Swanton_Bomb

They are all vile, LOL. I kept buying new ones in a desperate attempt to find a good one, but after surgery I can’t shake the artificial sweetener taste. Premier with coffee or thinned with Fairlife is tolerable, as are the Atkins. Sometimes I make one with Greek yogurt, fruit and Fairlife, but that has higher calories and less protein per ounce, so most days I just choke down the chemical shakes, I only have to have one a day now.

My surgery instructions specifically said not to wear one, don't know why.

This is a non-scale-victory that never crossed my mind. Between a lifetime of working on my feet and being obese, heels haven't even crossed my mind in years. Pretty shoes will now be another motivator to work hard at losing.

From what I've seen the 30 gram bars are usually just higher in protein because they are bigger. You can only cram so much into a small bar. I second the Think Thin bars, they have sugar alcohols instead of nasty stevia or sucralose, but don't eat them in excess because sugar alcohols can cause terrible gas and bloating.

44 here. Recovery was not nearly as bad as I anticipated, but no walk in the park. I think it depends a lot on your surgeon and nurses. I was lucky to have a very experienced and skilled surgeon and the hospital helped me manage my pain well. The constipation can get really BAD, the combo of high protein, low fiber and not being able to manage enough fluid makes for a bad intestinal time. Colace seems to be a mild preventative but Milk of Magnesia is much more effective if it is in full swing. I'm bracing myself for the hair loss and just praying it isn't too bad, especially since I am already thin. I've seen a lot of after pictures though, and no one seems to have horrific loss, so I am hoping that it won't look too awful.

I am new to this so I have no advice, but I just wanted to say that you look freakin' fantastic!

11/8, one month out today. It gets a wee bit easier every day.

Water is really hard for me too. I find it is easier when cool, but not ice cold. Some people say Crytal Lite and SF Gatorade goes down easier, but artificial sweeteners make me want to hurl now. Bariatric, high protein SF hot cocoa and decaf helps me. I wish I liked tea, but I hate it. Try warm liquid, it goes down easier for me. Wonton broth (no wontons) goes down super smoothly. As for feeling full, my NUT says you don't usually feel it in your stomach. It can be a tightness in the chest (I feel this first), hiccups (I know I need to not take another bite at this point) or even a sneeze (I haven't experienced this). I feel pretty tired too, I think that will last a long time. Good luck in your recovery!

Today is my one-month sleeve-a-versary, and I have lost nearly 18lbs., which is nothing short of miraculous for someone who is 5 ft. tall, middle-aged and has PCOS. The most I've ever been able to lose in a month was 10lbs. and that was with intense efforts. I lost 20lbs. before surgery so I am starting to see the loss, especially in my face. I ordered 2 sweatshirts in my usual 2x that arrived today, and they are both huge and need to be sent back. I am overjoyed. It is a lot easier to make better choices when you see measurable progress so quickly. I am really shocked, I was expecting maybe 12-13lbs. the first month at most. I am so grateful to my surgeon. I had a single incision sleeve done through my belly button and I don't even have a single scar. I did have a fair amount of pain at first, probably because all the pulling and stretching was done through one incision, but it was manageable and didn't last too long, and the nurses in the hospital were so wonderful. Protein is still a struggle and water is a bigger struggle, but I am getting there. Constipation has been my worst problem...really bad at times, but I have found that Milk of Magnesia works a million times better than Colace or Miralax, so that is less of an issue sometimes. I hope that you all enjoy the good healing and loss that I have so far.

Good Morning! I just got an Instant Pot. I'm officially one month out today and I'm starting to be able to eat more real foods. What are your favorite WLS-friendly Instant Pot (or Crock Pot, got one of those too) recipes? I'm looking forward to trying some turkey chili and steamed artichokes.

If she was an endoscopy nurse, she is seeing patients with problems. It isn't a routine test. What about all the WLS patients without those issues? I am a sleeve baby, only one month out, but even at this early and difficult stage I am very happy with my decision, and I wish I hadn't spent my youth obese. Obesity does a lot of damage to your body too. Yes, people do it on their own, and some keep it off on their own, but statistically, WLS is WAY more effective. As for the vitamins and such, get an app and set alarms. I am super forgetful but that allows me to manage. Good luck, whatever you choose.

I have read that it is recommended that WLS patients follow a different prep involving pills, maybe you can ask your doctor for that? I kind of wonder, if that is an option, why it isn't offered to everyone, it might encourage more people to get the test.

