NovaLuna

When I was drinking two protein shakes a day I probably would have looked more into that lol, but I only drink one a day now and I just buy the pre-made ones from Walmart. No muss, no fuss. As to protein bars... I buy the Think brand protein bars. Specifically the 10g protein ones because they're less calories, fat, etc. My favorite flavor is Salted Caramel. However, I have had the 20g ones a few times in the Brownie Crunch flavor. Honestly, the Think brand is like dessert. It's delicious! And I only buy the Brownie ones when I'm having a brownie craving lol. Usually the Salted Caramel ones suit my dessert craving though (150 calories for the Salted Caramel verses the Brownie crunch with 230 calories). I've also bought Atkins protein bars. The snickerdoodle and triple chocolate ones are my go-to when I buy those.

I take my last nightly vitamin at 7pm usually. When I do my labs I go when it opens at 7am. I, personally, choose to fast. I take my thyroid meds the second they're done doing my blood work and thirty minutes after that I eat. Then I have to wait 4 hours to take my first multi because of the stupid thyroid meds... I usually set my alarm on normal days and take my thyroid meds at 5am and then go back to sleep so I can take my multi's after breakfast and my whole routine isn't thrown off. I really hate lab work days... they throw everything off!

If you've been struggling with your fluid intake and don't have much energy and enjoy those and they give you energy when you're feeling fatigued then I'm glad they work for you. They wouldn't work for me though as my nutritionist only allows me a carb allotment of 60-80g a day and I stick to my zero powerade because it's like 2 carbs for the whole 28 oz so only 4 carbs for 56 oz. BodyArmor however is high in carbs with 10-18+ carbs for 16oz. I'd rather waste my carb allotment on something else. For reference what's worth it to me is something like my oatmeal I eat for breakfast is 25 carbs while the protein pancakes I occasionally have for breakfast are 26 carbs (with the sugar free syrup), the Hummus chips I like are 20 carbs (with ranch dip), while the crackers I like are 22 carbs, and my protein bars are 20 carbs. I try not to waste my daily allotment on drinks, but you're pretty early on so you need what energy you can get. Glad you found something that works for you.

I'm 13 months post op so my memory is a bit foggy lol, but I think I was 10 days post op when I started taking my vitamins. And I started off taking Bariatric Complete berry flavored 3x a day which btw is DISGUSTING (tastes like berry flavored dog food) and then 3 Bariatric Complete calcium citrate chocolate flavored (which taste like a tootsie roll. I'm not fond of tootsie rolls so that was the only bag I bought). Over time my regiment changed with my vitamin needs and I've been on the same vitamin regiment now for 4 months and my 12 month labs were 100% normal levels in everything. I take 2 Celebrate non-iron multi's a day (grape flavor), 1 Bariatric Complete multi WITH iron (orange flavored) a day, 2 Celebrate calcium citrate a day (I have both cherry tart flavor and berries and cream flavor), 1 EZ Melt Vitamin A every OTHER day (strawberry flavored), and 2 COQ10 gummies (orange-peach flavored) every day. Sometimes you have to play around and find a vitamin that'll appeal to you because some of them are down right disgusting. I only dislike my iron one, but the orange flavor at least is bearable and is just like an overly strong orange flinstone vitamin taste wise... Anyway, don't stress too much about it, you'll find a vitamin regiment that works for you though it may take some time to find ones you actually like. Just hang in there.

I've never tried it, personally, but if it'll maybe help you can always try it... I've never had issues with my vitamins making me nauseous though so I'm lucky in that. Personally, I take Celebrate for my non-iron multi's (I take 2 a day), Bariatric Complete for my iron multi (I take 1 a day), Celebrate for my calcium citrate (I take 2 a day), and EZ Melts for my Vitamin A (I take 1 every OTHER day). I also take COQ10 but I'm not picky about brand for that... So if your doctor recommends that brand for you maybe it'll work. Buy some samples to try out to test it.

I'm sorry that you're not feeling good, but carbonated anything so soon isn't a good idea. Maybe try some herbal tea? They make ginger herbal teas (I like lemon and ginger, personally) and it'll help settle your stomach. My mom always goes for Chamomile tea when she doesn't feel good and my grandma goes for peppermint tea and they all work. I hope you feel better!

I was 389 pounds when I started my journey so I had a LOT of weight to lose. On top of that I'm also partially disabled due to two back injuries so I can't exercise beyond walking and right now even that is limited due to some other health issues, so for me I looked at the average percentage to make my choice because I knew I was pretty much relying on the average due to not being able to exercise much. Diet I can do, exercise not so much... VSG average is 50-70% loss of excess weight Gastric Bypass is 50-80% loss of excess weight Duodenal Switch/ Loop DS is 80-100% loss of excess weight So I went with the Loop DS. I chose it because it's the second most aggressive surgery (Traditional DS is #1) and chose the Loop DS because it's the new and improved version of the DS with the improvement being slightly more small intestines so less chance of diarrhea issues... (instead you have the occasional constipation issue lol). You can always lose more than the average. The average includes those that don't follow diet guidelines and don't lose much alongside those who lose way more than the average. The more weight you lose before surgery the better. I lost 68 pound myself during my six month program. I was 321 on my surgery day. I'm almost 13 months post op now and down to 197 (I haven't been under 200 pounds since I was 13... 20 years ago. I just got into ONEderland last week and I still want to cry because it doesn't seem real sometimes). The choice of surgery is a very personal thing. It's something that you have to live with so it's a choice that you have to make for yourself. If you are most comfortable with the VSG, then go for it! I wish you the best in your journey!

