ShelterDog64

Good lord, I used the RDA calculator and this is what it gave me: You Entered: Female Age: 52 yrs Height: 5 ft. 7 in. Weight: 160 lbs. Active Not Pregnant or Lactating Results: Estimated Daily Caloric Needs: 2427 kcal/day • About BMI Each reference value refers to average daily nutrient intake; day-to-day nutrient intakes may vary. Macronutrient Recommended Intake per day Carbohydrate 273 - 394 grams 1 Protein 58 grams Fat 54 - 94 grams 2 Total Water* 2.7 Liters (about 11 cups)

You won't feel any restriction on liquids...they don't 'fill' your sleeve. You'll feel it when you start eating dense protein. You're able to take in more liquid as time goes by because the swelling in your sleeve is going down. And no, liquids don't/won't/can't stretch your sleeve

I weigh/measure my protein, but I also 'listen' to my body. They aren't mutually exclusive

The first month or two is SO HARD, and it seems endless when you're in the middle of it. But it does get better, SO MUCH better. I had my surgery right before the July 4th holiday, which is a big BBQ/beer/more beer fest with our friends and family. I locked myself in my bathroom and cried twice during the day and evening; the BBQ smelled awesome, the beer looked fabulous, the corn, the cupcakes...good grief. And I had a Premier Protein that was making me nauseated Fast forward to where I am now...went to Easter brunch with friends, and it was a buffet. I ate what I wanted, starting with my protein. I had some prime rib, 3 shrimp and smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers. A couple of brussels sprouts and a couple of tiny braised carrots. And when my husband came back to the table with a piece of carrot cake, I had 2 delicious bites of it. I didn't feel weird, left out, hungry or unhappy. I'm also 89 lbs lighter and very close to goal. The beginning of this sucks, quite frankly. Just know that down the road, your NEW normal is going to be good, too...and it's going to be healthier and something you can sustain. Good luck to you, I hope today is a better day

Okay, so you gave in. That was one meal, on one day. It's up to you whether that's going to be repeated or not! None of us are perfect, and none of us goes through this without a single slip or misstep. The thing that will make us successes or failures is how we react to the misstep. Brush yourself off, get back on plan and the NEXT time you feel like indulging in something that might be a bad idea...you can look back to this and decide if the indulgence is worth the aftermath. I've walked away from quite a few pieces of cake using that mindset Also, don't EVER weigh at the end of the day...I drink an 8 oz glass of water before bed every night, I'd be crazy to weigh then and consider that my actual weight with a half-pound of water in my stomach! Get up in the morning, use the bathroom, strip and weigh yourself. Then repeat weighing yourself that way as often as works for you. I'm a daily weigher, some prefer weekly, monthly or random days...whatever you choose, do it at the same time of day, wearing the same thing.

I alternated between diarrhea and constipation for most of the first 4 months after surgery. I used Citrucel early on to help regulate my bowels, it's methylcellulose and won't produce gas in your stomach or intestines...that was important for me because any gas pains really bothered me for a few months. Now I use Benefiber, as it's completely undetectable in anything I add it to, plus it helps with your gut flora. The only other tip I have is to rethink your body's normal bowel habits. I only go maybe twice a week now, sometimes 3 times. I'm taking in so much less food than previously, and it's more digestible food, too, so less solid waste. Good luck, and I hope you're feeling better soon

I brought pajama pants and a loose top...I got into those as soon as I was back in my room after the surgery. I always feel so much better out of that hospital gown and into my own things. Plus, I felt much better walking the halls in pants than a gown. Brought my own slippers, too

Liquids won't trigger your restriction at all...I never felt mine until I was eating dense proteins like chicken and beef.

Great links, thanks...none of which proves or even addresses an identical physiological response for sugar and aspartame. The absence of an insulin response from artificial sweeteners is basic nutrition science, well documented and proven over and over again. As I said, I'm not a fan of aspartame (or sucralose, saccharine, etc). I'm leery of how the body uses it's by-products, particularly phenylalanine, with it's ability to cross the blood-brain barrier when used in combination with carbohydrates. I avoid artificial sweetners almost entirely...except for those darned sugar-free Popsicles.

I'm not a huge fan of aspartame, but it absolutely does not have the same physiological affect as sugar. For me, it's not a 'disdain' of simple sugars, but a very real appreciation for what's worked for me for the last 10 months. Curbing my carbohydrate intake, simple carbs in particular, has helped me a great deal in losing 90 lbs. When I do partake of sugary foods, I crave them more and that crappy circle starts again. I don't want to be there again. I'm a big fan of monkfruit sweeteners...very low glycemic index, sweet but no weirdness.

What's limiting your ability to eat a full diet? Is it nausea, or do you vomit? And the same regarding liquids...do you have physical symptoms or do you just not drink enough? I 'struggle' with my liquids every day, but the struggle is getting my head to remember that I need to drink, not that water bothers me. I find myself wanting to eat easy foods and repeating the same foods over and over...it takes effort to say 'no, not having yogurt for breakfast, cook an egg'. You really need a visit with your surgical team/dietician to get you moved on to a wider range of foods. Your labs may be WNL now, but your body is telling you that you're not fueling it appropriately.

My surgeon uses gas in the stomach and water in the abdomen to check the suture line before they close the incisions. I wouldn't have known that he did it, but I asked.

I had an umbilical hernia repaired when I had my sleeve. It didn't bother me at all post-op.

