Hi all,

I have been creeping on this site for well over 4 months now....I feel awful about that but I wasn't ready to create an account. . You all have helped me more than anyone in my life right now. However, I had sleeve surgery on 10/09 and have been very depressed since. I have read that this has been common for most of you as well, but when will this unsure feeling end? I keep thinking OMG, what have I done? My issue is not with pain of the incisions, or the surgery. My issue is that it takes me so long to get the Protein in and all the Water. I concentrate more on the water because I'm scared of getting dehydrated, but I still don't get 64 oz in...I'm lucky if I get 32 grams of protein in. My doctor says I have to do 50. ...how do you newbies do it? Also, I've been real bad with getting all my necessary Vitamins. I take it one day, but miss 2 and so on and so forth. I know it's wrong, but its like I'm in denial. I'm in my third week after surgery, and am able to get 2 tblspoons of mushy food in. I have lost a total of 30 pounds...17 before surgery and 13 after. However, I don't see it in the mirror. Is this weight loss good so far? I feel like it should be coming off faster. Will I ever be able to get some chicken and vegetables in without feeling so full? I don't even crave the bad stuff. All I want is some regular chicken or fish and some veggies. Anyway. If I can hear back from one person with some answers, I would be very grateful.

Thanks

You are doing wonderful!! You can be more than hopeful, you are right on track! I was at almost the exact same place at 3 weeks out. Are you drinking Protein shakes? I had 2 and sometimes 3 a day for the first few weeks. If you mix them with Water, then it counts for water and protein. I keep a bottle of water with me at all times. Some people use timers to remind them to drink. I've put an alarm on my phone to remind me to take Vitamins.

Don't stress! Take a deep breath! Each day will get better and easier.

I coud never get in all my Protein either. The only drawback is that you'll lose your hair. I lost a ton of hair. My hair was really thick, so it wasn't that big a deal. However, it did get me worried that it wasn't going to stop falling out. We'll, about 3 weeks ago, my hair stopped falling out. On my labs, I've had 3 blood draws since April of this year. My protein was always off; however, just last week, my protein in now in the normal range.

For your own health, I'd try to drink a shake everyday. I didn't, I now wish I would have. My friend how had WLS lost a lot of hair, even though she got in all her protein.

As far as weight loss, I don't worry about it. I didn't lose a pound for 2 months, then I lost 2 lbs over night. We are all eating so little compared to before that we are bound to continue dropping lbs.

I am just so happy now. I've lost over 50 lbs and look great!! WLS is best the decision I've ever made. Take care! God bless you!!!

Thank you so much for responding. You made me feel so much better. I've tried so many protein drinks. I tried the Isopure to kill to birds with one stone, but I get this weird film in my mouth. I will keep trying it though. The past few days I've managed to drink most of this one called oh yeah! Bananas & cream flavor. It has 32 grams of protein but it takes me all day! So I freak out! Because I still have more to take in. I will try the timer for my water intake...good idea, thank you. Everyone keeps telling me I'm going to lose my hair, if I don't do better with the protein. I'm so glad I joined. I have been crying all night.

I hope that you get to feel better....soon..... who did your procedure ? I was thinking about going to Mexico however, I will take a medical loan and do it in the USA.... not sure with whom yet ......R

Don't cry! It will get easier. Finding the right Protein is the key. Pure Protein has ready to drink boxes that remind me of choc milk. Have you tried the Isopure Clear liquids? 40g in a bottle. Pretty sweet so you may want to dilute a bit (and then you'll be drinking Water too).

Hanging in there!

The Isopure 40 grams is the filmy one....but you are right, I will try to dilute it. I will go to Costco and see about the other one. Thank you all so much. Honest to god, I was going nutty tonight. I'm in VA, my doctor is part of Bluepoint Surgical.

You know the Protein drinks counts toward your daily liquid total. It doesn't just have to be Water.

Do you only get the filmy taste in your mouth with that one drink? If not, it is most likely that you are in ketosis.....which is a good thing....it means your body is burning fat.

You are doing great...when I was 6 weeks it still took me almost 2 hrs to drink one 11 oz Protein shake. I love the RTD Premier chocolate shakes (30 g protein) from costco.

Just keep at it....everyday gets a little easier!!!! You are doing great!!!!

