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This was SUCH a great question! Last night I was reading Eating Mindfully: How to end mindless eating & enjoy a balanced relationship with food by Dr Susan Albers. I'm only on chapter three so I can't recommend the book yet - but I shared this because even after four months and 100 pounds lost, I am very aware that I must continue to deal with my food addiction and certainly not think I am home free by any means. You are right that our tiny tummies are just a tool. My sister had surgery a few years ago and her team told her that those who have surgery get about 18 months to get their &%$# together! (smile) Meaning - now is the time to deal with this and to learn new habits. They told her that those who develop healthy habits with food, exercise, stress management, etc. in those 18 months are likely to make it for the long run! I want to be one of them!!! You do too!!!! You may notice that you may not crave the same foods you did before your sleeve. I have very little desire for sugar which was always my thing - but instead crave crunchy stuff now. I struggle the most at work and at night - which is really the majority of my day! (grrrrr) I take Breakfast with me, I definitely eat a super healthy lunch, and I grab a skinny starbucks when I want a filler in the afternoon. At night I get my Protein in and then I sometimes nibble on diet popcorn or rice cakes. And I drink as much as possible - Water, diet tea, etc. You can do this. You've lost weight before and made good choices... it's just now you have a fighting chance to make it long term!!! I will say that I try to be very good to my tummy. I know that sounds weird - but I am so thankful for my surgery and try very hard to eat good things and care for my tummy. So far it's worked. I am amazed at the weight loss - and oh so humbled! I too am single andwork like a dog. You will find the things you need to do to get yourself through the stress. I'm learning to go to a walk - even for 5 minutes. You could jump on here if you need help in a stressful work situation - or when you are feeling down. We are all behind you!!!!!! You can do it!!!!!

I don’t have an eating disorder. He also seems a bit misinformed and I feel like I need to lie to meet his standards. He thinks I need to be spending 5 hours in the gym per week. Guidelines recommend 175 minutes per week (which is just shy of 3 hours…) and honestly I can’t become an exercise addict until my joint pain wears off - which will probably be after I lose a bunch of weight!

My surgery is Monday 11/2. I stopped my NSAID meds a few weeks ago. It was hard at first but got better with time. I guess I've been shopping more too. I guess if I don't have food to comfort me I must be self-soothing by shopping. I better watch that in the future.

I had bad nausea for a week, starting about 4 days after surgery. Has your nausea and pain gone away yet? If not, definitely call your doc. Be sure to mention the sharp ab pain. Can you keep water down?

Good morning, I am one moth and a week post op, I lost 28lbs so far and I am to stuck, I haven't lost an ounce since June 21st, I was told my body was in shock and went into starvation mode, I've been eating more solid foods now and still nothing, also started walking 3 to 3.5 miles a day. I'm scared because I had the band for over four years and it was a complete failure. I too had my surgery out of the country not in Mexico though, and also ran out of the diets the gave me.

I got this form from the nutritionist "things to do to prepare for surgery" when should i get the preop to do list this is the last three months surgery will happen before the middle of August. Maybe in July. Sent from my SPH-L710T using the BariatricPal App

Thanks guys! I had my liver ultrasound today and the cardiologist is next week...good luck to you guys and thanks for the support and words of wisdom!

everyone is different but mine lasted almost a week.

Yup, I've been dealing with this for 14 years now and I go through all of the relaxing "tell yourself it's not real" motions. Usually that and, if it gets real bad, a hot shower, usually helps (with the Xanax of course). And it all helps a little now, but it seems to come zooming back the next hour. Usually, once I ditch the attack it's gone for at least the day, for a week or two during my good spells. But this almost constant attack is wearing me down. All of the time that this happens to me it is because I am dwelling on something that I don't openly know what it is..something is bothering me when it continues to come back over and over again....You mentioned that you are 4 days post op...That brings a lot of fear anxiety of the unknown and what might happen or what won't..I did this, why? Regrets..It can be anything...Ask yourself what has been eating at you for the last few days and why you are internally upset...Speak to your husband..I bet as you talk to him about your feelings it will come out... Sometimes we think it is one thing and then it is another....Anxiety is a strange creature...it can fool you!!! I do this myself and fight all the time to solve the mystery.....

