Tracy46545

everyone says "take measurements", well I forgot to...and when I'm having "scale misery" I sure wish I had!

Coopersmama, If you can't find Pork Rinds at the regular store in your area, try a hispanic grocery store. They are called Chicharrones in hispanic stores. However, you can go to customer service at most groceries and they will have them on the next truck.

I agree with Tiff here. There are ALOT of good sources of Protein that taste a ton better than protein shakes! The problem is that some people don't like to cook so it's easier to swallow a Protein shake. Try any of the following for great proteins: fish eggs cottage cheese greek yogurt chicken pork beef bison turkey venison lamb or goat if you're into that cheese (watch the fat) shellfish like shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, oysters, mussels The varieties are endless. Promise yourself that you won't eat boring food!

Millie, I'm so glad you got to share pizza Night with the exact same flavors and none of the guilt! Tracy

I just had 7 pork rinds with melted cheese and a 1/4 tsp of corn salsa on each one. Great idea Stacie! Thank you!

Twinings Peach Tea with heavy cream in it. Less than 1 carb :001_smile:

Ishary, I'm 9 weeks out (I think). I started using them last week, but I think it could have been sooner. If you chew them well they really break down fairly easily. I'm going to try them hot with cinnamon and splenda next. :001_smile: sort of like a churro!

MidwestGirl, you're putting the time in to research and make good healthy choices. Shrimp is a great source of protein...take it easy on the sauce as most is made with tons of cornstarch (high carb). Now just go and enjoy your great choices!

Living in a healthy weight for your expected lifespan would probably outweigh any "con" factors otherwise. People with the longest longevity are lean people. If you can achieve "leanness" without doing surgery, by all means do it. But if you cannot reliably keep the weight off, you're better off doing something about it while you're young so that you can enjoy the rest of your life. Just my humble opinion. I sure wish I'd done it when I was 28 instead of waiting until I was 49.

Cwalck, Best wishes for a really speedy recovery. I bet you can reschedule just a couple weeks later if you explain the situation. You might have to work at the breathing exercises a bit more (like we all should!) but you've got a good six weeks from now to get that rib healing. Increase your protien intake NOW to speed healing. It truly does help. You'll be on track soon, just a short delay.

I'm almost always satisfied with the tiny portion I eat unless I make a bad food choice. If I stick to the rules and eat protein first, then a bite or two of veggie and little or no carbs, I'm fine. However, if I cheat and eat the carbs first..or in a higher proportion, I get hungry again within a couple hours.

Hey Laura, Good for you getting that band out! Yep.. most those symptoms will be the same. When I eat a couple teaspoons too much I feel horrid. I measure stuff out, usually 1/2 a suggested portion and work my way up from there. The best thing for me to learn is that if I'm satisfied with a small amount, but still crave more, I can have more later. This past week I was craving spaghetti. I made my favorite sauce and put it over spaghetti squash. I ate a measured portion each night....but I ate it four nights in a row. (until the craving was satisfied). As for Water, right now I can take 3 swallows at a time, if I try for 4 I feel like I can't get it down. Warm liquids go down easier for me these days, maybe because it's bitterly cold up here and I shiver everytime I think of choking down another cold Protein shake!. You're gonna do great....getting back to basics is a good thing..I had to do it after my revision so I understand what you're going through. Best wishes,

KeysPirate, Although my surgeons post op diet plan says not to add salad until 16 (LONG) weeks after surgery, I contacted his office and asked if I could earlier. They emailed me back and said if I'm tolerating most foods and not having any vomiting (I'm 9 weeks out) that I could go ahead and add in salad if I wanted to. However, to still avoid things like carrots, celery and other really hard veggies in their raw state. They also said I could try corn (I've been craving corn chowder) but to take it slow and not eat it again for awhile if it causes me any trouble. With all the vegetables and or fruits, chewing really well is the key at this stage. Having said all that, I buy the spring mix, (tender lettuces) in the bags and haven't had any trouble with it. I rarely ate carrots before anyway, and I decided to just wait a bit longer to eat raw celery with Peanut Butter or cream cheese. I haven't had the corn chowder yet, I'm saving it for a bit of a reward after I drop another 10#. (Corn is a high carb whole grain and it sets off carbo cravings in me so I have to time it for the right time of the day so I'm not out of control all day. I will probably have it for a late supper one night).

bump, This has been my lunch twice this week..... It's soooooo good. Real food taste! Easy portion control

Bright red blood when you wipe is rarely of concern. It generally indicates a small broken blood vessel in the anus area or from a hemmoroid. Dark brownish, blackish blood actually in the stool, or any appearance of coffee grounds in the stool is cause for concern and if you see that you should immediatly contact your doctor. Pat dry, avoid wiping. You can use Preparation H or witchhazel wipes to shrink the inflamed tissue.

