mylighthouse

I did quite a bit of canned chicken with nonfat mayo added to it and some salt, pepper, and garlic. It was one of my favorite things, plus you get a lot of your Protein that you need with the chicken. I also liked nonfat refried Beans with light sour cream and a couple dashes of hot sauce, mashed sweet potatoes, and Egg Beaters, which are great because they are high in protein and fat free.

Hello I use the unflavored unjury Protein powder in cream of celery and cream of chicken soup, as well as tomato basil soup and I can't even tell that it's been added to the Soups. I also add the Unjury to non fat refried Beans and yogurt, and can't detect the flavor of the Protein Powder at all in those things. I tried Unjury in my lemonade flavored Crystal Light and I did notice it changed the flavor, and I didn't like it. Maybe if I had added less protein powder it would have been tolerable. You'll just have to play with it and see if you can try it in the Crystal Light and other drinks, such as Powerade Zero and decaf iced tea.

Thank you so much for sharing this. I have been on Synthroid for years for my hypothyroidism. I have lost some weight and I am having trouble with waking up very early in the morning... like this morning, I have been up since 3 am. Wasn't sure what was going on with me the past couple of weeks, but now that you have brought this to my attention, it just might be the cause. Appreciate your post a lot!

Still experiencing some pain since my surgery on 11/14. Have lost 18 lbs. since surgery. Good luck to everyone!

Yes, I think that it will definitely vary from person to person, because some people's pre-op diet consists of liquids only, some are allowed to eat food. On my 2 week pre-op diet, I was allowed to eat food. I had to have smaller portions of everything that I ate, no starches at all, only chicken or fish and it was always a smaller portion (2-3 oz). No fats and also had to wean myself off of caffeine and carbonation. I usually wound up doing fat free/sugar free oatmeal for Breakfast, a salad for lunch with chicken on it (about 1 cup salad) and 2-3 oz chicken. A no-fat salad dressing. For dinner I usually did a 2-3 oz fish or chicken portion, with 1 cup of cooked non-starchy vegetables. I was also allowed a little bit of fruit. So that was my 2 week pre op diet. But then the day before surgery, it was a clear liquid diet only.

I'm like you, prop it was the caffeine. Post op I need a knee replacement and just don't feel up to another surgery so soon. I'm six days out and with my knee simple walking is painful. First of the year I will feel more inclined for the knee surgery and healing and will be at the gym Sent from my SM-G550T1 using the BariatricPal App I know what you mean.... I need to have surgery for 2 incisional hernias (got those after my colon resection surgery last year). I need to lose 60 more pounds before I can have the hernia surgery. But I may not get it done right away after I lose the weight. All of these surgeries! Good luck with your recovery and your knee troubles too.

The hardest thing for me pre-op was weaning myself off of all of the caffeine. The hardest thing post-op is not being able to exercise right now, due to other pre-existing surgery health problems. And also the other hard thing.... heartburn! Ouch!!

Wellllppppp im. Not trying that again lol... they had be on liquids for 2 weeks then puree one week and decided today oh let me try this turkey burger and nope bad idea..... i can do tuna but not canned chicken... and thank you Sent from my SM-G930T using the BariatricPal App welpp i wont be doing that i can... i cant do canned chicken either but can tolerate tuna weird Sent from my SM-G930T using the BariatricPal App We are sleeve sisters! I was sleeved on 11/14 too. I am still on pureed. But will remind myself when I start soft foods to stay away from the turkey burger for awhile. Also, it's funny... I like the canned chicken, but can't stand the canned tuna!

I am not allowed to drink regular vitamin water and regular gatorade. They have too much sugar in them. But I am allowed to drink Powerade Zero and Vitamin Water 0 calorie. Also, I think that Gatorade makes a G2 that might be a low cal/low/no sugar drink. When in doubt, check with your nutritionist or doctor. I just know that I was told to stay away from sugary drinks.

Great question. I have lost almost 30 lbs. I'm 45 yrs. old. I hope that my face won't be this big forever.... and the saggy double chin really bothers me. Bookmarking this topic to read more feedback. Thanks for posting.

Yes, it is normal to feel full like that in the beginning. I am currently at about 3 and 1/2 weeks post op and I still get that extremely full feeling when I eat just a little bit of food. I was on clear liquids the day after surgery, then moved onto "full liquids" for 2 weeks. I just want to encourage you to drink plenty of fluids, even though you are feeling full. They told me prior to surgery and after surgery too (my surgeon really wanted me to remember).... to drink plenty of liquids. They said that dehydration is the #1 reason that people have complications and end up back in the hospital. I know they tell you to immediately start getting at least 64 ounces a day of liquids. I was told that was the most important thing. So even though I was really full, I just kept sipping slowly, small sips... little by little and did get my 64 ounces in.

Wow! Awesome job Russ! It sounds like you are doing super on your diet and exercise... very encouraging, thanks for posting!

I feel for you. I have not been able to go without the help of Miralax and Milk of Magnesia. I can go for over a week without going and then if I take those to things, I finally get relief. Since you have tried those things already and still can't go, I would check with your doctor and let him/her know that you are unable to go to the bathroom and tell them that you feel bloated. Maybe he/she can suggest something for you. I am still taking pain med and I know they say that can stop you up.

Congratulations and awesome job!! I remember when I dipped below the 300 mark and I was so excited! I remember thinking... I will never have to see myself at 300 pounds on this scale again! Thanks for sharing with us!!