Was sleeved 4/7, so 2 1/2 weeks post op, whenever I go walking outside my left shoulder starts hurting when I take deep breaths. Could this still be from the surgery??!

I'm really surprised that, over the past several months, I've found such a discrepancy between doctors on post op eating. My doctor said liquids for 2 weeks after surgery and mushies for the next 4. Needless to say, I'm eating normally now...I'm losing weight and eating healthy but hell, I was eating chicken, bread, etc. after the first week. I even drank a red bull the other night...slowly, of course, and tried to keep belching to handle the carbonation but had no problems. You would think there would be some kind of standard set or at LEAST a little more similarities in this whole band process with the doctors. I'm starting to feel like the band is the phen-fen of the 2000's. Meaning the docs are just doing the surgeries in bulk and not giving a damn about the aftercare. Now, before you launch with your doctor testimonials, understand that I AM generalizing and speaking in majority terms. To prove my point, these seem to be the common stories that continually crop up on this thread. 1-Why am I starving? I sure as hell wasn't told that I would be struggling with the hunger I'm dealing with. No wonder I see so many stories about bandster hell and poor people falling off the wagon...we're not equipped to deal with the hunger we're feeling. 2-Why isn't the scale moving? Probably because we're eating a little too much or there's been no behavior modification offered. I have to go to a nutritionist once a month (at a 500 dollar extra cost) and am not offered ANYTHING but an 'opportunity' to purchase crap from them. I'm forced to drive 3 hours round trip to have her spend 45 minutes telling me what to eat. Hell, she could've faxed it to me and saved me a half tank of gas. 3-Why am I depressed? Well, I'm going with a couple of things. Withdrawel, for one. food was a drug, we went to rehab and are now trying to find things to replace it and I daresay, for me and a lot of others, food was a HUGE part of my life. I've also found myself trying to reconcile this person I'm becoming with the person I've always been. Let's not play the 'you're still the same person' game...you may be but for years, I've villiafied slim women, believing they must not be good people (to make myself feel better, of course). Now, I'm becoming one of them. I understand that therapy is a great option but what about those who don't have that insurance option? What about those who can't afford it? It seems to me that a procedure that costs 10-20 grand should be a little more involved with the aftercare of a patient instead of just doing a fill or two. Sorry for the long post...I just read so much here and feel like the majority of us have fallen by the wayside. I also receive way too many private messages after my comments and posts from women who are afraid to talk about these things because of the few banders who are very aggressive in their cheerleading...those of you who are breezing through this are the minority...trust me. We could stand to be a little gentler with one another. I wish all of you much luck and love...this is harder than I was ever told it would be. I'll say again that I don't regret this decision, I just wish I'd been better prepared. The only thing I ever heard was 'you'll have to do the work, the band is only a tool.' Well, DUH! But HOW much work was never specified. I don't think it's too much to ask to be properly and honestly informed. If it weren't for this site, I would've been completely lost. Best to all.

If I were more faint of heart your post would almost make me feel guilty for 1. Expecting to be hungry when I can't have any food, just liquids, for several weeks, 2. Expecting the scale not to move right away since I was told AVERAGE 1-2 pounds a week loss once one has restriction 3. Not feeling at all depressed since I knew going in to the surgery I wouldn't have the same "relationship" with food that I did before. I feel that it's all a part of education....I had a long time to talk myself into and out of the band before my insurance paid. I read several books in addition to going to my surgeon's seminar, and I asked him tons of questions. I am NOT saying everyone should do that. We're all different. But I paid a big chunk out of my own pocket to cover deductibles and catastophic caps, plus I was having an artificial device placed around my stomach, so I wanted to KNOW as best I could what to expect. When I was told that the band is just a tool, I believed that...not that it would miraculously make me drop pounds like Water, not that it would be easy, not that I could eat everything I ever did and lose. I think many people are being rushed through...psych consults are a joke, nutritionist the same, surgeons must gloss over the hard parts. I think that's a darned shame. I'd hate to think anyone got the surgery under false pretenses, and it is vile to think people are out there hungry and depressed when they truly didn't expect such a drastic change! That isn't right! It helps to have an idea of what to expect post op BEFORE you let your doctor go in with the band. Surgeons can have their own spin, in my opinion. I understand why it was important that I not eat chicken during week 2, I knew why my doctor said no caffeine and why he didn't want us even having Protein until the second week. I am the type to question authority, so I got good answers before I complied. But most surgeons/clinics need to do a MUCH better job at education and preparation. That's my take on it.

