meggiep

OMG Kelly I just noticed you are almost in Onederland!!! WOW!

You must have gotten switched to soft foods or something else when I wasn't looking! Flatbread? Are you sure about eating that right now? I do not want to be a nay sayer, especially for my RV Gurl but I think you should be careful- bread products swell and are not usually added until much later (with my doctor never really advised) and you are not even a month quite yet. Is it on your food list? I am on mushies until 6 weeks to make sure everything is healed and I want my girl Michelle to be aok! Be careful!

For the second 3 weeks, i.e. 3-6 weeks I am supposed to have 1/4 cup three times a day, plus Protein drinks between if needed. I can divide it- i.e. 2 T pureed chicken, 1 T pureed green Beans 1T pureed fruit, etc. or have all 4 be the same thing. I don't really need to be told that because right now I cannot fit more anyway. I wonder if this is where bougie size come in? i.e. mine used a 34, do you know what yours used? Honestly I wish I had a little more leeway! I don;t mind eating the 1/4 cup because I am not hungry- but I have thrown up once after eating one bit too much of the same one scrambled egg plus melted cheddar I have EVERY day , whereas if I had a little more space.... Maybe I am still swollen. So Michelle you are on soft foods already? Actually- I don' think the tortilla is allowed until full foods- and it is high carbs (relatively) so my only advice would be to ditch it and eat the filling. Bread products are no where on my list until 6 or 8 weeks when I start regular foods and even then they recommend no. The on e thing I really can stress no matter how much you can eat is to do the carb thing. That will keep you in the right direction no matter what.

Wow! All at once? I can barely eat one egg! I am jealous ... Fat secret let's you customize what to show so I select net carbs and fiber and let it calculate.

For all of you- I have a thread for comparing people who did pre op liquids, etc. and people who did not do pre-op and so far it definitely looks like those who do a structured pre-op lost more slowly coming out of the surgery.

Isn;t it interesting ? It explains so much! Tonight I was reading about ketosis- and if you do that, and then connect it to this article then so much makes sense about why we count carbs, why we need the Water, why the high Protein. It's a lot to do with the glycogen! It gave me a lot of strength to do what is required!

So far it does look like the pre-op diets cause the post-op to be a bit slower- which makes sense! That is why I really think of April 25th, my first day of liquids pre-op, as my start date, Keep the data coming!...

Well I wrote a long long post and my computer froze. I'll try to reconstruct it! Many on here who have done really well limit it to 30 grams. My doctor says 40 net carbs- which is carbs minus Fiber, and I plan to try that as that makes sense to me! (Gives better carb value to, say an apple, than a cracker) Yep Michelle- there are LOTS of carbs in things! But that's where meat, cheese, eggs and such come in- high Protein and low carbs! Hence the protein first rule accomplishes so much… I don't count fat, and many here do not as we need some fat and let's face it- the restriction usually keeps that from going out of sight. It IS hard- definitely! Yogurt, for example, has LOTS of carbs- Greek yogurt is better and that is why many use it here. I just know that the people who have the best results do count them- and I just look at as investing the time, just as I did on any diet in the past- except this time I know it is really going to work, and with my little thumby will help me keep it off. We have a 6 month or so honeymoon period for optimum losing and I will make the best of it as our capacity increases later and it will get harder. I use Fat Secret dot com for logging my food- it lets you select which things you want to show in your nutrition data- I have it show calories, carbs, fiber, net carbs, and fat. Logging is the key- estimating never works too well and you get a nasty shock when you find out what you really ate :-P I like FS because you can add in the nutritional data of anything you want to add- I have added quite a few of the Protein drinks including that GNC one you like. I also use spark people to enter the components of a recipe to find out the carbs of everything. I was able to get Eggface's info that way. To help you see how protein helps you keep the carbs low- Today for me morning Protein Drink with decaf and 1/2 cup milk 49 grams protein 3 hrs later scrambled egg, 1T grated cheddar 9 grams 3 hrs later 1/4 cup cottage cheese 8 grams evening 1/6th eggface ricotta bake 11.5 grams For a total of 77.5 grams portein! And get this- 15 carbs- 13 net carbs. I drank all my Water, I walked an hour- I am good to go! And if I really want a treat later (we stay upp verrrrry late) I can have a sugar free popsicle (Dreyers are nummy!) for 6 grams of carbs oor a Jello sugar free pussing cup for 12. Still under 30. It is a diet, no way to see it as anything else- but it is one that we know will work because the chemistry of it is logical- and because we have teeny tiny stomachs! Better still, we will have help from those teeny tinys keeping it off. For me, counting cars is worth it to maximize the loss when the losing is at its best. I know it will be harder to keep the carbs low when I add more and varied foods but I am committed to this because the people I see having the bestest results have done it. Just keep doing protein first , veggies and fruit second, and the other stuff third and keep logging and you will get the hang of it! The thing is- right now you are probably losing a lot just due to low calories- but I firmly believe from everything I have learned that the way to keep that going, and to keep it burning FAT instead of muscle- is to count carbs. I also think the high protein/low carb thing, which sends your body into a state of ketosis- is the reason people fit into a smaller size than they used to at a specfic weight- because fat is burning, not muscle. Whew- that was a lot of typing! For YOU, dear Michelle...and Kelly, and anyone else who is wondering about the dread carbs!

