delta_girl

Sometimes I really am surprised about some of the questions or lack of information. There are a lot of very basic questions. It could be that some are just wanting to connect with others and that is an easy way to interact with people in the forum. But a simple web search can answer a huge percentage of these questions, such as general definitions. Self-education, to me at least, is like brushing your teeth, buying groceries, etc...a basic life skill. And if you are reading these forums and see that other people have a post-op plan, then it only takes a few minutes to find post-op vsg plans from major health centers and top hospitals on the Internet.

I would hope that self-education always takes place regardless of what the hospital or surgeon provides. There are enough resources available in the public domain for anyone to learn as much as they want to.

You can order PB2 online or get it from many health food stores. It looks like powdered gold flour but is made from peanuts with most of the fat removed. You can get chia seeds at health food and drug stores, though you can get them much cheaper online.

You haven't failed unless you give up. So don't give up. You can recalibrate yourself in just a few days. It may not be the most fun you have ever had, but if you got as far as you have, you already have what it takes to do it

The day before yesterday I ate nothing...nada, so yesterday was a bit unusual. I had some spicy cheese with little oyster crackers, some chicken divan and maybe 1 tablespoon of lentils, diluted orange juice, 2 very tiny pieces of dark chocolate (41 calories), half a cherry tomato and a small slice of cucumber, 1/2 cup beef stew, 1 glass diluted low calorie cranberry juice. I'm 13 weeks out.

How many calories?

I order a cup of soup or an appetizer if there are healthy options for those and just say I'm really not that hungry right now. If you order a regular meal, box it up and take the rest home for another meal or two. You really don't have to explain much to anyone. If the waiter asks if the food was ok, just say it was delecious, thank you,

Exactly.

I'm afraid to ask how you even know that

Try adding 1 tablespoon of PB2 into vanilla greek yogurt with 1 teaspoon of chia seeds ....oh. my. goodness. It is So good!!!

I have mine in my signature. The first two rewards I decided on so that I might feel "pretty." The next two are health/wellness based. I just have an empty spot on reward #3 after 75lbs lost. I have thought about maybe getting some new running shoes or hiring a personal trainer. I just haven't thought thorough it long enough. I am within just a few pounds of my #2 reward after 51 lbs lost.

This is cool if you are interested. I bought the ingredients to make it and will do it sometime this week. I found it on Pinterest and the photos look so delicious! Cauliflower Crust Makes 4 individual pizzas 2 eggs 2 cups mozzarella cheese 2 cups riced cauliflower (grate the cauliflower on a cheese grater) 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup fresh julienned basil pizza Toppings 1 cup marinara sauce (1/4 cup per pizza) 1 zucchini, thinly sliced 1 yellow zucchini, thinly sliced 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced Basil Ricotta (recipe below) The recipe directions are here: http://www.fatgirltrappedinaskinnybody.com/2011/06/basil-cauliflower-pizza/

I had part of one piece of thin crust cheese pizza at around 10 weeks. I mostly ate the cheese and it was not nearly as good as it was before.

I hadn't even thought about it. Fascinating!

For others who want to do this, remember that Protein powder loses its nutritional integrity at higher temperatures.

Here are several guides that have fantastic information. They may differ, just like most of our surgeons do in their requirements and recommendations. I am not a nutritionist nor a medical professional, so use your best judgement when looking at these and communicate questions to your surgeon. http://www.muhealth.org/documents/bariatric/Nutrition_Guidelines_Before_and_After_Vertical_Sleeve_Gastrectomy.pdf http://www.dukehealth.org/services/weight_loss_surgery/care_guides/bariatric_surgery_diet_manual/the_recommended_diet_following_bariatric_surgery http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/dietary_guidelines_after_gastric_bypass/index.html http://www.realself.com/files/ckfinder/RealSelfNutritionalGuide.pdf http://professional.diabetes.org/admin/UserFiles/CE/South%20Florida/Workshop%20A-3%20Nutrition%20Management%20in%20Bariatric%20Surgery.pdf

There is a variety of Swiss Miss that is not that easy to find where I am, so when I find it I really stock up. It is called Swiss Miss DIET and has only 25 calories per serving. The last time I found it was at Target.

I like the natural and Teriyaki. The jerkee is actually a good bit of meat for the number of calories but I think it is a bit dry and tough. The sticks are easier to chew and more moist. If you like spicy then you might like the pepper.

And something is tickling the back of my mind about the impact of caffeine and Calcium. Caffeine causes the body to excrete calcium. I always use 1% milk in my coffee. Caffeine leaches calcium from bones, sapping their strength. "You lose about 6 milligrams of calcium for every 100 milligrams of caffeine ingested," That's not as much of a loss as salt, but it's worrisome, nonetheless. Caffeine is a particular problem when a woman doesn’t get enough calcium each day to begin with. The good news is that limiting caffeine intake to 300 milligrams a day while getting adequate calcium probably offsets any losses caffeine causes. Coffee is a major caffeine source. For example, a 16-ounce cup of coffee can provide 320 milligrams. High-caffeine sodas can contain up to 80 milligrams per can or more. Although tea also contains caffeine, studies suggest it does not harm, and probably helps, bone density in older women, regardless of whether they add milk to the beverage. Researchers think that tea contains plant compounds that protect bone. (ref: http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/living-with-osteoporosis-7/diet-dangers?page=2)

I also carry Ostrim with me in my purse or car just in case. 60-80 calories, tasty, super low fat and a lot of Protein. You can get it at GNC, smoothie King and most health food stores. http://www.protos-inc.com/

I was doing half caf for a while, ran out and am now back to regular. This week I pulled out the program binder my surgeon gave me to re-read some things I may have forgotten. It says that caffeine is an appetite stimulant. I find that I respond the opposite. If I have two cups of coffee I'm not interested in food for a really long time. Then there is the acidity of it which is probably not good for your sleeve early on. I've pretty much been having some form of coffee or another since around 3 weeks out.

That is an interesting parallel. Most of us are food addicts. I guess if you were an alcoholic and went to your AA meeting and asked if it would be ok to have a few beers on Valentine's day or shared that you threw back a fifth of vodka, you would get some different responses. Hugs from some maybe? I don't know. Others who were disappointed in you? Some who were angry? Some who said they understood but tomorrow is a new day? Of course not really quite the same thing since we can't stop eating food. I just thought it was an interesting way to consider another angle.

Highest weight: 219 lbs Surgery weight: 212 lbs (9-26-12) Current weight: 165 lbs Goal Weight for Valentine's Day: 151 lbs (-14 lbs @ 2 lbs per week)

I wondered about this so had to go look it up Roast Turkey, Ranch & Bacon Wrap 590 calories 33g of fat/9g saturated, 105 mg cholesterol, 1990 mg sodium, 39g carbs, 40g Protein Roast Turkey & Swiss Wrap 490 calories 25g of fat/6g saturated, 80 mg cholesterol, 1550 mg sodium, 39g carbs, 34g protein

I don't disagree but bombs are going to start going off now...sheesh..