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like new me said, we have to use portion control and make good choices the band wont stop you from getting hungry but will help us eat less i find if i am hungry, i eat something with Protein or even drink me a Protein shake.. you sound like you are doing great so hang in there....

SleevePlicationTalk Newsletter Hey Sleevers!The lull of summer is ending, and autumn is just around the corner. How did you do in meeting your goals this summer? We hope you met your weight loss and health goals, but if not, don’t worry. It’s the perfect time to get back into your weight loss routine if you got sidetracked during a summer vacation. Pick yourself up, return to your bariatric surgery diet and, of course, let us help! Here is what you’ll find in this month’s newsletter. Sleever Poll: How Did You Find Out About SleevePlicationTalk.com? Your Sleeve Plication lunch – Packing Your food for a Busy Day Keep the Forums Positive! Take a look at the newsletter and then join us at SleevePlicationTalk.com! We’re always looking for more participation, and we welcome your feedback, so drop us a line whenever you want! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder SleevePlicationTalk.com Sleever Poll: How Did You Find Out About SleevePlicationTalk.com? A. Search engine (e.g., Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc…please tell us which one) B. Friend or family member C. Your surgeon D. Your primary care physician (PCP) E. An offline support group F. Your nutritionist or dietitian G. Someone else from your doctor’s or surgeon’s office (e.g., a nurse or receptionist) H. App store (e.g., iTunes, Google Apps Marketplace) I. Another way. Mark your answer and discuss it in the forums! Your Sleeve Plication Lunch – Packing Your Food for a Busy Day By mid-September, many of us are back into regular routines. If you have children who take their lunches to school, you make sure their lunches are appetizing and healthy. Your own lunch deserves just as much care. These tips can help you create easy sleeve-friendly sack lunches to take to work. Have these helpful items on hand: An insulated lunch bag A small spoon, fork and knife A set of small containers with tight-fitting lids Plastic baggies An insulated beverage container (unless you stick to Water bottles) Once a week: Figure out how many days you will need to take a lunch to work in the coming week. Plan your lunch menus, make a shopping list and get the groceries you need The night before: What can you do so that packing your lunch is easier in the morning? Measure your chicken breast Pack a serving of leftovers from dinner in a small container with a tight-fitting lid Wash and cut some fruit and vegetables Pack your utensils and a bottle of water Count your crackers Portable protein: Just as it does when you’re at home, Protein comes first when you’re on the go. These are some ideas for brown baggers. Tuna or chicken in cans or pouches Hard-boiled eggs (If you have a fridge at work): cottage cheese Fat-free canned refried Beans or low-sodium pinto, black or garbanzo beans Low-fat string cheese or light Laughing Cow cheese Lean ham or turkey breast Leftover grilled chicken or fish Peanut Butter If you’re still in the pureed foods stage, try lentil Soup, Protein shakes, hummus and Greek yogurt. Nutritious combinations: Combine your protein with vegetables, fruits and whole grains for their Fiber and other nutrients Dip and raw vegetables, such as carrot and celery sticks, grape tomatoes and cauliflower florets salad with chicken or tuna and shredded low-fat cheese Peanut butter on whole grain crackers or with apple slices Ham and low-fat cheese rolled up in a small whole-grain tortilla Greek yogurt with high-fiber Cereal or melon One-half small whole-wheat bagel with fat-free cream cheese and canned salmon If you’re post-op and not at the solid foods stage yet, try fat-free cottage cheese with pureed canned peaches, fat-free refried beans with low-fat shredded cheddar cheese and instant oatmeal with skim milk and Protein powder. Have extras on hand. You might get stuck working late or unable to make your planned lunch-time trip to a grocery store. Stash protein-containing Snacks at work for those occasions. Protein Bars and powder, canned tuna and chicken, roasted soybeans and almonds provide protein and do not need refrigeration, so you can keep them at work or in the car. Lunch after weight loss surgery can be a disaster if you opt for fast food or whatever’s in the vending machine, plan, but you can easily pack a healthy lunch that fits into your diet. Plan ahead, have the containers and utensils you need and focus on lean protein and other nutritious choices so that your lunch supports weight loss. Keep the Forums Positive! You come to SleevePlicationTalk.com for information and support. Unlike many other online forums, SleevePlicationTalk.com maintains a positive atmosphere and has zero tolerance for rudeness. We welcome anyone who is interested in weight loss surgery, regardless of their personal beliefs about it. When you see a post that is inappropriate or offensive, please report it using the “report post” link located at the bottom of the post. We realize and appreciate that nearly all members try hard to be welcoming, helpful and polite. These are a few tips to help you avoid avoid accidentally saying something that can be hurtful to another member. Say, “my surgeon told me…,” not, “the only right way is…” Say, “I think I would choose …,” not, “You made the wrong choice.” Say, “Have you considered…?,” not, “You’re not ready for your weight loss journey.” Say, “I have found that …,” not, “The right way is …” Each of these statements let you give your own opinion and advice without accusing other members of doing something wrong. Thank you for keeping the boards positive! That’s what we have for this month’s newsletter. Thank you for reading it and for your contributions to the board! You can always check out the old newsletters in the archive section. Take care of yourself and each other! Sincerely, Alex ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

