Nibbler

Went to my 12 mo. post op last week. I've lost 90 lbs. total but have not lost a pound in the last 4 months. The PA said i'm doing great and that stalls are common however you and I know I should have lost some weight in the last three months. Very frustrated and to be honest quite weepy over the whole thing. I swore that I would not be one of those that fail. I'm doing everything different this time (this diet) than I have done before. First thing I did was to forgive myself for gaining it all and allowing myself to be kinder and gentler with myself.....well I think I forgave myself into one too many slices of apple pie. I also increased my activity and have been walking/bending/stretching/hauling (we are clearing land of dead trees....thats some pretty awesome exercise). I have struggled with low Protein numbers since day one. I developed a sensitivity to the Protein shakes early on as i had to do the pre op diet twice because i had to cancel surgery due to a death in the family. It kind of scared me off all Protein drinks and I just can't eat enough to get enough of the protein in. Getting real......I need to put my big girl pants on and drink the damn protein. Its the answer to my problem I know this. I need to increase my Water intake....two simple things that I can do to be successful. The PA at my Dr.s suggested MR Musclegen Research GENEPRO medical grade protein (amazon.com) Its flavorless and I've only had one serving (in coffee) and it went down ok. The thing that sets this apart is a different method of creating it that is supposed to be more gentle on your tummy and it contains 30 gm in one tablespoon. My question.....have you used this product? What are you mixing it in? can you bake with it? Where are you buying it from...this stuffs pricy? Any other helpful tidbits for those of you past the 8 month stall?

I'm eating too frequently due to hunger from lack of protein. Problem is that I seem to fill up just after a few bites of protein...however can eat my weight in crackers (shame on me). Its like the protein is too dense. Sometimes I think maybe the repair on my hiatal hernia is too tight. But if i do get it down it often backs up. I can eat veggies good with no problem but not enough protein in that. I had great success with the protein powder this morning, added 30 gm to my Breakfast oatmeal (with a bit of banana and some toasted almonds. Feeling successful today.

Have you tried Premier Protein, injury, Quest, Syntrax nectar, or any of the other supplements? Why force down something you can't stand? How far out are you that you aren't eating food? Have you talked to your NUT about your challenges? lived on Preimer pre and post op.....and the nectar too. I can't get all my protein in with just eating. It just comes back up.

I hope the gene pro works for me. I've had a real bad attitude about the shakes in general. It doesn't seem too thick which is what i liked. I did manage two servings today and am feeling good about it so far. I need to psych myself into this.

Good point about the gram units weight. I'll have to read up a bit more on that. I like the fact that i don't have to use so much this product to get the higher amounts. Regarding why i need the protein is that i cannot eat enough meat to satisfy 80 to 100 grams that I require. I couldn't even get it up to 60 which is where the Dr. wanted me to be consuming for the 12 months post op. They just upped me to 80-100grm. at my last visit.

I miss beer : - (

Salad was hard for me too but the ability to eat it will return. For me it was at about 5 months. Still can't do green pepper raw but most other salad fix ins do well. I now find that salad aids the digestion of meat for me and also helps digest heavy stuff like potato (in small amounts). As far as my skeletons. I have none. My goal from day one has been to eat like a "normal" person. My weight loss has been slower but I'm banking on it being permanent. So i do indulge in the occasional cheese cracker or cookie. I guess I"m just trying to do things differently now and don't want to go down that deprivation to over indulgence route that has been my modus operandi in the past.

I was in no shape to go home on day one and no one suggested i should go home. Morning of day 2 they did the leak test. Did you get a leak test? I don't know for sure but i think my age slowed down my recovery (57)

My sweet tooth was not removed with my surgery <boo>. I tell myself all the time that this surgery is not a magic bullet. It is a tool. I know I should have lost more by now and continue to be my own worse enemy. But slow and steady is better than nothing. I continue to be a work in progress. I did not gain this overnight and I will not lose it overnight.

coffee bothered me sat first, i had always been a black coffee drinker, for awhile i was having cream with my coffee...cuts the acid. 8 mo. post op and my coffee consumption has gone down but i tolerate black coffee fine. potatoes, rice, Pasta, grilled meats (too dry) add applesauce to get it down. Fried foods, mostly get sick when I eat out. Hidden fat in everything. Got sick as a dog drinking premixed bottled margarita mix this weekend. I think it was a mixture of dumping syndrome and high blood sugar at the same time. I have been having more trouble with pre diabetes post surgery. (meaning i've had several bouts of high blood sugar feelings, more so now than pre surgery)

8 months post op....had the hernia repair, it was not planned but "discovered" during surgery. I'm doing ok but need to continue with small bites. I have trouble with solid foods like mashed (or really any kind of) potatoes, bananas etc. I find its more comfortable if i mix up my bites with salad. For some reason the salad lightens up the heavy foods.

You need to do the real food as much as you can but use the shake to fill in the Protein level you need to be at. I am kind of surprised your dr. would do a sleeve on an 180 pound person. This is such major surgery.

Its not the taste of the egg that I can't eat.....its the texture. It actually hurts my sleeve and causes a bit of the dumping syndrome. I eat all real foods, mostly soft stuff but a few things just hurt : rice, Pasta, ground beef, white meat chicken (i can get a bit of this down with soupy meals) raw veggies & fruits, eggs, string cheese, white potatoes if mashed, anything greasy or super sweet like orange juice. and where some of these things aren't good for my weight loss some (like eggs) are a good source of Vitamins & Protein. I am eating a lot of sugar free pudding made with skim milk which i fortify with powdered milk but I have never been a fan of asparatime and would like to work that out of my diet.

