FluffyChix

As others have encouraged, embrace this time. Because, there WILL come a time when you are fighting your desire to eat--whether it's physical or mental hunger. Right after surgery, I had a little food antipathy where I was, "Meh--it looks good on paper, but I don't really want to have it in my body." But that passed after maybe the 2nd week. Now I sometimes fight physical hunger. I don't have much head hunger. I crave things like protein and veggies and "clean foods." It's very surreal still. And I enjoy interacting with food to fix meals for the people I love. But I don't feel compelled to eat that meal. You have 1 job right now. You need to get your basics for life: water/liquids, vitamins, and meet your protein minimum each day. A day missing the protein minimum here or there isn't going to kill you, but do it often enough and you will maximize your lean body mass loss. And that's terrible, cuz it will lower your metabolism and slow weight loss. So we want to do everything we can to maximize fat loss while retaining as much muscle as possible. And we do that by getting protein into our bodies! At this time, just don't try to find things that appeal. Schedule times to eat. Eat to that schedule and only that schedule--every 3-4 hours. If you just can't handle solid food, sub the real food meal for a protein drink (just don't get into a habit of doing that--you do have to kinda force yourself to progress on foods). Just know it's your job to eat. Pick EASY, super EASY things to eat at whatever your stage. Unless you're still in softies, beware an over-dependence on yogurts, cottage cheese, and cheese. It's a cop-out (IMHO) for many who remain eating those 2 items for months and months on end. But that's just my opinion. At 6 weeks I'm loving eating 1/2c (volume) per meal. I eat 6 mini meals a day and get in 60-65g protein. A routine day for me: 1st Brekky-Miralax, colace, decaff coffee with Premier Protein used as coffee creamer (6oz) 2nd Brekky-usually some kind of eggs (70g egg whites, 14g turkey sausage crumbles, 1/2 slice reduced fat cheese, 10g baby spinach, 14g mushrooms, 10g red bell pepper, salsa) Lunch-2oz lean protein by weight, fill remaining 1/2c measuring cup with steamed low carb veggie or salad mixture (usually baby spinach, shredded cabbage, cucumber, rbp and WF Italian dressing) AS-2oz protein by weight, fill remaining 1/2c measuring cup with veggies (like carrot sticks, cucumbers, rbp, etc) Dinner-same as lunch, but add 1/2oz avocado + 1/2-1oz tomatoes (by weight) Nutritional Totals: about 525 calories; 60-65g protein; 20g fat; <20g carbs; <10g sugar ***Note: I'm ahead of the curve and have been cleared to eat anything and to add back foods slowly--even raw veggies and salads which I tolerate well.

Huge props and congrats to you!!!

Wow huge diff! Congrats on your effort and your joy/happiness!

Everyone outside the fam thinks I had a hiatal hernia repair. I'm not the poster child for WLS awareness. So it's my private beeswax and I don't need to tell them about it anymore than my hysterectomy.

I'm sorry you just learned this! ((hugs)) But, if that does happen, you will handle it. It's the switching in mid-stream and adjusting your expectations in the middle of the process. This happened to me. I was denied first time and told I had to do another 3 months. But in the end, the time passed quickly. And I was approved the next time. Just hang out here and post a bunch!!!

It gets better. Hydration helps! Drink your water.

You are having the infamous 3 week stall. There is nothing you can do to change it. LOL. You just have to persevere and muscle through it. It's so hard. I whined the whole way through mine! Mine lasted 6 days. I went up and down the same 1-2lbs and it was crushing. Then I started losing again. The End. ((hugs))

Please don't mess around with this. If your doc didn't do a serum ferritin, then get one done immediately. Chances are you are so low and need iron infusions. To get those you need a referral to a hematologist. That's probably why you're having such bad fatigue, but it could also just be aftermath of the infection. Especially if it's anything like c. Diff.

I can so relate to this hon!!! And loved your vids! I think we do NOT have to dress our age. But I do think at any age, it's best to keep it classy. And no. Dressin' like a ho is only in my head. LOL. No tramp stamps for me either. Except my 3 "identity dots" (aka my radiation markers that they tat on you). LOL. I think we can be smokin' hot at any age, if we're properly preserved and embalmed if necessary. ROFLMAO! BTW, don't try to self-embalm with vodka. It never ends well! But I do believe it's really hard to overcome the negative image and thoughts that evolve from a lifelong struggle with obesity. I was teased, ridiculed, jeered at, embarrassed, humiliated...underestimated, underpaid, underappreciated...I could fill a book. But it's a very similar book for each of us here! I think we deserve to push ourselves out beyond our comfort zones and test new things. And if you can't style yourself, then go hire an online stylist. My nieces works for Stitch Fit and styles for people. One day I'd love to be able to afford to do that! Then maybe we could begin to define our present styles to what we want it to be--ones that ARE age appropriate and classy and sophisticated and uniquely US. LOL, even if it's sweats or leggings and a turned up collar and cardigan!

