Momofthing1thing2thing3

When you can, I would buy a scale. At least you can track weightloss easier that way. You're going to have pain for a while. That is not unusualy. I think the only thing that didn't hurt was the very top incision. But you have no fever and you sound like you're doing good. And you're only 10 days out. You are also still carrying around fluid and gas weight from the surgery. Takes a bit of time to go away. Keep going, you sound like you're on the right track!!

Bukki: It doesn't sound like you're getting enough calories in. You need snacks. I just cannot make it without a snack. Just can't eat much and then you're empty pretty quickly. I'm hungry like every two hours. Bring on the cheese sticks. Momto3girls: Don't eat that stuff tomorrow. You are allowed to have a bad day. But not a bad week. Plan your meals, bring your snacks with you. And like Newgrandmother said, breathe. Or as I would say Chill-ax. Go take a walk in this beautiful fall weather. Plan for trick or treaters. Take a nap. That has been my biggest issue. We are still recovering. We had major reconstructive surgery inside our bellies. Gotta get healed well and completely and gotta get used to it.

Thanks, Nick'sMom, well said. I could never have done any of this like this pre-sleeve. Duh, one of the reasons I did this at all.

Don't be frustrated. Remember, generally, you will lose weight from the top down. And visa versa. The stomach and the butt/hips are the last to go. Which is where your pants are gonna be....curses! Hang in there.

TEKARA: 7 weeks and 33 pounds?!! That's AWESOME! That's over 16 pounds on average per month (since you're almost at 2 months out). Give your body time to catch up, adjust and get comfortable at your new weight. Isn't that more weight in a month than you've lost previously? Prior to surgery? Be happy. You're on track. Besides, too fast and you're going to look like a melted candle. You want to give your skin time to recover as well. Way to go! You totally ROCK!

I'm also on regular food right now. And I just eat what I want. I'm the cook in the house and so what I cook, is what we eat. And I'm cooking the same things I did before. I eat what my family eats. I just eat less. Waaaay less. I made a pot of vegetable beef (with the beef being ground beef) soup and it was awesome! We all ate it. They would have some crusty bread, but I stayed away from that. If I wanted some crackers, I had some, but I don't really eat them with my soup/chili now. I'm more interested in getting in the protein and veggies, and the crackers take up room. I eat crackers for snack. Saltines with some butter...love it. And I really like them with oj. Trop 50 oj. I know, I'm weird. But it's like cookies and milk. Got to have saltines and oj.

I absolutely love the mini Premium saltine crackers. And Cheez-its, and any small cracker like that. Ritz, is a little too "tender" if you understand what I mean. They tend to make a gooey ball. But I haven't had that problem with any others. I have taken a couple sips of my hubby's soda on occasion. No problems. But when I say sips, I mean it. I just haven't gone there. And I really miss my coke zero. Sigh.

Wow. Only 30 minutes? Mine told me to take an hour to eat and drink. We are all told so many different things, I'm not sure that they know much of anything.

I think their "pouches" are much smaller than our sleeves and they don't have the absorption ability anymore, unlike us. We still have some of that. I prefer having my "normal" stomach with its parts, although there are now less of them. I'm going to still take my mobic....surgeon said I could at a month out. So I am.

I just couldn't stomach the chewables anymore. I'm 5 nearly 6 weeks out and last week, I said screw it! And I went back to taking the vitamin I was taking before surgery...Centrum Energy. Big 'ol orange pill. Took it, it went down. It stayed down. No pain. And MAN I FEEL GREAT!!!! I'm just taking that now. No iron or other extras. Honestly I feel sooooo much better when I started that. Night and day difference. I figure there is so much info that we are getting that is so different from one person to the next that I would just try it and if it worked for me, then that's what I would do. And it does. Phew! Cause I was feeling like crap. Not just regular crap but the kind that gets left in the bowl after flushing.....all alone and not enough momentum to even try to follow the crowd. Ahhhh...so much better. Tuna? Haven't braved that route yet. But someday I will. Had some that my husband put in mac and cheese with peas....it's a bit too dry. Maybe mashed all to kingdom come and with mayo and relish I might be able to. But I'm not as brave as you yet. But hey, 5 more pounds gone as of a few minutes ago!!! Go ME!! Go YOU GUYS!!!! Slow and steady wins the race. I don't want to lose so fast I look like a melted candle. Off to the corn maze with the Cub Scouts!

I actually made myself a little chicken and cheese sandwich on a little dinner roll...oscar meyer deli chicken, a slice of cheese and some mayo and mustard...'bout the same calories as putting the same, with one more slice cheese on a low carb tortilla....at any rate, ate it really slow, chewed it to death and it went fine. Took about 45 minutes. That was okay....but man oh man, did I want to drink a coke zero with it. I miss coke zero. I know I only had tops one a week, but I really wanted one today. I was good...grrrr. A sandwich with a soda....sigh. I miss it. But I'll survive. And I have tallied up my calories over the last few days, since I eat mostly the same. I'm getting between 700 and 850 each day. I think that 1200 is way too much unless I start adding in donuts or other high carb items. Not adding in those. I'm cool with my calorie level. Think I lost another couple of pounds. Not really weighing in today, but I glanced.