Yep, this part sucks. I drank Gatorade G2, and all flavors of Crystal Light, plus some Isopure for protein. It gets old fast, but I just keep looking toward the "the next step"!! Im at 10 days now, so I've added creamed soups. I was so looking forward to those and 3 days in, Im over those too! My next step is in 10 days - Mush foods! haha Good luck!

With regards to having a nut, I waited to talk to one then was sure I'd have one before I left the hospital but nope, never had one. I've just been winging it and following the folks on this forum. The surgeon did tell me 60 grams of protein a day and suggested premier protein shakes from SAMs.

I am 4 weeks post op, I'll tell you what my Nut told me. 60-80g of protein per day. I'm still having to use protein shakes at this point to help get all the protein in, but in regards to actual food she told me start with 1 oz per meal and work up to 3 oz per meal. Eventually you should be getting 3 oz of protein at each meal. 1 oz of protein such as chicken, fish, chili, refried Beans etc..is equal to about 7g of protein. Right now I'm eating about 6 times per day because I'm still only eating 1-2oz at each meal. Hope this helps

My doctor recommended between 75-90 grams of Protein daily. At the beginning, this will come from your protein supplements (protein shakes and protein bars), because the volume from your meal plan is so small, you can't pack much protein into it. For me Muscle Milk Light (vanilla Creme) worked well for the protein shakes and QuestBar worked good for the protein bars. I normally use protein bars when I am up and about and unable to haul my blender around to mix a Protein shake. I am now 11 months post-op. I reached my bottom at month 6. At bottom, my goal is to maintain my weight loss rather than lose weight. Therefore my focus is different. I can allow a few extra calories in my diet. My meals provide me with about 50 percent of my protein requirement. My protein supplement consists of one large cup of hot cocoa ("no sugar added" Nestle) in the morning and a large berry smoothie around dinner time. The protein supplements do not count against your meal plan volume limits. It took me a while to understand this. When you said, "I was told protein first when it comes to eating". I hadn't heard this before. I have heard that it is important to eat your protein supplement prior to eating your meals. The rationale is that protein helps take away your hunger so therefore you will not be tempted to overeat. When you said, "The only thing I know is I'm not supposed to have protein shakes after week 2...and I'm in week 4. They say they discourage the use of liquid calories after week 2" That is very strange. How are you suppose to get in your protein requirement without a protein shake. I have heard that they do not want you to drink liquids with your meals. But that is a meal requirement. But cutting out protein shakes after week 2 does not make any sense.

How long did it take you all to be able to drink fluids or protein shake without it causing gas pain? I’m still very very sore in my belly and get terrible gas pains when I drink water and/or my protein shake. I am taking very small sips

I've been drinking isopure zero carb drink. 20 oz of fluids and also a packing 40g of protein and I also drink water, and water with crystal light. The isopure actually isn't bad, it almost tastes like Gatorade but a chalky after taste

I don't understand why you would be miserable on your wedding day given that you could be almost a year out. I felt amazing after the first 3 months and at less than 3 months, I didn't feel bad, just not as great as now. Think about all the dress options you'll have.

I was addicted to Vitamin Water Zero "Squeezed" Pre-Surgery. LOL I was addicted for about 7 years. Once I got out of the hospital, I started drinking it, and I didn't like it very much. I would say it was not really any better than aspertame or sucralose flavored drinks. I even tried one with ace-k. I basically haven't found anything that I really like, but the premier protein clear drinks actually taste the best to me (+20g protein is a great extra). But to get back to your question, no, I don't think it caused any issues. Maybe some gas, but I say only maybe because I'm only 2.5 weeks out and I'm still trying to figure out what foods like me LOL.

