Montana Gal

I fill up 3 24oz Camelbak bottles and one 16oz bottle with Water and keep them lined up in the fridge. I begin drinking from the 16oz bottle when I get out of bed. My goal is to have all of them drank(or drunk?) by the time I go to bed at night. It helps to keep me on track and know how much I have had. I find that I can drink a lot easier using the Camelbaks. Routine and schedule works well for me with both Protein and water, but I am a little OCD. :-)

Welcome @@Laura62! I am 50, you will find that there are others our age on this forum with a great amount of wisedom and knowledge. Those who are younger also have a great deal of experience and advice to pass on as well. You have come to the right place!

It's an amazing feeling, seeing the number go below 200 for the first time in a long time! Congratulations and well done!

As @@JamieLogical posted, here isn't a whole lot you can do but get in your protein requirement as soon as possible and take you multivitamins, all of them. My hair loss started at 5 months out and now at 11 months, I can see tiny strands of baby hair forming around the outside of my face....It's coming back!

Google "The World According to Eggface" for some bariatric appropriate uses of food on the puree stage. There is a lot you can do with high Protein meats, such as chicken, fish(was my favorite on that stage). Well done veggies mashed up/pureed. Mashed cauliflower tastes good and is healthy too. A lot of people puree black, kidney or pinto Beans and add a bit of sour cream and cheese...another high protein option.

I weighed every morning for the first 7 months or so. Now I weigh every Tuesday and Friday and log it in MFP.

Yes, I was on a 12 day clear liquid diet. My surgeon requires the use of clear Isopure Protein drink found at GNC. I hated the taste, but it did keep me from getting weak/dizzy during the liquid phase. I used different broths and played around a lot with herbal teas. I was allowed sugar free Jello and popsicles. I didn't care for the jello, but the Outshine brand of popsicles was a lifesaver. Everyone's plan is different, once per day up until 2 days before surgery I was allowed to eat 1/2 cup raw carrots, broccoli or apple....that's it. As to your second question, yes it is VERY normal to become nervous and anxious before surgery. It's major surgery, but you will do great! From what I have seen on this forum and other bariatric sites, people with a lot of weight to loose/high BMI do loose a significant amount of weight quite fast. But like most of us, it usually slows down to a steady pace. I wish you a healthy recovery, it's an amazing life changing process!

I ate a lot of fish during the soft phase, especially Swai and Cod. Baked them with a little lemon juice and olive oil. Easy to swallow and a lot of Protein. I also stuck pretty much with greek yogurt, cottage cheese, scrambled eggs w/cheese.

It took me almost a year to finally be brave enough to post a picture!

My Bariatric team's rules say no baby food. "It's made for babies that need to grow, not adults who need to loose." These words exactly were in my handbook. So no, I never ate it during the puree phase.

Everyone above gave you great suggestions! Talking with your therapist is a must, get one if you can. First and foremost is to call your PCP and go over your medications, be honest with her/him about how and what you are feeling. Yes, hobbies are great......but finding the motivation to them right now is hard, that I understand. In the meantime, get out and walk, even if it's for 15 minutes. Push yourself to do it, it does help. Keep us informed, I wish you the best!

@@The New Kel, GOOD FOR YOU!!!

I asked my surgeon to not use a foley cath, he said no problem as long as I get out of bed to use the bathroom as soon as possible after surgery...I did without any trouble. The JP drain hurt for about 30 seconds while the nurse pulled it out, no pain afterwards.

Based on your previous posts and the above post I'm going to say that you want to work with a company located in Beaverton.Lol. Indeed. I have an interview in Beaverton set for next week. It would be fantastic to get it. Tomorrow I'm interviewing in Hillsboro...at one of the Farms. But they don't care so much about appearance. Too many engineers. Wish me luck! Sent from my SM-G925V using the BariatricPal App @@Vinasu & @, I went on a tour of the Roloff Farm in Hillsboro a year ago in October, such a beautiful area!!! We drove around on the backroads looking at other farms too, reminded me of something out of a movie.

Your smile speaks volumes, great job!

The second paragraph on the first page makes it sound like you must complete one of them, not both. Give them a call to find out exactly what is required.

@@CakesItUp, please be respectful. @@OutsideMatchInside and @@LipstickLady have lost 281 pounds between them. They are WLS veterans who have extensive knowledge and wisedom to pass onto others. I realize that it is hard to decipher the intent or emotion of a response through a computer or smartphone. What may seem like "cranky" advice or "troll" like behavior to you, could be lifesaving knowledge to others.

I used a lot of white types of fish, Swai was my favorite. I baked it with a little olive oil and lemon, it was so soft already all I had to do was mash it a little with my fork. Soft, moist and a good way to get a healthy dose of Protein.

I could not stand the flavors of the powders, so I used an unflavored Protein powder mixed with unsweetened almond milk and added PB2(sold everywhere now) and a little bit of stevia. Hope that helps, best wishes on your upcoming surgery!

Pre op testing is usually to get a basline on your blood count and blood chemistry. I do not know of any surgeons who do drug testing other than maybe for nicotine. I believe you are safe taking something for congestion, but call your surgeon's office if you are concerned....best of luck with your surgery.

You are so brave, I wish you the best health during your recovery.

When I picked my brother up from the airport after not seeing him for about 6 months and he said "holy s***, where did the rest of you go?" That's when my true appreciation set in, I wanted him to be proud of me.

I begin to itch when I watch "Hoarders" and feel like there are bugs crawling on my skin. I usually begin to clean and organize obsessively afterwards.

Both surgeries are wonderful tools, you will know in your heart which one is right for you. The only regret I had was the normal "oh my, what have I done to myself?" thoughts for a few days following surgery because of pain, etc.

I wanted the bypass as well, but my surgeon suggested the sleeve as it was a better fit with the medications I take. I don't regret it for a minute(maybe the first few days). It's been a slow, but steady weight loss with zero complications. Best wishes to you with your decision. @@Mrs.Tricey, you have a beautiful sense of style!!