smg

I have tried quite a few. Quest is the best brand that I've found. Clean ingredients, great flavors and recommended by my NUT. I also tried unjury but it's the only powder that didn't agree with me. It actually made my stomach upset. There's some good rankings on Labdoor -- https://labdoor.com/rankings/protein

I didn't have any luck with the Unjury brand protein powder. It didn't agree with me and I usually don't have any issues with protein powders. I have been using Quest for some time now and I really like it. The flavors are very good, and the powder is extremely fine, so there's no grittiness or texture. Also, they make one of the best unflavored proteins I have found for using in foods.

Good for you! Please stay safe...that looks like a nasty storm!

What do you mean? Are you using more than one type of patch like a multivitamin and a Vitamin B patch? If that's the case then you can put both on, but only 1 out of each package per day. 1 patch for the multivitamin and 1 for the Vitamin B patch....if that's what you mean...can you clarify?

It's an adjustment for sure. I too was a gulper, often times downing 1/2 to 3/4 of a bottle of Water at a time. I've learned to drink slower and sip more often. The first time you try to gulp will be your last...at least it was for me. In addition to the large volume of liquid when you gulp, the air you take in with it can be painful. That pain subsides the further post-op you get, but it's still a discomfort when I do it. You'll get the hang of it. I'm able to drink a lot more in a single sip now than right after surgery, but nowhere near what I did pre-op. It hasn't prevented me from getting in more than enough fluids though, so it doesn't bother me too much. I live in Las Vegas where temps in summer get to 115 and up, so I know the feeling with being in a hot environment. One piece of advice, if you are very thirsty at the same time you are about to eat, TAKE A DRINK FIRST!!! It's easier to wait 15 minutes to start eating than it is to wait long enough after you eat to drink comfortably.

I really think when most people mention "starvation mode" they are truly meaning "ketosis". When you deny your body the number of carbohydrates it needs to use for energy it then switches to fat stores (and muscle tissue if you're not getting enough protein) to burn instead. Many people refer to this as a form of "starvation", even though it's clearly not. I agree that eating too few calories (nutritious ones) can have adverse effects and prevent weight loss just as eating too many can do the same, but I don't think people here truly believe they are "starving"....or at least I would hope they know the difference.

@@Valentina I'm so sorry for your loss. You have been such a great source of information for me on my journey, and I had no idea you had gone through that. God Bless.

I think it depends on the surgeon you use. I did not have a drain, but I have heard from some on here who have. Check with your surgeon to see if they use them or not.

Mr. Cheese O's snacks. You can find them on amazon. Minimal list of ingredients, real cheese, and 10-12 grams of protein per 100-120 cals. Satisfies the crave for something "crunchy and salty" as well...if that's what you're looking for.

Not sure about your surgical team, but my team had a therapist on staff and a support group that meets twice per week. You might check with your team to see if they have a group or therapist on staff or one that they can recommend. Glad to see you are acknowledging it and looking for help! That's great. Also, congrats on the successful weight loss so far...that's a great milestone!

Definitely sounds like dehydration. Not sure if you use the app MyFitnessPal or not to track calories, but there's a Water tracker in that app as well. Also, I would suggest you try some electrolyte enhanced waters. Smartwater, Core water, Powerade zero throughout the day, or even pedialyte if you find yourself in a situation like this again. Also, fruits and veggies (if you can eat them at your stage) typically have a high water content and help as well. Best of luck!

Your NUT wants to add carbs to your diet to help raise your blood sugar and perhaps correct the hypoglycemia, or so it would seem. I had my surgery a few weeks before you and I haven't had any issues getting in enough Protein. There are days where I don't "eat" all of my protein, but on those days I make sure to supplement with shakes. It sounds to me as though you are not eating enough food. Is this the case? Is the food that you are eating providing nutrition or are they empty calories? Are you getting enough Water? Are you supplementing the lack of protein with Protein Shakes? If not, why? Are they hard to get down? Believe it or not, if you're not getting enough nutrition (NUTRITION - NOT JUST FOOD), you will have a hard time losing weight as your body will go into "defense" mode and try to hold on to everything it can so that it doesn't starve. You need to make sure that you are providing your body with the nutrients it needs, and keep hydrated. Also, I'm not sure what your orthopedic issues are, but I would bet that there are several exercises that could still be done without risking injury to the affected areas. http://workoutlabs.com/ has a tool that allows you to build workouts for specific muscle groups and with or without equipment. At this point, ANY exercise will reward you. If it's joint issues, you might consider swimming for exercise. It's easy on the joints and it's a hell of workout. If you can provide some more information and answer some of the questions above, perhaps you can get some more helpful info. You are doing the right thing by involving your surgeon/NUT/PCP and making them aware of the issues. Glad to see that they are making recommendations and I hope you can get some relief soon. Best of luck...hang in there!