I KNEW you would feel better if you ate more! And your body might not go into shut down mode either- which is always a danger eating so little. As for feeling like eating- I NEVER do. I have no hunger and I just schedule it in because I know I need to and because I am loathe to drink two shakes a day. I still have not ventured ut from my egg and cottage cheese and ricotta bake but I am going to make Eggfaces cauliflower cheese also, and try some tuna or chicken salad. I can't have things like a pices of turkey lunch meat until soft foods. Anyway- WOO HOO!!!! Try to get 600-800 calories- if you get your Protein, count your carbs, and drink your Water you are on your way!

I will be four weeks out on Monday. I was in a bit of shock after surgery only because no matter how much research you do before- and I was an encyclopedia!) your body had no idea what you were about to do! I was shocked I could not swallow- and for the first few days things were tough. Things turned around on day five. Honestly I don' quite feel like my old self yet- and perhaps never will as my old self never had to be so focused on drinking fluids and getting portein or counting carbs. However my energy is much better since starting mushies at 3 weeks as I am getting real food now! I am self employed- we are wedding photographers, so much of my work is from home. I had to hire a replacement for one of our weddings as my weight limit for lifting is 4 pounds unti next week. I have to say I am glad to be home during this recovery period- I also think I probably needed a but longer to recover than the usual person might due to fibromyalgia. I do honestly think three weeks is great if you can get it though many people return to work sooner- and you are 20 years younger than me so that is also a factor! ;-P I have you tubes from before surgery through day of to now- the link is in my signature. I suggest going to surgery day and then watching those to now to see the unvarnished truth- highs and lows. I feel better and better every day and I know once I am eating regular food I will come to day I forget I even have a sleeve- and I will tell you one thing- this is the best thing I ever did and I wish I did it at your age!

I am bumping this because I think it is a really interesting thing to compare- given the people who get upset about the stalls- I would love to see if pre-op diet plays a part.

I hear you! I never realized I would be learning to eat all over again. I told my husband they really ought to consider the first 6-8 weeks the recovery period since it seems like you are working from morning on to try to get all your Protein, Water, etc. and it is taxing! I am never hungry, and that is indeed what I wanted but then you do have to think about protein and getting more from food and less from the gawd awful drinks. I am looking forward to th day when I am eating regular food for my protein, fluids go down "fluidly", and I can NOT think about this sleeve! Just for an hour!

Is Unjury 20 grams a scoop? WOW! I have some arriving Monday - have always used the packets before and they are 21 a packet so I assumed it was 10 a scoop. That's great!

Many people re-start their weight loss by upping their calories. When you go that low for so long your body is bound to go into starvation mode, and hold on to every single thing. The principle of the plan that it seems most successful losers on this forum follow is to eat high protein to protect your muscles from being burned, and eat low carbs to force you body into ketosis- where fat is burned. The water is needed for washing out the byproducts of the fat burning. Exercise keeps it all humming. I have never seen is prescribed to eat 500 calories a day. What program is that? In reading that I seriously can see why you have lost so slowly- it does not seem chemically like it would work that well.

Cosmic! Truly.... I don;t suppose his middle name is John? That would be too much! We photographed a wedding once where the groom ws Michael John and so was his son and his father- they had my Michael John do a photo with them- the four Michael Johns. I am trying to figure out why suddenly after all these years, I have such a plethora of Megs around me! My Mom was Margaret too but she was Peg and I Meg. So we are a subset of the Meg's with sleeves (after you get yours) - Meggie's with sleeves and husbands named Michael!

I have heard that...but I also doubt most people take a long time to drink their protein! Mine in the morning has 45 but I spend two hours for sure drinking it too so I don't know what to think.

I have always been a slow slow loser but sadly you do take the prize! I know you know all these things but I just want to be sure you are drinking all your Water, counting carbs, and getting all the Protein. Are you logging your food? Sometimes it is eye opening. I only say this because I want you to have the results of your dreams, not because I am jumping to the conclusion that you are doing the wrong thing!