Hey all, I've had my band now for 3 1/2 yrs and have been very successful. Lost 104 lbs in 2 yrs and was 9 lbs from my goal of 135 last year. Then 10 mths ago, I had a minor slip. One that an unfill relieved my severe reflux, but also leaving me with less (much less) restriction. I still have 6cc in my 14 cc band. 1 more cc and it causes reflux. So my drs leaving me alone since I no longer have reflux. I've been going back and forth with: 1. I live with the less-than-optimal restriction, watch calories, diet (which I swore I'd never do after getting the lapband) and do it the old fashioned way. Leaving it alone. Living with a contraption inside of me that works about 75%. 2. Demand my dr fix it. I can either have it replaced, replaced with plication, or convert to a sleeve My ?: Medicare paid for my surgery, as my BMI was 42 and I had hypertension. Do they cover a 2nd surgery because of a complication even tho my BMI is now 27.5. Do they go by what my original BMI was or current? Will they cover adding the plication or just go for what it originally was? Not sure that I want to start fresh again, with surgery, 4 weeks of liquids, and many trips (6 hr roundtrip) to get my adjustments until they are good. So, does Medicare cover revision of my band only or can I add plication too? Thanks! Marci

I am on my 9th day!! Finally got my approval today and I'm over half way there...yeah Tomorrow is another Christmas party at my house, and I'm going to be strong and stay on track! I can't imagine only being able to have clear liquids Good for YOU! Optifast has a chicken Soup and a tomato soup that are really quite good. These have really helped me, they are sorta thick and so they keep me full for awhile. Three more days and you are done!! Congratulations! If we can do this...we can do anything! Good luck and please keep in touch. chris

I am right there with you!!! I am on day 2 of my 2 week pre-op liquid diet and I'm dying!!! I feel like my stomach is about to start eating itself!! I'm allowed 4-5 protein shakes, all the sugar free jello, pudding and popsicles I want and water. I have NO energy, I'm starving, I'm having terrible headaches and I'm grumpy!!!!! I'm hoping and praying that it gets better as I go along. Good luck to you!!

I try my best not to recommend specific practices or surgeons. There are some really great surgeons within the tri-state area, If you require a doc in BK, I'd suggest Danny Sherwinter or Abraham Krikhely at Maimonides. I believe Ren-Fielding and Dr. Schwack also have offices in Flatbush and they're there once a week or so.

Ok I have not been banded yet but I am planning on being banded in Decemeber or Jan. I have to wait because I am starting a new job in a few weeks and I won't be able to get financing till have a few pay check stubbs to prove my income and I also have to go through about 6 weeks of testing before they will band me, and I also cannot miss any work for the first 90 days so I have to work appointments in my schedule. My question is would it hurt to try and lose a bit of weight before the actually the surgery not including the pre-op liquid diet? I currently weigh 247.8, which is the highest I have ever weighed!! I have been bouncing around from 223-246 for the past 3 years but due to just finishing my last semester in college, and being lazy for the past 6 weeks before I start my job I have gained about 20lbs. I would like to be about 228 before I start my liquid diet in Nov. or Dec. And probably with the liquid diet for 2 weeks I am required to be on I should lose about another 10lbs putting me at about 218 right before surgery. Is this reasonable to do or should I just eat whatever untill it's time for the pre-op liquids? Oh yeah I am about 5,7". I just feel so awful at this weight!! And none of my clothes fit very well....I'm tired of wearing a girdle! What would you do??