Fish. It's hard to screw up fish. And just about everywhere has it now. And my tummy LOVES fish! Easy to digest, lots of options. I never have room for the sides. Kids' meals are a great option. And you can always ask (if you are not a senior) for a senior portion. Most don't argue about it, especially if you tell them you had surgery recently. Why would they care, anyway? Stupid to me! Stay away from the bread that comes first, so easy to fall into that trap. Same with chips and salsa. Plan to get many meals out of your course, something that reheats easily, and focus on protein. Sides. I HATE THEM! Because I can't enjoy them like I used to. So I hate them instead of ME! I give them all to my husband, who eats them, then saves his protein for me for tomorrow!!!!! LOVE HIM!!!!

I think it's possible that you would both be able to go back to work according to your plan, but I think your plan is pretty ambitious. If you go forward with it, I would say have a back-up plan for what you are going to do if it doesn't work out the way you envision. I was not ready to go back to work for two weeks, and I have a desk job. I was just too tired. And I had what most people would consider an easy recovery: no complications, able to get all my fluids and protein in from day one, up and walking 2 hours after surgery. It isn't so much the fear of hurting yourself after surgery as it is just not having the strength or energy to get through a day doing the sorts of things you describe. It might also be hard to keep sipping liquids throughout the day while working on things like putting a fence up and getting fields ready for planting. It might even be hard for you to go back to work as a teacher with just a week off (I couldn't have -- but you are probably younger and perhaps starting at a lighter weight than I did). I am not meaning to discourage you, I just do want you to think of back-up plans for what happens if you and/or your husband end up needing more than a week off and/or a couple of weeks of light duty.

I've been feasting on this for days now, and it still feels like I'm cheating! What a lipsmacker. chicken Tarragon salad on Apple chips, 11.2 grams Protein, 170 calories

Honestly, the hardest time for me seems to be at work! Mostly because I'm trying to focus, which is not easy between having a headache and being a little dizzy. Each day will get a little easier, yeah? According to the scale, I've lost about 8lbs since Sunday, but I think that's a little biased because I had an upper endoscopy/colonoscopy done yesterday, so I spent Monday only drinking Clear liquids instead of Protein shakes, and all the prep medicine really emptied things out. I'm not going to complain though, getting this weight off is the whole goal! Stay strong!

The sleeve is a treatment for a condition that can eventually kill you. I watched my Dad commit slow suicide by knife and fork and die at 54. I was 13 years old. Always overweight to obese, I "carried it well" too... Until I turned 40 when my lifestyle really began to catch up with me. High blood pressure, (3 meds) not well controlled even then, high cholesterol (1 med) , borderline diabetic and asthma that kept me up all night coughing despite the 4 meds they had me on to try and control it. It hurt to move, so I just didn't. Today, I'm a healthy, happy 47 year old with a new lease on life. I exercise regularly, eat what I like in small portions, keep track of my calories\Protein count and take my vitamins\protein. The only medication I take besides supplements is one dose per day of the post-op PPI (acid reducer), which I may take for life. Apparently the "asthma" was mostly reflux showing up as a cough in me. Correctly diagnosed and treated during my treatment. If I have any regret, it's that I didn't do it sooner! Do what you need to do to take care of your health!

I love the world According to Eggface Blog. She is really creative with the bariatric recipes and Protein,.

Hi! I had the vertical sleeve surgery on July 12th. I'm having a realy hard time getting enough protein. Also, enough liquids in general. My diet is soft foods, pureed or fork tender. I've pushed myself about a week ahead of my food schedule because of the protein thing. I'm having a problem with a metalic taste in my mouth and feeling lite headed and dizzy. Any suggestions for protein drinks other than Ispoure, which makes the metalic taste worse and Premier nutrion drink, which taste like chalk????

Thank u so much. This really helps me. I will look into the Protein Shakes n soups and will call my doc as soon as he gets in. I do have great pain killers I just hate the sleepy grogginess that comes with it. I started taking Tylenol extra strength. It helps. I was just a little worried that I'm the only one that's taking it so hard and I'm usually the type to just walk off any pain or sickness. your answer really helped me thank u.

