MK686

Thanks @johnsons13 and @GreenTealael for your recommendations!

The Bari Life I use, I don't think has Gelatin. It's got 45 Iron but 200 folic acid with each dose. I get the powder and drink it in Water.

Either you will have to purchase separate Vitamins or get super expensive vegan one...
I use:
Members Mark Adult Multi Vitamins gummies (Sam's club-$10/320 gummies) Or SpringValley Organic Multi vitamins (Walmart-$10/30 tablets)
Veglife Vegan Iron 25mg (Whole foods,$15/100 pills)
Topcare calcium citrate petites (regional stores, search online)
All of my choices are Gelatin free,vegetarian friendly, Kosher or Halal suitable
Hope that helps!

Hello fellow sleevers. I have been on this site very little in the past couple of years but have logged in today to respond to a question. Since I'm here, I feel obligated to tell you all the things I've learned after 5 years.
1. The people that told me my approach to living life with the sleeve was all wrong and that I would fail, gain weight in a few years, stretch my sleeve, and regret my actions are mostly gone now. I have seen a couple of them around but the most are long gone. Do not pay much attention to the know-it-alls. They know no more than anyone else and are just as likely to fail.
2. Obviously you want to follow your Dr's instructions but don't get too hung up on strict rules and diets. If you make reasonable decisions and balance your good and bad food choices, your sleeve will do most of the work for you. I have eaten anything I wanted since day one. I try to pay attention to Protein etc., but I do not deny myself anything. You have the sleeve for a reason. Let it do it's job. Don't force it to hold more than it can and do not deny yourself the things that make you happy. Balance - just do it.
3. WLS is much more than losing weight. It is getting to the bottom of the issues that cause us to compensate with food in the first place. Pay more attention to your mental well being than the numbers on the scale. Your long term success depends on it.
4. Know that even after you reach your goal weight you will still be the same person with the same insecurities. Being thin changes nothing. If you did it for health reasons then hopefully those will no longer be an issue, but the person you are and how you feel inside doesn't change from losing weight. That has to change on the inside. No way around it.
5. Know that once you have made the necessary changes inside and out there will be some people that don't relate to you the same or just plain don't like you anymore. Also know that what they think is completely irrelevant . Physical and mental changes for the better intimidate those with small minds. Don't give them a second thought.
Thanks for reading.

27lb loss in your first month? How can that not be enough? What did you expect to lose? You are doing really well, don't underestimate your success.
Impatience is the undoing of many a good result when disappointment sets in. Set reasonable goals and but not all scale goals, set yourself some non scale goals, they can be as simple as walking up a flight of stair without getting breathless or walking around the block in x minutes, seeing your toes for the first time in a long time, reducing blood pressure or cholesterol leves, etc etc.

I feel like it is an adjustment period, but that’s normal. Some of the pleasure is gone out of eating in some ways. Sometimes I think I am really looking forward to eating something, but then I eat it and I don’t enjoy food the way I used to.
Other times I have eaten something and wished I could eat more because it was so delicious!
I have days where I am not hungry and eating feels like a chore and days where I am hungry.
Things have definitely gotten easier as I’ve gotten farther out from surgery.

We can't motivate you for you. That's where YOU have to take the ball and run with it. Big thing is to not beat yourself up for the mis-steps. They happen, it's what you chose to do next that matters.
Missing going to the gym? Well, GO! Stop making excuses and go.
Not following your diet? Well, Stop it! Start following your diet and stop making excuses.

Push yourself! No one else is going to make you feel horrible because you ate crap and aren't doing what you know you are supposed to do. No one else is going to look back at you in the mirror and be disappointed because you didn't do what you knew you should have. Just do it.

You know you have to,
You know why you have to,
The ONLY way to get past feeling the way you do... is to do what you know you are supposed to.

So stop dwelling on the crap that happened yesterday, focus on what you need to do to be successful TODAY.

Reach out to your surgeons office and see if they can recommend a therapist for you. It sounds like you need to dig down and work on some deep issues.
In the meantime, try putting together meals and Snacks for the day ahead of time. Sometimes it helps to have things pre-prepared so you know what your "food allowance" is for each meal, or for each day. You can space out snacks accordingly - if you're looking for more right after a meal, ask yourself, "can I wait another hour before reaching for this next snack? " Consider that if you eat your allotted snacks too early you will be hungry later and try to space them out. This is just something I do to help when I am feeling like I am not satisfied even though I have just eaten.
Get rid of trigger foods that are in your cabinets or refrigerator. Having them readily available is just setting yourself up. When you feel a craving coming on, maybe go take a walk instead. Remove yourself from the places where in the past you had the habit of over-eating. It takes approximately 21 days to change your habits. Set this as a short term goal - when you have a craving, take a walk instead of reaching for food. Tell yourself that if you take a 20-30 minute walk and are still hungry when you get back, you will have a Protein snack.
Think of all the reasons that made you come to the decision to have this surgery. Maybe try journaling what you're feeling. It can be hard to lose the comfort that comes from food, it's like losing a friend. Find ways to keep your mind and hands busy - look for a new hobby that piques your interest.
You can do this. You are strong, have faith in yourself. Reach out to those in your life who support you.

