OutsideMatchInside

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/348952-low-carb-crab-cakes/ I like seafood. I don't like Beans or mexican food or a lot of what most people post as bariatric meals. So I end up eating really clean, lol. I just have a lot of baked fish, and crab cakes. This weekend I am going to experiment with making shrimp and grits with cauliflower instead of grits. If it works out well. I'll post it. This is a really good site with low carb and gluten free recipes. http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/

I am 8 weeks. I have never been physically hungry. I did have a lot of head hunger the first 2-3 weeks post-op. My head hunger does not connect to my stomach, so it is much easier to ignore and let pass. Now my head hunger is pretty much over. I don't crave bad things.

Learn to make your own food so you know exactly what is in it.

You are still healing for up to 6 months. I think it is still too early to waist train. Wearing a waist belt while you workout, something neoprene is a safer solution. Waist training it just a bad idea. A Kutting Weight suit or top would be a better investment. You can wear it longer and it covers more area. http://kuttingweight.com/

I don't like Mexican, and I am a snob about my Italian plus none of the stuff I like I can eat. Sushi though, I got California rolls and spicy California rolls, the rice is on the side so I just ate the center.

I haven't had them post op. I like them. I think I would rather just mix a drink though than buy those. They are pretty weak. I did find pre-op that skinny girl loses its meaning when you down a whole bottle in a night

It has been 90 degrees plus most days since I had surgery. At first it seemed like I wasn't losing at all, and I was discouraged. Then 10bs just came off, and it comes off in chunks randomly. Your Water varies a lot and if you are struggling with constipation, until I got the constipation worked out, I wasn't losing. All your bodies energy is going to repairing itself, let it work, and you will get there. Drink all the water you can.

You look great. I have had Boudoir pictures as a large person, but I never really thought about having more taken. I think I will once I get to goal.

At just 3 days it is so hard. Just keep trying your best, drink all day. It gets better every day.

I thought sitting up helped but laying down was better, no bending or engaging of ab muscles. Also on day 4 I was able to sleep on my stomach and the helped with the rest of the gas and I was finally able to sleep a solid 8 hours

I am too soon to say how successful, but there are over people with high BMIs that have lost all their excess weight and 2 years out, the data is the same for the sleeve and the RNY. My release form was laparoscopic Sleeve or at worst open sleeve surgery. I haven't really heard of alternative procedures.

Everyone has their own triggers. I don't think eat fast food is a habit that people should start back up. It is too easy to slide. You can easily eat french fries as a slider food. Mashed potatoes are on the soft foods list, mashed poatoes and french fries are cousins... It is a slippery slope for most people struggling with food issues. Especially eating fast food during the soft foods phase. Which is what the original poster asked about. A week or 2 after surgery eating fast food seems risky and flat out bad advice. If someone is further out, it could be different. Still there are higher quality food options than Wendy's. If a person waited 6 weeks plus (depending on the program) then a person could get a salad instead of chili. There are better options, we need to learn them early and stick to them for success. I love Protein shakes, I drank them long before surgery and will probably drink the rest of my life. I would rather drink a protein shake than think about how long I have to spend on the elliptical to work off a fast food treat, and then actually get on the elliptical. And there is nothing to stop you from eating a protein bar or something while your kids eat whatever junk food. Just because other people are making bad choices doesn't mean you have to join in.

Exercising first thing in the morning rocks. You feel like you can scale tall buildings all day. I wake up brush my teeth, walk the dog and hit the gym.

There are a few reasons that they say no coffee/caffeine. The incorrect dehydration myth. Also, they consider caffeine and appetite stimulant. I know for me it is the exact opposite. Then there is the acid in coffee. I talked to my Dr about it. I work for myself, I need to be able to focus to make money. As a freelancer I don't have the luxury of too many off days. I have been taking caffeine pills since about 4 weeks out. I switched to cold brew coffee (low acidity) and I mix it with unflavored Protein powder.

You are down 60 lbs since surgery? Or does that include pre-op?

