Catracks

This is what I drank for my 2 week clear phase: http://www.amazon.com/Natures-Best-Isopure-Protein-Bottles/dp/B0009VDB0G These are 40 grams of protein each and two a day got me into the 70-90 grams of protein a day window and helped me meet my fluid intake. You can find them a GNC too. They taste sort of like Gatorade with a bit of an aftertaste, but so what? Like the guy at GNC said, "You do what ya gotta do." It's worth it because that was the best weight loss period for me and I didn't lose muscle.

I know what you mean about the energy and not wanting to waste time sleeping. I'm killing my husband who is a heavy equipment operator. He gets home and wants to collapse. I want to hike and bike and go here and go there ... On the weekends it's just worse. I want to zip line, kayak, hike up mountains for miles and otherwise stay active all the time. He loves it all once I pry him out the door.

Yeah, my nutritionist was appalled that I ever drank Protein shakes anymore. I told her that I occasionally replace my Breakfast with one. She also said to cut down on the cheese I ate as if 20 grams of fat a day is a lot. I do my own reading and I see what works best with me. I do think the conservative 2 weeks of clear liquid, 2 weeks of full liquid and 2 weeks of mushies/puree is a good deal though. Also protein first and most, veggies/low glycemic fruit next and a tiny bit of healthy carbs to fill in the edges is a good plan as well.

When I was on Clear Liquids, I was getting ZERO sugar and apparently my body needed a slight bit because I was shaky. I could understand his concern if you were constantly slugging it back, but one 8 oz glass diluted with half water isn't going to stall anything. SAKES! LOL! You're doing great! BTW, milk has naturally occurring sugar too (lactose).

My Protein drinks are around 200 calories each so I don't drink them much any more. I'm on 750 calories so 3 Protein Drinks would preclude me from eating more than a slice of cheese. Too much protein is not the problem. Too many calories are. The goal is between 70 and 90 grams of protein a day. 3 protein drinks @ 200 calories: 600 calories 1 slice whole grain toast: 100 calories 1 TBS peanut butter: 100 calories 1 TBS jelly: 50 calories Oatmeal: 160 calories 1 Egg: 70 calories Just that much is 1,080 calories and a LOT of carbohydrates. At 3 weeks I was just starting full liquids (milk, yogurt, etc.) and getting 400-500 calories if I was lucky. Go to My Fitness Pal or Fitday and start logging in everything you eat. Also start measuring things either by weight or Fluid oz. depending on the food.

I will be 8 months out on Sep. 11th and I'm pretty proud of my weight loss and goal is actually in sight. I've lost around what you have. It's getting harder and I stall more often and for longer periods, but the scale still goes down eventually. Good that you know what your problems are. GET THE JUNK food OUT OF THE HOUSE! If you get head hungry, drink a huge glass of Water and go for a walk, bike ride, swim, hike, throw a frizbee - what ever you like. Go shopping if that's your thing. Like Indymom said. Prepare healthy snack foods and always portion things out. NEVER eat out of the container. Cut up veggies dipped in hummus or a Greek yogurt dip? A small handful of nuts and dried berries? A piece of fruit with an oz. of cheese? Hey look! I'm one pound from being "overweight" as opposed to "obese!" I actually find that the more I am busy or exercising (I went kayaking last weekend) the less I feel light eating. Snacking comes from boredom. Hey look! I'm one more pound from being "overweight!" YAY!

After I typed this I saw top 3. Idiot me! I'm not going to erase what I wrote so I'll add: 1. Greek yogurt 2. meat 3. cheese I always pack these three things in my lunch and snack bento box for the day. Here's the rest of the stuff I eat regularly: Milk, my chocolate and vanilla Protein powder, SF Torani syrups, Lowfat Cottage cheese, Low or nonfat Greek yogurt, light string cheese, light Baby Bell cheese, Laughing Cow wedges, any cheese at all, almonds, pistachios, nut butters, Alpino or Buon Gusto salami, chicken, beef, pork loin, shrimp, scallops, Beans, quinoa, broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, zuchinni, pineapple, grapes, watermelon, berries and at least 82% dark chocolate. These are things always in my cupboard, fridge or freezer and always on the shopping list. Oh, and eggs. We have hens so I always have eggs.

