BigSue

Thanks for the helpful info! Interesting that Barimelts are on the list of not recommended supplements. That's what I've been taking, but in addition to the multivitamin, I'm taking separate supplements for iron, B-12, D3, and biotin. I'm planning to switch anyway once I run out of Barimelts because I can take pills now and the Barimelts are pretty expensive.

Good to know... I guess I'll start taking the extra iron now and see what the surgeon says when I go in for my next followup. The endocrinologist said to take it twice a day, but that will be difficult because I'm supposed to take calcium 3x per day, two hours apart from each other and two hours apart from iron, and my thyroid medication four hours apart from calcium and iron. Thanks for the info on endocrinologist vs. surgeon. I've been wondering about that since this stuff is more in the endocrinologist's area of expertise, but she doesn't specialize in bariatric patients, so maybe she doesn't know all the specifics of bariatric post-op changes. The surgeon doesn't even do bloodwork until 3 months out, so his directions are just based on the general bariatric patient guidelines.

I used protein powder mixed with almond milk.

For the second week of my pre-op diet, I was only allowed to have liquids. I was supposed to have 4 protein shakes per day (although I only managed to get that many on one day) plus broth, sugar-free Jello, and sugar-free popsicles. I got really bad bloating from the protein shakes. I had one especially bad night when I was so bloated and nauseated that I couldn't sleep. I hadn't experienced that during the first week of the pre-op diet when I was drinking 2 shakes per day plus a small meal of lean protein and veggies. I don't think it was the shakes, per se, but the fact that I was drinking so many of them and that was pretty much all I was consuming. I was actually kind of relieved on the last day before surgery when all I could have was clear liquids so I didn't have to drink any shakes that day!

I actually progressed more slowly than what my program said because I don't want to eat anything that will make me sick. I was allowed to start "soft foods" in week 3 (which included eggs, canned chicken and tuna, soft cooked veggies, etc.), but I mainly stuck with pureed foods. I started eating shredded canned chicken in week 5. I'm 7 weeks out now and I still haven't tried eggs because I've seen a lot of people say they don't tolerate eggs. My program says I can eat "regular" textures now, including raw veggies, but I'm still eating mostly pureed or very soft things (like refried beans, cottage cheese, and ricotta bake) because I know they won't give me any trouble. I have had some issues with shredded chicken and ground turkey (in very small pieces and swimming in sauce) and butternut squash noodles getting "stuck" and feeling like they might come back up, so I'm reluctant to try anything denser or firmer than that.

Ooh, that sucks! I can see how she would assume your daughters knew, but a healthcare professional should be more careful about blabbing your personal health information without your consent. I haven't told anyone in my family about my surgery, and I would be really angry if one of my healthcare providers assumed it was ok to discuss it with my family. I don't like to get people in trouble, but I think this is a case where somebody needs to talk to this tech about privacy so she doesn't do the same thing to someone else.

Thanks, that's good to know! The chelated iron is pretty cheap, too, and supposed to be easy on the stomach (and not cause constipation). Dr. Weiner said that chelated iron is best for gastric bypass patients because it can be absorbed anywhere in the intestine, while elemental iron is mostly absorbed in the first part of the intestine (which is now bypassed). But that video was from 6 years ago, so I don't know if there's any more recent research that says differently. Do you take 90 mg at a time or split it up into two doses?

Study after study has shown that dieting alone is not effective for long-term weight loss. Roughly 95% of people gain back all the weight they lose from dieting, and often more. Most bariatric surgery patients, on the other hand, maintain weight loss of at least 50% of their excess weight long-term. Many bariatric surgery patients do regain some weight, sometimes a significant amount, but typically still maintain some amount of weight loss (whereas without surgery, they’d most likely be gaining steadily over the years). The amount you can eat after weight loss surgery gradually increases, but usually not to the point that you can eat as much as you used to. People call the first couple of years the “honeymoon period” because that’s when it’s easy to lose weight, since the restriction is strongest. WLS also changes the hormones in your body that cause hunger, so at least for a while, you don’t feel hungry. They say it’s important to take advantage of the honeymoon period to change your eating habits so they become permanent even when the effects of the surgery weaken. Some people experience changes in taste after surgery and come to dislike sugary or fried foods (and these foods can even make you sick after WLS, which creates a strong disincentive to eat them). So yes, it still takes work and lifestyle changes to lose weight and maintain weight loss after WLS, but WLS makes it easier than dieting. Many, many people who have repeatedly failed at weight loss through dieting alone have been able to succeed with WLS. (FYI, I’m only 7 weeks out from surgery, so I don’t have personal experience to back this up, but I’ve read a lot and watched a lot of videos from people who have been through it. There a lot of people on this forum with amazing success stories.)

