heynowkc

@@BLERDgirl I forgot to ask. I loved the cherry larabar but didn't think it had much protein in it. What types have the most, do you know? I may end up keeping a package of quest bars around for emergencies like you with the lara bars, but I'm definitely going to start phasing them out of my regular routine as well. Maybe after year one I will get to a point where I won't need supplements on most days, but for now I think it's safer to stick to shakes and other more natural protein sources like eggs, cheese sticks and healthy meats.

You know, now that you mention it, my weight loss in the several weeks that I had been eating 2 bars per day definitely slowed. I thought it was just a part of the process but I've been trying to do shakes more often the past two weeks (not every day) and my weight loss took a serious up-tick! Maybe the quest bars are why?? Anyone else experience this? I think I'm going to have to do this too. I really do love veggies but I think I need to focus more on meat than I have been. (And here I thought I couldn't get any MORE focused on meat... LOL.) I really am going to have to look around for some shake recipes and see what works. There's a part of me that doesn't want to add anything to them because I know I'm just adding calories (even though my NUT wants me to avoid calorie counting) but I am going to HAVE to start experimenting if I'm going to be able to stomach them every day twice a day.

Well my shake is 30 grams of protein, so two of those is 20 grams more protein than 2 quest bars. Right now I am eating 3 meals a day and two protein Snacks. I think I probably need to eat mostly meat for my meals because my stomach capacity is about 3 ounces of food per meal before I feel too full and I do try and include vegetables as often as I can. So usually I have about 1.5-2 ounces of meat and then some veggies. I guess.. and I never thought I would say this, I'm eating too many vegetables. My goal for protein is 80 grams/day. But I revised that recently after reading a post here to 80-100/day. My problem, really, is that I don't always calculate protein before eating, or even before the end of the day. So I think I just need to pay closer attention and make sure to have at least one shake per day. Like yesterday, for two of my meals I had shrimp, but I only had 4 large shrimp at each meal and MFP tells me that's only 4.6 grams of protein/meal. Whoops! My total protein for yesterday was 61 and that was after going home and having an extra snack to bring it up from 51. I left one of my bars at home so that was even more disastrous than usual. But if I hadn't forgotten and eaten the bar, by the time I got home I would have still only been at 71 grams and 9 away from goal.

I'm just over 3 months out and in some ways my tastes have definitely changed. One thing I've noticed is that I'm very sensitive to very salty foods in a way that I wasn't before. I made a recipe the other day and thought it was painfully oversalted. My parents didn't think it was too salty at all. I also noticed that some cheese are just way salty for me now. Especially sharp cheddars. The only kind of cheese I've ever turned my nose up at before was Brie and Blue cheese crumbles. Now that is definitely changing. I haven't had it since surgery, but just the IDEA of Feta cheese now makes me cringe. And I used to love it before. I also noticed that certain things just don't "sit well" in my stomach so even if I might like them, I just avoid them now. Salads are still hard. I've barely tried any and don't look forward to it at all. Yogurt... even almond milk. (I am determined to try almond milk again though. I gave it up less than 2 weeks out from surgery.) I don't think much else has changed. But the thing is... I have been told by my dietitian that I just can't have many foods that I was allowed to have before, and that are a staple of most people's diets. -- Bread, oatmeal (steel cut is okay but I haven't had any), potatoes of any kind, rice, crackers, pasta, sweets, chips, tortillas/wraps, corn, beans (except edamame). I'm not missing them though, which is a good thing. But the things I'm limited on were not things that were "favorites" before except for wild rice and sweet potatoes. I kind of miss hummus and occasionally I'll walk by something sweet in the grocery store and think "oh I wish I could have a bite of that!" But because I am not even allowed to have them, I don't even know if it's something I'd like now! Maybe one day I'll find out. (Or maybe I won't. I'd be cool with that.) I do feel like sometimes we just get "used to" a taste and if we go a long time without having it we realize it's not as good as we remember. I am sure that's going to be the case with many things. I don't foresee myself going back to my old way of eating, so I will probably rarely have these types of foods, and maybe I just won't like them the next time I try them.

I'm sitting here laughing at myself because somehow I never really let my size dictate how vocal/friendly I was. I am noticing a lot of these changes are in reference to that. My brain knows I am fat, but my mouth sure doesn't! HAHAHA. Still have a long way to go. It'll be interesting to see how/if my personality changes. As for "introvert vs extrovert" I've always been an E! (ENFP.)

