gamergirl

Lemme know how it works would you? They seem so cute and portable that I'd like to try them. Just don't know about the taste.

Right, right. I was sharing what our liquid pre-op diet was. We were allowed all those things on our pre-op since Jello, popsicles etc were considered liquid. Hope that made sense.

Basically, in order to shrink your liver, this is what you have to do: high Protein, very low carb, low to no fat, and because you are straining your system, you have to drink a lot of Water. You will find that everyone's diet varies. Mine allowed us 3-4 Protein shakes, and 3-4 cups of non-starchy vegetable Soups. Most people are also allowed sugar-free popsicles, sugar-free puddings, clear broths, and sometimes, fat-free greek yogurt. We were told to stay between 900-1000 calories, almost no carbs, no fat, really you're doing 80% protein and water. I'd suggest you run these and other suggestions you get here by your doctor and ask him if those are okay by him.

Oh I know! didn't we have to do those word problems about which weighs more, a ton of feathers or a ton of bricks? (At least I had to in India). That stuff drives me crazy. Glad you enjoyed the rest of it.

I should mention I am often very optimistic and put some bites of veggies on my plate, and sometimes even have a bite or two. I had some indian-style okra that was to die for on my first week of soft food and it tasted like HEAVEN. Like you, I too was craving something for a change and as long as it's cooked, a little thing won't hurt you. We have a word for that in an indian language, and it's the french equivalent of amuse guelle, or amuse your mouth--just a little tasty thing on the side that lights up your tastebuds.

well according to my fitness pal, one of them has 4 gms of carbs. if you fill them with meat as the recipes suggest, I doubt we'll be able to eat more than 2 of those little cupcakey things, so that's maybe 8 gms. If you're doing about 40-60 gms of carb a day, 8 is doable. I mean, yogurt has more than that so it seems doable to me.

My husband and I have both been stuck for 11 day or so. The timing is right, we're at 5 weeks now so I guess that's what we can expect. Trying to be patient

Okay so you need the following: 1. Whole black mustard seeds 2. Whole cumin 3. whole coriander 4. Cinnamon sticks 5. Whole Green Cardamom pods 6. Cayenne pepper 7. Turmeric 8. Bay leaves 9. Whole black pepper 10. Nutmeg That sounds like a lot I know, but it will set you up for success. They are so much cheaper in an indian grocery store than our typical little jars we buy at the grocery, it's worth a trip. Alternatively, whole foods, sprouts, central market, etc. all sell them loose in containers and you scoop out what you need by weight. Get yourself a fancy container like this if you want to keep them in one location: http://www.amazon.com/Matbah-Stainless-Steel-Masala-Container/dp/B009CSZA1U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1378682426&sr=8-2&keywords=indian+masala+dabba And get a cheap coffee grinder like this: http://www.amazon.com/KRUPS-203-42-Electric-Grinder-Stainless/dp/B00004SPEU/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378682491&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=coffee+grindr The differences in flavor come from either a) grinding the seeds, dry-roasting the seeds before grinding, or c) roasting in a bit of oil before grinding. Each of these tastes completely different. If you have this, you should be able to make the garam masala recipe I've posted, as well as the chicken curry. I will post some daal recipes one of these days and they will use the same spices, as would all the veggies I make. Enjoy!

Recipe with pictures posted here: http://sleevers.wordpress.com/2013/09/08/spicy-chicken-kebabs-paleo-wls-friendly-high-protein/ Ingredients 1 lb chicken tenders 2 cloves skinned and crushed 2 in piece of ginger crushed 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1.5 tbsp Garam Masala 1 tsp ground coriander seeds 1 tsp ground cumin seeds 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil 1 fresh lemon cut in half Method 1. Mix the chicken with all ingredients except the ghee and the lemon. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon onto the chicken and let it marinade at least 10 minutes, or preferably up to 2 hours (who am I kidding? I never wait 2 hours) 2. Heat a stainless steel pan on medium heat. Put in your 2 tbsp of ghee or coconut oil and spread it around the pan so there’s a nice coating of it all over the base of the pan. 3. Once it starts to smoke lightly, put in the chicken pieces in a single layer. Leave it alone for 2 minutes so that it gets a good browning at the bottom. 4. Turn over and at this point, add some additional ghee/coconut oil if it looks a bit dry. Brown the other side for another 2-3 minutes. 5. Turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and let it steam for a bit. This is so the chicken cooks completely but isn’t dry. 6. You could take the chicken out of the pan and deglaze it with a bit of half n half or cream and scoop up the brown bits at the bottom and voila! A nice little sauce you can pour over your chicken. Notice how this isn’t orange and yellow like the restaurant tikkas? That’s because we used all natural ingredients, not fake food color. Feel virtuous and enjoy!

