FluffyChix

So I found a plan: Dr. Johnson's Alternate Day Diet (based on a lot of the research from Walter Longo, Krista Varady, et al and it was one of the original alternate day fasting diets with caloric restriction that came to the public. He's a doc out of LSU. And they found it helped their asthma patients, and helped with wl too. So I added it to my low carb principle. I'd lost from 325 to 160lb doing Atkins '72. But I'd been stuck for years at 260lbs. Nothing I did could budge it. I'd go up or down within a few pounds. My bloodwork was amazing, but I was stuck. I added it into the mix and started losing. (I had a hysterectomy and so was very hormone deficient and imbalanced hormonally.) I'd lost 30lbs when they discovered my breast cancer. Well I immediately said, "Fu*k It All!" And I went on my "Make-a-wish Diet" where I ate ALL. THE. CRAP. and I waited for all of my test results and to get into an amazing oncologist. It took a little over 2mons. In that time, I had a 25lb regain eating my MAW diet. And the oncologist was horrified. Cuz that can make cancer grow quickly (gaining after dx). So he said to get back on it. And I fasted all through chemo and radiation. I essentially went from 260lbs down through chemo, 1st surgery, radiation and lost to 218lbs. Incidentally, the chemo + fasting did something my onc had never witnessed. I had a high grade aggressive tumor that is historically a "lazy eater" of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Meaning chemo will shrink the tumors a little bit, and stop/alter the cells...but you don't usually see complete remission or regression. They saw that my tumors shrank 60% with neoadjuvant chemo. And the path report showed that although there were some remaining living cells within my 12 lymph nodes (1 had pierced the node)--all the cancer cells showed genetic modification by the chemo which is unusual. So the research shows this to be true...fasting during chemo can be protective of healthy cells and helps boost the effectiveness of chemo and radiation. When I got down to 218lbs they worried about my radiation levels and I was getting huge burns/open wounds. So they told me to stop losing. I went back to a "more normal" Zone style diet 30-30-40. And maintained for a few months. Then after all my reconstructions and healings slowly began to regain up to my most recent 287lbs. The onc was freaking out and tried for 2 years to talk me into WLS. I resisted and pretended I didn't notice the weight gain, even though by that time, I was essentially bed-ridden. (I'm still on a cancer drug and will be on it for 10 years total. It puts me in "super-menopause" and shuts down my hormones as much as possible. So I'm extremely hormone deficient/imbalanced.) I haven't been doing alternate day fasting anymore. But yeah, you might be able to say I've been doing IF, cuz you know, at 650-850, I'm already in de facto keto from calorie reduction--a form of fasting, and I'm living in a full-time calorie restricted state. So I find no reason to add even more alternate day IF into the mix at this point, until I'm at a more normal maintenance level caloric load. Although, I do naturally fast for 12-14 hours (with breaking the fast with 3oz of Premier Protein in my coffee each day). So you could theoretically claim using your definition, that I've been IF since May 2017 when I weighed 287lbs. LOL. I get up, have protein in my coffee as creamer. Then I eat breakfast between 10-11am. I stop eating around 8-9pm. Today I weigh 164.6lbs. Sorry for the book!!

Wow! Thanks for sharing this girlie!! Huge congrats on all of your effort and dedication!!! You are stunning and LOVE the black dress!!!! I so get the "clothes" thing. I need to purge my closet from all of my 32, 30, 28, 26, 22, 20s LOL. I'm scared spitless to do it. What if I fail? I don't have an endless wad of cashola to re-buy that nonsense. So it may get bagged up and sent to storage for a year or two until I reach a comfort zone and negotiate with my bad cray self. I shop at Goodwill now. LOL. I HATE even spending the $3.50 it costs for a pair of Ralph Lauren jeans! I get a 30% senior discount on Saturdays! And love buying tshirts for $1 at another thrift store. TG I can just work from home. I still wear my old 4x flannel pjs and sweat shirts.

