Globetrotter

Jane - how far out are you now? Would you consider yourself to be a "quick healer" or the opposite, historically speaking? Three weeks after my VSG I went back to Iraq, which was not a good idea, can't believe my surgeon allowed it ..... Butter TB - what all did you have done? How long has it been?

Thank you Arts, truly.

those bananas could have been great in a peanut butter protein shake, yummmmmm..... Well, last night I sorta fell off the cliff, but it wasn't carbs, it was protein. right around bedtime I suddenly became frantic for protein and quickly made some tuna and scarfed it down like evidence and the Feds were after me. not good. Kinda feeling a little neglected, as I offered up some heavy stuff and only one person responded ..... Also feeling kinda fragile/sensitive, because I got completely and utterly annihilated on another thread. There is this nasty little control freak who goes out of her way to find any thread I have written on and purposely misunderstand in order to start fights. Is that called trolling? Whatever is going on in her head, she has decided I am enemy #1. So I posted a sentence that was just, a sentence, on the "Food Philosophy" thread. It was a simple statement of fact, and thanks to her nasty encouragement, everyone on the thread turned on me like jackals, just absolutely writhing with wrath. It was so wierd and unnecessary. Also, I'm pretty sad today, I've been missing my Dad (I called him Pa) a lot today, I have a lot of anxiety regarding Thanksgiving and especially Christmas, as it will be our first Christmas without him and last year's was unbelievably painful. He died January 9th and the trauma is still so fresh ..... Also, I'm scared, because you all know how clean I've been eating and you know, per my last post, that I recently had a carb mania. Afterward I thought, "well, at least we will see what if any all those harsh ingredients will have on me." For a minute I thought there wouldn't be any effects, but I think there are, I've been kinda stumbly today, and tired. It scares me. Also, because of some changes, we aren't receiving mail today, and won't until after Thanksgiving, so no care packages... Does anyone have any opinions about stevia? I wonder if I am encouraging a detrimental sweet tooth with my stevia-sweetened teas and cocoa... Sorry I'm a downer today.

I am on a hyper controlled diet due to autoimmune issues so can only have some very specific items, definitely NO white sugar, NO corn syrup, etc. But my Mom found this hot cocoa mix called NibMor that is about as clean as it gets without harvesting the cacao myself And I've discovered that when I am jonesing for hot cocoa (which is a LOT lately, I blame the thread!! ) I make it with hot Water, just a fraction of the "serving" of cocoa, and juuuuust enough milk to give it a milky mouthfeel. That way I get satisfied, get my treat, and only spend maybe 20 cals max.

whoop whoooooop!!!!

I love cheeseburger salad, it's everything but the buns. tossed in a bowl. I also love mini meatloaves, a la Eggface, and her "crustless quiche" mini bites

Oh man, I'm so jealous! I WISH I still had no interest in food, I think that was my favorite part of the honeymoon phase, I felt so strong, so victorious! Like I had finally conquered food It opened up my mind to how much there is to do out there besides eat, I learned a lot about myself during that period.

Wow, I had no idea that a single sentence would stir up such vehemence! Whatever negativity anyone thinks was there, wasn't. It was a statement, at that time in the thread, it seemed like only honeymooners had replied and I wondered if there is any difference between one's philosophy at the start vs a ways down the road. People might have been encouraged to think of the sentence as negative, because another poster suggested so. That was not the intention. At the risk of further wrath, I also find it fascinating how quickly it escalated into flaming, without any consideration that it might have just been the out loud curiosity of a fellow sleever. I find a lot about what we go through to be fascinating, this journey is never dull!

Say what now?!! Not private? Mer. I had the worst 5:2 day yesterday, after getting yet another scare about my taxes. I closed the day at 630 cals and then out of nowhere, like a zombie, I found myself walking to the office at 10 at night in the freezing cold, where I filled a bowl with girl scout lemon scone cookies and roasted salted pistachios. v_v WTF?!! The cookies, I had about 7 of them, were probably 800 calories. I know why I did it, I KNOW. I was self-medicating. Now that I have been learning so much about autoimmune disease etc. I have discovered that, for some people, certain carbohydrates act in the brain as opiods, quite literally drugging the person, leaving them overly calm, woozy, sedated. I fell under the weight of my fears and anxieties and tastebuds. shoot. Laura - that book, She's Come Undone, did a number on me. I read it some 10-15 years ago and it both disturbed and comforted me, but mostly disturbed me I think because of how much it resonated with me. When at the time I told my Mother how much I identified with the character, my Mother looked at me sharply, said what?! and I shut up. Didn't want to get in trouble... My ipod is stuck on shuffle, my tablet is going wonky, my electric kettle is on the fritz. Coops and CGJane - yes something must happen with 5:2, or with any drastic change in diet. I have been on my Wahl's Protocol in the 5:2 manner for almost 7 weeks and I have my period twice a month now, with mega symptoms, and the rest of the month is spent spotting :/ I'm so afraid of going through menopause early, my Grandmother had a hysterectomy by the time she was my age. I have an IUD, the Mirena, and it wasn't until it was inserted that I discovered that I have a septuate uterus, which sucks. I don't know if the Mirena hormones are keeping me in estrogen, or making things worse. All I know is that I have to pluck my chin every week (!!!!!!!!!) and my periods are fucked up. I don't want to give up the dream of having children naturally. Not that, too. please....

