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I know how easy it is to backslide but dont beat yourself up over it. It is time to get back to basics...you might check with your doctors office , mine offers a Back to Basics course for anyone that is slipping and needs that encouragement. Also, find those support groups, ours here is fantastic. It helps associating with others that understand what your going through. And *you go girl!* Crossfit? That is amazingly difficult I admire you...thats impressive...I plan on starting Krav Maga once I break 200...until then Zumba and walking:) I want to share a little action plan another lady on here posted to shoot for daily: 600-800 calories,64oz of fluid, (have you tried the MIO water enhancers? I love 'em, 40 carbs max (you need those carbs to excercise but try and get most your carbs from fruits and veggies) 60g minimum of protein. Thats a great outline and start keeping your journal/food journal:) I bet you'll be back on track in no time! And next time hubby makes French Dip Sandwiches, just leave off the bread and wrap that yummy roast beef up with chees in a lettuce wrap:) Good Luck my friend!

Thanks, everyone... I'm not eating a lot of lettuce, so I know it's not that... I had read that some people react to an abrupt change in diet (adding a lot of protein suddenly) could cause tummy uproars, but was of the impression it'd be constipation like you guys have said, not the other... I spoke with my PCM today about it and she said that everyone's different, but to give it a week or two and see if it persists... I've been fine yesterday and today, so... here's hoping I've already adjusted. Thanks for all the input!

Congrats and during the puréed stage I got most of my protein from shakes. I am 9 weeks out and I still get the majority of my protein from the shakes

If you can tolerate it, don't forget to use unflavored protein powder. I swear I lived off hot cocoa with Nectar unflavored powder for my first two weeks.

I had my sleeve on the 12th and can only have full protein liquids for 3 weeks. Eating protein soups, add protein cocoa to my decaf coffee, and tried fat free, sugar free puddings with protein added to it. Have had some problem with the thickness of the pudding, or I ate it too fast. Otherwise, one week out and doing well!!

Lost 2.4 lbs this week putting my total loss at 22.4 lbs. I am losing at approximately 3 lbs per week after surgery (I lost 10 lbs before surgery). Happy with my weight loss even though at times I wish I could lose a more impressive amount (i.e. 7-10 pounds per week). I was the same way when I was dieting prior to the sleeve so I know that is unrealistic (but it doesn’t stop me from dreaming my weight loss fantasy!). The last time I when I lost a significant amount of weight – 30 lbs – I basically stopped and gained it all back and then some. I don’t feel like that will happen this time with the sleeve (so for that I am grateful). I’m still not exercising regularly. I am doing a Flash Mob performance with the local YMCA on May 5th and went to practice last week and that kicked my butt (I looked like a sweaty drowned rat after practice…but I felt good). I know serious exercise isn’t supposed to be introduced until week 6 but I don’t consider Zumba too serious (at least not the way I do it) and I kept my impact low during practice (less jumping more fake jumping). My problem is that I wanted to chug water like no tomorrow and it was really hard to slow myself down. I am finding the same problem with eating. I was technically allowed to start adding mushies this week but I had pretty much been eating mushies since my DC trip. The problem is I haven’t really got the slow eating down yet (working on it). To give you an idea of what I am eating (and I am not hungry, just trying to get into a routine)… Early AM – 8 oz of water and my gummy vitamins (fiber, regular, and dissolvable Biotin tablet) Breakfast – Generally is a protein drink. Something with 15 to 20 grams of protein. Midmorning – more water Lunch – Soup (although today I am trying some tuna and crackers thing I purchased at Walmart) Midafternoon – Water Snack – Peanut butter portable cup that I got at Walmart More water or another protein drink (I like OJ with vanilla protein powder) Dinner – Not sure what I am having tonight but the last night two nights I had a Taco Bell fresco chicken soft shell taco (just took the filling out and ate it..GOOD!) and refried beans (not the whole cup but pretty much the top layer with the cheese and beans). Water after dinner Yesterday I had an Atkins chocolate/peanut butter bar with 19 grams of protein to see how I would tolerate it (it is 2.4 oz) and it was fine so I might be adding those into my meal/snack roation. I am suffering from really bad dry mouth during the night so I keep a water bottle by the bed (seems to be a side effect of surgery for me). The “bad” things I have had this week (lest anyone think I am some giant role model J. Saturday I had a class where they had a bunch of muffins and donuts. I took a Boston cream donut and ate the chocolate off the top and then ate the cream in the middle (none of the breading part). Saturday after class I went to a hibatchi grill with a girlfriend and I ordered miso soup, edamame (which we split) and an order of gyozas. I did ok with the soup (I had about ¼ of a cup). The half order of edamame was good. I probably should have stopped at 2 gyozas and taken the remaining four home instead of forcing all six gyozas (I felt HORRIBLE and had the burpies). Sunday went to my SIL’s house for dinner (which was fine – fish and steamed squash) it was the raspberry cream cupcake that made me a bit ill (again I would have been ok with just half instead of the full cupcake). Monday went out to lunch and had half a small cup of tomato basil soup (good), half a tuna salad sandwich (just eating the tuna out of it – no bread) and then I got a child’s cup of lemon custard ice cream (which didn’t make me sick or ill but probably wasn’t the best choice…thank good there was a lot of walking afterward to move it through) Tuesday was picture day at school and our photographer brought a ton of donuts. Did the chocolate and cream thing again but tried to eat the breading part. Got about a ¼ of it down and I could feel it sitting in my chest so I stopped. I’m not too worried about the bad things. I think a lot of it was a learning lesson for me and it was WAY less than what I would have eaten prior to the sleeve (normally I could have a full hibachi meal, four donuts and a waffle cone of ice cream…so I am considering this progress J). Friday I have Relay for Life with my school so I plan to be trekking around that track quite a few times. Sunday I have my Zumba practice. Looking forward to both for the exercise. People are noticing the weight loss in my face (my weight loss usually starts showing in the face, then boobs, stomach, and finally thighs). Nobody knows about the surgery. I am a solid 20W in clothes size now. My 22’s feel/look baggie. I nearly bought a pair of white capris at Dillards the other day ONLY because I fit into the 16W (they were cut pretty big) but I had to buy a pair of jeans (Levis size 20 and a bit snug but figure they will stretch out normally) and both were around $40 so I opted for the jeans only (which I needed). I think that is pretty much my week-in-review. Until next week….