I am the same.... 3 weeks post op and on the pureed stage. I too, am very tired and have no energy. This has been going on for about 3 days. Ugh. I am getting in all of my liquids plus some. Also taking my multi and Calcium 2 X a day. I would suggest making sure you get at least the 64 oz of liquids so that you don't get dehydrated.... and that could make you dizzy too. My energy is zapped and I can't put my finger on the cause. Wish you the best.

I must say, I miss the regular coffee a little bit. From what I've read here, it is okay to have about a cup a day after your stomach has healed, but I guess that might be something to check with your nutritionist or doctor. As for the decaf, I am drinking it. I just LOVE the flavor of coffee, so even though I had to give up the caffeine (for now anyway), the decaf at least gives me something warm and delicious that I look forward to every morning.

Hello I am 3 weeks post op. The first day I started pureed foods, which was 2 weeks post op, I stopped losing weight. From week 2 to week 3, I didn't lose a pound. I was frustrated at first, but after reading so many stories about "stalls" from other people on here, I felt better about not losing any weight in that 1 week period. A lot of people experience the exact same thing that you and I are going through. So keep your chin up, the weight loss will start up again after a little while. As for me, I stepped on the scale today after a week of not losing anything, and I am down 1 pound. Made me smile a little bit. Hang in there... the weight loss will come!

Hello I had my sleeve surgery on Nov 14. I never used to get heartburn prior to surgery, but now I get it quite often. My surgeon prescribed a 3 month supply of acid reflux medication. It helps some, but I am really dealing with quite a bit of heartburn. I have found that there are certain things that I can and can't eat or drink. For example, yesterday I had my usual cup of decaf coffee and quite a bit of Water for the first part of my day, and then later in the day I had some fruit punch flavored Powerade Zero. Then the heartburn set in. It didn't click with me that the Powerade Zero had set it off until I tried the Powerade again today and immediately got heartburn. So no more Powerade for me. Also, I try to take really small bites and chew my food very well (20 times for each bite like my nutritionist taught me). And I try to eat slowly, but sometimes I catch myself eating a little too quickly. That is another example of when I find that heartburn strikes. Eating too quickly will really trigger it for me.

For soft Proteins, I agree, cottage cheese, yogurt and the Protein shakes are great. My nutritionist said we need to get at least 60 grams of protein a day. Also, you can try canned chicken and mix it with some no fat or low fat mayo and seasonings (chicken salad).... you can do the same with tunafish. Or you can bake some soft fish like tuna, salmon or tilapia... all great ways to get protein and they are nice soft meats. I am on the pureed stage and have been eating non fat refried Beans with a teaspoon of light sour cream and a dash of hot sauce. I also like the non fat chicken salad. I have tried cottage cheese, non fat greek yogurt and Egg Beaters for Breakfast.

Hello I did the same thing on my pre-op diet. Had to wean myself off of pop and caffeine. I email my nutritionist and she said that 1 diet pop a day would not hurt, but after surgery it will always be a BIG no-no.

Hi On your subject line it says "post-op", but you asked if you could have decaf on your pre-op diet. Either way you can. I was told by my nutritionist to cut back on the regular coffee, so I did. Cut my caffeine down to just one cup a day pre-op. Then, about a week after I had my surgery, I started drinking decaf. I hear though, that some doctors don't even want you drinking decaf after surgery, so it's best that you check with your doctor or nutritionist. But decaf BEFORE surgery won't hurt anything.

Hello everyone I had my sleeve surgery on Nov 14th. I am still dealing with pain, especially in my left side (my surgeon said it is a hematoma)... and I still have on incision that hurts and has bruising around it... and to top it off, it is right on top of a large incisional hernia that I have, so it really hurts. One reason I had the sleeve surgery was so that I could lose the weight quicker than by normal means and then have my incisional hernia (I have 2 hernias) surgery. So I am still taking the liquid hydrocodone for pain, and it helps some. Unfortunately, I have not been able to exercise much, as it really hurts the hernia area, but I am doing some arm exercises and small weights. Just not as much walking as I would like to be doing. I am almost finished with week one of the pureed foods stage. I am doing fine with the food, but I fill up really quickly and am only getting around 450-500 calories a day. Getting about 100 grams of Protein a day and between 70-85 ounces of fluids (I like Water the best). The day of surgery I weighed 300 lbs. Today I weighed 283 lbs. I have been stuck at 283 lbs for 6 days, so I guess I have hit a "stall", which I have read about. I will be glad when I start losing weight again. I find that stalling really stinks. I am so glad that I had this surgery. I know it will take some time to heal, but I thing I did the best things I could have for myself. Good luck to everyone

Congratulations on the weight loss and on breaking the stall! I am currently on a week stall. I too, stalled when I started my pureed food stage. I have just been sitting at a weight loss of 17 lbs. Can't wait to break this stall myself!

I am with you. I am taking my Vitamins everyday.. they have me doing the Calcium with D-3 and a Multi. Two of each kind every day. I can hardly stand taking them. I bought the Celebrate brand... the Calcium is orange flavored and it's horrible. The multi is berry and it's almost as bad. I don't want to waste any money, so I am going to finish them. Then after that, I am switching to these: Bariatric Advantage calcium chews 500 in the caramel flavor. They are so good. I had a sample of them before my surgery. Too bad I went with the cheaper ones, because they are gross! You might want to consider the chews... they are like a caramel candy. They also had them in chocolate and those are good too. Good Luck!

Oh yes, you asked about the pain... for the first few days the liquid hydrocodone helped with the pain, but never did completely take it away. So expect the pain to stick around a few days... but everyone is different. I am still dealing with pain... I have a hematoma and my left side hurts, but the incision areas don't hurt at all anymore.