Tiffykins

Immediately post op, and sometimes for several weeks following surgery, your stomach will be swollen so yes, you have to chew well and eat slowly. Once you get further out, and your stomach relaxes, this becomes less and less of a need. If you eat too fast, or do not chew well early out, you can slime/pb and sometimes vomit. It's only temporary, at least that has been my experience with my revision. I'll be a year out in a couple of weeks, and I can honestly tell you that I take normal bites, and I do not chew things to mush and haven't for a few months. Recovery post sleeve is very different than recovery post band. That is why most post-op diets are very conservative with consistency and portion size. The sleeve's capacity is pretty minimal in the beginning. The sleeve doesn't necessarily stretch, but it does relax, the swelling subsides, and becomes accustomed to normal foods. It's not an issue related to the restriction of the sleeve. It's directly related to swelling. Some patients do not experience extreme swelling. I did have a lot of swelling, but I know several patients that did not experience it.

Sorry I didn't see this earlier. I eat/drink soup. If it's chicken noodle, veggie, minestrone, that Pasta fagioli, anything with broth, I drink all the broth then I eat the other stuff. Chicken tortilla is one I have trouble doing this with because it's so damn good, but it hasn't given me any problems by eating the solid stuff with the broth either.

YAY YAY chickee glad to see you around, and congrats on your dad coming home early ! ! !

Outrageous Warm chicken Nacho Dip - All recipes I use the Velveeta 2% version to cut down on fat by half. I also omit the taco seasoning because of the sodium count. Of course, nonfat, plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream, and that cuts down on the fat content as well. I have never had to add the milk to thin it out. I prefer it thick like an enchilada filling. My homemade taco seasoning: 2tsp of chili powder, 2 tsp of cumin (cut it down to 1tsp if you are not into cumin, we love it so I use more than usual) 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper, 1tsp white pepper, 1Tbsp of dry chopped onion, 2tsp of Garlic Powder, 1tsp of Onion powder, 2tsp of Paprika. Once I have boiled and shred the chicken breast, I toss them in a pan with 1Tbsp of olive oil and just heat it through with all the above spices. I also boil my own black Beans instead of canned. They just taste better in my opinion. I have made this in the crock pot and on the stove top. We eat this as a main meal usually. The kiddo and husband roll up the mixture into flour tortillas, and I typically eat it by itself or with a few tortilla chips. John likes it with corn tossed in the mix as well. Ingredients 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (such as RO*TEL?), drained 1 (1 pound) loaf processed cheese food (such as Velveeta?), cubed 2 large cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded 1/3 cup sour cream 1/4 cup diced green onion 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper, or to taste (optional) 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained Directions Place the diced tomatoes, processed cheese, chicken meat, sour cream, green onion, taco seasoning, and jalapeno pepper into a slow cooker. Cook on High, stirring occasionally until the cheese has melted and the dip is hot, 1 to 2 hours. Stir in the black beans, and cook 15 more minutes to reheat. Footnotes Cook's Note If the dip gets too thick, thin with small amounts of milk. Nutritional Information Amount Per Serving Calories: 232 | Total Fat: 13.6g | Cholesterol: 60mg Nutritional Information Outrageous Warm Chicken Nacho Dip Servings Per Recipe: 12 Amount Per Serving Calories: 232 Total Fat: 13.6g Cholesterol: 60mg Sodium: 790mg Total Carbs: 8.7g Dietary Fiber: 1.8g Protein: 18.6g VIEW DETAILED NUTRITION About: Nutrition Info Powered by: ESHA Nutrient Database Served again with my homemade mexican rice.

Are you working out? The reason I ask is because if you are building muscle mass the muscles will retain Water. Muscles need water to repair and rebuild so it would be simple water weight. Take your measurements, and then remeasure in a week. You might be losing inches from burning fat, and building muscle. Also, I hate this word, but as a lightweight, you may experience long stalls because your body is trying to adjust to the changes you've just put it through. Stress will also cause your weight to stall.

This last part is wonderful to know. John is convinced that my back is messed up now since my bones show through my skin.

You're doing so great Rob ! ! ! Tuna/chicken/egg salad, I made mine with miracle whip, you can also make it with greek yogurt or a little bit of Ranch dressing. Refried beans with cheese, the ricotta bake in the recipe section on the forum seems to be popular. I've also heard of people mixing peanut butter with ricotta and that it tastes like cheesecake. Keep it up Rob ! ! !

Great job ! ! !

PPI is a proton pump inhibitor. It prevents acid from being produced in the stomach, and is used to treat and prevent acid reflux. Nexium, Protonix, Prevacid, Prilosec are the most common it seems.