Good to know. I actually drank the last Ensure yesterday. I wasn't a huge fan but felt the need to finish what I purchased. Normally I favor Atkins or Slim Fast high protein.

Last week’s weight – 211.4 This week’s weight – 209.2 or 207.6 Total weight lost this week – 2.2 or 3.8 Total weight loss since surgery – 36.8 or 38.4 I had a weird weigh-in today. I got up early and weighed myself and was happy to see that I was at 209.2. I’ve been consistently losing about a pound or so each week so I thought I would be in the 210’s this week so when I saw I was at 209.2 I was doing the happy dance because that means that I am out of the 210’s all together (and fingers crossed…FOREVER). Then I went walking this morning (3 miles) and came home and immediately cleaned the bathrooms (which I hate but wanted to get them out of the way). I had nothing to eat or drink and when I went to take a shower after all that was done I decided to weigh myself again (surely I had lost some weight doing all that!). I stepped on the scale expecting to see the .2 of a pound gone after the 209 but the scale read 207.6!!!! I stepped off and on several times and it read the same each time. That would mean that I lost 1.6 lbs since getting up (which seems unlikely). I recorded both scores on my weigh-in calendar and decided I would let the chips fly where they would next week. Either way the celebratory thing this week is that I am out of the 210’s. I also walked pretty consistently this week. Since summer break started I have walked a total of 27 miles. Food Diary for the last two days – Breakfast – yougert (4 oz) and granola Snack – Diet Green Tea Lunch – McDonalds kids 4 pieces chicken nugget meal with milk Dinner – Ramikin size chicken, rice and crunchy onions, tomato mix with cream of mushroom soup. Snack – Melon and a glass of the diet green tea Breakfast – 1% skim milk (8 oz), 1 medium banana, slimfast high protein shake mix (chocolate) Snack – Atkins bar Lunch – Chicken salad (no bread), ½ a small bag of chips, 2 bites of pound cake Snack – Mints (I was trapped in a very long training class and that was all I had in my purse J) Dinner – Bag of edamame Until next week!