Not being able to lift my dog for a month! He just does not understand. I will be honest- the process of introducing food a little at a time, is difficult for me (I am in the midst of it now) as I just do not yet know the limits of my scale or how to approach my food choices and somehow incorporate vegetables and fruit. Neither of these things outweigh my joy at having the sleeve and being 34 pounds lighter after two weeks of preop and three weeks with the sleeve.

My husband and I busted out laughing as I read him about the appetizer! Well there are three of us so far on the Peninsula/South Bay. I am eating either a medium egg with a T of grated cheddar on it, 1/4 cup of cottage cheese, or 1/6th of the Eggface ricotta bake recipe- which is 1/4 cup. I guess that is 2 ounces. I don;t find it takes a long time though, as long as I make sure I am "empty"- that is really what I would call it as hunger does not enter in to it but I do need to wait at least two hours after my one Protein Drink of the day to have my egg, and then go for a walk and wait at least two to three hours before the next small meal. Otherwise I just can't eat as much. I need to calculate this stuff because I simply am never hungry. I make sure my morning protein drink is 45 grams- 3 scoops of a 15 gram/scoop powder. I make it will milk and that brings it to 47. So with that Protein drink 47 grams egg plus cheese 9 grams 1/4 c cottage cheese 8 grams Eggface ricotta 11 grams voila 75 gramss! I figure once I am really able to eat dense Proteins and more foods I may be able to say bye bye to the drinks, or at least substitute an unjury chicken Soup , which I find so much more palatable!

I can definitely go there but I prefer July 9th as my birthday is on June 25th and we have plans. I will also say we have a couple considering our photography services for 7/9 but I doubt if they book us they are major price shoppers.

I will be a month on Monday but so far have lost 16 pounds post op. I also lost 18 pounds on my pre-op liquid diet. I started a thread in post-op asking about pre-op vs. no pre-op diet and how it affects post-op weight loss. I had my first stall at 2 weeks but when I think about it I had lost 30 pounds at that point in four weeks! Of course my body was in shock. I actually consider my 2 weeks of liquids as my start date.

I can't tell you how reassuring it is to know you stalled at two weeks , knowing your ultimate great results!

I HATE Megan too! ;-P My husband is Michael and he hates being called Mike- we both are constantly called Megan and Mike. Who would assume Meg is from Megan? You would have laughed in my Water class tonight- three people left early leaving five in the class and three of us were Megs. We joked that if we had to vote about anything the Megs could band together and out vote the non- Megs. Because of the confusion we all have a different name- the original teacher I met is Mean Meg only because of the times she kicks our butts, I am Meggie because many friends and family call me that, and the third is Megalita. You and I and Meg from NOLA who is on here can have a special subset- Megs with sleeves! Megs rule

Thanks so much for the book titles! One thing I want to ask is what you are allowed right now? My first week I was on Clear liquids plus Protein drinks and though I got my 80 grams of protein faithfully I was only getting about 3 carbs a day and I was so wiped out I could barely speak! My nutritionist said I should be on THIN liquids- and as soon as I added Soup thinned with milk, yogurt thinned with milk, etc. and raised my carbs up to 40 or so my energy level got much better! This week, three weeks for me, I have added pureed food and feel human for the first time- have been able to start working out, etc. Also make sure yo are getting your fluids- it is easy to get dehydrated and that will also wipe you out. Good luck!!!

Hi Eddie, I really sympathize! I agree you may need fluids by IV at this point- it is ultra easy to get dehydrated after surgery. Once that is addressed: Keep trying to find a Protein powder that works! After my surgery May 9th most of the powders I formerly liked were disgusting to me. I found one chocolate on ethat has 15 grams per scoop and I mix three scoops with 8 ounces of decaf, 4 ounces of milk, ice, and a splash of vanilla or Starbucks sugar free caramel syrup. Keep looking! Got to GNC- they sometimes have samples- lots of people have reported liking the Wheybolic Extreme 60 and it can give you 40 grams in two scoops. You need a foundation of protein to keep your body from consuming muscle. I set my phone alarm to go off every 12-15 minutes. If I don't have that reminder I fall way behind in my fluids. I also keep several different kinds of Fluid at hand- decaf tea, propel, Water... I agree with the fact water can be the hardest to get down so having other sugar free stuff around is important. Eddie it will get easier. You do need to spend a lot of time and energy getting your fluid and protein habits in place right now, plus slowly introducing food. Just know in a couple of months you will actually come to a day (and I need to believe it too!) when you wont even think about your sleeve every day. Good luck to you!