I wouldn't worry too much about fat content at this point in your recovery. You won't be able to eat more than a few bites, which is hardly enough to make an impact. Also, if you use part skim, low fat ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, it's really not as bad as you would think.

Ricotta Bake (google it - Bariatric ricotta bake) No sugar added applesauce Cottage cheese Scrambled eggs Greek Yogurt Real Fruit and vegetable smoothies Tuna (From a can -- it's typically chopped small enough for puree stage) pureed Veggies (steam them first...then they're easy to puree) Refried Beans oatmeal Sweet Potato (mashed) Mashed Cauliflower There's a lot more but that's off the top of my head remembering what I ate at that stage. You can look on this forum and find many more recipes by stage that will be helpful also. Just make sure you meet your liquid and Protein goals every day!! Best of luck!

Some of it is normal depending on which foods you're having issues with. Have you tried a variety of different things? At 5 weeks I didn't have many issues with foods unless they were overly sweet or overly salty, but those are just taste issues, not digestive issues. If you are having issues with the foods on your plan, contact your surgical team and/or NUT and mention it to them. They may want to check you out to make sure everything is still good, or they may have some alternatives for you to try that may agree with you more. Best of luck!

I eat it with everything!!! I make big batches of it homemade and use it with veggies, or just eat it plain with a spoon. One of my favorite things to do is make Hummus crusted chicken breast. Just coat both sides of your chicken breast with it and bake your chicken normally....it adds amazing flavor. You can also just use it a dip for proteins as well...it's very versatile!

So my original thought when hearing things like this are that the spouse is just "scared" and sometimes fear can cause negative reactions in an effort to stop you from moving forward, however, this one sounds a bit different. Honestly, I think there are still several possibilities as to why he's reacting this way, and I have no idea which it is (or if it's something different altogether), but here are my thoughts. Possibility #1: He's scared. I don't think this is the answer in this case because your mother has apparently had success with the surgery unless she had complications that you didn't mention and he's seeing that as a possibility. Possibility #2: He's insecure and thinks that if you lose a bunch of weight you may not be attracted to him any more if you start to get more attention from other men. Possibility #3: He likes eating poorly now and knows that once you are sleeved food experiences will change in your house, which will most likely include what he eats as well? Possibility #4: He's a selfish prick and either #2 or #3 scare the s***t out of him to the point where he is willing to make you risk your health and happiness to keep his idea of "normalcy" intact. Possibility #5: He really doesn't believe that you need the surgery and is willing to help you lose and then maintain your weight once you hit goal without surgery. Not sure which of these (if any) are the one that fits, but in the end you have to do what's right for you. You have to live the rest of your life. You shouldn't have to choose misery to please another. Best of luck!

Yup. I just think @@OutsideMatchInside 's point is some carbs affect our bodies the same way. Sugar is sugar is sugar. And she's totally correct. I posted a TED Talk video in another thread about how carbs affect our bodies. Very informative. While I agree that you should watch your intake of all sugars, I don't agree with the "sugar is sugar is sugar" comment. I FIRMLY believe that sugar taken in via fruit is FAR different than sugar taken in through liquids or processed foods. The difference is the fiber. If you eat fruit whole, you are taking in the fiber along with the sugars which prevents your body from digesting the sugar as quickly as if you were eating an oreo. This allows your liver to process it at a much slower pace and it doesn't throw your blood sugar as far off balance as if you were eating oreos or any other processed foods. I agree wholeheartedly that eating fruit whole or blending it is never a bad thing. That said, a true "serving" of fruit should never really be larger than a tennis ball....so while a banana is a far better choice than say,...oreos, 5 bananas is probably excessive. I think your previous statement about eating clean was dead on the money. If you stick to a diet full of whole foods and lean Proteins, and stay away from processed foods altogether, I think you have more freedom in terms of amounts. It's when the processed foods enter the picture, pastas, breads, candies, bacon, sausage, etc....things start to go off the rails fast...that's been my experience so far anyhow. I don't set limits on what I eat. I just have one rule. As minimally processed as possible. I attribute a large part of my success so far to that.

