Thinside

So, I've been reading a lot about trying to eat a low carb diet. What do each of you consider "low carb"? How many grams do you strive for, and how far out are you? Thanks a bunch!

@@toler48, I love Fairlife! Extra Protein and (I think) lactose free. Kind of expensive, though, but I use milk so seldom that I'm buying it.

@@rgodfrey09, thanks. I am eating the Quest mixed berry bar, but not very often. (Usually on the days I work 14 hours, when I find it harder to fit in a meal and eat the bar when driving between jobs.) My favorite yogurt, Oikos Triple Zero Greek, has 15 grams, but also has 15 grams of Protein. Such a dilemma! Should I eat it or shouldn't I? This eating healthy thing is hard work!

@@AngelaWilliamsMD that is amazing. I don't know how you did that! I'm struggling to stay below 50 or 60! I'm not eating any bread, crackers, Pasta, rice, corn, peas, potatoes (usually), but there seem to be carbs in so many things! My drinks, Protein bars (only eat 1/2 a bar about twice a week), fruit, even 3 apiece in my veggie sausages. I just checked my food tracker from yesterday. 4 grams of carbs in my 2% cottage cheese, 3 in the tuna packet I ate, 3 in tofu. By the end of the day, those all add up!

There you go, ladies and gents. That's how it's done. @@Daisee68 has demonstrated that it is possible to be kind and thoughtful while disagreeing with a post. Snark, accusations of malfeasance, name-calling, and rudeness are not necessary to express a difference in opinion.

@@Sherri1964 ooohh, you get toast? My doctor said no bread, Pasta or rice for the first 6 months. I miss it! But I have found some creative ways to have "sandwiches." My favorite is smoked salmon or smoked trout, Laughing cow cheese, and capers rolled up in a lettuce leaf.

@@Kristin Irvine it is hard! I had my surgery August 5 too. I'm still having to supplement with Protein powders or drinks to get enough. I put protein in my Water -- either part of a New whey bullet or 1/2 a package of unjury strawberry with some Crystal light. I get really full on things like grilled salmon or tuna steaks (I'm a pescatarian -- don't eat read meat, pork, or poultry.) So, I'm eating a lot of those foil pouches of tuna, which are packed with protein. I have one of those almost every day for lunch or cottage cheese, which is another good source for me, and of course Greek yogurt. And tofu. I'm weird, I know, but I love tofu, and it's really easy for me to digest. Are you following the rule to eat protein first? That's the most important thing, I find. That way, I don't fill up on other foods first. (As a result, I'm probably not getting enough Fiber. Sigh.)

I don't eat meat, so one of my favorite breakfast foods is Morningstar Farms sausage patties. 80 calories, 10 grams of Protein each, 3 grams of carbs, nuke 30 seconds per side. I also sometimes eat a Baby Bell mini light cheese in the car on my way to work. 50 calories, 6 grams protein, 0 carbs.

My insurance (through work) doesn't cover it, so I signed up for my husband's for a year. (Added cost of premiums about $3000). They became my secondary insurance, and they paid for my surgery. I will drop that insurance, and will pay for my one-year follow up myself. Still saved 1000s of dollars though.

Just be careful what you quote as fact here as some don't do the research and will just eat/drink what someone says. We have a responsibility to be accurate as well as supportive. You are always entitled to your opinion but when you posted your "shake", include the macros up front. I personally did find this rude. I don't see what the OP "quoted as fact." The post was simply a recipe that the OP finds tasty and useful. It's one thing to say "it's not for me," but another to say the OP is being inaccurate or irresponsible in posting it. I also find the oft-repeated demand to prove one's credentials by posting stats a bit offensive. It's not a contest or a caste system, with higher stat people on top and lower stat people on the bottom. To me, "requests" for stats, usually after some kind of confrontation, read more like "prove you're worthy of sharing" than "hey, how are you doing?" Just my two cents.

RE: Nothing to eat at fast food: I went in a pinch to Taco Bell. Got a side order of refried Beans and a side (very tiny) of guacamole. It was good and filling.

Kayaking. Buying stylish high-quality clothes. Flying comfortably (as much as possible on those flying busses anyway!) And I'd like to hike the Grand Canyon. Specifically, raft to Phantom Ranch and hike out.

Be as kind to yourself as you are to your family! Do NOT beat yourself up over a slip or a bad day! You have a tremendous amount on your plate (pun intended) and you sound like you're doing great a managing it all. I would never have had the energy to exercise at 11 p.m. after all that! You're living a full, active, conscious life. If you make a mistake one day, that's just ONE DAY! And don't sweat that 4 pounds. My weight has always fluctuated 4 pounds or more in a day. You're working it and you will be fine!

My plan called for a minimum of 60 grams of Protein for the first few weeks and now 80. My nutritionist told me not to count calories, count protein. Protein is more filling also. But I'm supposed to stay under 60 carbs a day. I space my eating out. I eat a mini baby bel cheese as a snack (50 calories FYI) and I find it very filling. Cottage cheese is also a good snack for me.

I have no idea! How do you know what shape yours is?

I was told the problem with rice is that it expands in your stomach. Plus, it is high carb and low Protein. I would think that would be a problem with brown rice as well as white. Although if and when I put rice back in my diet, I'll stick to brown because it does have more nutrients.

