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Congratulations! It is nice to start feeling a bit more normal isn't it? I will be two weeks out on Tuesday and I tried a couple of bites of scrambled egg this morning. I am technically not supposed to have them until Wednesday but it just sounded SO good. My tiny bites were definitely enough and I am stayed on my creamed soups and protein drinks for the rest of the day. I can't wait to start eating a bit of food too.

Well, I sometimes hate to admit it, but for me it was... pardon the expression.. a piece of cake! I had no pre-op diet except doc wanted me to lose a few pounds to shrink the liver. I opted for a low carb/ high protein diet for a week before surgery. Then liquids the day before and it's been clear liquids and yogurt ever since. I have one more week on clear liquids.. then all liquids.. then mushie food and then regular food. I had no pain to speak of afterwards. Just a little pulling in the incision area... and NONE of the gas pain everyone talks about. Don't know why I was spared, but I'm very thankful. For me it was just a very easy surgery and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Port Huron is a wonderful hospital with great staff and my doctor is one of the finest in the state for Lap band surgery. He has done over 700 of them so far. The liquid diet is not really that bad. With broth, sf jello, yogurt, sf popsicles and juice there is enough variety for the day. I take a chewable vitamin... Viactiv chocolate cherry and it's my little chewing treat each morning. Hope all goes well for you!!! Judy

I agree that a road trip across Texas requires jerky. I might visit my local Walmart to see what single serve options they carry. Oatmeal sounds good. I don't usually buy single serve containers, but they make sense for this trip.

Food is my life...I think about it all the time. I am so f'ing tired of it but it's as if ignoring the thoughts is impossible. Planning what I'm going to eat is a unique feeling and when I have many options (like after grocery shopping) I am consumed. I take chocolate consumption to another level. So after this acknowledgement I am even more ready to not be this person with this overwhelming issue that often times I feel like no one on earth can understand.

That is very sweet of you! While they give you socks, the socks are scratchy and I was very happy I brought myself fluffy socks. Just make sure you get the ones with the grippy things on the bottom or they don't let you wear them because you are a fall risk. Also you can't eat anything while you're in the hospital or for a few weeks, so maybe skip the Protein bars for the hospital care package. So...in a nice little care package I would put. - Fluffy, grippy socks -Heating pad (I was freezing, but it also helps to put it under your shoulders to minimize the gas pain - Chap stick - Gas-x strips (they didn't have them at the hospital so I was glad I brought my own) - Power strip (she might want to plug in her phone and the heating pad and there are never any outlets that you cant easily get everything plugged into and reachable) - Blanket (sounds silly, but their blankets are not thick and it feels really nice to have something with you from home- I still sleep with the blanket I bought for the hospital) - Bear (ok also sounds dumb, but I read a study that showed when people are emotionally stressed in hospitals, a soft bear minimizes stress, even if it's just tucked under their arm- so yeah, got myself a bear, and he has since been loved to death and is looking a little raggedy. I was not a very good adult, but I was glad I had him) - Pillow case (she can bring her own pillow or just put it on a hospital one, but ahh, my own soft pillow on my face, so happy I had that) So...those are the things that I was glad I had and which really you don't NEED, but which make the misery far more tolerable. Of all of those things I was most thankful for my blanket, my pillow, my soft socks, and my heating pad, although the power strip would have been a pain in the butt not to have.

wishing you the very best of luck! another option to avoid carrying cash would be to run to your friend's place tonight and take some cash to them NOW to cover cab fare!

Hello post-ops!! Congrats to everyone!! Keep up the great job!! I'm a November 24, 2013 WLS. Seeking advise on what worked for you, did you get weak/fatigue and hair loss, Any suggestions!? My progress: WLS 11/14/13 5'7 Female 47yrs old. HW 268 size tight 20 SW 266 size 18 CW 233 size 14 GW 165 I'm averaging 2 lbs per week, no exercise due to knee injury/pain. Doctor is happy with my progress. I am too, my battle is to have enough energy to function upon getting up to get ready to drive to work and get through the day. Issues I've been experiencing feeling tired, fatigue and exhausted. I eat all my water/ meals/proteins/vitamins/biotin/omega fish oil and average 600 to 900 calories daily, try to eat more to get energy levels up, helps some days. I'm 3 months as of Friday 2/14/14 and I've started losing globs of hair especially after I shampoo. So I'm washing every other day. I was expecting this may happen, but so emotionally distressing and nerve wrecking to see it come out so much so quickly. I'm totally freaked out. Praying it slows down soon. Anyone else feeling exhausted and losing your hair?? When goes the hair loss stop?? Is it growing back??!