Zicam gummies are really effective, especially when used with elderberry, ask the doc if you can try it.

It would be great to take advantage of a YMCA membership, but if that is just too far out of your comfort zone there are some women's only gyms. They usually are very basic, but it's a start.

Definitely ask for a sample of the Aczone, it helps bacterial acne as well as hormonal. Amazing stuff, I see improvement overnight.

Thanks. It seemed reasonable, but I wanted to check with those with more experience with this. I do sometimes dilute with decaf...and my doc cleared me for real, honest-to-Bob, actual, caffeinated coffee as of one month, which is tomorrow! I am practically peeing my pants with excitement, LOL.

I think it is completely reasonable to skip out on your usual cooking related obligations or attending events a few days after surgery. Don't feel bad saying that you can't do it this year. You can cook the stuff now and freeze it, or you can get those dishes from a restaurant to contribute. You are having major surgery, and it is perfectly fine to take time for yourself right now. I am realizing more and more that a major contributing factor to my obesity was always putting others first.

If you have acne, WLS related or not, Spironolactone (prescription, but cheap) can really help. Also, if you are more comfortable with topicals, Aczone (prescription) is absolutely amazing. It brings down redness and inflammation fast and doesn't promote drying or photosensitivity. WAY better than Retin-A or anything like that. It is very expensive but I think it is worth it, and most dermatologists can give you samples and coupons.

I think your "failure" was a smashing success, actually. You learned on several different levels what your body can and cannot handle, and how to better prepare yourself for temptations in the future. Bravo!

So I'm a month out, and I'm still struggling with water and to a lesser degree, protein. I abhor the shakes and try to get most of my protein from food, but it is hard because at this point I can only have teensy portions. So I find that I do best with one super high protein shake, and I tolerate it best if I sip it throughout the day. It takes me a long time to finish, even though it is thin. I also need to constantly sip water. So do shakes count as food or fluid when the rule of 30 is concerned? I personally would count it as a food if it was thick or had added fruit, but it feels like a fluid to me (Premier or Atkins RTD, over iced but not blended with ice). So is it ok to slowly sip it and have water in between, or should I try and drink it faster and wait for 30 minutes, the way I would with food?

I was sleeved on 11/8. I was told not to try chicken yet, but I am up to fish (tilapia was good, salmon disgusted me, and tuna was ok, it felt heavy). Some things go down very easily, like ricotta cheese and lentil soup, other things, like eggs, are a little bit of a struggle still. I have a shake for lunch and a protein cocoa at night so that I can make do with the very small amounts of protein I can consume for breakfast and dinner with "real food". Maybe try that, and try to back off the chicken for a while?

Part of me still thinks about food constantly, drooling over what I will be allowed to eat at the next phase, and the other part of me finds eating a chore and a bore. The taste thing is weird, it isn't just the extreme aversion to artificial sweeteners, it is other things too. I was looking forward to trying salmon, and I took the tiniest little bite and spit it out, it tasted awful! Last night I practically choked down a piece of string cheese (which I still like) because I just wasn't hungry but I needed more protein for the day. The whole thing is weird, but even at this early and difficult stage, I am so very grateful for this surgery making food less appealing. I know the reduction in hunger is temporary, tastes will continue to change and that my stomach capacity will increase but I am hopeful because I can see that I building better habits. No eating plan, therapy or diet pills have ever any sort of impact on my food addiction, and I am so happy to have something to help me while I try to work on that addiction. I was skeptical before the surgery and thought for sure I would be crying non-stop these first few weeks out of desperation for food, but for the first time in my life, I feel optimistic about becoming a healthier person.

Oh man, that really sucks, I know you were trying so hard. I can't believe they didn't test for that sooner. I hope they can treat it quickly so you can reschedule soon. Don't lose faith, don't let all your hard work go to waste. Keep up with your appointments and try and watch your carbs and calories as much as you can. Best of luck to you.

Walk and stretch, and then walk some more. You can actually feel it moving around when you walk a lot.

Oh, I don't have any issues with my rate of loss, I think I'm losing at a fantastic rate, I'm really pleased. I just meant that I'm very early in the game and I have a lot to go. I am thrilled with my rate of loss though. Even with really hardcore diet and exercise in the past the most I ever managed was 10lbs. in a month, usually more like 7-8. This is fantastic!