This is because MCT oil although it has calories, is considered by many to be blood sugar/insulin neutral. So it's possible to intake it for energy (something most fat peeps don't need anyway) without hormonally altering/affecting their fat burning system. I don't believe that those of use with ample fat on us need additional exogenous sources of fats that go straight to our liver like MCT nor do I think exogenous ketones help us burn weight faster (nor do we need that extra fuel). If you're trying to amp burning up, we have the fat stored and ready. But that's just my lay opinion. I've been studying and doing IF for many many years; both 16:8 and also alternate day fasting with caloric restriction. Both work. Both are muscle sparing, and both have the ability to reduce fasting insulin and make cells less IR, lowering bgs. Women have to be a bit more careful, cuz it seems their fasting window is better (less endocrine stress) with 14:10 rather than 16:8. But I think it may also be a YMMV thing too. If you find you develop sleep issues at around the 3-6 week mark, that is a tell that your endocrine system is being adversely affected by the IF. Women are more sensitive to this than men. Men have incredible success with IF and caloric restriction. They quickly normalize blood sugar, IR, and upreg HGH and androgen conversion to testosterone. If you/they also add in HIIT and/or movement conditioning, they will restore lost muscle. It's not quite as simple for women though. My opinion is that technically, the protein drink breaks the fast, but it's incremental. And it sounds like it's working for you. A system created by an Israeli doctor who made the "Warrior Diet" does allow his men to drink protein drinks from grassfed "pure" cows. It's a diet for dudes that is very effective...so there ya have it.

Lunch yesterday-one of my quick fixes: Boar's Head Lacy Swiss (lite cheese) + BH Blackened Turkey Breast + veggies + dip. I hate wasting calories on bad fats in bottled dressings (one of the few areas I'm a purist about--eating crappy oils, trans fat, and super esterified fats), and hate "wasting cals" on sour cream when I really need a bit of Greek yogurt in my day. So I make my own using Greek Zero Fat Yogurt (plain) and any WF dressing, or spices that approximate the packaged dressings. This was GY + WF Balsamic Vinaigrette + Gran Garlic + Gran Onion + black pepper. YUM! Oh and a splash of Bragg's ACV. It was a "small pouch day" hehe. IKR? (sorry the bowl is messy--didn't feel like turning it into a clean bowl after I mixed it.)

That's awesome girl! Your menu selections sound yum! Of course, forgot about your food pics thread! TY!

Congrats--only 10lbs to goal girl!!! So are you logging? Can you give us an average day of meals for you with times/quantities or weights and daily totals please? Thanks!

Here's one of my favorite go-to lunches. I boil, peel/de-vein, and freeze shrimp. Then I can use them all sorts of ways. My fave is homemade Greek salad with spiced pumpkin seeds and WF Italian or Balsamic dressing. I eat the whole thing. It's roughly 1-1/4cups of volume and about 6-7oz on the scale.

Here is yesterday's aftershot of lunch at The Counter. I had a Mediterranean "bowl" which is a turkey burger on a Greek Salad. And I had 1 of the grilled veggie skewers. I can eat way more salad than a meal with separate dense protein + veggies + avo/tom. I think maybe it's cuz lettuce and cucumbers especially, have more water in them and they become sliderish maybe?

Here was a lunch I made with leftover grilled chicken. I ate 1 entire lettuce cup of these. That is a lunch plate--so much smaller (8in) than a dinner plate. Each cup had 2 1/2oz of protein in each one. I made Mexican crema using Greek Zero Fat Yogurt, some FF Fairlife milk to thin it down and a tiny splash of lime and a pinch of salt. Sorry, no after shots.

I used to be a big fan of leftovers. Now it just depends on the leftover. I leftover grilled meats, cuz they can be used quickly, with little effort in so many ways! I can't stand leftover eggs now of any kind. LOL. This is cauliflower paella with chicken breast, venison sausage, and greens. I don't usually make this complex of a meal. It's usually grilled/sauteed meat/seafood + veg + avo/toms, which I find way more filling. Being a member of the "clean plate club" is a dubious and terrifying honor at times. I continually worry about how big my pouch is.

I hope you have to take a survey? I do. If you do, fill it all out!!! With names, times, dates, and details. Also, this type of situation demands you take it to either the practice manager or clinic manager and file an incident report. You can then demand to never be seen again by that particular PA. It's a serious, serious infraction and everyone involved needs to have that in their records. I'm so sorry this happened!!