Did your surgeon prescribe painkillers for you? If so, use them if you aren't! If not, or if they are not working for you, get in touch and get a prescription (or a better prescription). Pain is absolutely normal after surgery -- but so are painkillers that are supposed to take care of it! That said, there are some kinds of nerve pain that most painkillers are just not going to touch, and that can happen if, for example, your drain tube was jammed in to a nerve for a while. It took a couple of weeks for my pain associated with the drain site to resolve, even with painkillers. Try different kinds of protein shakes. Did you stock up on samples before surgery? If not, this is the time to try. Go to Nashua Nutrition or Vitalady and get different brands and flavors. You might also have better luck with hot/warm forms of protein, such as the protein soups, hot chocolate, or cappuccino -- all available at Nashua Nutrition. Or get some samples of the Unjury Chicken Soup protein (unjury.com). Their Chocolate Splendor protein powder makes a drink that is a lot lighter and more palatable than Premier IMO. You can also do things like add a half scoop of unflavored protein to warm chicken, beef, or miso broth. Also, have you tried the Syntrax Nectar protein powders? They mix up with ice water and are definitely lighter in texture and taste. A lot of people find they do better with them than with the thick, chalky, milk-type shakes, particularly the RTD ones. Keep trying on the protein but definitely get all your fluids in as your first priority. Yes it is normal to feel weak and tired after surgery -- give it a few weeks at least! With respect to the BM - you may want to contact your surgeon and see what is permitted to get things moving . . . lots of people use Miralax or Milk of Magnesia. While you don't have a whole lot of food going in right now, you don't want to let things get too backed up.

So I've already emailed my surgeon and my pcp, I am waiting to hear back. Mostly it won't be until Monday. So while I wait I thought maybe I could get a little insight from all you helpful people here. I have mitral valve regurgitation. I take heart medication to slow my heart rate Bc I was having insane racing of the heart. Two weeks ago I saw my pcp Bc the medication was making me dizzy. Well come to find out my blood pressure was dropping to low levels 92/58 and my heart rate was 42 Bpm. My dr lowered my dosage, I had signed up for the gym the day before and asked my pcp if I had any restrictions for working out. She said anything should be fine but I should wait to take my morning dosage of medication until after my workout. I have been following all her orders to the T. Here it is two weeks later I'm still having bouts of severe dizziness throughout the day. My trainer has me doing 40 minutes of cardio 5 days a week, 3 days of weights. I have felt awful for almost 3 weeks now. I feel like I am sick however I am not sick. After every workout I feel extremely nauseous, and usually come home shower and fall asleep the minute I sit down until I have to get the kids from school. My husband thinks I am hitting the gym too hard, for the amount of calories I get in a day. I am 3 months post-op and still only able to get about 500 calories a day. I try to eat more but I just can't, I start feeling like I am going to vomit. I get my protein and most of my water. I feel like Bc I was feeling this way before working out it could still be the heart medication even tho For the most part my BP and pulse are good. But the whole gym and lack of calories makes sense as well. Anyone have any advice?

I had to have an endoscopy and a colonoscopy as part of pre-op stuff. For me this was a good thing .i had polyps and ulcers.which were treated, I al So had sleep Apnea,and so use a c-pap machine. Two weeks before surgery I had to go on a thousand calorie high protein low carb diet. Then three weeks of full liquid diet after, then two weeks of soft/puréed food and then normal diet.

There's a good health food store in Asheville and I'm sure they have single pack protein powders if you want to try something. Or just a healthy salad bar that will have good options for healthy foods to choose from. Our coop here is expensive but I have so little that it works out. Have a safe trip -- so sorry about your Mom. Sending best wishes. And don't forget that you have to take are if YOU, too. Sometimes it's hard to choose ourselves first but that's the healthy thing to do. Like the oxygen mask first on you then the one you're with. If you need a beautiful place to walk around there are many to choose from there.

I don't usually like chocolate but I have been buying the Premier Protein Chocolate Crunch bars ( 30g protein) and I like them. They are dense like a brownie and keep me full for several hours. I prefer making my own, but when I work late or have to miss a meal for some reason...these are 270 calories and although not as great as a real candy bar...not too bad. Usually can find on sale 4 for $5

They sound really good. I am always on the lookout for new protein bars and am constantly trying out new products. I will have to try them a post a review on my blog. Thanks for the heads up!

My surgeon explained it as a food that "slides" through the stomach before you are able to feel full. He said the reason they can do this is because they dissolve too quickly and said to consider what they would do if placed in Water. So if you placed a chip or cracker in water it would probably dissolve right away versus a vegetable or Protein. Slider foods are dangerous because if you don't feel full eating them you will eat too much before you realize it!