Welcome to the post-op side! Hang in there... My first few days after surgery were miserable (including intense regret when I first woke up), but I'm 7 weeks out and it all seems like a distant memory now.

Oh yeah, so annoying to be told what facial expression you should have! I have never once heard anyone tell a male coworker to smile.

It is satire, not serious advice, but it's a hilarious portrayal of some of the problems we ladies face in the workplace like being considered aggressive if we act like we know what we're doing and bitchy if we don't smile all the time.

Awesome! It's great to see success stories from people like you who have been able to lose the weight and keep it off long-term. Congratulations on your success.

It's normal for your weight to fluctuate by a couple of pounds (up or down) when your weight is "stable," which it kind of is during a stall. I weigh myself probably more often than I should, but I have seen my weight fluctuate by a couple of pounds within the same day, depending on when I weigh myself relative to eating, drinking, going to the bathroom, and exercising (sweating). And of course, the clothing and shoes you're wearing will directly affect the scale as well. So if any of these things are different from one day to the next (e.g., you weigh yourself in pajamas before breakfast one day and after lunch in jeans the next), that could look like a gain. For that reason, a lot of people recommend only weighing yourself once per week so you don't go crazy over those normal fluctuations. Are you following your surgeon's diet plan? If you are, it's basically impossible not to lose weight at this point, so don't get stressed over a couple of days in the wrong direction. I know it's frustrating; I'm not losing weight as quickly as I hoped, and it's tough to see posts here from people who started lower than I did and have lost twice as much weight in the same amount of time. You just have to keep reminding yourself that it's a marathon, not a sprint, and if you stick with the program, you WILL get results.

You'll be fine! There's a lot of variation in pre-op diets, and many of them allow lean meat during some or all of the pre-op diet. Mine allowed one meal per day of lean protein and veggies (less than 350 calories) for the first week, and all liquids for the second week. You should still follow your surgeon's directions from here on out, but this one small deviation more than a week before your surgery will not mess it all up. (And if you were going to cheat, turkey was just about the best choice.)

I'm not planning to tell anyone at work that I had WLS, either, so I'm not sure what I'll say if people start asking (I've lost over 90 pounds in the last 6 months and nobody has said anything so far, but I'm still pretty big, so it might be a while before they notice). My plan is to say something like, "Wow, that's a personal question!" My backup plan for persistent people is something vague like "high protein, low-carb," which is technically true, or maybe just, "eating healthier." If you want people to leave you alone/run away screaming, you could say you're in an MLM (Herbalife, Beach Body, Arbonne, ItWorks... or all of the above) and invite them to join your team for an amazing business opportunity. P.S. I'd like to recommend a book you might like: How to be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings by Sarah Cooper.

It is pretty weird for your program to require you to use a specific brand of protein shake. My program provides guidance on protein shakes and a list of recommended shakes. They said protein isolates should be the primary form of protein, but concentrates are acceptable (but shouldn't be the only form of protein used in a day). They also require less than 200 calories, less than 15 grams of sugar, and 15-30 grams of protein per serving. Premier Protein ready-to-drink shakes are on their list of acceptable shakes. I mainly use whey protein isolate powder, but ready-to-drink shakes are convenient on the go, so I sometimes drink Equate High Performance shakes (which are pretty much the same as Premier Protein).

Congratulations on your success and the amazing improvements to your health!

I second the ricotta bake recommendation -- it's the most popular bariatric recipe for a reason! I like to top it with shredded canned chicken mixed with marinara sauce (Newman's Own brand has no added sugar). Low fat cottage cheese is one of my go-to quick lunches. I like to top it with Flavor God nacho cheese or pizza seasoning. Another favorite is fat free refried beans (mixed with unflavored protein powder) topped with shredded canned chicken, enchilada sauce, and Laughing Cow white cheddar cheese (cut up in little pieces). It's hard to get enough protein from food at this stage, so you'll probably have to make up the difference with protein powder and shakes. If you're eating sweet foods, I think it works better to mix a complementary flavor of protein powder than unflavored. For example, vanilla protein powder in vanilla yogurt, chocolate protein powder in chocolate pudding, cinnamon protein powder in oatmeal. One of my favorite combinations is vanilla Oikos triple zero yogurt with chocolate protein powder and powdered peanut butter.

