Arimi

When I got to the solid food stage at my one month follow up the PA told me to eat 800 calories per day. I am a nurse, and when I work 12 hour shifts I’m often too busy to meet my goal of calorie intake. What I have noticed is that one day when I managed to eat only 630 calories for the day my appetite/urge to eat felt stronger the next day. At work I often drink protein shakes because I don’t have the time to sit and chew one ounce of food every 10 minutes as that was also recommended. I really make an effort to get my 800 calories. My BMI was at 50 when I started 2 months ago and my BMI is now 44.

The first time I could drive after surgery I was driving past restaurants and feeling sad about the great meals that I used to eat. Today, getting close to 3 months out I’m camping. I’m feeling grateful for how much easier it is to walk on the beach and swim in the lake. I’ve stopped my obsessing about how much I’ve eaten and when, where my next meal is coming from. I still drink Protein Shakes because I don’t get enough Protein otherwise. I feel grateful for the change.

When I got to the solid food stage at my one month follow up the PA told me to eat 800 calories per day. I am a nurse, and when I work 12 hour shifts I’m often too busy to meet my goal of calorie intake. What I have noticed is that one day when I managed to eat only 630 calories for the day my appetite/urge to eat felt stronger the next day. At work I often drink protein shakes because I don’t have the time to sit and chew one ounce of food every 10 minutes as that was also recommended. I really make an effort to get my 800 calories. My BMI was at 50 when I started 2 months ago and my BMI is now 44.

When I got to the solid food stage at my one month follow up the PA told me to eat 800 calories per day. I am a nurse, and when I work 12 hour shifts I’m often too busy to meet my goal of calorie intake. What I have noticed is that one day when I managed to eat only 630 calories for the day my appetite/urge to eat felt stronger the next day. At work I often drink protein shakes because I don’t have the time to sit and chew one ounce of food every 10 minutes as that was also recommended. I really make an effort to get my 800 calories. My BMI was at 50 when I started 2 months ago and my BMI is now 44.

The first time I could drive after surgery I was driving past restaurants and feeling sad about the great meals that I used to eat. Today, getting close to 3 months out I’m camping. I’m feeling grateful for how much easier it is to walk on the beach and swim in the lake. I’ve stopped my obsessing about how much I’ve eaten and when, where my next meal is coming from. I still drink Protein Shakes because I don’t get enough Protein otherwise. I feel grateful for the change.

I was listening to a Bariatrician discuss stalls with a support group recently. She said if a person stalls they should eat 100 fewer calories per day for 7 days and she said that would fix the stall. She also said, and this is a pain, but we must write down all of our calories every day to make sure to cut down by 100.

I have never regretted my Lapband, even with some of the bad issues that went with it and I don't regret my recent revision to a sleeve. To be unburdened from a fixation with food, surrendering the concept of food as a comfort, and finally loving my body has been an amazing thing for me.

I will paste this from WebMD.

“Generally, nicotine will leave your blood within 1 to 3 days after you stop using tobacco, and cotinine will be gone after 1 to 10 days. Neither nicotine nor cotinine will be detectable in your urine after 3 to 4 days of stopping tobacco products.Nov 9, 2020”


I have only seen the cotinine test used to rule out smoking before organ transplant. I work with pre-transplant patients and have never worked with WLS patients. I had quit smoking over 20 years ago and was not tested for either, but tomato—tomahto...I’m sure that some surgeons do test. I quit cold turkey > 20 years ago. In my mind I didn’t think of it as quitting. Total rationalization I know, but I told myself I wasn’t allowed to go into the gas station to buy cigs and that plus some nicotine gum after the 3 days (I was getting grumpy) did the trick. No smoking will help with improved healing and reduced risk of cancer. Quitting smoking while following WLS diet and restrictions will be hard. Some therapy and support groups might help. Be well and good luck to you.

March 17th for me. I’ve already been weaning off of caffeine as I won’t be able to get it at the hospital post-op. I get a headache early afternoon so I’ve worked on reducing my intake. My pre-op diet starts 3/9. Have to take in only 1000 cals/day to reduce the size of my liver during the pre-op stage. Good luck everyone! It’s a gift to ourselves to live a longer and healthier life.

I’m March 17th as well! We’re up next

March 17th for me. I’ve already been weaning off of caffeine as I won’t be able to get it at the hospital post-op. I get a headache early afternoon so I’ve worked on reducing my intake. My pre-op diet starts 3/9. Have to take in only 1000 cals/day to reduce the size of my liver during the pre-op stage. Good luck everyone! It’s a gift to ourselves to live a longer and healthier life.