Sammi_Katt

One mistake will not mess you up, but try not to make it a habit. Almost everyone messes up at least once, and it's not an end all. And of course it's gonna be watery- you're not putting in a lot of mass food-wise. You'll have some pieces and parts (tmi, I know), but it's mostly gonna be Water for a while. Same thing will happen right after surgery until you're eating solids again, in which case, stool softener is your BEST FRIEND.
Pre-op diet is legitimately the hardest part. You're almost done with it- you can get through it. You just gotta hang in there.
Once you're done with your surgery and on your way to healing, you'll see how strong you were to keep going and that the hard part is over. ❤️ Congratulations and good luck!

Been craving tamales really bad, and I found a good recipe to try. I would probably leave out the jalapenos/salsa until you can eat spicy foods (if you can at all), but they sound delicious and amazing and I never thought to use cauliflower for a tamale. Nom nom.
Copied from: https://www.rippedrecipes.com/recipe/cauliflower-tamales-3994.html
Ingredients
4 medium Egg 2 wedge or slice (1/8 of one 2" dia lime) Lime 2.5 serving (serving = 4 oz) Tyson Foods Boneless Skinless chicken Breasts 4 serving (serving = 1/4 tsp) Goya Adobo All Purpose Seasoning 1 serving (serving = 2 tbsp) Old El Paso Pickled Jalapeno Slices 6 serving (serving = 3/4 cup) Green Giant Cauliflower Crumbles Directions
Cauliflower tamales!
2 bags of Green Giant Cauliflower Crumbles
4 eggs
1 tsp adobo seasoning
2 packets true lime / or lime juice from 2 lime wedges
10-12 oz meat of choice
Pickled jalapenos (optional)
1/2 cup world market salsa verde
9 corn husks

Soak corn husks in hot Water for 2 hours before starting. Purée cauliflower crumbs until they reach a rice consistency. Place in cheese cloth and squeeze out excess water. Mix with seasonings and eggs. Lay out corn husks and apply thin layer of mass mixture even on husk. Measure 1-1.5 oz of Protein of choice and put in center of husk. I added 3 jalapenos on top as well as a 1/2 tbsp of salsa verde on the protein. Fold husk together to close the tamale. Steam for 25 minutes and done!

NUTRITIONAL FACTS
per 1 serving size (Recipe makes 9 servings)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 83
Calories from Fat 28
% Daily Values*
Total Fat 3.06
4.71%
Saturated Fat 1.02
5.10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.41
Monounsaturated Fat 1.30
Cholesterol 100.72
33.57%
Sodium 255.33
10.64%
Potassium 194.67
Total Carbohydrate 3.23
1.08%
Dietary Fiber 1.49
5.96%
Sugars 1.52
Protein 10.75
Vitamin A 0.22%
Vitamin C 48.00%
Calcium 2.22%
Iron 3.11%
* Nutritional Values are estimated and may vary

It was pretty painful, I'll admit. I took gas-x (chewable) and it helped with the belly pain. The shoulder pain does dissipate, but you have to walk, walk, walk. That said, everyone's level of pain tolerance is different. Some people might feel almost no pain at all, whereas others will hurt to hell and back. When I had my surgery, I took only gas-x and tylenol. I didn't need anything else.
If you have someone that will be with you, another thing that will really help with gas pain is having someone pat your back (kinda hard, too). Pretend you're being burped like a baby. It is a great feeling and it gets those gas pockets out quicker. Also, and I can't stress enough, WALK. Walking around, even just going around a room in circles, helps the gas go away. You've got this.
Take a deep breath, and good luck. ❤️

NO FOR REAL BEST THING EVER! ON the day of, I read out at exactly 215.4, exactly 100lbs down. I got my wish after all lol.