MFP girl here. I log the good, bad, and ugly. LOL. It makes me stay accountable and no ostrich with my head in the sand here.

I do weigh and track religiously. Even the bad stuff. For me there is a very real and true cause/effect relationship with what goes in my piehole and what registers on the scale within 1-3 days. Like BV, I also keep a spread sheet of date, weight, cals, and macros. It literally takes me maybe 10-15minutes a day to do all the planning, logging and numbers. In the morning I DO put everything into the food log based on my best guess. I also know by now what volume/weight I eat. I know that I have a large functional pouch, so I actually stick to my RDs totals for volume and know how that relates to the weight on the scale for most of my meals because I've been doing this a while. If I have deviations to the plan, then I go back in after the meal (as soon as I can get there) and modify my log. It sounds tedious, but I use the free MFP and you can ask it to remember meals, and things. You can also copy one meal to another day. So once you populate your food logs, it's a quick step to do your daily menus. I am mostly happy eating the same things for breakfast and lunch. If I find something filling and satisfying that leaves me with a full tummy for hours and a good/healthy energized feeling, then why not put it down as a success meal and eat it frequently? That way I only have to figure out something for dinner! By doing this, I can hit my cal/macro budget easier and also know I'm hitting my protein goals. I also eat pretty clean, no-nonsense stuff. I'm still in weight loss mode--so why not? I mostly eat grilled chicken, or ground turkey, fish, shrimp, some lean pork, and beef now and then. It mostly doesn't have sauce--just dense protein. Then I eat veg/salad with it and almost always avocado and tomato. Done. I do have some meals with shenanigans and totally crap choices. I'm a work in progress, or maybe just a piece of work. LOL. But I log that too. You can do this. But you just have to re-enter "beast mode" and really get fixated on results.

You guys crack me up. I can take before pics. But all you'll see after is a clean and happy plate. LOLOL!

I did cauli and broccoli from day 1 with pureed soups...then they were my first veggies (cooked very well though). Now I eat them barely blanched, sauteed, roasted, every way except overcooked!

I'm going to be frank with you. Recidivism happens. It does. It's why so many of us here have yo-yo'd our way to the obesity ball and MO or SMO. We start with the best intentions and then we either begin to crave too much or grow complacent or life happens and the next thing we know we've backslid into our old unhealthy habits. This surgery helps or can help break the cycle of the yo-yo. If you TRULY work in the next 6 months to change and prep for the surgery, you will have an infinitely stronger chance of long-term lifestyle changes that will hang around long after the honeymoon phase is over. I've heard WLS described as actually being weight maintenance surgery. But saying that, it does not guarantee that any one of us won't go back to our unhealthy relationships. Hell many of us still believe that all things in moderation are gonna hold out for them at the 3-5 year mark. But meh. That's them. Your actions will be more valuable than words here. Just quietly go about working your routine. Get healthy. Follow the rules. Change your evil ways. She will either grow with you or apart from you and either way you will have your answer. Mr. F. was always supportive and follows a low carb diet with me. But he has no desire to go through WLS as a patient. That's ok. I would have done it one way or the other. We used to be eating buddies. But we've adopted new activities rather than sitting at the local watering hole eating and drinking. He is not big on exercise, but now we're both walking and exercising and exploring together and we're both growing healthy. He's lost weight along with me. And he wants to stay on a healthy eating plan more than me some days! LOL. So you do you. If you want this badly...start your work now. Don't be dissuaded!

This is great. Balance DOES mean different things to different people. Just as no 1-size-fits-all-diet will suit everyone. There's so much that goes into play when figuring out what formula works specifically to meet your needs. What I have the biggest issue with is being told that "my personal way" is wrong. It may certainly be wrong for you. But I can assure that if it didn't work well and comfortably for ME, I'd be the first person in there hacking it to find a better fit. I DO focus intently on my menus. So what? I like it. It works for me. I'm a happy little loser exceeding the average outcomes and feeling good physically, emotionally, spiritually. So for ME, that IS balance. I love my meals. I look forward to them. I still get joy from food. I find I crave lean meants and veggies and although I don't do Dr. Weiner or the Mayo Clinic Diet, or Dr. V's or Dr. Davis' plant based diets, I still manage to get my 74g protein in + 3/4-1lb of low glycemic veggies + a small amount of healthy fats + an even smaller amount of berries in daily. And I thrive on that. I CRAVE it. Do I have a meal (not days) where I eat something that is higher carb? Sure. It's about 1% of my diet. No big deal. I don't seek to actively add gut flora in via grains, legumes, and massive fructose bombs of fruit? Nope, the flora just happens. I also love lacto-fermented veg so why not include those as condiments. Again, I think of that as balance. We all have a unique fulcrum that balances the teeter totter.

