Swanton_Bomb

Christmas Eve was filled with all of my absolute favorites, so that was tough. I had my usual protein packed breakfast and lunch, then ate teensy bits of the things I wanted, including a mini 2 bite eclair. Part of me wished I could shovel in the pasta and bread and pastries but I was so very grateful and relieved that I could not. I felt awful and guilty but then I tracked what I ate and it wasn't bad at all. Christmas day was easier because while I enjoyed the dinner served, it wasn't too carb heavy and it wasn't unusually tempting. I had my usual breakfast, ate three leftover shrimp for lunch, then for dinner I had tiny bites of the protein only and a small butter cookie and I didn't feel deprived. Today I was extra strict, with cottage cheese for lunch to make up for lost protein and to keep the calories low.

I was constantly told to lose weight by doctors but WLS was never suggested. I should have had the surgery 10-15 years ago, and the stigma absolutely pushed me away from it. I was ashamed that I couldn't do it on my own I guess...and yet I didn't think a bit less of anyone else who had it. I am only 7 weeks out but I can already tell that I made the right decision and I wish I would have done it sooner instead of spending my youth obese, unhealthy and unhappy. I missed out on so many things because of my obesity. I don't see this changing in the near future, at least not in the United States. People are extremely judgemental and have a punitive attitude when it comes to medical intervention. You see that attitude not only toward obesity but also addiction, pain management and mental illness. I get enraged every time I see someone post something on social media about "You don't need antidepressants, you need running shoes." People think if they just eat enough kale and do enough crossfit that there is no need for a flu shot. People are even judgemental when it comes to cancer! I am all for natural remedies when possible but I am incredibly grateful to live in an age of modern medical interventions and I will absolutely use any tools I can to make myself healthier and happier.

Oh goodness, I hadn't realized you were pre-op. That is so much harder. If you can do this, you can do anything!

So I sort of thought soup would be a good meal choice, and I chose a soup with mini chicken meatballs for protein, and I strained out the pasta. Dumb move. I guess it is sort of why you can't wat and drink at the same time. I got filled up far too fast, before I was satisfied and before I could consume enough protein. So I guess blended soups like split pea are probably a better choice. Oh well. I do love that Italian wedding soup though!

So far, what has been tougher than you thought it would be, and what has been easier? Hunger and resisting sweets has been easier than I thought it would be. I also had less pain and fatigue than I thought. What is harder than I thought is drinking water, not eating and drinking at the same time and getting enough protein. How about you?

I think it is totally normal to be bummed that you can't enjoy those delicious favorites, especially if you are on liquids and are drinking a carton of RTD nastiness and can't even have solids. It didn't keep them from making the right decision and having the surgery at this especially difficult time of the year, and they aren't disregarding their plan to indulge. They just feel a little crappy, and that's ok.

You look amazing, and so much younger! You must be so proud of your hard work.

Ask your surgeon of course, but I was allowed blended bean and pea soups, cottage cheese, ricotta and greek yogurt.

Quest Protein Chips aren't half bad, although I liked them more before surgery. Shrewd Food puffs are decent, but have more of a whey aftertaste. Moon Cheese is pretty good, the best of the "just cheese" snacks IMO.

You already look younger! Way to go!

You had major surgery a mere 2 days ago. Of course, you feel like you were hit by a truck, and the anesthesia really messes with you. You will get steadily better. I had a major turn on day 6 in regards to pain, and as each stage of my diet advanced I felt better. It is not easy, not by a long shot, but IMO, the benefits far outweigh the downsides.

Night one and two in the hospital I was given Dilaudid, then transitioned to Percoset the next morning. I left the hospital with Percoset and I needed it for night three, four and five, but I only needed it once a day, at night.

