mhuntoon

Can someone please explain to me in layman's terms how Protein works in speeding up weight loss? I read an article last month in which a famous nutritionist whose name now escapes me (on a reputable site) claimed that you should eat protein equal to your goal weight. For an example, he stated that if you weighed 180 (ha ha) and wanted to weigh 140, you should eat 140 grams of protein per day. When I mentioned this to my nutritionist, she became concerned and said that much protein would not be good for your kidneys, which is what I thought as well. She then went on to say that protein IS vital to weight loss and that I really should be trying hard to get 80 grams per day. I explained that I'm probably averaging closer to 60 which she seemed okay with, but did encourage me to increase it. I'm struggling to get my 80 grams per day because I'm growing increasingly sick of eggs, Protein shakes, and greek yogurt which have been three of my biggest sources of protein to date. I also try to eat 4-5 Quest Bars per week (has anyone received their free samples for that other link yet? I haven't) as those have 20-21 grams of protein and taste good enough to eat fairly regularly. I don't want to eat more than one per day due to cost and the fear that I'll grow increasingly sick of those (see eggs, shakes, and yogurt above). I guess my questions are: 1. How does protein speed up the weight loss process? 2. How close do you come to reaching whatever goal your surgeon/doctor/nutritionist set for you (mine is 80g/day)? 3. How do you increase your protein intake without getting tired of eating the same things regularly? As of today, I've lost 68 lbs since dieting pre-surgery (beginning the day after Thanksgiving) and have 49 to go to reach my goal. Originally, I wanted to reach that goal by my oldest child's birthday in August, but that would still leave me at nearly 4 lbs per week which is pretty high based on how I've done the last 4-5 weeks. Modifying my goal to this coming Thanksgiving instead seems FAR more realistic. Halloween would make me very happy, though

All, I have several 3xl shirts in good condition (wouldn't offer anything that I'd be embarrassed to send out) if anyone is interested. Button downs and polos. If interested, let me know. I'm asking that you handle the postage, but the shirts themselves are free of charge.

Had my surgery a little over 2 months ago and the carb cravings for the past week have been insane.

Pretty much the only thing I have trouble keeping up with is my vitamins/calcium. I bought one of those 4-a-day pill containers (it's the size of a small phone book lol) but I still forget to take roughly 8-10 of the 42 Calcium citrate pills each week and roughly 2-3 of the 14 Multivitamins. Food: Not really hungry, so I eat because I'm supposed to Protein: Trying hard to get my 80g/day in but probably getting closer o 70 on average Liquids: 64oz is not a problem, definitely doing at least that much I cheated once (two days ago) when I ate a small piece of pizza as I was wrapping up the kids' leftovers. Other than that, haven't even been tempted to cheat. I'm down 56 pounds since my high on November 27th. Surgery was on 1/13 and I've lost over 35 since then.

Yes, I find myself eating because I *have* to eat, not because I'm hungry. I had my surgery on 1/13, so I'm a little ahead of you. I'm hoping that by keeping up with the Vitamins, Calcium, etc and trying to get my Protein close to 80g each day will keep me from becoming malnourished.

