DLCoggin

Perhaps a slightly different approach to your question will serve the same purpose and allow you to make substitutions according to availability in your country. Instead of whole menus, I have a list of "go to" foods. These are foods that I like (obvious but an important consideration), that are healthy, readily available, and that include items that are suitable when I'm home and also some that I can take with me when I'm on the run. Turkey Jerky Turkey snack bites Cottage cheese Naturally low-fat string cheese Virtually all nuts - very healthy but watch the portions, they are high in calories (fat) Grilled chicken - not only as a standalone but in salads with low or no fat dressing Turkey Shrimp - outstanding source of Protein and I love them! Fish - pretty much any kind you can name including shell fish. Yogurt Green Beans Pinto beans Black beans Turkey or chicken chili with or without beans Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots - steamed if you want them hot, dipped in low or no fat dressing if you want a snack Oranges Apples Bananas Berries of all kinds - low in calories, loaded with Fiber and antioxidants, but high in sugar so watch the portions, especially if you're prone to dumping. Low calorie green smoothies - use spinach, broccoli or cauliflower as a base. Good fiber content, very, very filling, fiber remains in the pouch for a longer period of time so you stay full longer and they are surprisingly tasty! Choose your favorite recipes carefully - some recipes are crazy high in calories. Canned tuna - I make a tuna salad with low-fat mayo, a little celery and some diced sweet pickle. Great for lunch with a few whole grain crackers. Babybel light cheese Hummus vanilla Almond Milk (unsweetened) - twice as much Calcium as whole milk, 40 calories for eight ounces, I sweeten mine with Splenda. Diet Snapple Teas- non-carbonated, zero or very low calorie, several flavors. Does contain caffeine. Brown rice - I dump every time on white rice, never had a problem with brown rice. Whole wheat Pasta - with tomato sauce and if you prefer, turkey meatballs. Decaf coffee - I'm almost two years post-op and have used decaf as a "snack" starting at six months post-op and right to this day. Filling, loaded with anti-oxidants, zero calories if you use Splenda (or any sugar substitute). I drink mine with flavored creamers - 35 calories per serving - I can live with that! What's on your "go to" list??

THAT is what THIS is all about.

Rapid weight loss, slow weight loss, stall - regardless of what's happening, your focus is ALWAYS the same. Follow the protocol as closely to the letter as you possibly can and allow your body to find its own way in its own time. Stay positive. Stay patient. Stay focused. The weight will take care of itself. Frustration and stress are most certainly understandable. But they are also pointless. Consider focusing that energy on all of the amazing progress you have already achieved. And the even more amazing things yet to come! You're doing a great job and you're gonna love the new you!!

As you can see from the multiple responses, there is no such thing as "normal" weight loss. More importantly, it's never a good idea to compare your weight loss to someone else's. The fact that my weight loss is different than yours means absolutely nothing. There are just too many variables. Allow your body to find its own way in its own time. You're doing a great job and you're gonna love the new you!!

According to multiple websites, Mucinex is not an NSAID and it does not contain aspirin or ibuprofen. One thing to note is that the standard form of Mucinex is time-release. Time-release meds are not normally recommended for RnYers because they pass so quickly from the pouch to the small intestine that they don't have enough time to release. They will likely be less effective than they would be for someone who has not had the surgery. I don't think you have anything to worry about as far as dosage goes as long as you took it according to directions. And of course, Tylenol seems to be the recommended pain reliever for RnY patients. Feel better Jenn!

Get 'em while they're hot - Snot Shots!! LOL!!

Your doctor should be able to answer your question about calorie intake. Doctors are all over the place when it comes to post-op care so always good to check. Exercise has a lot of benefits including losing weight more quickly but...you're almost certain to lose weight eating 600 to 750 calories a day even without exercise. So it sounds like you're in a stall. There's no schedule for stalls and no way to accurately predict how long they'll last. Just keep doing exactly what you're doing, following the protocol as closely as possible, and you'll start losing when your body is ready. Stalls are a perfectly normal part of the process. There will likely be more before you reach your goal. Absolutely nothing to worry about!

Thank you for the kind words obeasta and you're certainly most welcome. My friends call me Dave and hopefully you will too! Lol. Have a great day!! P.S. Love your blog. Good job!

OK - major reality check. If you follow the protocol as closely to the letter as you possibly can, you will lose weight. Period. Science and the laws of the universe cannot be denied. An awful lot of folks who have an awful lot of education have done and continue to do an awful lot of research and an awful lot of testing and have proven the success of RnY beyond any shadow of a doubt. RnY has been around for more than 30 years. There is absolutely no doubt that it is the single most effective treatment known to medical science for obesity, type2 diabetes, and more than 30 comorbidities associated with obesity. No doubt. Stop wasting your energy on Reese's testing. Forget about testing dumping. Some very successful RnY patients n e v e r experience dumping. There is a very long list of benefits from RnY and not a single one of them is attributed to dumping. There is absolutely no scientific evidence that folks who experience dumping are any more or less successful than those who don't. Dumping has nothing to do with success. Your goal is physical change but your challenge is mental discipline. Stay positive. Stay patient. And again, stay focused on following the protocol as closely to the letter as you possibly can. Success starts with realistic expectations. Focus all of your energy on these things. Irrational fear and "self testing" is not realistic, it's not sustainable and it's most certainly not healthy. The only thing standing between you and success is you. Now, right this moment, realize and accept the fact that your body is going to find its own way in its own time. There are going to be times when you lose weight quickly. Times when you lose slowly. And YES, there will be times when you don't lose at all (stalls). You KNOW it's coming. You KNOW it's perfectly normal. You KNOW that you cannot change the reality. Trying to do so is a waste of time. Panicking when what you KNOW is coming eventually comes, is irrational and pointless. Do not wait too long to seek professional help with your fears. You've come a very long way already. The finish line is in sight. There's no shame in seeking help from highly skilled, highly educated professionals who help folks conquer similar challenges every single day. Take responsibility for your own success. In the words of Winston Churchill, "It is of no use saying we are doing the best we can. Success means doing what is necessary". You're gonna love the new you!!

