Berry78

At this point, you're just walking. My surgeon recommends walking for 4 weeks, add bike and elliptical until 6 weeks, then released to do what I wanted after 6 weeks. Your own team will give you guidelines based on your own medical history. I know 6 weeks seems like a long time, but it will fly by, and you'll be happy to not injure yourself

Great job! Everything you said sounds spot on. The only piece we're missing is what your macros look like currently. Essentially, keep your protein consumption up, and increase fats (if they're low), and carbs. As a general rule, 70g protein, 150g carbs, and 1-3 tablespoons of added fat is a healthy diet... especially when the carbs come primarily from fruit, veggies, nuts, and legumes with occasional whole grains. But, we are such an eclectic group, where some of us gain weight on 50g carbs, that it's impossible to say exactly what your macros should be, other than to say increase the food gradually until you find the level at which you maintain.

Are you feeling better?

Well, I don't know a way of adding friends per se. There is a way to "follow" people, but I don't know what that does. I'll PM you! Thanks!

*Sniff, sniff... it's not me {Cries}

We see doctor's offices and nuts putting people on Ensure for 3 months, causing blindness in diabetics.. we see surgeons recommending soft foods, right out the gate.There is plenty of insanity to go around, including that in the medical field. Do I RECOMMEND ice cream immediately post op? No. Do I believe it will hurt them? No... not in the way a pork chop could hurt them. (Which is essentially the question, right? Will ice cream make my stomach explode?) People need to put on their thinking caps, and do what makes sense. About the only way ice cream will kill someone post op is if they are allergic to an ingredient. (Not intolerant.. Face swell up like a toad, ALLERGIC). It's not my place to know their medical history.. that's their own job.

Maybe 80% regain 15 or 20lbs, but the statistic I saw said that 85% keep off at least 50% of the excess weight. What that would look like for me: Starting weight 305 Excess weight: 150 50% of excess weight: 75 305-75=230lbs I have an 85% chance of staying below 230lbs long term. I'll take those odds, thanks! But it isn't magic, and it does require getting our heads and diets in the right place. That 15% who regain most or all of their weight do not have their problems under control. We need to use our 6-18 month "honeymoon" period to make sure we fix our issues for long term success. To the OP.. use this time to do your research, learn new recipes, shopping habits, make a plan for future exercise, etc. There is lots of work to do over the next year to make sure you are in a good, successful place. Congrats, and good luck!

Ice cream (no chunks) will not hurt the stomach after surgery. It's not a diet-friendly, weight loss CHOICE, but it isn't going to damage the surgical site. After all, what is ice cream? Basically milk and sugar that's frozen. Might cause dumping, but dumping is itself not harmful.. just unpleasant. Did I have ice cream immediately post op? No. Like I said, it's not a diet friendly choice. I did eat two small spoonfuls yesterday at a birthday party for the first time, and it was gross! But I'm 10 weeks out and life happens... sometimes experience is the best teacher. I'd rather have a handful of blueberries. Joann.. Lol! Then I can be Deadpool!

I have found 2 good friends that I PM all the time. Big Viffer, if you wanna be my friend, just PM me! (Of course now I'm paranoid that you have a betting pool on me to f-up!) Lol!

They increased her insulin because her blood sugars had been running too high. The way to decrease blood sugar levels is through strict dietary management. An ideal carbohydrate consumption goal is 15g for each of 3 meals, and 7.5g for each of 2 snacks. For a total of 60g carbs per day. This is assuming you are still trying to lose weight. If your carbs are much higher than this, you need to taper down gradually, so as to not suffer hypoglycemia from too much insulin. Not everyone can exist successfully within an "ideal" framework, so that particular plan may or may not actually work for you. But it is a plan you can try out and see.