Hi all,

I have been creeping on this site for well over 4 months now....I feel awful about that but I wasn't ready to create an account. . You all have helped me more than anyone in my life right now. However, I had sleeve surgery on 10/09 and have been very depressed since. I have read that this has been common for most of you as well, but when will this unsure feeling end? I keep thinking OMG, what have I done? My issue is not with pain of the incisions, or the surgery. My issue is that it takes me so long to get the Protein in and all the Water. I concentrate more on the water because I'm scared of getting dehydrated, but I still don't get 64 oz in...I'm lucky if I get 32 grams of protein in. My doctor says I have to do 50. ...how do you newbies do it? Also, I've been real bad with getting all my necessary Vitamins. I take it one day, but miss 2 and so on and so forth. I know it's wrong, but its like I'm in denial. I'm in my third week after surgery, and am able to get 2 tblspoons of mushy food in. I have lost a total of 30 pounds...17 before surgery and 13 after. However, I don't see it in the mirror. Is this weight loss good so far? I feel like it should be coming off faster. Will I ever be able to get some chicken and vegetables in without feeling so full? I don't even crave the bad stuff. All I want is some regular chicken or fish and some veggies. Anyway. If I can hear back from one person with some answers, I would be very grateful.

Thanks

I had surgery on October 1st...I am not going to lie, It has been rough! I try to get all my protein, vitamins, and water in too, like u said, its soooo hard and it takes so much time to accomplish one task. I keep thinking to myself, " how in the heck am I going to be able to do this when I go back to work?" Its a job in itself. I want to each a whole meal so bad!! I can only get 2 to 3 bites of real food in and I am pretty much done. I get annoyed and just throw the rest of my plate in the trash. Clean plate sysndrome . Today, I realized that this is how my stomach works right now. Its permament! It is up to me to adjust. I hold myself accountable and try not repeat the mistakes I have made. My main problem is wanting everything to be perfect, but I have to remind myself that it doesnt have to be perfect ...I dont get all my protein in, ok, tommorrow is a new day, I will start again and again, getting better and better with each day. Its a process. In the past I never planned my meals or religiously took vitamins like this. We are learning our bodies all over again. As for weight loss, since surgery I have only loss 18lbs. My mother calls me everyday and ask me, "how much have you loss?" Its annoying...but, like alot of people have said STAY OFF THE scale. It will drive u crazy.

Please join in the conversations and get all the information you need from this forum and several other oppurtunites out there. There are weightloss support groups, counseling services, and I personally love youtube, made a few vlogs myself to just tell my story. Make your experience your own!

Sounds to me like you are doing just fine.

I found that the stage you are at was very difficult. I didnt have regrets, BUT it seemed like "eating" became the center of the universe and yet I could hardly eat! For me, I started feeling more human at about 6 weeks out... by 8 weeks out I felt like i was starting to really get the hang of it. By 3 months out, I felt GREAT. I just want to give you hope that this is temporary and you will reach a much more comfortable point before too long.

So, I worked closely with a NUT as well as the surgeon and I got lots of great small tips.

- I could not stand the taste of Water. Herbal tea because a real life saver as I could drink it slightly warm so it seemed to settle in the stomach easily and it tasted good. I add a little bit of stevia to sweeten. This set in my stomache even better then crystal light. I can drink plain water now, but i still drink herbal tea!

- Like others have said, fluids are more important than anything. The first week post op I used a shotglass and basically had goals for how often I needed to finish the shot glass. By 3 weeks out I was using a cup, but doing something similiar - setting timing goals for finishing. Making sure i took a sip every X number of minutes type thing.

- I too used the Protein drink from costco - the chocolate. I think each carton has 30g protein and is about 11 ounces, something like that. Anyway, consuming 2 of them I think I counted as 3 cups of Fluid.

- Vitamins are a longer term type issue compared to water which is so critical to get in daily. I think we all respond differently to the stress of the surgery, but i was a perfectionist about vitamins and all that. It was probably an expression of my fear of failure. I wonder if your being inconsistent with them already is attributable to your mixed feelings about having done this surgery?

- Depression or at least the blues is pretty normal. You describe it as a feeling of uncertainty, I felt it as a little bit of an emptiness. It followed a similiar path as my physical recovery I already mentioned, better at 6 weeks and doing great at 3 months.

- I was given some rough guidelines round expected weight loss. It is based more on percentage of excess weight lost. It is hard to compare raw numbers because a person with 200 pounds to lose is going to lose alot more in the first month then someone with 50 pounds to lose. What you report sounds pretty on track to me though.

Keep posting - ask your questions as they come up thats what this forum is for! Hang in there and i know you will be feeling better soon.

