cajun

We're cheering for you Lee. Scooting over to make room on the loser's bench...let us hear from you about your great progress!

Kelsie: I like Jay Robb Whey protein powder, chocolate. You can try individual portion packets. Purchase online, or at various health food stores.

First two weeks I pretty much stayed home and near the bathroom. Did have an accident one time and was glad that I was at home. After I graduated from Clear Liquids, things started to reverse toward constipation. Now I have to take ground flax seed and prunes to prevent constipation...the hi Protein diet does not contain much Fiber, so it is important to attend to that issue and not wait until you have an impaction or hemorrhoids...keep things moving.

I agree totally with Tiff. In addition, I've read where s sleever had a bill over 100K for hospitalization/ICU etc, after a leak. It's expensive, AND could be lethal as well.

Keys pirate: Are you sure it is three times a day? I've never heard of taking that high a dose. Usually once a day, or twice a day at the most is the usual dose.

We are shoving over to make room for you on the loser's bench on Monday!

YIPPEEE MR NICK! OUTSTANDING WORK! I am right behind you....204 and a bit stuck for a few days but not worried about it...the scales will move soon and I'll be in onderland too!!! Keep up the great work!!!

Dr Aceves recommended 30-60 gms carbs daily, and 600-800 calories per day, with at least 70 gms protein and 70 oz fluids, for optimum weight loss. Call your surgeon's office and ask what he recommends.

Good luck with your surgery, Stuck. We are cheering for you!

I liked Sobe Lifewater from Target, many various flavors to try, and it contains some vitamins. If you hit it lucky you'll catch a sale, 50 cents each, 20 ounce bottles! I still drink it as my primary liquid, I load up my pantry when it is on sale. At least it provides some flavor variety, zero calorie, not too sweet, no aspartame (it uses stevia), and you get the benefit of some vitamins. No benefit to me by the way, if you buy it. I just like it.

"Backing up" is something we have to do periodically...yesterday I tried some medium hot Thai food, and had a little burning feeling in my stomach all evening, and still this morning, in spite of taking my Zantac twice yesterday as usual. So even though I am almost 5 months post op, today I will stick to Protein shakes for all my meals to give it time to settle back down. Just listen to your sleeve, and it will tell you when it needs a break...treat it gently and it will serve you well.

It was so easy with Dr Aceves. No stitches, no staples. I came home with tape on my little incisions, with instructions to leave it on until it fell off. It took about 10 days to fall off. Another great "user friendly" aspect of his program.

My nutritionist recommended a tablespoon of ground flax seed daily in my morning shake. It's helping a lot to prevent constipation. Other benefits too in healthy omegas.

Loser, Yep, this is how it is. I am never hungry or thirsty but eat because I am supposed to get in the protein, and drink to get in the fluids. Greatest gift I have ever received!

You can put it in the blender and make it into a mushie! It's all about consistency!

from a previous post, the goal is 50% of excess body weight by three months, 80% by six months and the rest during the following six months.

Kai, Are you making the mushies real soupy? Try adding a little more liquid to them so they are almost but not quite "drinkable". Then very gradually decrease the liquid over a period of several weeks. If that still does not work, just back up to full liquids again for about a week or two more. I had to do that several times before I could move forward. Don't be discouraged...just watch the pounds dropping off and cheer for yourself everytime you see that...THAT is success looking at you in the face! You've already lost 1/4 of your excess weight...you are doing fabulous! Next time you are at the grocery store, pick up a large 182 oz bottle of bleach and remind yourself that you have lost over THREE TIMES THAT MUCH. That should make you smile!!! Congratulations! Did you have a hiatal hernia repair as well as a VSG? If so, that gives some of us (me too) a tighter lower esophageal sphincter for a while, so the transitions may need to be slower for some of us. KEEP ON KEEPING ON, SLEEVE SISTER!!!

AWESOME job DeeDee! I am so happy for you!

Not necessarily. Many will not give results over the phone, good or bad.

After I lost about 40 lbs I just tried doing without it. At first it was strange because the bedroom was so unusually quiet without the "white noise" of the machine. But I felt like I had slept well, awoke refreshed, and have never used it again. What a blessing! Now when I travel I don't have to lug it along. Yippee.!!! Mine must have been an obstructive type of sleep apnea, and once the extra weight was gone, the obstruction was relieved. There are different types of sleep apnea so I DON'T recommend "doing this at home on your own, without medical input". If you stop using it but still really need it, you could suffer harm.

One of the great side effects for me after the sleeve is that I sleep soundly (no longer with a cpap machine) for about 7 hours then I wake up and am WIDE AWAKE. Never used to do that. I'd wake up groggy and putter around, drink some coffee and try to get my brain in gear. Now I wake up rested, alert, and with a fully functioning brain/energetic body. Don't even need the caffeind fix anymore How great!

Carolyn, I have never heard of Dr Aceves having any intestinal leaks or other leaks.

Newlife for me: How awesome! You are doing a phenomenal job with your sleeve! It's great that you had such family support. My family did not know I had gone for the surgery and even though they saw me at Christmas, at about 70lbs loss, they did not comment...I think they were trying to figure out what was different, from the looks I was getting... one person asked if I had a new haircut...but they did not mention wt loss. So I did not tell them...I was grinning to myself...just being mischevious, Since then I have told some of them and they are delighted for me. Since I went to Mexico, I did not want to tell in advance out of concerns that they would try to talk me out of it. I did not want to deal with conflict about it, as I could not afford USA rates, and did enough research to be clearly convinced of the high quality of care I would get from Dr Aceves' team. I was right. Am so glad I did this, for some of the same reasons you mentioned. I take great pleasure in periodically cleaning out my closet and taking clothes to Goodwill. Am not buying much because I am still losing fast. Once I am at target, I'll have a fun shopping day with friends! About 60 lbs to go. Am hoping to join you in the "century club" before too long. In about a week or so, I'll be in the 100's for the first time in 25 years. Can't wait! Welcome to the loser's bench!!!

fantastic job judy...keep it up!!

MARY: Mexicali is the capital of Baja. It is HUGE. Mexicali proper has a population of 653,046, according to the 2005 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area exceeds 900,000. Mexicali - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia