Berry78

Try to get fitted first. They will know what to do with a newbie and having proper shoes will help you start off on the right foot.

Fluff... hopefully it was just about the 6 month thing. You might be able to call your insurance company to get clarification so when you talk to your doc, you'll already know what is happening.

Ok, yesterday I stuck admirably to plan and only added a cup of butternut squash for an extra 90cal. 4oz. cottage cheese and 1 orange 1 cup bean soup 1 cup butternut squash and 1oz sunflower seeds 4oz tuna with 2T. Bbq sauce 2 cups milk and 12oz coconut water Total: 1200cal 73g prot.

I'm at the point in my journey where all my "peers" have pretty much arrived at goal. I still have at least another 40lbs to drop to a normal BMI (I started out heavier than any of them). But, I'm not focusing on a specific #on the scale. I'm actually looking at my loose skin and calculating the sweet spot for maximal losses while retaining a hope of not needing plastics. At this moment, I've reached a relatively healthy weight (size 12). Any extra losses are icing. Plastics aren't icing, they are a step in the wrong direction (for me). So, I'll keep losing, for now, but BMI means pretty much nil in the grand scheme of things. As for probable regain.. yeah, pretty much everyone gains some. I'll take that into consideration as I near goal. Might shoot for an extra 10lbs off... but not at the risk of becoming airborn in a mild breeze...

Oh man, no tomatoes or a whiff of spicy for 8-12 weeks. After that, I've been fine. Just was too irritating to the injured baby tummy. I don't really enjoy spicy now, but at least it doesn't hurt. Tomatoes are good.

I'm sorry to hear of all these troubles! You ought to make sure that there are no strictures presently. Then evaluate how you feel when eating each food "group". Dairy. Great protein. Slides right down. Eggs. Beans. Protein, can be in chili or soup, thinned refried. Fairly high in calories. Nuts and cheese. Protein, high calories. Oatmeal. Easy, can add in a ton of stuff. Potatoes/sweet potatoes.. they actually are a powerhouse.. calories and nutrients. Hopefully you can eat some of these foods. Try to make a list of things that go down easily but that also contain protein and nutrients. That list can help keep you from dumping, and might help get your nutrition up. I am only 8 months postop, but don't eat meat with other foods. Meat is a meal by itself, and that is ok! The idea that you can only eat, what, an ounce? That's the problem. How much yogurt or cottage cheese can you eat?

This is an issue for me too. My chiropractor recommended specific gym exercises for postural improvement for my daughter a few years ago. Her exercises focused on strengthening her back muscles by lifting weights. Between your physical therapist and my chiropractor, I think our answer lies in the gym. Weights and maybe yoga?

It's true that protein can be used as energy or turned into fat if too much is consumed. I'd be more concerned about stressing my kidneys unnecessarily. In general, 60-100g is sufficient during the weight loss phase (DS patients need more.. 100 -120g). As always, follow your doc's recommendation.

I meant to say that if you become dehydrated, go on to the ER or someplace for fluids. You don't need your surgeon's permission.

I appreciate it peeps can jump on me if it makes them feel better. I just do things, then try and figure out WHY I do it so I can prevent some of it. I think that 1600+ day takes the award for high calorie count. (Have to have a 700 day to balance it). My typical day is closer to 1100 calories... at least it has been... I see where I'm inching up without really meaning to. I think I DO get hungry, and tend to grab what's easy. That's why I had 2 fruits or the rice krispy treat. Ready, grab, eat. I'll definitely start making veggies easier to grab instead.

Let's see. Today I had: A cup of 1% cottage cheese 1 egg and 3oz kidney beans 1/2 large apple 2oz rice krispies treat (off plan.. plate sitting there was my undoing) 1/2 cup 2% milk and 5oz evaporated milk 4oz beef steak Extra vitamins (they have calories and protein) Total: 1280cal 83g protein Gonna have to be better. Things keep on slipping in. Sigh..

Ok, I should eat better. Right after surgery I did sit and eat slowly, but now I've gotten in the habit of grabbing my food and eating any old place, as quickly as possible. (Bad, Bad Berry!) Yesterday: 1 small apple with 1oz cashew butter 2 cups 2% milk 4oz beef steak 1 egg and 3oz beans Total: 1100 calories and 63g protein

They aren't concerned about you getting less than 20oz of fluid a day? Well, you should become familiar with what dehydration feels like.. dark urine, confusion, and dizziness. When you stand up, you'll get light-headed, and may have an interruption in vision or hearing. You should be urinating at least 4 times a day. People that don't drink much preop are still eating food, and carbohydrates provide the body with some amount of water during the digestion process. Postop, we aren't eating, so our only source of water is the fluids we drink.

Rainbow! Sheesh.. thanks for the laugh.. but the [sic] goes after the error in the other person's writing, not after your own correction! Lol! So it should be: Meryline.. I got curious, so went looking to find it. Here are quotes from different sites, explaining how to measure the waist for the waist-to-hip measurement: All of these are describing the same area.. in relation to the hip bone, not the navel. In people that have been very heavy, the navel is a very poor indicator because it moves downward with the sagging skin. The navel is SUPPOSED to be only a cm below the smallest part of the waist (natural waist), but for many of us, it's no longer there. Once I get my phone from my son, I'll show what I'm talking about

At 6 days, you'll probably be fine. Try to have a backup plan in case you can't. Good luck!