I still dilute my juice by have when I do drink juice. Apple juice actually calmed my stomach during my first week home. I think he has you confused with a gastric bypass patient.

While the names are creative and fun, I'm with you. It's just my stomach.

We who eat a high protein diet are aware of the effects. Now we know more about the mechanics of it. What's even better is that signaling satiety is just one benefit of protein. http://www.naturalnews.com/037057_protein_satiety_overeating.html

It's nothing compared to Big Bear in size or beauty. I have seen what you are dealing with by way of contractors. OPh well. Jobs. Holcomb Valley is one of my favorite places BTW. I like to drop down the desert side into Lucerne Valley to ride motorcycles.

I went to Silverwood Lake. You probably know it - off the 15 and 138. The lake is a bit trashy in parts because the idiots don't pick up their own filth, but it's still outside and still pretty in it's desert-like way. I haven't been in a kayak for YEARS. It was a blast! Just got mine off Craigslist.

Or not much. Sheeeesh! I can understand the everything in moderation folks, but if you mention that you have crossed certain foods off the list forever, you get a bunch of posts about how miserable I'm going to be for withholding food or that it's going to make me binge. I don't do junk food anymore. So what? I sure did suffer today eating chicken breast, broccoli salad, string cheese and celery with almond butter. God knows I should be obsessing over the Cheetos and chocolate cake I didn't have. Oh crud. I'm just in a really bad mood. Yesterday at this time I was paddling my kayak in the sunshine. Today I'm stuck in a friggen cubicle. This bites.

I wasn't much fun in the recovery room, but my family was there all through my surgery. My husband was there that whole time and with me a lot of the time in the room walking with me and keeping me company. He's done this with two surgeries now. I thanked him for being there on more than one occasion and he looks at me like I I'm nuts and says, "Where else would I be?" I never had nausea or any pain meds after the one hit of morphine that I mistakenly pushed the button for. It's a crap shoot I guess, but compared to the two open abdominal surgeries I had, this was a cake walk.

He thinks your taking an unnecessary risk ... so he dumps you? That makes no sense. Like Kathy says, focus on you now. Then you will find a good man who won't feel threatened, scared, inconvenienced, bothered or whatever when things get tough.

Eh? What'd I miss?

I was addicted to everything. I am glad that I have to eat so much protein, because I an leave the carbs. but I could not go without meat. Just bought some ribeyes. YUM!

Binging for me is a horribly scary, out of control feeling. It was before the sleeve and is more so now. I have binged twice - each time with chips. I liken my reaction to one bite of potato chips and onion dip to Gollum and the Ring. I can see how I might eat around it and go right back to where I started from: A 5'1" woman on her way to 300 pounds and DEATH! I hate to get all serious on you guys, but I think I was close to death. I couldn't breathe, couldn't sleep and I was starting to feel sick ALL the time. I could not stay awake driving or at work. food wasn't even enjoyable, but I'd still stuff my face. I became a recluse. I would send my husband to get-togethers alone. I would hardly go camping anymore or even for a walk. I don't know what would have failed first: My marriage or me. I became diabetic. I had sleep apnea so badly that I literally woke up once every 10 seconds. Doesn't sound possible does it? My doctor was checking for cirrhosis of the liver due to fatty liver disease. My knees were giving out. My blood pressure was through the roof as was my cholesterol. Well, I got sleeved and withing two weeks my blood sugar was normal. Three months and 58 pounds down my A1C (anther glucose level test) was normal as was everything else including my blood pressure. My sleep apnea disappeared. Here I am 7 months later. I am 30 pounds from goal. I wear a bathing suit. I hike up mountains and paddle my kayak. I ride my friends horse without killing it. I slide effortlessly into any booth or amusement park ride. Next year I'm hiking half-dome and around Tuolumne Meadows and the Yosemite Valley, I am going on a raft trip down the Colorado River, I'm taking a mule down to Phantom Ranch (if I can get a reservation that is!) I might even go to Maui this November. My husband and I are doing wonderfully and will renew our vows in October. I am now two sizes smaller than my wedding dress. Why would I sacrifice all that for a slab of macaroni and cheese or cake or chips? With me, there is just no control with some things. If I cannot make or find a good substitute then I don't touch it. Before I got sleeved, I found a website called: The World According to Eggface. She is my height and was over 300 pounds. Today she is a total knockout. Get her recipes. She taught me that I didn't have to deprive myself. She showed me that I could make healthier versions of pizza, lasagna and snack foods - even doughnuts and ice cream. She can also make a Protein shake that tastes like it came from Starbucks- but with more flavors. I just thought I'd post my feeling about moderation vs. abstinence from certain foods. This is what works for me. Thank goodness I love meat, seafood, cheese, dairy, vegetables, legumes, fruits and nuts because those are the mainstays of my diet. I'm far from suffering. I had a taste of my daughter's ice cream and cake and the sugar made me sick in a minute. Again, this is what works for me. I'm not trading all I have now for food. No way! Thanks for reading and God Bless your journey.

