mamamc32

OP - I am 3.5 months post-op, and I have had a few rough days. Today, in fact, I ate a bagel. I felt like crap afterwards, and it reminded me why I don't eat bagels now. I'm still doing really well - down over 80 lbs from my HW and 52 lbs from my SW. I never expected this to be easy, and I never expected myself to be perfect. I wanted to improve my eating habits, have more portion control, and reach a healthy weight. I'm a work in progress, but I have definitely made progress. I agree with trying to find more non-food rewards to treat yourself - I need to work on that, too. I don't think you should worry that an occasional treat is going to derail all your progress, though!! Good luck!!

One of my main frustrations with my NUT is her reluctance to quantify her guidelines. I'm a person who tracks macros, and I have specifically asked how many calories, protein, and carbs I should be eating at each stage. I'm asking because I really want to know if I am eating appropriately. All she would tell me is protein first, and no carbs. No carbs? WTH does that mean?! You can't eat zero carbs. Then I met with another dietician through the same program, and she told me to eat more fruit. Um . . . fruit has carbs last time I checked, so which is it? My suggestion is to know your patient. If you have someone who seems frustrated or like they would benefit from general advice, then give that to them. If you have a patient (like myself) who is asking for specifics, then give that to them. Another source of frustration has been the booklet they gave me for post-op. Each surgeon in the program does things slightly differently, and instead of tailoring the diet guidelines to your surgeon, they made a generic booklet. It's confusing when it says you can eat soft proteins at two weeks, but then you find out that your surgeon wants you on something different. Also, it listed supplements that were appropriate for lap band patients in the same section as the supplements needed for sleeve patients with no labels or differentiation. Ugg! I still don't know if I am eating appropriately, and I've found better info on the internet than I have through my NUT. It's pretty disappointing actually!

I ended the challenge at around 238-ish. My scale said anywhere from 236 - 240, so I'm going for the middle number. My goal was 235, and it was a streeettcch goal, so I'm happy with where I ended up!

Even if you don't have weight related health issues now, chances are you will eventually. I made the decision to have surgery for health reasons. I am 37, and I have a heart condition. I wasn't doing myself any favors by carrying extra weight. It had nothing to do with my body image or my self-esteem. It was purely health related. The truth is, you probably don't realize how bad you feel because you're used to being overweight (I don't mean that in a rude way - just being honest). I have lost a little over 80 lbs and I can't believe how much better I feel already. I have more energy, sleep better, think more clearly - it's amazing. I can't wait to see how I feel at goal!!

No, I can't stand "food police." I'm a grown ass woman . . . I can decide what and how much I'm going to eat. Even if I make the wrong choices, they are my choices to make. That being said, my husband is extremely supportive and he has nice ways of pointing out when I am headed down the wrong path. That doesn't bother me at all. I don't think of that as policing me as much as just helping me see a pattern of behavior.

I've had issues with high fat foods for a long time (before and after my gallbladder was removed). It hasn't changed much since my surgery. I end up spending more time in the bathroom. Yuck. Whenever we get crab legs, I'm jealous of my husband who can dip his in butter. That's the one thing that will definitely make me sick!! I think the crab is still delicious without it, but I wish I could have a little of the butter!

Figuring out when I was full was also a challenge for me at that point after my surgery. Your stomach isn't sending normal signals yet. I'd suggest taking 30 minutes to eat 2 oz of dense protein at your stage and chew, chew, chew. It feels ridiculous, but it really is the best way to avoid vomiting. I know if I am truly hungry vs. having head hunger if it has been a couple of hours since I have eaten, and it's not triggered by seeing food, thinking of food, etc. Everyone is different, though. You will learn your own signals. Really work on fluids - thirst can feel like hunger, too. Good luck!!

12/29 (sorry I am late!) - 238.4 Goal is 235. I may not make it, but it is an aggressive goal and I am close.

