Orchids&Dragons

That's interesting, especially since our surgery date is similar. I have found that mine only makes noises when I feed it something it doesn't handle well. i.e. solid proteins - lots of gurgle and churn. Yogurt, soups, etc. - quiet as a mouse.

Did you do all right?

Who cancelled the ready-to-drink? What do you mean "didn't cover enough carbs"? I don't think I've seen anyone on the board who couldn't drink the ready-to-drink if they wanted to.

My loss has been quite fast (I think) for a post-menopausal woman. I'm 3.5 months out and down 52 since surgery. But I'm not tolerating any solid protein except fish and so I'm really still in the soft foods stage: lots of yogurt, soup, stews. It is a big day for me to hit 800 calories, I've only hit 1000 once. But most of my loss was the first 8 weeks. It's been slow-going since then. Can't complain, with all my previous diets I'd stall out between 35-40 pounds and then start going back up again.

Note: I still said "sip"

I was able to take my pills without a problem. Unless you're experiencing a lot of pain while drinking water, you should do all right. Just take them one at a time with as large a sip of water as you can manage.

On my plan those would count as purees. But if your doctor was ok with the hospital diet, I'm sure you're fine.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!

Welcome and congrats on losing the first 45 already!

Lookin' great! Congrats on your weight loss so far! And showing all the newbies how to pamper yourself without calories!

Hi Kendal and welcome! This is a very friendly and supportive community. We will definitely benefit from the experience of a veteran! Congrats on your fantastic weight loss!

Remember, your shakes count toward your liquids goal!

Most fish fall under the "soft" or "mushy" food categories since they can be smashed with a fork. If you're cleared for that stage then enjoy! FYI, you might try the cod first. Salmon is a "heavier" fish (more oily) and is a little more difficult.

You look amazing! I'll bet that dinosaur in the first pic wouldn't even want to eat you now - too skinny! He'll hang back and see if you have a plump friend

Congratulations!!! That is fantastic. You must be over the moon!

Oh, you'll get more input than you can imagine! Everyone's got a favorite When I need to get a lot of protein in, I go for the Premier Protein shakes. They're quite sweet, but they add in beautifully to decaf coffee, or chai tea. You can even stir them into oatmeal. (If you add to hot drinks, let the drink cool a bit first or the protein drink can curdle (YUK!) Some people thin them down so that they're not so sweet. I drink Protein waters on the way to work in the morning. That knocks the first 20g off my to-do list every day. They are also sweeter than I'd like, so I dilute with about 50% water. Hope that helps!

Unless you're planning to die in the next year of course there's still a benefit. You may live 10-20 years or more! Do you want to live like you are now or take a chance (because there's no guarantee) that you can live longer and healthier?

Just a guess, but I think bran might be a bit rough on your new tummy. You might try something like benefiber or miralax for now. Double check your post op instructions. They usually mention something about constipation because it's very common.

In what sense? Quantity, type of food, supplement, etc?

Some people heal faster than others. Your body may still be in full-on healing mode and need the extra rest, especially since you don't have a sedentary job. Be kind to yourself and rest if you can. You just had major surgery and your body is having to adapt to not getting enough calories from your food and switching to fat-burning.

Good luck! I do Flintstones!

I drink a protein water on the way to work. To me, they're less cloying than shakes, although still quite sweet.

Little bit of control freak came out, huh? LOL But seriously, like you, I had my surgery in prime flu season, and did the whole hand sanitizer/avoid people thing, too.

I like the PP vanilla mixed into chai tea (from tea bag). Delish! Just like a chai latte! I do have to add one extra packet of Stevia, though. I have that in the evening while watching tv. Just like a dessert.

I found liquids to be really challenging. It does get better once you can chew a bit of something. I asked my husband and sons not to eat in front of me. Not forever, just in the beginning when I was struggling. Maybe it was selfish, but I had to do whatever was necessary for me to succeed. Sometimes I could be distracted if I ate something a bit solid, like a popsicle. Also, if you're not on clear liquids, soups were great. I personally loved the Roasted red pepper soup I found at Target. (It comes in a carton on the soup aisle.) Since soups aren't sweet, my brain was willing to think of them as a meal. Made me feel a little less deprived. But, overall, you just really need to power through the liquid stage. It's hard.