@@JamieLogical Yikes, I don't know if I've ever gotten 100 grams / day in! Wonder if I should worry about that. I'm just over 3 months out. When did your dietitian give you this goal? Maybe I should strive for it as well. I was told 2 protein supplements/snacks a day + 3 meals where protein comes first, then veggies. My supplements give me ~40-60 grams per day (depending on which ones I have) and then the other three meals rarely (if ever??) make up 40 more grams, let alone 60 more! How do you do it?

I was allowed to have a caffeinated beverage once per day as of 6 weeks out according to my dietitian. However! I don't drink coffee at all so my only experimentation with caffeine has been iced tea or other flavored drinks that may have a little caffeine in them.

Good grief.

Honestly I had a lot of people try and help and encourage me to lose weight in the many years leading up to my weight loss surgery. The difference is that I was often very vocal about my on-again/off-again attempts to lose weight. So the people who approached me about it were friends, co-workers/bosses, and family who I trusted and had discussed this with before. Or well.. anyone that knew me. I'm such an open person. If a stranger had approached me about getting healthier (nevermind suggesting WLS) I would have been more embarrassed than anything. But friends and family? That's another story, at least for me. I actually always 100% appreciated their attempts to help me! I know 99% of people would probably be offended. I guess I'm just a different breed. However, I have only had health insurance as an adult for the last year and a half. If WLS was ever brought up (and I can't remember it ever coming up during my "insurance"-less years) it would have been an impossible suggestion for me at the time. Edit: While I am only remembering the direct attempts to "help" me, there are subtler ways to be a positive influence -- I liked the idea of giving out your blog address (if you have one). Just "oh hey I have a blog, you should check it out!" Or I don't know, sharing a super yummy and healthy recipe/meal with an acquaintance you know struggles with poor food choices. Inviting someone for a walk or a non-food related event with you. I do think that most grown adults are aware of their options and the difference between healthy eating/living and knowingly putting themselves at risk. Some people just aren't ready.

Me too. Definitely given me some great ideas for what to look out for. I really want to try their avocados next since they're supposed to be so good.

Sadly, the truth is that I can no longer come to this site without seeing at least one rude/judgmental/accusatory/unsupportive/antagonistic/snarky/overly (overly overly overly) defensive/snobby reply to at least one thread where someone was struggling and/or genuinely looking for help and support. I've never been the target of these replies, but if I were, I'd feel like I was being attacked/written off/judged/etc. with no good reason. There is still a lot of good info/support here, and it's a wonderful place for pre-op questions, but unless you're looking for your own personal drill sergeant it's not the most kind/caring/information sharing type of "support group" that I'd wager most people are looking for. This post is basically saying that to people who don't like the drill sergeant method: "There's something intrinsically wrong with you and you're not ready for weight loss surgery anyway and you need to seek psychological help, you whiny, whiny baby." Well I'm sorry, but I take issue with that. First of all who are you to tell someone they're ready or not? Based on some arbitrary make-believe guidelines that have zero to do with WLS. What does one thing have to do with the other? (PROTIP: That was a rhetorical question. The answer is "nothing at all.") Also, this ENTIRE thread is a whiny reaction to something "someone that you don't know" posted on a message board. Isn't that a little hypocritical? (Also rhetorical!) This is basically how I feel about the whole thing. I'm no wilting flower, so I can take the tough stuff (and spit it right back out) and be no worse for the wear. Some people are far more sensitive and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if anyone is free to come here and dish out "tough love" then the people who are defending the "tough love" approach need to also recognize that people might, just MAYBE, publicly complain about it. You're putting yourself out there on the internet, not everybody is going to like what you have to say. It doesn't mean they're "universally defining" you or whatever you say, but it does mean that each of us gets to define our reactions to it for ourselves, whether publicly, or privately. So, my advice is: deal with it and stop complaining that not everybody likes every little thing you say.