For ready-to-drink shakes, I use something similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0089M2EEG They used to have one for 12-ounce cans (regular soda cans), and that's what I use, but it has been discontinued. Too bad -- it's the perfect size for a Premier Protein/Equate shake. I'm not sure if a Premier Protein would fit in the one linked above. I also have some of these: https://www.amazon.com/The-Fridge-Drink-Cooler-Lifoam/dp/B0019KFB7M These are great for cans, but not as good as the Vacu Vin for Premier Protein/Equate shakes because the shakes are kind of square-shaped and don't fit snugly. For protein powder, I just mix a small amount at a time so it doesn't get warm before I finish drinking it.

I've heard/read a lot of people say that "you have to get your head right" if you want to succeed in WLS. I'm not really into counseling; I guess I just don't believe in trying to change my thoughts and I find the idea of therapy kind of... contrived? (I really don't mean to offend people who do find counseling helpful; if it helps you, awesome! I'm just skeptical that it would do me any good.) I also had a bad experience in the past with being forced into counseling with an unethical therapist, which soured my view of counseling. I really want to succeed at WLS, though, so I'm willing to give counseling a shot if there's a chance it could help. I never thought I'd willingly eat mashed cauliflower, either, but I've opened my mind to things I wouldn't have tried before surgery. Plus, I've reached my out-of-pocket maximum on my health insurance, so any counseling I get before the end of the year would be fully paid by my insurance. So, does anyone who has gotten counseling specifically related to WLS have any advice, or can you share how it has helped you? What should I look for in a therapist? I've done a cursory search of nearby therapists in my insurance network, and I haven't seen any of them specifically mention things like WLS, food issues, or eating disorders. I don't think I have an eating disorder (like binge eating disorder) and I don't think I am really an "emotional eater," but I do think I have some food issues and some baggage relating to eating and weight that have contributed to my weight gain. Would someone who deals with "mood disorders" cover that, or should I look for someone with specific expertise in eating disorders or WLS patients?

I think it's pretty normal not to be able to meet your goal for fluids the first few days. They pumped you full of IV fluids in the hospital, so you started out well-hydrated, and you should be able to increase your fluid intake gradually. How much did you drink in total yesterday? Are you sipping throughout the day? It's basically a full-time job for the first few days. Measure out one ounce at a time and try to drink that in about 10 minutes.

Good luck! I hope it goes well.

Weird -- it was kind of the opposite for me. I used to hate drinking unflavored water ("Life's too short to drink plain water," I used to say), but now I don't mind it, and sometimes I even prefer plain water. I do still like flavored water, too, but I drink a lot more plain water than I used to. Maybe you could try calorie-free water enhancers (Mio, Crystal Light, etc.). There are many flavors available, so you should be able to find one you like.

Ricotta bake definitely fits into the "soft food" stage! It is amazing -- the first thing I got to eat that seemed like "real food." I divide one recipe into 8 pieces. Ricotta bake was my dinner for two straight weeks when I reached the soft food stage. I started adding half an ounce of canned chicken mixed with a tablespoon of marinara sauce. I live alone, so I am fortunate not to be around other people eating food all the time. I don't know how people do it when they have to watch their families eat. I've just had one hard experience at work where my boss bought lunch for the department to reward my team for a job well done, and it was a food I love but couldn't eat. It was even more difficult because I don't want anyone at work to know I had WLS, so I had to get rid of it without anyone knowing and pretend that I ate it. It was so tough to have something delicious right in front of my face and know that I couldn't eat it, so I feel for you. I do think it gets a little easier once you're past the liquid stage and can eat something resembling real food, things you can chew. Stay strong and look forward to your delicious ricotta bake!

There's also a nasal spray vitamin B-12 (Nascobol), which requires a prescription. My surgeon will prescribe it upon request, but I just take a sublingual tablet. I buy it on Amazon, Nature Made brand, and it's very inexpensive (~$7 for 50 tablets). It's cherry-flavored and tastes pretty good, almost like candy.