Hiraeth

@@awillaweigh328 Girl, same. It's so hard, lol! It's easier if I incorporate meat into my meal, but these shakes are getting old...

80 oz?! Why that much? My doctor only told me to get in 64 oz.

I can't do solids 100% I usually steam everything till its supper soft but I have tried lactose milk unfortunately I learned the hard way it does still contain lactose unreal lol my nutritionist said it does indeed still contain lactose just a very small amount so If I do drink "milk" it's almond milk it's hard to get used to after loving regular 1% milk most my life. Really?! I had no idea. Wow, that sucks. I'm so sorry...

This is normal. I barely got in enough liquids the first 2 weeks after my surgery. It hurt to drink anything because my stomach was so swollen, and so is yours. This is normal. I probably only drank about a cup or 2 for the first few days because it was so hard to drink anything. Just keep trying and take very small, slow sips.

Good luck! You'll do great!

I haven't noticed. But I've heard of many people with this issue, as well as lactose and soy intolerance. I guess I got lucky? One thing I can't eat without feeling sick is anything fried. I'm glad though, because I don't want to like it, lol!

My favorite was creamy tomato soup and cream of chicken soup. Mashed potatoes are also a good option.

Everything you mentioned sounds normal. Did you have back pains before the surgery? If not, this could definitely be lingering trapped CO2 gas. I was in a horrible amount of pain for the first 2 days after surgery. My left arm and shoulder were killing me because of the trapped gas. The only thing that helped was walking, but I became so tired and wanted to lay down. I couldn't lay down without the gas pain shooting back to my shoulder. So I demanded (because the nurse didn't want to comply) that they give me Dilaudid. The nurse seemed shocked that I knew what it was, so I told her that I had kidney stones before, and that Dilaudid was the only pain killer (for me personally) that could take the edge off of any kind of excruciating pain. Week 2 seems a bit soon for puree foods. I would just keep doing pure liquid until you can take liquid without sharp pains. I was unable to eat anything except liquid for the first 3 weeks. The reason is because our stomachs are so swollen after surgery. It will get better. Right now, it's hard to imagine being able to go back to normal. But trust me... Just give it a bit more time and you'll notice your body feeling better.

Hi! My stats are almost like you. I'm 25, female, 5'2'' and SW: 255, CW: 202. The only difference is that I'm over 3 months post-op (not too far from you). I have just started to work out at the gym a week ago. Last week I worked out 3 times for 30-45 minutes each. I'm shocked by how much more energy I have. I'm already able to walk 3.5 mph and at an incline. I'm also able to bike at 90-100 rpm. Every time I go back to the gym, it's so much easier than the time prior. I've plateaued a bit, as well. I haven't gained any weight, but I've noticed the weight loss is much slower than it was (only losing 1-2 pounds each week). I don't think I'm eating enough, and when I do eat, I'm not eating what I should. I'm not drinking 64oz (maybe only 20oz) and I'm only taking in about 40-50g of protein a day.

So far, what you have been trying to eat seems good enough. 24 days post-op seems a bit too soon for you to try and eat solid things. But if you're able to handle it, then I don't see why it would hurt. Have you ever tried Lactaid? It's lactose free and tastes just like milk.

Hey there! How are you doing? I would love to meet up with you after a support group! When do you plan on going to the next one? I think the next group is probably on the 17th of December. I'm not certain, though.

I knew of a man who decided to lose weight because his facial fat was folding over his face and eyes. So, I'm pretty sure you will lose weight there, as well.

145 for someone your height? That, to me, sounds borderline anorexic. That is a very unrealistic goal. You will look amazing at 175. I wish you the best of luck!

