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Hi My name is Jen. I also have not yet had my surgery. The guesstimated time-frame is somewhere the end of August or the beginning of September. I would love to make some new friends here and get some ideas on what to expect. I have the stacks and piles of paperwork, goals sheets etc, but I was hoping to get some hints and tips, maybe even some sample menus for all of the post-op phases from real people and not "page 12 of the handbook". Thank you in advance!
 
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Grammie-Welcome to the forum and congratulations on making the decision to have WLS. After surgery you may find yourself not liking foods that you used to enjoy before surgery so it might be a good idea to wait until after surgery to plan your meals. Since you will be eating very little it's best to keep your menu simple, at least in the early stages after surgery. For example, when I was in phase 2 and 3 it would only take 2 or 3 spoonfuls of cottage cheese to make me full. This being said, I wasn't making meals that required any preparation other than opening the fridge and taking out the cottage cheese. In fact, after I was off the liquid part of the meal plan and went to phase 2 and 3 I lived on cottage cheese, regular cheese, yogurt, sugar free pudding and popsicles, cream of wheat, plain grits and plain oatmeal with sweetener, soup, custard and instant mashed potatos.

There are a few recipes on this forum that might appeal to you later on. I posted some of them and I highly recommend the Greek spinach pie. I make this every 2 or 3 weeks. Good luck and make sure you come back to the forum to let us know how you are doing :)
 
hi ProudGrammie Jen
WELCOME
I too haven't had my surgery yet, started this process in Jan and have did all my test and saw surgeon In early May and still haven't got my surgery date, but I am not giving up hope, for it will happen
this site has been so helpful for me to be able to meet others who've already had there surgery get advice and receipes too and alot of helpful hints too, so check in often you'll get to know everyone and find out answers to all your questions. you've lost already what diet plan did you use? trying to get pounds off before surgery .
Donna
 
Hi Grammie, Welcome. My favorites were eggs w/cheese, yogurt, refried beans or cottage cheese. Pat is right though dont get ahead of your self, the post op meal plan is pretty minimal and doesn't take much prep time. I founs what helped me was to start tring ptotien shakes, don't overstock on these either because they may taste different post op. I found that I still like the protien shakes or protien bars as a meal replacement on most days, somitmes more than once a day. Just follow the plans that the doctors have laid out for you and make sure to write down any questions you have for the doctors so you don't forget to ask during your visits. :cool: Tom
 
Thank you Pat99, I appreciate your reply and helpful suggestions. It prompts another question tho... WHY do things taste different after the surgery? I gave it some thought before I asked in case it was an obvious answer that I was failing to see, but I just cant find it haha. Why would your taste buds be affected?
 
Hello Bigtallsis Donna. Thank you so much for the welcome! My insurance requirements included 6 months of meetings with a dietician and a 5% (for me that totaled 15lbs) weight loss before the surgery. My dietician put me on the "Plate Method", which is 3 meals per day, 4-5 hrs apart consisting of 1/2 cup protein, 1/2 starch and 1-1.5 cups non-starch variety vegetables with one of those meals I am able to have 1/2 cup fruit in place of the vegetables if I wish, plus I could have ONE 1oz protein snack per day, and all the sugar free jello or Popsicle I want. As of this morning I have officially lost the whole 15lbs and now just have to keep it off until surgery day. So have you no idea at all about when you might get a date set? I hope it doesn't drag out to long for you, Jen
 
Hi Tom, thanks for the greeting. So you started the shakes and bars BEFORE your surgery? Was this just for the sake of trying the flavors? What are your favorite brands and flavors and is there someplace where you can get a good deal?
 
I have been eating proien bars for years as quick energy at work when I didn't have time for a meal. I started trying out shakes after my first visit with the nutritionist when they explained the pre and post op requirements set out for all RnY patients at So. Oregon Bariatric Center, I was on a liquid diet one week prior to surgery but some are on it longer depending on the liver size and pre op weight requirements or insurance requirements.

My favorit shake mix now is Chocorite it comes in several flavors, I also like EAS, it comes in poder mix or a premixed drink, if I am traveling I like to get those, most grocery stores and drugstores carry it. Others swear by Unjury protien powder, I havent tried it yet, guess I am happy with what works for now:rolleyes: I have had some shakes that just had a bad aftertaste, but some people like them so I wont say which they are because things taste different to everyone after WLS, not sure why but I suspect because we become real sensative to flavors when we have to chew evrything up really well, but some of us can't stand sweets anymor, I have never been into sweets since I was a little boy:eek: so I haven't noticed much of a change but really surgary stuff makes me sick. :cool: Tom
 
Thank you Pat99, I appreciate your reply and helpful suggestions. It prompts another question tho... WHY do things taste different after the surgery? I gave it some thought before I asked in case it was an obvious answer that I was failing to see, but I just cant find it haha. Why would your taste buds be affected?

I'm guessing but it could be due to the pre-op liquid diet, post-op liquid diet and the phasing in of foods. I think part of tasting has a lot to do with memory and acquired taste so we are "learning" all over again.
 
Welcome to the forum, Jen. you are ahead of me in that I am still getting all my tests and pre-op requirements done, but I hope to have surgery by the end of this year. They told me to start trying protein shakes, so I have bought a few kinds and I'm making notes on how they taste and how they sit on my stomach. I'm a Sam's bulk food buyer, so I don't want to forget and buy a case of something I don't like.
I wish you well and hope you get a date soon.
 