Ensure and Boost are normally forbidden for us because of the carbs and sugar, but the new Ensure Max has 30 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar. The flavors are limited, only chocolate and mocha, but I have tried the mocha and it is more palatable than a lot of other shakes I have tried. It does contain caffeine, so depending on your plan you might not be able to have that one. It is a little thinner and has less of an aftertaste to me than the other shakes, and I like that I don't have to order it online because they have it in the pharmacy. I have really struggled with protein, the shakes make me gag, so this has been a godsend. I don't like it, but I can handle it a lot better than the others I have tried (omg, Atkins tastes like sour milk and saccharine). I add a tiny bit of bitter unsweetened cocoa powder to further temper the sweetness. If you are struggling with shakes, maybe give this one a try. It also is low fat, so it only has 150 calories, which is really good for that much protein. Incidentally, I noticed that it has calcium caseinate along with milk protein concentrate (a no-no for some surgeons but not mine), and I noticed that my Bariatric hot cocoa, which is also thin and palatable, has calcium caseinate as well. I have found casein protein, but I have heard it is thick and awful, but I can't find calcium caseinate as a powder, only as an ingredient in other products. If you hate thick drinks, you might like drinks with calcium caseinate as a main ingredient.

I never tasted evaporated milk but this was less nasty than Premier, Atkins or Muscle Milk, IMO.

How could we not be getting fatter? I have been so conscious about food since having the surgery and it is just EVERYWHERE. I stopped in a pharmacy the other day and was overwhelmed. At least 1/3 of the store was candy and other crap food. Food advertising is constant and in your face. People are always bringing junk food into work, and every minor celebration involves food. It's so frustrating. I am a teacher and yesterday kids kept bringing me cookies, brownies, candy for the holidays and the sight and smells were killing me.

I am also 5ft., and it is exceptionally hard to stay at a healthy weight at that height. We really can only handle small amounts of calories. This surgery is not easy. I am 6 weeks out and it has been tough, but I already feel like it is the best decision I've ever made. I had a really, really, really bad week, with something truly awful happening each day. Pre-surgery I would have consumed 3000-4000 calories on each one of those terrible days in an attempt to soothe myself. This time around I only had one of those days when I really wanted to cheat, and I couldn't really do any serious damage even if I tried. I wanted to overeat, but as soon as I started eating my dinner I realized I didn't want to overeat anymore. It has been extremely helpful for me and I hope it continues to do so.

As of today, I am obese. Normally, the knowledge of being obese is pretty distressing, but pre-op, I was "Morbidly Obese", then I scaled down to "Severely Obese". As of today, I am merely "Obese. The next hurdle is to get to merely "Overweight", and hopefully, someday, "Healthy Weight". So yay for being obese, LOL.

7 days of post op clears is pretty strict. Packaged broth is pretty awful to me now, but the broth from wonton soup went down pretty easily, maybe try that?

Eggs are good, but a pain to make on a weekday morning. I can't stomach a protein shake or yogurt that early in the day. I tried high protein oatmeal, but it is so filling that I can barely have any, and that just isn't enough protein. I have been doing a thin slice of Dave's Killer 21 grains and seeds bread (bread is ok on my plan) with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter. That goes down well, but it is only 7 grams of protein, leaving me a lot of make-up later in the day. So what do you eat for breakfast?

So I know straws are no-now because they can introduce air. I just had massive dental work and thought it would be easier to use one to protect my brand new filling from the cold. Worth the risk or not for a day or two?

I'm actually a little worried that I seem to be tolerating almost everything well. The only time I almost threw up was when I tried to switch from chewable vitamins to the big pills. Tonight (6 weeks out) I tried broiled shrimp, and while it filled me up quickly, it went down fine. I can only eat a tiny bit but most foods feel just fine, and I worry that I may be able to eat too many things too soon.

I felt that the cold feeling was excruciating during weeks 2-4 (I would get out from under the blankets and my teeth would chatter, my toes and fingers got numb in the grocery store dairy aisle), but now during 4-6 it seems to be less. I kind of hoped it would last until summer, but I hope this means my body is no longer going to fight my effort to lose fat.

I am not very far out, sleeved on 11/8, but I think that what you are feeling is normal. When people notice it opens you up to scrutiny and questions. For me, it also forces me to confront the uncomfortable reality of how big I am, and how I was even bigger.

The ground turkey sounds good, I think I have to go non traditional for breakfast. I might go back to cottage cheese after reading the suggestions. I only did it during the purée stage. Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

I don’t think I could tolerate it that soon, but steak is not an unhealthy food, it has tons of protein and if he is getting a doggie bag, he seems to be following the plan, no? He’s not taking down a buffet or eating even eating a piece of cake, just a piece of protein in a small portion. I think the “how” is a reasonable question, but not the “why”.