anniebanana

What about herbal teas? There are some wonderful flavors made by Yogi. My favorite right now is cranberry spice. I have actually found that drinking flavored waters slowed my weight loss. I'm not sure why, but as soon as I switched to plain Water and herbal teas exclusively, the weight has been falling off.

My surgeon told me the drain was to test for leaks. They can detect stomach fluids in the contents of the bag. Mine was taken out the day I left the hospital, though. I'm not sure the purpose of being sent home with one.

Yep, it is normal, and it does last for a while with both drinking and eating. It does ease up a bit, but mine didn't go away completely until 8 weeks post-op.

As long as the leggings are loose...that's what I used. Also, be sure you bring a pillow or have one in your car for the ride home. The road bumps can be very uncomfortable if you don't have something to support your stomach with.

@@Clarevoyant OH yes, smoothies hide it entirely! I'm not supposed to do smoothies anymore, but when I could they were amazing!!

I use it in cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and cream of wheat. I notice it subtly changes the taste of the cream of wheat, but I don't notice it at all in the others.

Yes, definitely. It's not as pronounced for me at 8 weeks, though.

Totally normal. It goes away in a few weeks

Though it's hard not to, you shouldn't compare your progress with others. Some people have BMI's well above yours, so they will lose weight faster. There are several factors that make weight loss easier for some more than others. As long as you are doing what you're supposed to, have faith that it will come off. Also, keep in mind that some people post their TOTAL weight loss...not just the amount lost from surgery. My stats show 45 pounds lost but that's total. I have lost 31 since surgery, and most of that was in the first month. I've only lost 8 pounds in the second month post-op.

@@justhere4theshow The changes are very interesting, aren't they? My biggest weakness pre-surgery was baked goods...cupcakes, Cookies, cakes, pies...anything sweet. Now I don't even think about those (thankfully!) I like to add romaine, celery, onion and pickle to tuna or chicken with greek yogurt or light mayo. I can only get down about 1/4 cup, but the additions to the Protein make it not so boring and give it some texture.

Loved it before surgery and still love it mixed with chicken or tuna.

@@dede_mont My goal is 154 (hoping to beat that, actually) with 70 pounds to go. This morning I finally weigh less than my husband who has put on 40 pounds since we married lol. Good luck on your journey!

@@ttdish Was it uncomfortable for you to go to those types of foods right away? I have had slight discomfort with just Protein shakes. I go to stage three this week and wonder what more solid foods are going to feel like.

It all gets very confusing. My surgeon didn't require a weight loss. My NUT told me that I should still try. My program coordinator warned me not to get below a 35 BMI. I'm not sure if it's the same with other programs.

@@TracyBar You're being very smart in how you're approaching this. It's definitely not something anyone should do on a whim, and thankfully most people (at least with insurance) have a waiting period before they can have the surgery. I would encourage you to read the book "The Obesity Code" if you have not already. I've spent about 41 years of my 51 blaming myself for being a failure, for being too gluttonous, too lazy, for something that really is largely out of my hands. I don't eat any more now than I did in my 20's, yet I am 100 pounds heavier! The statistics are sobering, and I'm sure you've read them...only 5% of obese individuals who lose weight manage to keep it off, and they are the ones who are in the gym all the time, something that most of us cannot commit to. Not because it's not important, but because we have so many responsibilities. I did have a trial run. I was approved in 2011 and backed out, lost weight with a personal trainer, watched it all come back very quickly. I feel my body breaking down due to carrying all this excess weight. I hope I made the right decision...too late to go back now at 12 days post op. But I'm down 15 pounds since last Saturday, and I really don't think eating with the small stomach is going to be as terrifying as I anticipated. Thanks for sharing your story and I hope you find some answers that help you in your decision! PS, I wouldn't go to that clinic either! An open dialogue is so important with this, especially when you will be returning back to the states and won't be able to just drive there the way you could with a center here!