Of course burping is just air coming up from the digestive tract. The question is where does the air come from. Swallowing air.. you swallow more air if you eat quickly or use a straw. I had a banana tonight, set me to burping quite a bit. I must have swallowed a ton of air while eating it.. weird. Carbonated beverages of course are full of air Sometimes burping is from the type of food. Cucumbers and watermelon are both known to cause belching. Any number of other foods may do this, based on your own tolerance. Hopefully your issue is to do with the above. (Carbonated beverages, if you are drinking them, are best not consumed).

Sweet!!! You don't even look like a 34 BMI right now...(you look smaller!) Fabulous job!

First, are you type 1 or 2? Type 1 .. well, I have no experience. Have to defer that to more knowledgeable peeps. As for type 2.. I live with an insulin dependent type 2 diabetic. We do notice that his eating can vary widely on a day to day basis at home. When that is the case, he invariably needs more and more insulin. When he is in the hospital or rehab (unfortunately a frequent occurrence), the regular, consistent, counted meals result in his needing less insulin and weight loss. He is a hopeless case, and there is no fixing his home habits, so don't worry about him. But we can learn from him. In order to get control of things, you need to set up an eating schedule with counted carbs, and stick to it. Be extra conscientious about taking your blood sugar levels and adjust your insulin accordingly (if it's a system you can make modifications yourself). At first, don't change your eating habits, just keep track of them for at least a week. Once you know what you are eating, you can make tweaks. Drastic changes will likely result in low blood sugar levels, so make changes slowly. Meal management does become a full time job, but with your condition, that's part of the deal. The alternative, as you have discovered, is more insulin, weight gain, and possibly all the other diabetic complications.

{Hugs} It will get sorted out, somehow! Just take it one day at a time. The dilation is the simplest of several procedures they can do to get you fixed... it most likely will work, but if on the rare occasion it doesn't, the doctors have other tricks up their sleeves to get you right. In the meantime, you will lose weight faster than you would have, and you'll get to goal sooner! (There is always a bright side!). Don't worry about exercise, except walking around (or whatever the doctors suggest). TPN doesn't give a bunch of extra calories for physical activity. Get plenty of rest, and do what you can to pamper yourself. See what kind of help you can get with your home responsibilities so you can just kick back, and take a nice vacation. You deserve it!

You are quite welcome!

I'm very sorry to hear about these troubles {Hugs}. Hopefully someone here can give you some good tips. My take on things.. ensure and other liquid meals are chalk full of strange ingredients, of which one or more may not be agreeing with you. I would love to see you take it back to basics, and do a start-over, testing different things to see what agrees with you. How do you do with milk? Whole milk has 150 calories per cup, so it adds up real quick. Lactaid might work if you are lactose intolerant. Milk is a buffer, which means it is typically soothing in the presence of acid. Nuts are a very good, concentrated source of energy. Fruit has lots of excellent nutrients, and if you find a mix you like, blended in a smoothie, you are drinking plenty of calories. Bananas might be better tolerated than the more acidic types. A runny oatmeal can also be a healthy slider. Add plenty of extras that taste good, including cream. Avacados Whole milk yogurt or cottage cheese. Don't shy away from fruity add-ins if they help. Dried fruits are a concentrated source of calories, just be sure they are softened and chewed well so they don't hurt your pouch. Dates are pure sugar, so if you use them, go slowly in case they cause dumping. If you notice, I'm not listing meat. By now, you are aware of the importance of protein, and are probably aware of the easiest protein types for you to consume. But, even though protein is important, you don't need as much as you did during the weight loss phase, and you shouldn't be filling up on it. You probably can get by on 40-50 grams of protein a day, and if you can get that in dairy, eggs, beans, nuts.. then you are going to have more room for carbs and fat, which will help boost your caloric intake. Does any of this sound reasonable?