I found out that I was having surgery a half a day before I had to start my pre-op diet so I didn't really have much time for a "funeral." I ALSO worked late that night, so I was getting home around 10PM. On my way home from work I got cheeseburger sliders and french fries from sheetz. I don't even like cheeseburgers or french fries from fast food places! It was just the only place open and I couldn't think of anything else. The cheeseburgers were TERRIBLE (I know this about myself: I hate fast food burgers. I have NO IDEA why I thought it would be a good idea????) The dumb thing is there are a million other food options at Sheetz. The other thing is that their french fries were actually REALLY good. It was my FIRST time ever eating them. So it was both a birth and a funeral at the same time? Apparently, I am really bad at decision making when I am panicked! But luckily I had Breakfast the next morning to look forward to. I started my pre-op diet at lunch the next day. I was picking up my supplies mid-morning at the doctor's office and was told it was OK to eat a regular breakfast. I had two fried eggs, a couple pieces of bacon and some toast with butter and jelly. MUCH better than the dumb Sheetz disaster of the night before. I often wonder if I'd had more time what I would do for my "food funeral." I bet I would have had sushi. Or maybe mexican. Shrimp fajitas with flour tortillas and tableside gauc with my chips. I can still eat sushi (just skip the rice) and I can have fajitas and guac, just no tortillas and chips. So.. probably... food funerals are more symbolic than anything.

I am three months out and too chicken to try most raw fruits, but the one's I've tried I haven't had any problems with. I've had strawberries, blueberries, grapes, a melon sampling from a salad bar (one bite of honeydew, one bite of cantaloupe, one bite of watermelon) and pineapple. (I've also had canned peach.) I have YET to try banana, apple, pear, fresh peaches/nectarines/plums, oranges/clementines/etc. I have a very small capacity (around 3 ounces) so I haven't eaten a banana simply because I know I can't eat the whole thing and don't want to peel a whole banana just to eat a few bites!! I haven't even used one in a smoothie/shake because I figure that's just extra calories I don't actually need. I am sure I will change my tune eventually.

@@MacMadame You're awesome for putting this together.

If you can find something that fits in with your dietitian's guidelines I don't see why you can't try it. It's pretty difficult to find those though! I am not allowed any kind of carb-foods (Beans, rice, crackers, noodles, bread, sweets, potatoes, corn, etc.) so for me it's especially difficult. HOWEVER, I did find one I loved the other day: Atkins Crustless chicken Pot Pie This has chicken, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and spinach. NO rice, beans, breading or noodles at all. And it tastes AMAZING. I love the cauliflower and the spinach in this especially. Really makes it special. I can only fit about half of it (actually a little less) into my stomach so what I usually do is cook it ahead of time at home and then split it up into my snack-size sistema plastic containers. (I get the sistema stuff at target or world market.) For half of a container it's about 165 calories and 11 g of Protein. I have issues with frozen meals anyway because if I'm going for anything marketed as "healthy" I notice they tend to make up for loss of flavor by adding lots of spice to things that oftentimes aren't even traditionally spicy and I can't do spicy at all. So finding something like this one is a great find for me.

I just stopped at costco this weekend and picked up a few things. bai5 variety pack of drinks. These are a great price. About 1.20-ish(?) per bottle. (I am doing math in my head, very dangerous!) Anywhere else they're AT LEAST 2 bucks a bottle, so this is a great deal. And this was my greatest Costco find yet. Sabatino's Roasted Garlic & Basil chicken Meatballs with Mozzarella. They're 140 calories for 3 meatballs (which is about all I can fit into my stomach!) and 16 grams of protein! They are already fully cooked (refrigerated) and come in a pack of 50. (2 packs of 25.) I froze one pack and browned the other pack for lunches this week and spaghetti night on Tuesday. (My parents will have them with spaghetti noodles but I'll just have three meatballs and be happy.) I have been craving meatballs for some reason and these really hit the spot. The only trouble is the sodium content. There is a picture of the package and all the nutrition info at fooducate here. I'm really starting to appreciate Costco now that I have become more familiar with the store since joining a couple of months ago. One thing I love is they always seem to have lamb and their boneless leg of lamb is a really simple way to cook and serve it - no bones to deal with. We butterfly it, do a rub on the inside, then roll and tie it, then do a rub on the outside. Sear it, then roast it in the oven. Yum yum. Their lamb chops were amazing too. I haven't tried any of the others. The other thing I LOVE is their Steelhead trout which they always seem to have as well. It is red in color like salmon but is actually a sea-run rainbow trout. We used to eat this ALL THE TIME in Pennsylvania but since moving to Virginia over 10 years ago we could hardly ever find it in any stores. Costco to the rescue apparently! One other reason to love Costco is that they pay their employees a living wage! Their average employee makes something like $20.00 / hour!