Hi! I haven't been banded. I am just doing research regarding LapBand. I weigh over 100 lbs. beyond my goal weight, but the gastric bypass is too invasive! I am 59, and not sure whether this is for me. Secondly, my husband has Medicare with Tricare for Life, and I am covered as his dependent (spouse) with Tricare Prime; I do not qualify for Medicare. I found Tricare Prime accepts referrals from Primary Care Physicians for GBS. However, I checked about 4 months ago about whether they approve for LapBand surgery, and was told "No, not at this time." Has anyone heard different as to whether they have reconsidered? I am curious. Does anyone know why Tricare Prime would pay for GBS and not LBS? Maybe because the procedure is still too new? I would also like to know why it is easier to exercise and eat right when one has the LBS, than before the surgery? Doesn't the motivation have to continue? Perhaps the LBS does motivate, when youhave gone that far? I know one thing... I have been too heavy, too long (about 8 years) and realize that soon I am prone to diabetes, sleep apnea, etc. as it runs in my family, both sides. My motivation to lose lasts about 1 week, then it fades. Could be because my husband can and does eat Desserts, or anything he desires, with no weight gain. Guess you might call that co-dependent, but I can't help it. When sweets are around, I weaken. I have not been a happy person for a long time now. This weight is depressing. I would hate to think that I would have to carry my two dogs around all day long, but my excess weight outweighs them! ...and they are BIG dogs!:help: Any information about insurance, or advice about LBS will be appreciated! Thank you! Pam :clap2: pamblundell@aol.com

Goodbye Food..hello great new life. The pre-diet is toughest the first 4 days. I am NOT saying it's a walk in the park after, either, but it's much more tolerable. I was sleeved 8/20 and with the 2 week pre-op I am down 72 pounds. I assure, this is worth it. I had my own doubts, but at 10 weeks, I am such the believer.