Hey Mini-Me, Before you get rid of all that Protein powder, you might want to try out Eggface's site and try to use them in recipes like she does. Heck, she uses them to make protein ice cream, cakes, Cookies, all sorts of things. theworldaccordingtoeggface If you like to cook you might get some real innovative ideas to use up your investment! Also, I stored mine in the fridge, not sure it made a difference in keeping it fresh but I figured it couldn't hurt.

Tn1031, Thin covered why you shouldn't drink with meals. I'll cover why the quantity of Water is important, ok? Water flushes the toxins out of your body, specifically out of your brain cells as well as your internal organs. It hydrates your skin which promotes elasticity (ie, so the skin will not sag quite as much as you lose the weight) and often if you drink water when you think you're hungry you'll realize that you were thirsty, and not truly hungry. So, it's important. Having said all that, I count all water that goes in my mouth whether it be Crystal Light, tea, Protein drink made with water...whatever. Maybe that's not right..but it's how I do it.

ok everybody...here's what I tried today.....AWESOME! 3 slices of sandwich size pepperoni (sliced thin by the deli) I nuked these for 30 seconds in the microwave (on a bed of paper towels) (Most of the grease goes into the paper towels.) topped each one with a few drops of Contadina pizza sauce (squeeze bottle) smeared around a bit topped that with a couple Tablespoons low fat mozzerella (divided between all three) Put back into the microwave for another 15-20 seconds until cheese is melted. The pepperoni gets so crispy...yet has all sorts of flavor...NO SOGGY CRUST! About 2 carbs total for all three (from the pizza sauce and cheese). No idea of calories until I get back to the store and get the Nutritional info from the deli. But this was great! 3 of them were a satisfying portion because it's crunchy, gooey, cheesy, salty, pizza, pepperoni flavor packed!!!!

hey excited2lose, I used to do something similar, but instead of sour cream and taco sauce, I'd stir in some good enchilada sauce. Also, if you use greek yogurt instead of sour cream you'd pick up some more protein. Nearly the same taste. (just something to consider) Never worry about the high carbs in beans ....they're complex carbs, high in fiber and super great nutrition.

MiniMe, Longer time between bites will help with that. And since it seems to happen despite measuring your food, measure and then take one teaspoon of food out of your portion. You might not be able to tolerate the portion yet, eventually you will. Whatever you can do to avoid the "WHAM"!

In regards to quantities while on pureed foods. (or any stage for that matter) Just because you CAN eat more than you should, doesn't mean you SHOULD eat as much as you do. liquids, Puree'd and mushie food stages probably won't give you a strong "STOP" signal. Measure the portion you're told to have by your surgeon. Put the extra food away. Go eat your food, slowly, thoughtfully, savoring the tastes and don't go back for more! No liquids after your meal for minimum 30 minutes. Follow the simple rules and you'll simply be amazed.

Tn1031, Have your tried a heating pad on the painful spot?

I had a 2 inch by 2 inch square of thin crust pizza about a week ago. It tasted great, I was happy with my portion and I tracked it in my food journal for the day. Since I used to eat 1/2 of a large Papa Johns handtossed Meatlovers in one setting, I don't feel the least bit guilty. :001_smile:

20 mg once daily is what I was prescribed. I missed it for two days in a row and was miserable. I ended up nibbling on soda crackers to absorb the acid in my stomach until I could get home and take a nexium. I use the Nexium mups that you can get in Mexico. They dissolve in a tiny bit of water and I usually take it 1/2 hour before eating or drinking anything, first thing in the morning.

Tiff, I doubt it will cause you a problem. If it sparks cravings..by now you know how to deal with it. And you can cut your sugar intake everywhere else on the day you have that. At least it's not highly processed sugar. Google it, it's listed as a "healthy alternative". I'd avoid it during active weight loss though.