Use myfitnesspal.com to track your food. It will break down the Protein, fat, carbs, and calories for you. Did your surgeon not give you a guideline or recommendation for calories, carbs, protein? Why do you have to wait 90 minutes to drink anything after dinner? You're definitely not getting in enough fluids, and you're body is probably retaining what little Fluid you are putting in there. My daily recommendations were: 600-800 calories no more than 30gr of carbs 60+ gr of protein 64oz of Clear liquids If you don't want to track online, you can food journal all of it, but you'll have to look up the protein and carb counts of the foods you are eating. As for food options, you can try some thinned out refried Beans with cheese and add some greek yogurt (the plain non-fat) for additional protein. Cottage cheese, ricotta bake (look in the recipe section on here for how to make it), tuna/chicken/egg salads were all on my mushy stage diet, and I'm not sure if you are there yet. Hummus is a good option for the full liquid stage. You can puree or blend just about anything especially chili, cream Soups thinned out as well.

Hi trooper, and welcome. Congrats on getting your surgery date. It's great that you recognize all of these emotions before surgery. You'll be able to work through them, and know that you are not alone. I think a lot of your concerns are normal. There are several successful pregnancies to VSG mommies. We are currently trying to conceive, and are anxiously waiting for the day we read "Pregnant" on the evil white stick. I haven't had the issue of handling attention from being thin. I actually like it now, the husband isn't too happy with it, but he's realizing that it's normal for other men to find me attractive. I love that I get noticed for the way I look now instead of how huge I was. The biggest issue for me with letting walls down was in allowing people, mainly women, in and establishing solid friendships. It's not that I don't like having girlfriends, I just didn't want to let others close to me because for so long, I was just the funny, loud, comical, pretty-faced fat girl/friend. How were they going to like me if I wasn't any of those things anymore? I figured out that I didn't have to be the funny, loud one anymore, they just liked me for me. I lost my weight, and traded in the bad habits for good ones. That doesn't mean that I'm perfect, but the sleeve has made my decision-making much easier. My excess skin doesn't bother me 98% of the time. The other 2% is a fleeting moment of "I hate my boobs, if I could just tone up more", but I would not trade the saggy boobs and wrinkly inner thigh skin for the fat rolls that being 270lbs gave me. We'll all be here for you. Just reach out to us, and know that you're not alone in this journey.

Absolutely not one single regret. I would do it all over again, and again within the blink of an eye.

There is no way I could handle the acidic level of a bloody mary even at this stage of the game at almost a year out.

Find a soy Protein if you can that is lactose free, and mix it with Water. Protein is not going to keep your hair from falling out, but it will help with your energy level. Unfortunately, it's going to happen due to your extremely low weight, and the traumatic surgery your body just endured. The lack of nutrition at this point is pretty common and only getting in 300-400 calories is pretty normal for the first couple of weeks. The big difference between the majority of sleeve patients, and your case, is that you only had 30lbs to lose, where most of us have/had 100+ pounds to lose so we had more fat stores for energy to be burned, and get us through those first couple of weeks.

It happens to a lot of us. Extreme swelling is pretty common. Have you tried warm liquids like broth or warm decaf tea? Those always worked better for me. The nausea is a common occurrence as well, but if it persists I would recommend calling your PCP or surgeon and getting an anti-emetic prescription. Zofran worked great for me when I had extreme nausea related to being on heavy-duty antibiotics. If you get dehydrated, it can actually intensify the nausea. You may have to get iv fluids. You could also try some Gatorade or Pedialyte to help replenish the electrolytes. If you are drinking milk products, a lot of sleeve patients experience lactose intolerance. I couldn't drink milk at all post-op for several months. From everything I've read when people describe these "dumping episodes", I always see a connection that these episodes follow heavy dairy product like ice cream, and other heavy milk product choices. Be careful, and if you need to seek medical attention please don't wait.

I would super low carb it for the next couple of weeks. I always drop weight with low carb.

I really can't imagine going through this surgery and life post op with an insensitive, and asinine partner. I'm sorry that you're in this situation, and hope you are able to get out now before it causes you to spiral into other issues. Coping skills are great, but it's kind of hard to cope with a douchebag of a boyfriend. Sorry, I'm just being honest. Any decent therapist will tell you to get out of the relationship that is making you miserable, and then in turn you reach into the fridge to comfort you. It's not fair to your heart or your body. Weight loss will not fix your relationship. It won't make everything okay because even though I weigh 123lbs, I still have issues. I hate my body some days, I hate that I have a little muffin top of excess skin on my belly if I wear jeans that fit me in the waist. I hate the wrinkles around my eyes that being fat filled out. I hate that my boobs are just skin bags at this point. Grant it, my relationship was strong before surgery, so it's brought us closer, but when all my self-doubt creeps in, you can believe that it causes issues. When I'm needy and whiney that I need him to tell me all the time that I look good, or the days when my hormones are out of whack, those are the days that even being skinny doesn't fix or make better. I'm just giving you some examples that let you know being skinny doesn't fix or repair other issues. It can actually intensify existing issues. My husband is 100% supportive, and he was more concerned about the small portions that I was eating instead of being an insensitive prick. You will have to start believing that you are worthy of love, and respect regardless of your pant size. You are worthy to have a respectful partner, a man that loves you, a man that treats you how you deserve and expect. Expect more and never settle for anything less than everything.