First, the good news. Since my surgery on 1/13, I'm down 25.2 lbs. My high was 297 the day after Thanksgiving, 2014 so I'm now down 45.4 lbs in 2.5 months. Now, the bad news. I've been dealing with constipation and a lack of appetite. I also cannot eat very much even when I don't feel full going into a meal. I know I was told to expect to eat much smaller portions, but wow. When the constipation kicks in, however, I'm having to force food into my system to get the needed Protein. I've been taking stool softeners and laxatives when I've gone 3 days without a bowel movement and it cleans things out quite nicely. Is this something that goes away soon? I have a feeling that it may tie into my first question below: 1. Iron supplements. Are any of you taking iron supplements (above and beyond the iron you get in your multivitamins)? I signed up for a mail-order of Nascobal (B-12) that I squirt into my nose once a week. That prescription comes with Multivitamins, iron supplements, and Calcium citrate. I knew I needed the multivitamins (was taking the CVS brand of Flintstones chewables) and the calcium citrate, but just started taking the iron along with them as they all came together in the order (pay for Nascobal, get the other stuff free). I've since switched back to the Flintstones and my Calcium Citrate +D3 petites because the dissolvables of each that came with the Nascobal made me want to vomit (literally, not to be overdramatic or vulgar). I continued taking the iron, however. Going through my paperwork today, I noticed that I'm supposed to take two multivitamins each day (check) and 1200-1500mg of Calcium Citrate each day (check), but it doesn't say anything about iron supplements. 2. Protein shakes. Prior to surgery, we went to costco and bought the Premier Protein shakes. They sat on the dining room table we never use for 3 weeks before I tried one. I was convinced they would be horrid. To my surprise, they were actually pretty good. I drank those up until my surgery. After surgery, I started using the powder (to save money) - Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Rich chocolate. I was surprised to find that it, too, was very tasty. For the past week or so, however, I'm disgusted by it. I have to force it down which is, needless to say, unpleasant. I've read about the unflavored Proteins we can add to Water, yogurt, etc. Anyone have experience with those? Are they truly unflavored or do they leave an aftertaste/change the taste of whatever you put it in? 3. I'm allowed hummus. I LOVE hummus. Problem is, I can't eat crackers, chips, pita, etc at this phase (and likely won't eat much even when I'm allowed), but I'm also not allowed bell peppers or cucumbers. The latter surprises me because I'm allowed squash and zucchini. Why not cucumber? The cool crispness of cucumber slices dipped in hummus is very appealing to me. Did they simply not include cucumber on the list or is there a reason it would be omitted. I specifically asked about bell peppers (because I love them in omelets, dipping hummus, etc) but never asked about cucumbers. To say I'm following the sheet they gave me to a "T" is an understatement. I'm anxious to lose the weight and don't want any complications, so I'm following things as closely as I can (with the one exception of not checking to see if the iron in question 1 was necessary). 4. At what point will drier proteins taste ok? I've tried cheeseburger patties with low-fat cheese, no sugar added ketchup, and yellow mustard a couple of times. They tasted horrible and I was only able to get between 1/4 and 1/3 of a burger down before I simply had to push it away both from the taste and the fact that I was full. I'm assuming chicken has been easier because it's not as dense and dry as the hamburger, but maybe I'm wrong. Anyone deal with the same thing only to find a month, two months, 6 months down the road burgers tasted great again? Losing burgers from my diet will be a blow. I know I can't order two quarter-pound burgers anymore, but being able to split a nice burger with someone would be like heaven to me (assuming they don't continue to taste bad). As always, TIA for any help.

I had no interest in telling my mother about my sleeve. Told my dad months before he said he felt guilty and asked me to please tell her. Why? Because she's the least supportive person on the planet and one who doesn't hesitate to broadcast other peoples' business to anyone and everyone. "You think I'm a gossip?? I don't know how you've gotten that impression." is her standard response to my asking, "please keep this between us. No one else needs to know." I'm sure several people in her retirement condo village know I've had the surgery, even though I asked her not to tell anyone. My aunt and uncle rent a place there in the winter, so I'm sure they've heard about it - even if not directly from my mother - and they weren't included in the very short list of people I discussed this with. Anyhow, enough of the backstory on my mother. I hate when I speak with her and she asks how much I weigh now. "None of your f'n business" is what I'd like to say, but being a good son I tell her. Not once has she said, "Wow! That's fantastic. I'm so happy for you. You must feel so good now." Nope. It's the same thing every single time, "I hope you stick with it." in a tone that oozes doubt. That's really the only rudeness I get, but it's almost daily. If I go more than a couple of days without speaking with them, I get the "we haven't talked to you in so long" lecture. I'm 48! I have four kids! I'm going through a lot on my own both in trying to deal with a serious change in my life and the fact that I've been out of work for a year and none of the 36 job applications I've done in the past month have yielded a single call. But, yes, let me drop everything so I can call you and listen to you go on and on about your women's club nonsense and then have you say something about dinner, only to have dad say something different about it, then listen to the two of you run through every step of last night's dinner until you resolve the issue - because that's fun.