I had help from my hubby for about a week. The main thing I needed assistance with was the blood thinner shots I had to be on for 10 days. I could have done them myself, but I preferred to have someone else do it.

I'm 7 days out and I'm doing everything I could do before. Feeling really good actually!

I haven't had surgery yet but I'm planning on using one of those grabby stick things on a handle if I can't bend and my husband isn't around.

If you make sure all your cleaning is done before you leave. You should be fine,
I was home alone and just used Tylenol for pain

after a few days I was able to cook again for my family. but other things like house cleaning, laundry etc, I took it easy. Especially laundry - leaning into the washing machine was a no no. lifting the vaccum, nope. took around amonth for that stuff.

I was terrified going into surgery. I truly thought I was going to die. I went so far as to remind my family exactly what my wishes are for what should happen after I die. I was sleeved on July 18, and I am here today, almost 1 month later. It is ok for you to be terrified. Surgery, even laproscopic surgery is a BIG deal.
What I would suggest you consider is if your fear of death is actually a way to cover for fear of what your new life is going to look like. I know that was at least partly true for me. I was legitimately scared of actually dying, but I also new that my life, as I had known it, would be over when I woke up from surgery. That is a terrifying prospect too.. but one that is much harder to articulate than the fear of actual death.
Whatever your fear... you are allowed to feel that way... just don't let it get in your way. Take deep breaths and keep moving forward.

Hi ladies, please don't get discouraged, read some of the post and reach out to some of the long timers on the site...I have met some really nice people on the site and learned so much, although my surgery is scheduled for August 29th 2018 I plan on asking for all the help and tips from the wonderful people that i have met here, I even in box them because I don't always feel comfortable posting stuff and they have been nothing but helpful and encouraging. You ladies got this!! I will be looking for advice from you two after my surgery
You will do fine and whatever I can do I am here for you. I wish you all the very best!!

I was actually able to drive today. I probably give myself a little more time. I was up most of the day started feeling a little pain a little after 9 but not to bad. Heating pad is my best friend while trying to not take the painkillers.

I also live alone, I drove myself home and was out and about a day later, no pain or discomfort at all

The first day from the hospital my bf went a did do shopping for me. But after that I told him I needed to do stuff on my own

I'm a Compulsive Overeater and went through a similar situation that you went through. The surgery fixed my ability to not over eat but it didn't fix my will to eat the things that I shouldn't eat. To be honest, there are a great many people on this message board that want and will offer you advice to succeed but if you don't make the changes needed all the advice in the world will not help. If you can eat those Cheez Its in moderation then there is really no harm but if you gobble them down and buy more you're setting yourself up for failure. I can't eat in moderation, that's a big part of my problem being a Compulsive Overeater. That's why I sought outside help, with a therapist. My therapist went one step further and recommended that I join Overeaters Anonymous. (OA) Between them both I'm starting to work through my problem and I hope and pray that I have long term success with my WLS. We have been given a great tool to be healthy what we do with it is up to us. I wish you success and good health.

I had help with my kids, but as far as me personally? I don’t think I really needed any help

I’m on day 2 post op (sleeved 8/6) 1 & a half days in the hospital, I’m home now. Yesterday I could do everything for myself I even passed some gas ( gas pain is no joke). Today I woke up on my own little pain and no assistance from anyone. I think it’s a mental thing. I also think it’s going to depend on how you’re feeling after surgery. The day of surgery I was soooooo weak but today I feel fine. A little gas pain and little stomach pain but other then that I’m doing fine for myself.

Didn’t really need any help after my rny. Just made sure grocery shopping was done etc BC you can’t lift for a while.

My RNY bypass was on 8/1 I stayed in the hospital for 4 nights. I also had gall bladder removed, hernia repair & vagotomy & had swallowing difficulties. I have been staying with my sister, I don't so much need her help, but she had bypass 10 years ago so offers me helpful advice & keeps me resting. Bending, reaching & sleeping is still difficult, but I think I could have handled it at home alone if I'd had to! Best of luck to you!

On the way home from the hospital the day after my RNY my husband had an emergency at his office, Since it was on our way home we stopped in and he needed to stay for a few hours doing damage control. I just left him there and drove myself home.
My teen was still on Summer break and around to fetch and carry if I needed her to and of course my Service Dog is always eager to pick up what I drop or need carried but really after the first couple of days, other than being sore, everything is managable.

It is not that kind of surgery where someone needs to help you afterwords.