I'm just shy of 4 months post op. I'm still struggling to get my Protein in and as still relying on mostly soft foods. I still struggle with eggs. Nutritionist says try all foods each week and see if i can grow into tolerating them. I'm eating only canned fruit, or applesauce Ive tried apples sliced super thin and chew chew chew but I seem to have developed a fear of fresh fruits & veggies. I can kind of eat cucumber, but in extremely small quantities and no skin. I'm living on Soup and cheese Peanut Butter crackers. I can eat cheddar cheese but cannot tolerate string cheese (violent ejection) Lettuce I can do if its iceberg only. NO raw green peppers, carrots, cabbage, etc. So the question is.....is this normal and will I be able to ever eat a salad again? Eggs? Ever be able to chomp into a crisp apple? Rice? Pasta? Ever be able to eat white meat chicken and get it to stay down without being covered in broth or gravy. I gained 1 pound last week, This is a real wake up call for me to get real about what I'm eating. I need to expand my menu. My lack of protein has lead me to be very sedentary...just have no energy. I developed a sensitivity to whey protein shortly before my surgery. I'm going to try and reintroduce it today in smaller doses and hope that works. I can't seem to digest the thick Protein Bars, did manage to get a crisp bar down yesterday. I'm a work in progress i guess....trying to cut myself some slack but at the same time need to get real with myself. I've been coasting on cheese/peanut butter crackers to get me out of the hunger zone (quick and easy).

Thanks all for your input....Its made me feel that yes I'm normal. I have been resisting calorie counting because I just wanted to do EVERYTHING different this time. I've really got to focus and put the time in and prepare good food. I will continue to try and eat eggs like someone said...I'm at about 1 a month. I have a new stomach, I need to have new thinking. I too need to slow down and chew better. As i sit here I am eating persian cucumber (i seem to tolerate these ok) green olives and cheddar cheese. I have also started to journal my food. Maybe tomorrow I will try and see if I can tolerate a protein shake.

This is MAJOR surgery. Its going to hurt bad for a short while and everyone is different. I think for me it was the age factor. From here on out every day will get a little better.

I'm not quite 4 months post op and am having the same problem. I think its all about the lack of Protein.

The first day of your healthy self! It takes hard work and determination....keep your eye on the prize.

I could type a tome regarding how my parents damaged me and led me to find comfort and love through food. But trying not to rehash those old painful memories.It still makes me cry. Much effort is being made to forgive myself for being unworthy of parental love Suffice to say...... Show you child acceptance no matter what. Make sure they know they are loved and appreciated Treat them with respect Be aware of social difficulties that they may be dealing with at school, give them a safe place to fall. In other words...You just can't give birth and put them in a corner and throw food at them when they cry.

Good idea for a topic @VSGAnn My Dr. looks at her Weight loss calculator and announces that 220 is all that is expected for me (starting weight 350). This makes me quite sad, but not sad enough to throw in the towel. To me success (long term) would put me at 180. Truly success needs to be measured in smaller increments. Today......being just 7 weeks post op....my success comes from the physical changes I can already feel. I am going to wave my freekin flags and claim success......my "freekin flags" those loose skin flags that are forming on the underside of my ams. Quite noticeable already....SUCCESS. Success.......that chair on the porch that pinched my outer thighs......doesn't pinch anymore Success......shaving my legs has become a bit easier Success.......my husbands arms encircle me more when he hugs me

same here, then one day it just popped. No ill effects.

Interesting topic! My mother used to make something with nutritional yeast, it was salad dressing..she called it Gypsy dressing. I'll have to get some. My comfort food is a wide variety of Soup. I found I was not getting my Protein in and have since made soup once or twice a week. It makes a lot, lasts for days , hubby likes them and i find the protein goes down easier if its very wet. Turkey meatball soup, veggie beef soup, chicken soup with dumplings (can't do noodles yet..ever?) broccoli/mushroom/potato.

Just short of 4 months post op and I'm just now starting to feel human. I still tire super easy. I know it will get better as I continue to work to my Protein goals. I still struggle with not getting enough Water or protein. But all in all i'm healthier now than pre surgery for sure. I'm losing 2 lbs a week, i know it would be more if i could up my protein and exercise....i'm not perfect but each day is an opportunity to do better

I'm just under 4 months out and I too feel I'm eating too many carbs and not enough Protein. eggs don't sit well and I don't eat fish or yogurt (blahhh...have tried and tried) So I have resolved to make one big pot of soup per week, this has been helpful since I can eat meat if its wet enough. plus boiling soup bones (beef, ham, chicken, turkey) is full of collegian protein I'm a work in progress.

Sleeved Oct. 14: Having so much trouble trying to find healthy food that i can tolerate. I've been living on veggie beef or veggie ground turkey soups, hot cereal, legumes and grits. Other than that I can seem to tolerate only crunchy cracker/cookie type foods. I have tried and tried to learn to be able to eat yogurt/cottage cheese without hurling but i have not been able to. I tried tofu too. I can't eat raw veggies yet (will i ever be able to?) I did manage a cucumber sliced very thin and chewed to infinity. I know that eating peanut butter crackers is not going to get me to goal. I wish I could tolerate eggs again. I miss them. I do eat hard cheese in small amounts but find myself reaching for the crunchies because I want something quick and innocuous to eat. Any suggestions? I just want to eat like a normal human being #sotiredofdieting