I held off on drinking soda for several months, but now I indulge in them a couple times a week. With that being said, I did avoid them during my losing stage. Also, the first time I drank one it took all day to drink it because it was super fizzy. Now, I have zero issue drinking a soda here and there. My surgeon just advised that they are empty calories, and shouldn't be drank very often. Also, if it's caffeinated, it doesn't count towards my fluid intake so I have to compensate with extra clear liquids.

Band and the sleeve are like oil and Water. Completely different life post-sleeve. I don't pb, slime, or puke with the sleeve. I did have a couple of episodes of the sliming/pb when I first started eating with the sleeve, but it is easily avoided by slowing down during the healing period, and when the swelling is still present. My restriction is consistent. But, (you knew there was a but) I can relax my sleeve by drinking warm liquids right before a meal to get more in, and I can extend my meal time, and fit more in. I'm still never hungry, I just know I need to eat. Often times if I'm out running around, or get wrapped up doing stuff around the house, I forget to eat. I'm maintaining at this point, and I eat on average 6 times per day 3-4 meals with 2-3 Snacks. Some days, I eat 8 times a day if I haven't hit my calorie goal for the day. I have zero food restrictions. I can eat scrambled eggs, and pork chops, but they don't "work" or "feel" good. I don't miss those foods at all. Hope this helps. I truly live a fairly normal life post-sleeve, and am approaching my 1 year out mark. It's been amazing.

Heard about it and talked to my PCP about it. He advised me the long term side effects had not been determined, and he didn't see it being anymore than another "fad diet" except your injecting hormones into your body.

That is awesome information. I never thought about the tannic acid factor. But, it makes perfect sense. Thanks for sharing.

I did clears for 17 days, my surgeon's guideline for all his sleeve patients is 14 days of clears. I wouldn't progress the diet faster than suggested by your own surgeon. Your stomach is healing, I know clears suck, but try to hold out for a couple more days. Just my 2cents.

I was cleaning out my closet yet again. Somehow, I stumbled across this pair of my old work slacks. I thought I had gotten rid of all my pre-op clothes, and needed to weed out the 10s and 12s. To my surprise, I found these and thought I would share. I was trying to organize the shelf in my closet and these were tucked back behind a box. My previous size 24W pants the standard black slacks. Current size 4/6 depending on brand and cut of jeans. In most dress slacks, I'm a solid 5 for juniors, and 6 for misses. Sizing these days is so off, and there is no standard. But, I love being below a 10 these days. " Look ma, I have ribs" LOL:001_tongue:

Ohhh DeeDee, I'm so very sorry to hear of your leak, and extended hospital stay. I went about 22 days with no food/drink with a pic line in my arm to "feed" me due to a leak. Luckily, my leak was repaired with heavy suturing, and I haven't had any issues since getting over the initial complications. I know how difficult, and draining complications can be. I did have an extended recovery, but I will be honest with you that once I was back on regular food, and getting around more, life with the sleeve became fabulous. I had my share of really rough days, but the victories have outweighed the struggles tenfold. People ask me all the time "would you do it again?", and my reply is always, "in a heartbeat". It wasn't easy, but it is very worth it. Please, stay strong, and positive. That's what got me through those tough days. I'll definitely keep you in my thoughts and prayers. If you need to talk to someone, please feel free to contact me.

Sounds super yummy, thanks for posting. If I make it, I'll have to cut out the cilantro. When I finally convinced John to try Mexican food, we went to On the Border (it's a safe bet that I knew he would find something that he would like). Anyways, while eating, he kept saying that he had this weird soapy, metallic taste in his mouth. We requested new utensils, and a new drinking glass thinking it was that causing the issue. As he continued to eat, I noticed that every time he took a bite of his steak (covered in cilantro, and cilantro/butter glaze of some sort) is the only time he had this happen. He could "wash" the taste out of his mouth with soda. When we got back to his apt, I googled it, and low and behold, a lot of people can't tolerate cilantro. I have to substitute parsley for all the recipes that call for cilantro.