2goldengirl

I waited to try anything salad-y until about 6-8 weeks out (I honestly don't remember exactly). I first tried some shredded iceberg lettuce under some taco chicken I'd made. Earlier that day, there was a caesar salad on a lunch buffet at a work event. I tried three little pieces or romaine, just to see how they went. It was heaven. And I discovered, to my complete and utter delight, that romaine and iceberg, the crunchy lettuces, are sliders for me. Now I have salad several times a week and I am very, very happy to be able to do so. That said, I know there are folks here on these boards who have trouble with leafy greens. I've got trouble getting my required calories in for a day, and a salad with avocado and real dressing is a huge help there.

Then it would be a good idea to say that in your question, wouldn't it? Speaking only for myself, the dealbreaker for me is the presence of sugar alcohols. My sleeve doesn't have a problem with them but my gut sure does. I've lost my taste for sweets, anyhow, so seeking out sugar-free, lactose free ice cream isn't on my radar.

You mean a lactose free one? If the info in your profile is correct, you're three months out. Your sleeve should be tolerating a lot of different foods by now. The question is, if you "can" have something, should you? We don't know anything about your surgeon's postop instructions - whether you have Protein, calorie, or carb targets and/or restrictions. We don't know what foods are craving triggers for you. So honestly, this is a question you have to ask yourself, and be prepared to ask for the rest of your life: Is this choice on my plan? Will my sleeve tolerate it? How will I feel after I make this choice? Will it get me closer to my goal(s)? Then you make your choice based on that, not what a bunch of strangers on the internet say. We aren't the food police.

10-15 gm added sugar IS low - it's supposed to be. With intake as low as it is postop, it's important to get as much nutritional bang for your buck as possible. Foods high in added sugar also have the unfortunate tendency to be less high in actual nutrients. How far out are you? Immediately postop, I had trouble getting anything in, and my surgeon OK'd Gatorade with the sugar in it, I needed the calories in that particular case for a short while (about a week).

A stall at three weeks out is very, very, VERY common. You are generally back to a typical activity level and your intake has been severely restricted. You are healing, and have not been taking in sufficient calories to met your basic needs at rest. Just keep following your postop instructions. 8 kg. in three weeks is still a significant loss!

The more you are up and moving around, the less important they are. And no matter what your surgeon says, they aren't proven to prevent blood clots anyhow.

@@Deuel30, the elimination of the waiting period is only for CA H M O plans, it doesn't hold true for other plans in other states.

@@Lynne5767, I hear you - but the truth is, especially in the early months, we shrink out of our clothes at what can be an alarming rate. And we all know that the seasons and what is found in stores don't always coincide. As a for instance, two months before my surgery, I ran into some end-of-season sales on some basics I knew I'd be needing - black trousers and dressy jeans for work, my favorite knit tops (Talbots). I got two pair each of black trousers and work jeans from Haute Look, and black and white tops from Talbots. They were in two consecutively smaller sizes. I'm in the smaller size of them all now, and so glad I did this, because I've had basics to wear. I've gotta get busy, though, cause these won't last me forever. I just got rid of another two big bags of clothes that are hanging on me, including almost all of my summer capris and crops. I've just got time to get a few summer things in before everything is all fall and winter in the stores. I live in northern CA, and we get some of our warmest days between September and mid-November. I have to plan ahead!

At 11 days out, keeping up your fluids is first, Protein is second, calories third in priority. Don't sweat it, just keep sipping - and know that your newly refashioned stomach may well be cranky for a few weeks yet. Mine certainly was, but at 11 weeks (rather than 11 days), the only thing my gut (not stomach, gut) didn't appreciate is caffeinated coffee. I'm a bit more than 12 weeks now. Hang in there!

10 days is a bit far out - it's more common to see a slight fever (up to 101) from postop inflammatory response. How is her hydration? Another thing that causes fever is dehydration.

For one thing, if cheese is your main concern, cheese is very, very low in lactose - the cheesemaking process breaks it down. If you could handle broccoli and cheddar soup, I would suspect that your pudding issue was something else. Or nothing, except normal postop fluctuations. Take heart, and keep trying!