I live in Texas. LOL, in my family "wench" is a term of endearment. I'm the kitchen wench. It was supposed to be funny, sorry. I've been a wench as have my sissies for years. We actually love the term. Also, just to be clear. DAMN straight I want to be thin. I also wanted to save my forkin life. At 287 I was on 3 blood pressure meds, 3 asthma drugs, GERD medicine, had fluid around my heart, had a very low ejection fraction, had Stage II lymphedema in my arm from cancer. And was at serious risk for BC recurrence. My oncologist BEGGED me for 2 years to do this surgery. He felt it was maybe the only hope I had of surviving 10 years from the cancer without recurrence. I was bed-bound, could barely shower, could barely walk from my recliner where I lived to the potty. I could not stand to cook cuz the pain and exhaustion was terrible. I got MSSA in my foot that took 3 months to heal and wasn't being helped cuz of the heart fluid and leg fluid and BP issues. I could not sleep longer than 1-2 hour stretches and I was in aching 8scale pain 24/7/365. Am I sooo unbelievably thrilled I can now sleep 4-5 hours at a stretch without waking from crying in pain? Am I glad my neuralgia is partially better around my chest and down my left arm from the surgery? Am I glad to have my life back? Am I happy to be off all asthma drugs and off all bp meds except a lower dose of 1? Am I happy my fluid around the heart is slowly improving, the ejection fraction has improved 5%, am I thrilled to be able to bathe, cook, clean my house and be a better partner? Fu*k yeah! Am I thrilled I can now shop for the first time in 8 years? That I can walk for 1 hour straight? That I can stand for longer than 10 minutes? Am I determined DETERMINED that I will be in the normal weight category just once in my life? FU*K yeah! And I would not (in the end) let anyone or anything keep me from having the chance to reclaim my life. I will also jump through fire to keep from ever going back to that place of living hell ad misery where I lay in my chair and prayed to die. I was TRYING to be charitable about your motives dude. LOL.

So glad you mentioned Lyss. Great post, dude. To the OP, I don't think you're wife bashing or whatever you are accused of doing in this post. (skimming only). I think you are genuinely concerned. I'm sure others have mentioned, that initially due to weight loss in general, but due to quick weight loss in particular, we get to the point toward goal where we do look like melted candles--a bit--at least I'm looking decidedly melty-ish in parts these days. But over the next year, the fat will actually re-distribute and fill out some places. I'd say if the doc isn't worried, then take comfort from that, and trust your wife. This is clearly important to her. You've no idea of the beasts and battles we have in our heads re: weight, self-esteem, sexuality. We may appear the most confident women in the world and some are! But others of us fight it daily. And it's a big war within. I think your fear stems from the experience with your aunt. I'm sorry for your loss. It honestly sounds like maybe your aunt's tummy twisted and blood flow got cut off and that's why she went septic. But, I also think some of this is your seeing your wife for the first time outside the norm--as a skinny wench. And that takes us all time. The body dysmorphia applies to loved ones and friends as well as the bariatric patient. Just for reference, your wife is SMACK in the middle of normal weight for her height. Yay team! I know I'm not planning on stopping until I get to the normal weight zone. There can be a 10-15lb regain around 2-5 years, so there is that as well... I just think keep on doing your research, stay connected here for support and be supportive of your wife's journey. And it DOES help to talk it out with someone who went to school for therapy rather than us internet whackamoles! Cheers!