I have a single serving bullet-type blender I bought at Kohl's for $24 that has been used most every day for the past 6 years...still going strong.The brand name is Bello. I know that FarberWare makes one that looks just like it since I purchased that for my son this Christmas. It was $20 at WalMart.You don't have to pay the big bucks to find one that will serve your purpose. I put 1/2 a frozen banana, 4 med. ice cubes, a scoop of protein powder and about 1 cup of some kind of milk in mine. It works just fine.

Thank you all for your quick responses. I noticed the coughs would come after drinking the isopure powder mix protein drink (will try new drinks). It gets my throat really dry and can't stop coughing for a while. I will consult my surgeon/doc see what he says.

MyMMymm My Surgeon said to only Drink Medical Grade Protein. They are a little more expensive but your Body will absorb them much better and you will not need to drink as much. So if using Medical grade protein I can aim for the lower end of 60 to75 grams a day. I have done well and NO HAIR LOSS either…. My Surgeon said to only Drink Medical Grade Protein. They are a little more expensive but your Body will absorb them much better and you will not need to drink as much. So if using Medical grade protein I can aim for the lower end of 60 to75 grams a day. I have done well and NO HAIR LOSS either…. My Surgeon said to only Drink Medical Grade Protein. They are a little more expensive but your Body will absorb them much better and you will not need to drink as much. So if using Medical grade protein I can aim for the lower end of 60 to75 grams of Protein a day. I have done well and NO HAIR LOSS either….

I was diagnosed with Celiac about 6 years ago. An upper-endoscopy can show if you have damage caused by Celiac. I would ask your doc to be specific about how he diagnosed your "sensitivity". It can show up on a blood test, but an upper endoscopy is typically done in this instance. You should continue to eat normally if you are planning to have an endoscopy. If you are moving to a gluten free diet, you must avoid wheat, barley, rye, and any oats not specifically labeled gluten free. As it is important to stay away from processed food anyway, I would highly recommend staying away from gluten-free processed foods. (Chips, crackers, pastas, etc.) Gluten free products are typically milled with rice flour. High calorie, high carb, a no-no for a health conscious eater. Eat fresh foods. And look for Protein supplements labeled gluten-free. I have found most of the shakes are gluten free. Hope this helps!

As @@Teachamy mentioned, you're going to need to stay away from a bunch of things. But I'm betting you'll feel better! I transitioned to GF in April 2013. I did it to see if I'd feel better, because I have always had stomach issues, and the last few years a lot of joint pains, muscle aches, and headaches/migraines. Within a few days I felt so much better. I stuck with it for that reason. If I have gluten, I get ill now. I didn't test positive for celiac's. But gluten and I don't get along. Since I made this change over a year ago, I'd all ready made a lot of changes to my diet. Making staying away from breads, pasta's, etc. part of the norm even if GF. After WLS it's best to avoid these things anyway. Eating "clean" is the best approach IMO. I have also found that a vast majority of Protein shakes/powders are GF. But always double check.

None of us lose weight at a constant or steady rate. Right after surgery you are swollen, healing, and full of fluids from the IV. Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. If you intend to lose a lot of weight you will experience periodic stalls. Just about everyone experiences a stall about three weeks after surgery. Just follow your program. Focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids. Take your Vitamins and supplements as directed. Exercise when cleared. Stay off the scale. And, Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall.

I am being banded on tuesday and I am on clear liquids on day one. Days 2-14 full liquids- strained soups, yogurt,cream of wheat, softly scrambles egg beaters, applesauce, refried beans. My dietition said to puree the beans and add some broth to make them runny, looks gross but very filling. Days 15-28 mushies.... At this point there are many options. I bought a stick blender and look forward to using it. Anyway I just listed some of what's on my list, hope it helps and good luck.

I have absolutely no energy on this pre op diet. I can only have Protein Shakes, Water, Zero Calorie/Zero Sugar drinks/enhancers, Sugar Free Popsicles and Jello, and Low Sodium broths. I am meeting my daily protein goal, my daily water intake, and taking all my vitamins. Somebody mentioned iron and I called my surgeon's office and they said there is no need to take iron right now and that they will check those levels 3 months out. I'm just worried because my iron runs low and I am exhausted, dizzy, and weak all the time. I have 5 more days to go on this clear liquid diet. My hunger really isn't even an issue, the water and protein keep me at bay (most) of the time. Does anybody have any other suggestions? Thank you!