Eating too fast has been the bain of my existence. I have learned that I must first, take smaller bites, chew...of course....which is easier to do with a smaller bite. And do it slow. I get in more protein that way. Slow really is the key. I did NOT get enough water in yesterday. Having a really hard time lately with that. But I eat slow, and it seems like I'm hungry so soon after. It takes me an nearly an hour to eat. I used a low-carb tortilla yesterday and put 6 turkey slices (lunch meat type) and two pieces of provolone...warmed it in the microwave then folded it over and cut into six wedges. Awesome protein at 18g..only 6 carbs, but it takes me forever to eat it. Because too fast is painful or I vomit. And then I have to wait to drink. And it's like while I'm waiting to drink, I get hungry again. Irritated.

I'm military, sooooo....it's all covered. Bless those of you who are paying this on your own!

CHICKEN.....seems to be a problem for a lot of you. But we know that chicken, especially the white meat like chicken breast, is better for us generally. I have found a way to get chicken in...good thing cause I love it. The first way, is to poach it. I take whole chicken breasts and cover them in water and boil until the chicken is done. Usually 45 min - 1 hour. Let me be clear, that once it reaches boiling, I cover and simmer. I use this chicken to make soups, stews, chicken salad (another fave) with grapes and hard boiled eggs, minced celery & onion and mayo and a bit of chili sauce (my secret ingredient) with salt and pepper to taste. I usually put in slivered almonds, but I haven't done that since my surgery...just not to the almond stage yet. Little nervous about nuts (the edible kind). Also, when I cook chicken in a skillet for dinner, I butterfly the breasts, use olive oil, cook on medium and cover while cooking and take it out the MOMENT there is no pink left. And keep it covered for a bit and then serve. Chicken is moist and tender. And the biggest thing with both of those is to cut it into tiny bites. Seems to work so far.

I think my NUT is crazy. She wants me getting at least 120 carbs per day. I think she's out of her mind. That many carbs doesn't work well for everyone. Especially those of us who were very sensitive to carbs before our surgeries...I was. I was on Metformin 2x a day. Now I'm not and I'd like to keep it that way. She's crazy. It be raining crazy NUTs in here!

Okay, what are these 1/2 cup rubbermaid containers? Where did you get them? Do you have a link to them? I like having things that are pre-measured.

I think it's time for lunch!

We're going to have to pack our lunches. Lunchmeat (turkey or chicken) and cheese rollups, beans with cheese, cottage cheese with french dressing (my fave!), fruit, even packs of oatmeal. No one said you can't have breakfast for lunch. Oh, and egg salad, or tuna salad or a fiesta salad with beans, tomatoes, corn, shredded carrots and cheese, maybe some cholula or salsa. I think I'm going to get one of those better lunch boxes that hold cold stuff longer. Not the crappy ones I get at Walmart for my kids. Last thing I need is food poisoning cause my egg salad or turkey got warm...ewww.

Agreeing with "For-me..." This is better than my scheduled support group. Which is in an auditorium and run my the nurse...more like a class than a support group. Yeah, wondering about the calorie count. My nut didn't give me one either. Just hammered on the lack of carbs in my diet. Please. It's carbs that got me in the pre-wls I was in anyway! I may also be in a stall. But I'm not weighing myself everyday. Trying to limit that to once a week. I may step on the scale, but I only count it once a week....fair?

That was some awesome information on "The Inevitable Stall".....THANK YOU:D

Question for you all: When you talk about getting your water in, are you all counting ALL fluid or just water? And, um, totally not even counting calories....perhaps I should. I just eat when I'm hungry...well, actually I drink first and then I eat.

W.O.W. best website I have found lately on cooking well, low carb, protein friendly and man is that some tasty looking food!! I want to start cooking and baking again!!! Thank you, thank you, ABSTRACT!!! ;D

Oh sweetie, you need way more Protein if your hair is falling out! Don't lose your hair. Eat more protein.

Went to my first restaurant. Ate slow, chewed well. 2 tsp of corn, 2 tsp of broccoli cheese casserole and a little catfish. I didn't vomit! so excited! And came home and had a couple bites of birthday cake and ice cream. Still haven't vomited. But I'm not going to drink for a little while. That would be a bad idea. But I want to. Thirsty.

CAMPING, yes!! We are also planning a camping trip soon. Packet oatmeal, dutch oven cooking...anything (not like you're gonna eat alot anyway). A cooler with ice to hold cheese sticks, and fruit cups and cottage cheese with dressing. That should get you by. You can do eggs. I am also just slightly over a month out and I had scrambled eggs with like 2 strips of bacon the other day. Everything is better with bacon. But not cooked too hard or too soft. It was de-lish! Of course all these things you can cook in your dutch oven. Blueberry pancakes. You can even add a scoop of vanilla or non-flavored protein powder to the pancake mix and you get that extra protein punch. Canned soup, like the no add water chunky kind. Coming up with all these ideas is making ME want to go camping sooner. Make sure you have something comfy to sleep on. I still have issues sleeping. I sleep all twisted and so I get myself into a bit of pain sometimes.