Ms. Brightside

The first month diet of soft foods has been smooth.  Make sure you're following your doctor's plan, not my doctor's plan, because each plan is unique to our situations, including anything your doctor found or did during or before your surgery.   It's also important to note that I am not diabetic and I do not have any signs of insulin resistance, before or after surgery, so my body has a healthy relationship with all of the food groups.
Here's last night's family dinner, all made from scratch with my meal front and center and my wife's delectable tostada on the far right. I eat vicariously through others and cannot wait to be allowed something crunchy again.  I miss crunch, but I know I'll be allowed to crunch again soon. Oh, how I pine for a sturdy lettuce leaf!   

Homemade refritos, a little bit of spiced ground beef, requeson, crema con sal (a type of sour cream), and two tomato salsas, one very mild and fresh and the other hot and cooked. 
SW: 275
CW: 244 
So, a month out, I'm on "soft foods" which my doctor defines as foods that are soft BEFORE you put them in your mouth and that anything hard to digest like solid meats and veg needs to be taken down to more of an apple sauce/fine mince consistency.  I've been on this regimen since my 10 day follow up and will continue until my 6 week follow up in two weeks. There was no intermittent "mushy" stage for me.  
I try to eat before I take my pills with very small sips of water.  Pills taken on an empty stomach may come up. 
I'm eating 3-4 T at meals that go well for me (that is, no stress, which makes eating any more impossible and leaves me sick for an hour or two). I tend around 30-40g protein a day from a variety of sources: lactaid milk, yogurts, cheeses, finely ground beef, beans, meatballs cooked in soup, soft tofu, and egg. I do not avoid carbohydrates, as I feel better when I eat a balanced diet. I eat 5-6 very small meals a day (some as small as a tablespoon of yogurt or a small skim string cheese).  I often add nutritional yeast to savory foods to increase protein and B-12. 
My carbohydrate intake tends to be slow-burning low glycemic index (oatmeal, berry, beans combined with high protein rice, fresh apple sauce with no additives, a bit of high protein pancake...)   The exception is that I do occasionally eat some white rice, always combined with a protein, and I have had no crash and burn. I have also had ice cream and sorbet in very reasonable amounts that fit within my plan with no ill effects or delay in weight loss.  
With the restriction I've felt from my sleeve, I average 350 calories a day with my highest day just under 500 and my lowest day 0.  I registered my greatest weight loss after the 500 calorie day and felt my best, so I'm working up to that as a second month goal.
Here's what I won't be eating again for a while due to nausea and/or vomiting: Full fat dairy, lentils, ginger (go figure!), oral B vitamin, whey protein 
Here's what I won't be consuming again for a while ever due to migraine strong enough to punch through the botox*: Aspartame, sucralose  
Here's what I won't be eating again for a while due to changes in taste: Ginger, cheddar cheese, V8, melon (with the exception of watermelon) 
I haven't felt the kind of "hey, I'm kinda hungry" hunger I felt before surgery since then, but If I skip a meal or two, my stomach will gurgle, and if I've missed 3 or more meals, I tend to feel a bit dizzy, headachey, exhausted, and/or fuzzy-headed.  Fair enough.  If I don't eat a balanced diet (for me: too much protein or fat), I feel generally unwell, but I can power through.  
No dumping syndrome or anything related.  Just lots and lots of water nausea that leaves me out of action for an hour or two when it hits.  I've also had a couple of bouts of stress tummy which results in worse nausea, a fever, and, strangely, intolerance to light, so maybe migraine, too.  It lasts about an hour.  I've always had a stomach sensitive to stress, but the surgery has made that worse.  
Oh, and the best reason not to cheat?  That's down to my doctor.  who cheerfully told me all about some of his patients who had advanced too soon or cheated (fits through a straw on full liquid does NOT mean fits through a boba straw) and did rupture the staple line. It's fragile while it's healing the first month or so, especially.  Will it happen to everyone? No.  But it COULD happen to you.  And then you spend a miserable (up to a) year in the hospital being operated on, in pain, possibly dying, and guaranteed not eating those tasty things you thought were ok just a little early and felt fine at the time.
Was it tall tale hyperbole to keep me on the straight and narrow.  Mmmmmmnnnnnnnpossibly.  But I know he wasn't joking, and I'd rather not risk it.  Would you?  
And last, but not least, here's a random picture of my dog discovering Bones Are A Thing That Exists In The World and elevating, on the spot, to a higher level of doggy existence: 
 