Genetic susceptibility is the key I would think. Certain genes when mutated can really screw and organism up. Bad parenting? That was the early 20th century answer to autism. They used to think that mothers who were distant and didn't bond with their children caused it. Also, of you've ever had to try and feed a child like that, you might get an understanding of what it might be like trying to get them to eat certain foods or sometime to eat at all. Sometime even just getting them to eat ANYTHING is enough. It's a living nightmare and I am in awe of parents who manage to love and live every day with these kids. It's beyond difficult. Medications are another problem, yes. The over prescribed antibiotics are making sure that resistant strains of bacteria are evolving. I might get flamed for this, but I think anti-depressants are over-prescribed. Even these PPIs a lot of us take without bothering to find out if there is even a problem before we take them. I threw mine out because I learned that when you stop them you get a rebound effect that increases acid production. When that happen people go back on them. They also decrease the acid we especially need to break down protein. My doctor also wanted me to take statins. My liver says: "No thank you," So yeah, I think that meds are over-prescribed and I think doctors really do not know the full effect they have on a body long term or even the impact of future offspring. Even if we come clean off meds, they are being fed to the animals we eat. Makes a body wonder.

I MISSED IT!!!!!!!??? Also, I think the rise in the autism spectrum disorders have everything to do with food - not only what the mother and father ate their whole life and the mother during pregnancy, but what the child eats now. A child is born autistic because the genes and the damage to them and the brain and the gut have already been done. What is miraculous though is that once some of these kids go on a complete casein and gluten free diet, they tend to make remarkable strides. Problem is: most turn into carb junkies and have severe food aversions and problems with smell and texture. I think a lot of kids and adults were misdiagnosed years ago, but there is still a rise in occurrence. Did I hear 1 in 100???!!!!!! I really do think it's all about the food. Certain genetics I think just put some people at a higher risk.

It's more fun to say "assless chaps."

Let me tell you about carb addiction. My cousin's son is autistic and eventually my cousin gave up and lets him eat what he wants. This kids diet consists of chips, fried potatoes, one brand of white bread and only one type of spaghetti. He will not touch dairy, meat, Beans, fruits or vegetables. He exists on simple carbs. I suggested Protein shakes, but to get him to drink 8 oz would entail three hours or retching and gagging. Same with any other food. Isn't it funny that his drug of choice is carbohydrates? This kid is the poster child for carb addiction. He looks like hell and I am surprised he's still alive. He's not fat because he barely eats at all. He is 5'5" and probably 80 pounds. His skin is blue tinged. Despite this he is getting taller and he is getting huge stretch marks on his skin. It has no elasticity. A note on rice: I know it's a staple and a must in Southern cooking - especially Cajun and Creole, but white rice is completely, nutritionally devoid. Some can never tolerate it, but others do just fine. Just for experiment sake, try brown rice or better yet, quinoa. The stuff is high in calories, but loaded with protein. The texture reminds me of cous cous and absorbs flavors like rice does. My vices now are diet soda and Crystal Light. Stupid huh? I'm all healthy except for the chemical mixture I constantly drink.

Nothing short of miraculous! Congratulations!!

I just noticed that you are right on top of goal! You are shooting for a much lower BMI than I am. Congratulations!!!

Last time my A1C was 5.4! Right before I was sleeved it was a 7 point something I think. My PCP couldn't believe what he was seeing. Forgot to mention that I just slid into a size 10 last week. I barely got to wear my 12s. I put a pair on and it was all baggy in the waist and butt. I have a skin apron and one size too big makes it look horrible.