I like reading these too. 'Course I might have driven Rainbow off... he's probably said "enough is enough! Berry picks on fish, egg whites, and quantity of meat, is there anything I'm doing right?? " Sorry, Rainbow! I think you are doing awesome! Just a few things to watch out for, is all... Ok, so yesterday I was extra hungry again.. thinking I need to pay attention to acid. 1 cup cottage cheese 1 small apple and a banana (eek!) 1oz pecans 4oz pork loin 1oz sausage patty 1 cup split pea soup 1 egg 1 cup sweet potato 2 cups milk and 1 cup coconut water 1625cal 90g protein

I was looking for standards for guys, and it's not as cut and dried. I recommend dudes measure at the top of their hip bones, but it doesn't appear to be standard. As long as we measure in the same place each time, that's the main thing.

I measure my boobs and under boobs for accurate bra shopping. My natural waist measurement helps me shop for trousers and also, when compared to height, tells me when I'm no longer in a risky category for weight. (Waist should be less than 1/2 height). My hip measurement helps me shop for trousers, and was the one measurement I took preop (and remember). It was 59 inches, now it is 43 inches! Goal is 39-40 inches. The hip is the most accurate for me since there is no "sucking in". I also measured my calves preop for fitting compression stockings. Have lost 3-4 inches off my calves (this is actually a ton).

It's lucky I like herbal tisanes as well as regular tea. I can play around with it to see what works best. Thanks!!

Yeah, it wasn't me. I haven't gone down the road of cancer research as it pertains to bariatrics.

Yeah... well, I can't control what comes into my house, so had to "sit with my feelings". I live with my in-laws, and there is no controlling them. They bring in cakes, cookies, pies, etc. ALL THE TIME. The constant exposure hasn't actually been a bad thing, because I'm now used to it, and it doesn't bother me. There was a couple months that MIL was in the hospital, so stopped bringing stuff in.. which was fine.. but then when she started again, it's like I had to start over! I get used to it being here or not being here... but when it switches, that's harder. It's an ongoing process.

I have a chart on my wall at home: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4-8oz cottage cheese 1 piece of fruit 1 egg 3-7oz beans (black, kidney, pinto) 1oz nuts/seeds/peanut butter 4oz meat or fish non-starchy vegetables (unlimited) Optional: 1 cup starchy veg: potatoes, winter squash, etc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When I eat something, I check it off the chart. Every day looks a bit different, but it keeps me on track, making sure I eat a variety each day, and when everything is checked off, I know I don't get more food (except I can ALWAYS have more non-starchy vegetables.) When I get to maintenance, I'll have to figure out how many calories I get long term. If I eat the largest quantity of everything on this list, it's about 1200-1300 calories. Add in a couple cups of milk or coconut water, and I'm getting up to 1500-1600.. which will likely be close to maintenance. So an extra hungry day has to be balanced out with a day that I hardly eat any of it, or losses won't continue. (I go for protein first on those low calorie days... meat, egg, beans, and cottage cheese.. 650cal). Low-fat dairy helps the calorie totals, as does leaving off the nuts. (Nuts are a LOT of calories for not much food: I can eat the fruit AND 1/2 starchy veg for the calories in the nuts!). Cheese = nuts' macros, but I already have dairy, so prefer nuts for variety. When we eat vegetables, we need to eat fat with them to get all the fat-soluble vitamins. Still working on the best way to food-combine to make this happen. Throwing nuts or cheese with the veggies helps add fat and protein, but can get calorically dense very quickly. It feels like things should be a lot easier once in maintenance and can eat more calories! If this post seems complicated.. well, it's because it IS. The menu is simple, but you still have to think about everything and where each thing fits in. I'm lucky that I like everything and don't have food intolerances. If there are special needs, then substitutions have to be found. It's noon, and this morning I've had a cup of 2% milk, a cup of cottage cheese, an apple, a cup of sweet potato and a small sausage patty. The rest of the day I'll only get an egg/beans and 3oz of meat. (I usually don't even eat until noon, but this morning I was STARVING). Trust me, if I didn't have my list.. today could easily turn into a 2000 calorie day! But, that's why I have the list.. to keep me on track. (Fingers crossed it works!)

7 days postop

I did, big time. Basically, I indulged in a "last meal" that included a fruit pie. After that, whenever I saw sweets in the house, I would stop and stare at them for as long as it took to process through: 1. the fact that those sweets are part of the reason I ended up at 300lbs. 2. They are just empty calories, 3. there is an unlimited supply of them in the world, so there will ALWAYS be sweets (even in a Zombie Apocalypse)! And if things became so bad that there wasn't any anymore, sweets would be the LAST of my worries. 4. I would think about and realize that I know EXACTLY how it tastes, and if I KNOW how it tastes, then isn't that good enough? I can experience it through memory, and memories are calorie-free. 5. Weight loss is like picking up a new religion. A person of faith usually has to change some behaviors.. setting themselves apart from the rest of society. 70% of Americans are overweight. If we don't want to be part of that statistic, we must behave differently.