I visited with my PCP from August through November (Cigna only required 4 months). Due to the holidays, I wasn't able to get in until January. Otherwise, it was handled very quickly once they had those visits documented along with the pre-surgery psych and nutritionist evals. Good luck!

I'm 3.5 weeks post op and I'm at the point where I'm simply never hungry. I eat because I need to, of course, but even then I have trouble forcing much down. Oddly, it seems to be getting worse as I go along. Is that normal? I'm also noticing that my tastes are changing. Is this just in my head or is this a sign that my tastes will change long-term? For example, my Protein shakes, which I used to enjoy pre and post-op, I find a chore to chug down. The taste is bland at best (same exact stuff, remember). Also, I tried a cheeseburger knowing full well that I'd be eating 1/2 at most and likely less. A couple of bites in (just the burger with low-fat cheese and some no sugar added ketchup and yellow mustard on the side for dipping) and I was both full and somewhat disgusted. It actually tasted gross to me. What the heck??? I love cheeseburgers. Part of the reason I needed to have the surgery was my love of cheeseburgers Can something from the surgery really make your tastes change where things you loved are now unappealing to you? I'm convinced this is just in my head - I've heard others say their tastes changed and deep-down my mind may be vilifying foods like cheeseburgers causing them to taste bad. Regardless, chicken was still tasty a week ago and I haven't tried pork yet. We're not fish eaters in my house, but I'd like to try it again. As a kid, I didn't like it and haven't really given fish (as if all fish tastes the same ) a chance since then. Also, if my tastes really are changing, maybe fish will be something I crave. I'm allowed all of this stuff on my diet for the next 4-5 weeks until I see both the surgeon and the nutritionist again. I'm concerned that I'm not going to get my protein in as the things I didn't mind eating (other than chicken and eggs, which I still love) are falling to the wayside. Additionally, I'll likely grow tired of chicken and eggs if I limit my diet to only those. How can you help? I'm glad you asked. I need some recipes, please. Meals that fall into my diet plan that you have found to be both tasty and full of Proteins, low in carbs and fat. Also, please chime in on how your tastes have changed or why it's all in my head. I won't be offended if you think it's the latter, I do too. Maybe some of you had temporary food taste changes that reverted back to normal - share that as well, please.

I came across her website a couple of weeks ago when looking for Super Bowl foods that would be ok after the sleeve. I've already got her bookmarked, but I haven't been back since. I'll head back today.

outstanding! Thank you. I will definitely give this one a go as soon as I'm cleared for tomatoes. Can't eat celery or carrots right now, yet, either so I'd definitely be subbing in the Beans as you did. Even after, I might keep the beans in and add the celery and carrots.

Yes, I would love the salsa chicken recipe, please. I'm not allowed tomatoes yet, but soon. As for fish, I bought some salmon and some mahi mahi, but I haven't tried either yet. I would think the crockpot is a good choice as it would make the Proteins moist. Good call. I love pulled pork. Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks, joatsaint, just ordered mine. Never heard of them until this thread, but it appears I'm in the minority there. Not sure if I can eat them yet but they won't be here for 4-8 weeks, so I should be good then