Welcome. I am a little OCD and was prepared with all my protein, supplements etc. Because of other dieatary restrictions I am limited to flavors I can eat. Well needless to say after surgery when I tried the shake all the artifical stuff in it made me sick. I now do unjury unflavored with fat free milk. It works so much better for me. I think that sometimes you just have to wait and see. I had been eating non flavored fat free fage yogart and about a week ago I was finding it hard to get down after 3 weeks with no problem. I am now able to get down most of it. Since you are having bypass your diet might be totally different since I had the sleeve. Go through the process you are at now the rest will come and you will have the support of a nutritionist to help. Best of luck to you.
 
Hi everyone. I'm new too. Finally got my insurance approval after 7 months of jumping thru the hoops and my surgery is scheduled for Aug. 13th. Getting myself psyched to start my liver shrinking pre-surgery diet. Been reading a book called "Eat It Up!", by Connie Stapleton, Ph.D. I'm finding it very helpful as it talks about how I need to deal with the root issues of obesity if I want long term, forever success from my bypass surgery. Thanks for letting me post and I hope to come back frequently through this process.
 
Hi Jen, welcome to the forum. I am 2 weeks since surgery, taking things one day at a time....There isn't too much that I can have yet. I do cottage cheese, but only a few spoonfuls a day, just enough for me to mix meds into. I am able to drink protein, I order from New Life bariatrics, I get the chocolate, cappuccino, pineapple-orange, and kiwi-strawberry. I also like the EAS those are pretty good. I'm still not getting the protein they want me to drink, but I am doing the best I can. I am just starting to experiment with soft foods, mashed potatoes (not too thick) and liquid yogurts, I will try grits and cream of wheat next week...don't want to rush it.
 
Hi TammyLynn, Welcome. It sounds like you have a good handle on what you need to do to stay on track, I wish I would have been as insitefull, but live and learn. If you start getting a rollercoaster of mixed emotions please come back and ask how we dealt with them, it has been a wonderful journey for me and the WLS is just the begining, healthy choices and better eating habits will come more easily on that first year so that will be the time to re-train the brain on what is good and what is not. Congratulations on your descision. :cool: Tom
 
Tammy-Congratulations on getting your surgery date!!! I know you must be excited and probably feeling a bit anxious too. You will be feeling a mixed bag of emotions the closer you get to the big day, this is all normal stuff.

I see you live in Alaska. I visited there on a cruise a few years back, it was the best vacation I ever had. I saw a moose taking a casual stroll next to the road at one of the ports we stopped at. How often can one say they experienced that? It was a fun time for sure and I hope some day I can do it again.

Make sure you come back to the forum often and let us know how you are doing.
 
Welcome I too am pre-surgery and have tried some protein shakes and bars I like Muscle Milk shakes and Bars and Premier Shakes from Walmart/Samsclub . The waiting is the hardest part for me so far I have lost 28 lbs since May by eating 1200 calories per day. There is an very helpful app called myfitnesspa.com that lets you track your calories, fat, protein, fiber, sugar, etc.. If you havent already you need to stop caffiene as it slows down the healing process and also carbonated drinks they can stretch your pouch after surgery and your stomach before. Check back anytime you have a question there are no stupid questions we learn by asking and there is a lot of knowledge on this site. Sandra
 
Hi proudgrammie jen

i am thrilled to say..............my long wait is paying off , just found out i get my surgery 9-19-12 i am so thrilled and excited, this phone call has definetly lifted my spirits and also put a fire in my system to make sure i have strengthen my body like dr said and lost more weight too, been a long wait but so glad it's only 9 weeks and few days away. I am gonna try your diet plan and see if that works for me too. Diabetic here and lots of other health issues, when i was younger pounds came off so much easier now at almost 56 seems like need to do a marathon to get weight loss results but i won't give up now too close to my time.
Hope things are still going well for you too.
Donna (bigtallsis)
 
Donna-Congratulations on finally getting your surgery date, I know you are thrilled!!! The time will pass very quick and before you know it the big day will be here. You mentioned you were going to try a diet plan before surgery. Just make sure you get adequate nutrition so you are strong for your surgery. You should probably speak to the nutritionist and ask for assistance with a pre-surgical diet to make sure you are getting what you need. Good luck and make sure you continue to visit the forum :) :) :)
 
Hi proudgrammie jen

i am thrilled to say..............my long wait is paying off , just found out i get my surgery 9-19-12 i am so thrilled and excited, this phone call has definetly lifted my spirits and also put a fire in my system to make sure i have strengthen my body like dr said and lost more weight too, been a long wait but so glad it's only 9 weeks and few days away. I am gonna try your diet plan and see if that works for me too. Diabetic here and lots of other health issues, when i was younger pounds came off so much easier now at almost 56 seems like need to do a marathon to get weight loss results but i won't give up now too close to my time.
Hope things are still going well for you too.
Donna (bigtallsis)

DONNA! How absolutely marvelous! I cant wait for you haha. I really like the diet plan my dietician has me on. its not fast working obviously... ive just now lost the whole 15 lbs and it has been almost 5 months. but there approach here was to take it off slow and and comfortable and when I arrived at surgery day i would be healthy and strong rather than weak and famished from a liquid diet... now all i have to do is a 3 day liquid just before surgery. i am super impressed with the program here. Good luck girl friend and i cant wait to hear more!
 
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