Puja

Hi, all! I'm Indian, but living in California. I joined this forum when I first had surgery in August of 2011. There weren't any Indians then! I don't come on very often, but it's nice to see all of you joining this forum - it was a great support for me when I first started out! Good luck to you!! I hit my goal a few months ago, and have been maintaining since then. I'm so happy with my sleeve, and feel better than ever. I wish you all the same!

It is totally possible to be vegetarian!! I'm 16 months post-op, vegetarian, and very healthy! I don't do the fake meat stuff, but I do eat lots of natural foods including lentils, nuts, dairy, and eggs. It does take planning, however. I plan my entire day out in the morning, and pack my lunches. I also look at menus before going to restaurants, and call ahead if I need something special. I'm eating a meal as I write this: an apple with PB2 powder! 150 calories, 20 grams of Protein - all natural and low fat.

You may be eating too fast, causing an increased level of reflux. Take time to chew your food really well, and try to keep your meals smaller and more frequent. Good luck!

There are loads of threads in the forum with ideas for a vegetarian diet! Hopefully a search will give you some good tips. In the meantime, here is a list of my go to food items: All cheeses (low fat), PB2 Peanut Butter powder, Wasa and Kavli crackers, Greek and regular yogurt (low fat), eggs, milk, veggie patties, tofu, lentils, Beans, and fruits or veggies in between. Like MegInNOLA, I have several small meals, and eat my Protein first. Protein Bars and shakes do help a lot, as well. I don't cook much, so these foods are really fast and simple.

It gets better than sipping, but it definitely doesn't reach the level of chugging. I'm at 8 months postop, and I still might have some discomfort or pain on a really big gulp. Also, once you regulate your diet and meals, it'll be easier to get liquid in at a regular interval, so you won't be feeling that desperate thirst. Totally worth this small inconvenience!

I'm a veggie! I was originally having a Protein shake every day to help make up my protein intake, but no longer do that. My calories have increased since stopping the shakes, but my diet is much more "normal". I am a big cheese fan, so usually have 2 to 3 ounces of low fat cheese a day. I enjoy Fage 0% Greek yogurt, PB2 Peanut Butter powders, milk, tofu, paneer (an Indian style cottage cheese), lentils, and a veggie patty every so often. I only get in about 2 servings of fruits or vegetables a day, which I need to work on. Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy with my veggie diet post op!

Have you tried "slim fits"? I know banana Republic carries them, and I believe the Gap does, as well. You could also try Abercrombie and Fitch, though I'm not sure if they have slim fits, or their shirts are just tailored smaller. If you can go to a Van Heusen or Louise Phillipe type of store, the employees will measure you and find shirts that suit your body type.

I've found myself falling into this trap when I'm at home and bored, or around lots of yummy foods. So, I only keep healthy Snacks in the house, I try my best to stay busy or entertained. There are always yummy junky things at my mum's house, which I find myself grabbing for every 10 to 15 minutes. In those situations, I put the food onto a higher shelf that requires a stepping stool. That way, getting to the food takes effort, and I usually give up.

Hamany, I'm a doctor and still took all of my surgeon's advice, and did all the research possible. You cannot use your being a medical student as an excuse for not taking care of your health. You, of all people, should understand that orange juice does not give you a well balanced diet with Proteins, and will not sustain you. If you can drink liquids, focus on Protein drinks instead. Crisps and crunchy Snacks are easy for all sleeve patients to eat, because they do not expand in the stomach and slide right through. The sleeve is a TOOL to help us make better food choices, not a quick fix to our obesity. We still have to maintain discipline and be careful with your nutrition. All the best to you and continue to use this forum to educate yourself about your new sleeve.

Feedyoureye, can I convert the peanut flours into a peanut butter consistency, to spread on crackers?

Shells, I'm Indian, too! I haven't met any other Indians with WLS, so it's pretty exciting to see you on here. Good luck with your journey! Clk, it's amazing that you prepared all your own staple foods. I wouldn't have the patience for that, I think! I imagine it's much better to know what is going into your food, and know how it has been prepared. DebiC, I still have to get that PB2! How do you find the taste to be in comparison with regular Peanut Butter?

Don't to Ibuprofen. It's much harsher on your stomach lining than acetaminophen (tylenol). Definitely don't take it at only 2 weeks post op! I'd wait a few months to start ibuprofen. Perhaps you should ask your doctor about when it's safe to start it.

Isereno, I don't know why I didn't see your post earlier. Your non-mean days sound delicious!! I don't get Greek yogurt or string cheese in India, but I love them both. I'm so surprised that with your diet you are hitting 76 grams of Protein, with less than 900 calories, without having to supplement protein powders or bars! AMAZING! I can't wait to get back to the States...

Oops, I suppose it's too late! I'd love to read the final product, though. If it's not too late, and you're still collecting date, I'll be more than happy to fill out the questionnaire.

Ohmigoodnes, I find this phenomenon so weird! I have a girlfriend who is a huge foodie but tends to eat a little bit at frequent intervals. However, when I eat with her now (post surgery) she somehow aims to make sure she eats less than me, so even less than what she was eating before. I don't get it! This isn't a competition, and the damn girl is already skinny! Why starve yourself just to be the one at the table eating the least?

I would imagine that your body metabolism had already slowed down a tad with the band. To me, 17 pounds sounds wonderful! I never had problems with any foods. eggs were a tad difficult early on, but now I eat them almost every day. Each one of us adapts differently. Are you keeping a calorie and Protein count? What ranges are you usually in on a daily basis?