So, update.
It's my birthday tomorrow and I made it to 99.6lbs lost. Just that 0.4 away. UGH! lol It's still a huge accomplishment and I am so happy with it. I'm even down another size, AND I CAN SHOP IN THE REGULAR CLOTHING SECTION FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I WAS 15!!! AHH! ❤️

I was so excited to try these- I know, I know, carbs are still not good, but these are high Protein and I can only have a small amount... I found it on a bariatric website, and guys, these are AMAZING. (I didn't include the berries in mine, so the carbs are closer to about 5 for what I made, and I used 1/2cup of liquid egg whites instead of 3/4cup, so it tasted closer to real pancakes rather than eggy.)
https://www.froedtert.com/bariatric-surgery/recipes/peanut-butter-jelly-pancakes
Peanut Butter and Jelly Pancakes
Weight Management & Bariatrics SERVINGS: 4
INGREDIENTS
½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
½ cup instant oatmeal
2 tablespoons powdered peanuts
4 large egg whites
1 cup frozen mixed berry blend
DIRECTIONS
Put Items in a blender in this order: cottage cheese, oatmeal, powdered peanuts and egg whites. Turn on blender and blend until smooth like pancake batter. Pour into a bowl and fold in berry fruit mix. Use cooking spray in skillet. Makes 4 to 7 pancakes depending on size. NUTRITIONAL VALUES
Serving size: 1 pancake
Calories: 90
Fat: 1.5 grams
Cholesterol: 1 milligrams
Sodium: 195 milligrams
Carbohydrates: 9 grams
Dietary Fiber: 1.5 grams
Sugar: 1 grams
Protein: 10 grams

My surgery is march 25 2021, i hadnt even thought of gas pain! Thank you for all the advice, I am adding chewable gasx to my shopping list. I am going today to stock up so I can quarantine from here on out. So excited and scared all at once!

It was pretty painful, I'll admit. I took gas-x (chewable) and it helped with the belly pain. The shoulder pain does dissipate, but you have to walk, walk, walk. That said, everyone's level of pain tolerance is different. Some people might feel almost no pain at all, whereas others will hurt to hell and back. When I had my surgery, I took only gas-x and tylenol. I didn't need anything else.
If you have someone that will be with you, another thing that will really help with gas pain is having someone pat your back (kinda hard, too). Pretend you're being burped like a baby. It is a great feeling and it gets those gas pockets out quicker. Also, and I can't stress enough, WALK. Walking around, even just going around a room in circles, helps the gas go away. You've got this.
Take a deep breath, and good luck. ❤️

thanks folks! I'm 6 days out now and the swelling has gone down a bit. Throat is still very scratchy, and there is some swelling but it's a lot better.

Can someone tell me how they felt the day after surgery? I will be in hospital one night and was wondering how you felt on the way home? Did anyone have terrible painful gas pains, if so when? I was at a support group a couple months ago and that topic was mentioned several times, one person said they had such severe gas pains in their shoulder and below, they thought they were having a heart attack. I go in on Wednesday and this has really been on my mind.

I did. The swelling went down after about three days, but my throat was scratchy for about a week. Hang in there, and keep drinking Water. It hurts, but it will actually help it feel better faster if you can stay hydrated. ❤️

No anger here. I think I first attempted pizza at about 4-5 months post op. I’ll still have half a slice from time to time. I’ve been delighted that I am completely satisfied after half a slice. Allowing this kind of “treat” from time to time has made this livable for me long term. I’ve met my first goal weight, so it hasn’t derailed my process overall. I think the key is just keeping these kind of foods (high carb/fat) an occasional thing rather than falling back in to old habits and having them daily.

I'm eating around 4oz per meal, and around 250-350 calories per big meal (50-150 per snack).
I've slowed down on my weight loss because I'm enjoying where I'm at, and I maintain around 1350 calories. If I eat 1200 or less, I lose.

So, part of the thing I love the best about having lost so much weight and having so much energy is what all I can physically do.
Back in September (since I live in Nevada), I went opal mining, and yesterday, I went to Tonopah to go do turquoise mining. We dug, broke rocks, and did basically hard labor for 5 and a half hours. Over that time, my garmin recorded me having burned over 1000 calories, and despite my soreness today, I had a blast.
Does anyone else do mining stuff? Does anyone know of any good places? I went opal mining in Virgin Valley in Nevada, and turquoise in Tonopah, Nevada.