You and me are in the same boat then. I actually enjoy myself when I get into a regular routine. It's getting INTO that routine that's the hard part. Especially when you're so busy! I've got jury duty tomorrow and I'm hoping to get dismissed early and hit the pool for Water aerobics in the afternoon. I just need one good week to get me settled into a routine.

That's too pricey for me. Plus I'd be afraid it wouldn't work!! Haha. Sounds strange but I have an explanation, I promise. You know those "handlebar" like things at the gym that the trainers use? They measure your body fat percentage. Anyway I have tried using them many times over the years at different places but they ALWAYS reply back with an error message. I don't know if it's specifically something about ME or if it's just that I have a very HIGH body fat percentage? I am not sure. But to this day my body fat percentage remains a mystery.

I am three months out as of this week and I still find going out to eat (socially or not) difficult. What can I/Should I eat? Will they let me order from the kids menu? (Some places will, some won't.) I have decided that the next time I go out to a real restaurant I will just do what one of the other posters said. Order a full size healthy meal, eat a small portion, and box the rest up for leftovers. With the amount of food they give you that could last me a while!! Luckily I have kids with friends and they know about my surgery so they can just order an extra kids meal for me, or I will share with a toddler, haha. That's what I did when I was back on solid foods. We went to Red Robin (a burger chain) and they ordered a kids meal for their 10 month old, grilled chicken breast (on a stick) with steamed broccoli. I could barely eat any. I think the 10 month old ate more than me! The funniest thing is going to my monthly book club meeting. We have it at Wegman's (a grocery store chain) which has seating/meeting areas on the second floor. We meet there and eat together first, then have our meeting. Last time I just went to the seafood department and got a couple of pieces of their prepared shrimp and a small spoonful of cold brussels sprouts salad. I think the people think I'm crazy when I ask for such a small amount of shrimp. But I don't mind. One time the guy at the counter was like "I threw an extra one in there for you!" (After he'd weighed the amount I asked for.) And I didn't have the heart to tell him I wouldn't be able to eat it, haha. Last time I could only eat two of the shrimp! (Their shrimp is gigantic!) Whenever I've gotten food at a salad bar/food bar from a grocery store, it's a huge benefit to have such a tiny stomach. You can portion out exactly how much you can eat, and since you pay by weight, you only have to pay a couple bucks for your meal!

I was kind of the same way on pre-op. No hunger and didn't drink all my shakes. They wanted me to have 3/day but I only really needed 2 to get all my Protein in.

Quick question. What kind of exercise are you doing? I'm still mostly doing walking and some strength exercises but haven't really gotten back to the gym more than once or twice a week (I was going 5-6 times / week before surgery!). My progress is similar to yours (my surgery was 2 weeks after you) but I have 100 lbs more than you to lose. I am just curious if I should really be stepping it up and getting back to Water aerobics. It's just been a pretty brutal winter with a sinus infection that lasted several weeks and then lots of snow. The past two weeks have been warm, but I'm still in my old routine! I have a plan to amp it up, but am just curious what others are doing!

Over the winter costco had a sale on a Weight Watchers scale (14.99) and I bought it because my expensive (always inaccurate) scale had recently broken. Anyway, this one is always accurate with me. No matter how many times you step on it back to back it will give you the same weight. I wish I could tell you the model number. Some reviews for other models online seem to suggest that many people have the same problem you have, but I have NEVER had any issues. The trouble is none of these look exactly like mine at home so I am not sure which one to link you to. If you have a Costco you might try looking there. I think the regular price was 19.99 and it's a 400 lb capacity.

I don't have before/after pics but I've lost 67.2 lbs since surgery on Dec 17th. (And a total of 136.2 since Oct 1st!) I will probably wait until I'm 100 lbs down from surgery to take after pics. Since I have so much to lose, even though the numbers are big the loss is not that visually noticeable yet.

Thank you for this sane reply.

I take two calcium chews daily (morning and night), two Multivitamins daily (morning and night), and one B12 under the tongue tablet every other day. So it's really not so bad. I notice that some people take a lot more, but my Vitamin contains many of the things people are taking separately (like biotin) so I am lucky that I found a pill that includes these things. I get my multivitamin from GNC. I take the women's ultra mega once daily pill, but I take it twice daily because my nutritionist said it's needed. They usually have pretty good sales at GNC. Like buy one get one free, periodically on their website. That's when I stock up.