@@Cari Dickenson, early on, your sleeve may be too swollen and not producing enough gastric enzymes yet to process raw veggies easily, but one veggie is not the same as another. Tomatoes (cut up) and shredded lettuce were easy for me from about 8 weeks out. I often make a batch of taco chicken for the week and eat it over shredded lettuce with tomatoes, salsa, and a little light sour cream. Mini taco salads are muy bueno. I am 12 weeks out today, and I got a salad from my fave place for lunch. I got a half-portion of the salad, and ate about a third of that. I'll have more tomorrow for lunch. It has lettuce, carrots, mushrooms, cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes (along with chicken, a half an egg, some avocado, and a sprinkle of bacon). No trouble digesting it whatsoever.

For heaven's sake, you had major surgery three days ago. OF COURSE you're tired, your body is working overtime to heal. You may only have a few bandaids on the outside, but your body is working extra-hard on the inside, believe me. Drink your fluids - dehydration can make you both fatigued and nauseated. Drink your Protein, your body needs protein to repair tissues. Nap when you need it. Go to bed early, and get up late, your body does it's best repair work when you're asleep.

From what you describe, you likely aren't eating enough to keep losing. I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but you need to eat enough to lose.

It's different for everyone. It isn't a race. it isn't about how much you can lose in X amount of time. Especially for the rift month to six weeks. your body has one overriding goal - healing from the trauma of surgery. Weight loss is secondary to that as far as your body is concerned. Follow your postop instructions, and you will be successful!

liquids won't stretch your sleeve. I don't know why people believe this can happen, but an awful lot of folks do. Liquids pass almost immediately down your sleeve and into your small intestine. No worries.

A couple things to remember. First, because You Just Had Major Surgery, your stomach isn't sending accurate full/empty signals yet this early out. That's why you're given guidelines about amounts to eat. Second, don't fret overmuch at this stage about carbs/no carbs. Your intake is so tiny that you really need what calories you can take in, in forms your body can handle. Believe me when I tell you, your restriction will make itself know to you in very specific terms once you begin solids.

I've supplemented stuff I haven't been able to wear in a couple years with consignment finds, and I bought two pair of jeans and black pants for work in January in two consecutively smaller sizes. They were a steal on Nordstrom Rack online. Fortunately, I guessed right on the sizes! I have a lot of scarves and other accessories, so I keep pants/tops to a minimum.

I'm 10 weeks out. 1. Can you still enjoy the same foods with just a smaller portion size? At this point, I haven't tried anything that I can't eat, though some things sit heavier so I don't enjoy them as much. Overcooked eggs are an example. I haven't tried steak yet. 2.What are the portion sizes that you can eat? Depending on the texture, I can handle 2-3 oz of Protein at a time now. I can do a half-cup of cottage cheese or refried Beans. I can do a cup of Soup, depending on what's in it. 3. Do you regret having this surgery? Not for a moment. Good luck to you!

If you follow directions post op, the weight comes off. Everyone experiences stalls from time to time, but it comes off.

How fast did you drink it?

@@Alex Brecher, We are eating out more often, but I get plenty of mileage out of a restaurant meal. I had a third of my lunch for lunch, another third for dinner, and there is more left for tomorrow, too.

With a very active job AND hitting the gym, 600-800 calories is WAY too low. You simply need more than that. I've gotten slammed for this, but your metabolism will slow down the longer you stay under 1000-ish calories a day. Period. And you are still healing. Your body needs REST in order to recover. Back off at the gym and eat more. How do I know this? I had my RMR (resting metabolic rate) tested. I also had a session with a PhD in exercise physiology who works for a major university medical center (that means she knows what she's talking about). I am over 60 with a desk job and in three months of calories not greater than 800/day, my metabolic rate dropped forty percent. So I have been directed never to eat less than my RMR per day (right now, that's 1290 calories a day). That's what my body requires at complete rest, and I've recovered from my surgery. Anything less than that will slow my metabolism further. For now, I'm not to do any intense workouts until I can keep my calories at 1290 (and it's a challenge at ten weeks out). Walking is fine, I'm to increase both calories and activity. I had this testing done on Wednesday. I was stalled. I've lost two lbs. in two days by upping my calories as directed.

Mucinex should be fine in addition to the sudafed that is on the list. No NSAIDS in the Mucinex.

You should be able to see any RD who sees outpatients at any Sutter facility. Sutter Memorial is where most of the WLS is done up there. You could call either Dr. Shadle or Dr. Eslami's office and see who they use for RD.