miiasan

your doctor's office probably has a list of foods - I know mine did. Pretty much anything with the consistency of yogurt or cottage cheese. Scrambled eggs, re-fried Beans, etc. I wouldn't do tortillas or bagels for at least a few more months. Your stomach is still trying to heal from surgery and you don't want something to get stuck. Again, check with your doctor's office - and I think there is probably a thread here somewhere that covers this subject pretty well... Congrats on getting to the soft food stage. I remember that going on soft foods helped make me feel more normal after shakes for so many weeks.

oh - and I think most of us gained weight with the surgery - they pump you full of liquids - so don't be surprised when you get home and weigh more than when you go into surgery. Also - your weight will stall - just know it now so you won't be frustrated later. Mine stalled after only 1 week and stayed stalled for almost a month. Of course, not everyone is 'blessed' with as many stalls as I have - but, hey - I'm special lol. Anyway, my point is - the weight still comes off - everyone at their own rate. You have to trust in the process - keep doing what you are supposed to and try not to get frustrated.

You might want to try different types of Protein shakes that are recommended by your doctor's office before surgery. The liquid portion of the diet - both before and after was the worst part of it all. I used Premier Protein Shakes - they tasted good and were pre-mixed which made it easy. Some folks don't like them, though, so trying out different kinds before surgery would be a good idea. That being said, after surgery I was lactose intolerant - so my stomach didn't like the shakes too well (or anything with whey). I tried several different types of protein shakes (and hated most of them)and also used unjury unflavored Protein powder in my Soups. I got through the liquid stage - but weaned myself off the shakes as soon as I was able. I don't touch them now lol. If you look, you will probably find lots of discussion on here about protein shakes and the liquid diet. For me, the best thing to get through it was to tell myself over and over again that it was not forever. I can do anything for a specified period of time. If you find you are lactose intolerant Fair Life Milk is really good. No lactose - more protein per serving than milk and tastes great. It is expensive, though. I get mine at Walmart. Practice before surgery what your doctor will want you to do afterwards. I think it makes the transition easier. My stomach could not tolerate Water for a couple of months after surgery - drinking water was really painful. I drank low sodium chicken broth, Powerade zero and crystal light. Warm liquids went down better than cold - so except for the broth, I drank everything at room temperature. I purchased Bariatric Advantage multi essentials because it was chewable and had all the Vitamins in it that I need to take now that I have had the surgery. I do not need to take Iron, but they also have the vitamins with iron. I also purchased some Calcium chews through them. Of course, there are several brands - and are all probably about equal. I think taking a bariatric Vitamin saves me a lot of worry about whether I am getting enough of everything - and it is all in 2 tablets a day. I had to grind up all my other meds and mix with unsweetened applesauce for the first two weeks after surgery. It was absolutely awful and I was so glad that my doctor cleared me to swallow pills at my two week appointment. After surgery I did not have the 'i'm full' sensation for about 2 weeks. I could drink my protein and water with no problem at all. I remember wondering about it - but it eventually came. So, be careful not to do something or eat something that you are not supposed to because it goes down well and you don't get that 'full' sensation the first few weeks. My doctor's office had someone who ate a cheeseburger a week after surgery and ended back in the hospital for more surgery. It is important to follow the plan no matter what so you can heal. A few thoughts (and another book lol)

I take bariatric advantage chewable multi essentials and a chewable calcium twice a day. My NUT gave me a list of all the vitamins I would need after surgery and the one I take has them all in it.

yeah, I can't remember how long it was before my bowels moved - but it was awhile. Then I was pretty constipated until I got to the soft food stage and stopped relying solely on Protein shakes. I used Milk of Magnesia a few times to help things along. Since I have been on regular food I have not had any problems at all. I know that some people have more problems than others - but once I figured out I was lactose intolerant and moved away from the Protein Shakes entirely I was fine. Congrats on your surgery. Things will only get better from this time on...