What Am I Eating at 6 Weeks - Breakfast Egg White Ham Spinach McCheeseCracker Serves 1 60g Egg Whites (HEB Real Egg Whites) seasoning to taste 1 slice Hillshire Farms Naturals Black Forest Ham 6g organic baby spinach 1slice Boar's Head Red. Fat Lacey Swiss Cheese (cut 2, 6g circles from the slice) Nutritionals: 87 cals; 13g protein; 3g fat; 1g carbs; 0g fiber; 1g net carb; 0g sugar It's been a while since I posted a pic of my food to keep track of where I am visually. I was able to eat the entire sandwich which occupies about 1/2cup of volume. It weighs a little over 3oz by the scale. And that's fairly close to where I should be volume and weight per meal at 6 weeks. I am now getting feedback from my pouch. And my new tiny tummy says, "MMMMMmmmmMMMMMM de-LIC-ious! And just the perfect size of breakfast!" I was pretty pumped cuz I figured out after all these years of making them, that the nuked cheese crackers work really well with reduced fat cheese slices. These crackers were made by cutting out biscuit round shapes from a slice of Boar's Head Lacey Swiss Cheese. We get our Lacey Swiss, which is reduced fat, cut on a 1 1/2 at the deli and it is about 1oz by weight for the entire slice. I tore the remaining piece of the cheese into little pieces and nuked them to make crackers for later. Much much much much cheaper than buying Parmesan crisps from Sam's or the grocery store and just as satisfying for a fraction of the calories and fat. Score!!! Huzzzaaahhhh! I've been eating the same 1/2c volume for a couple of weeks now and still feel perfectly satisfied. I eat about 1 3/4-2 oz of food per meal and then fill up the rest of the volume of the 1/2c with veggies. The only time I get impatient is when I think of eating salad. There simply is a volume challenge to eat salad while trying to get that protein into your bod! And in the rock-paper-scissors game of life, protein beats green. Anyway, hope this inspires you to go play around with the microwave, parchment paper (not wax paper) and cheese!

Premier Protein RTD (vanilla, chocolate, bananas and cream, peaches and cream-just meh on this) Premier Protein Clear (fruit punch) Isopure Powders (unflavored, banana cream, vanilla cream, Dutch chocolate) Syntrax Nectar (lemon iced tea, fuzzy navel, grapefruit) At 6 weeks out, I still have these left over. I only use about 6oz per day as coffee creamer, so I'm really only still actively using the Premier Protein RTD drinks from Sam's or Costco.

Congrats!

Ditto what everyone else said. Sorry you're feeling bad on top of the surgery. You DO need to call the doc about the cough, chest pain (if it isn't the usual gas pain in the left shoulder/breast area), and the headache (if it isn't carb withdrawals). Hope you heal quickly.

I was sent home with Tramadol and Gabapentin. I also bought sugar free adult tylenol online and had it ready. I stopped Tramadol on day 2 I think? And started weaning off Gabapentin on that day as well. For the next 2 days I only took liquid tylenol. My day 4 I did not need anything. I think I only took about 3 total doses of liquid tylenol.

Survey Says: Show me: I'ma dress like a ho at 135lbs!!!!!! bahahahahaha. (No. Seriously. I'm pretty sure I'ma have at least one slutty outfit and a couple of mini skirts. Then I'm going to not go anywhere without my duck lips with the alternating pout and CFMH. (Oh, and that's JUST to the gym! Wait till I go out somewhere fancy pants!) I'm going to drive Mr. F. crazy lol - either from hysteria, fear, or anticipation. I'm not quite sure which one it's gonna be. Resistance is futile.

LOL! Well I know I do! But yes I believe it's also the food that we're addicted to because we chase the high we get from dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. All feel good mood elevators that we get as a result of eating some of our favorite coma-nervana-inducing foods.