WOW! you have lot a lot! Congrats! You are basically where I want to be, but I have a long way to get there. I need to start being more adventurous in my eating. I really need to add salad in this week. I basically eat the same thing every day. Less options less chance of mistakes, but I need to branch out.

I never really felt restriction until soft foods.

I am 6 weeks post op. I am suppose to go for a doctor visit next week. The office has called a few times to reschedule. I returned the call today to learn that my Surgeon will not being seeing me, but an Nurse Practitioner or Physicians assistant will. I am still required to pay the same $50 specialist co-pay. I do not have any complications and I am doing very well. I just commented to my friend recently that I don't even feel like I had surgery at all until I eat and feel the restriction. I would still rather see my surgeon at this point. I understand, seeing patients for follow up isn't as profitable as surgery, but as a patient I wish I knew this information before selecting this surgeon. I could have made an educated decision and maybe selected a different Doctor or program. I end up cancelling my appointment and I guess I will make one with my primary and save myself the 1.5 hour drive to my Surgeons office.

We are almost 8 weeks out. How are people feeling?

This is what our suggested schedule is like. Also don't feel bad. I realized at 3 weeks I had been taking a 1/2 dose of calcium the whole time. I thought the dose was 1 tablet 2x a day, but it was 2 tablets 2x a day.

My program has a little schedule in our book of the times to take you meds. It is based on getting the vitamins the doctor prescribed but it was thoroughly explained to us to take the vitamins apart. It is hard to remember. I have to set reminders on my phone to keep it straight.

I weigh once a week. At home and at the gym. I am thinking about stopping though. It is so hot and I keep retaining Water, it isn't accurate at all. I might just go to once a month weighing. It is much easier to feel the differences than to see the differences on a scale.

I forgot to give my soft food suggestion! Swai fillets! Even if you aren't crazy about fish it is okay because they have a very mild fish taste, probably the mildest possible. They are very easy to digest and extremely soft and flakey. They are also very affordable compared to most seafood. I was eating crab but this is easier to digest and doesn't sit as heavy in my sleeve. I eat 10 oz of swai most days in 2 different portions. I can eat some other things, but I like swai because of the easy digestion, low price and how easy it is to cook. And it accepts flavors and seasoning very sell, so you can season it how you please. I started with 2oz at a time and I am at 5oz sometimes almost 6 oz now. It is easier to digest than crab, tuna or shrimp because it is so soft. It is easier than salmon also. Also if you are starting soft foods. Get a scale if you don't have one and weigh everything you eat. Even if you are eating something with the weight on the package and you think you cut it in 1/2 etc. Weigh and track everything. It is easy to over or under estimate and sometimes you don't finish everything. You really have to track everything to make sure you are on track with your Protein. It is too easy to realize at 6 or 7 pm that you are at less than 1/2 your protein requirements. I also suggest prepping your food for the next day at night, or doing it all in the morning. Pre-planning makes sure you hit your requirements.

They can't tell until they are in there. They do take blood before surgery, so maybe they can tell from your enzymes. I watched a series on WLS and the Drs on that show couldn't tell until they were inside.

Yeah I could not have ground beef until week 7. I still have not tried it. It has to be in Soups, casseroles (yuk!), meatloaf (triple yuk), or sloppy joes I think I am just going to wait it out the 6 months until I can have steak. When it cools off I might make homemade chili, but that is a lot of work for one person, and I don't want to be stuck eat chili for days. Wendy's is a fast food restaurant you can't trust their nutritional value. Also if you are out an in an emergency, there are still better options than going to a fast food resturant. Almost all gas stations have muscle milk. There are gyms everywhere, and most gyms sell Protein shakes right in the front, you can walk in and buy a Protein shake without being a member. Walmart has Protein Shakes. You can carry a protein shake in your purse, When you are off soft foods you can keep a Protein Bar or nuts. You should really never let yourself get into a situation where Wendy's is your best option, and there aren't even that many Wendy's around.