Hi, and welcome! You will find that this site is a great place to do research, ask questions and sometimes just vent. Sodas can be hard to give up and doubly so if they have caffeine in them. The sooner you give them up, though, the easier the transition will be for you. Maybe you can change over to Crystal Light or something like that if you don't like Water too much. Some people give sodas up gradually and others all at once. I am an all at once kind of person - had a really wicked headache...but once I gave them up I never looked back. I know it can be hard when your spouse eats differently. For instance, my husband (we have been married for almost 41 years) has always eaten what he wants and has never gained weight. He doesn't have the high blood pressure or high cholesterol that I had. But he has had cancer for the last 6 years and has lost a lot of weight from surgeries and chemo. He has been through a lot and I don't feel as though making him change to my diet is fair. In other words, even though I put plenty of Protein and veggies on his plate, I also fix him potatoes, bread, rice and Pasta - even though I don't eat them anymore. We always have veggies and fruits in the house for Snacks, but I also have other stuff in the house for him if he wants it. I changed my way of eating about 5 months before surgery and stuck with it with pure will power and determination - knowing that I was preparing for surgery and a healthier life - knowing that this time I would have a tool to help me not only lose weight but with a change in lifestyle - to keep it off. It surely wasn't easy to do with my husband eating whatever but I can be pretty focused and disciplined when I put it in short terms. Sometimes as short as ....'I will get through today', etc - pretty soon it got easier and easier. Now that I have had gastric bypass I find that I am not even tempted by what he eats. I can prepare meals for us knowing that I am taking care of myself the way I need to. I am 4 months out from surgery and still have trouble getting in the 800 calories that my NUT wants me to get in every day. Those 800 calories are mostly protein with sometimes fruit or veggies added in. I haven't tried sweets at all because 1) they don't tempt me yet and 2) I am afraid of dumping. I have found that I don't tolerate lactose, cream or anything fatty. In fact, I crave healthy foods. I know that this might change in time, but I am looking at this period as a good 'training' for the rest of my life. Before surgery (and even now) it helped me to plan my day of food and to track everything I put into my mouth. Not planning my day was dangerous and made me prone to eat whatever appealed to me at the moment. I am not saying that once in a while (before surgery) I didn't go off plan - but because I tracked everything it was easier to be honest and truthful with myself. Also, I keep my goals ever before me. Some people don't like weighing every day. I love seeing the scale go down - knowing where I started - knowing where I'm headed. I was able to lose 30 lbs before surgery and every pound I was able to lose brought me closer to the goal of surgery and a new me. A great motivator for me right now is a 'before' picture - I don't ever want to go back to that! I've written a book - sorry about that. You will find that as each of us are different - so are our journeys - but we are all here to support each other. That comes with love (sometimes tough love) and as many different opinions as there are people here. I shared with you what has worked for me; you need to explore what works for you. Go through the site and read the wealth of threads available; there are lots of questions and lots of answers! I wish you success on your journey.

I am about 4 months out. As far as the flavors - yes, you most definitely be able to enjoy them. You will need to stay away from breads, rice, white potatoes, and sugar, but you will probably find that you will not want them as much. So, that leaves out those decadent Desserts for sure - and freshly baked bread (my weakness). You will only be able to eat a tiny bit at first and will struggle to get in enough . . . eating Protein first always. You will need to let your stomach heal. You will also find that your tastes and what you can tolerate changes. For instance, I cannot stand fatty food - it really makes me nauseous. You would be surprised how much butter is used in restaurants! I slowly started using different spices at about a month and tolerated them well. While it is true that you can only eat 2 oz. at a time and it has to be protein -there are various ways to prepare it which can make it taste great. I wouldn't worry if I were you. Of course you will have to change on your pre-diet and post diet to shakes and some pretty bland food. Sometimes it can be hard - but as with a lot of things - that time passes pretty quickly and before you know it you will be cleared to eat just about anything (within the 'protein first' protocol) Good luck with your surgery and healing time. Stick with the plan and know that down the road you can experiment with flavors. I think you will find that you won't be able to tolerate some hings, but others will be absolutely delicious.

I, too, was motivated by personal experience. A couple of years ago I watched my father die slowly and painfully with congestive heart failure. I was virtually on the same path - with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, a stent, and diabetes. When I do tell someone about the surgery, I tell them about my father and my concerns about my own health problems. People seem to take it really well and I do not get any disparaging comments. I get a lot of comments about my weight loss. My body and particularly my face has changed so much. I think I would wonder if people didn't say anything. Some of the comments I hear are: 'wow, you are looking great' 'wow, I had to do a double take; I hardly recognized you' 'look at you, so skinny' and from my husband 'I am so proud of you' I am 3 1/2 months out from surgery and people have finally quit asking how I am feeling, so that is good. When someone asks about how I lost the weight, I say diet and exercise because that is true. I tell them that I have cut out soda, potatoes, rice, Pasta, bread and sweets. I tell them that I concentrate on getting enough Protein, then eat veggies and fruit and that when I eat starch it is a good starch. I tell them that I exercise between 1 1/2 hours and 2 hours a day. And I like the comments because I HAVE worked hard to get to where I am.

Although I started out having to lose 100 lbs by time my surgery date came I had 77 lbs left to lose. In a little over 3 months I have lost 33 of those. I have lost slower than a lot of others, it seems - even though I stick to the diet, get all my Protein, Vitamins and Water in and exercise 5-6 days a week. Maybe it is because I am almost 60 years old - don't know. On reflection, though, 33 lbs in a little over 3 months is still pretty darn awesome and I think the slower weight loss is giving my body a chance to 'catch up'. I have had some serious stalls along the way, too. They usually last for a few weeks at a time. I don't get overly concerned about them, though, as I am following the plan and the weight is coming off. I think as long as you do what your doctor and nutritionist tell you to do you should be just fine. Hang in there and know that it will happen.

