istytehcrawk

I find it rather amusing that we had exactly opposite experiences with the two programs, since I switched from Memorial to Barnes.

I've found good options at both Bob Evans and Cheddar's so far, but those are the only restaurants I've been to post-op (I'm only two months out).

I take the Bariatric Advantage chocolate peanut butter chews. They're roughly $30 for 90 chews, which lasts me about a month. More expensive than I'd like, but it's the only expensive medicine/vitamin I'm taking now (as opposed to before surgery), so it's a trade-off.

I haven't had a case of them since surgery, but in my family we call them hic-a-burps. (Hiccuburps? Not sure how I'd spell it, actually.)

We're right about the same stage (my surgery was Feb. 15), and pretty close to each other, location-wise. (I'm an hour northeast of STL). I like your ideas for the teriyaki and pizza. So far, my best/most satisfying meal has been mini crustless Hawaiian pizzas with roasted veggies and a clementine -- variety of textures and tastes, so it hits all my buttons for a good meal.

Possibly unconventional but works for me: when I'm craving something from a specific junk food place, such as McDonald's or pizza or whatever, I just go look at their menu online and look at the nutrition stats for whatever I am in the mood to order, and most of the time the combination of looking at the pic/stats is enough to get me past my craving.

To those who are replying to my comment about protein shakes: the person I quote-replied to (who is not the OP) SPECIFICALLY said she’s is on CLEAR liquids right now, not FULL liquids. Of course protein shakes are allowed in the liquid stage, but typically not in the CLEAR liquid stage, because the they are not CLEAR (protein water =/= protein shake).

All plans are different, and some advance to the next stages more quickly, but if your doctor only has you on clear liquids right now, then no, you probably can't have Premier Protein (or any other) shakes at this point.

I had RNY and was back to work 3.5 weeks later (three weeks exactly would've been a Thursday, so I just waited until the following Monday to give myself a few extra days), but I have a desk job.

I'm trying to focus on that, as well, because even though these "small" loss weeks are super frustrating, it's still better than I ever did before surgery.

I just bought wonton wrappers at the store like two hours ago because I keep seeing so many bariatric-friendly recipes using them. Tonight, though, I'm making crustless ham/pineapple pizzas with roasted broccoli/cauliflower/carrots. Both are in the oven right now. https://www.ellaclaireinspired.com/no-crust-pizza-bites/

Yes, it hurts. For me, at least, it's a lot of pressure and a kind of burning sensation (kind of like heartburn but not quite) in the chest. It sometimes passes after 10-30 minutes, or sometimes it lingers until I vomit (but usually it's only a little bit of clear fluid/phleghm, not the actual food, that comes up). It's happened to me a few times, and typically I feel better IMMEDIATELY after I vomit, if that happens.

I'm eight weeks out today, and this morning I got curious and decided to look back and see what my loss has been week-by-week, and lo and behold, I spot a pattern! Surgery: 413 Week 1: 403.4 - down 9.6 Week 2: 387.6 - down 15.8 since Week 1, 25.4 overall Week 3: 381.6 - down 6 since Week 2, 31.4 overall Week 4: 379.8 - down 1.8 since Week 3, 33.2 overall Week 5: 378 - down 1.8 since Week 4, 35 overall Week 6: 372.8 - down 5.2 since Week 5, 40.2 overall Week 7: 371 - down 1.8 since Week 6, 42 overall Week 8: 368.6 - down 2.4 since Week 7, 44.4 overall I would MUCH prefer to have two good weeks followed by one slow week than the reverse, but at least it's still on a downward trend. These less-than-two-pounds weeks are really frustrating!

I really like the flavors I've had, but they do have a strong aftertaste that might turn some people off. I have found individual bottles at Hy-Vee, and you can buy a case of 12 (either all one flavor or a variety pack with three flavors - tropical coconut, grape, and mixed berry) at walmart.com (but not in-store). https://www.walmart.com/ip/Protein2o-Protein-Infused-Water-Variety-Pack-16-9-Fl-Oz-12-Count/54393878

I'll have to try it again next time I go to Springfield.

How long does it take you to drink a 20-ounce smoothie from there? I've only been to a Smoothie King once (right after my last pre-op appointment), but I'd be worried it would get all melted and gross before I could drink it all.

