Fiddleman

That is great news. Welcome to the post op life (maybe compare it to "the real world" in the matrix movie). You will find many friends and companions among you as you explore your path to goal. Feel the comfort from those around you. The burden is not yours to lift alone.

I have also found 3-6 g of omega 3 to be really helpful with controlling inflammation. There is a product I use that gives 3 g omega 3 per 1 tsp. Very convenient.

* raises hand slowly * past solid fattie here...

Has any one had issues with acute urination pain or a feeling of ongoing constipation in the front? How about having to get up 5-7 x at night to use the bathroom. I do make an effort to dry out before going to bed, but 5-7 x?? To me these sound like worse case prostate cancer and best case UTI when looking up symptoms online, but I am only 36. I have never experienced either of these before. The symptoms have gotten worse in the last few months. The pain during urination does not happen every time, but when it does, it can be felt in the tract and radiating up towards the bladder. Sorry if TMI. Trying to be as informative as possible to trigger a recognition from someone. For sure, I will set up an appointment with my PCP. Wanted to know if this could be something else or has anyone else experience with it. I have taken chia seeds daily for 4 months to help with the daily BM now plus my krill oil supplement. I have read somewhere there is a link between long term use of omegas (chia seeds are high) to p-cancer, but don't want to get excited about anything until a doctor diagnoses something. I tend to be symptomatic about a few thing since surgery which did not turn into anything (at least not yet) so trying to take this one slow. Let me know what you think. Other then this issue, I am in very good health.

Crystal light? Maybe it is the Vitamin c in there that makes it harder for the stones to form. The stones usually are caused by the oxidation of Calcium that enters the kidney after being drawn away from the skeletal system due to high levels of Protein and/or certain drugs, herbs and chemicals. It is critical to always drink a lot of Water to help your kidneys out.

Here is my afternoon snack 2 apple quarters with 1 tbsp of almond butter and a chicken skewer. All the macronutrients balanced nicely. [ATTACH]13703[/ATTACH] What are you having for snack? Do share!

Spread is probably different, but you check with your nut if that adds comfort in the decision.

You can buy Justin's almonds butter from your local grocery store. Recently, I have been making my own almond butter by grinding blanched unsalted almonds in Safeway.

Another food addict book I read is called "The End of overeating : taking control of the Insatiable American appetite" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0025VKJNA/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

Great and you are welcome!

Thanks for the link. I have always enjoyed reading books and various online articles from Tom Venuto for the last 7 years so have an appreciation for seeing him quoted as an an expert opinion. I feel my intake of 170 is pretty close to optimal using their formula based on current weight of 185.

That is so full of awesome. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks mike, I always learn a lot from your posts.

How come the guys never have this type of fun, clawing each other to minced meat like the forum girls? I think we would be really bad at it we tried; it would definitely be laughable. Lol. Then we would all get together, break bread, share some beers and call it a night. Metaphorically speaking, of course...

Ah, I can see what you were thinking. Regardless, No worries! Just wanted to pipe up on my point of view about it, not anything personal at all! Not an attack, a judgement or a lecture, I promise, given some of the rant threads today.

Hey Mike - great point and the exact thing I have been working on for last 3 months. The first two of those 3 months have not yielded very good results. I blame it on not eating enough and running too much when combined with the start of strength training. Heavy cardio does not help with building strength, so have put running on hold for now. Let me tell you, it is hard work to lower body fat % and keep bmi weight the same (or a little lower) when we cannot eat as a normal person would to get gains from lifting. Being a WLS post op has made this a much harder job I believe because of limited eating capabilities when it comes to daily protein goal of 1-1.5 g protein per ideal bmi weight (in my case 180 lb). I don't want to drink shakes all the time, so am attempting to eat real lean proteins of 20-30 g every 2 hours. I try and make my breakfast, recovery and bedtime shakes between 35-40 g. Still am not getting high enough for goal protein numbers. I definitely do not get hungry with all this eating throughout the day. Love eating all the time though. My 3 lifting workouts a week are short, but intense (30-40 min). I have 2 days of cross fit (45 min) and ab work (20 min) a week. And finally 1 day of circuit (1 hour). Dropped most of my cardio except for 1 mile fast run before lifting or sprints during cross fit when it comes up. As soon as I stopped running 5 k and 10 k throughout the week and focused only on intense cross fit and lifting, my body started cooperating and reshaping. I am about 3 weeks into this approach. My weight is staying in the healthy BMI range for my height, but am dropping an average of 2-3 lb a week in last month. Fat percentage went from 19% to 16 % and my strength is really improving.

I think the answer to that question is there are many alternatives that can enhance the post op experience on top of the restriction offered by WLS. Some people use WW after a while to help with accountability and a support system. Others use herbs or super foods to enhance energy or general well being during post op. Others even may use fat burners to help the process. There should not be any shame or even explanation required to defend such position. I say use as many tools as you want to help with success or faster results, whatever works for you. I have done quite a lot of experimentation with different techniques post op, including those mentioned by parent poster. Most work well, some do not. All in all I am happy with the type of health and fitness I have achieved. If it is not harming you or anyone else, then an approach of choice is fair game. The more open you are about opportunities, the better you will be at identifying your path to success. Make sense?