 
 
*I have incapacitating migraines that have been unsuccessfully controlled with medications.  Botox was the next step, and it's working great as long as I avoid my worst triggers. (Bright sun, aspartame, sucralose, non-natural cleaning products)  10/10 would recommend. 

I have jumped through all of the hoops that were laid out by my insurance company.  My surgeon's office submitted my information for insurance approval yesterday.  Now, it's time to sit and wait.  Except, I am not the "sit and wait" type.  I shall prepare to divide and conquer.  
List making has begun:
Items to pack for the hospital Books to read after surgery Movies/TV shows added to my Netflix queue Additional questions for my surgeon at my final pre-op appointment Food ideas for the full-liquid stage (which lasts for 5 weeks post-op!) I have also decided to implement life-long lifestyle changes now, rather than later.  Per my nutritionist, adults can only handle 2-3 major changes at once, so I figure I by starting now, I am setting myself up for success.  Some of these changes I will be working on over the next several weeks are:
Eliminate caffeine Eliminate refined sugars Have several smaller meals throughout the day Chew food more thoroughly Eat slowly No liquids with meals No straws No gum Find replacement activities for when head hunger or the urge to boredom eat kicks in Start walking more Additionally, I have started the process of cleaning out my pantry and freezer, getting rid of any food items that are not in line with my new lifestyle.  If it is something I shouldn't consume after surgery, I certainly do not need it now.  I am not one to waste food, however, I do not want to "waste" my health any further and these items will be removed from my home.  Anything that can go to the food pantry, will.
Lastly, I have begun taste testing various protein shakes and "clear liquids" for those stages after surgery.  I plan to use my blog as a place to post my reviews for me to revisit when the time comes.  
Here goes nothing.  Or everything.

2 days till the 8 month mark. 
I've survived the two big events i had to do this year. Hopefully the rest of the year is a bit less hectic now. I needed to take a break and just not worry about weight for the last month or so. I still tried to eat well and drink my water but I knew I didn't have time to exercise or be totally focused so i just gave myself a break. I lost and gained the same 5 lbs over and over again. It was still depressing. 
Now that's over and I turned 39 on Sunday..I'm getting back to basics this week and tracking my food and water. Next week Ill start Yoga 3 times per week again and Tabata training (Still hate it!) 2 times per week, per the dietician. I THINK I maybe broke my stall this morning and made it below 170 but we will have to see if that will hold through till Monday at my actual weigh in. Admittedly, I started taking my adipex again (1/2 in the am & 1/2 in the Pm though Im prescribed 1 1/2 a day) to try and help with the cravings/head hunger. It helps. Im eating less which has always been an issue for me. 
The dietician wants to adjust my goal weight to 155 instead of 135. That would put me 15 lbs from my goal weight right now which is weird to say. She's more interested in my body fat percentage than anything though. At the beginning of April it was 38% and she wants it at 33%...like I said before, I'm solid. I think Ill be happy at 155 or so because im just not focused on the scale number and I want to be healthy. I'm certainly not losing weight at a rapid rate at this point and for me, it will probably still be a struggle to keep it off for the rest of my life. That's ok. I'm committed. Right now I need to focus on toning and building muscle back. I really really want to be able to do a pull up. It's a goal for my 39th year!
One thing...when we went to the convention this year, I noticed how much more attention I got as compared to other years. There were a lot of compliments. I expect that from people who know me and have known me for years both heavy and slimmer...but i had complete strangers intentionally give me compliments. I had one woman walk across a crowded patio just to introduce herself to ONLY me. It was unnerving.  Part of my brain wanted to scream "Damn it ! I was cute before too!" and i'm still working on just saying thank you without being self deprecating.
Im working on looking at the big picture instead of focusing on the next lb down (or up) or the next calorie intake. I NEED to know those things, but I don't need to let them control my life. This years goals are being met, slowly but surely. Ill get there, no matter where there is. 