Hello! Sorry you are having such a hard time. I didn't have the Band, but I did have the sleeve. I also had a hiatal hernia (the size of a golf ball) that I had no idea I had. I felt exactly how you are feeling right now. It was extremely hard for me to swallow anything. I am a gulper by nature, so it was rough making myself take small sips. I had my surgery on August 4th, and I am now able to gulp again. For me, drinking things was a challenge for at least 3 weeks. I think you'll start noticing things getting easier by the beginning of December. I can honestly say that I am 95% sure that you're having a hard time because you are drinking too fast. Right now, your stomach is still very swollen, and it's not handling the gulping well. Try your best to slow down. Trust me, it is a challenge. If you knew me, you'd know that, lol! I heard that the Band is the worst option when it comes to Bariatric surgery. The reason is because, you're putting a foreign object inside your body, to wrap around an organ. The body does not recognize this, so it begins to reject it. (It's kind of like having a splinter in your finger. The skin may heal over the splinter, but you will still feel pain if the splinter is still inside your skin, because the body does not recognize it. It's basically in attack mode of an "intruder".) This isn't true for everyone, though. Some people don't have problems. (Though, 80% of the cases I've heard of have Band complications.) My surgeon is trying to get the the Band out of his practice, because he's noticed a pattern of it being unsuccessful. Most people think it's a safer option because there's no removal of the stomach. The Band is basically designed to force you to eat/drink things slowly. There's a scientific study on how eating slowly helps you maintain a healthy weight, while eating fast makes you gain. While the sleeve is also [somewhat] designed to help you change your thrifty eating habits, it's not designed that way in a mandatory manner. You'll be able to gulp drinks again. It may take a few weeks, but you won't feel this limited forever. The band is literally wrapping around the upper part of your stomach. It's making it mostly impossible for you to be able to eat quickly. This allows the food to digest slowly, therefore, keeping you from eating as much as you used to. With the sleeve, they are cutting away stretched out, irritated stomach. Even when you have a tiny stomach, it will heal, and allow itself to stretch a bit. (I kinda like to call the Lap Band a "stomach handcuff", because it's restricted, lol.) I recommend taking this opportunity to try and change your habits. Drinking fast doesn't affect your weight, so no worries there. Just try to not eat as fast, even when you're able to again.

For you to be required to go through this process tells me that you are most likely going to be approved. My surgeon told me that the only reason they make you go through such a lengthy process, is because they are secretly hoping you get fed up, impatient, and decide not to do it (because they don't want to pay for it). Don't get me wrong, the psych eval, heart test, and pre-op support group are all necessary. But the 6 month weigh-ins are basically pointless. You've come this far, so just try your best to keep going! You'll be so glad you did!

That's unusual, in my opinion. Scales in doctors offices usually have a max weight of 400 (some even go as high as 700). I'm sorry their crappy scale made you feel this way. But don't worry... To me, you really aren't that big. Be glad that you have decided to begin your journey at the time that you did. Also, another thing to consider... You are very tall. So you won't need to lose as much weight as most people. My friend is 5'10'', and at 200 pounds, she looks very healthy and curvy. Now, if I weighed 355, I would have to lose 230 pounds, because I am so short, lol.

I was in a lot of pain on the 2nd day, too. I felt like I had the flu and my whole body hurt. On the 3rd day, I didn't hurt anymore.

I don't regret it at all. At first, a VERY small part of me did, because it was so hard to swallow anything. I'm a liquid gulper by nature, so that was very challenging, since I was only able to take small sips. It definitely gets better. I'm barely ever hungry, and when I am, it's because my stomach is growling and I'm getting a headache. I barely ever have actual cravings. I've lost 53 pounds since August 4th, so I'm happy to say that this is one of the best decisions I've ever made.

I've cheated a few times because I let boredom take over. Thankfully, the cheats were so small, that I haven't gained any weight; I'm still losing weight. I noticed that food just does not taste the same. It's not as enjoyable as it used to be, and I'm glad.

When you say hungry, do you mean cravings or actual hunger pangs? You really shouldn't be feeling hunger pangs. If you're having cravings, it's most likely that you are bored or an emotional eater. I didn't start feeling hungry again until several weeks afterwards. I was on liquids for at least 3 weeks. I could not handle anything else because my stomach was so swollen from the surgery (which is normal).

I kinda miss eating a ton of food. But honestly, the benefits I'm experiencing right now make me miss it less and less. I'm happy!

Your taste will most definitely change. For me, soda no longer tastes as good as it did before I had my WLS. I didn't drink the soda because I wanted it. I drank it to taste it and see if my taste had changed; and it did. I also don't care much for most sweets anymore. Now things taste TOO sweet and I don't like that. Food in general just isn't what it used to be. Now, I can only take a few bites of something, and I usually get sick of it pretty quickly. I really wish there were a place that served extremely small portions of different things so I could have a variety, lol.

Thank you so much! I just found out I was approved when I called my health insurance over my lunch break. I'm really hoping my back and ankles get better. Congrats on being approved! I truly think you will notice an improvement on how you feel once you begin losing a good bit of weight (probably within the first few months). Good luck!

I have lost over 50 pounds since August, and I am already feeling so much better. I used to have a strong burning/pulling pain around my hip/buttock when I would walk or stand. I now no longer feel that pain. Even when I was thin, I have had ankle problems. My ankle problems began when I turned 14 and weighed 120 pounds. I think I just have bad ankles. But I truly believe that yours will definitely feel a lot better once you lose the first 30 pounds.