I can vouch for the all-inclusive nature of Dr. Illan's package. I paid the flat fee, bought my tickets (mine were about $600) and passport ($70 for the card), and that was all the required expenses. Extras: Tips for the Valets and drivers (Much appreciated) Cab fares for running around for 2 days after leaving the hospital. (Plan for about $20-$30, depending on how much running you do) Cost of food at great restaurants (Broth and beverages)... plan for $40-$50 per person. Each time we ate, I spent about $10 for just me. Extra days at the hotel..(I forget, but around $80/night.. confirm this). Souvenirs (Can get a few little things for $5, but the sky's the limit... I spent about $300 because I spoil my kids, lol.)

This early out, hunger is almost always actually stomach acid issues. Are you on an acid reducer? Between the constant drinking and working to get your protein in, there isn't time in the day to actually be hungry either Are you meeting your goals?

Early HAPPY SURGIVERSARY!!!!! You are AMAZING!!!! Sheesh, I'm not up to walking 6 miles yet! Lol. You'll do great with your pan. Have your fevers gotten better?

I'm glad you are listening to your surgeon's meal plan, but now you can ...take a break... for a bit. Some surgeons believe they are helping their clients by making a very lenient post op meal plan... but there truly is a reason most patients are on liquids or thin purees for 3 weeks post op. Their tummies simply can't handle coarser food. My meal plan was fairly typical. 7 days of clear liquids (Not even protein shakes) 7 days of full liquids (thin enough to suck through a straw...started protein shakes) 7 days of thin purees (will pour right off a spoon.. but included pretty much anything that would go in the blender) 7 days of thick purees (like undiluted refried beans) After the first month, it moved to chewable foods in increasing density. I followed this plan to the letter, and am now 10 weeks post op, and haven't had a moment's trouble (touch wood). Part of the plan says that if a food is permitted on the plan, but doesn't agree with the patient, to just wait and introduce it later. You can always move through the stages more slowly.. just not more quickly. Sleeve patients and bypass patients have similar postop needs. They use the same guidelines (in case you were wondering). Less diet related.. I'd recommend stopping the Imodium. The last thing you want is to become constipated. The pain is there, telling you there is a problem. If it continues, you need to talk to your surgeon, and maybe even head to the hospital if it's really bad. I'm glad you moved back to just water. Your system needs the rest. You can try a hot water bottle on the tummy, or some pain medicine if you have any left over from the hospital (just nothing over the counter, particularly not nsaids! Liquid tylenol might be ok.. but really should be cleared with your surgeon). I hope you feel better soon!

It's easy to forget this one is only a couple weeks out. Purees need to be soupy still. Tuna and other fish are easier to digest than beef or poultry. Beans and lentils are even better. Exercise needs to be limited to walking for several more weeks. I wasn't cleared for vigorous exercise until 6 weeks out.

Oh, yes, sorry. There is more fat in dark meat so it's softer and easier on the tummy. I'm 10 weeks out, and really can't do white meat yet. Dark meat with a sauce is where its at... (I mixed a thigh with a tablespoon of baked beans yesterday.. yum!).

Was the first chicken breast meat? There is a huge difference between the white meat and dark meat in digestibility.

Pretty sure the whole pizza eating thing took place 3 months postop... not weeks. So at least it wasn't quite as dangerous. My family is so over hearing about the surgery. So I am on the board to get my fill of the topic. If I can help someone, all the better! Just be warned that I love sending people to the ER if I think circumstances warrant it. Better have insurance if you listen to me!

64oz is hard for everyone at first, but 50 is very good. Should keep you from being dehydrated if you get that as a minimum. If you are drinking your meals, and having trouble fitting fluids in, you can drink right up until meal time, and start drinking again soon after. It's when you are on solids that the wait is so important. Why I recommended staying away from oatmeal is the more solid foods don't count as fluid, whereas clear and full liquids do. Solids fill you up, taking up precious room that could be used for fluid. Once you are meeting fluid and protein goals through liquids, that's when bringing in solids works best (following the doctor's plan of course). Diet advancements can always go slower than the doctor's plan, just not faster.