Things seem to be progressing and moving along, yet the surgery date feels so far away. Since my last entry I've completed my psychiatric evaluation, home sleep apnea link, had my monthly appointments, and attended a support group at my surgery center. 
I'm really disappointed with my psychiatric evaluation, as the doctor recommended I return for therapy prior to surgery to address potential binge eating behaviors. I was honest on all of the material of course, but I did not see myself as someone who has an issue with binge eating. Hopefully, one visit will cut it and I'll be cleared. 
My home sleep apnea link study went just as I had expected and I've been recommended for a full sleep study. This is something I look forward to doing, as I have long suffered through sleep issues and look forward to being helped in that department.
My monthly visits have gone as expected and I've lost weight sticking to my goals each month. I have a lot of pride that I do not indulge in Starbucks Mocha Lattes every single morning and only reserve them for a once a month treat.
The support group was also helpful and I was able to glean some useful information. The topic of the group was inspirational stories and a panel of 6 people who had surgery gave their stories on their surgeries. It truly was inspiring and reaffirmed that I made the right choice to have the sleeve rather than the gastric bypass.
I have also scheduled my appointment with my PCP to get my weight history and a letter of medical necessity. I am content with where I am on my journey in all areas aside from the minor hiccup of the psychiatric evaluation and further therapy.  

I can't believe it's the day before surgery! Six months has flown by. As of this morning (according to my scale) I am at 262. Today is clear liquid only and if I thought the past week of two protein shakes and one meal was hard and I was hungry all day...I woke up hungry and can't eat anything for the next two weeks or more depending on when my followup appointment is. Ugh. At least after tomorrow morning it shouldn't be too bad from what I've heard since my tummy will be so much smaller. I hope everyone's right. LOL! I'm just looking forward to more energy. That is the biggest thing because for the last week I have had zero energy. Anyway, short entry for now. Talk to you laters!

While shuffling down a longevity rabbit hole on PubMed, I found a fascinating recent study in the area of calorie restriction and longevity.  What I wasn't expecting was its findings on low protein, high carbohydrate diets. 
The study found, amongst other things, that low protein, high carbohydrate (20% fat) was associated with the greatest longevity and best overall metabolic health in spite of a tendency to weight gain as fat. The improvement was equal to caloric restriction alone, and combining the two had no additional metabolic benefits (LPHC also tended to expend the most energy)
The version of the experiment where LPHC was combined with CR had the same longevity, but also avoided the increase in body mass from the high carbohydrate Intake. They also had the best immune systems
The low carbohydrate, high protein group were found to have reduced longevity and poorer cardiovascular and metabolic health, though again, LCHP group with CR fared better than those allowed to eat freely.
The area where LCHP created an advantage was in reproduction. Not in fertility, but in the actual process of reproduction, which makes complete sense.
You can read the whole report here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4472496/
It should be mentioned this study is still one part of decades of research on Calorie Restriction and dietary composition.
From the strong evidence in favor of dietary restriction, we should all be seeing increased life spans (depending on age of intervention, some will be more modest than others).
But I wonder how the evidence building up for HCLP can be applied to us.
HCLP emphasizes low glycemic index carb sources and 5-15% protein intake, but at our level of consumption 600-1000 calories a day in maintenance depending on your needs), that would only be 12.5-37.5g protein which seems like it would result in a deficiency. The famous Okinawan Ratio is on the low end of that, though people studied consumed about twice the calories (if I remember right, and I might not) which is still only 25g protein/day.
And yet, I'm not seeing any of these deficiencies in the literature. No deficiencies in the Okinawans either. 
Curiouser and curiouser.
What do you think? What did this study make you wonder?