Hi all. My question is how do you know your hypothyroid besides a blood test? Are there any symptoms specific to this? the reason I ask is because I need to lose 13lbs before I can have the surgery and its just not coming off. I've been so bummed that I haven't even got on the scales. I've done clear liquids for 2 days no result, Protein drinks and still no results. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Hi There, This was a VERY helpful article posted by another Bandster on here yesterday. It started happening to me 2 weeks ago and I am 3 months post op. <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"><img border="0" src="http://tickers.myfitnesspal.com/ticker/show/909/6236/9096236.png" /></a><p style="text-align:center;width:420px;"><small>Created by MyFitnessPal - <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com">Free Calorie Counter</a></small></p> See this article for a full explanation... Everyone experiences hair loss on a daily basis. Normal hair loss is barely noticeable, amounting to less than 100 hairs per day. However, the stress of a major surgery can cause hair loss to accelerate up to three times as much in both men and women. It's the body's way of reacting to the trauma of the operation. The Facts During a normal hair growth cycle, hair grows, then enters into a resting or "telogen" period and eventually sheds. According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, "telogen effluvium" is a term used to describe hair that has been rushed into the resting state after the body suffers a shock due to major surgery. As resources are redirected to help heal the affected surgical area, the body temporarily shuts down hair production because it is not necessary for survival. Identification Telogen effluvium related to surgery can be distinguished from other forms of hair loss in several ways. Individuals typically begin to notice the increasing hair loss two to three months after the surgery. Hair loss after surgery is uniform, noticeable on the scalp but never excessive enough to cause a patchy appearance or complete baldness. In addition, the shed hairs all exhibit a specific pattern at the root, which resembles a white bulb. Time Frame Hair usually resides in the telogen phase for a period of two to four months before growth resumes. Individuals don't begin to notice the increase in hair loss when showering or brushing the hair until about three months post-surgery. Although the resting hair is being pushed out of the scalp by new hair that is already growing, it can take anywhere from about six months to a year for the hair to return to its normal fullness. Gastric Bypass Surgery Individuals who have undergone gastric bypass or other operations of the digestive tract designed to reduce obesity are more prone to hair loss post-surgery. This is due to the reduced intake of food in the weeks and months immediately following these procedures. The body needs an adequate amount of Proteins and Vitamins to maintain hair production. Protein-enhanced shakes are often recommended for these patients as a substitute until solid food can be better tolerated. Proper Diet Hair loss related to surgery typically reverses itself without any medicinal intervention or the need for over-the-counter hair loss tonics or treatments. However, maintaining a diet rich in Protein and Iron is believed to help promote and speed up healthy hair growth. Suggested foods include salmon, Beans, eggs, spinach, broccoli, nuts and whole-grain cereals. Avoid foods that can inhibit hair growth, such as those that contain high levels of caffeine and fat. Read more: Losing Hair After Surgery | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/...l#ixzz1QtFeANl3

Hello everyone. I was banded March 24th. Loving my banded life, by the way. I am weighing in at 209, this morning, from 243. I do not even miss the foods that I gave up for my new life. I do however miss my hair. I have always had VERY thick hair, so no one really notices but me. But I have lost approximately 5 strands to every one that I have left on my head. Now, I do not keep track of my Protein. Except by memory. I have an app. on my phone, but with school being out, it is hard to do anything other than run from the little monkies that are chasing me thru the house. Is the lack of protein intake the reason I am losing my hair? Help!!! I am too young to go bald. Especially after I pick at my hubby.

I totally get those reasons, seems like regular milk wouldn't agree with either of you. Anyone do it by choice for nutritional reasons? I thought I would try it and then saw it only had one gram of Protein per cup and honestly was quite surprised given its popularity here!

What are the best protein shakes and where can I purchase them??

