Arts137

looks like most will skip on the bubbles... and I skipped on some wonderful champagne to Celebrate my daughter's entrance into the Virginia Bar!!!

Just got Taubes' books and will start them this evening... I personally KNOW how out of control I get when I eat any simple carbs...

We won't scream and yell... we just want all to do your best and try hard to succees!

Not dumb... oral steroids can irritate the stomach... And you can have an NGT, just not "blind" ones. Now all that said, everything is a tradeoff, and if needed the medical team will do what is best for us. We just don't want to surprose them!!!

Great thread, friends!!! Thanks for the personal stories!!

And again... maybe a key 'culprit' (at least for me) is simple carbs, sugars and over processed foods.

Thanks... VERY interesting and informative!

WOW! This is awfully close to Lysenkoism! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trofim_Lysenko

YES! Pretty emotional before, and you'll likely be pretty emotional after as well. Lots of changes, not the least of which are hormones!

Yes, they call us all. This trick is not to answer...

Yes, Pbutter is OK. ALSO consider Hummas, a staple of mine.

woo hoo! Good for you!

If you can hold strong the first day, the second day is a wee bit easier. and the third and fourth. For most, days 3 and 4 can mark a turning point AS LONG AS you can make it through the day "clean". If not it will be as if you need to go back to day one and start all over again. The pre-diet is important for a lot of reasons. One, you get to practice on thinking about food and eating in a new way. Two, you can practice your new behaviors before you are post-surgery (and you will HAVE to follow the hard things then). Third, if your MD wants a pre-diet, it means he/she wants you to shrink your liver... Very Important to help your surgeon out!

I am about the same 'distance' out as Lipstick. And I have similar concerns. I dealt with Thanksgiving (and will deal with Christmas) the same way. I will have a daily food plan that I WILL follow. I cannot snack on all the stuff left out. When I do, it's Game Over for that day, and is hellishly hard to regain control over the next DAYS.

But this DOES happen... It does NOT mean that you have stopped losing. It does NOT mean that you have failed... unless to give up. Think about where you are (in your head), plan on an eating and activity "log" for each day. Get your Water in. NO soda's, Protein dense focus, and Turn the Page is right. We all have a fat brain, start working on that too.

Hey, I am CDO -- That's OCD in alphabetical order.

Everyone does NOT cheat on their pre-op diet. I had a two-weeker and I followed it. I also started a 'smart eating plan' months before trying to learn what my life post-sleeve would be like. I ain't perfect and I work at this every day. To quote Laura: " this will take some willpower and some personal responsibility" And darlin if I can muddle through YOU can!!! Win this one!

Water helps make you feel full for a little while. Always work to get that water in. Some have early hunger, some very little... Some (like me) are not so sure what the heck hunger feels like. I just ate all the time (in the bad old days). Now I don't mind the hunger. I plan my eating and follow the plan (for me, snap decisions on "a little of this" or "a bite of that" or "just one cookie", is generally NOT a good idea. I am an addict and must pay attention. DO 'go slow' in the early days. add things a little bit at a time and one thing at a time to make sure that you tolerate foods well. And start now thinking about behavior changes and (what I call) the Fat Brain. A

I have a medic alert 'dog tag' at the program's suggestion... Gives my name, my surgeon's name and phone and: Sleeve gastrectomy No blind NGs No NSAIDs No Oral Steroids

I can eat a LOT of food at 6 months out. Certainly much less than in "the before time" but I'd bet 12 oz. I still start the day with a Protein shake, and, for the reason's Fluff describes, will continue to do so.

Britty, gotta tell ya that this seems pretty good to me. And I bet you are looking and feeling great too! Well done, friend!!

shakes help me have a planned and stable daily plan. I use unjury (generally) and find them quite tasty (I mix with soy milk)

Thanks everyone, a great thread since I am recently focused on the "fat brain". I agree that we are all different. That said, I also think that we all have "our individual" fat brain that wants us to be comfortably FAT, soothed by our drugs of choice. We got there differently, and our triggers are different, but I doubt that many of us were mentally healthily fat... But while I might comment openly here, I never comment on other's eating out there in "the world". I'll talk with anyone if asked a question, but if not, I am just silent. Primarily because I personnaly do NOT appreciate unsolicited comments, preferring to follow the old adage: "If I want your opinion, I'll beat it out of you"

Well, At a year, you have the basic plan down, but tell us more. Are you still losing weight? Do you still want to lose weight? How active are you? Likely forever the emphasis will remain on Proteins and Water first. Then veggies, and lastly complex carbs. And keep with the Vitamins and remember the things to control...

Ohhh, thanks! Interesting read!