7 Bites_Jen

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Thank you for posting this!!

I love this topic. Most people I know are actually "naturally" thin. It varies a lot on what they eat. Some of them eat more healthy than others, but they all have one thing in common and that's HOW MUCH they eat. NONE of them eat until they're sick. Rather, they eat a few bites of whatever it is they wanted, then are satisfied and go about their business. There are a select few that eat a lot of fried foods and junk, and honestly how they're not 1,000 lbs with heart disease I'll never know, LOL ... When I say that I want to "eat normally" I personally mean that I want to eat a smaller portion of healthy foods like meats and veggies, and then occasionally have a junkie treat. I want a normal relationship with food - where food doesn't occupy my every thought. It's hard when you're doing a cooking show, but it's been better now than it's ever been in my life!

I still eat soups all the time. It's fine :-)

Way to go!!

Believe it or not, Denny's, LOL. They have grilled chicken and steamed veggies on their kids menu, and also offer a grand slam where you get to chose what you want - I will get an egg with some sausage or ham. Another good place is Chili's. They also have some pretty healthy options on the kids menu. Call ahead, though - there are a lot of restaurants that won't let you order off the kids' menu - even with your card.

For soft foods - Beans, soft veggies (green beans, zucchini, squash, well done broccoli/cauliflower), soups and stews (broccoli cheese, baked potato soup, etc - those work great!). Be careful though, because if something is too rich, it can cause dumping. I had a bad experience with that eating a lobster bisque about three months after my surgery.

I know EXACTLY how you feel!! I was so afraid of dying on the operating table. I was afraid of leaks. I was afraid that it wasn't going to work ... I was just afraid of everything for sure. But think of this: The risks involved in this surgery are minimal. There is a larger chance that you will die of a heart attack because of your weight than that you will die during or because of surgery. Go back to your original decision: WHY did you decide to have surgery in the first place? How many diets have you been on. Why do you think they didn't work? The choice to continue forward with surgery is your own - no one can tell you what to do. But I can say that despite all my fears, I did it anyway. And I am so glad I did. It was the best decision I ever made.

Oh no!! I am so sorry to hear this! Have you been on prescription meds for it?

Congratulations! My mom had a revision done in September of last year - and she has said it was the best decision she ever made. Good luck!

Thank you!! And, absolutely!: After surgery, we are able to eat about 7 bites of food before our sleeves get full. My nutritionist even broke it down for me: 4 bites Protein 2 bites veggies 1 bite starch Some can eat more, some less, it depends on how far out you are and how big a sleeve you have (there are different sizes!). But seven bites is a pretty fair average. :-) Thanks for asking!

I am a cider fan. Love it! It doesn't hurt my sleeve one bit. I don't have any other tummy issues (dumping, etc.) with it, but some might. My favorites are Strongbow and Angry Orchard Crisp Apple. :-)

Glad you like it! Thanks! Don't worry about getting over 700 calories. Eventually you're going to want to start trying to get all the way to 1000!! You're doing just fine on your calorie count. Focus on your Protein - 92g is AWESOME!!! And walking is excellent. How great that your wife is walking with you!! So wonderful to have that support!

LOVE this story!! I've always said dogs know EXACTLY what their people need when they need it. If you need a hug - there's your dog. If you need to play - there's your dog. If you need someone to get rid of all the food that you're not supposed to eat - there's your dog ...

As a cook, I have to say that from my own experience yes, it is a really hard choice. Good for him for doing it!

Okay, you want to stay as close to 6-900 calories as you can. Since your on pureed foods, you have a lot more variety options. Make a big pot of Soup or chili, then run it through a blender or food processor. Make up some refried Beans and dilute them with about 1/2 c of chicken broth per can of beans. A day would look like this: Breakfast: 1/4-1/2 C greek yogurt (if you like it sweet add some honey or stevia to it) Snack - 1/2 C refried beans or Protein shake Lunch: 1/2 C pureed beef stew Snack: 1/2 C ricotta cheese or Protein Shake dinner 1/2 C pureed chili You want to use Protein shakes as a supplement. Getting your protein in is important, but it's also important to try to get as much as you can from food sources. Protein shakes don't actually give you as much protein as you might think b/c it's hard for the body to absorb it in that form. Some other things you can do - egg yolks mashed with some mayonaysse, instant grits mixed with cream of shrimp soup (i have that recipe on my blog), grits and oatmeal are okay - but don't eat a whole lot of them b/c you really need the protein more. I hope this helps! Feel free to check out our blog or our you tube channel for other suggestions :-)

I've done them in the oven before - and they're just as good!

Here's our latest episode! It's pretty nutty. And I mean NUTTY ... In so, so many ways ... LOL. Let us know what you think! Happy Halloween! <3

Thank you!! So glad it made you laugh :-)

Go do something fun that doesn't involve food! Putt putt golf, laser tag, bowling, hike in the woods, roller skating - something active and FUN! As for the boring shakes and yucky Soups phase - take a look at this - it might help you get through :-)

I was never given an actual ratio of Protein to carbs, but I was told to try to stay within 60-70 grams of protein daily if possible. Right now, protein and Water are the two most important things for you. You're going to want to avoid refined carbs - at least for a time while you're in the losing phase. What you should be eating right now is anywhere from 2-3 oz of a protein based food (meat, fish, cheese, etc.). Lean protein has a higher protein count than fatty protein, so you're going to want chicken, lean beef, lean pork, etc. A menu example (for when you're on full solids) Breakfast - one egg scrambled with 1 oz cheese snack - 1/4 C greek yogurt lunch - 6 boiled shrimp with 1/4 C steamed veggies (you might not be able to eat all that) snack - 1-2 oz cheese, dinner - 2 oz grilled meat, 1/4 C steamed veggies (you might not be able to eat it all) For right now, what stage of eating are you on? Are you on full liquids, pureed or soft foods? Let me know and I can help with a bit of a road map to get you started. :-)

PLEASE follow your doctor's orders!! There's a reason they have you going through these stages. For some docs pureed and soft foods are the same, so they don't make a distinction. For others, there IS a difference. Our new tummies are like a babies - we need time to adjust our new sleeves to solid food. You wouldn't send a baby from formula to a porterhouse, right? I know that's an extreme case, but it's the same principle. Our tummies need to learn how to digest food all over again. Pureed foods isn't really that bad. There are a ton of options - Soups and stews are great pureed as are Beans, chilis, etc. It doesn't have to be boring! In fact, our first episode talks about this: There are a TON of ways you can get through it. Remember, each stage is only 2 weeks. What is 2 weeks when compared with the rest of your new, healthy life?

A scotch egg is a hard boiled egg wrapped in breakfast sausage, rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried. So, so good. So so BAAAAAD but so so GOOD! LOL. That being said ... An egg pickled in scotch doesn't sound half bad, LOL!!

It is 100% absolutely and completely normal. If you look at the top of your page, you'll see a spot that you can run a search with. Type in "stall" and you will find so many posts it'll make your head spin!! It happens to everyone - MULTIPLE times. It's okay. :-) Just breathe and hang in there!! <3

At 15 months out, I can pretty well eat what I want. I try to avoid too many carbs b/c I'm still in the losing phase, but they don't bother me (just hinder my weight loss!). I do have issues with things like refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, and some fruit (grapes mainly). But those are things you're going to want to limit in any healthy diet anyway (with the exception of the fruit of course - fruit is NOT bad for you!). Otherwise, I can eat or drink pretty much what I want (in moderation, of course). Hope this helps!