No but I'm excited! Please let us know how it turns out.

There are several coffee Proteins that can be made hot like Chike and Click, but not many for cocoa.

So many honeymooners have replied to this thread, mostly honeymooners actually, fascinating.

I think it has been close to 2 years since I posted an NSV. The jeans that started out as comfortably snug and progressed to sausage casing and finally unwearable are now comfortably snug again and the bra that started out as overflowing, became empty requiring "chicken cutlets" and then verged on overflowing again, now fits reasonably. yay for small victories.

I agree with all of the above posters, know thyself. I am a vet at 3 yrs out and am now getting rid of the regain I experienced last year. That regain happened for many reasons but one of them was lulling myself into a sense of security with the "only in moderation" approach. Some people can do that, some can't. I can't. I couldn't before the sleeve and I can't now. I consider myself a food addict, in the past I have treated food in exactly the same manner as a druggie or alcoholic, self-medicating to ease internal pain. Some people out there can have one drink, one sniff of cocaine, one spoonful of chocolate and Peanut Butter Haagen Daz, and not be particularly interested in having more. If that were me, I would never have needed the sleeve inthe first place. My choice is to abstain with a caveat; someone mentioned pizza, I won't have a slice of pizza per se, but I will take all my favorite toppings, put them on a cauliflower crust in a muffin tin and make a low carb high Protein gluten free mini pizza. I may not have Pasta noodles per se, but I will jullienne zuchinnis blanche them and make low carb high protein fettucine. You see where I'm going with this? Also as someone said, your tastes do really change, there are things I loved before that I can't stand now and vice versa. One last thing - if you are still in your honeymoon period and already scheming on ways to eat bad/trigger foods, you might want to consider adding therapy to your recovery, I personally consider it essential.

Are you weighing and measuring? How small did your surgeon make your sleeve? You are only just 3 months out, you are in fact still healing, so I think your body is trying to tell you, "hey, take it easy on me, I'm still recovering!" Go back to soft foods, weigh and track, stay away from caffeine, and I'm sure it will clear up.

Thanks Cowgirl, it is Niebles actually. I remember hearing about that person that was kicked off and I seem to remember that she wasn't actually a real coordinator, just an obsessive fan who tried to give herself a position of authority? I will go check out the mixed reviews on him though, see if I can parse out the reality. What does that mean, not as tight? Too tight and you risk ruptured sutures, right? I absolutely agree that I have noticed a different tenor since the site change, I think it really threw us. Also perhaps, at least for the Americans, the paired holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas are a time of high anxiety for people with food issues. At least I am spared that, being out here in Afghanistan, I doubt we will get any sort of traditional Thanksgiving foods, maybe I will arrange my sardines to look like a turkey! Been having a pomegranate every day for lunch, they grow great poms here. Today's food is: protein shake (thanks to OD!! chocolate toffee powder plus coconut oil, plus a splash of coffee = YUM), a green apple for lunch, and salad with 4 oz shredded chicken for dinner. If I can spare the calories, a green drink too. This should bring me in at about 586 cals. The trick for me is to keep pumping the hot liquids all day, something about hot beverages that keeps sleeve purring contentedly. Oh yeah, I'm wearing a pair of jeans today that 6 months ago caused physical pain I was so sausaged in them. So, yay.

Georgia - why won't they give you any more hormones? I would like to go on preemptive hormones. Swizz - I truly feel for you, I have experienced this and it is just horrible. You and I are going through some miserable poo for sure - no sooner did I pay off the devastating bill I had with the IRS, then my Mom got a letter from the Kansas dept. of Revenue saying that my taxes needed to be amended. F*** MY LIFE. My symptoms have been present lately, my anxiety is through the roof. Came in at about 622 cals yesterday. I'm craving fat like crazy. Every afternoon for three days now my right kidney has ached. Coops, you've been quiet lately ... Is Sweetums part of this group? I feel like she should be ... OD - Hey, maybe you and Portland Man can go to the tango thing!