Stats first: HW 427.4 (Jan. 2) SW: 413 (Feb. 15) Last week: 371.6 Today: 369.2 (been there since Monday) So, down 2.4 since last week, 43.8 since surgery, and 58.2 overall. A little annoyed/frustrated that I've lost less than three pounds the last two weeks, when I had been doing much better than that before. Started using an elliptical this week. That, combined with doing laps around my town's civic center for half an hour on Monday while waiting for the city council to get out of executive session, has my right leg in particular very sore, so I'm going to skip the elliptical today and hope that clears up. My size 28 jeans are definitely getting loose, but I don't have any size 26s (only a few pairs of 24s that are still way too small -- it's astounding how much weight it takes to go between bigger sizes compared to smaller sizes), so I'm hoping these 28s will last me until I can switch to capris (hopefully just another few weeks), because I don't want to buy a pair I'll only wear a few times, even secondhand.

I did that occasionally before surgery. Some of the flavors definitely work better than others, but it's been long enough that I don't remember which ones were best, lol.

I've got a bag I bought a couple weeks ago and haven't tried yet. Will try to remember to try them tonight!

Those are some great ideas, @FluffyChix!

That's a good idea! I liked some of those before surgery, but they completely slipped my mind as a post-surgery option. Thanks!

I get what you mean about not bothering to change things up too much or making complex meals when we're eating such small amounts, but I've found that without variety, my brain starts craving things I definitely shouldn't have (like mac and cheese or pizza or a grilled cheese sandwich or brownies or a quesarito from Taco Bell), and I want to avoid that, because I know myself and that's a slippery slope.

I'm in a rut with food -- sick of things I've been eating, but not sure where to begin with finding other things that I'll like, are healthy, and will agree with my stomach. I'm cleared for all foods as long as my stomach agrees with them, but I'm trying to avoid white carbs like pasta, rice, and bread (though I will do 100% whole wheat toast now, since it no longer makes me sick, and I've been using FlatOut Light wraps ocassionally). Haven't tried 100%WW pasta yet, because pasta was one of my go-to foods for overeating before, so I'm trying to avoid it as long as I can (though I'm craving it something fierce). The main problem is that I'm a picky eater. Always have been. Things I like (among others): chicken, bacon, sausage, turkey, ground beef, ham, tuna, catfish, most fruit, many veggies, corn, potatoes, pasta, sweets (also avoiding other than SF stuff like pudding or protein cheesecakes) Things I don't (the part that makes this difficult): eggs, steak, most other fish/seafood, mushrooms, onions (I don't mind them if they're cooked in something), peppers, peas Another problem is money/food waste. I'm on a tight budget, so I'm hesitant to make something new and end up not liking it, thereby wasting money and ingredients on it. I also don't want to make huge batches of things; our deep freezer is already jam-packed full (of mostly things I can't eat -- I live with my mother and sister, who don't eat healthily at all), so I don't really have a lot of room to freeze/save extras. It's also a pain to put a ton of time and effort into making something elaborate when I can only eat a tiny bit of it (though I would do it if it was something I wanted badly enough), especially if it's not something that is good leftover. As it is, I've been eating a lot of chicken prepared various ways and relying on protein shakes/drinks/bars to get in a good chunk of my protein, which I know is far from ideal. Any suggestions for recipes that only make a little bit (or are easily scaleable), are fairly easy and inexpensive, and don't rely on eggs? I can eat up to 3/4 of a cup at this stage (in theory, though usually it's closer to 1/2 cup).

I've bought a few still-in-good-shape items here and there at Goodwill, plus I have some hand-me-downs from relatives and friends and from when I wore slightly smaller sizes. I also plan on hitting up garage sales this spring/summer. Right now, I've got two trash bags full of pants/capris and two of shirts, all ranging in size from 18-30 (I started out as a 34 and right now am in a 28 for jeans -- some of the size 30 items are things that have shrunk or run small).

You can also order on the Walmart website, and there's actually a combo option (so you can order three packages) at a very slightly cheaper price than in-store or individually. https://www.walmart.com/co/Premier-Protein-Shake-Bundle-12-Count-Choice-of-Flavors/47222977