No, not to my knowledge. Any Fluid is fluid; you may not want to count anything with caffeine (if you're drinking tea and coffee) as they are diuretics. Also, we're not supposed to drink soda after WLS. But as far as I know, any fluid qualifies -- it's about hydration. In fact, I read that the entire "64-oz of fluid a day" thing is all based on a misunderstanding. The original study (from 1945) recommended 64 ounces of fluid a day, then went on to say that much of that will come from foods. But over the years that has been misinterpreted to mean 8 glasses (64 oz) oz of Water a day. Here's an interesting article on this: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/upshot/no-you-do-not-have-to-drink-8-glasses-of-water-a-day.html That said, my doctor told me to drink 64 oz of fluids a day, so I do! But I count broth, milk, v-8, etc. In fact, after my surgery, I no longer like the taste of plain water, which used to be my favorite drink by far, so I add Crystal Light and Protein powder to it. I do think it's always best to follow the doctor's orders (unless you're convinced and have good evidence that your doctor is wrong, and then I would seek out a second and third opinion.) Hope this helps with your family!

I am stunned that anyone would think a public site on the internet would somehow be private! A quick poll: How many of you found out about this site in the first place by Googling something related to WLS? I know I did. And I'm SO grateful I found it! If it was private, I shudder to think how much knowledge and real peoples' experience I would not have access to!

Certain flavors go down great for me, others give me terrible gas. (Well, I say this having only eaten 3 bars total so far, 1/2 at a time, so take this with a grain of salt.) I'm treating it like a science experiment, trying different bars and taking notes. So far, the mixed berry one has been great. The Peanut Butter chocolate gave me terrible gas both of the different days I ate half of one. And I couldn't stand the taste of the mint chocolate one. (It has weird pea green chunks in it that do not look like food!) I haven't tried other brands since the sleeve, but used to find most of them too sickly sweet -- more like candy bars. I like the sweetness and text of Quest bars, but they do seem to have a lot of carbs, though.

I was sleeved August 5. Transitioned to "regular" foods yesterday. I'm a little nervous about introducing fruits and veggies, but really want to try (I miss them!) Especially salad! I'm going slow, reintroducing one "new" food at a time. Okay, what follows is TMI, so skip it if you're squeamish! Yesterday, I had my first bad digestive experience since the first week after surgery (I had a lot of nausea and constipation for the first 6 days, then nausea and diarrhea for a few days after that. Since then, I have stabilized.) Anyway, yesterday I ate some peanuts, which I chewed really, really well. A couple of hours later I had urgent diarrhea. Thank goodness I was at home! So, no more nuts for a while. (I LOVE nuts, and for a vegetarian like me they've been a great source of Protein over the years. Waahhhh!) I also have a weird pain right under my left ribs -- much higher up and several inches to the left of my biggest incision -- It feels like I'm bruised inside, and this didn't start until 3 weeks in. Anybody else have this?

I have told one person and one person only: My husband. I love my family, but they tend to be know-it-alls and busy bodies, and I just don't want to deal with having to defend my decision or my eating choices for the rest of my life. The people at work are also great folks, but very gossipy and close-knit, with lots of the skinny women constantly advising everyone else on food choices (while nibbling on cake and chocolate all day themselves). This is my body, my health, and my business. As @@gobeit notes, it is a medical decision, and I feel no qualms at all in keeping my medical history private. I was worried, too, about eating at work, but so far no one has noticed a thing. I've said I'm dieting and watching my carbs, both of which are true. I eat cottage cheese, V-8, soups, tuna in packets with low-fat dressing. We have had a couple of meetings where boxed lunches were ordered. I didn't eat the bread. Said I was doing low carbs (which is true!) which everyone understands, and it was no big deal at all. I am getting my emotional support from my husband and other support on this website. I rely on my doctor's office for medical advice, but check here daily to see what other people's experience is. I've found this tremendously reassuring and helpful. So, do whatever is best for YOU, but do give it serious thought. Once you've told a few people, the choice of keeping your medical history private is no longer yours.

I found that sugar free instant Breakfast with added Protein powder and Lactose free milk was very filling at that stage. It helped me get my liquids and protein at the same time. (I couldn't stand the premixed Protein drinks, but if you can, they are also very filling.) The gas sucks, I know, but it will get better soon! Walking and gasx helped me some.

Hi Bellabloom, no advice for you other than to follow Daisee68's advice! But I wanted to just say my thoughts are with you and I hope you'll find your way to a healthy, happy and joyful life. You deserve it!

I love sushi! When I was allowed to move from puree to soft foods, we went to a sushi restaurant. But I ate only two pieces of sashimi (no rice), about half a small bowl of miso Soup, and a piece of agadashi tofu with some of the broth. It was heavenly and I was completely full and satisfied. On my plan, I am not supposed to have rice until 6 months out, so I am avoiding the rolls for now.

@, I know! They should be all about promoting health, and helping the people who pay their salaries through premiums become as healthy as possible. But sadly too many of them are just about the bottom line, in the most short-sighted way possible! They don't even seem to care that people who go from obese to fit and slim, cost them LESS in the long run, in spite of the surgical costs.