NtvTxn

I attended the seminar two months prior to surgery. At that time, I was not living in TX, I was in WI, so it was not financially feasible for me to fly back two weeks prior then again when it was time for surgery. We crammed my 2 week pre op visit, seminar and all the instructions, into the one visit! They were wonderful to work with me. Anyway, to shrink my fatty liver, I had to lose between 10 and 15 lbs before surgery. NO LIQUID diet was required, just the weigh loss, which was the point. I have ALWAYS been able to lose, and I did, twenty-three pounds. Doctor was thrilled and so was I. I used that two months to start new habits and break some that needed to be broken. A win/win!!! I flew in two days before surgery, had blood work done and the day before I had the clear liquids only thing that is required and a laxative which was NOTHING, no big deal at all. I was expecting something like you have to do before a colonoscopy, but this was a breeze!

This is very similar to what I do.....but I COOK the pork chops IN the soup from the get go. I put a can of 98% FF cream of mushroom in a baking dish, I add almost a full can of Water rather than milk, just because.....and I bake it covered or uncovered. You are right, it is delish. It's like cooking it in "gravy". I also do the same thing with chicken and round steak. I have done it on top of the stove too, but it seems you have to add a little water to it as it cooks down!!! The cream of mushroom makes the meat so much "softer"!!!

I predict you're going to be just fine!! Anyone who is this "aware" and on top of things......you're ahead of the game. Have a great weekend.

If you go to a Mexican food restaurant, tortilla soup, skip the tortillas. At three weeks I was flying home and was at a loss at the airport, I settled on Wendy's chili, I could have ground beef or turkey and beans were ok. Of course, I could only eat about an eighth of a cup but it was delish. I still get it once in a while. If your son is graduating from pre-school, he'd probably love IHop or The Original Pancake House.....all sorts of child friendly dishes and YOU can order a scrambled egg with no butter!!! Enjoy and congrats!

A piece of cake! Nothing compared to child birth. I had no problems, and after being discharged from the hospital, I only took pain meds before I went to bed simply because it was uncomfortable to turn over and to help me sleep. I took pain medication for nine or ten days.

I started taking Biotin a couple of months before surgery, I never lost any hair, no thinning. Nothing. Hair was just fine, nails were great! I am three years out and I still take it, just because. I had two goals when I started on this journey, lose weight and lose no hair. I managed to do both, it is possible. I don't know if Biotin deserves the credit or if I was just lucky, but I know it didn't hurt me.

Yes! LoL Kind of like a tissue is a Kleenex, even if it is a Puffs Kleenex. LoL

Wow, well said Johnlatte!!! I'm three years out and I haven't had a sip of coke. I knew it wasn't good for me before, so I figure things haven't changed post-op. I would like to say to the OP, this is not a diet, it is a new way of life. I pray NONE of us ever diet again! I see some that join WW, things like that. I don't get it, but everyone is different.

Whoever said you cannot pay attention to the MPF recommended calories, is 100% correct. It suggested a little over 1700 calories for me. I NEED 1300 to maintain. If I go much above that, I gain, at 1200 I start losing again. It's a fine line....but 1700, the scale would start moving alright, and I'd be buying larger clothes again!!! Enter it all manually!!!

I track ALL my calories and my protein. I also weigh every morning and I weigh and/or measure my food. MFP is just part of the big picture. My new normal. My husband said it best when he said "It's like a dashboard on the car, it helps you know what's going on "under the hood" and if there is a problem, you know it right away" I thought it was a perfect analogy.

MFP is great for tracking calories and protein and even carbs if you do that.....but you cannot pay attention to the amount of protein it recommends or the 'you're eating too little' stuff. It THINKS it is dealing with normal folks, not ones who've had WLS. It tells me I need 45 grams of protein. I enter it all manually. I am three years out and need 1300 calories to maintain. When I was where you are, I was getting about 400 calories, give or take 50. I never went into starvation mode, I had my doctor's OK. I felt good, labs were good and I lost weight, I never tried to "HANG ONTO" the pounds! I didn't get my 1300 in yesterday, just under 1100 and I got the same message you did. You're fine, when I reached goal, I was getting 650 - 800 per day - if in doubt, talk to the doctor! Good luck!

