catwoman7

I think I lost 15 lbs on the two-week liquid diet

any damage that has been done won't repair itself, but that said, I'm rarely in pain anymore. I was in pain CONSTANTLY when I weighed over 300 lbs.

I'd just go back to basics (and not all the way back to liquids only - that would just set me up for a binge). Protein-forward and low carb. Eat (dense) protein first, then non-starchy veggies, and then if you have room, a small serving of fruit or whole grains. I can eat up to 1700 calories a day and maintain my weight, so if I'm trying to lose, I'll drop down to below 1500. I'm not sure if I could do 800 anymore (I could while I was losing, but it would be tough now for more than a day or two)

there doesn't seem to be a consensus among surgeons re: caffeinated coffee. Some say never, some say right away, some say to wait a month - or three months - or six months. Some say it's OK if limited to 1-2 cups a day. My guess is although there may be some valid concerns, it might not be a harmful as say, NSAIDs. I think the issue with caffeine is that it's dehydrating, and the issue with coffee in general (even decaf) is that's it's acidic, which can be hard on healing pouches. I had to wait on caffeinated coffee until I was six months out, and I'm still supposed to limit it to one cup a day (which admittedly, I don't....but I did wait six months). But I know people whose surgeons said they could start drinking it right away, so...??

yes - since it's basically pulverized rice.

yes, you can

there were at least three or four times that I thought my body was done losing - but then, my weight loss would start up again. It finally stopped once I was 18 months out. Stick to your plan - your weight loss may very well start up again.

tea wouldn't have an effect on that unless you're adding a lot of things like cream and sugar to it. Weight loss DOES slow down a lot after the first couple of months. Just stick to your program and the weight will continue to come off.

I'm almost 60. I spent 40 years trying to diet and exercise it away. It never worked for me. I'd lose 40 or 50 or even 60 pounds, and it'd come right back on. Again and again and again. My only regret is that I didn't have this done several years ago.

a lot of people don't have side effects from the surgery and for those who do, most are minor. The biggest side effect of my staying morbidly obese would be not living to see my 60th birthday.

weight fluctuates all the time - even when we're losing. If you don't like seeing the fluctuations, just weigh yourself once a week - then you'll only see the trend (which will be down as long as you stick to your plan)

nope - I didn't have to either. But since I had to do a liquid diet for two weeks prior to surgery (and this was ALL liquid - no solid food allowed), I doubt I had anything in there.

I do that sometimes!

I still drink a protein shake every day as a mid-morning snack, but that's so I'm sure to get in my 100+ grams. It'd be a challenge to get all that in just from food. But most people don't really need protein shakes once they're a few months out - they can easily get in the required 60+ grams from food at that point. It's just that my protein needs are higher than most people's because of my malabsorption issue. As far as bar vs. shakes, bar is definitely going to be denser than a shake.

I eat Greek yogurt every morning for breakfast and often as a snack, too - but then, I'm not as hungry at those times as I am at lunch and dinner. I try to eat something denser for lunch and dinner. Although I know people who eat deli meat for breakfast, so that works, too!

I don't think people normally have problems with the twilight sleep. It's not like getting general anesthesia. I had sleep apnea (a mild case, though) when I was morbidly obese and did fine on twilight sleep during my colonoscopy. I didn't have a CPAP (I didn't know at the time I had sleep apnea). I would just call the clinic that's doing it beforehand and ask them if you should bring your CPAP machine.

Greek yogurt does have a lot of protein, and I eat it every day, but it does go right through you. Something like meat sits in your stomach a lot longer, thus keeping you fuller. That's not to say that you shouldn't eat Greek yogurt, but try to get some meat in for some of your meals, too. I've read that there is a limit to how much protein the body can absorb at one time - I can't remember off-hand, but I think it was 30 or 40 grams, but I also recall that there wasn't really a consensus on this. I have to eat 100+ grams a day because I malabsorb protein (my prealbumin level tanks if I don't get that much), but I spread it out throughout the day.

just go back to eating the way you were the first year (not the protein shakes and purees - but the way you ate when you were a few months out). Protein first, then non-starchy vegetables, and then, if you still have room, a piece of fruit or a small amount of whole grain carbs. dense protein is very filling (e.g., meat) - so try to choose that as your protein whenever you can.

it's probably just a stall. Stick to your plan and your weight loss will eventually start up again.

almost everyone has their first stall during the first month post-op. It's usually the third week, but not always. Do a search on "the three week stall" - you should find hundreds of posts on it. Just stick to your plan and your weight loss will start up again. I stalled during weeks 2 and 3. My weight loss started up again during week 4, and I dropped like eight pounds almost overnight.

your medical procedures are none of their business, and you're under no obligation to tell them. I didn't tell them about my colonoscopy, so.....

I had at least a couple in my hip as well.

I didn't have that with my bariatric surgery, but I just had it happen with my plastic surgery (we weren't sure if it was the glue or the surgical tape that covered it). Now that they've removed the glue, it should clear up pretty fast. If not, maybe try Benedryl lotion (??) (my plastic surgeon recommended that)

I had a desk job. I took three weeks off, but I could have gone back after two.

I also used that six-month period to do a lot of research and really prep myself for the surgery and post-op life. It also allowed me time to gradually adapt to my new way of eating - I think it would have been much harder if the change had been immediate and drastic. Those six months flew by. If I had to do it again, I would have done it the same way.