I think we all have these days. I just make sure to get my liquids in and to make sure I at least meet my protein minimum with protein drinks or powders. A lot of peeps have issues with a "sticky" pouch in the mornings. I've read that warm tea or even warm water will sometimes help relax your sleeve so you can eat? I also know that being well-hydrated will determine (partially) how easily food will be accepted and go down your anatomy.

I didn't because many of the "bone protein powders" are made primarily with hydrolyzed collagen and other proteins that don't carry the full spectrum of 9 essential amino acids. The only 3 that my surgeon recognize and wants us on are: whey, egg, or soy. But I used unflavored protein and added it to homemade bone broth. It tasted lovely and gave a break from the sweets! You're so lucky to have a meat cutter in your fam!!

I keep mine around 20-no more than-30 minutes. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to receive the signals of satiety. So not only is it to keep from having nausea and cramping in your new tool, but also so you can hopefully know if you are ready to stop eating.

That's fantastic! Congrats on being 101 lbs in 6 months! That's phenomenal!!!!!! So see, this is such a great conversation! (Apologies to @Seahawks Fan for running away with his original post - but---wait for it... IT'S SO FLUFFY!!!! Cuz it's so individual. To you, you count meals not by consuming calories, but rather by separation of your day and activity. My meals are counted by anything with caloric value is counted as an eating event. Because I'm still so soon out and the meals and snacks are the same size -- just to get my protein in...I count it as 5-6 mini meals (most are under 100cals each lol). I don't intake any other calories. If I did, I'd have to count it as a mini meal. When I do get to the point where I can have bigger meals, then I will have 3 meals + 1-2 snacks per day. And nowhere else will I have calories--not even in drinks. To me a protein drink that delivers calories and nutrition is either a meal or a snack depending on how much protein you get. At 25g of protein, that's a meals worth of protein. Good times, huh?

LOL. Deleted comment for lack of reading comprehension. Creekimp already said it! ROFLMAO. Just call me "Master" as in Master of the Obvious. Or Captain Obvious if you prefer!

My doc would rather me take a bullet than have an NSAID. That was preached to me all through the 6 months. They did give me IV Tylenol which worked wonders. Then I was taking Tramadol and Gabapentin. Worked just great. Was drinking walking eating easy time! I had RNY. Kept asking if she was sure she did something inside or did she just put some holes in me and say hocus pocus, be healed! So glad your surgery went well!!! Congrats.

Your surgeon is whack. Serious dehydration. Especially working. The minimum THE FIRST WEEK ONLY for me was 48oz/day and they stressed that was the bare minimum. I made 64oz by the first day of liquids just by doing what Creekimp said: 1oz cups x 4 every hour. I started literally at 4am and finished at 11pm with a little time for a nap in the afternoon. LOL. You will make yourself seriously ill. And if you can't get your protein in, water it down with Fairlife milk, or Mootopia milk, or coconut or cashew or almond milk so that it's thinner.

@Sunnyday25 I find it interesting how people "count" meals. So let me understand, you have 3 meals of "food" per day, but you ALSO have 2 nameless eating events comprised of: 1 protein drink and another one consisting of a protein bar? So to me you are having: 4 meals + protein bar (unless that is a meal replacement bar in which case I would call that 5 meals). LOL. Me personally? I eat 5 meals right now (6 meals if I don't get all my protein in earlier in the day). Technically it's 3 meals + 2 snacks, but honestly the meal sizes are still so close to the same at each meal, I don't differentiate yet. B-Protein drink in coffee 6-8oz PP MS-egg scramble L-protein + salad AS-protein + salad or fruit D-protein + veg + avo/tom BS-only if I didn't make my protein goal for the day of minimum 60g protein

Dang ladies! I feel ya on the post-holiday gain and also the stall! Let's just keep on keepin' on!!! Misty your chicken salad wrap sounded sooo good! Glad no issues with the Flatout! SW: 222.4 CW: 206.2 GW: 150 Pounds lost since surgery. (-16.2lbs since surgery) I'm also still up about 0.4lbs over last Wednesday. I had been up 2lbs. Gah!!! I was soooooo forkin good too. I swear--even Easter Sunday I only had about 710 cals! Do you believe that one?? I did go see the cardiologist today and showed him pics of my cankles and he thinks my bp med may be causing it. So he changed things up and I am back on a diuretic. So I guess we'll see if I'm actually carrying a lot of fluid or not! Food on track. Still eating 1/2c of food/meal, about 2oz protein/meal by weight. About 65g protein daily and around 500 cals daily.