During the first six months post-op, when I was in my losing stage, I went up and down, up and down. I'd go up a pound or two, then back down. I'd do this anywhere from three to ten days and then it would be gone for good, on to the next couple of pounds. I have discovered that many others have this pattern as well. I was very strict with what I ate, I never had one bite of anything sweet or fried, very little bread, a pinch or two when we were out, that's it....nothing until I reached goal. Don't worry, if you are following your doctor's plan, you'll lose, and slow and steady is the best. Hang in there and enjoy!!

Good luck to you, I am certain you'll never regret your decision!!! Go get a disposable camera and have someone take your picture the day before or the day of surgery. Every month on your surgery date, have your picture taken. After the one year anniversary picture, take the camera and have it developed!!! It's a "wow" moment, laying all those pictures side by side and seeing your transformation!!!! A really fun thing to do!!!

What's even better than milk is a small bite of bread. You do build up a tolerance and LOVE for it. If my husband's forehead isn't sweating, it isn't hot enough!! LoL

I agree, not much better than the Tabaco industry!

Just saw a commercial for the Dr. Oz show today. "The big food cover up" Something about a NY Times reporter who uncovered a 'food industry bombshell'. It says - Dr. Oz investigates why we may be addicted to salt, sugar and fat. Anyway, I am going to record it and thought there might be others out here that would be interested in watching!

My people scale can also weigh different, so if I step on it a second time and it's different, then I do a third time, 2 out of three rules! My food scale I got at a kitchen outlet store, a cute little inexpensive one. Between it and my 1/4 and 1/2 measuring cup, I'm good to go. The people scale I got at Bed, Bath & Beyond, it less than $30 and with the 20% off, was a really good price.

Less is more, that is absolutely correct!! I do eat sugar some since I got to goal, and I don't know if it's a drop in blood sugar or what, but there have been three or four times in the past three years, that if I forget to eat, if I'm busy.....all of a sudden I get light headed, it's weird. I do the same thing, use the word hungry around people who don't know or ones who know, but cannot possibly understand. LoL

Empty, that is what I tell everyone, it is my 'new' hunger. Something I can ignore if I need or want to. Is it the same with you? It's weird, when I have had enough to eat, my nose runs! I'm pretty good at eyeballing when we're out, I suspect I underestimate, which is fine with me.

There is no comparison, and I do NOT want to eat until I'm full, it is uncomfortable, not like being Thanksgiving full prior to surgery...I mean I need to either get up and walk, or lay flat to try and feel a little better. Ugh!!! I make it point to TRY and always under eat my sleeve. Meaning, put less in there than I can actually hold. I am not hungry, so this is easier to do....I weigh or measure my food because I do NOT feel full.....until I've had ONE bite too many!!!! Yikes!

The good thing about GNC is if you don't like it, they'll take it back. Keep the receipt. You may have a specific time period, but you'll know after a time or two if you like it or not. I took THREE different ones back. I did learn, unflavored does NOT mean no flavor, it just means it isn't choc, strawberry or vanilla!!! I never did find one I liked, powder or liquid. I ended up using protein shots from GNC, did not taste any better, but they're 3.5 oz, much easier for me to get down, a few sips at a time. Hold my nose and rinse my mouth out afterwards, just like a kid taking yucky medicine!! Good luck!!!

I was scared of the very same thing - I just "knew" it would hurt to have the staples and drain removed. It did not hurt at all. I can't even say it was 'uncomfortable'. Relax, it is NO big deal!!!

My doctor sends it to pathology, looking for something, but I can't remember what. I did get a couple of pictures from surgery, when they were 'in there'. Ick, ick and double ick!!!!

I can ONLY sleep on my side and it is uncomfortable to turn over after surgery. I only took pain meds after discharge because of this!!! Anyway, I got a "flat as a fritter" pillow, nice and soft......to put under my tummy when I was on my side. It was a life saver!!

I don't know how to answer this because I'd initially say I am not a food addict but of course I got fat for no other reason than I like food. Portions, way too much, or at least way more than I needed. On the other hand, I find it hard to believe that there are some who are having such a hard time, and I am not, because I know me and if not for having 85% of my stomach removed, and whatever hunger hormone went with it, I'd not have the will power to do what I need to do. Ok, that is what I think, but I am not sure what reality is. What does it feel like to be a food addict?!!!!