Yes, absolutely. I felt like I was "cheating" and that I was "taking the easy way" and, like you, felt like a complete failure. I am now 3.5 weeks post-sleeve and I have still not broadcast what I've done because I don't want to have the looks, the whispers, whatever from others. I've told my parents, my in-laws, my wife, my kids, and my two friends. That's it. I don't have a lot of friends - one guy I grew up with in RI and one friend I've made since moving to NC. My life has revolved around my kids, to be honest, which makes me far happier than anything else. I'm friendly with their friends' parents but most everyone else is simply an acquaintance. I may, or may not, tell others what I've done but I'm not at that point yet. That said, feeling like a failure I would think is fairly normal for those of us who have struggled with weight for so long. We're conditioned to feel that way by society. Obesity isn't a disease, they'll say, it's part of being a lazy, self-indulgent person. Those same people will point to other "self-inflicted" things like drug addiction and call them "diseases." For whatever reason, obesity is the last bastion of things to be made fun of, looked down upon, and embarrassed of. I've dealt with my obesity via self-deprecation. I figure if I point out the obvious first, no one else can hurt me and it removes the elephant (figurative, not me) from the room. None of what I've typed above means that YOU should feel like a failure. What you YOU need to do is think about why you're having this surgery in the first place. Are you hoping to extend your life? Are you a parent or plan to become a parent and want to be active with your kids/grandkids? Are there things that you feel will bring you joy (running a marathon, climbing a mountain, shopping without becoming winded) that you can't do because of your current physical condition? If you answered "yes" to any of those, then in my mind you're not a failure. You're succeeding in making things happen. Until YOU come around to that line of thinking, however, it's going to be tough to hear others tell you this. As Debbie Jean says below, this is a tool. It's not a quick-fix. If you think you're going to have the surgery, bounce out of bed pain free a few hours later, rock a bikini on the beach, and go out and eat whatever you'd like because the sleeve will keep you from getting fat again...then, please don't have this surgery. It's been a little tougher than I expected, to be honest, but nothing I can't/won't get through. Read what she has to say again, she's giving you solid advice.

I'd really like to drink a nice cup of coffee each day, but I haven't because the bariatric coordinator with whom I worked advised against caffeine. I tried one cup of decaf and strongly disliked it. I even tried a packet of Stevia in it, but that didn't help much at all. I used to drink a nice 8-10oz of medium to dark roast with two tsp of sugar (the real stuff). I'm only 3 weeks out (yesterday), so I'm not willing to push anything. I'll continue to follow the surgeon's guidelines but I'm really hoping he says I can go back to that regular morning routine. I'm not interested in going back to my old fat tub of goo ways but there are a couple of things (like this) that I'd like to return to, if allowed. Now Starbucks Frappuccinos...those I'm going to miss forever. I know they're not going to be approved, but I do miss my weekly venti mocha frappuccino without whip every so often (quit those a couple of months pre-surgery). Caramel Macchiatos as well. I've read in other threads that some people like the Chike or Click brands of Protein coffee. I'm hesitant to drop $20-35 on the tubs of these without know if I'll like them. I'm going to start scouring local businesses to see if anyone carries individual packets to try. Obviously, just because they're called "protein coffees" doesn't mean my surgeon will approve them. One more thing to add to my list for my next visit (March). edit: I visited the Click website (www.drinkclick.com) and they have a sampler thing for a little over $5 (3 flavors and comes with $5 off a tub purchase which is good if I like it), but they're sold out until 2/20.

I received a prescription from my nutritionist (via the surgeon) which costs me $25/month for Nascobal (nasal b-12 inhaler). It comes with the following for "free": BariActiv Multi Vitamin (60 pills) BariActiv Iron+Vitamin C (90 pills) BariActiv Calcium+D3 & Magnesium (120 pills) Each is a 30-day supply, so that works out to 2 Multivitamins, 3 Iron, and 4 Calcium per day. They really make me feel ill, though, as I'm having a lot of trouble with their taste and consistency (they're all smooth-dissolving tablets). Before this, my wife found generic Flintstones and I had small swallowable pills (smaller than a dime, so ok according to the coordinator). YMMV, so this might be something to talk to your surgeon about. I'm sure some people are fine with them. I don't consider myself picky at all, but I am really having trouble choking these down and it's only been a week. I'm definitely going to look into other alternatives before month's end.