A1C is an average of your blood sugars over a 3 month period. It takes awhile to get it down. Mine was 8.8 when I had my first appt and I was told that I had to get it down to below 8 or the surgeon wouldn't operate. I was able to get it down to 7.8 in three months just in time for my surgery. Are you on insulin? I was on Lantus and Novalog and was put on Victoza to help get mine down. I also cut out sodas, Pasta, rice, potatoes - started logging everything I ate and cut down to 1200 calories a day. That, with increased exercise did the trick. I also managed to lose about 29 lbs before surgery, so it was a two-fer. It won't be easy for sure! A pump could help, but they are awfully expensive. Do you check your blood sugar in the am, before meals and a couple hours after meals? That really helps your Endocrinologist to adjust your meds so you can get tighter control. The better your A1C, the less chances of complications with the surgery and the faster your recovery the best of luck to you. You can do this - just keep your mind focused on the benefits long term

water really hurt my stomach for the first few weeks after surgery so I resorted to warm broth and powerade zero - I eventually was able to tolerate drinking a few sips of room temperature water at around 4 weeks and do really well with it now. As far as the pain meds go - I stopped them while still in the hospital; I seem to have a high tolerance for pain. All people are different, though, and you must do what is best for you. Things get better - do what you can do when you can do it. It took a while for me to be able to get all my protein in - but every day I was able to do a bit more. You will get there!

are you pre-op? You should have at least 60 grams of Protein a day. I used Premier Protein shakes before surgery and for a bit after surgery. After surgery my body didn't tolerate whey protein very well. I tried lots of other types of protein shakes and didn't like any of them. I sucked it up and went back to whey protein - used the unflavored unjury. We do what we must. I am 3 1/2 months out from surgery now and am able to get in all my protein with regular food - but it takes a lot of planning and 3 meals and 2 Snacks a day. I also occasionally eat a Protein Bar - but can only do so about once every 2 weeks because of the problem with whey. Hang in there! Things do get better.

yeah, I have BCBSNC and it only took a few days. Good luck!

that is great! hope everything goes smoothly. When my paperwork was submitted to BCBS they approved really quickly (less than a week). Hope that is the same for you. Good luck!

Congratulations! You are such an inspiration to those of us who have just started.

could it be a food - like lactose or whey?

Amazing! God works in mysterious ways. My husband's pancreatic cancer was found 'by mistake' - saved his life!

I am not sure, but years ago I had BCBS of MN through my employment even though I lived in the state of WA. All my claims went through BCBS of MN. Have you recently moved? Perhaps your husband's employer is big like mine was and just purchases all their policies through BCBS of IL. You should have something that tells you - your id card?

wow! congratulations....definitely a happy dance moment

yeah, hang in there! It is worth it. Good luck on your upcoming surgery

yeah, your NUT should have given you guidelines at a month out I could eat more of some things (like soup) than others, but generally could eat only around 2 ounces. Broth is different as it is a liquid - still could only drink sips but it goes right through, whereas when I ate food - even though it was mushy - example - refried beans....2 ounces was hard to finish. Of course, protein shakes go through rather quickly, which is why they are still so important for you because you can't possibly eat enough protein yet.

@@s0rda that is fantastic~~WOW! congratulations May this next year of weight loss be as wonderful.. Keep up the great work!

Congrats on breaking the 200 barrier @@60&goin4it I am soooo close. Am hoping to see it soon, though. I have a problem with water, too - I set it all out in the morning and start out well enough, then something happens in the afternoon and before I know it 7:00 p.m. has come and gone and I still have 30 ounces to drink lol! I had my first run in with eating too much and having it come back up. It happened on Christmas Eve of all days. Ate dinner early because I was playing the organ for church and wanted to get my protein in. Then about 10 minutes later I felt my sugar was low, checked it and it was 58. Since I had only had protein for dinner and was worried about trying to play the organ with low blood sugar, I popped a half a banana down. Argh! I was throwing up off and on all evening. Thankfully, though, it timed out well enough for me to still play the service Lesson learned - if I had thought to check my blood sugar before I filled up with protein I could have included a bit of carbs in my meal. I still have a couple of weeks before my next check-up with the surgeon. Definitely want to be under 200 by then!

great job- you look amazing!

I don't have any suggestions for shoes, but is it possible for you to swim instead - perhaps join the Y? Swimming, Water aerobics, etc. is much better on your body and is a great form of exercise.