I went from a 54DDD to a 38C. That's a big loss for me... has been really strange to get used to...

Well, let me change that to 197 pounds now lol. I just weighed myself and I'm 197 on the nose. So 17 more pounds to go... I really should have weighed myself this morning since it's the normal day I weigh in but I'd weighed in on Friday, but I checked just because it's my normal weigh in day. I'm down another pound, yay! So 2 lost last week!

I didn't have the traditional DS but rather the Loop DS (Sips/SADI-S) but I was told by my surgeon that the weight loss is about the same between the two. I'm almost 13 months post op so 1 year 1 month (in two more days, anyway). I had to do a 6 month monitored weight loss plan to be approved for surgery to prove to my insurance that I was taking this seriously and they weren't wasting money by paying for something I wouldn't work for. My surgery weight was 321 and at 3 months post op I was 266, so I was down 55 pounds in three months. I currently weigh 198 pounds and am only 18 pounds from my own personal goal weight. Congrats on your upcoming surgery and the start of a new weight loss journey!

Not sure if my own experiences could offer any insight... but, I have two autoimmune diseases/disorders: Psoriasis and Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Psoriasis deals with skin issues though there is some joint pain that comes with that. And Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE) has to do with the white cells in your esophagus thinking your body is under attack and multiplying. It causes narrowing in your esophagus which leads to dysphagia and choking issues. Acid issues. Chest pain and abdominal pain. And the occasional time where food backs up on you and either gets stuck in your throat trying to come out or you spit or throw it up (generally when you eat too fast, too soon, or too much). I'm allowed to drink a little if I choke BECAUSE of the EOE (I rarely have to though. Usually only once or twice a week where I have a choking incident and need to take a sip). I do deal with more fatigue then most. I don't actually know if it's due to either of my autoimmune disorders or if it has to do with another health issue that may actually be ANOTHER autoimmune disorder (my doctor is trying to figure out if I have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) or if my various symptoms with the fatigue is caused by a spinal fluid leak (the two have very similar symptoms and are often misdiagnosed as the opposite problem so my doctor is trying to cover all her bases and figure out which one it is. We're both HOPING it's the spinal fluid leak because that could be fixed semi-easily while the other issue has no cure as the meds for it didn't work for me. I really hope it's the spinal fluid leak because if it's the other I'd end up permanently disabled and I'm only 33 so I very much don't want that). I do know that despite still having fatigue issues, I have more energy now than I did six months ago (I'm almost 13 months post op) so I feel that it WILL get better. At least a bit. Hopefully whatever treatment they have for you improves upon that as well! I wish you the best!

Almost positive that your local supermarkets do have them. They're not in a separate section. The chickpea and lentil noodles are in the same section with regular noodles and I've bought them at Walmart, Safeway, and Savemart.

It tastes no different to me. Though I'm probably not the most reliable to ask lol as my taste buds changed after surgery. However, at christmas, to go with the ham she made, my mom made macaroni both with the regular pasta for everyone and then she made macaroni with my chickpea pasta in a separate dish so that I could eat some. My brother in law got some of my pasta on accident and he said he couldn't tell the difference from the regular pasta noodles verses chickpea noodles. My niece was curious and tried it and said it tasted the same to her too. So, personally, I don't think you'll be able to tell the difference. It just comes in 8oz packages verses the 12-16 you normally see for regular pasta noodles. Considering the fact that your stomach is smaller though the 8oz is a perfect amount. And left overs last for DAYS for me...

I actually heard Mexico is really bad with the Covid Pandemic right now so, personally I'd go somewhere closer to home. I mean, Blossom Bariatrics is in Vegas have you looked into that? There's a lot of people on this site who went to Blossom and their prices are pretty close to those of Mexico. And they're in the US...

I don't eat bread at all. Mostly because the one time I had low carb bread I dumped and I haven't wanted to even so much as attempt it again... I don't eat regular rice at all either. I substitute with cauliflower rice. Regular rice swells and I don't want to chance stretching my pouch out so I only eat the cauliflower rice. As for pasta... I only eat veggie pasta noodles. Chickpea is my favorite to use, but I've used lentil and zucchini as well. Mostly because pasta is useless carbs and at least if you use veggie pasta you're choosing a healthier option that's not quite as useless and fits in a pasta craving. I rarely eat pasta though. Maybe once every two weeks or so? I DO have some chickpea noodles and alfredo sauce currently in my pantry... I just haven't done anything with them yet, though maybe I'll have that tonight for dinner. It's an idea...