Anyone else having major fluctuations from one day to the next regarding what you can eat, and how much you can eat? One day I'm able to eat just about anything on my list, and can eat quite a bit, and the next day everything I try to eat gets stuck. Yesterday was one of my "stuck" days, and today, I can eat much more than I would have thought possible, and don't feel full at all. Not that I'm feeling starved, but I don't feel that "full" sensation either. This seems to happen every few days, and I want to know if others are having the same issues. Also, I would like to know how everyone else seems to be able to make the title of their post in large, bold letters. I have the option to change the font for the text portion of the post, but have no options available for the title. Any help? Kristine Texas

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! It’s that time again…time for a monthly newsletter. It’s a way we can reach out to you about the happenings on BariatricPal and the world of weight loss surgery. We hope to motivate you by sharing ideas and introducing you to inspirational people. So here’s the run-down of this month’s newsletter! • Don’t Let Summer Slip Away: Your WLS Must-Do’s • Member Spotlight: Meet Elode! • FDA Approves Gastric Balloon as Obesity Treatment Enjoy the newsletter, and then log in to BariatricPal to spend a little time. You can talk about weight loss surgery and whatever else is on your mind, and see what’s on everyone else’s mind! We want to know how your summer is going. Thanks as always for your support of BariatricPal. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Don’t Let Summer Slip Away: Your WLS Must-Do’s! Remember putting things off this winter or spring? “I’ll do it in the summer,” when the snow melts or there’s a little more time or the days are longer. Well, have you done what you said you were going to do this summer? If not, you’d better get moving! The days are long and hot now, but summer doesn’t last forever. Don’t let it pass you by! Take the Next Step What is the next step in your weight loss surgery journey? Is it deciding about whether to get WLS? Is it deciding on a surgeon, or figuring out which type of WLS you want, or crunching the numbers to fit it into your budget? Is it getting more protein, finding a WLS buddy, or starting an exercise program? Take that step! Don’t wait until summer is over, because things tend to get busier in the fall. If you can get over your next hurdle now, you will be stronger and in a better position to get healthier. Eat Well and Get Active Okay, that’s not a summer special…but you can eat well and get active summer-style! Why not check out a local farmer’s market and see what’s in season? Keep going back every week for delicious in-season produce with a selection that changes slightly all the time, and challenge yourself to make healthy recipes with it. For bonus weight loss points, walk or bike to the market, or at least walk around it a few times to burn some calories. And how can you use summer to your advantage to get active? Without snow or ice, the streets are yours to pound. You can also hit local pools, and trails, and see if your neighborhood park has a circuit training loop set up – many do! To beat the heat, exercise early in the morning or in the evening, stay in an air-conditioned gym if needed, drink a lot of water, and listen to your body. As summer passes, take a few minutes to take stock of where you’ve been and where you’re going. Staying aware can help you stay focused, and make any necessary adjustments to your goals and plans for reaching them. Insure Nutrition We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Unjury and Opurity BariatricPal is proud and excited to announce two new sponsors for our newsletters. The new sponsors are Unjury, a supplier of wonderful tasting, highest quality protein supplements, and Opurity (from the makers of UNJURY), highest purity vitamin supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Their support lets us keep BariatricPal newsletters coming to you each month. Unjury was founded by a master’s degree dietitian who has been helping patients since 1974. It is committed your health. You know the importance of getting enough protein after weight loss surgery, but you also know that meeting your protein goals can be challenging. Unjury makes your task not just easier but actually enjoyable. Product flavors include Chocolate Splendor, Chocolate Classic, Vanilla, Strawberry Sorbet, Chicken Soup Flavor, and Unflavored. These ready-to-use protein powders come in single-serve and multi-serve containers, and contain high-quality whey protein to keep you full and nourished. Launched in 2007, Opurity is dedicated to using the purest ingredients in its supplements. Opurity Bariatric Multivitamins have two unique big advantages: First, each multivitamin requires only one tablet per day*. Second, Opurity is so dedicated to quality that it is unique in using no ingredients from China. Choose from chewable orange-berry multivitamins for gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients or for lap-band patients.Opurity also sells chewable calcium, vitamin D and folic acid/vitamin B-12 chewables. All supplements come with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. They return policy is: “Yes you can return it.” Support from Unjury and Opurity helps us continue to bring you the services you enjoy on BariatricPal, so please support these two brands! When looking for your bariatric surgery supplements, first visit Unjury.com and Opurity.com. Purchasing from these companies helps support BariatricPal. Thanks to Unjury and Opurity for your generous sponsorship, and thanks to BariatricPal members who support our partnership! *You still need calcium and sublingual B-12. Member Spotlight: Meet Elode! This month, we are thrilled to feature Elode as our Member in the Spotlight! She is a 5’8” travel nurse who struggled with her weight for years. She had been overweight since the age of 12. Her mother and brother are morbidly obese, and Elode worries about them a lot. She says she wanted to get the surgery to motivate them to follow in her foosteps. Elode decided to get the gastric sleeve after gaining 60 lbs. in a year and hitting a high weight of 267 lbs. She got her surgery done in November of 2014, and has since lost nearly 100 lbs! She is down 97 lbs and is going strong. Her main challenge was and still is eating slowly, but she was expecting this to be a challenge and is working on it. Since getting the gastric sleeve, she feel better and younger. Exercise is easier, and clothes shopping is much better, especially since she is not limited to Plus-sized clothing. She enjoys paying attention to what she puts in her body, and watching the scale go down. As a great moment, she points to a recent 8-mile hike that she and her daughter completed for the first time. Elode uses BariatricPal to receive support, and she enjoys keeping in touch with the people she’s met on the boards. Elode also gives a lot of help to others here at BariatricPal. She loves sharing her experiences with newbies. For those who may be struggling with their weight and weight loss surgery, she says to stick with the basics. “Know that it’s going to be hard at times, but remember why you wanted this in the first place.” She suggests writing a list of reasons why you got your surgery and reading the list when you’re feeling down. Thanks, Elode, for being in our spotlight and also for all you bring to the BariatricPal community. We are all grateful for your contributions and are happy to see your success! Do you want to be in the Member Spotlight? Is there someone you’d like to nominate? Let us know in the Member Spotlight Forum or send Alex Brecher a PM with the subject line “Member Spotlight.” We want to share your story in the newsletter! FDA Approves Gastric Balloon as Obesity Treatment On July 28, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Reshape Dual Balloon for use as an obesity treatment. The Reshape Dual Balloon is one of a few different intragastric balloons available in other countries, and the first to be approved in the U.S. You can read more about intragastric balloons on BariatricPal! How It Works The dual gastric balloons are placed in your stomach and inflated under anesthesia in an outpatient setting. The balloons help fill up your stomach so you are less hungry and not able to eat as much. The balloon stays in your stomach for up to six months. The intragastric balloon is meant to be used only with proper nutritional support for the entire time you have the balloon. ReShape stresses the need for changing your eating habits and staying informed and engaged. Is It for You? The Reshape Dual Balloon is for patients with BMI of 30 to 40 and a comorbidity. The balloon is a non-surgical option that may be appealing for patients at the lower end of the overweight BMI ranges who do not want an invasive procedure. As with WLS, you need to be willing to change your eating habits with the balloon. You cannot get the instragastric balloon if you already had WLS. Weight Loss and Maintenance The balloon is not for patients who are at the higher ends of the BMI ranges. The balloon is expected to help you lose only about 7 percent of your total body weight. If you weigh, say, 300 lb., a loss of 7 percent of total body weight would be equivalent to an expected loss of 21 lb. Another major potential drawback to the balloon is that you can only use it for a short time. If you do not adapt the new eating changes and form new permanent habits before the balloon is deflated and removed, you will regain the weight back. In one study, patients regained an average of two-thirds of the amount of weight they had lost within six months of getting the balloon out. Don’t forget to check out our article on intragastric balloons for more information on how they work and who should consider them! We hope you enjoyed the newsletter and are ready to keep up with your WLS successes…or get back on track if you’ve been a little slack. Don’t forget to visit BariatricPal if you ever need ideas, support, or inspiration.