So there have been loads of threads about how people feel full after 3 or 4 bites, and how that is normal when starting out. There have also been threads where people say they can now eat half a cup, or sometimes even 1 cup of food before hitting restriction. I have never actually felt restriction, and this worries me a bit. I've felt satisfaction (this is wonderful, because I never knew what satisfaction was about before the surgery!), but not exactly restriction. When I have not eaten for too long, I sometimes start eating a bit too fast or don't chew as well as I should. On these occasions, I feel a bit of discomfort after swallowing the first few bites, and need to wait a few minutes before I continue. I believe this is caused by the fast displacement of air, rather than restriction, though. I can easily eat 3 to 4 ounces before feeling perfectly satisfied. I can eat 1 egg with 1 oz of cheese easily. Sometimes, when my eyes are feeling bigger than my stomach, I might have 1 egg, plus 1 white, plus 1 oz of cheese. I inevitably end up feeling like I've eaten too much, but it's never painful and I never vomit. I just feel a little distended or "over satisfied" for lack of a better term. What does this mean? I know it's also a bad habit, but sometimes if I've taken too much food onto my plate that I want to finish, I will wait about 45 min to an hour and then finish it. I usually feel like I'm, cheating somehow. I usually do this when the food is pre-measured and I've logged it, or when it's an excellent Protein source and I should eat it. Does anyone else do this?

Thinoneday, how interesting! It seems I could drink endless amounts of Water at any given time. Not very fast, but endless. I've only had the slimes once, and it was from drinking a Protein shake mixed in milk rather than water. It was one of those times where I didn't want to drink after I finished half of it, and saved the other half to drink 30 min later. It was a very very bad idea.

Shellyac, it's good to know that what I'm feeling is restriction! I don't often keep eating because I want to. Rather I eat even if I don't want to, to get in my full Proteins. Not in the sense that I will over stuff myself, but in the case where it is time for a meal, even though I may not be hungry. Ducker, you and I are from the same surgeon! I was on the 31st of August, however. Interesting that we are in a similar position! Fitforlife, I understand exactly what you're saying. I usually have about 3 to 4 meals a day, of which one is a Protein shake. I don't snack. I have seen how easy it is to snack, though, when I'm out at a bar and have a bowl of peanuts in front of me. It's scary and dangerous! I don't keep Snacks in the house. I love tofu and tofu products, but am in India currently, where those items are not easily available. There are a few restaurants here that serve tofu, so I eat it maybe once a week. I look forward to coming back to California, where I have endless food options!

Oops, I forgot to mention that I am 5 months out! Thank you for reminding me. I'm so glad that the egg plus cheese sounds like a normal meal for you! I've read that people on here 6 months out can eat about half an egg with some cheese. I've always wondered about it. So just to be correct, you stop eating because you feel satisfied rather than you feel pukey or some sort of pain? If so, that helps me feel more normal! I don't eat much junk, other than a little bit of chocolate here and there. I get a lot of carbs in, though, because I'm a vegetarian. So, most of my Proteins come from dairy products and lentils. I have seen how easy it is to keep snacking throughout the evening without feeling the satisfaction or fullness, though. It's very dangerous! Even worse if there is whiskey involved.

So far, I haven't seen anything negative about bars. One interesting point I did read, though, was that many bars use soy protein as a first or second ingredient. Ideally, you should be looking for bars that do not use soy protein.

Nope, no reason! I haven't even researched it over the web yet. If I get any useful information, I'll make sure to post it in this thread.

Interestingly enough, a colleague of mine was recently telling me that Protein bars are a waste, and the majority of the protein is not absorbed. The liquid whey and milk Proteins are better. Has anyone heard this?

Thank you, CCwriter! I had no idea regarding the connection between alcohol and Seratonin! That's an amazing piece of information, and I'm going to be sure to pass it along, as well. Luckily enough, I don't enjoy drinking when I'm feeling sulky. Somehow, things have just turned out that way. Yesterday was a good day. I ate well, got all my nutrition in, stayed in range, and even had a small walk. I felt better, just by writing down my feelings! Having people on here offer encouragement and support is a giant plus, and I feel so lucky to have found this community. Thank you. I've got a meeting today regarding my transfer, and I'm really hoping things pull through!

I'm 5 months out now, and have sort of hit a place in this last week that is unfamiliar. I don't know if it's depression, or loneliness, or something else. I live in India, and am doing med school here, but am from the US. My boyfriend was here, as well, and he finished up and went back home a few weeks ago, while I'm still working on my transfer. I was supposed to have been home months ago, but I'm still here. This past week, I've been trying to go out every night, to avoid feeling lonely or stressing out about the transfer. I've also been letting some bad habits creep back in this past week, and I'm hating myself for them. 1. I've had alcohol 3 times this week. I drink whiskey, which comes at 65 calories per 30 ml. Usually 1 or 2 drinks. However, I had 4 (2 doubles) the other day. Not good. A whole meal worth of empty calories. I didn't actually want to finish the 2nd drink, but it was in my hand, so I did. Since the surgery, I've been good about leaving food on my plate, why didn't I just leave the drink? I didn't feel very good the rest of the evening, so I definitely won't be drinking that much again. 2. Last night, I found myself eating mindlessly twice. The food choices were not ideal. It's not that I ate a lot, or that I went out of my calorie range. It's that I had better options to eat if I wanted to, and I wasn't even hungry! I haven't done this in months! 3. I don't exercise enough, and I know it. I make excuses a lot, saying it will start up properly once I get back home. Once I am able to find some more free time. But somehow, I find the time to go out and have a drink! It's really very frustrating. I know my body enjoys exercise, and wants to go for a walk. I just don't do it. 4. On occasion, I look at my body and it looks like I haven't lost a pound. this happened last night. I felt like I'd ruined all my work the past 5 months, and the cause was lost. This was the worst of all! I know what I need to do, but I just feel so poopy (for lack of a better word)! I know exercise will help, I just have to find the motivation to do it.