lizonaplane

Did you specifically ask your surgical team about caffeine pills? I mean, do they know you are taking them? I would make sure they understand you are not asking about coffee but specifically caffeine pills, because pills are different than liquids and they might have different rules. I say this because it seems like everyone here is responding with answers pertaining to how their doctors felt about coffee or caffeinated drinks, not caffeine pills. I would make sure your surgery team understands you are asking about pill-form caffeine. Good luck!

That sounds delicious!

Stevia is the only one that tastes funny to me.

As soon as I made the decision to go the surgery route and I researched the changes needed for WLS to succeed, I started incorporating the post-surgery eating habits into my life. The first major change I made was to stop drinking diet soda. Honestly, that one thing prevented me from going down the surgery path last time - I guess I wasn't ready before! And it was a lot easier than I expected. The other changes were in some ways easier than expected too, at least most of the time, but this week has been really rough since I've had to take more of a medication that increases hunger, and I'm also having difficulty sleeping, which also increases hunger. I just want to eat constantly and yesterday I started crying because I was just so damn hungry. Also, the fact that the surgery program can't even tell me what month I'm going to be able to get my surgery done due to COVID backlogs means I'm just tired of my life being on hold... I just feel drained this week.

That looks interesting! I used to have a problem with stevia, but it's not as bad for me anymore. Still leaves a funny aftertaste...

I agree with the full liquid. Also with the lightest possible clothes! Scrubs or shorts/tank top if you can, and no shoes. Also, get weighed in the morning, and don't drink/eat anything first if possible. Also, if you still are really close, and I can't believe our effed up insurance system has me saying this, you could "find some way to make sure you've evacuated your bowels". I know since I'm chronically constipated due to meds some days of the week I'm 2 or more pounds heavier depending on when I've last had a BM. Oh, and make sure you're limiting salt and drinking a lot of fluids for a number of days prior to weigh in (same function if not extent of diuretics).. Good Luck!

I will take my weight loss any way I can, water weight, poop weight, whatever!

I hope you can get things sorted soon! It's so hard.

I'll have to look for those. What brand is it?

See a headache specialist or at least your PCP. I have migraines and I have since I was in college (I'm 41 now). I was started on a preventative medication back then (topamax) which actually causes weight loss in some people and also sumatriptan (imitrex) for immediate relief when I get a migraine. It made a huge difference. Also, getting a bite guard from the dentist because I grind my teeth during the day (during the pandemic it got so much worse!) and that causes migraines too. Now when I find my migraines getting more frequent I wear my bite guard for a few days to retrain myself and also limit my TV (that makes me grind my teeth and the lights can give me migraines too!). The imitrex works 100% if I do get a migraine, which I got this morning from crying (I had a panic attack trying to deal with my health insurance company.). TL:DR - See a neurologist who specializes in migraines!!! You have to figure out what is causing your migraines and how to stop them

I usually am more hungry in the morning between breakfast and lunch, but this week I'm been hungry 24/7 so I've been eating cheese or nuts at night.

Also, you can't sustain 1500 calories long term unless you have the surgery. That's completely true. Once you have a smaller stomach and less hunger hormone, it will be easier. Also, once you lose weight, you will need fewer calories. And if you eat food that is higher in protein and lower in sugar, it is highly likely that you will feel more full on fewer calories. Take a breath. It's okay; take it one day at a time and celebrate small successes, don't beat yourself up for slip ups.

I like to mix 2 T mayo (or low fat), 1 tsp yellow mustard, 1/2 tsp curry powder, 2 T water for a curry mustard sauce. I'm pre-surgery, so I ate it on grilled chicken today, but I bet it would be delicious in pureed chicken or tuna salad. (You probably wouldn't need all of it, that's just the proportions I had premade - I used about half of that for 2 small thighs)

Don't worry about it too much. I was super hydrated at both doses and I still got a wicked headache both times. They also told me to move my arm which I did the second time but not the first and it hurt the same amount both times. The only thing would be that since it can give you a fever, if you start to have symptoms of a fever, DEFINITELY focus on getting fluids in, because you would feel worse if you were sweating and lost fluids and were already a bit dehydrated (then you would get a worse headache). But whether you get the baseline headache seems to be just how your body's immune system responds (younger people are MORE LIKELY to have a reaction, but that's just on average). If you have had reactions (not anaphylaxis, but things like flu-like symptoms) to previous vaccines, you are likely to have similar reactions to this vaccine, because all vaccines work by stimulating the immune response. Do the best you can, and either way you will likely get a mild headache, but you'll be okay. If you can take it, tylenol would be best thing to take for the headache. There is some possibility that NSAIDS could interfere with the immune response, but I don't know if there's much evidence for that.

