Swanton_Bomb

Add coffee or bitter unsweetened cocoa powder to shakes and get as much as you can from real food like cottage cheese. Other than that, all I can advise it just think of the shakes as medicine. Once I went from 2 shakes to 1 it became more manageable. I drink 1 Ensure Max a day (unlike other Ensure it has 30 grams of protein, 150 calories and 1 gram of sugar). It is the most palatable of a terrible bunch out there but it sure ain't good. I add a little cold brew coffee concentrate to it, put it in a thermos and sip it over about 90 minutes. Weekdays are easier because I drink it at work and I am distracted from the gross taste, thick feeling in my mouth and the unsettled stomach feeling. I have tried adding fruit, milk, etc. but it just makes it bigger and it doesn't improve the taste much, so I just found a shake with low calories and high protein. It really, really sucks, but you just have to man up and drink the ****. I was not able to choke it all down right after surgery, but at least try at get a little more each day. Bariatric hot cocoa is a good way to get in the grams too, as is Fairlife milk.

By the 4th week I was able to eat soft food, but even at 2 1/2 months grilled chicken gives me trouble. Moist rotisserie chicken is easier, dark mat is easier than white. Try fish, that is easier.

I'm willing to take out loans if necessary. For once in my life I want to look good. I'm older and obese for most of my life, and even though I'm not that far along I can already see a dramatic difference in my breasts and I know skin will be a huge problem for me.

So I know it is recommended that you stabilize your weight after reaching goal/max loss before getting skin removed, but is it possible to do breast implants sooner? I know I am thinking pretty far ahead here because I am only about halfway to my goal weight but my breasts are so small now and they look weird and I am extremely self conscious about it. Can you get implants as soon as you reach goal?

Somehow I lucked out with a private room, which I was not expecting. I am extremely private and introverted and it was a pleasant relief. I did not vomit after my surgery, and when my surgeon checked on me, I told him I was well, and "I haven't thrown up or anything" and he said, "Well, you aren't supposed to!"

My regret is not doing it sooner. I lost 20 before surgery and 34.5 since surgery 2.5 months ago. It's HARD. I'm struggling a lot this week, I just want to stuff my face and I am frustrated as hell, but it's worth it. I would have binged dozens of times in these past 2.5 months if the surgery didn't prevent it.

I simply said I needed surgery and filed the paperwork. My surgeon gave me a very discrete note which just said I was under his care, was having surgery and would need up to 4 weeks recovery time (I took 2). One supervisor asked, "Can I ask what kind of surgery?" which was a little out of line and rude, but she also kind of thinks we are friendly and we really aren't. I just said, "Female thing," and sounded uncomfortable, so she stopped there. It is no one's business, and they can think what they want. There are all sorts of surgery and medical issues that people don't want to discuss. WLS is nothing to be ashamed of, but neither is a vasectomy, or hemmoroid surgery, but people wouldn't expect you to talk about that.

I'm starting to get used to it, but it is one of the tougher rules for me. I get thirsty when I eat, and because I am often NOT thirsty at other times, the craving for liquids really hits me. It can stretch out your sleeve, and it can flush food through too quickly so that you don't feel satisfied and eat too much. For me, on the few occasions that I was so thirsty that I broke the rule, just a small sip or two after eating made me feel bloated, gurgly, weird and gross, so fortunately it discouraged me from doing that and helps me stick to the rule. If I really need to, I rinse my mouth out instead.

I am so very sorry for your tragic loss.

Thank you, I needed to hear that. I felt really badly, not because a few bites of pizza are so terrible but because it is like an alcoholic just taking a sip, you know?

I had some pizza today. Not the worst sin, but a potential trigger for me. I am so grateful for he restriction I felt after just a few small bites. I grew the rest away instead of saving the leftovers. I don’t know why I did it. I’ve been so good, and it’s too early to mess up. It tasted too good and I am so scared that when restrictions fades I will balloon up again. I have been working hard to work on my head, but I still think about food so much. It is sick how much I love food.

Nothing to be embarrassed about. If a surgeon is grossed out by blood she would have to find a new job!

The differences between plans are extreme, and I have even found conflicting info within the plan my NUT gave me! That's why I find it so interesting that some people follow their surgeon's plan as if it were the word of God...and yet, if you had gone to a different surgeon, your plan might be completely different. The biggest difference I have seen is caffeine. Few allow it from the beginning, others introduce it at 1, 3 or 6 months, others ban it for life. I was cleared at one month, and I was happy that my surgeon was not particularly conservative about coffee, but I quickly discovered that it didn't agree with me and that I wasn't ready. Same with vitamin pills.

Thanks everyone, it sounds like it would be a good idea to buy one!

There is no way I could meet my protein goals without a shake or at least half of one a day. I like Ensure Max. 150 calories, 6 carbs, 30 protein. It is more palatable than the Premier, but let’s face it, they all suck. I have given up on trying to doctor them up in the blender with fruit and ice. It just makes the shake bigger and plus I’d rather have some berries later as a snack instead of whirred up in the chemical shake. Coffee flavored shakes are best, I think. Adding unsweetened butter cocoa powder helps too.

You look adorable! I don't know what your hair looked like before, perhaps the thinning was exaggerated in your own mind, or perhaps the cut deemphasized it, but your hair looks really thick!

Anyone ever use a vacuum sealing machines for food? It is frustrating to see food go to waste, and things don't always freeze so well. For example, I bought a pack of pre-cooked turkey meatballs. There are about 15 meatballs in the pack, and my husband doesn't really like them. I like variety, and I don't care for eating the same leftovers every day for a week (2 days max, usually). I don't know how well they would freeze, and I'm wondering if I should buy a vacuum sealer. That way I can also cut fish filets and chicken breasts in half before freezing them too. Anyone use one?

A lot of this, for me, was hormonal. After about three weeks I started to feel normal again. I have bad days, like raging head hunger and urge to eat everything in the house yesterday, but those are occasional and manageable. Right after surgery I was super emotional, anxious, depressed. It felt like extreme PMS. I am 8 weeks out now and feeling pretty stable. Good luck.

Wow! You have a lot to be proud about. Enjoy your new body!

I personally rejected the idea of the balloon right away because it is temporary, is very expensive, gives minimal results and can have serious complications. Not worth the risk or expense for the minimal and temporary result. However, I would be much more concerned about a surgeon using black market balloons. If he is qualified, shouldn't he be able to get these things himself? It's hard to tell from your picture because it is just a face shot but you don't look obese, but depending on the amount of weight you need to lose I would recommend the sleeve or bypass, not the band or balloon, those are technically less invasive but people have had tremendous problems with them.

Any day now. Within a week the fluid should start leaving and the weight loss will start showing up. Be prepared to get excited!

Hernia, appendix, hysterectomy (unless more kids will be happening). You should be able to see visitors or drop kids off within a week, so you won't need an excuse for long. We can probably help you come up with a flawless excuse if you told us what your usual childcare arrangement is: does he usually just drop by or does he have scheduled visits?

For me artificially sweetened things are intolerable, fruit tastes great and some things with real sugar taste good but not "I need to shovel this in my face at great speed good" or are just "meh". One exception is sugar free pudding, which I still like. It has aspartame (Nutrasweet) though, not sucralose (barf) or stevia (retch).

Don't stock up on too much, your tastes may change drastically!

So many people say to increase calories to break a stall, but it just seems so counter-intuitive. Others say to track and measure more carefully than ever. What say you?