I started my journey to weight loss in 2019 at 389 pounds. Had my surgery January 23, 2020 at 321 pounds and today February 14, 2021 I finally hit ONEderland! I weighed myself this morning and after a 26 day stall I lost two pounds and weighed in today at 199.6! Never thought I'd get here to be honest, but I'm incredibly happy! For anyone starting their journey at over 300 pounds, it's possible to reach ONEderland, no matter how impossible it may seem! I just wanted to share that.

Some people have a harder time then others getting everything down the first few weeks. For me I had the most issues with my fluid intake. I still struggle with this one, to be honest, but I AM better with it now that I'm a year out. I, personally, only struggled with my protein the first two or three weeks and then I got a routine that worked for me (1 protein shake in the morning and 1 at night. Until I cut out that second protein shake because I can get most of my protein through food now and only need 1 shake that I HAVE to take due to my surgery requiring higher protein intake). I had basically no appetite for the first three months and had to force myself to eat, so it's pretty normal to not want to eat, but still have to force yourself to. If you feel like you're struggling then definitely call the surgeon's office for advice. I hope things improve for you!

Well everyone's vitamin regiment is different. Even concerning the DS. I had the DS too (well, Loop DS), but my vitamin regiment is quite different. I take 1 bariatric multivitamin WITH iron, 2 bariatric multivitamins WITHOUT iron, 2 Calcium Citrate, and 2 CoQ10 every day. And every OTHER day I take 5,000IU of Vitamin A. My labs are 100% normal (as of my 12 month labs that I just did two weeks ago). A 2 month supply of my iron multivitamin is $20, a three month supply of my non-iron multi's is $47, a 4.5 month supply of my Calcium Citrate is $55, a 4 month supply of my Vitamin A is $18. My CoQ10 is bought at Walmart for $8.88 for a 1 month supply. HOWEVER, if I buy the iron multi's in bulk I don't have to pay the shipping price so I tend to buy AT LEAST a 6 month supply at a time (I currently have 9 months worth of these, 11 months if you include the non-chewable ones I bought and can't take because the pills are too big and I don't get my throat stretched until the end of March so I can't swallow them. Right now, anyway). My non-iron multi's I always buy a 9 months supply (I just recently bought 9 months worth and haven't even opened the first new bottle I bought yet). I also tend to buy at LEAST a 9 month supply of Calcium at a time (I currently have the two giant containers of them and have approximately 7.5-8 months of Calcium left). AND I buy an 8 month supply of Vitamin A at a time. I still have some Vitamin A left over from last time so I have roughly about 9 months of Vitamin A).

Not this early out, but eventually in moderation.

I had SADI-S a year ago. My highest weight was 389 while my surgery weight was 321. I'm 201 right now. I hope your surgery went well and you're recovering well! Wishing you the best in your journey!

Congrats on the 5 pound weight loss! That year will be over before you know it! I had to do a 6 month program, but due to overscheduling and the holidays it was an 8 month program instead lol. I'm 1 year post op now and it feels like it flew by! I wish you the best on your weight loss journey!

I think as long as the doctor has the documentation to prove you meet whatever guidelines they set up for surgery then you should be fine. In California that is a 6 month monitored weight loss program with at least 3 visits to the nutritionist, a psyche eval, pulmonary and cardiac clearance, and you have to go to all the set meetings and such before your surgery to get approved. Just check and find out what's required and give them the proof that you've done what was required to get approved and I don't think that there will be a problem. You can always call and speak with the insurance directly if you want them to walk you through what you have to do and if it'll put your mind at ease. Best of wishes to you and try not to stress too much, I'm sure it'll work out for you!

Welcome to the site! 🙂

Nope. Covid makes testing really hard. I've done physical therapy for dizzyness, did a bunch of tests, including an MRI of my brain and they came back normal, took meds for dizzyness and they didn't work... right now my PCP thinks it's either 1. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (P.O.T.S for short) which would require testing by the cardiologist and they've been sent the order no less than 5 TIMES and have yet to call back either me or my doctor or 2. a spinal fluid leak (which would have happened from the lumbar puncture I had in 2017 after brain surgery when I got meningitis and it took the 45 minutes to get the needle in due to a back injury that is a result of muscle, tissue, and nerve damage. I have a scar on my back from that lumbar puncture. Spinal fluid leaks mimic P.O.T.S and can go unrecognized for 10 years before symptoms get bad enough to where you really take notice that something is wrong. MY PCP is leaning more toward that and I'm currently doing physical therapy so that my insurance will approve an MRI). I'm lucky in that my PCP actually had WLS. She had VSG several years ago and her son had gastric bypass so she's a fountain of information lol. She encourages anyone who wants WLS, but doesn't press the patients or even MENTION your weight unless YOU bring it up! It was one of the things I loved about her most when I first started seeing her and I respect her so much for that.

Glad they figured out what was wrong and it's better now!