SummerTimeGirl

Crazy Richard's makes a good crunchy. Also Smucker's Chunky Natural Peanut Butter. I know my family can't get with the REAL natural PB's (just nuts (or with salt) in the ingredients) but I've been doing them for so long that I'm used to them and actually crave them over ones with sugar.

I don't remember being in that much pain. Yes, there was some pain due to the gas but it was tolerable for me. I think by day 4 I really started to notice the gas/pain issue subsiding. And it most definitely was made better by me moving/walking. The incision pain/tugging feeling/burning inside took about 2-3 weeks to finally stop. Hopefully you'll get over this hump soon!!! Hang in there!

What helped me with the gas was just moving/walking around. As for the sleepiness, that went away after the first two weeks once I moved into the puree stage. Otherwise those first two weeks I would be sitting here falling asleep off and on throughout the day.

Wish I had a recipe to make them from scratch but I know for me I usually just buy the Old El Paso, Fat Free refried beans in a can. They are so good! Aldi's has a good one too. I still eat them in the soft food phase with a lil bit of taco sauce, guacamole, sour cream and shredded cheddar. Soooooooo good!

Lucky you! I wish! LOL Congrats!!!

Yay, the end of liquids for you! Can't imagine being on them that long. Between my pre op and after surgery, I was on them almost 4 weeks. That was ENOUGH! LOL As for inches, I only lost 13 inches since last month. And that was as of the 7th of this month. I randomly checked a few body parts since then and nothing additionally has been lost. I haven't really had any pain for about a week or a little more now. I've been sleeping and moving around normally since then. Like I said, not gonna worry about it too much for now but I know once this month is over the doc already said then we're gonna have to start concentrating on weight loss goals each month so hopefully they say that knowing things (weight loss) will pick up after that first month. At least I hope. HAHA

UPDATE: Saturday I emailed my surgeons office to ask if I could finally go swimming. They got back to me yesterday to say I could. Of course TOM came today and put a small damper on that. LOL But good news is the scale had me weighing in today at 284. A SMALL movement but I'll take it. I'm hoping when TOM leaves it will go down a few more too. Also can't wait to get in my pool and be able to do some light exercises. Everything else is going well. Moving through the soft food phase with no issues.

As far as what? I know the first week or two my incisions sorta burned when the heat would beat against my shirt so I tended to stay inside a lot those first two weeks. But since then I've been out, even laid out a few times (stomach covered though), and was fine. As for the heat in general, I seem to be tolerating it a lil better than usual. But I guess that's because I lost a total of 44lbs since March (16 of it since surgery).

Best of luck!!

WoW! Crazy! Glad you are doing better now. I know I was taking Lisinopril and Hydrochlorothiazide (water pill) for my high BP and the day I left the hospital the surgeon told me DO NOT take the HCT for fear of dehydration. My regular doc at my two week visit did NOT add it back on either. You are lucky!!! I won't get any new labs until September (which will be 4 months out from surgery) and I hope all is good come that time.

Same here. Surgery on May 19th and lost only 14/15 lbs (depending on the day) so far since surgery. THAT'S IT! I chalk it up to this famous stall everyone seems to talk about. Sucks but I'm hoping it will move soon. Plus TOM is due to visit next week (he came the day before surgery for me....lol) so I'm thinking that is affecting it too. Trying to keep all that in mind before I panic. LOL

Yeah I was using my protein shake as creamer too before the surgery. Now, since I have been getting all my liquids in, I can have 1 8oz cup of (caffeinated) coffee a day and have since switched to whatever brand sugar free creamer.

My binder does NOT give calories guidelines for the FULL LIQUID, PUREE, or SOFT FOODS stages. Just amounts of things I should be eating, i.e. 4 oz. It says once I get to my regular food stage to stay around 1000 or under for continued weight loss. Then I guess once I hit my goal that will increase slightly but not sure yet as I'm only 3.5 weeks out.

I am about 3.5 weeks out and just moved to the soft food stage this past Thursday and had an incident yesterday where I felt a sorta pain from my stomach area that went through to my back. The only thing I had eaten previous to it, and hours earlier, was chili w/beans (which I'm allowed). I had eaten it before with no issue but this time I guess it didn't sit right or something. Anyway I kind of took my hand and shook my stomach slightly and walked around, drank some water then a few minutes later I heard gurgling/rumbling from my stomach and intestinal area and started burping and soon after the pain was gone. I assumed afterwards that it had been gas. Which is weird cause prior to surgery I never experienced gas in my stomach. Maybe you are having a similar issue?