At 18 days post-op, absolutely not. But I was LOVING those sugar-free popsicles...they're great for hydration AND something sweet. I'm now almost 10 months out and I very occasionally have some Halo Top ice cream, but it has to fit into my macros for the day. My advice, for what it's worth, would be to skip the ice cream at the stage you're in, focus on protein and save the 'treats' for farther down the road.

I'm almost 10 months post op and I drink water pretty much like I did before my surgery. The 'sipping time' doesn't last forever, but your need to be well-hydrated does. I get dehydrated much easier than I did pre-op and have more episodes of raging thirst than I ever have before. Like you said, carrying a water bottle with you is reasonable and you'll probably find it's necessary

First, I just want to commend you for being such a great friend...the amount of love and assistance you're showing this man is heartwarming and shows that family doesn't have to be related to one another To answer your questions: My support needs are very different than what your friend seems to need. I specifically have asked my support network to treat me like they always have...leave me be unless I approach you with a need. I'm a very private person about the details of my life, while at the same time very open about the generalities. Most everyone I know locally knows that I had WLS, but I don't talk to them about it ever, really. That leads to the kind of support I DISLIKE, which is someone inviting me out for a meal then saying 'oh, can you eat out?' or something like that. I KNOW they're trying to be supportive, but I'm a grown woman and I'll say "no" if it doesn't work for me! I plan my meals pretty haphazardly, if at all. I eat roughly the same thing for breakfast every day, lunch is whatever I feel like eating, dinner is whatever I decide to cook that day for my family and then if I haven't reached my macros for the day, I throw in a snack after dinner. The "planning" I do involves keeping my trigger foods (hello, baked goods!) OUT of the house and bringing good options in. By keeping my pantry and fridge 'clean', I have to do less planning on a day-to-day basis, because what's available is all on-plan food for me. I measure and/or weigh what I eat and log it religiously. My husband and son have one cabinet where they keep some chips, cookies and other junk...going into it and eating that stuff would be like stealing to me, so it's not an option. I use My Fitness Pal to log my food, I wear a Fitbit constantly and my scale is an Aria, so it links to my Fitbit app and automatically records my weight for me. I weigh myself daily, at the same time of day, wearing the same thing. No way to hide, no way to get out of control of my weight without doing it willfully. That level of accountability to myself is vital for me. As far as staying positive about my decision to have WLS, that's been easy...I've saved my own life. What could be more positive than that? At 9+ months post-op, my hunger is coming back and I miss the easy days when I had to remind myself to eat...your friend should NOT squander his 'honeymoon' time with his new sleeve. And as I'm sure you know, you can make all the meal plans in the world and he still has to want to follow them for it to work. Walking is good, even essential...he HAS to move his body. Walking did the trick for me for a few months, then my body started craving more. I now do yoga, kayak, swim, weights and run, as well as walking my dogs, etc. Your friend needs to walk away from the fast food/carryout lifestyle and get on board with what he should be eating....food is THE most important change we WLS patients have to make. He should be attending a support group with other WLS people and/or seeing a therapist. Few of us got fat simply because of metabolic issues...most of us have some degree of disfunction in our eating habits or in how we use food emotionally. Identifying and working on those habits is essential. Bottom line: he's got an amazing tool at his disposal, but he can squander it, as you're seeing right now. This is HARD, being a post-op VSG patient. 80% of my stomach is gone, but I'm still dealing with the same self-destructive brain and I won't win this fight unless I win over my brain AND my body. He's got to get his head in the game, simple as that. Good luck to you and him both!

Grilled...don't eat breading, ugh.

I had passed a stone that had dilated my duct to 17 cm in order for it to pass into my small intestine. 17 cms? How is that possible?

I forgot and gulped a huge glass of water when I was about 2 weeks out....it was awful. It also kept me from EVER doing it again!

Congratulations! I just got back from a Costa Rica/Panama Canal cruise and it was the best vacation! I wore swimsuits, went ziplining, SUPing, hiking...it was great! Enjoy your cruise...where are you going?

It's not the Amazon jungle, but I spent 4 days at Disneyland when I was about 2 months out and I did really well I was very sick and feeling terrible before my surgery...afterward, I felt like a rock star. What's your physical condition like right now? That may play a part in how well you do after surgery.

Have you ever been on Zoloft or Prozac? Both of them *can* have the side effect of helping you sleep. I took Zoloft for an extended period years ago and it normalized my sleep. Also, do you have sleep apnea?

The best way to control this kind of anxiety is to weigh and measure your food, every bit of it. I had some of the same concerns early on and found that measuring my portions eased my mind almost completely. You SHOULD be eating more at 3 months post-op than you were 3 days post-op...you also know what volume/protein grams you should be eating now, so weigh it, measure it and eat it!

I can eat about 3 oz of really dense protein like chicken or beef, or 4 oz of soft fish like salmon or cod, usually accompanied by about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of vegetables (I only weigh my protein). If I'm eating soup, I can do about a cup now, depending on how much dense protein it contains. I eat about 1/2 cup of greek yogurt, with maybe 10 blueberries, in the morning. I'm 9 mos out yesterday.

I was taking my allergy meds one night about 2 weeks after my surgery and I wasn't thinking....tossed them in my mouth and threw down about 12 ounces of water in a few big gulps. I immediately realized what I'd done, but oh...the pain. It was terrible, I felt like I was having a heart attack! It was all esophageal spasms, though, not any pain from my stomach itself. Still terrifying!