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}

SleevePlicationTalk Newsletter Hey, Sleevers! Summer’s over and we’re into the beautiful days of early autumn. No matter where you live, we hope you’re getting a chance to get out and enjoy the weather! Any activity you do counts toward your weight loss, health and pleasure, so make an effort to get outside and get moving. Don’t forget to take your SleevePlicationTalk.com app with you so you can read the newsletter and keep up with the boards! Here’s what you’ll find in October’s newsletter. Member Spotlight: We’re still recruiting! Sleever Challenge: Lend a Hand! Having a Healthy Autumn: A Few Tips for Parents – and Other Busy SleevePlicationTalk.com Members! Weight Loss Surgery: Not the Easy Way Out! Can’t wait to get started? Neither can we! Enjoy the newsletter and please feel free to let us know what you think! Thanks for your support. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder SleevePlicationTalk.com Member Spotlight: Still Recruiting! If you want to be in the spotlight or you want to nominate someone else, let us know in the Spotlight Forum or send Alex a private message. We’re always looking for outstanding members to highlight! Sleever Challenge: Lend a Hand! We like to challenge you to try something new or unusual in each newsletter. The Sleever Challenge is a non-competitive way to push yourself a little further and experience something new while gaining confidence. Why do we ask you to post what you did? It helps motivate others and give them ideas for their challenges! This week’s challenge is pretty simple. Before the next newsletter, we’re just asking you to help someone. It can be any kind of help, from helping an elderly neighbor take the newspaper in to volunteering to give a motivational talk at your local weight loss surgery support group meeting to making dinner for your spouse even when it’s not your turn. This challenge does more than make someone else’s life easier. It makes you value yourself more when you see how powerful you can be just by being kind to others. Don’t forget to let us know how you helped someone! What did you do? How did it make you feel? Let us know how it goes in the Sleever Challenge forum! You can always check out any of the previous Newsletter Challenges and give us updates on those. You can always see the old challenges in the archived newsletters. You’ll see challenges on food, fitness and more! It’s never too late to try something new and exciting! Make It a Healthy Autumn: A Few Tips for Parents – and Other Busy SleevePlicationTalk.com Members! Okay, we know that the autumn is a busy time of year. If you’re a parent, your children are back in school and their activities are in full swing. You may be juggling work with your chauffeuring, catering and cleaning business – aka, taking care of your family! Most of us are pretty busy even if we’re not parents. It’s easy to use not having enough time as an excuse for getting off track with your weight loss. You might eat foods that you know you shouldn’t because you feel you just can’t squeeze in the time to prepare a healthy snack. We’ve all done it. You rush out the door in the morning and are busy all day. Some of these happen along the way. You are starving by lunchtime and grab a few truffles that make you nauseous. you dumping syndrome. You go by the vending machine for a soft drink that’ll make you feel sick within minutes. You realize at the end of the day that you haven’t stopped to drink for hours, and you have a headache and your stomach hurts. You know you should be eating lean Protein, but the closest thing you can find is pepperoni from the company’s pepperoni pizza – so to be polite, you eat the entire slice and it causes an obstruction. You start to depend on Protein shakes because those are the closest thing to a healthy meal that you can find at the company cafeteria. You don’t have to let a hectic schedule get in the way of your health! What can you do about it? Here are a few tips to make the most out of every day Prepare some of your meals and Snacks at the beginning of the week. Wash your fruits and vegetables so they’re easy to prepare when you need them. Cook some your Proteins - chicken breast, fish, seafood, lean beef and/or veggie burgers – and freeze them in single-serving baggies or containers. Cook up bigger batches, put them in single-serving containers and freeze them so you can defrost them when you’re ready to eat them. This is a great option for healthy side dishes, such as whole wheat Pasta, carrots or Beans. (You don’t have to make too much, since your single portions post-surgery are pretty small). Place snacks in single-serving bags if you buy a multi-serving package Plan your Breakfast the night before so you don’t have to think about it in the morning. Take the time to make a grocery list. It’ll save you time in the end. Using a list will keep you from forgetting foods and needing to go back to the store during the week. You’ll be faster in the store because you won’t get distracted. Sticking to a list will keep you from buying foods you shouldn’t. Buy ingredients for breakfast Buy snack foods Make sure you drink enough. Stash Water bottles in your car and at work and keep them filled. It’ll encourage you to drink throughout the day and you won’t have to take the time to run to the kitchen each time you need to drink. Stick a pitcher of water in the fridge so you see it several times a day. Keep healthy snacks at work so you never find yourself starving with nothing healthy to eat. Beef Jerky and canned tuna, chicken, beans, vegetables keep for months. Frozen foods to consider keeping around include grilled chicken and fish, veggie burgers and vegetables. Yogurt, low-fat cheese, cottage cheese and deli meats are high-protein snacks to keep in the fridge for a week or more. The more you plan, the better off you’ll be. You’ll save time and be more likely to eat well. And remember – you’re worth it! We suggest picking one or two strategies and working on them until you master them, then moving on to a new tip. Let us know how helpful the tips are! That’s a lot to chew on for this newsletter, so we’re going to end it here. There’s no end to the news, tips and conversations over at SleevePlicationTalk.com, so come on over via your computer, smartphone or Kindle! You can always check out the old newsletters, too, in the Newsletter Forum. Thanks for coming along in this newsletter and for being part of our fantastic community! We couldn’t do it without you. Have a great month and take care of yourself and each other, 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}

@@Elode do you remember eating it that soon after surgery? I'm just 3 weeks out...

I just made 6 weeks today and I've been eating raw veggies for 5 days with no issues

I dont get much. After a couple of cans of Protein powder and maybe a couple of cases of Soups there's a little left for them to get stuff for the house. Thats only about 2 weeks work of food. And that's being generous. I'm cashing out the rest of the month. Sent while fleeing from naughty food.

