the 3 month option of going to the weight loss center's gym. We have both completed all the requirements, but I am still a nervous wreck worrying about approval. One more week until they submit the paperwork. I know I am so thankful for this site.