Yeah, I have it narrowed down to 2 docs, both Mexican. The other doc specializes in something called the "Mommy Makeover" My Life in Pink had one done and has been charting her journey here and the results are just astounding. His work and your docs work is the best I've seen in all my years on VST. I think that with the work done that I listed ^, and making weight lifting my focus, that the bra rolls would become a non issue.

Well, I found a workaround for my problem, I make the Protein with cold Water, then gradually add hot water (or hot coffee) until the whole beverage is hot. It works but can sometimes result in an overly watered down protein :/ c'est la vie.

Read this! http://www.thepaleomom.com/2013/11/fiber-manifesto-k-insoluble-vs-soluble-fiber-smackdown-part-3-5.html

CG Jane, a metric ton of yes, that post resonated like the bells of Notre Dame, it is everything I was trying to say in my post that started this. I was eventually able to eat yesterday and got about 670 cals. I'm on my cycle right now and HAD TO HAVE salty food so my protein was pastrami and turkey jerky, so I was perfectly calm when I weighed myself this morning and was "up" a pound, I know it's not real, I know it is retention from the salt. Today it is protein shakes, salad if I can get greens, kelp snacks for my salt desires, and probably some green drink. I don't want to have a Quest bar but may have to for the fiber, they are the only way I can approach my fiber goals.

Jane, I AM ready for plastics, that is why I keep asking all these questions. My deployment is up in probably April and I want to return to the States, turn in my gear, and fly to plastics. I am relieved to hear you talk about the "boy shape" issue, I have also noticed this with body lift patients and it was a concern for me too. I have strong wide shoulders, a petite ribcage, huge knockers (thanks Grandma!), short T-Rex arms, a short ribcage but long hips (does that make sense?) and short lil legs. My hips are wide and from a backside view my behind is nicely shaped but from a side view it's a pancake . I want the pudendal gut to be taken away, the inner thigh to be fixed (it actually hinders my walking), breasts reconstructed and filled with fat, waist nipped, and arms done. Did you ever have an issue with bra strap rolls? That is a vanity thing that I would love to have fixed.

I was going to say that I just use regular chocolate Protein powder but this morning I tried to make a "dirty chai" - vanilla powder, SF chai syrup, splash of coffee. I made it with boiling hot Water and the coffee was fresh and hot and the coffee ... curdled my protein! I can't think of a better word, it turned my protein chunky! I'm dismayed, AND I have to drink/chew it because I can't afford to waste. Epic fail.

OD, I really appreciated your explanation of not being able to be with someone you love, it helped me understand the situation a lot better and I have to say, it made me even prouder of you than I was because your choice to not be with him shows that you are committed to your needs having priority and that is so good. Oh and, who cares if that guy is 11 yrs younger? If he was interested in you, so be it! My last boyfriend was 11 yrs younger. I agree with Jane about the sentences starting with "I" and it sounding a bit like a shopping list. Swizzly - I actually don't think the Google group will die, I think it will lay dormant until we need it again or maybe we will use it for the random chats that tend to happen, at any rate thank you so much for putting in that effort, I know we all appreciate it! Sometimes I'm so embarrassed, here I am a vet of 3 yrs, and I read all you guys grumbling about your weights, and so many of you are less than 10-15 pounds from goal or "worse"! I am still at a huge number, height and age factored in. it brings back uncomfortable memories of jr high, with the skinny girls in the bathroom complaining loudly about how fat they are, when they know darn well they aren't the ones who are fat - I am. Theirs was done with purposeful cruelty, I absolutely know that is NOT the case here, but those are my feelings. Jane - your glorious arms! They give me such hope, I definitely want mine done. As for 5:2 .... today I think will be the ultimate fast day at about 20 calories for the day. I'm not feeling too great, I ate some broccoli and chicken last night, about an ounce of chicken and about a cup of broccoli, and I was so miserably stuffed and uncomfortable it was only by sheer will that I didn't barf. Then today like an idiot, I ate a bite of the broc and chicken. ONE BITE, and I felt thanksgiving stuffed. That was 2 hours ago and I still can't eat or sip. Bleayargh.. Hey Cheri, you could video your daughter when your husband isn't around and then show him the "proof"!

The short answer is, yes, absolutely. It took me awhile to figure it out but I realized that I could not use any Protein powder that has casein, every time I drink them regularly I break out in deep cystic acne.