Brand new to this forum and anxious to absorb as much wisdom as I can from those who have gone before me. I had my surgery on January 13, 2015 and have lost 15.6 lbs thus far. At first the weight was coming off roughly 1 lb per day, which I'm told is fairly normal for months one and two, but my weight stayed steady on Thursday and Friday of this week and I was beginning to wonder if I had done anything wrong. I started Phase 3A High Protein on Tuesday and figured that moving from the broths and jellos to chicken and eggs may have caused me to plateau for a little bit. This morning, I stepped on the scale and found my weight down 1.2 lbs which felt nice. I've got a lot of questions, but the bariatric team I worked with has been wonderful so far and I'm sure this forum will fill in any gaps - or give a different POV, which I think is very important when learning about anything. I'm not sure this is the place to ask questions, so I'll refrain from doing so here and peruse the rest of the forums over the weekend to begin asking. I'm 48 years old and, so far, I really wish I had done this sooner. I've been morbidly obese for far too long. My four kids have never known me to be thin. They see pictures of me from my mid-20s (wedding, vacation, etc) and can't believe it's the same person they've been calling Daddy their whole lives. I want them to know me as a person of normal weight. I may never have 6-pack abs, I didn't when I left the Army at 158 lbs and in the best shape of my life, so I'm not expecting them now. I want to be able to dance at their weddings and hold my grandkids (years from now, I hope) above my head and in my arms. I want my grandkids to know me and, when I eventually pass, for my kids to remember me as their kids knew me, not as they have known me thus far in their lives. Had I not had this surgery, I really don't know what would have happened. I, somehow, avoided diabetes. I don't have knee pain. I get winded more quickly than I should, but I've never had mobility issues with stairs or extended walking. I highly doubt any of those last few sentences would be uttered by me in a few years had I not done the sleeve when I did. I'll never know for sure, obviously, but I feel it's safe to assume and I had no interest in rolling the dice.

My 9yo wanted to eat at Olive Garden last night for his birthday, so after a couple of hours bowling (something we rarely do but probably should more often as the kids enjoy it) we headed over. The wait was 1-1.5 hours. Ugh. I didn't eat at the bowling alley and now I was going to wait another 1.5 hours to eat. It sucked, but I made it. My wife mentioned that from now on we should pack a small cooler for me with food to eat so we never find ourselves in this situation again. 2.5 weeks after surgery, this was my first day like this so it became a valuable lesson. I ordered the chicken Abruzzi which was really, really good. Grilled chicken strips over a bed of kale (which I'm not allowed yet, so I picked out), zucchini, cannellini Beans, green peppers (see kale), and squash. It came with Soup or salad, so I went with the Pasta fagioli and enjoyed the broth, beans, and some of the ground beef (sadly omitting the forbidden for now carrots, tomatoes, and more). It took me about an hour to eat 3-4 of those strips, being sure to chew it to an applesauce consistency, but it was fantastic and I've got leftovers to enjoy for the next few days. Those little yellow things in the picture are not corn (as I thought when I started to eat) but yellow squash cut up extremely small. Not allowed corn and it was nice having the veggies chopped so small.

Jean, I, like many of us here I'm sure, came from a home where you finished what was on your plate. Anything short of that was being wasteful and insensitive to those who didn't have food on their plates. My parents certainly never intended to set me down this path of morbid obesity, but this skill was ingrained in me at a young age. I noticed that I was doing the same with my own children (four of them) and even my wife at times. If they wouldn't finish their food at a restaurant, I would often finish it myself (after eating my own) so as not to offend the server or anyone else who might notice how "wasteful" my kids were being. It took time for me to come to this realization, but I'm there. I encourage my kids to only eat what they know they'll like (they can experiment from someone else's serving if they'd like) and, if they can't finish, asking for a container in which to take the food home is a good thing. I no longer hover over them making sure they "clean their plates." I still talk to them about being wasteful and how there are starving people in the world, but the onus is no longer on them to cure the worlds ills.