I haven't had surgery yet, but I take meds that cause constipation and I also work in oncology where people have constipation from meds. Miralax is great, but it's not something that works instantly, more something to be taken long term. Drinking a lot of fluids, coffee (not sure if you can have coffee yet) and MOVING your body/walking. Also eating more fat. Often depending on the cause of the constipation (like especially from meds like pain meds) adding more fiber just makes the bloating worse and doesn't help the constipation. I hope you find relief soon!

You can do it; but you can't do all of it all the time every day 100% perfect and certainly not starting from day 1. This is the lesson I've been struggling to learn. Yes, you can give up soda. No you don't have to give up artificial sweeteners. There are still many WLS patients who use artificial sweeteners and maintain a healthy weight and didn't grow horns and didn't develop cancer, whatever. There is a TON of junk science around artificial sweeteners. Like, they say that they cause weight gain. That is not true. The few controlled scientific studies there have been show that when people eat the same number of calories, artificial sweeteners do not cause weight gain. Also, I found that changing my pre-surgery diet to increase protein and decrease sugar made me feel less hungry and crave sweets LESS. SHOCKING!!! I couldn't believe it. But I'm not perfect. I still eat a little ice cream sometimes and I still eat fruit every day. I'm still months away from surgery and I'm struggling this week. I had to increase my medication that causes hunger/weight gain because I'm having bipolar symptoms, so I'm eating more, but still trying to focus on protein first, and I can't believe that between that and traveling to Miami last week for work, I am still losing weight. (But yesterday afternoon I was so hungry I cried... so yeah, I'm not going to lie it's really hard.) Try not to expect perfection. It is SOOO much. You have to do the work, but you can take it at your own pace and on your own terms. And take everyone's advice/rules with a grain of salt - I know at least one successful maintainer on here who drinks diet coke regularly. Nothing is forever, failure is not final.

A statistically significant sample size would include 10s of thousands of women, and not just women you know, who are not likely to be a representative sample of all women worldwide. Sorry. And when you make a scientific claim, that men's emotions are inherently different than women's emotions, you'd better believe I'm going to bring the fact that the "data" in this area is pure junk.

Science is NOT "the first thing that pops up on google". Plus there is always more variation across people in one gender than there is between males and females. I have studied statistics extensively and have worked in research methodology. I work in clinical trials now. Also, one woman that you live with is not a statistically relevant sample size.

I wouldn't drink 5-7 of them. That would be a lot of calories! Each low-sugar or sugar free protein drink has between 100-160 calories about, so there is no reason to drink 5-7 of them AND have 2 additional meals. And while some are good with vitamins and minerals, while you can, try to get them from real food. Plus, you'll get sick of them, and for a while after surgery, you won't be able to eat solids, so you'll be living on them. I drink one a day (160 calories) that is premixed as a part of a meal when the meal is too small or for breakfast with fruit. I'm aiming for 1200-1400 calories; this was recommended by the bariatric nutritionist (i'm also pre-op). I used to drink about 5-6 diet sodas a day. I knew I wouldn't be able to drink soda after surgery, so I quit cold turkey. I thought that was going to be impossible, but I tried a soda after a few weeks, and I had actually lost my taste for it. Now I drink plain water and iced coffee (for two months I didn't even drink iced coffee!). I don't miss it. The harder part is not drinking with my meals and eating slowly.

