TakingABreak

I'm actually going to try something from there for lunch. Probably the green bean chicken.

This is probably due to your body being in Ketosis and/or from a high protein diet. Here some light reading if you want to know why. https://ultradex.co.uk/ketosis-breath-causes-solutions-for-bad-breath/ https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/low-carb-diets-can-cause-bad-breath

You could talk to your doctor about NuvaRing. It's inserted vaginally and shouldn't be affected by the mal-absorption issue. This is what I am using. I decided to go this route, because my surgeon specifically warned me about the chances for pregnancy with oral contraceptives after RNY due to absorption issues.

Doritos. I had one of those snack sized bags.... it was delicious.... amazing truly.... until about 10 minutes after I finished it and I was MISERABLY nauseous. Ps. the Doritos came with a sandwich, just clarifying that I didn't pick it up at the grocery store. And just sayin' I thought about it 1000+ times. Chips were my weakness pre surgery.

We have a Panda, but that's it. I've gotten their beef and broccoli, come to think of it. I guess It just doesn't hit the "Chinese spot" for me.

Orchids&Dragons is right, MyFitnessPal has the option to make "recipes" and they save for future use. It takes forever to input all the ingredients, but well worth it.

I can't drink tea without sugar either, but I use liquid stevia. It's calorie free and doesn't upset my stomach. I've come to love tea. I order or purchase all my teas from David's Teas. Some do have tiny amount of added sugar, so if you are avoiding all sugar, then pay attention to ingredients. However, they are delicious and many caffeine free options! I also use water additives (Sturr brand is excellent) or do fruit infused water. Here's a link to some yummy fruit infused water recipes: https://dailyburn.com/life/recipes/fruit-infused-water-recipes/

LOL I don't belch all the time. I'd say no more than usual, and if I do have something carbonated, I don't notice a difference. I belch with certain foods more maybe...

I had a longer list of co-morbidities than you, and my doctor actually encouraged the sleeve at first. I came in wanting to do DS, but he said he would only do it in a 2 part operation, sleeve first, and then if necessary, the DS a year later. This wasn't something I was willing to do, so I opted with RNY. He was a big advocate for the sleeve. I think every doctor is different. You need to ask yourself, do you trust him? If you think the sleeve is the better option for you, maybe get a second opinion? I think he's recommending bypass for good reasons, but it is a bigger surgery with different components that you will have to live with for the rest of your life.

I was craving Chinese over the weekend and I passed on it after looking at the menu. Everything I thought I might want, was breaded, fried, sauced in something sweet.... it was disappointing to say the least. Plus I don't tolerate spicy as well as I used to. I'd love to hear other's suggestions as well.

Normal poops for me too. I do have bad gas but no “shart” experiences. I go on average every day, if I am stopped up for a couple days then I’ll poop like all day one day and loose a pound at least! My poops are soft but not diarrhea. I used to have bad constipation prior to surgery, but I don’t anymore. I take a regimented fiber dose every day.

Walmart has an excellent bone broth. It’s delicious and almost creamy. Def thicker and more savory than regular broth. They have chicken, beef, or veggie. The veggie is my favorite.

Thank you ?

Very possible!

Great job!

Lol I’m right there with you!! I would risk it all Meh... Moe's is better, they actually have ground beef and, zero food poisoning issues. LOL I’ve only been to Moe’s once but Chipotle has Sofritas...mmmmm!

I feel your pain! I keep my hair up but my hairline and temples look really thin. The worst part is I’m going to look crazy when it starts to grow back, it will be short, super frizzy baby hairs. Here’s a pic of hair loss from one shower in the beginning.

I have eaten sushi a few times and it hasn't bothered me too bad. It does sit a little heavy on my pouch. I usually get a ginger salad and eat 1-2 pieces max. I've had salmon, spicy tuna, and shrimp. I always use soy sauce.

Glad to see you are posting more...

Answers: 1. I'd say yes. You are having the sleeve, so the likelihood of dumping with sweets is lower. I had RNY, and I eat almost everything the same as before. I have less things like pizza, pasta, or carb heavy foods, but I partake once and awhile. 2. Yes, probably. Hunger does not subside for all people. I was very hungry until I went to soft foods. After that, the hunger was very manageable, and easily diminished with a protein dense snack. 3. You should be able to take your medication just fine. However, I would review your medication list with your surgeon and your PCP prior to surgery. A lot of times you can get off of BP meds after surgery. If they don't automatically take you off of this, I would invest in a portable blood pressure cuff and keep a close eye on it. 4. I honestly don't know the answer to this, I would think that prolonged periods of little calories (like in the first 2 weeks) could have an impact on health. However, I am 5 months post op, and I eat close to 1200 calories a day now, which is absolutely fine and healthy for someone like me.

I'll risk it all day long, I love chipotle!

This is so true, my only regret is I wish I did this 5-10 years ago, I needed this when I was 18 years old. I wasted my whole 20's being overweight.