I'm on a 2 week clear liquids diet with 3 protein shakes, jello, and popsicles. I'm on day 1 of 14. So far it's rough! Sent from my SM-G920T using BariatricPal mobile app

So far i like The target brand whey 25grams protein shake power. Good Thing Is Foodstamps Covers It.

i like the Premier ready made Protein shakes. 30 grams of protein. I buy them at costco. 18 for $24.99. Sometimes they have the case on sale for $19.99. They are convenient and don't taste bad. I put the vanilla and chocolate ones in coffee as creamer. The strawberry and creme is tasty as well.

Hi SleeveGirl88. Having GERD isnt' the same thing as having reflux every once in a while because you ate some food that disagrees with you. When they are discussing GERD as a contraindication for VSG, they are talking about people that have it regularly at least one or two episodes a week that don't necessarily have anything eating greasy food. You also don't seem to have any co-morbidities and a relatively low BMI of 40 (the average bariatric patient has a BMI of 42.5). If you're goal is weight loss, I would probably go with the VSG. While RNY may have slightly better total weight loss numbers and slightly lower regain rates over 5 years, the differences aren't really statistically significant--particularly for someone with your BMI. You'll do great with either the sleeve or the RNY and you're not going to get much of a weight loss advantage going with an RNY. There have been a lot of comparative studies that have been published over the past two years that support this conclusion. In terms of weight regain, some people start to see it earlier in the process with the sleeve but in the limited number of long term studies that track people beyond 5 years--there really isn't a long term statistical difference. What does seem to make a difference your starting BMI. Whether you're a sleeve or an RNY, if you start the journey with a BMI of 40 or less, the chances of you having BMI below 30 after one year is 95% and the chance of you maintaining a BMI under 30 after 5 years is over 75% with either procedure. The numbers for both procedures drop considerable the higher your BMI is at the time of surgery. The other thing to think about, particularly if your young (under 50), is that you're going have to live with this surgery for a long time. While RNY may have slightly better 5 year outcomes on the whole, the differences aren't really statistically significant. For someone like you, it might only mean a 5-8 pound difference (maybe)--but ultimately, it's probably not much of a difference at all. Ten or 15 years post op, you could be at a point where you have had significant regain with either procedure (hopefully not) and then you have think about revision (since obesity is a chronic condition). With this in mind, you should consider which procedure gives you the most and best options for revision. With RNY, you're revision possibilities are currently limited. In some cases, the pouch can be made smaller. Surgeons can also increase the length of the biliopancreatic limb to increase malabsorbtion or convert you to a distal bypass. The weight loss benefits of these procedures are disappointing for the most part, but these procedures can help treat co-morbidities. A more aggressive or radical approach would be to reverse the RNY and switch to a totally different procedure, but this is a very complicated and risky procedure that most bariatric surgeons aren't comfortable performing (at least not in 2018). In truth, your options of revision from and RNY are limited and may not be very effective for weight loss/regain. Options for revision from a sleeve if there is significant weight regain or re-occurrence of co-morbidities are numerous and more effective. Resleeves are common, easily performed and can help get you back on track. Since holds more volume to begin with and the pyloric valve is preserved with a VSG, resleeves seem to be more effective than revisions to a RNY pouch for treating weight regain. A sleeve also can be easily converted to an RNY down the road, but this is usually done to treat severe GERD--not so much for weight loss (although it can be used for this too). The most exiting option with a sleeve is that it can easily be converted to a BPD-DS or modified duodenal switch (also called a loop DS, SIPS, SADI-S), which is still considered an investigational procedure in the United States, but is probably the future of bariatric surgery. This is essentially a VSG with a single long limb bypass that attaches midway down your small intestines (roughly speaking) and has only one anastomosis (one connection point). It gives you most of the benefits of a BPD-DS (which is by far the most power bariatric surgery, but also the most risky), with approximately the same risk factors as an RNY. More studies are needed for the modified DS before it will be widely adopted in the US, but it's being adopted by many surgical centers and long-term RCTs are being done as we write (with excellent short and mid-range results). As a revision from a VSG, the SIPS procedure will be an easy upgrade that will only take about 30-60 minutes and will mostly likely be performed on an outpatient basis in the future (The SIPS bypass is much less complicated and less invasive that the VSG part of the procedure). In the end, both the RNY and VSG are excellent options that are very effective for weight loss. You can't go wrong, with either one. However, if you like and trust your surgeon and if he or she has been gently nudging your towards the sleeve, you should probably take his or her advice.