Thinking maybe you misread the previous post. She's down 125 lbs in five months, not weeks. You're down 35 lbs in five weeks and feel like you're not going anywhere? That's seven pounds a week. At that rate in five months you'd be down 140 lbs. Success starts with realistic expectations. You're gonna love the new you!!

I've used a couple of apps but I started using My Fitness Pal about a year ago. There are a number of good apps out there and most do essentially the same things. The advantage of MFP is their food database which is huge. The bigger database makes logging faster and easier. It also has a bar code scanner which makes it a snap to add anything from a package into your log. Highly recommended.

Are you guys maintaining a food log? I'll be two years post-op on Oct 20th and currently two pounds below my goal weight which I reached about 13 months post-op. I'm absolutely convinced that my log has made all the difference. I'd be glad to share some ideas with you if you're interested.

Heating protein changes the molecular structure - think of frying an egg in a pan and how the egg white changes from translucent to opaque white. It doesn't mean that it's no longer effective but I like the idea of the less "processed" the better. Since it's already been processed to get in into powder form, you might want to consider adding the protein after you finish cooking. You're gonna love the new you!!

I agree with BBdoodle - measure your food intake by volume. The stomach/pouch has stretch sensors (nerves) that signal the brain when you're "full". The surgery temporarily dulls the sensitivity of those sensors and you don't really "feel" full. It will pass in a few weeks and your pouch will be signaling up a storm. You're gonna love the new you!!

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims who lost their lives twelve years ago today, and with their families. We will never forget.

I watch this every year on this day and it says it all - we are proud, we are strong, we are Americans. Click on "Full Screen" (icon in lower right-hand corner) to see the video.

AND you can get lots of first hand advice from RNYTalk.com's sister site, VertialSleeve.com. Here's a link: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/

Well I haven't had the sleeve so I can't give you a first-hand report but I can tell you that virtually all of the research that I've read (which is considerable) is very positive. The sleeve is safe, effective, lower complication rate and considered less invasive than RnY. Like you, I'm not a fan of the band but the sleeve is an excellent alternative. You're gonna love the new you!!

Relax. Deep breath. 125 lbs in five months - you are doing fabulous! Just keep doing exactly what you've been doing. Your body is just taking a well earned break. Just allow it to find its own way in its own time. There's no schedule for stalls and it's impossible to predict with any accuracy how long they'll last. But it can be said with certainty that keep doing what you're doing and the stall will pass and you'll start losing again. And one more thing is certain - you're gonna love the new you!!

Perhaps "Muscle weighs more than fat, by volume" helps dispel the myth.

Just as BBdoodle says, everyone is different. chicken, fish and turkey are my best friends. I'm definitely a meatosaurus! Which is not to say that my eating habits have not changed. Dramatically. I think that you'll find your transition back to regular meals will be a gradual one. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Take your time and listen to your pouch. You'll slowly try a little of this and a little of that. "This" might not work too well while "that" will be perfect. Even things that don't work well at a given point in time may be perfectly fine down the road a little. Long term, the list of things that you simply cannot eat will likely be very short. I'm almost two years out and the only thing I've discovered so far that I can't eat is white rice. Mind you I've only tried it twice but wound up dumping both times so it's off the menu options. Sooo not a big deal. You're doing a great job and you're gonna love the new you!!

"I'm determined to get this 20 lbs left off!! Protein here I come and if the bread basket is passed my way, I will remember tonight's terrible experience and pass with a smile. Dumping syndrome sucks with a capital S! But it did give perspective and power over bad choices which I thought I was losing." Your comment is like a perfect testimonial to food logs. If you're not logging or stopped after your rapid weight loss, you might want to consider starting or starting again. The confidence logging will give you is amazing. "Power over bad choices" is the very definition of food logs. Personally, I believe that the further out you get, the more important and beneficial logging becomes. Congratulations on a great job! Bet you're loving the new you!!

This is the first time in over two years of doing this stuff that I have ever heard of a surgeon with any kind of mandatory food purchase, much less $4000 worth. The only thing my surgeon has ever had in her office is a protein shake. And they don't sell it, the shake is from Costco! Definitely sounds to me like you made a very good decision. You're gonna love the new you!!

I haven't tested it yet but I suspect that I would be fine with four or five grapes. Anything over that seems to be asking for trouble. Music, I don't know about "great and wise" but it's great to hear that you got the tract back on track!! Lol!

So called "early" or "early phase" dumping usually occurs 15-30 minutes after eating. "Late" dumping usually occurs 2-3 hours after eating (but one member on the board experienced it 12 hours after eating and her doctor said it was likely dumping). Early dumping is more often associated with vomiting, nausea, etc. Late dumping (reactive hypoglycemia) with weakness, shakiness and rapid heart rate. About two thirds of folks who experiencing dumping experience early dumping. The remaining one third late dumping. Dumping simply refers to partially digested food moving too quickly (dumping) from the stomach or pouch into the small intestine. My understanding is that it is usually associated with some type of abdominal surgery (not only RNY).