I find this offensive and not at all true. We have trained men in this country to be dismissive of women and to treat them as though they are overly emotional. What about a man who "has a bad day" and shoots a whole bunch of people? Or gets drunk and beats his wife and kids? Is that not overly emotional? It's more that men's emotions are considered acceptable and "boys will be boys" whereas women who show emotions are considered "hysterical" and need to be controlled. OP is entitled to her feelings and what the church ladies and her husband said would hurt me too! They probably weren't thinking about what they were saying, in fact probably saw it as a "compliment" but my grandmother, who loved me soooo much, used to say that I had "such a pretty face" and in her eyes it was a compliment but it hurt so much. However, OP is facing a difficult situation at home and it's not clear whether the toll of bringing up her feelings is worth it. I would say that she should consider what @catwoman7 said; he may have just been trying not to be confrontational, in which case, maybe he is a little embarrassed about what he said but if he doesn't like to be disagreed with, confronting him could just make him dig his heels in which could lead to more hurt. I'm so sorry this happened to you @alissajs and I hope your relationship with your husband improves or you find a way to move on.

That's strange that they told you it would take longer for the pregnancy results than the other test results. Some tests take longer but I haven't heard of the serum HCG taking a long time. It would take longer than a urine pregnancy test but not than other bloodwork that they would likely want results of before surgery. *I am not a doctor or nurse* but my job involves reviewing patient medical charts (I work in cancer pharmaceutical research).

They can test your blood for pregnancy as well, and actually it's more accurate. Since they will be taking your blood anyway, they might just do a serum HCG (blood test for pregnancy).

Last night I was on a support group meeting (I'm pre-op) and they were talking about "banana protein pancakes". 1 banana, 1 egg, 1 scoop of protein powder mashed in a bowl then cooked like a pancake (apparently it also works in a waffle maker, but I don't have one). It makes two pancakes, they said. I'd never made pancakes before (yeah, I am normally a pretty good cook, but I'm not a breakfast person). I tried it this morning and it was pretty good, except that I cooked it at too high a temperature and the outside got a little too brown. I would recommend cooking on medium. I just made one big pancake because my pan is too small to separate it into two different pancakes. I didn't have an egg so I used 1/4 cup egg whites. I usually would eat pancakes with maple syrup, but that defeats the "low carb" so I used a little light cool whip. I know one woman in the support group used butter; I might try that if I make them again. I tend to make normal meals but don't make the "carb" portion. So, like I'll just have piece of broiled salmon with green beans. Or I'll eat a can of tuna fish with Suzie's Rice Squares instead of bread/crackers and a side of a red bell pepper. Or if I want lasagna, I'll replace the noodles with mostly eggplant that I roast in strips first. Chili is another good one. Top it with greek yogurt instead of sour cream (I can't tell the difference!) and some cheese. I have eaten cheeseburgers/turkey burgers without the bun. I don't like the feeling of eating them in lettuce so I just eat them with a knife and fork. I like the low carb tortilla wraps by Fiber One and Mission and I'll put deli meat and cheese in them and toast them in a pan with non stick spray for a sort of "melt" or "faux quesedilla".

I have traveled weekly for work for years (remote now due to COVID but travelling again next week!!) and I plan to travel again after surgery so I will eat most meals out. I don't need a card to tell the server my needs. Like others have said, I'm not going to order chicken nuggets because I don't like them and they're not healthy. I have eaten with coworkers who have had WLS, I've eaten with coworkers who over order and just like to try things but don't want to eat them, etc. Servers in general don't think too much about what you are or aren't eating, as long as you are polite and tip well. As long as you assure them there is nothing wrong with the food (they mostly want to make sure you're not going to complain to their manager), no one is really paying too much attention to how much food is left on your plate. You can always come up with a white lie like, "I had a late lunch" or "I have a headache". I plan to order things like grilled meat/fish and just eat the few bites I want and throw the rest out, or take to my hotel room if I have a fridge and microwave.

Do you have a "mychart" or "patientgateway" type system where you can send a message to your provider? I would ask them through the system or call or email them to ask your questions. I know it's so hard when we get excited to ask questions, and sometimes we just don't think of them at the time! I haven't heard of Tylenol causing issues if you're diabetic - I work in oncology clinical research and I know patients with diabetes are prescribed high doses all the time. (But again, I'm not a doctor or nurse.) Celebrex is an NSAID but some NSAIDS are safer for the stomach lining. Gabapentin is good for nerve pain but I'm not sure about single dose usage, as I haven't seen that. Gabapentin is the only one that I would say has side effects you would likely notice, and it would likely be sleepiness, so don't drive after you take it. Good luck!