VerticalSleeveTalk Newsletter By Hey, Sleevers!The weather’s warm, zucchini and watermelons are abundant and the Summer Games are providing inspirational moments for all of us. We hope life is good for you and you’ve been achieving your own goals this summer. To help you stay focused, here’s another newsletter from VerticalSleeveTalk.com. This is what we’ve got for you: Burning Question: What are the Best Sources of Protein? Member Spotlight: Kyllfalcon! Sleever Challenge: Record Your Diet! Life with the Sleeve: What’s Your Emergency Plan? We hope you enjoy reading the newsletter and you get inspiration and a few great ideas from it. Of course, when you’re done reading, come on over to the VerticalSleeveTalk.com board and talk about the newsletter or anything else that’s on your mind. Also remember to drop me a line any time if you have comments or suggestions for the boards. Thanks! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder liquid diet after weight loss surgery, Protein shakes and Protein powder can help you meet your needs. Fat-free milk is another good source, and it also has Calcium and Vitamin D for strong bones. In the pureed foods stage, you can add in things like canned flake chicken, extra-lean ground beef and light tuna. Tuna has an extra benefit because of its heart-healthy omega-three fatty acids. Fat-free yogurt is another great option. You always want to look for lean meats and fat-free or low-fat dairy products instead of full-fat ones. That’ll help you limit your calories and reduce saturated fat, which is unhealthy for your heart because it raises your cholesterol levels. By the time you get to the soft (semi-solid) foods and solid foods stages, you have a lot more options. Fish, crab, white-meat, skinless chicken and turkey, and egg whites are almost pure protein – plus some essential nutrients. Be very careful to avoid any bones or gristle in your fish or meat. Some vegetarian options are tofu, Beans and low-fat cheese. Melted cheddar cheese makes a delicious topping for almost anything. Always eat slowly, savor the flavors and chew your food well before swallowing. Choosing Proteins that are lowest in calories and saturated fat will help you lose weight and stay healthy. Did you miss the previous Burning Question? You can always see the earlier Burning Questions in our scale victories has been while clothes shopping. Her old size was a 3x. After surgery, she mail-ordered a 1x pair of pants, and it was too big. She exchanged it for an XL, but that didn’t work, either. She finally settled on a size large – and we bet it’ll be too big for her soon! Kyllfalcon’s also proud and relieved to say that she can still enjoy family parties while losing weight! She can share in the pizza and birthday cake, but now she’s in control and knows when enough is enough – and when the party’s over, it’s time to get back to business. Kyllfalcon’s arthritis has improved a lot, and her blood pressure is under control. Water has been a little tough, but she fixes it up with Crystal Light. She reports a pretty smooth weight loss journey so far, and we think her success is due to her positive attitude. Kyllfalcon counts VerticalSleeveTalk.com as part of her official support group, along with friends, family and coworkers. She visits each day to get and give support. Some of her tips? Keep fighting – if you fall down, “get right back up to fight another day.” She also encourages you to “see yourself thin and healthy.” Thanks, Kyllfalcon, for being such a great role model and sharing your story in our member spotlight! Each newsletter features a different VerticalSleeveTalk.com member in the sleep. You should plan your own diet and exercise so that you always know what to do. Keep a log. An Olympic athlete keeps a training log to record each day’s workout and be able to look back and see what worked and what didn’t. Keeping your own diet and exercise log keeps you on track and lets you look back to see what patterns led to success and where you could have improved your choices. Visualize success. Most successful athletes take time each day to visualize their victory. They think about running that last lap in record time and accepting their medal on the victory podium. You can think about the bikini that you’re planning to wear next summer and the proud look on your spouse’s face when you two go out to dinner in the future. How will you let out your inner Olympian? Let us all know in the member Challenge Forum! Tell us what you did and whether you think it worked for you! The challenge is completely non-competitive, but we’d love for you to share your experiences. You’ll help inspire others to chase their own dreams. Miss a challenge? No problem! Just go back to the old newsletters to see what the challenges were. It’s never to late to try something new and tell us about it on the forums. Life with the Sleeve: What’s Your Emergency Plan? It’s Sunday morning and you haven’t been able to eat or drink all night because of nausea and vomiting. Your surgeon’s office hours are from Monday through Friday. You wait miserably until first thing Monday morning, when you call your surgeon. The receptionist is horrified to hear about your ordeal and says, “Why didn’t you call yesterday? We have someone here 24/7 for emergencies!” This scenario comes up all the time on the boards, and it’s truly heartbreaking because in most cases, the suffering you feel is entirely unnecessary. You should know what number to call when you have trouble. If your surgeon didn’t give you an after-hours number, ask for one. You should never have to wait a whole day just because your emergency happens on a weekend. And with that advice, we’re done with this newsletter. You can always read it again and look through old newsletters in the Newsletter Forum. We’re always happy to hear from you and to see increased participation on the boards, so log in and get talking! Thanks for your support. Take care of yourself and each other, 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: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/index.php?app=core&module=usercp&tab=newsletter