I generally wear briefs (just generic, fruit of the loom or hanes) for right now. Since I'm still in weight loss mode, I don't wanna spend on anything fancy or pretty since I'll only be able to wear it for a few months at best.
I wear tighter fitting stuff (like yoga pants, tights, tank tops) that hold my belly and pooch in, and then layer over those most of the time (skirts and shirts) to hide it a little. If it's about comfort, just keeping it from flailing around while you do daily stuff is nice. If it's about looks, Shapewear isn't always a bad thing, just make sure it's not too tight and you're not wearing it too often. People make the mistake of buying binders and things that they're hoping will help "shape" their bodies, but it just ends up damaging their muscles and making their body a little more saggy.

Finally starting to feel human again. It was such a struggle in the beginning. My colon does not like anesthesia. So much abdominal cramping and bloating! I was so upset thinking made the wrong decision. I watched a lot of YouTubes of other gastric bypass journeys and I never found one that mentioned the soreness and abdominal discomfort. So happy now that I'm feeling so much better now. I now know I did not make a mistake. Still struggling to reach my Water and Protein numbers on a daily basis. But I know I'm close. So glad I found this support group as it is difficult to go through this alone.
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using BariatricPal mobile app

The soft food stage does by really quickly, so don't sweat it too much. Didn't your doctor's office give you a list? Mine gave me a whole binder of what to eat when through each stage, etc.
Basically it's cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, Protein Shakes, yogurt, Soup, Jello, sugar-free pudding, and things like that.

Thank you Sammi_Katt

Hey, congrats on your surgery. ❤️
I am a southern girl myself.
For soft food, you have a few options. You can always look up bariatric recipes (there are a lot of good ideas floating around the internet, and you can modify a lot of them if you have allergies or intolerances to anything). Cottage cheese, ricotta bake, turkey burger (well cooked and crumbled), scrambled eggs (oooh, I LOVED scrambled eggs when I was in my soft food stage!), tuna fish (honestly, I cooked a lot of fish during this stage and just flaked it really well... I did a lot of salmon and tilapia)... there are a lot more options than you think. I know it's overwhelming to feel so limited. Make sure you take your time when introducing new foods. Sometimes, your pouch might be a little silly and not like something (or vice versa!) from before surgery.
When I introduced new foods, I would try it by itself (so scrambled eggs, then trying to add cheese, and if my stomach agreed with that, I would add some spices or something). I stopped Protein Powder right after I was off my liquid diet (I can't physically stomach it), so I had to get Protein in with food.
It's quite a journey, but hang in there, and you'll do great. ❤️

Hi everybody I just had my sleeve surgery 12/14/20. I am at the soft food stage. I am so nervous and don’t know what to eat. I am a southern girl and I cook a lot but I know I can’t have those things and I have no ideas of a menu or shopping list and I don’t want to mess up. Please help me. No one close to me has done this.

In the UK there are tons of places. I know in Cheshire and Yorkshire have community activities devoted to mining.

I've read about that place. A BIG one was found recently

That's very different and interesting. I didn't know it was a thing.

Things taste really different to me. I had surgery almost a year ago, and I cannot STAND the smell of tuna anymore. Yogurt makes me gag. I used to love those things before.
Changes in sense of smell and taste are apparently pretty common, according to my surgeon. I do, however, enjoy the way some healthier foods taste and smell now. It just takes some getting used to to figure out what you can handle now. ❤️

When I had my surgery, I lost weight for the first week, then I got sick. I didn't eat anything except for applesauce and a cracker or two for almost four weeks, and was vomiting uncontrollably (my gallbladder was dying, but the doctors took forever to figure it out). In that time, I didn't lose a single pound, but as soon as my gallbladder was out and I was eating like I was supposed to, I did. When you don't eat, your body is starving and hanging on to everything it can so it won't die.
I understand that it's frustrating, but you have to try to eat something. If you have ulcers, your doctor needs to help by getting you a ppi or something to help your stomach out. But you *have* to eat to lose weight. I hope you feel better soon. Just hang in there.