A lot of people don't feel the full feeling till they stay eating denser solid foods. If you are satisfied without feeling the full feeling then it is better then eating till you feel full. Keep measuring your good and eating what satisfies you. Soon you should start tracking the numbers [calories carbs proteins] to make sure your getting enough. Note you don't have to track forever but it is a good idea until you develop the healthy eating patterns you need. Good luck. Enjoy the journey.

Hardest for me is my protein . Then vitamins. Om pretty good with water I drink all day

I just came a cross this and was wondering what u all thought. Can we have these are they recommended. I think it would be a simple way to get all the protein in http://m.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3985655

I used protein shots for the first two weeks because I had a problem drinking shakes. They are very sweet but I sipped them slowly The down side was mine were almost 3 bucks a piece.

I'm going to ask my NUT about these. They sound great no sugar, no carbs, and 50g protein!

Wow, that's very true!! Thanks for the comments. I don't think I'm eating enough.. Which doesn't help getting all the Protein that I need. I will admit I'm ADDICTED to sunflower seeds and sweet tea. When I get hungry or want a snack I eat sunflower seeds instead of chips etc.

I am still not able to eat steak. Well, I do TRY but it just doesn't seem to digest very well. Thank goodness there are other options. When I cook chicken breast, I always use a digital thermometer to let me know when the internal temp is 160. (The temp will still rise a little after that.) This is the easiest way to cook a breast so that it is super moist. I've done the crockpot method, but it seems to get "stringy" to me.

@Isubabe33 losing 69lbs in 9 months is great! How much more do you have to lose? Weight loss can take up to 18-24 months. Are you getting enough protein? How many calories?

Anyone here had surgery with Dr. Garcia and did you have to take protein powder with you. I'm leaving tomorrow and am confused as what to bring.

No you dont take protein powder you will be on clear liquads for first week

even though a hard boiled egg is on your puree list, I don't think I would advise starting with that--my very first food at that phase was a scrambled egg (softly scrambled)...that went down well and later I added some melted cheese on top and eventually moved up to hard boiled eggs...I am not sure there is a "normal" around here...I have seen some people at the soft/mushy stage not be able to keep anything down but mashed potatoes or something similar...at first, I just had the scrambled eggs, soft cheeses, some thicker soups that I was having at full liquids, mushy beans like refried beans...and hummus (I love the taste)...and yogurt, too, as a snack mostly (Greek yogurt is best for protein)...many people loved cottage cheese at the soft/mushy stage and tolerated it well...try as I might, I just cannot develop a taste for cottage cheese...hope things get better for you as you progress

I also was nauseated from some protein shakes I got from GNC. I bought them & returned them in the same day. I was nauseated for several hours after drinking them. I ended up drinking Adkins shakes (don't like dark choc but do love the shake). I have been able to tolerate Muscle Milk but it doesn't taste as good as either if the chocolate Atkins shakes. Only down side is they are only 15 grams protein.

My surgery date is feb. 23rd too. I am so excited! a lil nervous too. In the first two weeks i have Protein shakes only pretty much... ive heard its hard to get all protein in at first and hard to get all the fluids in as well. Which one should be most important the first two weeks to strive for? M

Here are a couple of my staples: I always have ground turkey meat seasoned w/ taco seasoning and fat free refried Beans in my refrigerator. An ounce of each topped w/ some cheddar cheese and microwave, serve with 1/2 a Carb Balance tortilla. You can put in the freezer in zip locks for meal sized servings. I always have some turkey or chicken deli meat - I have a couple of ounces with some cheddar cheese. I make plenty of chicken salad in advance and have at the ready (canned chicken w/ low fat may and mustard). eggs and frozen turkey sausage patties are usually my breakfast. I purchased some Health Wise Peanut Butter bars that I keep with me on a busy weekend day, just in case I'm not able to get a shake or a meal. I always have Carb Balance Tortillas on hand - you can make a pizza (BBQ sauce w/ some shredded chicken topped with some mozzarella and you have a BBQ Chicken pizza). I always have Health Wise hot chocolate - it's a nice break from the cold shakes. 15 grams of Protein.

Judy, I had my surgery on the 3rd too! I feel amazing, my swelling is gone and I think the fluids from surgery have been flushed out too. I did have hunger so they moved me to full liquids. I can only get in about 300 calories in 15 waking hours and only 3 ounces of a Protein contains liquid at a time. But with Clear Liquids only I was able to gulp 8 ounces of Water at a time and couldn't get satisfied. I struggle when I see donuts at the office (working today - military). And when I smell delicious coffee or I could go on and on. Only because it looks and smells so good. I'm so happy you are not having issues with that. I know we're only 5 days out but can't you just feel in your spirit how amazing our future is going to be?!

The bottom line is to follow the surgeon's and NUT's guidance to a t. So many people are pushing the limits or either not getting guidance on what they're supposed to do. I was told why not to use a straw, why to avoid straws, how much to eat for the first 12 months, to measure, to eat protein first. But I see so many people fresh out of surgery asking when they can drink alcohol, eating pizza at 3 weeks out, sucking on foods and spitting it out, etc. I try to refrain giving my opinion because you tend to get pounced on. There's also this huge race for the weight loss. The Sleeve is a slower weight loss than the Sleeve. This is a marathon, not a race.