Hi! I am also starting week 3 post-op. Yaaaaa! Puree stage starts Thursday! That's if I can get it down! Yesterday was the first time I could get 8 oz. of Greek yogurt down. Protein problem-I've posted my successful "tool" on many threads because, for me, it's saving the day...use unflavored protein (I order mine from "Unjury" on line.) mixed with any flavor of Crystal Lite. 1 scoop has 21 grams if protein. I fill a Rubbermade water bottle (32 oz. Bottle)1/2 way with ice. Add Crystal lite mixed with protein (mixed well in a shaker cup with cold water). Fill bottle to top with water drink away! 2 of these a day gives me 41 grams of protein plus 64 oz. of water. Water req. met and 1/2 of protein req. met and that's only my between meal "snack"! Hope this helps! By the way, I've lost 15.5 since surgery, 23 on pre-op, total 38.5 lbs.!!! 

If you can't stomach Protein shakes, then try something else! There are other ways to get protein in -- cottage cheese, yogurt, tuna, etc. I never used a Protein shake at all. And try different liquids till you find one that goes down well, cold, hot, lukewarm, flavored or not, etc. Whatever it takes! The first few weeks are often very difficult, but then it gets sooo easy. Hang in there!!

Also -- you're right to focus on liquids rather than protein, the former is more important. And it makes not one whit of difference whether you get protein in as to whether your hair falls out. It's nothing to do with protein, some people just lose hair from the surgery, anaethesia and rapid weight loss...others don't. There's no predicting it or controlling it. So buckle up and ride the sleeve wave -- it's fun!!

I was sleeved on 9/25 and still having a problem getting all the food in. I usually get in between 40 and 60 grams of water. But question- I hate protein shakes but I o like the isopure - is that as good as a shake? I think the shakes would fill you up more but I always feel like the 40 grams of protein in isopure is not the same as in a shake.

Hopeful, It sounds to me like you're doing well! I'd say great, in fact.

Alljoy, So long as the Protein source is whey or whey isolate in both, either isopure or a shake is a good alternative protein source. The best, of course, is to get your protein from food. Are you back on soft solids yet? If so, try adding in a little cottage cheese, or a mini babybel light, a little tuna mixed with some mayo or ricotta cheese, anything that's soft and a good source of protein.

I hope you're getting 40 to 60 OUNCES of Water, which is what I think you meant. You should really work to meet the 64 ounces of water goal daily. Water helps to flush toxins and fat out of our bodies. However, this early post-op, 40-60 ounces of water is really good...just keep working at it.

Both of you are doing great and Good Luck!!

Hi! I am also starting week 3 post-op. Yaaaaa! Puree stage starts Thursday! That's if I can get it down! Yesterday was the first time I could get 8 oz. of Greek yogurt down. Protein problem-I've posted my successful "tool" on many threads because' date=' for me, it's saving the day...use unflavored protein (I order mine from "Unjury" on line.) mixed with any flavor of Crystal Lite. 1 scoop has 21 grams if protein. I fill a Rubbermade Water bottle (32 oz. Bottle)1/2 way with ice. Add Crystal lite mixed with protein (mixed well in a shaker cup with cold water). Fill bottle to top with water drink away! 2 of these a day gives me 41 grams of protein plus 64 oz. of water. Water req. met and 1/2 of protein req. met and that's only my between meal "snack"! Hope this helps! By the way, I've lost 15.5 since surgery, 23 on pre-op, total 38.5 lbs.!!! [/quote']

Yesterday was my first full day home from hospital 10/23 surgery. I only managed to get in about 30 oz of crystal lite (actually the 4c brand I like better still surgar free). I broke down crying scared thinking if it everyday is like this I'm going back to hospital for dehydration. And NO protein either. I just don't know how to get that much in. Hopefully, i am thinking each day will get a little easier. I am going to order the unflavored protein and try that.

Hang in there - you'll reflect back on this difficult time and realize that you did everything you were supposed to and made it through. It is a scary, depressing, exciting, difficult, happy time and you'll make it through. The recovery is weird because it is sooooo different than what we're used to. JUST DO YOUR BEST. You know what you need to do, so just stay on course. Remember that the "rules" are ideals. If you work toward those protein/fluid totals, you'll be doing the right thing. I had a really hard time with the amounts of things and never felt like I got enough protein/fluid in. I didn't drink even one - literally not one (absolutely couldn't tolerate them) - protein drink and I'm doing great. You'll find what works for you. Just keep sipping those liquids and take comfort in the progress you are making each and every day. I'm nine months out and feel "normal" in my new body. I can say that I feel like I've totally adjusted to this new way of life/eating/drinking. I look back on the first month and realize that it was really tough and quite emotional. But now things are moving along smoothly and I am so happy I did this.