I know during my full liquid phase 32 oz were to come from stuff like water, shakes, Propel, broth, Gatorade Zero, etc. and the other 32 oz from stuff like blended bean soups, cream soups, milk, yogurt, sugar free pudding, etc. Do you have any paperwork/a binder with that info for reference that the doc or dietician gave you?

Yup. Hubby said the same thing to me......DON'T RUSH IT!! LOL I will take it easy for now. But I do hope they at least let me in the pool for now.

Yay that gives me hope they'll change their minds and give me the green light with it then.

Just had this conversation with my husband about 2 hours ago. I'm 24 days out and feeling like I WANT to start exercising (more than just walking). I was originally told 6 weeks, AT LEAST, before I could. Was told the same about swimming. I feel that's overkill. At least for me (as I seem all healed up and not hurting in any way). I actually emailed my surgeon's office today asking if I could go swimming as my incisions are all healed already. I'll next ask about at least using resistance bands FOR NOW. I just feel like I NEED to be doing something. But that's just me. And it may be because, unlike you (which it's awesome you are losing and haven't started exercising yet), I have only lost 14lbs since surgery and in the dreaded stall right now so I'm thinking (hoping) if I was doing more exercise wise, I'd hopefully get that scale moving.

Sounds great! Glad to hear you're doing well.

I'm in soft food right now and don't typically rely on shakes anymore cause I have been getting my protein in just fine with the foods I am eating (and if not I use a scoop of Genepro in a small amount of water (like 2 oz, usually gatorade zero) and drink that for 30 grams of protein). However, when I was in the full liquid stage I would typically finish the shakes within 30 min. No more than an hour for sure. But then, I never had an issue at all from the get go when it came to getting liquids in or keeping things down. I was one of the lucky ones, still am, who didn't have issues with nausea, sickness not being able to eat, drink etc.

Agree with the suggestions above with the addition of maybe some vegetarian chili? I know I had chili with meat and beans several times now (we were allowed it in puree and now in soft foods). Vegetarian lentil soup (I ate this blended down in the liquid stage). LOVED the refried beans in these stages too.

UPDATE: Good news, I've been able to sleep regularly (on my sides) all week now without anything feeling like it's burning or tugging. Bad news.......I think I've been in that dreaded stall everyone talks about. LOL For the last week to 10 days I have been bouncing back and forth, up and down between the same 2-4 lbs. I ONCE got down to 285.8, which was two days ago, but mostly the scale keeps showing ranges between 286 and 289. Has NOT gone below 285.8 at all since that ONE time/day. So, that means at most I've only lost 14 lbs since surgery 24 days ago. Really sucks. Especially since I have done nothing new but move on to the soft food stage. I've been getting all my water in, or very close to it, and all my protein. Have been taking my vitamins regularly too. This stall really messes with your head cause you think, I'm doing things by the book and calories fall mostly between 400-700 calories a day so, why isn't this working? I already have fears of this not working for me because I've eaten low calories like this in the past with well balanced food and 3 meals a day like I am now and it got me no where. Which is why I got the surgery. And also why I always questioned why and how surgery would make that any different if essentially I'm still doing the same thing I've already tried and done in the past, ya know? Anywho, I guess the only comfort I have is knowing this is SUPPOSEDLY the norm and that it happens to many people. So, I'll go with that for now and keep my fingers crossed that things start moving again soon.

Congrats!!!! Yes, I was bloated and still getting that gas out at least 4/5 days after surgery. Just keep walking to help with all of that. I wish your continued success and an easy recovery!

So on my soft food stage, heck, my binder said even on my puree stage, I was able to have soft, flaky fish such as salmon and flounder. So I made the recipe found on this link for my husband and had one of the sticks myself (only had one cause it had some "breading" and I didn't want to push it so soon). It was SOOOOO GOOD!!! If you cannot try it now, depending on what stage you're on, I'm sure once you get to the "regular food" stage you could. Skip ahead on the video to about 2 min 40 seconds to get to the recipe. If you try this, make sure you SEASON the flour to YOUR LIKING. I think I used some Tony's, Old Bay, parsley, and a few other things. I'd imagine you could experiment and use almond flour instead of regular flour and ground pork rinds instead of panko too to make it even healthier.

Oh my! How frustrating and disappointing, I know. BUT, and I know you don't necessarily want to hear this but, it's for the best. You wouldn't want some complication pop up because the liver got in the way, ya know? And, while this is not typical, it HAS HAPPENED to many people. They get in there and have to stop for one reason or another. I know you're angry, but I wouldn't let it stop me from going forward if it were me. I'd just try hard to lose the weight they mentioned and go for it again. So sorry but I know if you can do it!!