First I'm going to share my top 10 tips with you: Here's my top 10 tips! Start altering your diet now. Cut out processed food, or at the very least processed sugar. Practice eating your protein first and then focus on non-starchy veggies. Find something that you like to drink that doesn't have calories. Try different caffeine free teas and water additives. I still can't drink plain water....so you want to have something on hand that you know you like. Cut out caffeine. Most programs allow caffeine back in relatively quickly, but caffeine can hinder your body's ability to heal. You don't want to go through caffeine withdrawal along with the aches and pains of surgery. Don't use protein shakes before you absolutely have to! I made the mistake of supplementing some of my meals with shakes to "prepare myself" for the pre-op diet. Big mistake. You will get to the point where they are DISGUSTING, and you don't want to increase the timeline of that by drinking them before you need to. Start incorporating exercising (even if it’s just walking) somewhere in your daily routine. It will make it easier if it’s already a habit. Practice chewing your food at least 20-30 times before swallowing. Muscle has memory and it will be so much easier if you already have this habit. If you screw up and swallow too soon after surgery, you will pay the price. Set timers and don't drink and eat at the same time. I highly recommend having at least 1 visit with a therapist to establish with someone for after surgery. It’s not required, but everyone seems to have some emotional struggles afterwards. Whether its 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years you may struggle with the changes. I personally wouldn't share with people, unless you know they will be 100% supportive. It is nerve wracking already and you need nothing but positivity. Plus it’s a lot of pressure from people who know you've had WLS, versus people who think you are on the weight loss track. People think that the weight is going to melt off after surgery, and sometimes it doesn't. You don't want the extra judgment. ***Newly Added**** Don’t engage people with people who say “WLS is too dramatic” or “You could just diet and loose the weight” or “You aren’t big enough for surgery” or “It’s the easy way out”. SCREW THOSE PEOPLE, they don’t know. They will never know how triumphant our victory will be. I would also remember that you need to make time for you! Make the time to shop healthy, meal prep, cook healthy, and plan ahead. And I’m talking to all the selfless mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives. We give so much to our families, but NOW is the time to focus on ourselves. We are doing it for them, after all. We are doing it to prolong our lives and improve the quality of our lives. Come up with a reward system of sorts. You want to acknowledge your successes. For my 50lb mark, I went and got pedicures with my girlfriends. For my 75lb mark, I bought myself some new dresses. For my 100lb mark, I already bought myself a really nice full length mirror. Please pay special attention to #8. This is a HUGE mental game, its about 80% head, and 20% body. I personally hit my rock bottom and knew that I *had* to make these changes. I had many comorbidities, and I knew that I didn't stand a chance to have a family without taking control back. I was miserable being that overweight, and I knew in my heart, that nothing could be worse that how I was feeling then. You may think food is everything now, but when you finally start this journey, you'll come to see that food is not everything. Eating mindlessly, becomes a disgusting thought. And I'm not saying that you are disgusting now, or that I was then.... but it truly becomes disgusting after surgery. You won't be able to fathom your habits before. The biggest thing I struggle with now is that I don't do any sweets, at all. I don't want to dump, and I struggle from time to time, thinking.... I absolutely CAN'T eat that. Its not like, I can have that in moderation, but I truly can't. (I mean, I could, but I'd be so sick, I'd want to die for about 30 mins). Ultimately, when I look in the mirror, or walk across the parking lot, wipe my butt, or tie my shoes... the struggles of what I can't eat anymore, disappear. I know in my heart, I am better off and I am a much happier and healthier person.

@Alison Murray Grazing is something that is a loop hole of this surgery. You will need to learn to control your "head hunger" or the urge to eat, just to eat. You can gain weight easily by grazing or by drinking your calories. You aren't alone feeling confused by your restriction. Sometimes I am shocked at how much I can eat, and other times I take two or three bites and it feels like I've just had my surgery two weeks ago. I haven't found a correlation between what I eat either, because I'm very diligent about eating protein every meal. All I can say is, I don't let my restriction dictate how much I eat. Let me repeat, I don't let my restriction dictate what I eat. What I mean by this, is I still measure out my food and I only eat as much as recommended by my program, which for me is no more than 6oz per sitting (protein and veggies included) usually I do 4oz of protein, and 2 oz of veggies. I also keep my meals around 300 calories. Obviously, if I'm full before the 6oz, I don't push further and I DON'T go back later (once my pouch as emptied) for seconds. Larger weight loss amounts, early on, is common in higher BMIs. I've lost 112lbs in 5 months post op. My BMI was well into the 50's though. You can do this! I'm glad to see you acknowledged that it can take 12-18 months, because it can. I won't consider my active weight loss complete until I've hit that 2 year mark. My doctor told me that average weight loss is around 3-4lbs per week, for the first 3 months. After that, it can slow to 1-3lbs per week. I'm loosing on average 9-11lbs per month now, but it seems to be slowing. The biggest thing is to keep track of your eating. Are you logging all your foods, even the bites here or there? Normally, I'd say snacking is OK, but in your case I'd warn against it. I would try and minimize your eating to three meals a day. If you need a snack, use a protein shake.

Yes my surgeon approved this vitamin.