12/20 - 241.2 Goal - 235

At my 8 week appointment, the dietitian told me to add fruit to my diet. I do 1/2 an apple, clementines, and occasionally half a banana. Citrus is hard on some people, though, so you'll have to try it and see how it goes. I still don't have much room for fruit in my diet, though, so I don't think I am eating enough fruit or veggies. I have to keep working on it!

Slippers and warm clothes . . . I freeze since my surgery! Also, giftcards to places you like to buy clothes. You're going to need to buy some things along the way.

I had to go through 6 months of classes and also a pre-op meeting where we covered what was supposed to happen post-op. They gave me a big book of information to reference. My surgeon is very, very good but three different surgeons put this book together and some of the information was contradictory. They also gave ranges for when we were supposed to transition to new food stages, but they didn't tell us how to know which part of the range we fit into. Also, the NUT liked to say things like "no carbs" but not give direct answers when I asked things like "how many calories, protein, carbs, etc. should I be eating?" If you had everything spelled out for you, I think you were very lucky. I had a lot of good information, but I was definitely missing some important parts. I have an accountant brain, so I like to know specifics.

I'm almost three months out, and I drink a decaf coffee with a little half and half almost every day. I have decided to stay off caffeine indefinitely . . . I went through MAJOR withdrawals when I gave up soda, and I don't want to do that again. I'd encourage you to check the nutrition info on the drink you like just to make sure there aren't hidden calories/sugar . . . some of those drinks are crazy bad for you!

12/13 - 243.2 GW - 235 I seem to be losing about 3 lbs/week right now, so I'm still hopeful I can reach my goal!

I like Premier Protein - it's about the only one I can stand! Chocolate and vanilla are my favorites! Make sure you drink a lot of water during the pre-op diet. It helped me to have some broth and strained soups I could eat when I wanted something savory. I got really sick of the sweet protein shakes! Try to keep busy and just push through it. It's really hard at the time, but it's only two weeks and you can get through it!

I am only a few months post-VSG, but I can already tell I'm going to need skin removal. I'll probably look into a tummy tuck, getting the batwings removed, and possibly getting a breast lift/implants. I might need a lower body lift, too, but it's probably going to come down to cost, and I'll end up doing just a couple of the procedures.

Check the sugar content. If it's got sugar in it, it's probably best to avoid it for now. Sorry - I know the liquid phase is really rough. I just don't want you to set yourself up with a bad habit from the start.

Sorry, I saw "2/11" and I thought WTH?! LOL! Yes, I think you should wait until 6 weeks. It's probably a good idea to wait until after you have a follow-up appointment, and your doc checks your incisions.

I was on soft proteins for a couple of weeks and then I added in soft fruits/veggies. Go really slow adding new foods back. I've been lucky and haven't had issues with anything, but that's not the norm. It's pretty common to have issues with certain foods early out and have to wait a bit longer before adding them back to your diet. The bad thing is that you don't know what will cause problems until you try it!

I could eat a decent amount of broth during that stage, but my doc had me limit it to 4 oz. per hour. If your doc doesn't limit you, you should be fine. I would suggest finding something besides the jelly, though. I know you're probably eating it because you're exhausted and the sugar gives you energy, but it's not a good idea to get into the habit of relying on sugar for energy. It creates this roller coaster effect with your blood sugar, and it will make you hungrier overall.

You might lose more than you intend - but if you do, you increase your calories until you are in maintenance. That's totally preventable and not something to worry about. You're not going to starve yourself. Some people lose hair, but some don't. The most important thing to do is follow your docs guidelines regarding protein and take your bariatric vitamins. Even if you do lose some hair, that's a small thing and isn't worth sacrificing your long-term health over.

I got cleared for all exercise around 6 weeks. If you were sleeved 2/11/17, you should have gotten the ok way before now!

The main reason you are walking after surgery is to avoid blood clots in your legs and help break up any gas trapped in your abdominal cavity. You might feel better if you take frequent, smaller walks - but as long as you are moving, you're doing fine!

I didn't have a scope before my surgery. My doctor only did them if he suspected problems based on history.

12/6 - 246 Goal - 235