On vacation in Portugal right now and have a massage scheduled in about 2 hours....can't wait!

I would say that there are a lot of far worse choices you could have made in that situation for sure. I stay away from fast food altogether though....without exception. If I find myself out and about and getting to the point where I feel like I absolutely need to eat, I typically will stop into a grocery store and grab a salad or piece of fruit to hold me over until my next meal. Also, at the grocery stores here, they sell pre-made hard-boiled eggs and I will grab those as well at times. I live in a larger city though, so perhaps convenience is an issue where you are at?

The good news is that in the beginning (immediately post-op), if your experience is like mine was, you'll find it difficult to put away enough food to really worry about sabotaging yourself. I didn't have the desire to eat constantly like I did pre-op. I did have urges, but they went away quickly and I attribute them to nothing more than head hunger. If you keep yourself nourished and feed your body healthy foods, your cravings will subside over time. In the beginning, the "hunger" or "cravings" are mostly (if not totally) mental. They come and go and like anything else, if you stay away long enough, they pass for good (my experience). Having said all of that, you really do need to go into this with a different mindset toward food than perhaps you had prior to surgery. I love food...always have...always will. Now I just love different foods, and a lot less of it. It's not an easy road, but it is one filled with a lot more happiness....at least mine has been. Best of luck!

There are plenty of threads on here about them if you search for "Vitamin patch" you should get plenty of results. I've not tried the Multivitamin Patches, however, I do use the Vitamin B-Complex Patches from PatchMD (I think they call them energy patch), and I really do like them. I notice a difference on days when I remember to put them on over days where I forget. You could always try them and if you don't like them, try something else. Best of luck

Love the Opurity Vitamins. One thing I would add, is that the Opurity Complete line Multivitamin requires 4 capsules daily BUT it has the following benefits over the chewables: 50% more Vitamin A 250% more Vitamin D 200% more Vitamin B1 2500% more Vitamin B12 83% more Iron 67% more Zinc 50% more Copper 142% more Chromium It includes 100% of the daily value of Molybdenum which the chewables do not (helps break down amino acids) The capsules don't have Calcium, but the chewables only contain 5% anyway, so you'll most likely be taking a separate supplement for that regardless of choice. The capsules are easy to take, and if you can't take pills and/or don't like the taste of the chewables, you can break open the capsules and add the powder inside to smoothies, Protein shakes, or just about anything else. They really are great and so far, all of my labs have been perfect. In addition to these, I do take 2 different Probiotics, an additional B-Complex patch, a sublingual B-12 tablet (also opurity) and magnesium. Love love love the product. Clean ingredients, China free ingredients, and minimal additional ingredients. Regardless of which one you choose, the company is really good, and both types come in 90-day supply bottles which is an added bonus in my book!

Oh man, you could mix it with just about anything. Soups, pudding, homemade salad dressings, juices, smoothies, mashed cauliflower...you can get pretty creative with the stuff. I tend to stay away from the "carb" mixes though like pancakes, breads, etc etc. I don't need excuses like "but it's got protein in it" to tempt me lol.

I waited about the same as @@Dub, maybe a little less, but only had a few sips of wine. I don't think I would've been able to get down a whole glass at that point. I'd definitely stay away from beer and other carbonated beverages though. I will reiterate what I tend to in these threads, and that is to be aware of the fact that alcohol is simply empty calories. So soon after surgery, those calories are valuable as you can't consume very many, so you have to make a choice where to "spend" them, and alcohol gives nothing in return (as far as your weight loss is concerned ). Also, I made sure I cleared with doc first, and first try was at home in case things "didn't go well". Best of luck