I couldn't agree with this post more. I, too, never had an "I'm full" feeling - at least not until I had devoured far more than I should have, which would then be followed by a sense of guilt. I haven't told any friends or family (save immediate family) about my sleeve because I want to avoid the "you took the easy way out" looks or having to explain how this is truly a difficult process and not a quick fix. I did this for me, my wife, and our kids. They know what I've done and what I'm going through and that's honestly all I need. Someday, I'm sure I'll tell others but for right now I'd rather not waste the energy of dealing with their skeptical questions and doubts and instead focus that energy on doing all I can to stay on the right path. I'm only 2.5 weeks post surgery, so I have plenty of time to deal with naysayers et als down the road.

Not nearly at full solids, just some. I posted this in another thread because I don't know if saying Phase 3A High Protein means the same to everyone. For all I know, this could be something my nutritionist came up with and others use their own plans. Anyhow, here is what I am allowed to eat for the next 6 weeks (plus Clear Liquids, of course):

Not a huge fan of Greek yogurt, but I have to admit it's growing on me. Using it to create a key lime pie substitute?? Yes, please I'll be trying this soon but I'll need unflavored protein powder first. Right now, I've got Rich chocolate and a Strawberry on its way (thank you Amazon.com Subscribe and Save).

I mentioned to someone I know who had the sleeve done a couple of years ago that I (just a little over 2wks out) would really like to enjoy something good while watching my New England Patriots win the Super Bowl He forwarded this recipe to me knowing I used to enjoy the non-skinny version. http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/skinny-buffalo-chicken-dip/ I have all of the ingredients, I believe, so even though it's less than 20 hours til kickoff I should be able to throw this together. My questions are: 1. Is this too ambitious for me at this stage? I was cleared for Stage 3A High Proteins on Tuesday. I'm not sure if my nutritionist's stages are the same for everyone, so I'll tell you what's included in the paperwork she gave me: I don't want to push anything and suffer setbacks, but it seems to me that the linked recipe fits these guidelines. Is that just wishful thinking on my part? 2. If it's agreed that this should be fine, on what do I eat this dip? Crackers, chips, etc are obviously out of the question. I've been told not to eat celery or carrots yet. Honestly, I could eat this with a fork if it tastes anywhere near as good as the "regular" version. If so, this will become the "regular" version in this house. 3. Any other suggestions for things to eat during the game? Ideally, I'll have a few small portions throughout the 5 hour event (including pre-game). My nutritionist did tell me that chicken wings were ok for Sunday. I doubt I'll eat many of them, but I plan to cook them all up at the same time and eat one at a time (unlike one basket at a time) until I feel full. Leftovers will be a nice treat throughout the week. I'll remove any skin first and planned to do a rub, but she recommended Walden Farms sauces instead and mentioned it would be better this way as dry protein can get caught in your throat. I couldn't find Walden Farms, but I found a brand at Target that had zero fat and came in a variety of flavors.

I'm a little over 2 weeks out and was given the green light this week to being Phase 3A High Protein. When I first got home, even eating Jello was a bit of a chore. I'd feel it as it entered my stomach and it brought discomfort (not really pain, but it wasn't good either). That was lesson one for me in the Chew, Chew, Chew way of eating. I've always taken large bites and swallowed too quickly - hmmmm, I wonder if that was a part of the reason I had my surgery a couple of weeks ago Anyhow, I'm now finding it more difficult to eat foods in my new diet level. I don't know if the Proteins are too dry or if this is just normal at this stage. Even chewing them up super fine, I still feel that pain/discomfort and, I don't know, gas bubble type feeling? It almost feels like if I'm not careful the food will reverse direction, but it's never gotten to that point. I stop when I feel that, sit back for a moment and usually feel a gas bubble work its way up. After a belch (which is getting old at this point), I feel much better and can try another bite. If anything, I think I'm eating less than I should because of this. I'm assuming this is normal (first post here, just signed up and stumbled across this thread first), but if it isn't don't hesitate to let me know. If it is normal, how long before you stop feeling every bite hit your stomach and begin doing its thing there? Anyhow, this is my Full or Slow Down signal.