Is it unrealistic, at 4 weeks post-op to expect to get the majority of your Protein from food rather than shakes? I am really struggling to get more than 40 gms from food and all I ever eat is protein. Last couple of days, I've been doing one shake a day but it's just really not making the grade and I'm missing the protein quota of 80 gms. What's a realistic timeframe to give up the shakes?

Wait I don't understand a lot of this. How does spin class make you retain lower body fat? Doesn't aerobic exercise also work to build SOME muscle? I can't see how you could be on a treadmill and not build lower body muscles? Wish they had some references to help explain some of their points but maybe someone here could?

Okay based on what you are doing vs what the NUT's plan calls for? Seems like YOU have a better idea about nutritional balance than they do. So my advice is to keep doing what you're doing and smile and nod at them Obviously don't violate orders on what foods you can eat when because of the inherent dangers in introducing food too early, but in terms of meal and macronutrient compositions, sounds like you are well educated and monitoring as you should. Good for you!

Welcome! There's so much to read and learn from here, that you can get most of your questions answered, and perhaps that might allay some of your fears.

Does it feel like gas pains? It's odd to have them this late but if you're constipated I suppose it's possible? So sorry you're hurting

Protein shakes fill me up for at least 2-3 hours, and right now, I eat pretty much every 3 hours anyway so that works out well. When I was pre-op, I used to use a lot of liquid in them and stayed full that way. I probably used 8 oz of soy/almond milk plus half a cup to a cup of ice and that's a lot to drink. Now, since its difficult to consume too much, I use only 4 oz of liquid in them. Perhaps you should try increasing the overall volume with more fluids and see if that helps? Ground flax seed should also help with Fiber and fullness, not to mention omega-3. We used to do that all the time, but haven't lately.

Actually to cook Indian food, you only need a few staples. I'll make up a short list and post it for you if you want? But yes, we have a lot of spices

I know my reply doesn't address your main concern, but narcotics make a person extremely constipated. If you're already having that issue, don't compound it with narcotics, or at least take some senna tablets with it to prevent constipation.

there was another post on here and Laura-ven said something about how different parts of our bodies start to hurt when we lose weight. I'm paraphrasing, but it's almost like our center of gravity shifts as our body size changes, and with it come strange aches and pains. Did you sprain it do you think, or is it more a consistent ache? I sprained mine today while doing nothing more complicated than taking a shower. Don't ask me how. Now I'm hobbling around the house like an old woman.

btw, the strawberries I'd stay away from a bit longer due to the seeds. We were told not to eat fruits with seeds like that for a few months.

When we were on full liquids, I made Soups that had lots of veggies in them, but cooked them very well and pureed them (my blog has those recipes). But since we started soft food and regular food, I don't seem have any space to eat fruits and veggies. Do you think you could eat them and still make your Proteins? My husband is eating a little watermelon with no trouble and I'm sure mashed banana etc. would be okay. For the broccoli or Beans etc. I'd cook them very soft, like overcooked cafeteria foods before I tried them.

From what I can tell based on reading here, you've asked two separate questions. One, how much Biotin to take, and two, how to prevent hair loss. They don't appear to be related I'm being a bit facetious, but only a bit. A lot of people here have said that despite keeping up with their Protein, Water, biotin, fish oil or other juju, their hair still fell out. Others have taken no supplements for their hair, and not had it fall out, and yet others took something and their hair didn't fall out so they think it was because of what they took but who knows? All in all, it seems like a crapshoot. I'm not quite sure if I will take it or not. 5 weeks post-op, I'm already losing more hair each time I shampoo.