I saw a re-run of an episode from Season 2 of My 600lb Life...(yes, I secretly watch this show...) Even though I know I will never experience the kinds of monthly losses that most people experience on that show, it really did inspire me in May to start my own salvation journey with weight loss--again--for about the millionth time. I watched the Penny Saeger episode with almost the same fixated attention one would give to a speeding train about to crash. And I wondered if anyone else saw this episode and had any thoughts about it? Season 2 Penny Saeger - My 600lb Life - Has She Lost Weight? Season 2 Penny Saeger - My 600lb Life Penny Saeger Update

I've told u I don't do the "keto" diet as it's defined. If I ate anywhere near that fat level I would be so sick. I don't do well with high fat. Now please excuse me but I'm done being grilled and being made to defend my dietary choices.

That was an ave day for me for 18 years as low carb. I did dr Atkins '72 diet, the original keto diet. People call keto today is super aggressive with fat at75% or higher. people use keto and low carb interchangeably. I believe if u are under about 40-50g of daily carbs u r in ketosis. Some can be closer to 70 and still letogenic. You can also be super low calorie and be ketogenic. i presently ave between 650-850 Cala on most days. I eat from 60-70g protein; roughly 25-30g net carbs;and around 30g of fat per day. I am ketogenic not only due to carb and protein suppression but also due to low calories.

Let's be perfectly clear here. I have NEVER eaten a "high protein diet." EVER. That way for me is death. I have eaten a low carb ADEQUATE protein only diet ranging from 60-74g/day. That is ADEQUATE not HIGH protein. LOL. And, I developed horrible disease states as a result of having a form of blood cancer as a child and being on prednisone for the better part of the first 11 years of my life. As a result I had full blown PCOS from the time I was in puberty and was already hyperinsulinemic. PCOS aka METABOLIC SYNDROME aka Diabetes Type 3 which goes hand in hand with obesity and fat mediated cancers. I controlled my prediabetes (actually Type II diagnosed by A1C 18 years ago) with low carb. My fat was roughly about 60-65% and my protein was adequate at 60-74g/day and my carbs were around net 25-35g per day. I CONTROLLED the progression of those disease states for longer than is usually estimated I can do that while still being obese. I got surgery for a metabolic reset. I lost from 325 to 260 and could not lose any more without going below the 900 cal/day deck--something I did regularly on low carb in order to lose for awhile but it was excruciatingly painful without the WLS. I developed cancer because my insulin was already out of control due to my Metabolic Syndrome THAT I'VE HAD SINCE I WAS A TEENAGER. And my heart issues came from having CLEAR arteries before cancer. And NO HEART DISEASE before cancer treatment. OK? I had left side cancer. Obscenely HIGH levels of chemo to fight the tumors AND radiation to my mediastinum. Over 85% of women with left side breast cancer, chemo and radiation develop CAD within 5 years (and most in as little as 18months) following treatment. I lived but my lovely parting gift is pericardial effusion and a fibrous growth on my heart from the radiation to my heart while they were trying to kill any remaining cancer cells left behind. Do NOT TWIST MY TRUTH--like you try to do with Dr. Atkins. So let's get the FACTS straight ok? I'm done with this conversation. Low carb isn't for everyone. But for most people with healthy kidneys, it will NOT harm them. And as they are learning, it might even be a treatment for those with CKD. And btw? I'm off all my meds too except for my cancer drug and thyroid and the omeprazole my surgeon told me I would take for life. Neither is the Mayo Clinic diet for everyone. If I ate what you ate, my A1c would STILL be over 7 and I'd regain at an obscenely high rate. My insulin levels would be in the high 20s and I would most likely have a cancer recurrence. Funny, I'm 7 years cancer free, and I had about a 30% chance of living 5 years. I give MUCH of that credit to my healers who got the biggest part of it the first time, but also to my diet which has kept the insulin and blood sugars as low as possible while being in SUPER MENOPAUSE from the cancer drug I take.

BUN/creatinin levels can rise because of nothing more than quick weight loss. It's part of why this WLS is TREMENDOUSLY taxing on both the liver and the kidneys.

Ash my low carb diet is the same exact amount of protein as when I was doing my prepping nut diet. 74g. Low carb/keto is only EVER originally intended to be "protein ADEQUATE." If you're upping your protein to more than you need, it's not a good thing. And it means you're not doing low carb/keto correctly.